Drugs & Alcohol

Daphne Barak, the journalist claiming Kevin Federline linked Britney Spears to crystal meth, has come under heavy fire from the former couple ... but she's not backing down, insisting K-Fed made the statement, despite his denial.

A spokesperson for Mail on Sunday tells us Daphne and her team spent months working on a documentary with Kevin, his family and Britney's two sons -- Sean Preston and Jayden.

The rep says, "Daphne Barak has assured us that the quotes attributed to Kevin and the family are accurate and fairly reflect the interviews conducted, in which Kevin expressed his fears that Britney might be using crystal meth to Daphne and to her producer Erbil Gunasti and members of the film crew. He did so clearly and repeatedly."

They continue, "Kevin also made it clear to Daphne that he hoped someone would expose the situation, as he saw it, because that would be the way to get help for Britney."

What's more -- they say they reached out to Britney's reps for comments on the meth allegation ... but got no response.

For his part, Kevin's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan tells us in response, "Mail on Sunday knows no more than what they were told by Daphne. Accurate reporting might mean they accurately took down what Daphne told them but in no way means what Daphne told them was accurate."

TMZ broke the story -- Federline went scorched Earth on The Sun and Daily Mail Sunday after a report claimed he stated about Britney, "I fear she's on meth – I've been praying someone would make it public and that she wakes up ... It's terrifying. She is the mother of my boys."

After the story came out, Kevin told us, "It saddens our family that Daphne Barak and Erbil Gunasti have decided to fabricate lies and publish the heart ache our family has endured, along with the trauma of our minor children."

Kevin Federline says he and his family have had to endure way too much over the years, and a recent report claiming those around Britney fear she's on meth is just too much to handle ... and he's fighting back.

The report, published over the weekend by The Sun and Daily Mail is from a series of convos journalist Daphne Barak says she had with Kevin. In one instance, Barak reports K-Fed told her, "I fear she's on meth – I've been praying someone would make it public and that she wakes up ... It's terrifying. She is the mother of my boys."

In response to the story, Kevin tells us, "It saddens our family that Daphne Barak and Erbil Gunasti have decided to fabricate lies and publish the heart ache our family has endured, along with the trauma of our minor children in the Daily Mail and The Sun. We did allow Daphne & Bill into our home because we trusted them, but that trust was lost and we severed ties back in March for many reasons we choose not to go into here."

K-Fed never specifically says which part of the story was fabricated, but the whole piece went in heavy on the meth allegation.

He continues, "It is very distressing that she continues to harass our family when we have repeatedly asked her to leave us alone.  As was previously published, our family did speak with Ms. Barak and Mr. Gunasti a few times, and this was done in a respectful way with love & compassion for Britney and the Spears family. Her lies and attempts to exploit minors is click bait and another repulsive example of where, unfortunately, certain journalism has sunk today."

Daphne's spent a lot of time with the Federline and Spears families, first linking up together last summer for a TV news special.

She reports one conversation with Britney's father, Jamie, where he allegedly stated he feared his daughter would wind up dead like Amy Winehouse if she didn't get proper care.

TMZ broke the story, Kevin's moving his family, including his teenage sons Sean Preston and Jayden -- who he shares with Britney -- to Hawaii. Kevin's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan fired off a legal letter to Britney's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, to let him know about the move.

Kaplan had stated he was ready to go to court if Britney and Rosengart didn't approve of the move -- as Kevin's been the primary caregiver for the boys for years -- but in the end, Britney approved the move without issue.

One thing that remains to be seen, however, is whether or not the boys will see their mom before they leave for the island. It's been well over a year since they all spent time together.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Fetty Wap's just starting his 6-year prison bid after pleading guilty in his drug trafficking case ... but even when that's done, he'll be under very strict guidelines for almost as long.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Fetty will have to fully disclose his financial records and yearly income tax returns to the U.S. Probation Department.

Fetty is also prohibited from opening any new bank or financial accounts without prior approval from the feds, and will have to submit virtually everything he owns -- houses, vehicles, even himself -- to search whenever there's a reasonable suspicion he's violated any terms of supervised release.

He also must cooperate with the probation officer to get a sample of his DNA upon release from prison.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... last August, Fetty pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a whopping 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was sentenced to 6 years in prison and 5 years of supervised release.

Garth Brooks says he isn't keeping any beers off his tap list when it comes to what he'll serve at his new bar -- and that apparently includes Bud Light ... despite the backlash.

In a recent interview with Billboard, the country singer alluded to having the embattled Anheuser-Busch brand featured in his soon-to-be-opened Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk in Nashville -- which is gonna be on the famed Broadway strip there in downtown.

They were talking about the kind of vibe Garth wants to foster there -- and how he'll, perhaps, differentiate himself/his establishment from other honky tonks there -- and he said one thing they'll do to stand out is by serving beer that every kind of person can enjoy.

Here's the full quote ... "I know this sounds corny, I want it to be the Chick-fil-A of honky-tonks. I want it to be a place you feel safe in, I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another."

GB goes on to add, "And yes, we're going to serve every brand of beer. We just are. It's not our decision to make. Our thing is this, if you [are let] into this house, love one another. If you're an a**hole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway."

Of course, Garth didn't mention Bud Light or Dylan Mulvaney by name ... but it's obvious what he was referring to. Bottom line here is ... the dude's gonna have Bud ready to pour.

Garth's embrace of Bud Light is getting some flak from conservatives, who are accusing him of going "woke" and capitulating to left-wing viewpoints. There are even some who are vowing to boycott his bar and take their dollar elsewhere -- including Kid Rock's place.

Bam Margera getting treatment at Lamar Odom's wellness center can't come fast enough for his estranged wife, who says she got some very aggressive texts after he was released from a psych hold.

Nikki Margera's attorney, David Glass, tells TMZ ... "Bam has started texting since his release from the 5150 hold, but the content quickly turned abusive, calling Nikki awful names, saying she is the cause of all his problems, even saying she’s a 'gold digger.'"

David says Nikki's still hopeful Bam's upcoming treatment will help him learn to take responsibility for himself -- adding she also hopes he'll learn how to communicate without being abusive.

Bam's attorney, Peter Thompson, says Bam was pissed after finding out Nikki's filed docs asking for $15,377 in child support, spousal support and $50K in attorney's fees.

Thompson tells us, "Bam continues to support her and Phoenix even though she won’t even allow a phone call or FaceTime with Phoenix. He just wants to see his son and continues to come up against a brick wall on that. Contact would go a long way in getting this resolved."

TMZ broke the story, Bam's been detoxing as of Wednesday's release and went with Lamar to one of his treatment centers. The former NBA star even checked in on Bam earlier in the week while he was under the psych hold.

The "Jackass" star posted a pic Thursday of himself with Lamar, saying he's starting his rehab journey.

Lamar Odom is helping Bam Margera through every step of his detox and rehab process, even sitting bedside with the former "Jackass" star as he works to get better.

Check out the photos, you see Bam in a hospital bed and hooked up to several monitors as he poses with the former NBA star. Our sources say Lamar was there as Bam was discharged from a psych hold Wednesday and immediately got him into detox at one of his own facilities.

It's obviously a good sign for Bam, who has been struggling for years with his sobriety, and wants to get better for his young son, Phoenix.

After detox, our sources say the plan is for Lamar to get Bam into a rehab facility for continued care ... lucky for Bam, Lamar owns multiple rehab locations, so you gotta imagine he'll get some of the best care.

While the duo may seem unlikely, Lamar's had his eye on Bam's story for quite a while ... telling us several weeks ago he wanted to help Bam's situation. Their paths were finally able to cross when Bam was picked up by LAPD over the weekend and placed on a psych hold.

Bam Margera is headed in the right direction ... getting released from a psychiatric hospital, and going straight into treatment at Lamar Odom's rehab center.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ the former "Jackass" star was released from a psych hospital Wednesday, and Lamar was there to greet him as he exited the facility. We're told Bam is now in detox at one of Lamar's locations before he heads to rehab at another spot owned by the former NBA star.

Lamar's been insistent on helping Bam for weeks, and even visited him in the hospital Tuesday to offer Bam treatment at one of his Odom Wellness Treatment Centers.

Bam's motivating factor in getting clean is definitely his young son, Phoenix, who he hasn't been able to see much during his battles with substance abuse.

TMZ broke the story, cops in L.A. tracked Bam to a Trejo's Tacos location over the weekend and placed him on a 5150 psychiatric hold. There was growing concern Bam was not only a danger to himself, but to others as well -- especially given the fact he threatened to end his life if he couldn't see his son.

We were also the first to tell you when Lamar opened his 3 treatment facilities -- Gold Bridge Addiction Center in Louisburg, KS, Wavelengths in Huntington Beach, and Project West in San Diego.

Lamar Odom is serious about getting Bam Margera the desperate help he needs ... stopping in to visit the "Jackass" star while he's in the hospital, and inviting him to Lamar's very own rehab center.

The former NBA star stopped in to see Bam Tuesday with an offer to get him back on the right path -- sources close to Lamar say he's trying to arrange for Bam to get treatment at one of his Odom Wellness Treatment Centers once he's released from his 5150 hold.

We're told Bam was receptive to going to rehab and was very hopeful during their chat ... saying he wants to see his son, Phoenix. Sources say Bam and Lamar hugged it out as the former NBA star told Bam he'd do everything he can to get him treatment.

As we reported, Lamar has opened up 3 drug treatment centers after his own battles with addiction in the past. He's got Gold Bridge Addiction Center in Louisburg, KS, Wavelengths in Huntington Beach, and Project West in San Diego.

TMZ broke the story, LAPD tracked down Bam Sunday to Trejo's Tacos in L.A. -- law enforcement sources told us his erratic speech and behavior, mixed with his recent threat to smoke crack until he dies, was enough to warrant the psych hold.

Lamar also sent Bam a rehab invite in April after Bam turned himself in for allegedly assaulting his brother. At the time, Lamar talked to us about the advice he'd love to pass along to Bam, as well as why his treatment centers could be a huge help.

Mick Mars' legal war with his former band, Mötley Crüe, is set to play out in court, for all to see -- but the Crüe is making a move to take it behind closed doors, despite Mick's protests.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Mötley Crüe is asking a judge to send this case -- kick-started by Mick's lawsuit in April -- into arbitration, where they say it belongs ... and where it will be out of the public's eye.

Mick's lawyer, Ed McPherson, tells TMZ ... "This is yet another attempt by bullies to hide the truth!"

In their filing, attorneys for MC say several different entities have been created over the years to handle varying aspects of the band's biz -- things like touring and recording -- and those agreements contain binding arbitration clauses.

Translation: All grievances that might come up among members, must be handled in private arbitration, instead of airing them out in public courts

You'll recall ... this battle is all about Mick, their longtime guitarist, claiming the Crüe unfairly and unjustly cut him out of touring and his share of tour profits ... after Mick was diagnosed with a debilitating bone disease.

The band's called BS, arguing they were actually trying to do him a solid based on his condition, and even tried to give him fair compensation ... but they say Mick's going about this the wrong way by filing a lawsuit

Bottom line is ... Mötley Crüe's asking the judge to send the matter to arbitration.

Bam Margera is a danger to himself and others, according to the police officers who located him in L.A., and promptly put him on a 5150 psychiatric hold ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... LAPD officers tracked down Bam Sunday afternoon by tracking his phone, and they eventually found him at Trejo's Tacos -- the L.A. hot spot owned by Danny Trejo.

We're told they made contact with Bam and found his erratic speech and behavior -- combined with recent suicidal threats he's made -- enough reason to call in a psychiatric evaluation team. Once they met with Bam, they determined he needed to be 5150'd.

Our sources say Bam was taken to a mental health facility, where, by law, he can be held for up to 72 hours. It's unclear if he's still getting treatment.

As we reported, Bam's latest spiral started last week when he threatened to smoke crack until he died if he doesn't get to see his son.

The former "Jackass" star is in the middle of a divorce from his estranged wife, Nikki ... and he says she won't let him see their boy.

Bam Margera's family seems to be fearing the worst, and his brother's putting out a Twitter APB to find him before he can harm himself.

Jess Margera tweeted early Sunday morning, "If anyone in the LA area knows of Bams current whereabouts or a hotel he might be at please call the LAPD immediately."

Jess says he's trying to get police to ping Bam's phone in order to find his location, but he's hitting some red tape -- which is why he's asking for everyone to spread the word on Twitter.

As he put it, "I don't think we have that kind of time" to wait for police.

As we reported, the former "Jackass" star had a total meltdown 3 days ago over not being able to see his son, Phoenix, amid his divorce from Nikki ... and vowed to smoke crack until he dies.

One clue to Bam's current whereabouts came in a video TMZ obtained and posted on Saturday.

In the clip, Bam is hanging with some random folks at a Pennsylvania bar and grill. Witnesses say he told them he was getting ready to fly to L.A. to check into rehab.

Jess clearly believes Bam did get on a plane to L.A., but he's not buying the rehab part.

Keenan Anderson, cousin of BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors, died because of cocaine and an enlarged heart ... according to the coroner's office, which was investigating his death following a controversial LAPD arrest.

Body cam footage of Anderson's arrest sparked protests in L.A. earlier this year -- LAPD officers had used a taser on him for 42 seconds, according to Cullors. However, the L.A. County Coroner's autopsy report, released Friday, says Anderson's cause of death might have been the effects of cocaine use on his enlarged heart.

The report notes that a manner of death has not yet been determined.

The police video showed officers tasering Anderson -- who had been a high school English teach -- at least 6 times while he was on his stomach.

In response to Anderson's death, LAPD Chief Michael Moore said the department would be taking a closer look at taser deployment.

Here's Bam Margera without a care in the world the day after threatening to smoke crack until he dies ... laughing and arm wrestling while out at lunch.

TMZ obtained this video of Bam having an absolute blast Friday at Teca Restaurant in West Chester, PA. He's also sporting a bunch of new tattoos on his neck, face and legs.

Bam's pretty energetic in the footage ... laughing, smiling, joking and trying like hell to win an arm wrestling match -- using two hands against his opponent's one.

Folks who were there say the former "Jackass" star was super chatty, and told people he was getting lunch before hopping on a private jet to fly back to California and start rehab.

Bam was accompanied by a friend and a giant stuffed lion, for some reason.

His behavior here stands in stark contrast to the day before ... when he posted an emotional rant on social media threatening to smoke crack until he's dead unless he could see his son, Phoenix.

Remember ... Bam is desperate for a relationship with his kid, but his camp says Bam's estranged wife Nikki won't let him see their boy.

While he was at the restaurant, we're told Bam also talked about his son, Nikki, his current girlfriend and mixed in stories about going out the night before to a strip club. In other words, Bam was all over the place.

Bam Margera is having a meltdown because he hasn't seen his son in over two months ... threatening to smoke crack until he's dead, unless he gets to see his kid.

The former "Jackass" star just posted an alarming rant on his newest social media account, ripping his family and his estranged wife, Nikki.

Bam says Nikki and his relatives are driving him to drink ... and he says waking up every day knowing he's probably not going to be able to speak to his son, Phoenix, makes things even worse.

At the end of the video, Bam threatens to go down to the boardwalk to smoke crack with the bums until he's dead or until Nikki allows him to see his son.

Remember ... Bam's desperate to have a relationship with Phoenix, who he hasn't seen since the end of March, with Bam's legal team claiming Nikki won't even let them talk over FaceTime.

Meanwhile, Nikki just filed new legal docs this week seeking sole physical and legal custody over Phoenix, plus $15k a month in child support.

In those docs, Nikki says visitation for Bam can be on the table as long as it's supervised and he completes rehab programs for drug and alcohol abuse.

But, Bam's throwing a fit and demanding to see Phoenix ASAP.

Bam's also addressing his beef with his brother, Jess Margera ... remember, Jess claimed Bam attacked him at his Pennsylvania home and now Bam's barred from the property.

Bam Margera's uncoupling with his estranged wife is moving full-steam ahead, 'cause she's now made her child custody and financial demands official in court ... and she wants thousands.

Nikki Boyd filed new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, spelling out exactly what she wants the court to impose as it pertains to child support, spousal support, and custody over their son, Phoenix.

For starters, Nikki wants sole physical and legal custody ... adding that visitation for Bam can be on the table, but only if it's supervised and he completes drug/alcohol rehab programs first.

Now, when it comes to money, she wants Bam to cough up just over $15k/month in child support -- which she says roughly equals her monthly expenses. She's also asking for whatever spousal support is due to her under the applicable guidelines for their relationship. She doesn't suggest any hard figure.

Nikki also wants Bam to cover her attorney fees of at least $50k. At the moment, she says she's bringing in very little income -- less than $4k a month between family support and public assistance.

In the docs, she says she's found a house, but needs Bam's financial support to make it work -- and she argues he's more than capable of making support payments.

Nikki claims Bam's net worth is reportedly around $55 million, considering his longtime success in TV/media -- but she's concerned he might be hiding assets and being reckless with money.

As we've reported ... Bam and his team claim Nikki have been keeping Phoenix from seeing him, despite Bam wanting to bond and connect. Clearly, things are very ugly right now.

Diddy's booze company claims a British alcoholic beverage company he's partnered with left him and his tequila for dead ... a move he alleges is steeped in racism.

The music and business mogul's alcohol LLC, Combs Wine and Spirits, just filed a lawsuit against Diageo ... the UK-based booze behemoth behind brands like Ciroc, which Diddy has backed for quite a long time -- and very successfully, too.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Diddy's team claims he's been in a partnership with Diageo to lead all marketing and innovation. Diddy says, after he sparked booming sales for Ciroc, the companies decided to go in together on DeLeon Tequila.

Unfortunately, per Diddy, Diageo has allegedly turned its back on both him and DeLeon ... to the point that Diddy says it's stifled growth and, more importantly, his bottom line.

Diddy claims, over the years, Diageo has refused to properly market/invest in DeLeon -- while going on to give most of its attention and resources to its other tequila lines like Don Julio or Casamigos. He believes this is racist.

For starters, Diddy alleges Diageo's neglect has risen to startling levels -- he claims his tequila has repeatedly been out of stock at retailers across the country, including huge markets in states like California and New York.

Diddy and co. say they suspect the reason for this is due to the color of his skin ... claiming "Diageo has typecasted Ciroc and DeLeon, apparently deciding they are 'Black brands' that should be targeted only to 'urban' consumers."

Not just that, but he even alleges he's been told by a Diageo exec that he might be getting the support he's wanted if he was Martha Stewart -- again, suggesting they didn't view him as anything more than a megaphone for one specific community.

Bottom line ... Diddy says he's been on his own trying to get DeLeon Tequila off the ground, and now Diageo should have to pay up for failing to live up to its contractual obligations to support his brands, and is asking the Court to order his company gets the same treatment as Diageo's other brands.