Drugs & Alcohol

Willie Nelson -- one of the most prolific pot puffers on the planet -- has given up smoking weed after recent health issues ... but he still gets high.

The 86-year-old recently sat down with KSAT-TV to talk life on the road ... and his weed obsession. Willie says, "I have abused my lungs quite a bit in the past, so breathing is a little more difficult these days and I have to be careful."

Then, he drops a bombshell, saying, "I don't smoke anymore, take better care of myself."

A source close to Willie says it's true, he's not smoking weed ... however, he still vapes and eats cannabis-infused items. We're told it's also not out of the question that Willie will decide to smoke again in the future.

As for Willie's overall health, our source says he's just fine ... and is excited to continue touring through next year.

Willie's grown a weed empire over the course of his career -- even launching Willie's Reserve -- a cannabis company selling everything from joints to weed-infused candy and vape products.

Pablo Escobar's brother knows how to move merchandise -- show off the goods ... and make sure to toss in a little extra eye candy. Or a lot.

The notorious Colombian kingpin's bro, Roberto, is adding to his tech portfolio by unveiling one of the world's first foldable smartphones. Based on the ad ... sexy women in lingerie will especially enjoy using it.

According to his company, Escobar Inc., the flexible screen Android easily folds out into a 7.8-inch screen tablet ... and comes with all the top-of-the-line bells and whistles.

Its name -- the Escobar Fold 1. Retail price -- $349. The company says they'll sell out quickly, because it's only producing 100,000 units to start ... so get 'em while they're hot.

Of course, the pioneering new phone comes a few months after Roberto got into a business beef with tech guru Elon Musk ... over their competing flamethrowers.

We broke the story ... Pablo's bro threatened to take legal action against Musk, claiming Elon jacked his idea after one of his engineers paid a visit to the family compound in mid-2017.

However, days later Roberto changed his tune and offered a solution to Musk -- get Trump to issue him a pardon so they can partner up ... and get into the weed biz.

Mama June didn't seem to be anywhere near reconciling and reuniting with her family for Thanksgiving -- but a silver lining might be that she is somewhat nearby ... and has money.

The troubled reality star -- who's been on a downward spiral since linking up with her BF, Geno -- was spotted out this week in McDonough, Georgia ... pulling out cash at an ATM just days before the holiday. She didn't look all too great though ... head low and disheveled.

It's interesting ... we're told June rolled up to a convenience store there in the city in a black SUV, in which she was riding passenger with Geno, we're told, riding in the back.

An eyewitness says June got out of the car, popped into the store to pull out cash ... and was back in her vehicle within minutes. Two things to note ... Mama June had somebody driving her and Geno around, but maybe more important ... they seem to have funds on hand.

Either way, there's no sign of June's family getting back in the picture yet -- at least not permanently. As we've told you ... she's barely in touch with them these days, including with her own daughter, Honey Boo Boo ... this despite the fam's best efforts to reconnect.

We've been hearing that June's been bouncing around from hotel to hotel with Geno since unloading her Hampton, GA home earlier this year. So, if there's any good news to glean from this sighting, it's that she's still in the area and hasn't gone completely off the radar.

Chico DeBarge -- the R&B singer known for the '80s hit "Talk to Me" -- probably needs to talk to a lawyer soon ... he's been arrested for drug possession.

The younger bro of the DeBarge family musical group got busted in Burbank, CA earlier this month in a Walmart parking lot after cops saw him using a piece of wire to try to unlock an SUV ... according to police.

Thinking he was trying to break in, officers approached and searched DeBarge ... and allegedly found methamphetamine in his pockets. He was placed under arrest, and cops say they also discovered drug paraphernalia in the SUV.

Oh yeah, it turns out the singer had locked his keys inside ... which is why he was trying to jimmy the door open.

Chico was booked at the Burbank City Jail before being released. We're told formal charges are pending review by the City Attorney.

DeBarge rose to fame in the '80s with his self-titled debut album featuring his hit single and followed it up with a second album ... before he served prison time for drug trafficking.

D.L. Hughley's not lending any sympathy to Melania Trump after she got an unfriendly welcome in Baltimore ... because she should have known what she was getting into and, according to D.L., so should her cowardly husband.

The comedian was outside the Laugh Factory in Hollywood Tuesday night when we asked about the First Lady getting booed at the Baltimore Youth Summit before she spoke about the nation's opioid crisis.

D.L. tells us she deserved it, because her husband disparaged the city by calling it a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" ... so this was a justified way of firing back.

Hughley says more importantly, the whole scenario shows how cowardly POTUS is ... because he sent his woman in to take the heat for him.

Kevin O'Leary's wife, Linda, reportedly had alcohol on her breath in the aftermath of a fatal boat crash in which she allegedly was behind the wheel.

According to a recently unsealed search warrant obtained by CBC News, police say they administered an alcohol screening device test to Linda and it registered an alert. Kevin's wife reportedly told cops she drank vodka AFTER the collision and BEFORE the breath test.

Linda reportedly told cops she could not recall who handed her the vodka drink after the crash.

As we first reported ... Kevin and Linda are being sued by the family of Suzana Brito, one of two people killed in the crash on a Canadian lake, and the multi-million dollar lawsuit claims both Kevin and Linda were incapable of safely operating their boat because their judgment was impaired by alcohol, drugs or fatigue.

According to the search warrant, CBC News also reports the driver of the other boat turned off the vessel's navigation lights and stopped the engine to stargaze around 11:30 PM.

As we've reported ... Canadian authorities say Linda was driving and she's been charged with operating the boat carelessly -- in other words, going too fast. The other driver was cited for operating his boat at night without navigation lights.

A man who scored a $100,000 investment on "Shark Tank" might want to invest in a good lawyer, because he was just charged in a massive ecstasy bust.

Joseph Parisi was charged with 9 drug-related offenses after federal agents say he was caught getting ecstasy shipped to his Illinois home from the Netherlands. In total, officials say they seized over 600 grams of ecstasy, 7 grams of mushrooms, cocaine and 65 grams of weed.

The total estimated street value of the drugs is $80,000.

Parisi and a partner secured a $100,000 investment from Barbara Corcoran for Guard Llama ... a security remote system for people who might be in life-threatening situations. Kevin O'Leary and Barbara battled with dueling offers before the deal was struck.

Julia Crabbe's family wants to know why Montae Nicholson did NOT call 911 when she was dying of a drug overdose -- and they went to FedEx Field on Sunday to get answers.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... cops say Nicholson dropped Crabbe off at a Virginia hospital on Nov. 13 and left the scene, despite the fact she appeared dead on arrival.

Officials have NOT accused Nicholson of any criminal wrongdoing, but Crabbe's family is clearly PISSED at the NFL player ... and they want answers.

"In her time of need, no one decided to call 911," Crabbe's aunt, Shirley Kirkland, told FOX 5 in D.C. ... "If they just would've called 911, she may have had a chance at life."

Several members of the family wore shirts with messages directed at Crabbe including -- "#JusticeForJulia" and "#35NeverCalled911."

Of course, #35 is Nicholson's jersey number.

As for the investigation, officials believe 21-year-old Crabbe had been at Nicholson's home in the hours before she died.

Cops obtained a search warrant and found several concerning items at Nicholson's home including marijuana, prescription pills and foil with residue.

Crabbe's father told FOX 5 his daughter had been dating Nicholson for several months before she died ... and he's upset Nicholson hasn't contacted the family since her passing.

French Montana was rushed to the hospital by ambulance Thursday after experiencing heart issues and intense stomach pain, but according to the 911 call, it appears cops believed he was 'intoxicated' ... something his team disputes.

We're told when cops arrived they stormed the house and put several people in handcuffs. French was in his bedroom, asleep. His people say he was not feeling well. When cops woke him up we're told he began yelling -- because he didn't know what was going on -- and then he collapsed. That's when police called for an ambulance.

We got the 911 dispatch audio and you hear a portion that's redacted, although they are clearly talking about French since he was the subject of the call. When the redaction ends you hear the word, "intoxicated."

Sources connected to French say he was NOT intoxicated, but now we have additional information that helps put the scene in context. We're told a neighbor called 911, believed a robbery was going down at French's Calabasas home.

Dorial Green-Beckham pled guilty in his weed case Friday ... but he reportedly got off with a slap on the wrist -- with a judge sentencing him to just probation.

Green-Beckham was busted in a wild arrest back on Dec. 19 ... when police executed a search warrant at a Springfield, Miss. home.

Cops say they were staking out the place when Green-Beckham showed up and went inside ... and say when they raided the home, DGB tried to escape by jumping out of a window.

That's when they say they tased the 26-year-old former NFL player, put him in cuffs and found two small bags of weed in his pocket.

In video of the arrest, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see the 6-foot-5, 236-pound ex-receiver being taken away by officers.

Eventually, Green-Beckham was charged with resisting arrest and possessing 10 grams or less of marijuana -- both misdemeanors.

But, Green-Beckham -- who had to spend 90 days in jail after the incident because he had his probation revoked in a previous DWI case -- cut a deal with prosecutors on Friday to close out the case.

Details of the agreement are unclear ... we've reached to Green-Beckham's attorney, the district attorney's office AND the court, and nobody seems to have any answers, which is odd because that's their JOB! (Get it together, people!).

But, according to court records, Green-Beckham pled guilty to at least ONE charge in a Missouri courtroom Friday, hence the punishment.

KY3 in Missouri reports the judge sentenced DGB to 2 years probation ... which is a sweet deal for the guy, considering he was facing 180 days behind bars for the alleged crimes.

An Uber driver whipped out a breathalyzer and blew into the device during a ride -- a bizarre moment, recorded by his passenger -- but Uber says it's not what it looks like.

Check out this video shot during an Uber ride last week in Nashville ... you see the driver waving around a huge breathalyzer in his right hand as he drives down a street.

The passenger, Kyle, tells TMZ ... he noticed a sudden beeping noise in the car. He says the driver told him it was a safety feature in his vehicle causing the noise, and then reached under his seat to pull out the breathalyzer. Kyle says the driver blew into it, and the trip continued.

In the video, you hear the driver say, "I just had this put in today, I haven't perfected it."

The rider reported the troubling incident to Uber and requested a refund, and it hit him back with a generic response and a measly $5 credit to his account.

Doesn't seem like a great response to finding out your driver possibly has a DUI that requires him/her to intermittently blow into a device, just to keep the engine running -- however, an Uber rep says the driver was using a family member's car because his car was getting repairs. Uber says the device belonged to the driver's relative.

We're told the driver is not being disciplined because he had registered the relative's car as a secondary vehicle on his account.

The ridesharing app has a policy that people cannot drive for Uber if they've been convicted of DUI within the past 7 years, and the company claims it conducts criminal background checks and driving record checks to ensure its drivers meet certain safety standards.

"Man, it's been rough, to say the least."

That's an emotional Montae Nicholson -- still clearly distraught -- talking about how he's been handling the death of a 21-year-old woman while cooperating with police.

"I'd like to make it known that this week has been extremely hard on not only myself but Julia's friends and family as well," the Washington Redskins safety said.

We broke the story ... cops say Nicholson and another man dropped Julia Crabbe off at a Virginia-area hospital last Wednesday night, where she died from a suspected drug overdose.

Montae played for the Redskins vs. the Jets just 3 days later -- and on Thursday, Nicholson was asked point-blank if the team pressured him to take the field.

"End of the day, it was my decision. I wasn't forced into anything."

In fact, Nicholson says the Redskins organization has been extremely supportive while he deals with the tragedy and police investigation.

"My teammates and fans ... the head office, they made it very well known that they have my back ... they could have shut the door on me and turned their backs, but they didn't."

As we previously reported, investigators believe Crabbe had been at Montae's house before the OD ... and a search of Nicholson's home turned up marijuana, pills and "foil with residue."

Nicholson has NOT been accused of any criminal wrongdoing -- and says he's cooperating with police.

Meanwhile, the Redskins are set to play the Detroit Lions this week and Montae says he plans on taking the field again.

Country Star Sam Hunt was arrested Thursday AM for drunk driving.

Hunt was allegedly driving the wrong way down a Nashville street when cops spotted him and pulled him over. Witnesses say he had been swerving as well.

According to police, Hunt smelled of booze and his eyes were bloodshot. Police say there were 2 empty beer cans next to him.

Police say Hunt, whose hits include "Drinkin' Too Much," had trouble pulling out his driver's license and instead handed cops a credit card and a passport. They also say he admitted to "recently" drinking.

Cops did a field sobriety test, and police say his blood alcohol level was .173 ... more than twice the legal limit.

Hunt was released Thursday morning after posting $2,500 bond. He's scheduled to appear in court January 17.

Montae Nicholson will play for the Washington Redskins on Sunday despite being a key figure in a police investigation into the death of a 21-year-old woman, the team says.

"As of right now, he is active," Redskins head coach Bill Callahan said Wednesday.

"He did play Sunday and right now he is on the active roster and is scheduled to play."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the 23-year-old safety claims he's cooperating with authorities in the death of 21-year-old Julia Crabbe, who died of a suspected drug overdose Thursday morning.

Officials say Montae and another man dropped Julia off at a Virginia hospital in the middle of the night and then left the scene, despite the fact she appeared dead on arrival.

Investigators believe Crabbe had been at Montae's home before the OD -- so they got a search warrant and found marijuana, pills and "foil with residue" inside.

It's important to note cops have not said if the drugs belonged to (or were provided by) Nicholson -- and he has NOT been formally accused of any wrongdoing.

For his part, Montae claims he did NOT leave the hospital on the night in question -- and stuck around to help out until Crabbe's family arrived.

Nicholson suited up and played for the Redskins just 3 days after Crabbe's death -- and was on the field for 70 of the Redskins' 71 defensive snaps, recording 5 combined tackles.

The Redskins take on the Detroit Lions at home on Sunday in a game that's really meaningless for Washington, since they've only won 1 game this season and have virtually no shot at the playoffs.

Le'Veon Bell is sick and tired of the NFL's "random" drug testing -- and says he refuses to cooperate anymore because he's sick of being poked with "those dirty ass needles."

"I done had 5 'random' HGH blood test in 10 weeks," the NY Jets running back posted on Twitter ... "I’m not doing another after today."

"Whatever y’all lookin for it obviously ain’t there & I’m not about to keep allowing y’all to stick me with those dirty ass needles."

He continued, "Find the players who really do that HGH BS & get off me."

Of course, Bell isn't the first high profile player to complain about the NFL's drug-testing policy ... back in 2018, Eric Reid said he was forced to undergo 7 "random" drug tests in just 3 months after signing with the Carolina Panthers.

For its part, the NFL insists the process is legit and fair and no specific players are targeted.

Ol' Dirty Bastard is the inspiration behind a brand of brew courtesy of Young Dirty Bastard ... who says he's getting into the beer biz because his late pops loved a cold one.

The new adult beverage is a honey ale called Young Dirty Brew ... and ODB's kid says he's wanted to honor his father with a drink ever since he first saw his pops sipping on Olde English.

Young Dirty Bastard's rep, Avery "Msartistry," tells TMZ ... the rapper poured in $60,000 to make his childhood dream a reality, and worked with Circa Brewing to stir up the right brew and get if off the ground.

The late Wu-Tang rapper's probably smiling down on his son. As you can see, Young Dirty Bastard was heavily involved in the brewing process, channeling his father's style along the way.

We're told YDB and his biz partners, Divine Everlasting and Logan Feldman, took about 6 months to perfect their ale, and 100 cases go on sale New Year's Eve in select New York liquor stores, bars and online.