Drugs & Alcohol

Vladimir Putin, through his spokesperson, is talking about Brittney Griner's imprisonment for the first time ... refuting the charge the WNBA star is a political prisoner, saying she's locked up because she violated Russian law.

31-year-old Griner has been behind bars since February after Russian officials say she attempted to bring hashish oil into the country. The U.S., however, characterized her detainment as being politically motivated.

In other words, America believes Griner's being used as a bargaining chip ... as relations between Russia and America (and the West in general) are incredibly strained with war raging in Ukraine.

But, Dmitry Peskov, Putin's mouthpiece, told NBC News Brittney's detainment is simple -- she broke the law, and is being held accountable just like "hundreds and hundreds of Russian citizens that were sentenced for carrying hashish."

Peskov then asked ... "Why should we make an exemption for a foreign citizen?"

Putin's spokesperson also said there are many Americans living legally in Russia.

"[Griner] violated Russian law, and now she’s being prosecuted," Peskov said.

"It’s not about being a hostage. There are lots of American citizens here. They’re enjoying their freedoms … but you have to obey the laws."

Montrezl Harrell's attorneys tell TMZ Sports the NBA player has "never" trafficked marijuana or been a part of "any other illegal activity" ... this despite prosecutors hitting the Charlotte Hornets center with a felony drug charge last month.

As we previously reported, Harrell was charged with trafficking less than five pounds of weed after a car he was riding in was pulled over by Kentucky State Police back on May 12.

In police documents, officers say the car that Harrell was in had three pounds of marijuana in vacuum-sealed bags inside of a backpack on the back seat.

Harrell -- who was not arrested at the scene -- was given a citation ... and then formally charged. If convicted on the count, the 28-year-old could face up to five years behind bars.

But, Harrell's attorneys, Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, tell us they believe Harrell did nothing wrong ... and are confident that will get proven through the legal system.

"We want to be clear that Mr. Harrell was not driving the vehicle and following the stop he was only given a ticket to appear in court at a later date for a marijuana-related charge as were all occupants of the vehicle," Harrell's attorneys said.

"Mr. Harrell was never placed under arrest. We believe that there are legal and factual issues with this case that will be addressed in court, if that becomes necessary."

They continued, "Mr. Harrell, is a devoted family man and a committed professional basketball player and has never been a part of any form of marijuana trafficking or any other illegal activity."

Bam Margera has another crisis on his plate besides recently fleeing rehab -- although they're related -- we've learned a split from his wife played a big part in his decision to leave the facility.

A rep for Bam tells TMZ ... he and his wife Nikki Boyd broke up a couple of weeks ago. Since then, he hasn't been able to get ahold of her or see his son, Phoenix Wolf. We're told she has not responded to any of Bam's calls or texts, and has been absent from his recovery process.

Due to the separation, Bam was staying at a sober living home when he made his unauthorized exit from rehab. We're told he held it together for a while, but after not hearing from Nikki or his son for 2 weeks ... he showed poor judgment and left the treatment center.

We're also told the facility wasn't giving him special celeb treatment -- which isn't a bad thing, but in the past others have, so that set him off too.

TMZ broke the story ... the "Jackass" star was reported missing Monday after leaving the FL rehab center, and cops went looking for him.

When they found him on Wednesday, a crisis intervention team went into a Delray Beach hotel and escorted him back to treatment. He learned Nikki took Phoenix out of Florida without telling him, and voluntarily went back to treatment.

Last year Nikki filed documents in Los Angeles seeking full custody of their son, allowing Bam supervised visitation.

We obtained photos of Bam out Tuesday night at a few bars close to his hotel. We're told he'd been off his medication for several days, and his team was worried he'd relapsed.

The son of ex-"Real Housewives of Orange County" star Lauri Peterson is allegedly dealing drugs ... at least according to prosecutors who claim he was angling to sell fentanyl.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Josh Waring is facing criminal charges from an arrest back in January, including felony possession and the sale of fentanyl, plus a misdemeanor charge of methamphetamine possession.

Orange County Sheriff's Dept. sources tell TMZ ... a deputy saw Josh in the passenger seat of a car, recognizing him from a prior drug arrest. The deputy was aware Josh was on parole for an assault, which meant the cop could conduct a random search, which he did, and allegedly found drugs right on Josh's lap.

Our sources say the deputy saw Josh brush the drugs onto the car's floorboard ... drugs later identified as fentanyl and meth. We're told Josh was arrested on the spot and taken to jail.  As for why he was charged with the sale of fentanyl ... it's because of the amount found.

As you know, Josh has a history of legal troubles ... he was arrested back in 2016 when he was accused of shooting a man outside a sober living home. Josh spent 4 years in jail, where he was once ambushed and assaulted by another inmate who was wielding razors wrapped in towels -- the attack was caught on video. He was later released on parole.

Hot girl summer has officially commenced for Megan Thee Stallion -- partying it up in Ibiza on a yacht -- with champagne in hand and her friends along for the ride.

Meg was spotted Friday wearing a bikini and having a good time with some of her besties ... her boyfriend, Pardi, also joined in on the fun.

In true Meg fashion, she's going all out ... even dumping champagne on her body and fooling around with her friends.

One things for sure though, Meg and Pardi aren't afraid to show a little PDA -- even with friends around -- taking some time to love on each other too.

It's probably a nice escape for Meg, as you know, she's in the middle of a criminal case with rapper Tory Lanez, in which he's alleged to have shot her in the foot back in 2020.

Former NASCAR star Clint Bowyer struck and killed a woman in a tragic car crash earlier this month, according to new police documents obtained by TMZ Sports.

The accident, per a Lake Ozark Police Dept. crash report, happened on June 5 at around 9 PM in Missouri -- just hours after Bowyer had finished working a gig as a TV analyst for a NASCAR Cup Series race in Madison, IL.

According to the docs, the 43-year-old ex-racecar driver said he was traveling in a 2019 Nissan Rogue when he hit a pedestrian in the middle of the street.

Bowyer, cops say, immediately hit his brakes and called 911.

Officers said in the docs that medical personnel arrived on the scene a short time later, and attempted to render aid to the 47-year-old woman. They say, however, she died at the scene.

In the docs, cops say Bowyer showed "no signs of impairment" ... adding that a breathalyzer test revealed he had a .000 BAC.

According to officers in the docs, "a crystalline substance ... believed to be methamphetamine" was found near the woman's belongings ... and residents at a nearby RV park where the woman was staying believed she had been "under the influence of drugs."

Bowyer -- who did not work his role as an analyst for last Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race in California -- released a statement Thursday addressing the accident, saying, "Anyone that knows me, knows that family is everything to me."

"My thoughts and prayers are with the family and loved ones of [the woman]. This is a very difficult time for my family and I, please respect our privacy as we move forward."

Mike Tyson is finally telling people why he beat the hell out of an overbearing fan on a recent flight ... with the boxing legend explaining he was just high and irritable at the time!

"Hey listen, I'm usually good at these things," Tyson told Jimmy Kimmel on his show Thursday night.

"I was wrong, that should've never happened. That's me back in my primitive child stages, I shouldn't of done that, but I was just irritated, tired, high, and pissed off. S*** happens!"

"I don't wanna hurt nobody!," MT sang.

So, the dude tried Mike at the wrong time ... and Tyson beat him up for it.

Of course, Mike, who was removed from the plane along with the bloodied and bruised passenger, wasn't charged with a crime for the April 2022 incident.

Melvin Townsend III, the 36-year-old man who was on the receiving end of the beating, hired an attorney several days after the fight ... but it's unclear if he's struck a financial deal with Tyson.

Jokes aside, it certainly seems Mike regrets his actions ... even though anecdotally, most believe the former heavyweight champ was well within his right to serve up the beating.

Kimmel also asked Mike about a possible boxing match with Jake Paul. Mike and Jake are actually buddies ... but Tyson's clearly open to the idea.

Steph Curry celebrated his fourth championship Thursday night like it was his first ... slugging bubbly from a chalice and talkin' smack to his haters!!!

The Golden State Warriors star hit the locker room with his teammates for the epic celly just minutes after the Dubs beat the Celtics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals ... and he went hard.

The newly crowned Finals MVP poured a bunch of champagne on his head, drank a ton of it ... and then yelled to all of his haters, "Champs, baby!"

"What are they going to say now?!" he added. "What are they going to say now?!"

Curry was far from the only Warriors star to revel in the team's latest title ... Klay Thompson and Draymond Green also did their fair share of drinking and trash-talking.

Jordan Poole, meanwhile, took the postgame celebration as an opportunity to throw a bunch of champagne down his throat -- and video of his chugging was pretty legendary.

Bam Margera is on his way back to the Florida rehab facility he bolted from earlier this week ... we're told he was found in a nearby hotel after he was reported missing.

Sources close to the 'Jackass' star tell TMZ ... Bam shacked up at a hotel in Delrey Beach after bouncing from the rehab facility, and cops and a crisis intervention team located him Wednesday and are escorting him back to the treatment center. We are told he went back voluntarily and didn't fight it.

Remember, the rehab center manager says Bam is supposed to be there under a court order ... which is why police are taking him back.

TMZ broke the story ... Bam was reported missing Monday after splitting from the treatment center, and cops went looking for him.

We're told Bam, who recently completed one year in the drug and alcohol treatment program, has been off his medication since leaving the facility and our sources were unsure if he had relapsed.

Ryan Adams is ready to get back to performing for his fans -- after some of the most difficult years of his life -- telling us his prep has him 9 months sober and super sore!

We got the singer-songwriter out on a run at The Hollywood Reservoir Wednesday, a place that's become familiar to Ryan as of late. He tells us he's been working through his mental health struggles with 5-6 miles of running per day, and it's also helped him stay clean.

He's also mounting a comeback after a 2019 New York Times report accusing him of sending sexual messages to an underage fan as well as being "manipulative, obsessive and controlling" with 7 other women -- including his ex-wife Mandy Moore and singer Phoebe Bridgers.

Eventually, the FBI cleared Adams in the underage messages case -- but he hadn't really gotten on stage since then.

Now, he's just announced an 8-gig string of shows -- including Chicago and Milwaukee -- to start in October ... this after he quietly took the stage for 5 comeback shows in May. Sources close tell us ticket sales have already been strong ... proving fans still wanna see him in action.

While Ryan wouldn't exactly tell us his thoughts on cancel culture -- avoiding the topic by reminding us just how sore he was -- you gotta imagine he's excited about the chance of a legit comeback.

Less than one day before Jeff Hardy was accused of drunkenly driving his car through Florida highways ... the AEW star took a swig from a cup and made a joke that whiskey was "my best friend and my worst enemy."

The 44-year-old wrestler was filmed on Sunday evening making the comment -- some 12 hours or so before cops say he was driving a white Dodge Charger while severely intoxicated in Volusia County.

The video shows Hardy in Orlando for a wrestling convention (one in which his brother, Matt Hardy, also attended) ... singing for several people inside what appeared to be a conference room.

Jeff, discussing lyrics to a song, took a big sip of a drink, turned to the crowd and said, "Whiskey is my best friend and my worst enemy!"

The footage shows he then smiled, while people in the audience chuckled and shouted.

As we reported, Jeff was later arrested at around 9 AM on Monday morning by the Florida Highway Patrol for DUI.

During the stop, officers say he reeked of booze, could hardly stand during questioning, and admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel. They added that two breathalyzer tests revealed he had a BAC of .291 and .294.

Hardy was charged with felony DUI and two other misdemeanors. He's due in court for a hearing on the matter in July.

Cops are on the lookout for Bam Margera after he bolted from a Florida rehab facility he wasn't allowed to leave ... TMZ has learned.

According to a Delray Beach police report, the rehab facility's manager reported the 'Jackass' star missing on Monday. The manager says Bam told him he was unhappy with the place and their services ... so he was splitting, which he apparently did.

The report notes Bam told the manager that instead of staying there, he'd be checking himself into a different rehab center in the area ... and then left the premises in a black sedan.

According to the manager, Bam was there under a court order, and the staff was concerned he seemed to be leaving without authorization.

In any case, the staff also said Bam didn't appear to be a danger to himself or others. Cops did go looking for him that day but, so far, they've come up empty-handed.

Sources close to Bam tell TMZ ... he was currently staying at a sober living facility and had recently got into an argument with his wife. We're told he did have issues with the facilities' restrictions and made the impulsive decision to leave.

Last month Bam had broken his wrist and elbow in a skateboarding accident and was blaming the facility for not setting up his physical therapy appointments.

Brittney Griner will remain in custody in Russia for at least another two and a half weeks ... the WNBA superstar's detention was just extended by a court until July 2.

The ruling was handed down on Tuesday, according to Russian state media outlet TASS, after investigators requested the extension.

The decision comes on the heels of U.S. State Department officials meeting with representatives from Brittney's current WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury, to discuss ways to safely return the professional hooper to America.

Specific details of the meeting remain tight-lipped -- it's unclear who exactly attended or what was discussed -- but officials confirmed to the Associated Press the forum did indeed happen.

David Koechner looked a bit like a deer in headlights during his latest DUI bust -- one that couldn't stand up all that straight ... at least based on this police body cam footage.

The "Anchorman" star's run-in with cops in Ohio earlier this month can now be seen on video obtained by TMZ ... and in it, you see him bombing -- according to police -- some field sobriety tests after he's pulled over on the road.

The cop who ends up running the show actually has a funny little "I know you" encounter when he realizes who Koechner is, but it doesn't seem like he's too star-struck -- because he proceeds, trying to get a read on whether DK had one too many.

After going through the gauntlet of drunk exams, the cop ends up putting David in handcuffs -- telling him he's under arrest ... with the actor admitting this is his 2nd in 6 months.

We're told Koechner was arrested, processed at the station, and then eventually released with a court summons. The summons dings him on 3 separate counts ... driving while impaired, refusal to submit for a breathalyzer or urine sample and driving on a suspended license.

NBA forward Montrezl Harrell has been charged with drug trafficking after cops say they found three pounds of weed in his car during a traffic stop in May ... and is now facing time behind bars.

According to the Charlotte Observer, the 28-year-old was pulled over by a Kentucky state trooper around 10 AM on May 12 for driving a 2020 Honda Pilot rental too close to the car in front of him ... and during the stop, cops claim they smelled marijuana.

The report says Harrell admitted to having weed on him and pulled a "small amount" from his sweatpants ... but when cops searched the vehicle, they claim to have found a backpack filled with three pounds of weed in vacuum-sealed bags.

Harrell's arraignment was scheduled for Monday morning.

Harrell -- who played college ball at the University of Louisville -- was charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana ... a Class D felony for first-time offenders that could result in up to five years behind bars and a fine.

AEW star Jeff Hardy has been arrested again, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Jail records show he was booked in Volusia County, Fla. on Monday morning ... and took a mug shot.

Details surrounding the specific allegations against Hardy are unclear ... but court records show he's been charged with felony DUI, misdemeanor violating restrictions placed on driver's license, as well as misdemeanor driving while license canceled, suspended or revoked.

The records show he's due in court Tuesday for a hearing on the matter.

It's the third time since 2018 that Hardy has been accused of driving while under the influence. In March 2018, he was charged with DWI in North Carolina after getting into a car wreck. He was arrested again for DWI in North Carolina in Oct. 2019.

In the months following the 2019 arrest, Hardy admitted he had problems with substance abuse on the "After The Bell" podcast with Corey Graves ... saying on the show that he was receiving professional help.

Hardy was slated to wrestle with his brother, Matt Hardy, on AEW Dynamite later this week. It's unclear if that match will still go on.

Story developing ...