Drake & Travis Scott 'Meltdown' Mode in Vancouver ... For 'All a Blur' Tour!!!

Drake's "It's All a Blur" tour stop in Vancouver got a healthy dose of "Utopia" last night ... as Travis Scott joined him as the night’s special performer!!!

The 2 megastar rappers performed their latest collab "Meltdown" live for the first time ever -- Timothée Chalamet diss and all -- and followed up by performing their Diamond-selling duet "Sicko Mode" for the Canadian crowd.

The show was originally set for Monday, but was postponed over issues with the new video board installed inside Rogers Arena.

Travis made a grand entrance into the stadium using WWE legend The Undertaker's theme music as his walk-up soundtrack ... fitting since the performance seemed to have the crowd in a chokehold.

The appearance was also a good warm-up for Travis -- he just announced the dates for his own Houston-less "Utopia" tour.

Amy Sedaris Called Out for MJ Birthday Post ... 'Let's Not Glorify Him'

Amy Sedaris celebrated Michael Jackson on his birthday this week -- but some aren't happy about her giving him a shout-out ... proving he's still divisive, even today.

The actress threw up a major bday tribute to the late entertainer Tuesday, which marked what would've been his 65th birthday if he was still alive. She attached a bunch of MJ clips, showing off his talent and iconic cultural moments in showbiz ... including music videos.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

She wrote, "On what would've been his 65th birthday, let's all groove to some of the timeless music that @michaeljackson made." Amy also added the hashtag #heavenlybirthday.

Celebrate Jackson's Birthday?

Clearly, she's a fan of the guy -- at least on the professional front -- and felt it was appropriate to honor him 14 years after his death ... but many of her followers were pissed.

There's a handful of naysayers who don't approve of Amy giving Mike the spotlight ... and, yes, it all has to do with his controversial history of being accused of sexually abusing minors -- something MJ denied throughout his life, and for which he was famously acquitted.

Still, that doesn't mean people are over it ... and they let Amy know in her comments. One person wrote, "Let's not glorify him anymore." Another chimed in, saying ... "We still out here celebrating pedophiles, smh." Even Bravo's Andy Cohen commented, writing ... "Oops!"

Now, Amy doesn't appear to have responded to any of these folks ... but the fact a good amount of people are responding this way is a testament to an unspoken rule among A-listers in Hollywood -- don't talk about Michael, and just leave it to the normies. FWIW, Mike has many, many defenders online ... but not very many who are notable public figures.

Fact is, high-visibility stars tend not to address the topic one way, or another these days -- and it seems obvious why ... there are still countless individuals who believe all his accusers.

Seeing how Amy is bucking that trend and giving him love regardless is interesting ... she seems able to separate the art from the artist -- that, or she believes he's innocent, period.

The abuse allegations persist in 2023 ... namely, through the claims of Wade Robson and James Safechuck, who are pushing lawsuits through the CA court system.

Thanks to an appeals court, they'll now have their allegations heard anew by a judge ... this after both suits were initially tossed. Wade and James are going after MJ's companies ... claiming they had a duty to protect them as kids.

Kroy Biermann Sorry Kim, Divorce Still On ... Unfazed by Her Optimism

Kim Zolciak is, at least publicly, acting like there's hope she and Kroy Biermann can resolve things, and he'll pull his divorce docs again, but he's not seeing it that way at all ... TMZ has learned.

We heard from Kim -- who was still wearing her wedding ring -- Monday at LAX, and she gave off very optimistic vibes when asked if Kroy might have a change of heart about his second divorce filing.

Well, we asked Kroy's legal team if he had any plans on pulling the divorce ... and they didn't mince words. Kroy's attorney, Marlys A. Bergstrom, tells us, "No, at this time, he is still moving forward with the divorce action."

It's likely a devastating blow to Kim, and unless Kroy's holding back information from his lawyer ... the estranged couple is definitely not on the same page about their future.

TMZ broke the story, Kim and Kroy filed separate divorce petitions back in May, but eventually worked things out and decided against the split in July.

However, s*** hit the fan for the couple this month, prompting Kroy to file for divorce once again.

082923_kim_zolciak_kal 8/29/23
BEING COY ABOUT KROY
BACKGRID

Kim has yet to respond in court docs, but her tone at LAX was that of a woman who's confident everything will be A-OK. Might be time to rethink that.

Paris Jackson Ripped by Fans for No MJ Birthday Post ... I've Gotten Death Threats

Paris Jackson is defending herself after not wishing her dad, Michael Jackson, a happy birthday on social media -- a choice that has some fans telling her to kill herself.

The singer did post Tuesday -- which would've been MJ's 65th birthday -- about the extreme reaction of fans, saying some had been coming after her all day for not paying tribute to her pops online, which she thinks is ridiculous.

083023_paris_jackson_kal
CELEBRATE HOW HE'D WANT

She says her dad was never into birthday celebrations, and he'd go to great lengths to keep his big day a secret ... but despite her honoring MJ's past wishes over the years, Paris points out the drastic things she's been hit with when she doesn't post about him on his birthday.

FYI, Paris goes on to share a clip from her concert on Tuesday, where she actually paid tribute to Michael with the crowd ... before reminding her followers big celebrations are something he was totally against.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

As we reported, actress Amy Sedaris caught flack for honoring Michael online for his birthday -- with many commenters taking anger in the fact that she's paying tribute to a singer who had a controversial past of allegedly sexually abusing minors.

Seems like folks are gettin' mad whether you post about MJ or not.

Cowa-bang-a Man Pleads Guilty to Sex w/ Calf ... DNA Left at the Scene 🐮

A British guy is going to have to wait until the cows come home to shake this saga -- 'cause he's now known as the dude who got off with cattle.

25-year-old Liam Brown pled guilty this week to sexual penetration with a living animal and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal during a hearing at the Poole Magistrates Court ... according to the Daily Mail.

It reportedly all stems from an incident last summer when Brown was caught red-handed doing the deed with a young calf on a farm in the town of Burton. Apparently, he fell victim to some booby traps set by the farmers.

You see these landowners say they'd suspected for a while that their bovines were being abused, so they installed a bunch of alarms/surveillance cams to catch whoever was banging the livestock in the dead of night. Eventually, Brown crept onto the property, triggered the system and was apprehended.

The worst part ... they say they know this guy from years ago.

The farmers told the court that members of Brown's family had actually been employed by them several years ago -- so, they were familiar with him since childhood, it seems.

As for how prosecutors were able to prove it was Brown beyond a reasonable doubt ... DNA. Indeed, the report says samples from the cow were collected. and they matched his profile.

Brown was reportedly sobbing in court. He'll be sentenced next month.

Hurricane Idalia Intense Winds, Flooding, & Rainfall ... As Storm Reaches Florida

083023_storm_surge_kal
OVERWHELMING FLOODING, WINDS
X/@JimCantore

Hurricane Idalia has hit Florida in a big way ... and it's bringing the Sunshine State flooding, roaring winds, and certain devastation.

The Category 3 storm made landfall Wednesday morning in the state's Big Bend region -- Meteorologist Jim Cantore shared some shocking sights from Cedar Key -- as gusting winds rip through the city and come straight for nearby houses.

BTW, he gave his followers an update less than an hour later ... and the winds and water levels got worse in no time at all.

Damage from the storm is expected to cover 200 miles, with up to 16-foot surges ... residents would have to get up to the 3rd floor of buildings to stay dry. Wind gusts approached 125 mph.

083023_idalia_flooding_kal
COMPLETELY UNDERWATER
WFLA-TV

The Tallahassee area is also predicted to be uninhabitable for several weeks or even months, according to the National Weather Service office.

Officials have said Idalia shows great potential for death and catastrophic devastation, and locals have been told to hightail it out of the area. As of Wednesday, over 240k residents are already without power.

This is the 3rd hurricane to make landfall in FL in the past year, after Ian last September and Nicole a month later. Both storms brought devastation and this one's shaping up to be no different.

082023-baja-kal 8/20/23
FLOODING IN BAJA

You'll recall, the West Coast was hit with Tropical Storm Hilary earlier this month, causing flooding in Baja, Mexico, and taking at least one life.

Mississippi Mayhem Three Men In Violent, Shovel-Wielding Clash

083023-fight-kal
MAN VS SHOVEL

A group of Mississippi men got into a vicious battle with a shovel and wooden plank ... leaving one of the dudes drenched in blood.

The nearly 2-minute fight was caught on video and posted to Facebook ... featuring three men squaring off outside a ramshackle home in the area near Jackson.

One guy screams at the other two ... "It's mine motherf***er" -- although it's not clear what he's referring to.

Suddenly, one of the other men whacks the guy in the head with the plank, causing him to fall to the ground, blood flowing down the front of his shirt from an open wound.

The victim gets to his feet and continues to argue with his attacker, promising a stint in prison for the old man, whose younger cohort retrieves the shovel.

As the exchange becomes more heated, the injured man grabs his crotch and makes a lewd remark ... prompting the cohort to bash him in the head with the shovel.

The man stumbles backward into his truck, climbs behind the wheel and drives off.

We've reached out to the police to see if they got involved ... so far no word back.

TikTok's Pinkydoll Pushes Back on NPC Light Skin Critique ... I'm Proud to be Black!!!

082923_pinkydoll_kal
HERE TO STAY
TMZ.com

The famous TikTok lady you see acting like computer game characters on "LIVE" says she isn't trying to trick anyone into thinking she isn't Black ... despite claims of critics and some visual evidence.

We got internet sensation Pinkydoll at LAX Tuesday, where we asked what she made of people being demonstrably shocked over her recent appearance onstage at the 2023 Streamy Awards ... where she did her whole "NPC" shtick while presenting an award.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

If you're unfamiliar ... it's a big fad on TikTok, and other live-streaming apps, where hosts repeat silly catchphrases and mimic a non-player character from video games -- something gamers apparently LOVE watching, so much so, they send her digital gifts and money!

Pinkydoll is easily the most recognizable face in that world lately ... but, as you can see here on camera, she's a dark-skinned African-American woman -- and looks quite different from how she usually does on her NPC livestreams, where her skin's much lighter.

082923_pinkydoll_stream_kal
🍦ICE CREAM SO GOOD🍦

Twitter was perplexed to see Pinkydoll is actually darker in the flesh ... and some accused her of trying to purposely bait people into thinking she's some race other than Black.

She's strongly denying that, though, telling our camera guy she's proud of her melanin -- and she offers an explanation for the obvious skin tone difference. Now, whether you buy it ... that's up to you.

One thing that isn't debatable is Pinkydoll's NPC personality is bleeding over into real life ... watch the video, 'cause it feels like we were talking to a bit of a robot in person.

With that said, she makes clear this profession is paying the bills and then some -- and she's gonna keep doing her thing, even though a ton of wannabes are hopping on her bandwagon.

Mmmm, ice cream ... thanks for the roses! 😋

For more influencer news, tune in to the TMZ Verified podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.

George Washington Can't Tell a Lie ... Presidential Letter Should Fetch $1M!!!

An important piece of American history is hitting the auction block ... George Washington's letter setting the stage for future presidents and the country, and it's expected to fetch 7 figures!!!

Washington wrote and signed the letter in March 1789 at his Mount Vernon estate, just a few weeks before he took the oath of office to become America's first President. In the correspondence with a Naval officer in Philadelphia, GW vows to "make justice and public good my sole objects" during his presidency.

This literal national treasure is going up for sale through the good folks over at Gotta Have Rock and Roll ... and the auction house tells us it's expecting the winning bid to be at least $1 million.

The auction goes live today and ends September 22 ... and someone's gonna drop a lot of dead presidents on this artifact.

As we first reported, George has had a couple items hit the auction block over the years ... like locks of his hair and his proclamation making Thanksgiving an official holiday ... and this letter is right up there in terms of significance.

Jesse Palmer TB12's 'Legendary' Bachelor Material ... Herbert, Stroud, Too!!!

082923_jesse_palmer_brady_kal
GREATEST BACHELOR OF ALL TIME???
TMZSports.com

If Tom Brady ever wants to add another ring to his collection, he's a perfect candidate for "The Bachelor" ... so says the dating show's host, Jesse Palmer, who tells TMZ Sports the G.O.A.T. would be a "legendary" lead.

The former NFL quarterback and Season 5 star of the ABC series believes there are actually a couple signal-callers who could go from throwing the pigskin to handing out roses -- Brady, Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud.

In fact, Palmer says the handsome Chargers standout would be a "producer's dream" ... 'cause they could pay for all the dates and trips throughout the season with help of his $262 million contract!!

"You actually could not script a better setup," Palmer says. "That would be incredible for ratings, and also amazing for our budget."

Herbert has kept his dating life pretty private ... and despite a few rumors, he hasn't gone public with anyone during his NFL career.

Same goes for Stroud ... so Palmer thinks the No. 2 overall pick to the Houston Texans could also thrive in finding love as he kicks off his NFL career.

Brady has gotten back in the dating game after his divorce from Gisele Bündchen was finalized last October ... and was recently spotted enjoying his time with model Irina Shayk.

But Palmer says the 7-time Super Bowl champion gets his stamp of approval to be on the show ... as long as Irina gives the go-ahead as well.

"There is the Irina Shayk issue," Palmer adds. "But if she's willing to kind of just chill out for a couple months of filming, I think we're solid."

Palmer says the show could film at any of Brady's houses ... which would also be a huge positive.

"Again, very budget-friendly. Tom Brady would be good."

082923_jesse_palmer_college_colors_kal
Color Rush!!!
TMZSports.com

We also talked to Jesse about College Colors Day coming up on Friday ... and he breaks down how fans and alums can show school pride ahead of the new season, and score a chance to win tickets to the national championship game in the process.

Marcus On 'Sex And The City' 'Memba Him?!

American actor, singer, and dancer Sean Palmer was 29 years old when he first started playing the role of Marcus -- the Broadway hopeful and Stanford Blatch's boyfriend -- in HBO's hit show "Sex And The City" back in 2002.

During his 2 year run on 'SATC,' Palmer was part of an iconic cast including Sarah Jessica Parker as the sex newspaper columnist, Carrie, Cynthia Nixon as the rigid and funny attorney, Miranda, Kim Cattrall as the sex-positive public relations specialist, Samantha, Kristin Davis as the conservative art gallerist and the late Willie Garson as Carrie's bestie and Marcus' love interest.

Guess what he looks like now!

Nick Carter DENIES NEW SEXUAL ASSAULT Allegation ... Claims Lawsuit Full of Lies!!!

Nick Carter is pushing back against a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her on his yacht when she was 15 years old ... he says her lawsuit is full of false allegations.

The Backstreet Boys singer is being sued by a woman who says Nick sexually assaulted her multiple times back in 2003, when she was 15 and he was 23 -- she claims Nick forced himself on her aboard a yacht, and on a bus after plying her with alcohol.

But Nick is vehemently denying it happened, claiming the lawsuit is full of BS.

This accuser has filed her lawsuit anonymously, and she's now the third woman suing Carter for sexual assault.

Carter's lawyer, Dale Hayes Jr., tells TMZ ... when the woman made her allegations against Nick 2 decades ago, authorities investigated her claims and found no merit to move forward with charges.

Nick's lawyer says the accuser is simply "repeating the same false allegations in a new legal complaint" but he says that "doesn’t make them any more true."

As we first reported, Nick is also being sued by a woman named Shannon Ruth, who filed a lawsuit in December claiming he sexually assaulted her after a concert in 2001, when she was underage ... but he says he has witnesses who will testify Ruth is lying.

Singer Melissa Schuman is also suing Nick over an alleged 2002 sexual assault. He denies her allegations, as well.

With the latest lawsuit being filed, Nick's legal team says he's "looking forward to the evidence being presented and the truth about these malicious schemes coming to light."

Travis Scott I'm Going All Over For 'Utopia' Tour ... But I'm Not Doing Houston

Travis Scott is ready for a nationwide tour performing his new album ... and he's making a couple tour stops in Texas, with one notable exception ... Houston.

The rapper just announced dates and cities for his upcoming "Utopia" tour, and he's got shows in almost every major American market, except for the place where his infamous Astroworld concert left 10 dead and dozens injured.

Travis going with a full tour -- 26 stops in the U.S. plus two in Canada -- makes it seem like he's not sweating Astroworld all that much ... but it's interesting he's skipping Houston in favor of two other shows in Texas, performing in Austin and Dallas instead.

110621_astroworld_ambulance_kal 11/5/21
NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD
TMZ.com

Of course, a grand jury in Houston recently decided against indicting Travis on criminal charges for the deadly November 2021 concert in H-Town.

Travis is still facing some civil lawsuits in Houston over Astroworld, and with that in mind it seems his hometown is not safe territory ... at least for this tour.

The Houston omission is pretty glaring, though ... and it's the subject of a lot of comments on Travis' social media post announcing the tour.

Nebraska TE Arik Gilbert Video Shows Alleged Liquor Store Burglary ... Caught In The Act

082923-liquor-store-break-in-kal
BOOZY BURGLARY
SJ's Liquor and Vape

Nebraska football player Arik Gilbert was arrested early Tuesday morning after cops say he forced his way into a liquor store and burglarized the place for over $1,600 worth of merchandise, before being caught red-handed ... and the entire crime appears to have been captured on video.

21-year-old Gilbert, a former 5-star recruit who previously played for LSU and Georgia, was arrested outside SJ’s Liquor & Vape in Lincoln, NE around 2 AM this morning ... before being booked into the county jail on a burglary charge.

Gilbert was allegedly carrying various vape materials, lighters, and other stolen merch totaling $1,672, according to law enforcement.

TMZ Sports has obtained a photo of the alleged stolen items … showing an array of vapes and other materials.

Surveillance video captured the crime ... and a man said to be the 6'5", 275 lb. football star was seen throwing a chunk of cement through a door to gain access to the building. Once inside, he kicked a second door down, gaining access to SJ's shop.

The shirtless man, who covered his face, was then seen rummaging through the shop for several minutes.

While inside, police received a call for a possible break-in, and they rushed to the scene.

To his surprise, at least 8 police officers were waiting outside when he began exiting the shop. Gilbert threw down his bags, and jumped back with his hands up, startled, before being arrested without incident.

We spoke to the people at SJ's who tell us they've reopened the shop and are operating business as usual.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule addressed the arrest, calling it sad and disappointing.

'Teen Mom' Jenelle Evans Son Goes Missing Again, Cops Called

Jenelle Evans is dealing with every parent's nightmare -- her son Jace has gone missing twice in the last two weeks -- getting cops involved to help track him down.

Jenelle's manager, August Keen, tells us 14-year-old Jace left Jenelle's North Carolina home Monday to roam around their extensive property. After several hours without contact, Jenelle became worried and couldn't find her son ... forcing her to get the police involved.

Fortunately, we're told, Jace was located at a gas station about 10 minutes from Jenelle's home. However, we're told it's unclear if Jace was with friends or just wandered solo.

TMZ broke the story, cops were on the hunt for Jace earlier this month after he left school and couldn't be found. He was later located safely ... and Jenelle said the whole thing happened because she took Jace's phone away after he acted up in school.

Keen tells us Jace is now back home with Jenelle and her husband, David Eason, and the 3 are getting along without issue. We're told Jace just wants more freedom as he gets older, and is just a typical teen being a teen.

ERIKA JAYNE SUED YOU CONSPIRED WITH SECRET SERVICE, AMEX TO RUIN ME!!!

UPDATE

7:54 PM PT -- Erika's attorney, Evan Borges, tells TMZ, "It seems calculated that Plaintiff timed this lawsuit to coincide with the rave reviews of Erika's Las Vegas residency opening. Plaintiff's claims against Erika are entirely without merit. Independent federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office made the decision to charge plaintiff with crimes, no one else. The notion that Erika controlled the U.S. Government, or for that matter a Fortune 100 company such as American Express, is fantasy."

UPDATE

2:59 PM PT -- When reached for comment on the lawsuit, Robert Savage told us, "I am restricted by a non-disclosure when I retired from the U.S. Secret Service to discuss casework during my tenure without their approval, so I would respectfully redirect your questions pertaining to the lawsuit to the USSS Office of Chief Counsel and U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California."

UPDATE
UPDATE

He also pointed us to an interview he gave the L.A. Times months ago -- and provided us with his Q&A -- when he had USSS approval to answer questions. We've included several of those responses.

Erika Jayne used Secret Service agents and American Express to extort money from a Hollywood designer, ruining his life and career in the process ... so says a new lawsuit.

The 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star and two Secret Service agents are among those being sued by Chris Psaila, who claims Erika corrupted the agents and had them prosecute him over her claims that his costume company fraudulently charged her over $800,000.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Psaila claims Erika gave him and his store, Marco Marco, permission to charge her card for costumes and services he designed, created and provided for her performances ... and he says Erika's estranged husband, Tom Girardi, was the account holder and she was an authorized user.

Psaila claims he started working with Erika in 2014 and everything was kosher until she falsely claimed Psaila had racked up $800k to $900k in fraudulent charges on her credit card from 2015 to 2016.

Psaila insists Erika got every piece of clothing and services from these charges.

In the docs, he claims Erika and Tom weaponized the Secret Service to maliciously prosecute him ... believing the former couple bribed agent Robert Savage, then the head of Secret Service's Los Angeles office, to criminally investigate Psaila and ultimately charge him with crimes.

Psaila also claims AMEX accepted Erika's false statements of unauthorized charges and refunded Erika and Tom over $787k without giving the designer an opportunity to dispute her claims ... and he says AMEX told the Secret Service Erika was a victim of his fraud.

In his suit, Psaila claims Tom and Savage had a cushy relationship ... and he says Savage had his own "history of falsely billing for advance Presidential location scouting trips" that eventually forced him out of the Secret Service.

Psaila claims Tom bribed Savage to investigate him by agreeing to represent Savage in a lawsuit against Volkswagen, while also promising to pay Savage $100k when the investigation in Psaila started.

The designer says Tom and Savage's relationship was not disclosed when he was facing prosecution and says the criminal case against him was ultimately dismissed nearly 5 years after it started ... but he says he suffered extreme emotional distress, financial harm to his business, plus extreme emotional, psychological, and physical injuries as a result of the ordeal.

Psaila is going after Erika, AMEX, Savage and others for at least $18.2 million.

A rep for AMEX tells TMZ ... "In late 2016, federal law enforcement contacted American Express regarding its investigation into fraud by Mr. Psaila. While it is our policy to not comment on the specific activity on an individual Card Member’s accounts, we followed our regular processes and procedures throughout this investigation as we dealt with law enforcement. We did not initiate the investigation, nor did we proactively contact law enforcement, and the information law enforcement requested from us was typical in fraud investigations. We did not play any role in the criminal investigation of Mr. Psaila or his business other than responding to inquiries from law enforcement."

We reached out to Erika ... so far no word back.

Originally Published -- 1:01 PM PT