Young Dolph Murder Case Feds Leaning on Informants ... No Solid Suspects Yet

Federal agents investigating Young Dolph's murder are hoping their informants can help them crack the case ... but so far, the information provided hasn't led to any suspects or arrests.

Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation tell TMZ ... federal agents recently interviewed informants about Dolph's shooting death in Memphis, resulting in a few new leads.

While we're told there are no solid suspects yet, the feds are hoping the information gleaned from their informants will lead them in the right direction to eventually make a probable cause arrest.

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MOMENTS AFTER THE SHOOTING
Low Key/Facebook

Meanwhile, investigators from the Memphis Police Department are also probing the case and talking to their sources on the street.

Memphis PD Sgt. Louis Brownlee tells TMZ ... cops have received quite a few tips on Young Dolph's murder, and while investigators have followed up on that info, there hasn't been anything to lead to an arrest.

As we reported, Young Dolph was gunned down last month while he was inside a Memphis cookie shop, with 2 masked gunmen being caught on surveillance footage before they fled in a getaway car.

Lil Durk & Morgan Wallen Collab On New Song In Wake of N-Word Controversy

Morgan Wallen's gotta be feeling like all is forgiven -- Lil Durk invited him to feature on a new song ... less than a year removed from the country singer's controversial use of the n-word.

The song, "Broadway Girls," was a surprise release Thursday night, and it's way more hip-hop flavored than country. Essentially, Morgan sings the hook and Durk handles the rapping ... although there are a few lines that sound like MW's dipping his toe, and attempting a little rap.

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The collab is the latest sign the country superstar is fully bouncing back from the industry "canceling" him. As you know, back in February ... TMZ got video, shot by one of Morgan's neighbors, showing him using the n-word after a drunken night out with friends.

Radio stations stopped playing Morgan's songs, and he was banned from multiple award shows all year. However, his double album, "Dangerous" continued to top the charts and set sales records.

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IT'S PLAYFUL
ABC

Morgan says he had no clue about the history or pain attached to the n-word, and told Michael Strahan he's learned from the controversy. Since then, he's popped up onstage at other artist's shows -- including Eric Church -- and gotten tons of applause. He's also announced a tour next year.

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WALLEN'S WARM WELCOME
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Now Lil Durk's fully embracing him ... so, looks like Morgan's back.

'Selling Sunset' Star Chrishell Height is No Biggie When Dating ... I'm Team Zendaya & Tom!!!

'Selling Sunset' Star Chrishell Stause Agrees with Zendaya, Height No Big Deal 12/17/21
YEAR OF THE SHORT KING
TMZ.com

"Selling Sunset" star Chrishell Stause agrees with Tom Holland and Zendaya -- when it comes to men, height shouldn't matter -- and it's a silly standard for women to hold.

Chrishell was on Sunset Blvd. (where else?) when asked about the recent podcast Tom and Zendaya were on where they said it was misogynistic to believe that a male partner should be taller than the female.

Stause -- who is dating her shorter costar, Jason Oppenheim -- simply laughed the standard off, saying she understands some people may have preferences, but it's what's inside that should really count.

She goes on to tell our photog ... women should really care about how they're treated over everything else -- including their partner's height.

Chrishell and Jason have been going steady since the summer, we first saw them coupled up in Capri back in July.

Of course, they're both on "Selling Sunset" -- Jason owns The Oppenheim Group real estate firm, and Chrishell is an agent. We know what you're thinking, but she's an independent contractor ... so, technically, he's not her boss.

O.J. Simpson Robbery Victim No Issue with Parole Ending Early ... I Already Forgave Him!!!

One of the victims from O.J. Simpson's Las Vegas armed robbery -- which landed him in prison -- says he has no problems with Simpson finally getting loose earlier than expected, 'cause life moves on.

Bruce Fromong, a sports memorabilia dealer, tells TMZ ... he's already forgiven O.J. for the incident, and it does no good to dwell on the past -- even though he also says the robbery nearly destroyed his life.

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PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES
TMZ.com

As we reported, Simpson is a completely free man now that his parole ended earlier than expected. Simpson was on parole after serving 9 years behind bars for his 2008 conviction in the armed robbery case.

Remember, he was found guilty of leading a group of men into a Vegas hotel room in 2007 to steal memorabilia from people -- including Bruce -- who he claimed had stolen from him.

Bruce really means it when he says he's forgiven Simpson ... telling us they still do some memorabilia shows together and see each other on golf courses.

Not everyone feels that way -- the sister of his slain ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, hopes Simpson is shunned by Hollywood types.

It's an interesting perspective from Bruce, who went so far as to say it's "about time" O.J. gets a taste of freedom.

Bruce Springsteen Huge Tax Savings with $500 Mil Sale ... Daymond John Breaks Down Deal

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MAKIN' MONEY MOVES
TMZ.com

Bruce Springsteen's the Boss alright ... of the IRS, because the rock legend is gonna end up saving millions in taxes every year, courtesy of his record-setting sale of his music catalog ... according to Daymond John.

The "Shark Tank" star gave us some insight into why Springsteen and several other huge music stars are unloading their master recordings and publishing rights to corporations -- and turns out taxes are one major motivation.

Even before Sony bucked up big time for Bruce's songs we've seen Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, Shakira, Imagine Dragons and others sell their tunes in 9-digit deals ... although, only Dylan's at $300 mil comes close to Springsteen's half a BILLION.

As Daymond explains on Friday's "TMZ Live" ... obviously these celebs are already in the highest tax bracket, which means they'd be paying around 40% in federal taxes on their income from annual royalties.

Now those royalties go to whoever buys the catalog, and that's the true brilliance of these deals. You've gotta see Daymond's explanation, but basically, Bruce is about to cut his tax rate in half!!!

There are other motivators too -- such as worldwide pandemics shutting down concerts and traditional revenue streams -- but at the end of the day, Daymond says the name of the game, for Bruce and others, is securing steady income for generations to come.

Doing that while lowering your taxes ... always a bonus!

UCLA Rugby 3 Players Arrested For Vandalism Allegedly Got Wasted, Knocked Down Trees

Three UCLA rugby players were arrested early Thursday morning in Santa Monica after police say they went on a drunken, destruction rampage ... knocking down trees in a popular tourist area.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Santa Monica police were dispatched to the famed 3rd Street Promenade just after midnight ... to confront a group of males who were allegedly causing havoc, doing some unauthorized gardening, breaking holiday decorations, and screwing with a fence owned by a local business.

When cops arrived, they detained 5 men while they located surveillance video.

After watching the tape, which cops tell us captured the vandalism, all five males were arrested.

Three of those men -- listed below -- are currently seniors on the UCLA rugby squad.

- Mark Sapper, 21-year-old, 5'10", 200 lbs.
- Shane Barry, 21-year-old, 5'11", 180 lbs.
- Aiden Metzner, 22-year-old, 6'7", 230 lbs.

All 5 men, including the 3 current athletes, were hit with the same charge ... felony vandalism. Police note the men were cooperative.

If ultimately convicted, the guys face up to 1 year in county jail and/or a $10,000 fine.

The rugby season is currently in full swing ... and the team is a perfect 3-0.

We've reached out to the university. So far, no word back.

Guess Who This Cool Cat Turned Into!

Before this animal lover was a staple character on some of the most beloved television shows, she was just another cool cat feline herself for the camera in New York City, New York.

This cuddled-up cute kid got her leading role in an ensemble cast at the young age of 10 years old ... and she remained an important character -- and key member to the dysfunctional family -- in the dramatic comedy series for 10 years.

Now, she's moved on to acting as part of another famous family rebooted from a classic 1988 sitcom.

Can you guess who she is?

Alec Baldwin Cops Get Search Warrant for His Phone As 'Rust' Investigation Continues

UPDATE

6:29 AM PT -- 12/17 Hannah's attorney, Jason Bowles, tells us that while at the time she didn't believe anyone could have brought live ammo on set, "... as time has gone on and our investigation continues to uncover suspicious and troubling facts pointing to sabotage, she wants this fully and completely investigated to uncover the full truth."

UPDATE

6:28 AM PT -- As we've reported, Bowles believes it's possible there was sabotage against Hannah from a fellow cast or crew member working on the project.

Alec Baldwin's phone might contain crucial evidence in the "Rust" shooting investigation ... at least cops think so, and that's why they now have a warrant to comb through it.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Dept. got a New Mexico judge to sign off Thursday on a search warrant for Alec's mobile phone ... a move that comes nearly 2 months after the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Alec told investigators about emails between head armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and himself, in which she showed him different styles of guns and knives for the film. He says he requested a bigger gun, and she showed him an antique Colt.

We know Alec was using a replica of an 1873 Colt 45 at the time of the shooting.

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I AIMED AS DIRECTED
ABC News

Remember, during his ABC interview ... Alec said he's sure he's not responsible for Halyna's death, although he wouldn't say who was. District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies begged to differ though ... saying neither Baldwin nor anyone else who had contact with the weapon was in the clear yet. She stressed the investigation was ongoing.

In the docs, cops say they're trying to gather information about the production from before filming started. They clearly feel Alec's emails and/or texts might contain some of that data. When they asked for his phone, they were told to get a warrant.

One interesting anecdote about Hannah -- during an interview with detectives, they say she said she didn't believe anyone on the "Rust" production would be malicious enough to bring live ammo on the set.

That's weird because, as we reported, her attorney told us he thinks someone sabotaged Hannah by intentionally mixing live rounds with dummy ammunition. The D.A.'s dismissed that theory.

Originally Published -- 12/16 2:54 PM PT

Baker Mayfield Rips NFL's Changes To COVID Protocols ... 'Make Up Your Damn Mind'

UPDATE

2:32 PM PT -- Baker Mayfield -- who's currently sidelined after testing positive for COVID-19 -- is bashing the league's new rules ... saying, "Make up your damn mind on protocols."

UPDATE

As Baker's Browns deal with a wild COVID-19 outbreak, #6 claims the NFL won't postpone this weekend's game due to money issues.

UPDATE

"Actually caring about player safety would mean delaying the game with this continuing at the rate it is….," he added.

UPDATE

"But to say you won’t test vaccinated players if they don’t have symptoms, then to pull this randomly. Doesn’t make any sense to me."

The NFL just announced drastic changes to its COVID-19 protocols ... eliminating in-person meals and requiring more masks as cases surge across the league.

Officials announced the moves in a memo to teams on Thursday ... placing tighter restrictions on coaches and players in order to "address the increase in cases and the advent of the Omicron variant."

In addition to more masking and no more face-to-face meals ... the league is also ordering teams to conduct remote or outdoor meetings, as well as ban outside visitors on road trips.

"We will continue to strongly encourage booster shots as the most effective protection," the league added in its memo.

NFL officials also said they are looking into adjusting "return-to-participation requirements for those who have recovered from COVID-19" -- potentially opening the door for players to see the field sooner following a positive COVID test.

Of course, this all comes on the heels of the NFL seeing teams lose some of their biggest stars due to the virus -- with players like Jalen Ramsey, Odell Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield having all been sidelined this week due to positive tests.

The NFL contends that the changes it's proposing are grounded in data and backed by science, and that the safety of its players, coaches, personnel, and entire NFL community is the No. 1 goal.

Originally Published -- 2:00 PM PT

DeadMau5 I Would Have Beef With Marshmello ... If He Was Still Relevant!!!

Famed DJ Deadmau5 doesn't sound like he's buried the hatchet with old nemesis Marshmello ... because he just reignited their beef!!!

Here's the deal ... Deadmau5 was streaming on Twitch Wednesday when someone asked him if he still had problems with Marshmello, and he said he would if Marshmello "was still f****** relevant."

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"DO I STILL HAVE BEEF WITH MARSHMELLO?"
deadmau5 / Twitch

Translation ... their beef, which traces back to a 2016 Twitter war, is alive and well.

Deadmau5 got in a few more shots ... saying he hasn't heard of Marshmello in a "hot f****** minute" and dissing his fellow DJ for getting out of the DJ game after making a bunch of money.

It's interesting ... Marshmello claimed back in May he had no ill will towards Deadmau5 and it seemed like their beef was a thing of the past ... but it seems Deadmau5 doesn't see things the same way.

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Marshmello wasn't the only one getting heat from Deadmau5 ... Marshmello's manager, Moe Shalizi, also got dragged into the arena.

Travis Scott Astroworld Victims Died from Asphyxia ... Medical Examiner Report Released

The 10 people killed at Travis Scott's Astroworld Festival all suffocated to death in a crowd surge that crushed their lungs, according to the medical examiner.

The info, released more than a month after the Houston tragedy lists each of the ten victims' cause of death as "compression asphyxia." The report states each victim was pronounced dead at local hospitals. Only one of the ten had a "contributory cause" to his death of the combined toxic effects of cocaine, methamphetamine and ethanol.

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MOVING ON
Fox 26 Houston

Of course, the investigation of what failures led to those deaths continues. As we reported, the Astroworld stage started to be torn down Wednesday, 40 days after the concert ended.

As you know, Travis, Live Nation and other promoters are facing billions of dollars in litigation for negligence and wrongful death.

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A LOT TO FIGURE OUT
YouTube/CThaGod

TMZ broke the story, Travis has teamed up with government officials over the last few weeks to organize a safety report for city officials across the country to use moving forward when planning large-scale music events.

Families of the victims from the show have mostly positioned their anger toward Travis, refusing his help even after he and his team had offered to help pay for funeral costs.

It remains to be seen when Travis will return to the stage next, but reports say he's already been pulled from Coachella.

Todrick Hall on 'Masked Singer' Hated Bull Costume at First ... But I Still Left the Finale with It!!!

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SMELL LIKE A WINNER
TMZ.com

Todrick Hall came sooo close to winning "The Masked Singer" title, but he's not walking away empty-handed -- in fact, he's pulled off a super rare accomplishment in the singing competition.

So, if you missed Wednesday night's season finale ... Bull, aka Todrick, lost to Queen of Hearts, aka Jewel, in the closest vote in the show's history. The unmasking was pretty awesome, shocking almost all of the judges ... with the exception of Nicole Scherzinger.

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STOLE OUR HEARTS
Fox

Todrick and Nicole have worked together, and he told us on Thursday's "TMZ Live" ... they've actually become good friends. Still, it wasn't just his voice that gave him away. Todrick admits it was total bull scent!!!

Yes, his cologne was the giveaway, and TH gave us lowdown on which one he was rocking under that costume. Speaking of which, 'Masked' contestants always griped about producers not letting them keep the costumes -- but Todrick's clearly different.

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AN INCREDI-BULL RUN
Fox

He told us why he was less than thrilled, at first, he had to wear the super masculine bull suit -- but found a way to make it work to his advantage. Let's just say ... his Britney strategy almost got him across the finish line.

Gwen Stefani Performs For Spotify Party ... This S*** Is Bananas!!!

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RECLAIMING THE THRONE
TMZ.com

Gwen Stefani rocked the mic for Spotify's huge end of the year bash -- singing hits from her solo career and time with No Doubt ... and TMZ has the video.

The Spotify celebration, dubbed "A Totally Normal Party for 2021," went down Tuesday at an event space in Los Angeles ... with Gwen stealing the show.

Gwen performed for 45 minutes and her set featured some of her most famous songs ... including "Just a Girl," "Hey Baby," "The Sweet Escape," "Spiderwebs," "Hollaback Girl," "Don't Speak," "It's My Life" and "Rich Girl."

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BRING IN THE BAND
TMZ.com

The first act on stage was the USC Trojans marching band ... but Gwen was the big draw here.

Spotify's year-end party comes on the heels of their 2021 Wrapped unveiling ... you've definitely seen people share their top Spotify songs and artists on social media ... and at one point, Gwen joked about hearing she was a top Spotify artist.

Of course, that's just a joke and Gwen knows it ... but she's right about this ... she can say whatever she wants because as she told the crowd, "It's my f****** show!!!"

Jackson Mahomes K.C. Bar Sorry For Ripping Patrick's Brother ... 'We Did It The Wrong Way'

UPDATE

9:52 AM PT -- 12/16 -- SoT is backing off its aggressive statement ... saying Thursday it took things way too far in its criticism of the younger Mahomes.

UPDATE

"Social media can be used in so many different ways, & yesterday our team used it to personally attack and question the character of someone we do not know personally," the bar said in a statement on its official Facebook page.

UPDATE

"Out of all the ways this situation could have been handled, we did it the wrong way."

UPDATE

The bar continued, "We want everyone to know that we acknowledge our shortcomings in this situation, and even though we failed to meet our own–and we’re sure many of our follower's–expectations with our social media presence yesterday, we promise to do better."

Jackson Mahomes just got burnt to a crisp by a local bar in Kansas City ... being called an entitled, egotistic clout chaser who didn't earn his popularity after the Chiefs QB's brother blasted the establishment on social media.

The TikTokker went off on the SoT cocktail bar this week ... claiming he had awful service at the place while asking his 255k followers if they had similar experiences.

Word got back to SoT, which released an Ether-esque diss on Mahomes via its official Facebook page.

The whole thing is wild, but here are some notable lines:

"We are sorry that we set boundaries that you tried to ignore," the bar said. "Often times people with un-earned status and a sense of entitlement think they are above the rules and will lash out at the employee enforcing them."

That's one of the more tame burns.

"We survived a global pandemic, we’ll survive your ego," the bar continued ... going on to mention Jackson's recent controversies -- pouring water on Ravens fans and dancing on Sean Taylor's tribute in Washington.

"We are sorry you didn’t reach out to us first before taking to social media, but then again that is an expectation we would have from a mature and rational person, not someone who pours water on fans and dances on the memorials of tragically lost people for TikTok clout."

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THE DELETED DANCE

"We have not been fortunate enough to be born into a much more talented and much more famous family but we would like to think that if we did have that much luck- we would use our influence in more responsible ways."

"We hope our apology finds you well."

Sheesh!!!

Safe to say Jackson -- or the rest of the Mahomeses -- won't be back in a while.

We've reached out to Jackson and the bar for comment ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 12/15 2:17 PM PT

Peloton's Cody Rigsby Heats Up Beef with 'SATC' We Responded Quicker Than Carrie!!!

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THROWIN' SOME SHADE
Peloton

Peloton's most famous instructor is weighing in on all the drama with the "Sex and The City" reboot -- dissing the show's fashion, floating a Kim Cattrall theory and ripping Sarah Jessica Parker's response to Big's heart attack.

Cody Rigsby, the Peloton instructor fresh off his season of "Dancing With The Stars," took time out of his class to address the death on "And Just Like That ..." and all the fallout.

While responding to a user question about Peloton's involvement in the huge plot twist ... Cody went on the offensive ... saying Kim's character, Samantha, isn't on the reboot because the fashion looks aren't up to par.

As we reported ... Peloton stock took a hit after "And Just Like That" premiered ... possibly because of the scene where Big dies after riding the popular exercise bike.

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"TAKE ANOTHER RIDE"
Peloton

Peloton then recruited Ryan Reynolds and Big actor Chris Noth for a funny spoof ad ... and now Cody says he's proud of Peloton for "responding quicker than Carrie could."

Cody usually has a part in his class where he changes his cycling shoes to tennis shoes and says he's in "Carrie Bradshaw's closet" ... but he made it clear that bit is getting the ax.

Talk about bad blood.

'SATC' Star Chris Noth Accused of Sexual Assault ... Calls Allegations 'Categorically False'

UPDATE

11:51 AM PT -- Noth had done a rebuttal advertisement with Peloton after Mr. Big's death ... the ad has now been pulled.

Chris Noth -- the actor who famously played Mr. Big in "Sex and the City" as well as the show's reboot -- is now facing allegations of sexual assault from two women, but Noth is coming out strong, calling the claims "categorically false."

A report from The Hollywood Reporter Thursday details the accounts of two women who say they were triggered to come forward and tell their story after seeing Noth reprise his role in the 'SATC' reboot "And Just Like That..."

Noth tells us, "The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women."

As for the allegations ... one of the women, Zoe, says she was 22 in 2004 when she and a friend met Noth -- who she'd previously spoken to -- at his apartment pool to hang out. Zoe claims Noth asked her a bunch of questions about her major before giving her a book to take a look at.

Zoe says Noth went to his apartment to take a call, and after a while, she went into his unit to return the book where she says he first kissed her and then forcefully removed her shorts and bikini bottom and raped her as she yelled "Stop!" Zoe told THR she went to the hospital, but wouldn't tell cops who had assaulted her.

A source close to Noth confirms to us that he and Zoe were flirty, but tells us the sexual encounter in his apartment was consensual and Zoe asked to meetup again.

The other woman, Lily, told THR she was 25 in 2015 when she met Noth while working at a VIP server at a NYC nightclub. Lily says the Noth invited her for dinner one night, but the two just ended up drinking and wound up back at the actor's apartment.

Lily claims they started to kiss, but Noth became much more forceful, removing his pants and sticking his penis in her mouth before having sex with her from behind.

Our Noth source confirms the meeting between the two, but says the encounter with Lily was also consensual.

Of course, Noth's Mr. Big character made headlines last week after dying on the first episode of "And Just Like That..." shortly following a ride on a Peloton bike.

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