Riley Strain Death Really An Accident?!?

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STRAIN'S MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
TMZ Studios

Riley Strain's mysterious death in Nashville is anything but cut and dry ... and the autopsy and video surveillance only add to the puzzle.

TMZ Studios has a new series, "Strange & Suspicious," now airing on a dozen FOX stations, where we explore unexplained and straight-up weird stories, and now we're looking into the circumstances surrounding Riley's death.

A college student visiting Nashville with his frat brothers, Riley left his friends behind at the bar and drunkenly stumbled through the streets before vanishing ... until his body was found floating in a river, without his shoes, pants or wallet.

J.J. Watt I'd Have Him Show Ready In 12 Weeks ... Says Legendary Bodybuilder Phil Heath

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HE LOOKS GOOD
TMZSports.com

If J.J. Watt wants to flaunt his new bod, one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time is willing to help ... 7x Mr. Olympia Phil Heath tells TMZ Sports he'd have the future Hall of Famer stage ready in 3 months!

"He actually looks pretty damn good," 44-year-old Heath said, adding ... "I think he would actually do well at the amateur level."

Not too shabby a compliment coming from a man who won the Olympia seven times straight (he also finished second in 2010 and 2018).

Ex-MLB Player SEAN BURROUGHS Medical Examiner Rules on Cause of Death

Sean Burroughs -- the ninth-overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft -- died from a fentanyl overdose.

The late MLB player's official cause of death is listed as fentanyl intoxication and his death has been ruled an accident ... according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner.

As we reported ... 43-year-old Sean died back in May, when he was found unresponsive next to his car in a Long Beach parking lot outside his son's Little League baseball game. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

DANNY ELFMAN SUED SEMEN MARTINI DENIAL IS DEFAMATION ... I'm No Liar!!!

Danny Elfman, a famous film score composer, is being sued by a woman accusing him of serving her a martini glass filled with semen ... she says his public denial paints her as a liar, and she insists it actually happened.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Nomi Abadi is suing Elfman for defamation ... she says he lied about her in a Rolling Stone article where he and his reps denied he engaged in sexual misconduct toward her.

In the suit, filed by attorney Eric M. George, Nomi says Danny invited her over to his studio in August 2016 and placed a martini glass filled with an off-white substance in front of her. She says she "sat in silence, terrified, gagging from the putrid smell coming from ... semen ejaculate."

Daphne Joy Deletes 50 Cent Rape, Abuse Claim Amid Defamation Lawsuit

UPDATE

5:50 PM PT -- A source close to Daphne Joy is providing some clarity, telling TMZ ... she deleted the rape allegation post in an attempt to smooth things over with 50 Cent, for the sake of their son. It appears 50 has also taken down his posts about Daphne.

We've learned Daphne's hired attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, and reached out to him for comment ... but no word back.

Interesting development between Daphne Joy and 50 Cent ... she's scrubbed her social media post accusing him of rape amid the rapper's ongoing lawsuit over that very post.

Here's the deal ... Daphne, the mother to 50 Cent's son Sire, publicly accused the rapper of raping and physically abusing her in a March 28 Instagram post. 50 immediately denied the claim, and then in May he sued her for defamation.

Now, Daphne's post has been deleted from her official IG account. It's unclear exactly when she took it down, or why ... but it's gone.

'STRANGER THINGS' GATEN MATARAZZO LET'S WRAP UP FILMING, Quickly ... We're All Getting Older!!!

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GOTTA FILM FAST
BACKGRID

Gaten Matarazzo's pushing for "Stranger Things" to pick up the pace ... feeling the urgency to wrap the final season 'cause all the actors are growing up faster than the Demogorgon's appetite.

We caught up with the actor at LAX Wednesday ... and he's making it clear maintaining the illusion of still being a teen for the sci-fi Netflix series is getting trickier, especially since he's now 21 -- compared to 13 when he first started filming the show.

But Gaten tells us despite past delays like the writers' strike and the pandemic, they're now powering through to bring fans an epic 5th and final season -- and hopefully, so they can all move on and explore new opportunities.

Benji Gregory 'ALF' STAR DEAD AT 46

Benji Gregory -- best known as the child star on the sitcom "Alf" -- has passed away ... TMZ can reveal.

The actor's sister Rebecca tells TMZ her brother was found dead in his car at a Chase Bank parking lot in Peoria, AZ, on June 13.

His death certificate confirms that date, and the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office tells us Benji's cause of death is still pending.

'The Simpsons' Writer Shocked Cypress Hill/Symphony Gig Happening Now ... Our Gag's 28 Years Old!!!

A fan-favorite 'Simpsons' gag from nearly 30 years ago is about to become a real life event -- courtesy of Cypress Hill -- and the writer who came up with the joke tells TMZ, he's freaking out ... in a good way.

The west coast rap legends -- B-Real, Sen Dog and DJ Muggs -- just announced plans to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra ... a concert idea born from the 1996 'Simpsons' episode, “Homerpalooza.”

On the show, Cypress Hill forgets all about the gig, because, well ... the "Insane in the Membrane" crew got high, of course.

President Biden Clooney Made Fundraiser All About Him ... Says Campaign Source

The gloves are off between George Clooney and President Biden -- folks involved with the campaign are firing back at Clooney over the Hollywood fundraiser the actor co-hosted ... saying he was anything but accommodating to POTUS.

As you know, Clooney fired the first shot with his NYT op-ed Wednesday, saying Biden can't win the election and called for him to drop out of the race. In the letter, Clooney referenced last month's record-breaking fundraiser, saying ... "The Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fund-raiser was not the Joe 'big F-ing deal' Biden of 2010. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate."

Now ... a source connected to the Biden campaign, who is deeply familiar with the planning that went into the Hollywood fundraiser, is dismissing Clooney's critique and pointing the finger squarely at him.

D.L. HUGHLEY Rips Clooney and Others as Cowards For Turning on Biden

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CLOONEY'S A COWARD!!!
TMZ.com

D.L. Hughley is going scorched earth on George Clooney for calling on President Biden to drop out of the presidential race ... and he says Democrats are missing the big picture.

The comedian joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and ripped into George and his fellow Dems for asking for Biden to make way for a different candidate to run against Donald Trump.

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D.L. says the whole tone of George's NYT op-ed letter calling on Biden to step down is "insulting" ... and he finds it alarming Clooney never mentioned Project 2025, a series of proposals D.L. warns will do serious damage to Americans, especially minorities.

United Flight Meltdown Ready For In-Flight Meal ... Passenger Bites Flight Attendant!!!

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MILE BITE CLUB
TMZ.com

update

11:40 AM PT -- A United Airlines spokesperson tells TMZ ... "United flight 762 from Miami to Newark stopped in Orlando on Tuesday evening after a passenger became aggressive and disruptive. Our flight attendants worked to de-escalate the situation and protect other customers and after landing in Orlando, law enforcement met the flight, and the passenger was removed. We’re grateful to our team for their professionalism and for looking out for the safety of our customers and their fellow United employees."

A United passenger bit off more than she could chew during a recent flight ... quite literally, 'cause the disgruntled flier ripped off a chunk of a flight attendant's uniform in a new video.

TMZ has obtained footage from United Flight 762 from Miami to Newark, New Jersey Tuesday ... and, it shows an upset passenger screaming at other passengers while the flight crew tries to restrain her, wrapping zip ties around her wrists.

Margarita Funnel Couple Warning: A Little Tequila Up the Butt Will Get You Arrested!!!

Jose Cuervo is not a friend of a Georgia couple who engaged in some gross margarita shenanigans ... because they've both been busted.

The man -- who tried funneling a drink down the woman's ass -- has been ID'd as Joe Boyett. He, along with Mary Sweat, were arrested for misdemeanor public indecency ... after video of their hijinks went viral.

As if their clowning wasn't bad enough, Mary triggered the arrest after she went to cops and complained someone had leaked the video and it was spreading like wildfire on social media. Up to that point, police were in the dark, but once they saw the video the couple got arrested.

Fat Joe Add Me to List of Rap Legends Dropping Albums ... And, Ye Shouldn't Quit!!!

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THE BEST OF THE BEST
TMZ.com

Don't think for a second Fat Joe's social media and political ambassador career is making him forget his roots as an MC ... he's returning to music with a new album in August!!!

Joe was feeling all the way up and spilled the tea Tuesday in Bev. Hills. It's been nearly 2 years since his last project, and he should have a lot to rap about!!!

Hip Hop music has been experiencing a renaissance lately ... Nas + DJ Premier and Common + Pete Rock are both releasing collaborative albums and like Joe, Rakim and LL Cool J are also returning to the solo front.

Diddy Indictment Imminent ... Accuser's Attorney Claims

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KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED
TMZ.com

Diddy is going to be indicted any day now ... at least according to an attorney representing one of his alleged sex trafficking victims.

Adria English's attorney Ariel Mitchell-Kidd joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us a possible criminal indictment against the Bad Boy founder is coming sooner than later, and perhaps even "very shortly."

Mitchell-Kidd is definitely in the know here ... her client is the former porn star who recently filed a bombshell lawsuit accusing Diddy of sexual assault and sex trafficking.

Flau'jae Johnson Don't Listen To Aries ... Wear Your Lashes, Ladies 'BBL' Joke Was Funny Though 🤭

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MIND YOUR BUSINESS
TMZ.com

Flau'jae Johnson is advising women to wear their fake lashes no matter what Aries Spears or anyone else is saying to the contrary ... do you, boo!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the LSU hoops star in Hollywood on Tuesday and she hit a fast break on Aries' recent comments slamming the current fashion trend of oversized eyelash extensions.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Women of all nationalities and races are gluing the bristle brushes to their eyelids but Aries primarily targeted his "beautiful Black queens" in his viral PSA ... before calling the lashes ridiculous wastes of time.

Karen Read Mistrial Jury Believes It's Unjust to Retry Her for Boyfriend's Murder

A juror in the Karen Read mistrial now confirms what the defense claimed earlier this week -- that the jury voted unanimously to acquit her on 2nd-degree murder -- and the juror told the defense team it would be "unjust" to retry her.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the juror described the last day of the trial as a "whirlwind" and "very confusing." After the judge declared a mistrial, jurors were loaded on a bus and the jurors were wondering, "Is anyone going to know that we acquitted [Karen Read] on Count 1 and 3? No one ever asked about those counts."

As we first reported ... Read was acquitted on charges of murder and leaving the scene of an accident by a unanimous vote of 12-0 in her favor. But, the jury was deadlocked on the last charge – vehicular manslaughter – voting 9-3 in favor of a guilty verdict. For a conviction on the vehicular manslaughter charge, the jury needed to be unanimous.