Drugs & Alcohol

Method Man and Redman are passing the blunt and leaving the rotation ... 'cause we're told the rappers won't be appearing in the "How High" sequel.

Sources close to "How High 2" tell TMZ ... the hip-hop duo wasn't cast in the made-for-TV movie after starring in the original stoner comedy.

We're told the sequel is going to be fundamentally different from the OG version -- think sativa vs. indica -- because it's for a television PG-13 audience, and weed legalization has made strides since 2001, when Meth and Red blazed their way through Harvard.

Filming began last week in Atlanta and, as we reported ... Lil Yachty and DC Young Fly are the franchise's new stars.

Meth and Red are MIA -- probably ripping a bong somewhere -- but one of the original producers, Shauna Garr, is returning.

Don't write off Meth and Red just yet ... we're told there's always a chance the duo changes course and makes a cameo in the sequel, or in a potential trilogy.

Ryan Lochte has clearly been spinning out of control because after his drunken door kicking incident on the West Coast, he caused a bad car crash on the East Coast the very same day ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Lochte was driving in Gainesville, FL Thursday at around 9:45 PM when he rear ended a car.

Lochte had just landed in Gainsville after flying from Orange County, CA, where he drunkenly kicked in his hotel room door at around 3 AM. Cops were called, came to the hotel but no arrests were made. Lochte settled up with the hotel and smoothed things over.

As for the car crash, according to the police report, Lochte was driving his Porsche to his home when he realized he was about to hit the car in front of him and slammed on his brakes at the last minute ... to no avail.

The driver of the car Lochte hit was taken by ambulance to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Lochte was okay and cited for "careless driving." There's no mention of alcohol in the police report.

Lochte's lawyer, Jeff Ostrow, told TMZ Sports Friday, "Ryan has been battling alcohol addiction for many years and unfortunately it has become a destructive pattern for him." Ostrow says Lochte realizes he needs professional help and will seek it.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have reached a custody agreement, but it is vague for an obvious reason ... Ben's issue with alcohol.

As we have already reported, the couple long ago agreed to joint custody of their 3 kids. There are 2 elements to the agreement -- legal and physical custody.

Legal custody is simple ... they will jointly agree on decisions that affect the kids, such as education and various activities.

As for physical custody, that's where it gets tricky. As we reported, the divorce was held up for a long time because Ben was on and off the bottle, and Jennifer didn't want to strike any custody arrangement until he was sober and stable.

We're told the physical custody agreement is vague ... it doesn't outline any specific division of time with the kids. But, we're told, at least at the beginning, Jen will get the lion's share of custodial time, and when Ben has the kids he will have a monitor to ensure he's sober and the kids are safe.

There's another factor -- their kids are older now -- 12, 9 and 6 -- and they may be conscious of Ben's problem with alcohol and how it's affected their family, and they will have a voice as well.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have officially signed their divorce papers ... but the split isn't final yet.

Ben and Jen met Garner's home Thursday for several hours to hammer out the remaining details in their divorce. After reaching a final agreement ... both signed on the dotted line to officially end things.

In order for the divorce to be finalized and make the pair legally single, they'll still need approval to use a private judge who will then need to submit the docs to the court for the papers to get stamped. We're told that will happen by the end of this year.

As we first reported ... Ben and Jen's final settlement was to be agreed on once Ben got out of rehab. With him now out of rehab, that plan was set into motion.

TMZ broke the story ... Ben's drinking was a sticking point in the settlement. Before rehab, Ben had fallen off the wagon for 18 months. It was an issue because when Ben isn't sober ... it puts Ben and Jen's 3 kids at risk when he's with them.

We broke the story ... Jen filed for divorce back in April 2017 and it was as amicable as it can get. They reached a property settlement, which was complicated and time-consuming because of the fortune that needed to be divided. They did NOT have a prenup, so all of their earnings during their 12-year marriage went into one pot.

As for custody ... Ben and Jen agreed to joint custody, though the settlement does not say how much custodial time Ben and Jen each get. They've gotten along great coparenting the kids ... and felt shifting custody based on their work schedules rather than abide by a rigid formula served them better.

"Ray Donovan" actor Marion "Pooch" Hall's wild DUI arrest this week -- during which he was allegedly so wasted he let his 2-year-old steer his car -- immediately caught the attention of children's services ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services has opened an investigation into Hall's case. We broke the story ... Hall was arrested Wednesday night after cops say he was driving with a .25 blood alcohol level with his son on his lap and his son's hands on the wheel, and it ended when his car crashed into a parked vehicle.

Hall was arrested for DUI and felony child endangerment and the toddler was released to his mother.

As for what the investigation could entail ... we're told DCFS workers will want to interview the Hall family and run Hall's record to see if this alleged behavior is common, or just a one-time thing.

If it is an isolated incident, our sources say DCFS might be inclined to let the court handle any sort of punishment. It's further complicated by the fact there's no reason -- at least so far -- to remove the child from his mother's custody, and it appears Hall and the mother live together.

Post Malone made it clear the only spirits he's messing with this October are gonna be in bottles ... 'cause he's had enough haunted adventures to last a lifetime.

We got Post Thursday at LAX and asked if he's planning to conjure any more entities on Halloween ... and, based on his answer, the rapper had booze on the brain.

Can't blame him. Post looks a bit stressed signing a seemingly endless amount of autographs as he's being mobbed by fans.

Then again, Post could still be on edge after his scary encounter with the world's most haunted object ... even though he swears the supposed curse is behind him.

Regardless of what's really stressing him out, Post shares his master plan to cut down on giving out his John Hancock.

Cher's home has been doubling as a drug den ... but apparently without her knowledge.

We broke the story ... Cher's Malibu mansion was swarmed by cops last Thursday and they executed a search warrant, which led to the arrest of Donovan Ruiz, the 23-year-old son of one of her assistants, who lives at her residence.

According to that search warrant -- obtained by TMZ -- cops found a plethora of narcotics and drug paraphernalia both on Ruiz and in his room ... along with boxes of .22 caliber bullets.

Cops searched Ruiz's pants and allegedly found 1.3 grams of fentanyl powder, a Xanax pill, an unknown white pill, tin foil and a pink straw with brown residue.

Ruiz's room was then searched, where cops say they found 16 yellow pills marked "215," 2 pink pills marked "K40," 3 Suboxone strips, 4 fentanyl patches, 2 boxes of .22 caliber ammunition and a Gucci box containing burnt foil and a straw.

The ammo is interesting because as we reported, cops called in paramedics during the search ... anticipating things might turn violent.

According to the docs, cops had reason to believe Ruiz was selling narcotics and sold heroin to a Ventura County resident in September who overdosed and died ... which is why they got the search warrant.

Ruiz was arrested on a felony charge for supplying narcotics to someone who dies.

8:50 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Lil Peep's family denies Jones having any connection to the rapper.

6:57 PM PT -- In a joint statement to TMZ from Matt Miller (Wicca Phase Manager), Tom Chiari (Run For Cover Records) and Adam Mcillwee (Wicca Phase Springs Eternal) we're told "Michael Jones is not and has never been a member of Gothboiclique. Any statements to the contrary are 100% false."

Lil Peep's death was not a wake-up call to at least one of his fans, according to cops who arrested the guy for giving a young woman a fatal dose of drugs ... shortly after Peep's funeral.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the DEA, assisted by NYPD, arrested and charged Michael Jones Wednesday for distributing heroin and fentanyl. We're told the drugs resulted in the death of a woman named Diana Haikova.

Jones, who was part of Peep's group called Goth Boi Clique, was ID'd in a newly unsealed federal indictment.

Law enforcement sources say Jones and many other friends of Peep were in Long Island for his funeral on December 2, 2017. They partied in Manhattan for 3 days to honor their friend and on Dec. 5 we're told Mike met Diana -- who wasn't a member of the crew -- at a hotel party ... then allegedly gave her heroin and fentanyl back at her apartment.

Cops say she was found dead at her place a couple days later, and they believe Jones was the one who supplied the drugs. We're told an indictment against him also claims he distributed heroin a couple months later.

As you'll recall ... Peep died after overdosing on Xanax and fentanyl. Many other drugs were discovered in his system as well. He was only 21.

The Rockies were the WORST houseguests Tuesday night ... 'cause after they booted the Cubs from the playoffs -- they SOAKED their Wrigley Field locker room in bubbly and beer!!!

Colorado scored in the top of the 13th in the NL Wild Card game and slammed the door on Chicago in the bottom of the frame ... and then it was time for champagne and Budweiser.

The team sprayed down the whole locker room -- although they were at least kind enough to put up the tarps beforehand.

There was an MVP chant for Charlie Blackmon ... Nolan Arenado made sure to bring the tunes ... and Tony Wolters (dude with the game-winning RBI) had a great dance. Good times were had by all.

It's the Brewers up next for the Rockies in the NLDS. Series starts Thursday.

Donald Trump was bitching about due process Tuesday, but just hours later made a mockery of his FBI investigation by essentially calling Dr. Christine Blasey Ford a fraud.

POTUS mocked Dr. Ford at a rally in Mississippi Tuesday night, before intimating she belongs to a group of "really evil people" set out to destroy other people's lives ... like Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump was egged on by his Mississippi supporters, as he repeatedly made fun of Ford's testimony about being sexually assaulted by Kavanaugh ... specifically her claim that she only had one beer at the party where it allegedly took place.

Trump's point -- we think -- is Ford's claims aren't credible because she can't remember many details about the alleged incident.

Earlier in the day, Trump bemoaned what he says has become the marching orders in the #MeToo movement -- guilty until proven innocent.

Lil Yachty obviously needed a partner in crime for the "How High" sequel to make any sense, and he's found him ... 'Wild 'N Out' star DC Young Fly.

We're told the comedian's been tapped to star alongside the rapper in "How High 2," the follow-up to Method Man and Redman's 2001 stoner comedy. DC Young Fly will play Calvin -- a stoner from the hood who's best friends with Roger, played by Yachty.

Yachty scored the lead in the upcoming MTV movie, and Roger is reportedly the younger bro of one of the original film's main characters. Production's already up and running in Atlanta, and the movie will make its debut next year on MTV.

As for the premise ... Yachty and Young Fly are set to take us “on a magical hash-fueled journey to fund their on-demand munchies delivery start-up.” Sounds like a good time.

'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star NeNe Leakes also says she's in the cast.

Ben Affleck may or may not don the cowl again for another 'Batman' movie -- especially after heading back to rehab -- but based on how he looks right now ... dude totally could.

The actor was seen heading to a meeting Monday in L.A., and he was looking completely yoked in a fitted tee. Don't worry, this ain't just a good angle of Ben from the front ... he had a full-blown gun show on display from the side as well. It was sunny out, so ... ya know.

Looks like all that working out at his home gym a few weeks ago really paid off while he was attending rehab. Also worth noting -- we haven't really seen him without a jacket on for a minute now, including Sunday's outing with Jen Garner and the kids. Who knew?!

It's unclear if Ben has finished his treatment, but we have seen him out in public more regularly in recent weeks.

As for the Bruce Wayne thing -- sign him up.

Ben Affleck is taking frequent breaks from his rehab facility for the things that matter most to him -- the latest being Sunday worship with his kids and ex-wife.

Ben and Jennifer Garner walked out of church Sunday morning in Pacific Palisades with their son, Samuel ... their daughters, Violet and Seraphina, were there too. We've seen Ben leave rehab almost weekly now -- sometimes for a workout session, sometimes for studio meetings.

It's a different approach for sure. Typically, rehab facilities want to remove patients from their day-to-day patterns and focus on treatment. It's been about 5 weeks since Jen staged an intervention and drove Ben to rehab -- but it's unclear if he's still a patient.

Daniel Cormier might get a 3rd crack at Jon Jones -- so says Dana White, who tells TMZ Sports he's trying to make it happen!

Of course, D.C. and J.J. hate each other's guts -- White says "the hatred is real" -- and now that Jones is being reinstated, a lot of people would looove to see a 3rd fight between the two.

"I would like to see it, I think the fans would like to see it," White says.

"What would be interesting is ... we might see it at heavyweight!"

Cormier has previously said he wants a piece of Brock Lesnar -- so, the big question is ... when would the Jones fight happen?

"I'm gonna do whatever D.C. wants to do," White says.

"Daniel Cormier has been an incredible champion for us. He's an incredible human being. He's a stud and I'm gonna do everything in my power to keep that man happy."

Daniel Cormier just went OFF on Jon Jones -- the latest in their nasty rivalry -- this time, DC's labeling Jones a cheating, coke-abusing "snitch" who rolled on one of his teammates.

Jon started the latest round this week ... taunting Cormier on social media for failing to accept the "truth" that PEDs had nothing to do with JJ's two UFC victories over him.

Jones says the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has backed his claims that he didn't intentionally ingest any prohibited substances ... and insists Cormier simply can't come to grips with the fact he's the superior fighter.

Enter Cormier ... who fired back on social media Friday morning.

"So here we go again Jonny boy. First off, if you did nothing wrong and were 'innocent' then you’d have never been suspended," Cormier said.

"And on top of all the cheating you’ve done around UFC 182, UFC 200 and UFC 214 that’s not even the straw that broke the camel’s back. You are actually a SNITCH!"

Cormier is referring to reports that Jones cut a deal with USADA for reduced 15-month suspension after his positive PED test -- and in exchange, Jones provided "substantial assistance" to the agency.

Many believe (including Cormier) the aforementioned "assistance" was info about other fighters -- aka "snitching."

Back to Cormier's attack ...

"You think you’re the only one that’s been offered this deal? No, you’re just the only scumbag low enough to take it!"

"Which one of your teammates did you tell on to get this joke of a punishment from USADA! I thought there was nothing lower than a cheater but it’s not surprising that you show me a whole new level."

"You’re a cheater and a SNITCH! Get off my page and go do some coke, or steroids or whatever you losers do in your spare time. #doublechamp"

When in France, right?

Michael Jordan proved he's too classy to drink beer with the normies at major sporting events -- instead, he sips from his own bottle of fancy wine.

MJ was in the VIP suites at the Paris Saint-Germain vs. Reims game in Paris on Wednesday -- where he watched Neymar dominate in a 4-1 victory at Parc des Princes stadium.

He also apparently brought in his own bottle of red. Guessing they waived the corkage fee.

Jordan was treated like the legend he is during the game -- since PSG recently teamed up with Jordan Brand for a collaborative range of threads. The team prez even presented MJ with his own custom #23 jersey.

Jordan took in the game with his pal, Ahmad Rashad -- no word if he let the ex-football player dip into his wine.

No word on what brand Jordan was drinking -- but the guy's a billionaire so you know he ain't sippin' the cheap stuff.