DJ Envy Feds Say No Raid Took Place at iHeart Studio
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DJ Envy's ex-business partner Cesar Pina was arrested on fraud charges Wednesday ... but reports that federal officials raided the iHeartRadio offices and removed electronic equipment are not true ... this according to federal law enforcement sources.
Envy's lawyer Massimo D'Angelo tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the reports are yet another example of the "continued sensationalization" in the media to attach his client's name to this story ... even though he insists Envy is one of the victims, not a perpetrator, of the alleged fraud.
Law enforcement sources tell us the same, and a source iHeartMedia also confirmed to us that no equipment was removed from the building.
We're told the New Jersey Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI all had a part in investigating the case and officials were at the offices to alert Envy that Pina had been arrested.
New Jersey Real Estate Investor and Online Influencer Charged with Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud Scheme https://t.co/oBYIe5ixDg pic.twitter.com/FBZ72VZiuv
— US Attorney Sellinger (@USAttySellinger) October 18, 2023 @USAttySellinger
Pina was charged with one count of wire fraud ... and pleaded not guilty before being released on a $1 million bond.
He's not allowed to leave the state and is restricted to electronic monitoring.
Envy has not been charged with any crimes and has steadfastly maintained his innocence ... claiming he lost $500k of his own money in the deals.
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Britney Spears Wade Robson Affair Way More Serious Than a Kiss ... Claims 'Everytime' Songwriter
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Britney Spears and Wade Robson had a much deeper affair than what Britney claims in her memoir, so says Britney's former songwriting partner ... who tells us Justin Timberlake found a long breakup letter Britney wrote to Wade which blew the whole thing up.
Annet Artani -- who helped write "Everytime" with Britney in 2003 -- appeared on TMZ Live Friday ... and she dropped a bombshell.
While we know Britney confesses to cheating on JT in her "Woman in Me" memoir, saying she and Robson made out at a bar while she was still dating Justin ... Artani remembers things much differently.
Britney Spears Accuses Justin Timberlake of Cheating in 'Woman in Me' Memoir
The songwriter says things were much more serious with Britney and Wade than just a one-night makeout sesh. In fact, she claims Britney had written a 14-page breakup letter to Robson which she hid in her makeup bag.
As Annet says ... you don't write a lengthy letter to someone you only kissed.
Shockingly, Artani claims, Justin ended up finding the breakup letter before Britney could give it to Wade ... and Justin learned all about their affair, calling it quits with Britney a short time later.
Remember, Justin's "Cry Me a River" dropped on the heels of his split with Britney -- with reports claiming the song was about her cheating on the singer. Britney released "Everytime" a short time later ... many believe the song served as Britney's apology to Justin.
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Marlon Wayans I Was Racially Targeted By United Agent ... Wants Citation Tossed
Marlon Wayans says he should have never been hit with a citation for disturbing the peace at an airport earlier this year ... claiming it should be thrown out because his reaction was justified after being racially targeted.
The comedian's attorney filed to dismiss the case Thursday, saying the United Airlines agent at the Denver airport targeted him back in June based on his race.
Remember, Marlon wasn't allowed to board his flight to Kansas City with 3 bags, and was removed from the aircraft after getting into it with the agent while trying to consolidate to 2 bags.
His attorney also said several white passengers with 3 bags were allowed to board the plane while his client was receiving the heat.
Marlon was hit with a citation for disturbing the peace ... but his attorney says Denver prosecutors would be turning a blind eye to blatant racial targeting if they don't dismiss the case.
Marlon joined us on "TMZ Live" just days after the incident, breaking down what happened from his perspective -- and telling us the company did reach out to him, but only to back their own policy.
BTW, Marlon spoke with us outside a Delta terminal -- and he told us exactly why he'll try to fly with them instead of United from now on.
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Travis Kelce Here's How To Be Me For Halloween ... 'Tayvis' Costume Tips!!!
Want to dress like "Tayvis" for Halloween? You're in luck ... 'cause Travis Kelce himself just doled out tips on how to make the costume authentic!!
The topic got brought up at Kelce's media availability on Friday ... when a reporter made the Chiefs star aware that plenty of people across the U.S. are planning to dress as him and his new girlfriend, Taylor Swift, for the October holiday.
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce's Couples Halloween Costumes Sell Out Online
Kelce said his side of the getup must include a couple things in order to look just right.
"The mustache is slowly starting to disappear but I tell you what man, that 'stache and the 87 jersey was pretty iconic for a little bit," Kelce said, "and I had it when I met Taylor for the first time."
"So I guess my 'stache and then maybe ... maybe a bracelet or something, I don't know."
Kelce -- who signed a $57.25 million extension in June -- also spoke with media members about his surprise return to "Saturday Night Live" last week in New York City ... and he explained his funny part in the Swift skit wasn't actually his idea.
Travis Kelce made a cameo on SNL during the Taylor Swift-NFL segment 😂
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) October 15, 2023 @jasrifootball
This was AWESOME pic.twitter.com/EGcKhH0BVD
"They asked me if I kinda wanted to end the skit that was about me and Taylor's takeover of the NFL games which was hilarious," he said.
"I loved every bit of it."
We're sure he's also loving how the Chiefs are currently on a five-game winning streak ... and are the favorites to make it six in a row against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday.
Will Taylor pop up again there to see him? We'll see!
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American Hostages Mother & Daughter Released ... Israel confirms
An American mother and daughter who were taken hostage by Hamas terrorists have now been released.
Hamas aggressors say they've released the U.S. citizens "for humanitarian reasons," according to a statement given to The Times of Israel ... in an alleged effort to "prove to the American people and the world that the claims made by Biden and his fascist administration are false and baseless."
The American mother and daughter believed to have been taken hostage in Israel are Judith Raanan and her 18-year-old daughter, Natalie -- who went missing after Hamas attacked Kibbutz Nahal Oz over 2 weeks ago.
The 2 traveled to Israel from a Chicago suburb to celebrate a relative's birthday and the Jewish holiday season when they went radio silent ... and as you know, what followed was days of death, destruction, and terror happening in the Middle East.
Judith and Natalie's family have reportedly been informed about the release, and according to CNN, they were handed over to the Red Cross and are allegedly "on their way out," citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
Two of the hostages, mother and daughter Yehudit Tai and Natali Shoshana Raanan were released by the Hamas terror organization and were transferred to the Israeli border via the Red Cross.
— Israel ישראל 🇮🇱 (@Israel) October 20, 2023 @Israel
They are on their way to an army base in central Israel were their families are anxiously… pic.twitter.com/xCGFfVEQa1
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed their release later on X.
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Danny Masterson Bijou Should Have Full Custody of Our Kid
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There's a chance Danny Masterson will never see life outside prison walls again, and he agrees, unsurprisingly, that Bijou Phillips should have custody of their 9-year-old daughter.
In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Danny agrees to give his estranged wife, Bijou, both legal and physical custody of the couple's daughter, Fianna. He asks for visitation, but obviously, that'll be done under the supervision of prison officials if it's granted.
Danny lists the couple's date of separation as September 15 -- just one week after he was sentenced to 30 years to life -- for two counts of forcible rape. The two were married for 11 years, tying the knot in October 2011.
Bijou's filing came as a bit of a surprise considering she'd stuck by Danny's side throughout his criminal trial and even the retrial.
In the filing, Bijou's attorney, Peter A. Lauzon, tells TMZ, "Ms. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. Her priority remains with her daughter."
The statement continues, "This period has been unimaginably hard on the marriage and the family. Mr. Masterson was always present for Ms. Phillips during her most difficult times of her life. Ms. Phillips acknowledges that Mr. Masterson is a wonderful father to their daughter."
While neither has come out and said it, there's a good chance the couple decided to go forward with a divorce to protect their daughter and try to hold on to any possible assets that may be impacted if civil cases are filed against Danny in the future.
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Bradley Cooper & Gigi Hadid Wet 'n Not-So-Wild ... Strolling in NYC
Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid didn't let a little rain keep them cooped up ... stepping out side by side in New York City amid rumors the two are officially a pair.
The 2 were taking a stroll in the Big Apple Friday morning, skipping out on hoodies or umbrellas and instead embracing the downpour together. BTW ... check out Bradley's underwear, sporting a pair from 'The Ellen Show.'
As we reported, this ain't their first outing -- they arrived back in NYC earlier this month after spending a weekend away -- both hopping out of BC's Mercedes to grab stuff out of the back, which included some overnight bags.
While the rainy walk and the G-Wagon drive are a bit more obvious in terms of their status, photos taken at the beginning of October showed them appearing to make things a bit more low-key between them ... with Gigi trailing behind him while walking in the city.
Apart from them being a couple of NYC celebs, there isn't a whole lotta history between the 2 ... so one could say they're just pals spending time together.
But with the rain pics, the implications are practically pouring down.
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Kim Zolciak Gets Laser Vagina Treatment ... Amid Divorce with Kroy
Kim Zolciak's marriage is falling apart, but her vagina isn't ... getting laser vaginal rejuvenation to tighten things up downstairs.
Zolciak was in Los Angeles this week where she visited with cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Matlock to get the "V Rejuvenation." Kim explains she's had 6 kids, all of which were natural births, and she sometimes pees when running or sneezing.
Zolciak tells fans she hopes the procedure will correct those issues -- and she can go about her day pee-free.
We know what you're thinking, as Kim and her estranged husband Kroy Biermann are facing serious financial issues ... but it's likely the former 'RHOA' star got a serious discount for promoting the procedure on Dr. Matlock's social media.
As we reported, Kim and Kroy are still embroiled in a nasty back and forth with Kroy in their divorce -- a dispute focused on custody of their 4 young kids and financial assets.
Surprisingly enough, Kim and Kroy were spotted together earlier this week at LAX headed back home to Georgia. We're told Kroy was helping Kim get back after some discomfort following the procedure.
It was only a few weeks ago when Kim stated she and Kroy were still having sex -- a sign things were going to turn around -- but Kroy has maintained he wants a divorce and will go through with finalizing the ordeal.
No word on whether or not the "V Rejuvenation" was Kim's Hail Mary.
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Italian Prime Minister Breaks Up with Partner Who Wanted a 3-Some ... Mused, 'Can I touch my balls while I talk to you?'
The Prime Minister of Italy is pretty clearly not into threesomes, because she just broke up with the father of her child after he apparently floated the idea to another woman.
PM Giorgia Meloni said she was dunzo with Andrea Giambruno, her partner of 10 years, writing on Instagram ... "I thank him for the splendid years we spent together, for the difficulties we went through, and for giving me the most important thing in my life, which is our daughter Ginevra."
Giambruno was involved in numerous shenanigans, reportedly musing about having a "threesome, even a foursome."
He also reportedly asked a colleague of his, "Can I touch my balls while I talk to you?"
And, according to Italian media, he was caught on a hot mic asking a woman, not his partner, for sex.
He's made many outrageous comments, including a warning to women not to get drunk if they wanted to avoid rape. BTW ... the PM co-signed on that thought.
As for Meloni ... she said, "I will defend what we were, I will defend our friendship, and I will defend, at all costs, a seven-year-old girl who loves her mother and loves her father, as I was unable to love mine."
Different strokes.
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Britney Spears Abortion Performed at Home in Secrecy ... Excruciatingly Painful
Britney Spears describes the at-home abortion she had, and turns out the whole thing was shrouded in secrecy and torturous for her.
TMZ broke the story ... the bombshell in Britney's memoir -- "The Woman in Me" -- is that Justin Timberlake got her pregnant and made it clear he did not want the baby. Although she apparently wanted the baby, after some emotional discussions, she agreed to an abortion.
She wrote, "I'm sure people will hate me for this, but I agreed not to have the baby. I don't know if that was the right decision. If It had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn't want to be a father."
Now we learn Britney and JT made a pact that no one would know she was pregnant and chose to have an abortion ... so they decided to terminate the pregnancy at home, without a doctor and without telling their family or anyone else.
She writes, "It was important that no one find out about the pregnancy or the abortion, which meant doing everything at home."
Britney says the procedure was "excruciating." The medication caused her severe physical pain.
She writes as she lies on the bathroom floor sobbing, Justin tried comforting her with music -- strumming his guitar.
Britney says in the memoir ... "I kept crying and sobbing until it was all over. It took hours, and I don’t remember how it ended, but I do, twenty years later, remember the pain of it, and the fear."
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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson New Wax Figure Has Fans Confused ... What The Hell Is This?!
A new wax figure of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has fans questioning what the artist was thinking when they made it ... with many taking to social media to voice their concerns.
Here's the deal, Dwayne's been memorialized -- or, maybe not so much -- in a new wax figure that's going on display at the Grevin Museum in Paris ... but fans of the actor have been left pretty disappointed by the way it looks.
Some say the choice to put Dwayne in an outfit that screams "dad" was a bad call ... while many pointed out how the skin tone isn't accurate -- one simply wrote, "Bro is white."
Apart from Mr. Clean and Pitbull being a couple of names folks have compared it to, there's another person folks on X have said it resembles more -- Vin Diesel, his costar from the 'Fast & Furious' movies.
As we reported, the 2 have had on-set beef in the past, which even led to Dwayne leaving the series for a hot minute ... so some online have pointed out how pissed Dwayne's gonna be when he finds out it looks more like Dom Toretto than him.
Making wax figures ain't easy ... but this one seems to have missed the mark more than most.
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Kim Kardashian Shows Up for Jury Service in Gang Murder Case
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Kim Kardashian has been in court this week -- not as a lawyer or litigant, but as a prospective juror in a gang murder case ... TMZ has learned.
Kim was at the Van Nuys Courthouse all week, as part of a jury panel in a case where 2 men have been charged with murdering another man in a gang-related crime. We're told she was there 4 days in total, from Monday to Thursday.
Our producer was in the courtroom during voir dire -- where prospective jurors were questioned by the prosecutor and defense lawyers.
Kim made herself part of the group ... eating snacks in the courthouse hallway during the breaks with other prospective jurors. She dressed fancier than the others Thursday, wearing leather pants, high boots and a sleeveless white blouse.
Late Thursday, the lawyers agreed on 12 jurors and 4 alternates ... before Kim was ever questioned, so she was dismissed and left the courthouse ... having concluded her jury service.
In true Kardashian form, there were cameras from her Hulu show in the parking lot as she jumped in her SUV and left the courthouse.
Our producer says, at least on Thursday, the other prospective jurors were not particularly starstruck ... they treated her like one of them.
During the court session, Kim's bodyguard was seated right next to her in the front row of the peanut gallery.
As you know, Kim's gunning to become a lawyer. She's passed the California "baby bar" and is studying to take the actual bar exam for real.
She's been very active over the past few years working on prison reform and has even helped secure the release of some prison inmates.
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Britney Spears Claims She Had Brawling Sex With Colin Farrell ... In New Memoir
Britney Spears is dishing on what she claims was a two-week hot romance she had with Colin Farrell years ago -- comparing their quickie affair to a "street fight."
The pop star wrote about her fling with Colin in her new memoir, "The Woman In Me," which is set to be released next Tuesday.
In a new excerpt from the book, obtained by TIME, Britney says she first met Colin through a club promoter on the set of his 2003 film "S.W.A.T."
Britney says the sparks flew immediately and the stars wound up having a lot of rough sex, describing it as a "two-week brawl."
She added that "brawl is the only word for it -- we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight."
Britney also says her bedroom romp with the Oscar-nominated actor came after then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake broke up with her in 2002.
She admits she wasn't "over Justin" when she appeared alongside Colin at the opening of his 2003 movie, "The Recruit." She says she was vulnerable after the split with Justin, but tried to convince herself "it was not a big deal" and she was "just having fun" with Colin.
At the premiere, Colin told the media he was "not dating" Britney, but referred to her as "a sweet, sweet girl."
That same year, Britney told "W Magazine" she kissed Colin and thought he was the "cutest, hottest thing in the world," but their relationship was "nothing serious."
In her memoir, Britney doesn't get into what led to the end of her sexual liaison with Colin, but she offers this instead ... "For a brief moment in time, I did think there could be something there. The disappointments in my romantic life were just one part of how isolated I became. I felt so awkward all the time."
Several excerpts from Britney's book have already leaked to the media. This week, TMZ broke the story about her tell-all bombshell ... Britney and Justin made the gut-wrenching decision to abort their unborn child while they were dating in the early 2000s.
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Taylor Swift Sushi Date With Selena & Zoë ... Sorry Travis!!!
Taylor Swift and her girl squad were out in force in the City of Angels ... grabbing sushi with her fellow A-list ladies, Selena Gomez and Zoë Kravitz.
The ladies took to the highly recommended Sushi Park in West Hollywood Thursday night, and apparently, a good time was had by all -- as they were seen laughing and smiling as they left the joint.
As you know, Selena and Taylor have been pals since 2008, when Taylor was dating Joe Jonas and Selena was with Nick Jonas -- so ya, they've been through it together.
Zoë has also worked with Taylor in the past, as one of the songwriters credited on Tay's song, "Lavender Haze" ... part of her 2022 album, "Midnights."
BTW, it looks like Taylor passed up a night with her boo, Travis Kelce, for some time with the girls instead -- but he's got a game coming up in Kansas City this weekend, so there's a good chance he'll be locked in at practice for the next few days.
It's unclear if Taylor will make it back to Missouri for the game this weekend, but if she does, you can be sure both Taylor fans and NFL honchos alike will be happy to have her ... she's definitely brought some new eyes to the game.
We've also learned the Chiefs tight end bought a new pad in Kansas City for just under $6 million -- looking to get a lot more privacy as their relationship really heats up.
Goes without saying Travis must've been a hot topic at the girls' sushi dinner.
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Britney Spears Cruisin' Without a Care In The World As Book Bombshells Drop
Britney Spears is certainly the subject of a LOT of conversation this week, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her ... cruising SoCal without much worry at all.
The former pop princess was spotted in her white Mercedes Thursday taking a short drive around her neighborhood ... wearing sunglasses and her hair tied back.
It's less than a week until Britney's memoir, "The Woman in Me" officially releases, but there's been a ton of scoops to drop from the book the week. Everything from her relationship with Justin Timberlake, and their difficult decision to get an abortion to the private details around her conservatorship are shared in the book.
Obviously, the book excerpts have been major talking points for Britney fans, and it's already catapulted to the top of Amazon.
Don't expect Britney to do any sit-down TV interviews for further book promotion, though, we were first to report she made the decision she didn't want to do any more press outside of an email-correspondence interview with People Magazine.
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Britney Spears 'Everytime' Lyrics Not About Unborn Baby With Justin Timberlake ... Writer Denies Fan Theory
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Britney Spears is NOT singing about her pregnancy with Justin Timberlake or her abortion in the hit song "Everytime" ... so says the woman who wrote the song with Britney.
Songwriter Annet Artani tells TMZ … she worked with Britney on the song back in the day, and while Britney contributed, it was about their respective breakups ... and mostly Annet's.
Annet says when she was writing the lyrics she was coming off a fresh split from Britney's musical director ... and the song is mostly about Annet's relationship ... not Britney's unborn child, as some fans now suspect in the wake of Britney's recent bombshell.
Britney had been broken up with Justin for about 9 months at the time, and the song came out after he released "Cry Me a River" ... but Annet says Britney never mentioned a baby or an abortion during the writing process, and neither topic served as inspiration for the track.
Annet tells us she and Britney would sit at the piano together working on the song ... they were friends and were sharing pain, and they were both sad and would play piano together.
As we reported ... the famous lyric that has fans thinking Britney was secretly referencing her abortion is "I guess I need you, baby."
But, Annet says the tagline was just something she wrote about her own experiences with her relationship. To be even clearer, she says it's NOT a reference to an unborn baby.
As for the song's chorus ... "And every time I see you in my dreams I see your face, you're haunting me. I guess I need you, baby" ... Annet says Britney came up with "haunting," though she says they were simply trying to find words with rhymes.
Annet's kind of leaving the door open to the new Britney fan theory though ... she says she was not involved in the music video or the imagery of a woman giving birth, and that was all Britney, so it's possible that visual correlates to the decision she and Justin made to terminate her pregnancy.
Stay tuned ... more conspiracy theories are sure to come.