TMZ.com Home

Mike Williams -- a former NFL receiver who played for the Buccaneers and Bills -- has passed away following a tragic accident at a construction site.

He was only 36 years old.

Williams' agent, Hadley Engelhard of Enter Sports Management, confirmed the news ... saying the New York native died Tuesday morning.

"He will be missed," Engelhard said in a statement. "He fought hard his whole life. Prayers to his family."

As we previously reported, Williams was placed on life support in Florida after he was injured doing electrical work at a construction site. Williams was "mostly non-responsive" as he fought for his life last week, according to family members.

Williams -- a standout at Syracuse -- was selected in the 4th round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He had a stellar first season for the Bucs, finishing second in Offensive Rookie of the Year consideration.

Mike went on to play four seasons with Tampa Bay, and had short stints with the Bills and Chiefs.

He logged 3,089 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns over the course of his career.

The Bucs released a statement on Williams' passing ... saying, "We are saddened to hear of the untimely death of Mike Williams, which has left our organization, his former teammates and fans with heavy hearts."

"We send our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy."

Tom Sandoval and Rachel Leviss are still in touch -- at least in one direction -- 'cause one of them is wishing the other a happy birthday ... even though they seem to be miles apart.

Rachel posted a video Sunday showing off where she's been hanging out lately, and it looks lovely -- a beautiful farm setting with a garden of flowers all around, which she's enjoying to the max. Her caption was, "I've been dreaming of a place like this."

While the clip went up 2 days ago, TS just commented on it Tuesday ... which is Rachel's 29th birthday. He wrote, "Happy Birthday Rachel, I really hope ur finding peace and happiness. Miss u friend."

Rachel hasn't responded ... but a lot of other people have, and most of the reactions to his unprompted shout-out aren't great. As you might imagine, folks are telling Tom to buzz off.

Seems the wounds of the cheating scandal are still fresh for many fans ... even though most of the '"Vanderpump Rules" cast is already moving on -- as cameras have been rolling for a new season, sans Rachel.

Remember ... she stepped away to deal with her mental health in the aftermath of the combative reunion, and at this point -- there's no indication she plans on coming back to L.A., at least for the time being anyway.

Meanwhile, Ariana Madix has a new man ... and Tom appears to be linked to a new flame.

And yet, he still has Rachel on the brain -- despite all they've been through.

*NSYNC diehards are convinced a reunion is afoot after spotting a few members in the Big Apple -- and TMZ knows the band will be front and center during the show.

Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass were all photographed in and around NYC over the past 48 hours -- JT hit up the US Open, Joey was spotted roaming the streets/posing with fans and Lance got snapped grabbing drinks in Manhattan.

In addition to these sightings ... JC Chasez was pictured riding in a private jet -- through a recent social media post from his manager -- although it's unclear where exactly he was flying to.

The one person who has yet to be shot in public is Chris Kirkpatrick ... but he did post a 9/11 tribute Monday, and threw up a NYFD firetruck. Unclear if he took it himself though.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the group will be presenting during the show Tuesday at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. We do not know if they will also perform.

Of course, another clue of a reunion ... a track that's been teased through Justin's latest 'Trolls' movie -- which has the first letter of their band name and a catchy whistling tune ... although the full song has yet to be released/named.

The guys haven't performed together since the 2013 VMAs -- so a reunion now would be timely ... a 10-year anniversary. They haven't released new music since the early 2000s.

Lord knows their day-ones have been craving a reunion for a long, long time now.

The big award show is only hours away, so we'll see if the iconic boy band is ready to join forces. A lot has changed since they last rocked a major stage -- here's hoping they still got the juice!

Drake took it easy on a fan who rushed the stage during his "It's All a Blur" tour in Austin, TX -- but had no mercy for the security guard taking his sweet time to remove the guy!!!

The fan managed to crash the Moody Center stage Monday night as Drake addressed the audience during his show, but was initially met with a cold shoulder push when he tried to get rewarded and dapped up.

You can't blame Drizzy ... in a dark-lit arena, it would be hard to tell if the guy's friend or foe -- ya never know until it's too late!!!

Drake then agreed to shake the fan's hand and openly questioned the venue's vigilance... asking "Y'all not doing security???" as he led the fan off the stage.

A security guard eventually came up the stairs to the stage and removed the fan, but Drake noticed he lacked pep in his step and shamed him, calling him "slow as f***" for not getting on the job sooner.

It's understandable why Drake would be on edge. Fans have been throwing crap at artists all year and Drake's been a victim himself ... if it wasn't for his ninja-like reflexes, he would've been decked with a book last month!!!

Jonathan Majors just wanted to satisfy his craving for In-N-Out, but stopped a beatdown instead ... swooping in the middle of a high school fight to break things up.

We got the actor in West Hollywood Monday, hours after stopping 2 girls from fighting each other at the fast-food chain -- at a location next to Hollywood High School.

Jonathan's not sure what sparked the brawl, but makes it clear he just wanted to make sure folks didn't get hurt in the scuffle, so he stepped in. Jonathan's also hoping the girls are doing alright after the fight, and he's got some cool & simple words for those involved.

As we reported, Jonathan is currently in the middle of a legal battle with his ex-girlfriend -- he was arrested in March for misdemeanor assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault, and harassment after allegedly slapping her in a taxi.

DJ Envy and his wife Gia Casey are coming in hot with allegations against Tyrese ... claiming the actor/R&B star attempted to wedge himself into their marriage!!!

Tensions have still been high in the aftermath of their Breakfast Club interview last week where Tyrese acknowledged a beef between himself and Envy, but fans were clueless as to why ... until now!!!

On Tuesday, Envy revealed the reason on-air ... claiming Tyrese was becoming pushy in his friendship with his wife, and was planting bugs in Gia's ear with tempting words like " ... if you had a man like me."

To make matters worse, Envy says a man claiming to be Tyrese's ex-assistant texted him from out of the blue warning him not to trust Tyrese, because his own wife had allegedly been seduced by Tyrese's charms as well.

Gia then called in claiming the strong bond she and Tyrese formed via text became alarming when he became demanding with her time, and even set a list of expectations.

Tyrese just dropped a 20-minute video defending himself, claiming he had been in good standing with Gia up until their last text exchanges in August 2022.

Patrick Mahomes learned the importance of punctuation while sharing his grief over Aaron Rodgers' injury on Monday ... clarifying he does not actually "hate that man" -- he just forgot to add a comma.

The Kansas City Chiefs superstar was quick to react to Rodgers' apparent ankle ailment while watching the New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills matchup ... going to his X account to address the incident.

"Hate that man… Praying for the best 🙏🏽"

Of course, upon first read, it comes across as Mahomes revealing his abhorrence for the four-time MVP ... but Patrick eventually realized his mistake and made use of the "edit" feature on the social media platform.

"Hate that, man… Praying for the best 🙏🏽"

Ah, much better.

Mahomes took the gaffe in stride ... joking, "Knew i was going to need that edit button on here one of these days 🤣"

Unfortunately for Jets fans, they're not laughing Tuesday morning ... as many fear, Rodgers could be out a significant amount of time to nurse his injury.

While the extent of it has not been announced, Jets staffers are reportedly losing sleep over the idea of being without Rodgers ... which would essentially end their chances of contending for a Super Bowl.

New Yorkers marveled at a special sight on the anniversary of 9/11 -- a massive double rainbow stretched over the city exactly 22 years after the terrorist attack.

Big Apple residents stepped out of their apartments on a rainy Monday, and looked up to see the spectacle in the sky, which had folks oohing, ahhing and shooting photos and videos which took the internet by storm.

One person shared their view from high up in a skyscraper, and it looked like the entire city was practically covered by the double rainbows.

Mother nature's timing couldn't have been better ... as so many New Yorkers were remembering or reliving the horror of what filled the city sky 22 years ago -- so, the sight of the rainbows was a striking difference. And, an emotional one, too.

As we reported, NYC officials said on Friday a man and woman's remains have now been identified all these years later, thanks to major advancements in DNA testing.

A woman running for a coveted Virginia House seat has a side gig for $$$ -- she had posted spicy clips online ... with the help of her hubby.

40-year-old Susanna Gibson -- a Democrat running to represent District 57 in Richmond -- had posted several vids on a platform called Chaturbate ... which hosts users who are down to masturbate while chatting with others online.

According to WaPo and NYP, Gibson was quite active on Chaturbate last year ... with at least a dozen live streams -- most of which had been archived and viewed by the outlets -- featuring her and her spouse performing sex acts on each other while on camera.

Throughout the streams, Gibson is reported to have consistently asked folks who were watching to keep on donating to her account via digital tokens -- which she could cash in.

Apparently, she was pretty popular on there before September 2022 -- when her Chaturbate activity seems to have gone dark -- with nearly 6,000 followers. Worth noting, some of these videos appear to have been archived after she officially declared her candidacy last year.

Of course, this discovery is causing an uproar -- especially among her Republican rivals. In response, Gibson has called this surfacing of her material an illegal invasion of her privacy.

She says, "It won’t intimidate me and it won’t silence me. My political opponents and their Republican allies have proven they’re willing to commit a sex crime to attack me and my family because there’s no line they won’t cross to silence women when they speak up."

Lionel Messi is playing like a king down in South Florida ... and now, he'll get to live like one there, too!!

The new Inter Miami superstar has just copped a $10.8 million mansion in Fort Lauderdale ... and the crib is massive -- featuring eight bedrooms, 9.5 bathrooms and 10,486 total square feet.

It comes with all the bells and whistles, too -- there's a big pool in the backyard plus two docks outside. The inside is decked out as well ... with an Italian kitchen, workout room, entertainment lounge, VIP and Captain's suites and offices.

Messi's new place is close to his soccer club's facility ... so if he's ever itching for some extra practice, he won't have far to go. The Real Deal was first to report the purchase.

Messi has been dominating throughout his new venture in the MLS ... with tons of celebs hitting up his games to witness greatness.

Now he's got a spot for all his famous friends to hang out after his games!!

Taylor Swift is seein' stars in the Big Apple ... they just happen to be her good pals, as she did dinner with Gigi Hadid, Ryan Reynolds, Channing Tatum and some equally famous significant others.

The singer hit up Emilio's Ballato restaurant Monday evening in NYC, where Ryan showed up with his wife, Blake Lively, and Channing pulled up with his arm around GF Zoë Kravitz.

That's not all ... Cara Delevingne also attended the big dinner date. FYI, Cara was spotted leaving the studio with Taylor last week -- not long after the singer announced she's hard at work on re-recording her "1989" album.

As you know, Taylor's been putting in some serious studio time for a while now -- during and after wrapping up the U.S. leg of her "Eras" Tour ... which became a national phenomenon.

Don't forget ... Taylor, Channing, Zoë, and Cara were all together last month for Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley's wedding in New Jersey, too, so they've all been keepin' up with one another lately.

Well ... this sucks.

NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers went down with an apparent injury during the first game of his New York Jets career on Monday Night Football ... bringing his big debut to a screeching halt.

Rodgers was getting drilled on numerous occasions as the Jets started their first offensive drive of the matchup against the Buffalo Bills ... with several defensive players making their way to the backfield and knocking him down.

But just 6 minutes into the game, #8 took a hit from former first-round pick Leonard Floyd that would prove to be a major blow ... 'cause even though he was initially able to get back up on his feet, he sat back down on the grass with a concerned look on his face.

Rodgers was then assisted off the field alongside medical staffers ... and was later taken away on a cart as Zach Wilson took over under center.

Jets coach Robert Saleh told ESPN's broadcast team Rodgers appeared to have hurt his ankle ... although the extent of the injury is unknown at this time.

It will be a huge bummer for the Jets if Rodgers is forced to miss time ... as the team's acquisition of the Super Bowl champ had the entire league expecting a turnaround this season.

The manhunt for the escaped Pennsylvania prisoner Danelo Cavalcante just got a whole lot crazier … the killer reportedly broke into a house and got shot at while stealing a rifle.

On Monday night, Cavalcante forced his way inside the home in East Nantmeal Township, a tiny village in rural PA, according to Fox 29 Philadelphia.

The outlet reported the resident pulled a gun and fired 7 shots at someone who fit the description of Cavalcante. The burglar got the hell out of dodge, but not before he swiped the .22 Caliber rifle from inside the house.

Investigators could not confirm if the man believed to be Cavalcante was injured but said his sneakers might have been found nearby. Police now consider Cavalcante armed and dangerous, closing a school due to the threat he poses.

The frightening development comes as TMZ broke the story … Dog the Bounty Hunter might join authorities in their massive search for the convicted murderer, who was sentenced to a life term after fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend in 2021.

Hundreds of officers, part of a fugitive task force, are looking in every nook and cranny across the state for Cavalcante. There have been a number of sightings over the past week or so, but none of them have led to his capture.

Cavalcante made his getaway August 31 when he scaled a wall in the recreational yard at Chester County Prison. He climbed over razor wire, ran across a roof and jumped to the ground below, winning his freedom.

Steven Tyler is hitting the pause button on his Aerosmith Farewell tour, this after the legendary singer injured his vocal cords, causing them to bleed.

In a statement posted to Instagram, Tyler said he received heartbreaking news from a doctor, who ordered him to stay away from his microphone for the next 30 days after the throat damage occurred at Saturday's performance.

He went on to say the rock group is postponing six upcoming concerts, pushing them to January and February 2024. The rescheduled shows will take place in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Raleigh, Washington, D.C. and Toronto, Canada.

Previously purchased tickets will be honored on the new dates, and fans can ask for a refund if they get tied up and can't go.

Erica Mena says she's sorry for calling her reality show costar a monkey -- but she insists there was no racism behind the insult.

The ex-'Love & Hip Hop' star -- who was booted from the show for hurling the word -- tells TMZ ... "I deeply regret my insensitive comment and want to humbly apologize to anybody I hurt or offended by my thoughtlessness. My choice of words was wrong, and I take full responsibility for what I said."

She adds, "I am committed to listening to the voices of those affected and will work toward making amends. As a woman of color and the mother of two black children, I want to make it clear that my use of that word was not in any way racially driven."

Erica ends with this ... "That said, I do understand the gravity of what I said and want to use my platform to promote inclusivity and equality."

Worth noting, Erica identifies as an Afro-Latina -- with Dominican and Puerto Rican roots.

You'll recall ... Erica was cut loose from 'L&HH: Atlanta' after MTV aired the controversial episode in question -- in which EM and Spice got into a heated argument, which erupted into a fight ... and where Erica invoked the term "monkey" while she was lashing out.

That ugly moment came on the heels of yet another ... an Atlanta-area arrest that saw Erica get booked on a number of charges, including allegedly attacking a police officer.

Now that Erica's apologized, do you think she should be allowed back on 'L&HH'? Sound off by answering the question in our game below.

The Dodgers appear to be done with Julio Urias following his arrest earlier this month ... the team has removed the star's locker from its clubhouse -- and scrubbed a couple murals he was featured in around its home stadium as well.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the ace's locker was given away to the team's new infielder, Kolten Wong, after Urias was arrested for allegedly roughing up his girlfriend back on Sept. 3 at an MLS game in L.A.

In an interview with reporters Monday afternoon, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he believed the decision indicated the team was moving on from Urias.

"It's sad," he said, revealing he hasn't spoken to Urias since the arrest. "It's sad on every level."

He added, "It's a very, very unfortunate, sad situation."

In addition to booting him from the locker room, the Dodgers also removed at least two images of Urias from Dodger Stadium -- including painting over one mural he was prominently featured in.

Urias is currently away from the team after the MLB put him on administrative leave while it investigates claims he pushed a woman into a fence after watching Lionel Messi compete against LAFC. Urias is facing one felony charge of corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant over the allegations.