Robert De Niro Testifies At NYC Civil Trial ... Heated Exchanges On Witness Stand
Robert De Niro testified at his civil trial against his former assistant ... and he got into some heated exchanges with opposing counsel, uttering at one point, "This is all nonsense!"
The Oscar-winning actor took the stand in an NYC courtroom for most of Monday afternoon -- and he appeared grumpy as he tried to keep his anger in check, which, at times, leaked out.
During his testimony, De Niro said he had previously made Graham Chase Robinson his emergency contact and depended on her to get greeting cards for his kids.
When Robinson's attorney asked if she was a diligent worker, De Niro sneeringly replied, "Not after everything I’m going through now."
At another point under cross-examination, De Niro became hot under the collar, while coming to the defense of his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, who repeatedly clashed with Robinson and accused her of being in love with the superstar. In a pointed manner, De Niro testified that he and Chen "make decisions together."
Then Robinson’s lawyer implied that De Niro annoyed his client one morning in 2017 when he needed to be brought to the hospital.
De Niro seemed pissed, testifying, “That was one time when I cracked my back falling down the stairs!” He added that he put off calling Robinson after the accident, waiting several hours to contact her at a more reasonable time.
The biggest blowup came when De Niro defended what he described as his good treatment of Robinson after purchasing a five-bedroom Manhattan townhouse.
De Niro testified, “It is not like I’m asking for her to go out there and scrape floors and mop the floor. So this is all nonsense!"
The courtroom drama stems from a $6 million lawsuit Canal Productions filed against Robinson after she quit her $ 300,000-a-year job at the company.
Robert De Niro Claims Ex-Assistant Threatened to Spill Dirt on Him
From 2008 to 2019, Robinson worked as De Niro's personal assistant and was eventually promoted to Vice President for Production and Finance at Canal. In the suit, Canal claimed Robinson watched Netflix all day while on the clock, among other complaints.
Robinson filed a $12 million countersuit against Canal and De Niro for allegedly violating New York's Human Rights Law. She said De Niro inflicted severe emotional stress and reputational harm, accusing him of calling her a "bitch and a "brat." She also said claimed De Niro refused to give her a reference for a new job after her many disputes with his girlfriend.
We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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Wiz Khalifa KILLS IT AT KARAOKE!!! Belts Out Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody'
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Wiz Khalifa channeled his inner rock star at Amber Rose's birthday bash ... belting it out for what turned into an epic karaoke performance!!!
In a video obtained by TMZ, Wiz sang his heart out to Kings of Leon's mega-hit "Use Somebody" ... and the crowd was lovin' it!!
Wiz opened the doors of his swanky house in L.A. this past Saturday to celebrate his ex, Amber's 40th birthday. A real mix of characters were in attendance ... including Abimbola "Bola" and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo, A.K.A the brothers involved in Jussie Smollett's fake hate crime.
The Osundairo bros tell us they run in the same circles as Amber ... and the party was awesome! It was a costume party with roughly 100 people in attendance ... and Wiz's house was decked out in Halloween decorations.
The party had all the staples of a great time, with delicious food and great music, including karaoke ... where Wiz clearly stole the show.
For all you Wiz fans thinking there's a switch from rap to rock in his future -- well, just watch first.
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Guess Who These Spooky Sisters Turned Into!
Before these two blondies with costume teeth both turned into child stars, they were just two spooky sisters getting dressed up for Halloween, running around their house and acting out scenes, while growing up in Conyers, Georgia
One of these sisters rose to fame (at just 7 years old) with her role as Lucy Dawson in "I Am Sam" back in 2001, while the other sister played the younger version. You may also recognize one of these famous faces from "Uptown Girls" with Brittany Murphy.
Need one more hint? They both go by their middle names.
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Shakur Stevenson MMA Fighters Want Smoke? I'll Beat The S*** Out Of O'Malley!
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Francis Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury, despite losing on the scorecards, totally changed how many fans view MMA fighters vs. boxers ... a little too much according to undefeated pugilist Shakur Stevenson, who has a message for any UFC stars having thoughts of stepping in the ring.
Of course, Fury edged Ngannou by split decision in Saudi Arabia on Saturday ... a fight many expected to be a cakewalk for the world's best heavyweight boxer. In reality, it was anything but ... and now some mixed martial artists are emboldened by what went down in the squared circle.
"I say if they feel that way, give it a try. I think that you got some MMA guys that want to come get in the ring with somebody like me, I would love the opportunity to beat up an MMA guy and show them that there's real levels to it," 26-year-old Stevenson told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).
20-0 Shakur continued ... "I just think Tyson Fury was off that night and them [MMA] dudes need to relax and stay in their lane."
We followed up with Shakur ... asking if he had an opponent in mind.
"What's that dude's name, Sean ...?" Shakur asked.
He was talking about "Suga" Sean O'Malley, the UFC's bantamweight (135 lb.) champion.
Babcock asked Shakur if he had a message for Suga.
"Tell him we can get it in. I'm ready to lock in with him," Stevenson told us, adding ... "It's levels to this s**t. If he wants to come try his hand, I'll beat the s**t out of him."
Of course, O'Malley previously called out Gervonta "Tank" Davis ... so it's clear Sean's hunting for a big-time boxing superstar.
Shakur fits that bill to a T.
O'Malley is under contract with the UFC, but Dana White has shown he's willing to make big, crossover fights. Look no further than Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
As for the Fury and Ngannou fight, Shakur says regardless of what Fury says, he doesn't believe Tyson trained 3 months for Francis.
"I don't believe the fact that he says he trained for 12 weeks. He didn't look like he trained. Didn't look like he threw too many punches. He usually throws punches. He seemed real hesitant, and I don't know how good of shape he was in," Stevenson said.
"Usually I'm a big fan of Tyson Fury. That night he didn't look too good."
Whether Shakur Stevenson and Sean O'Malley ever get to put hands on each other remains to be seen ... but in the meantime, the boxing star from Newark, NJ is prepping to scrap with Edwin De Los Santos for the WBC lightweight title on November 16 in Vegas.
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Stars In Sexy Halloween Costumes ... Guess Who!
Never underestimate Hollywood showin' out in some sexy Halloween Costumes. Get freaky with the celebs who are feelin' frisky during the 2023 Halloween season, and guess which famous face is attached to the revealing costume!
This Halloween Hunnie rhode right into Carmen Electra's iconic look from "Scary Movie", can you belieb who the unknown star is?
Ain't nothin' icy about this sexy Halloween costume. Can you guess the spicy star who's lookin' Frankenfine?
Put your celeb knowledge to the test and step into our hot gallery, and see if you can nail the sexy star posing in the smokin' shot!
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Justin Bieber & Ariana Grande Remember Drummer Aaron Spears After His Sudden Death
Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande are paying tribute to late drummer Aaron Spears after his sudden passing ... and it's clear Aaron left a lasting impression.
Both Justin and Ariana worked with Aaron -- a Grammy-nominated musician who also worked with Usher -- and Justin says, "We lost a beautiful man and inspiration to all of us drummers."
Justin's social media tribute includes a video of himself and another drummer jamming at WeHo's Peppermint Club, where JB and Hailey Bieber went to a Halloween party.
They were playing Usher's hit, "Bad Girl" from his blockbuster "Confessions" album ... on which Aaron played drums.
Aaron's wife announced his death Monday, and Ariana was quick to comment on the post ... and leave a similar response on her IG story.
Ariana says ... "I can't wrap my head around this. We were all so incredibly lucky to know Aaron. The absolute brightest light of a human being. Always the kindest, always smiling, I am so honored and thankful our paths crossed and to have spent so much very special time together."
Aaron's family hasn't announced a cause of death.
Ariana's post makes it clear how much he meant to those who knew him and worked with him -- "Thank you for your utter brilliance, for our laughs, and for your kindness always. I will miss your hugs. You are so, so loved and will be so very missed."
Aaron was 47.
RIP
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Matthew Perry 'Friends' Cast Speaks Out After Shocking Death
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Matthew Perry's costars from "Friends" have broken their silence on the actor's death ... revealing the shocking passing has left them all "utterly devastated."
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer provided a statement to People, saying, "We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."
They go on to add, "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty’s family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."
TMZ broke the story, Matthew was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi over the weekend after 2 hours of pickleball ... sources told us there were no illicit drugs found at his home, but there were several medications discovered -- including anti-depressants and anxiety meds.
An autopsy has been done, but the results are inconclusive ... and an official cause of death could take months before an answer is discovered.
Since Matthew's passing, fans, friends, and family members have all mourned the loss of the actor -- a memorial was even set up outside the NYC building which was used for exterior shots on "Friends," specifically to portray the place where the pals all lived.
We discussed Matthew's legacy on the latest episode of Last Days, available on all podcast platforms.
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Matthew Perry Death 'Friends' Theme Song Spikes ... TV Networks Pay Tribute
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Matthew Perry fans are in their feelings over his death, playing music from "Friends" and buying up his books ... with spikes in purchases and streams across the board.
According to stats from Spotify and YouTube, the "Friends" theme song "I'll Be There for You" has had over 1.3 million streams across Spotify and YouTube since his death.
Matthew's memoir started flying off the shelves Monday ... over at Amazon, his book, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir" is now the top-seller for hardcovers and it's No. 5 in paperback ... it came out last year but there's obviously renewed interest.
Meanwhile, other books about Matthew are flying off the shelves too ... two biographies are now hits, and other people are buying a "Friends" coloring book from Jeff Bezos' website.
Basically, any book related to Matthew is seeing big sales gains.
'Friends' Star Matthew Perry Dead at 54 After Apparent Drowning
Over on the TV side, networks are remembering Matthew with "Friends" marathons and an In Memoriam.
TBS has 'Best of Chandler' marathons scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday ... with more than 46 hours of 'Friends' episodes on tap.
Streamers are remembering Matthew too ... HBO Max is adding an "In memory of Matthew Perry 1969-2023" slide to the beginning of every 'Friends' episode.
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Britney Spears Sorry Officer, Nature Calls!!! Traffic Stop Body Cam
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Britney Spears used one of the oldest tricks in the book in an attempt to get out of a recent traffic stop, explaining she had to go to the bathroom ... which caused her to cross the double-yellow traffic lines.
We've obtained the body cam footage from the California Highway Patrol officers pulling Britney over on two separate occasions -- September 10 and October 6 -- near her home in Thousand Oaks.
During both exchanges, Britney is super apologetic and explains she's just coming back from a vacation. However, during the October 6 stop, she blames having to use the bathroom for passing on double yellow lines, exclaiming, "I'm so sorry, I have to use the bathroom ... it's about to come out right now. I'm so sorry."
During the September 10 stop, Britney's pulled over for going 61 mph in a 40 mph zone. Again, she's apologetic, but also gets busted for driving without her license and proof of insurance in the car.
We should note, Britney explains her security usually holds onto her documentation ... but that's not enough for the officer, who lets her know she's gotta keep it on her at all times.
For the yellow double line violation, Britney was hit with a $327 fine. The violations from early September were a bit more pricey, with a $1,140 fine.
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Matthew Perry Planned To Start Foundation for People with Substance Abuse
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Matthew Perry wanted to leave a lasting legacy beyond his fame as Chandler Bing ... in the form of a foundation dedicated to helping folks suffering from substance abuse.
Sources close to the late actor tell TMZ ... in the months leading up to his death, Matthew was in the early stages of creating the foundation ... akin to what Betty Ford did with her Foundation near Palm Springs.
While Matthew died before he could turn his dream into reality, our sources say several people close to him want to pursue the foundation in his honor ... and they're planning to move forward and get it up and running.
Remember ... Matthew was open about his history with substance abuse -- it's a big topic in his book -- and by all accounts he was sober, using pickleball as an outlet to help with his recovery.
Matthew wanted his legacy to be helping people who are struggling with substance abuse, and not his starring role on "Friends." The foundation could have done the trick.
It will be interesting to see how Matthew's vision for a foundation takes shape.
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Morgan Fairchild Matthew Perry Always 'Had Stars In His Eyes' ... Reflects On Playing His 'Friends' Mom
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Morgan Fairchild is reflecting on her time working with Matthew Perry on the "Friends" set, where she played his character Chandler Bing's mother ... praising him as an "incredibly talented actor" who "always had stars in his eyes."
Morgan's the latest in a long list of industry figures who've had nothing but kind words for Matthew, and she joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to share her memories of his talent ... telling us he had a rare, impromptu ability to hilariously tweak lines for his character. BING-O!
It was clear her memories from the set of the hit NBC sitcom were overwhelmingly of the super-friendly actor bringing boundless energy to set -- all while sporting a big smile on his face.
Morgan added, Matthew was very professional and consistent with his joyful attitude on set, even during the times he was dealing with personal demons, such as his highly publicized battle with substance abuse.
Of course, with "Friends" having been such a monster hit for Matthew, the veteran actress was also sure to jog everyone's memory on his other acting credentials to showcase his talents.
She also praised him for baring his soul and helping others through his memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir."
It certainly appeared as though Matthew had made another friend in Morgan.
As we first reported, the actor shockingly passed away Saturday just 2 hours after playing pickleball at Riviera Country Club near his home in Pacific Palisades.
Our sources have told us foul play is NOT suspected in Matthew's cause of death, and there were NO illicit drugs found at his home.
The L.A. County Coroner will conduct a toxicology exam to determine if drugs were in his system when he died ... but it could take a few months to get an answer.
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Milo Ventimiglia Rocking Wedding Band In L.A. ... Married Model In Private Ceremony
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"This Is Us" Star Milo Ventimiglia was spotted wearin' a ring on that finger ... and we've confirmed the actor has tied the knot with model Jarah Mariano in a secret ceremony.
Milo and Jarah were watching Saturday's Rugby World Series match at a restaurant called Yahir in Los Angeles -- but the big game between New Zealand and South Africa wasn't even the most interesting thing going on at the establishment.
Check out the bling on Milo's left hand -- Jarah could even be seen touching his ring while they enjoyed their time together. And yes, Milo's rep confirms with TMZ that the 2, indeed, got hitched.
The secret wedding went down earlier this year in a private ceremony with family and some close friends ... safe to say, they certainly flew under the radar with this one.
Milo and Jarah have been linked together since last year, but never came out and confirmed their romance -- but it doesn't get a whole lot more confirmed than this.
Congrats!!!
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Matthew Perry Fan-Made Memorial in NYC ... Outside 'Friends' Building
Matthew Perry is being honored in New York City at a famous "Friends" location -- instantly recognizable to fans of the show -- and this shrine is growing by the hour.
A memorial has been set up outside of the West Village building which was used for exterior shots of the apartment where the show's main characters lived. Basically, it's where Chandler and Joey, and Monica and Rachel lived.
The actual scenes inside the apartment were filmed on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, CA, but this location in the Big Apple -- on the corner of 90 Bedford Street and Grove Street -- is where "Friends" fans are coming to share their memories of Matthew.
As you can see ... tons of flower bouquets are being left at the light post there, and they're starting to stack up into a hefty pile. There are also handwritten letters and notes commemorating Matthew's iconic character from the series.
Some of the messages people are leaving there can actually be read from the photos ... and a lot of them are giving thanks for Matthew's performance, and for the laughter and joy he spread through his 10-year run on "Friends."
The fact the memorial popped up organically like this speaks to just how impactful his sudden death was ... not only did it shock the entertainment industry, but the world too.
In addition to all the items that are being placed on the street in honor of Matthew ... people are gathering there in spurts, although there's no sign of a vigil just yet.
The investigation into Perry's passing is still ongoing, and there are still a lot of unanswered questions over what exactly led to him drowning in his hot tub at home.
We know an autopsy has been done, but the results are inconclusive. His body is ready to be picked up by his family -- and ya gotta imagine an official funeral is now being planned.
His old castmates have yet to address his death ... but word is, they'll speak soon enough.
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Ex-NBAer Joe Smith Furious Over Wife's OnlyFans Page ... 'That's F***ed Up'
Ex-NBA player Joe Smith is not a fan of his wife's latest business venture ... absolutely losing it after finding out she has an OnlyFans account.
Smith's partner of five years, Kisha Chavis -- a former adult actress who went by the name Yasmine Pendavis -- shared footage of his reaction to discovering her XXX subscription-based profile ... and he was PISSED.
"Just finding out you got an OnlyFans page all these years," Smith said in the clip ... adding she should have had a conversation with him before hopping on the platform.
"That's bulls***," Smith -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft -- said. "That's f***ed up, Kish. I'm telling you, that's f***ed up."
Kisha then defends herself ... claiming she isn't doing any work with other people, so it's "my body, my f***ing choice."
She also said she tried numerous times to come up with a solution to her financial status together ... but ultimately decided to revisit her former career path.
"You knew who the f*** I was when you met me ... I thought I would never have to go back to anything like this again. But, unfortunately, that's not the case right now."
It's worth noting -- Smith reportedly made $61 million in his career ... but only pocketed around $18 mil after taxes and agent fees, among other expenses. He has since opened up about his money problems.
Smith said he doesn't care how much money she's making on OF -- it doesn't change the fact that she was doing it behind his back ... and he sees it as a smack in the face.
We take it Smith won't be subscribing to Kisha's page anytime soon.
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Matthew Perry 'Never Been Happier' ... Before Sudden Death
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Matthew Perry was in a good place before his shocking death ... we're told he was happy, content, optimistic and had recently committed to a new film.
Sources in daily contact with the late "Friends" star tell TMZ ... Matthew had "never been happier" and had just moved into his new house 3 weeks ago and was loving the new digs.
In addition to being happy about his new home, we're told Matthew had a lot going on in Hollywood ... our sources say he had recently committed to acting in a new movie, a drama, and he was also working on other projects and coming up with ideas for scripts.
Overall, our sources say Matthew's outlook on life was optimistic ... and he was sober and felt content.
Add it all up, and it makes sense why those around Matthew are so shocked by his sudden death Saturday ... as we first reported, he was found unresponsive in his jacuzzi after playing 2 hours of pickleball at Riviera near his home in Pacific Palisades.
Of course, Matthew's been open about his history with substance abuse, and while there's speculation that could be a factor here, so far there's been no indication that's the case.
For now, Matthew's cause of death remains a mystery ... and our sources have told us foul play is NOT suspected, and there were NO illicit drugs found at his home.
Matthew had picked up pickleball too ... using the sport as a way to keep him away from drugs and on the straight and narrow.
We discussed Matthew's legacy on the latest episode of Last Days, available on all podcast platforms.
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JEREMY ALLEN WHITE Brings ROSALÍA Flowers, Lots of 'Em!!! Hot Farmers Market Date
Jeremy Allen White and singer Rosalía took a day trip to a Los Angeles farmers market ... further fueling those dating rumors from the last couple weeks with a giant bouquet of flowers.
The two were spotted Sunday, with "The Bear" star carrying a large bouquet while the 31-year-old also cradled a flower in her hand, presumably a gift from Jeremy.
Both looked pretty casual and comfortable around the other ... the actor wore a khaki cardigan, baggy black joggers and a baseball cap. Rosalía with a blue tie-dye hoodie, white shorts, and biker buckle-up boots.
While they both have yet to confirm their relationship status, the photos are pretty telling, not to mention, their sighting comes after they fueled romance speculation last week with a dinner date and a Los Angeles screening of "Wild Things."
Remember, it was back in August when White was spotted locking lips with actress Ashley Moore in a very public display of affection. The smooch came amid his divorce from his estranged wife Addison Timlin with whom he shares two young daughters, Ezer and Dolores.
TMZ broke the story Addison had filed for divorce in May after three years of marriage. They appeared to be friendly while at their kids' soccer practice in July; however, in docs obtained by TMZ earlier this month, it was revealed that Jeremy agreed to test for alcohol as part of a custody agreement he has with Addison.
As well as part testing, he also has to attend AA once a week as well as other therapy sessions. Their divorce still has yet to be finalized.