FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED Found Guilty In Crypto Fraud Case
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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is not going to the moon, instead he appears headed for prison ... he's been found guilty on all counts against him in his federal cryptocurrency fraud case.
Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a jury in New York City convicted the disgraced "Crypto King" on all seven counts of fraud, money laundering and conspiracy ... the latest development in one of the largest financial fraud cases in U.S. history.
The jury verdict came back Thursday ... SBF was found guilty on two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering ... each carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.
Sam was also convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit commodities fraud ... each carries a maximum 5-year prison sentence.
All told, SBF is facing up to 110 years behind bars.
Our sources say after the guilty verdict came down, Sam appeared despondent and sort of upset ... starting to tear up.
Following the weeks-long trial, all 12 jurors were in agreement on convicting SBF on each of the 7 charges.
As we reported ... Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas back on Dec. 12 before federal prosecutors in New York hit him with a slew of charges.
SBF was accused of taking billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits and using the money to fund investments, make political donations and buy luxury real estate.
FTX was once one of the world's biggest crypto exchanges, being valued at $30 billion before ultimately becoming insolvent and filing for bankruptcy.
SBF is scheduled to be sentenced March 28 in a case spearheaded by Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
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Selena Gomez Says She's Deleting Her Instagram ... After Taking Heat For Israel-Palestine Post
Selena Gomez says she needs a break from Instagram and is going to delete her account ... after being blasted for her comments about the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
Selena posted and then deleted an IG story Thursday where she revealed her plans to get off IG, explaining ... "I'm done. I do not support any of what's going on."
The decision came only days after Selena posted about the Gaza war and then got dragged.
As we reported ... Selena spoke out Monday about the war in the Middle East, condemning murder and torture and saying, "That's what makes me sick. I wish I could change the world. But a post won't."
Selena's Israel-Palestine post was met with tons of hate online ... with folks accusing her of not doing all she can to help those in need, dragging her for trying to be a victim and blasting her for claiming her platform was useless.
As we've reported ... other celebs have faced backlash for their takes on the ongoing conflict ... former adult film star Mia Khalifa lost her gig with Playboy after defending Hamas, and the entire Hadid family is getting death threats.
But, Selena seems to be the only one threatening to delete her account.
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'Mushroom Murders' Woman Allegedly Poisoned Ex-Husband's Family ... With Death Cap Mushrooms
An Australian woman accused of poisoning her ex-husband's family with death cap mushrooms has been charged with murder ... after officials say her deadly meal killed three of the four people who ate it.
According to reports, Erin Patterson hosted the ill-fated lunch July 29 at her home in Victoria, Australia ... serving a beef Wellington dish she cooked, which is alleged to have contained deadly death cap mushrooms.
Patterson allegedly served the poisonous food to her ex-husband's parents, sister and brother-in-law ... three of them died within a week of the lunch from symptoms police say are consistent with mushroom poisoning.
Meanwhile, the ex-husband's dad was hospitalized for nearly two months with a severe illness.
On Thursday, over three months after the meal in question, Patterson was charged with three counts of murder. She was arrested Wednesday, and on Friday she's expected to appear in an Australian court.
Death cap mushroom is one of the deadliest varieties of mushroom ... and it's found in Victoria, where Patterson lives and where she served the food.
For her part, Patterson has denied any foul play ... she told cops she prepared the beef Wellington dish using fresh mushrooms from a local supermarket and dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery store in Melbourne, about 85 miles from her home.
Patterson claims she also ate the dish and served it to her two kids the next day ... though she says her kids did not want the mushrooms and she scraped them off their plates. She claims she was hospitalized after eating the dish too, with diarrhea and stomach pains.
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'SUCCESSION' STAR ALAN RUCK I'm Fine After Crashing Truck into Pizza Joint ... Thankful No One Died
Alan Ruck is thankful to escape his scary car crash without so much as a scratch on him ... and he's giving credit to a higher power no one else was killed in the accident.
The "Succession" star was spotted leaving a convenience store Thursday in Los Angeles when he was asked how he was doing after Tuesday's crash when he smashed his Rivian truck into a Hollywood pizza place.
Alan was limping with a sleeve over his left knee, but he says it's just a sign of his old age and not related to the crash. The actor says he's fine and thanks God no one was killed in the incident.
As for the online chatter ... Alan's well-aware folks are comparing the truck crash to his famous Ferrari crash scene in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
TMZ broke the story ... Alan crashed into Raffallo's Pizza at the intersection of La Brea Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard in an incident that is now under police investigation.
Video shows Alan's truck lodged into the side of the brick building ... and surveillance appears to show his Rivian colliding with another vehicle from behind before flying through the intersection and crashing.
Our sources told us two people were injured in the crash, but they were both breathing and conscious and are expected to be OK.
Alan's not letting the car crash stop him from getting behind the wheel ... after talking to photogs, he drove off in a Nissan.
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TOM SANDOVAL NERVOUS TO SHARE BRAVOCON STAGE WITH EX ... 'Fans Will Be Loyal To Ariana'
Tom Sandoval is only hours away from taking the stage with his ex Ariana Madix at BravoCon 2023 ... months after the fallout from his affair with costar Rachel Leviss dominated headlines.
The "Vanderpump Rules" star got candid about this weekend's upcoming Vegas convention -- already (rightfully) predicting a hostile reception from fans who would show their loyalty to #TeamAriana.
Speaking to his pal and costar Tom Schwartz on his ironically-named podcast "Everybody Loves Tom," he added that he was feeling nervous about the impending event.
The former couple's reunion will undoubtedly be awkward ... not just for the exes but for their Bravo costars Scheana Shay, Lala Kent, Katie Maloney and James Kennedy, who'll join them onstage for their scheduled panel on Friday.
Tom's affair was one of the biggest celebrity controversies of the year ... dubbed #Scandoval by horrified 'VR' fans after TMZ first broke the story.
Even Rachel -- who initially appeared to stand beside Tom during the repercussions -- has finally seen the light of day and walked away from him.
She recently sold a necklace and some sweatshirts with connections to the Sandoval, and will not appear on the next season of the show ... stepping away to focus on her mental health.
As for Ariana ... after the shock of her then-bf cheating on her, she has been thriving with plenty of biz deals her way.
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Shannon Beador Breaks Silence on DUI ... Following Sentencing
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Shannon Beador is finally breaking her silence about her DUI and hit-and-run ... this after getting 3 years of probation for her dangerous drive.
The 'RHOC' star tells TMZ ... "I am grateful that no one else was injured besides me in this incident. I have learned so much from my terrible mistake that night and realize that driving any distance while impaired is too far."
As we reported, Shannon pleaded no contest Thursday and avoided jail time in her DUI case ... but was sentenced to 3 years of probation -- plus fees, fines, 40 hours of community service and a 9-month alcohol program.
Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer tried to get the judge to give her a harsher sentence for the accident, including 30 days in jail, but the judge ruled differently -- and also dismissed one count of hit-and-run with property damage.
Shannon's lawyer, Michael Fell, tells TMZ ... the judge denied the D.A.'s jail time request and dropped the hit-and-run charge after receiving "legal arguments from both sides," adding, "Shannon had made full restitution to the homeowner in this matter, who did not desire prosecution."
He says Shannon already admitted her wrongdoing "at an early stage of the proceedings," taking full responsibility for her actions.
Remember, video from her drive in September showed her zip around a Newport Beach street, slamming into the side of a home.
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Las Vegas Raiders Fans Drag Team Over Jimmy G Post ... You Bench Him But Wish Him A Happy Bday?!?
It's Jimmy Garoppolo's birthday, and as a present, the Las Vegas Raiders sent him well wishes on social media ... something fans are absolutely roasting the team for -- 'cause they just benched the QB hours prior!
Las Vegas moved on from the signal caller on Wednesday, opting to go with fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell moving forward.
But, in an apparent effort to extend an olive branch to the now 32-year-old quarterback ... the team gave him a shout-out on its X page on Thursday morning.
"Join us in wishing Jimmy Garoppolo Happy Birthday!" the Raiders wrote. "#RaiderNation."
Of course, many in Black and Silver found the gesture cruel since the team had just moved on from the QB ... and his head coach, Josh McDaniels.
"Y'all messed up for this 😂," one fan said. "He gets benched then y'all wish him happy birthday 😂 he's probably like 'don’t wish me s***!!'"
Another Raiders supporter commented, "Benched em then telling us to wish em a happy bday? Cold game 😂😂😂😂."
However, some took the opportunity to dance on Jimmy G's grave ... after he didn't do much to help the 3-5 team this season.
This throw by Jimmy Garoppolo...
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) October 31, 2023 @ActionNetworkHQ
He has thrown an interception in every game this season.
-180 to throw an INT ✅pic.twitter.com/VV1hdTYyEP
"Happy Bench Day, I mean birthday 🎂 😂," one fan commented.
Surprisingly, this isn't the first time an NFL star has been benched on their cake day ... it happened to Andy Dalton when he was with the Bengals as well.
Tough birthday for sure ... but, hey, Garoppolo just signed a three-year, $72.5 million deal with the Raiders this offseason, so we're sure he ain't have that rough of a day.
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'RHOC' Shannon Beador 3 YRS PROBATION For DUI ... Prosecutors Wanted Jail
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UPDATE
6:37 PM PT -- Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer is ripping the judge.
In a statement to TMZ, Spitzer says ... "Driving under the influence must have consequences. When a judge gives someone who not only drove with a blood alcohol level of .24 - three times the legal limit - but then ran away from the scene of an DUI collision a slap on the wrist, you are sending a message that DUIs are not serious crimes that demand accountability."
Spitzer adds ... "Judge London clearly felt otherwise and not only gave her a court offer, but dismissed the hit and run charge in the interest of justice. This is not justice. We as a society need to wake up and address the very real - and often deadly - consequences of driving under the influence."
Shannon Beador will avoid jail time in her DUI case ... because a judge just sentenced her to 3 years of probation.
The 'RHOC' star learned her fate Thursday, and was sentenced to 36 months informal probation, fines and fees, plus 40 hours community service and a 9-month alcohol program.
Shannon did not show face in the Orange County courtroom, instead having her attorney appear on her behalf to enter her plea of no contest to one count DUI and one count driving with a blood alcohol content of .08% or more.
The judge dismissed one count of hit-and-run with property damage.
In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Orange County D.A. Todd Spitzer tried to convince the judge to give Shannon a harsher sentence -- he wanted her to also serve 30 days in jail, but the judge ruled otherwise.
TMZ broke the story ... Shannon was arrested in September after slamming her car into a Newport Beach home, with surveillance footage showing her car zipping through a residential area before her crash.
In the docs, the D.A. says she had a .24% BAC after the crash ... and she suffered a fractured left wrist, plus cuts and bruising to her left eye. Shannon's since paid for the property damage.
BTW ... Shannon's still set to appear at BravoCon this weekend in Vegas.
Originally Published -- 10:29 AM PT
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Jason Sudeikis Rockin' Out With Lake Bell
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Jason Sudeikis and Lake Bell looked pretty content at a recent Guns N' Roses concert in Los Angeles ... but it's best not to assume there's any spark between the two.
The actors enjoyed a rock-filled night together at the Hollywood Bowl Wednesday -- sharing a private box in the iconic outdoor theater. The two were seemingly in great spirits ... chatting it up as the night and the show went on.
In case you're wondering, sources close to the two tell TMZ ... the pair aren't dating -- they've known each other for 15 years and have worked on a couple of projects in the past, including "What Happens in Vegas" in 2008 and "A Good Old Fashioned Orgy" in 2011.
As you know, Jason was engaged to Olivia Wilde for 7 years before calling it quits in 2020 -- they had a nasty custody battle, with Olivia getting her wish when a judge denied Jason's request to move their case from CA to New York.
Since the split, Jason's been linked to his "Ted Lasso" costar, Keeley Hazell ... while Lake -- who was married to artist Scott Campbell until 2020 -- was linked to Chris Rock last year.
Still, it sounds like the stars aren't aligned for them ... but who needs romance when ya have rock and roll right in front of you!!!
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Surfer Israel Barona Olympic Hopeful Dead At 34 ... After Seizures In Hotel Room
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Israel Barona, a surfing star in Ecuador and Olympic hopeful, passed away following a medical emergency in his hotel room in Central America this week.
He was only 34.
The National Civil Police (PNC) reported the death of Barona on Tuesday, announcing the young surfer suffered seizures in his hotel in El Zonte, La Libertad.
"He was taken to a hospital, however he was already deceased," PNC said on X.
"Homicide is ruled out" ... indicating there was no foul play.
The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee confirmed the sad news, saying the surf champ was in El Salvador for a competition when he died.
"The Olympic Movement extends its heartfelt condolences to the Barona Matute family, following the death of the great athlete of Team Ecuador Surf, Israel Barona Matute," the committee said on Tuesday.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
"Rest in peace, champion."
Barona's surfing career started when he was 10 years old ... and he won several national championships. He repped Ecuador at the World Surfing and Bolivarian Games.
Israel also coached the sport with his sister Dominic Barona who is one of the best female surfers in Latin America.
Fans and fellow surfers paid tribute to Barona on social media, including Rafael Romero who called him "a great friend and mentor of the ocean ❤️."
RIP
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Steven Tyler Sued for 1975 Sexual Assault ... Accuser Says She Was 17
Steven Tyler allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in a New York City phone booth back in the '70s ... that's the claim from his accuser in a new lawsuit she's filed nearly 50 years after the alleged incidents.
The accuser, Jeanne Bellino, says she was a 17-year-old model in NYC when a friend arranged for them to meet Aerosmith and party with them. She says she was walking down 6th Ave with Tyler and his entourage when she made a comment about a song lyric that rubbed him the wrong way.
In docs, obtained by TMZ, Bellino claims Tyler grabbed her and shoved her into a phone booth, where he stuck his tongue down her throat, groped her body, pinned her against the wall of the booth and began "humping her pretending to have sex." She says his pants were on, but she could tell he was aroused.
She says she got out of the phone booth, but then stayed with the group and went to a nearby hotel. Bellino's reasoning for remaining with the group was that she needed her friend for transportation. Once they got to the hotel, she alleges Tyler pulled the same routine he did in the phone booth -- groping and humping her while clothed, this time at an entrance to a bar in the building.
At that point, Bellino claims she fled the hotel and took a cab ride home ... where she immediately told her sister what had allegedly happened with Tyler.
In the suit, Bellino says she still requires medication to deal with "long term physical injury" associated with her trauma. She's suing the Aerosmith frontman for damages.
Tyler was also sued for sexual assault last year, when Julia Holcomb claimed they met in 1973 when she was 16.
As for Bellino's lawsuit, she's claiming Tyler committed "at least one misdemeanor or felony." That's important because there's no statute of limitation for certain types of felony sexual assault under NY state law.
We've reached out to Tyler's reps for comment, no word back yet.
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Tupac Shakur Alleged Killer Keefe D In Court ... For Arraignment on Murder Charge
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Duane "Keefe D" Davis, the man who's allegedly responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur over 25 years ago finally got his day in court after 2 delays.
Keefe D was present and in handcuffs Thursday morning at a Clark County courtroom in Las Vegas to face his murder charge ... he pled not guilty after being appointed a public defender.
As we reported, the 60-year-old suspect first showed up in court at the beginning of October, but his lawyer never appeared ... delaying the arraignment a couple of weeks. The second hearing was again delayed for the same issue.
After the initial hearing, Clark County D.A. Steve Wolfson said Keefe was expected to plead not guilty to the charge of murder with the use of a deadly weapon.
Remember, Keefe D was arrested near the end of September -- and the body cam footage of the arrest showed him acting pretty calmly while being put in the back of the cop car.
Keefe had been outspoken in interviews about being involved with Tupac's killing ... which played a big role in ultimately leading investigators to crack open the 27-year-old case.
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Akon to Suge Knight YOUR RAPE CLAIMS ARE DISGUSTING!!! You'll Hear from My Lawyer
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Suge Knight's making an audacious claim about Akon on his new "Collect Call" podcast, accusing Akon of raping underaged girls in studio ... a statement just might land Suge in court.
Akon tells TMZ Hip Hop ... the claims are false, and he's not standing for the slander. He says, "I need to make it very clear that I absolutely deny these outrageous false and disgusting claims Suge Knight made on his podcast about me."
"I've never called, received, or had any contact with Suge Knight since he has been incarcerated. My voice you heard on his podcast was as a soundbite previously recorded from an interview I did with DJ Vlad 3 years ago regarding Suge Knight in 2009."
He continues, "I’ve never been a guest on Suge Knight’s podcast. I always believe in building positivity into the world and my actions and legacy have spoken to that."
"It’s unfortunate that I have to defend myself from these lies and I will be involving my legal team in filing a defamation lawsuit against Mr. Knight, my prayers for him will still continue."
In 2020, Akon addressed a violent confrontation between Suge and Akon's road manager ... which he says came from a business dispute between himself, Suge and Detail.
TMZ broke the story back in 2009 ... Suge was left KO'ed on the pavement and a man in Akon's camp, Robert Carnes Jr., was arrested for felony assault in Scottsdale, AZ.
As we first reported ... Suge launched his podcast with The Source magazine founder Dave Mays to discuss his colorful history as a founder of Death Row. He's recording the pod while doing 28 years for voluntary manslaughter.
Only one episode in and already causing a stir!!!
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Matthew Perry 'Mattman' Posts Weren't Sign Of Struggle Despite Conspiracy Theory
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There's a wild conspiracy theory floating around that Matthew Perry's recent "Mattman" posts before his death were a cry for help ... but the woman he dined with the day before he passed says that theory couldn't be further from the truth.
Athenna Crosby, the mystery brunette spotted grabbing a meal with Matthew before he died, tells TMZ ... the "Friends" star was really into Batman -- even calling himself "Mattman" and his ride the Batmobile.
She says he was a playful guy in the months that she knew him ... and the conspiracy theory he was pushing subliminal messages about his safety by using the superhero reference is way off.
Athenna playfully chalks the "Mattman" posts up to Perry being a nerd and says fans jumping on the conspiracy train are definitely getting carried away.
As we reported, the 25-year-old model and entertainment reporter grabbed a bite to eat with Matthew last Friday at the Hotel Bel-Air ... and said she was devastated to learn of his death just a day after seeing him.
Athenna doubles down on what we've been told already -- the actor was extremely optimistic and in great spirits leading up to his death ... and he even had projects lined up.
In fact, Athenna tells us there's been a lot of speculation surrounding Matthew's death in the days since he passed away ... and while she can only speak from her experience, she's certain his untimely death was a tragic accident.
For more check out the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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KYLIE JENNER GIGGLES WITH MATCHING BF TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET ... Proud As She's Honored At Fashion Event
Timothée Chalamet swapped Hollywood for NYC as he joined GF Kylie Jenner at the Wall Street Journal Magazine 2023 Innovator Awards ... where she was honored for her foray into the designing world.
Khy is the reality star's new brand that already seems to have caught the attention of fashion insiders -- and bagged her the invite to the industry event ... where she was joined by her special plus one.
The pair didn't stray away from their penchant for matching in all-black ensembles, with Kylie in a glamorous PVC bustier sleeveless gown dress and the "Wonka" star in a slick all-black suit.
With none of the usual crowds that turn up at the Oscars, SAGs, etc, Timothée let Kylie take the reins as they settled in for the evening.
The mom-of-two made her way to the stage to collect her gong ... where we're sure Timmy cheered her on from the audience.
This is just the latest sighting of the pair together, who were inseparable as they took to the streets of Paris for Fashion Week in September.
Remember ... TMZ broke the news in August that Kylie and Timothée were still an item despite a published report to the contrary after they first sparked dating rumors in April.
Weeks later, the lovebirds went public with their very hot and heavy romance at Beyoncé's concert ... packing on the PDA in front of a huge crowd and fellow celebs.
Since then ... things are heading on the up for the pair who are on track to take over the entertainment, fashion, and beauty world -- watch this space.
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THE BEATLES RELEASE FINAL SONG 'NOW AND THEN' ... AI Helps Lennon Vocals!!!
The Beatles are back together, and dropping one last song -- it features John Lennon on lead vocals, and they couldn't have done it without some help from ... AI.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr made an emotional and powerful statement with the release of their final song, "Now and Then" ... using new tech to clean up and boost a demo recording Lennon made back in 1978.
In a short film accompanying the song, the icons explain that John recorded his vocals ... and 14 years after his murder, his widow Yoko Ono handed over the tapes to Paul.
They tried to release the song in the nineties, but with poor muffled audio, the track "languished in a cupboard" for years and was eventually shelved -- until now.
Artificial intelligence has restored the song, with fans now able to hear Lennon clearly sing, "I know it’s true. It’s all because of you. And if I make it through, it’s all because of you." The voice of the late George Harrison is also featured on the track.
"Now and Then"
Unlike many other biz projects made in memory of those who have passed, Lennon's family is thrilled with the final product. His son Sean says, "My dad would’ve loved that, because he was never shy to experiment with recording technology. He would’ve loved that."
Clearly, with the innovation of AI tech, all old recording issues are so "Yesterday."