Influencers

Franky Venegas – one half of the viral hip hop duo The Island Boys – has been busted in Florida for driving-related offenses.

The tattooed TikTok star --who shares the limelight with his twin brother Alex – was arrested in Fort Lauderdale Friday and booked into the Broward County Jail.

Franky was hit with three charges – operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, false ID provided to a law enforcement officer and reckless driving.

GameStop stock soared to 110% Monday ... all thanks to a cryptic social media return from viral day trader Roaring Kitty -- who memorably caused this to happen a few years ago.

The internet personality -- whose real name is Keith Gill -- hinted he's stepping back into the public eye after almost 3 years away ... by posting an eyebrow-raising meme on X late Sunday.

The post in question ... RK shared a photo of a man leaning forward in a chair holding a video game controller ... providing no caption as an explanation. It's a well-known meme -- and it just means that someone's ready to get serious ... presumably, Kitty is too.

Influencer and boxer Tristan Hamm -- famously known for knocking out a Logan Paul look-a-like -- is ready to put ex-NFL star Le'Veon Bell to sleep in the ring this month ... telling TMZ Sports he wants Dillon Danis next!!

Hamm and Bell are slated to fight on the Misfits Boxing card on May 25 at the NRG Arena in Houston, Texas ... and Tristan says he's ready for the challenge ahead, despite his debut being just six months ago against Rodney Petersen (you may know him from his run-in with Nate Diaz).

Hamm knocked that dude out in just 53 seconds ... and he's now looking for a similar outcome against Bell.

El Presidente Biden acaba de firmar un proyecto de ley que prohíbe TikTok en Estados Unidos (a menos que se venda a una empresa con sede en EE.UU.), pero su actual CEO dice que van a luchar como el infierno y promete que van a ir a la corte.

El mandamás de TikTok Shou Zi Chew publicó un video el miércoles, luego de que Joe pusiera su firma a la legislación aprobada por la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado, y que básicamente hace que TikTok sea ilegal en Estados mientras esté bajo control chino.

El empresario dice que él y sus socios van a desafiar esta nueva ley y confía en que TikTok ganará, afirmando que la Constitución está del lado de la empresa. Chew y compañía dicen que van a citar los derechos de la Primera Enmienda para defender su posición.

President Biden just signed a bill banning TikTok in America (unless it's sold to a U.S.-based company) -- but the current CEO says they're gonna fight like hell ... vowing to go to court.

TikTok's head honcho Shou Zi Chew posted a video Wednesday in response to Joe putting his John Hancock on legislation that got passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate ... which basically makes TikTok illegal here in the States under Chinese control.

The businessman says he and his partners are going to challenge this new law -- and is confident TikTok will win before a judge, stating the Constitution is on the company's side. Chew and co. say they're going to cite First Amendment rights in defending their position.

Davis Clarke says he had a crappy run at the Boston Marathon, and he seems to mean that literally -- claiming he crapped his pants ... but TBH, take it with a grain of poopy salt.

The TikTok star/influencer filmed himself crossing the finish line Monday during the annual race in Beantown -- and he says he s*** himself ... proving just how damn dedicated he was to the cause. The camera does capture what looks to be blood running down his legs.

It's definitely a gross sight ... and by the looks of it, it wasn't just a little accident either -- assuming this is actually real, which we're not so sure it is.

The NBA has a new partner ... and it's none other than K-pop group LE SSERAFIM!!

Adam Silver's organization announced the big collaboration this week ... saying the quintet of musicians will headline the NBA's celeb and influencer operation in Asia.

The Association hopes the group's popularity will help expand its fanbase overseas ... similar to what it did when it enlisted BTS' Suga as an ambassador.

It seemed like a pretty "Smart" move -- especially considering Chaewon, Yunjin, Sakura, Kazuha and Eunchae are quite the hoop heads.

In fact, the group hit up a Laker game in customized jerseys back in November ... and briefly got to meet NBA legend Magic Johnson during their time at Crypto.com Arena.

The ladies also took a break from promoting their new project, "Easy," to tune in to the All-Star Game from a cellphone in February ... and recently posted a video of them showing off their choreography while decked out in numerous teams' merch.

With the collab, it's safe to say fans will see a lot more of LE SSERAFIM at games in the future ... and they can expect a ton of new content on socials.

The group made its debut in 2022 ... and has exploded in popularity ever since.

Sean O'Malley's proving it pays to be one of the UFC's biggest stars ... especially when you've got friends like Adin Ross, who just hooked the MMA champ up with a custom "Suga" candy paint low rider!

The streamer surprised the bantamweight title holder weeks after Sean defended his belt against 'Chito' Vera at UFC 299, his 18th win as a professional.

When it came time to gift O'Malley the whip, he was in pure shock when he removed the blindfold, revealing the hot pink 1975 Chevy Caprice, and he (justifiedly) went crazy!

"No way!" O'Malley yelled. "What?! Bro! Haha! That's crazy!"

O'Malley took the car for a spin straight away ... moments after he secured the keys and got a tutorial on how to raise and lower the ride with the hydraulic suspension.

The car's sick ... from the deep, rich, metallic paint to the chromed-out suspension.

Of course, the low rider -- from the High Class Car Club in Glendale -- fits O'Malley's personality perfectly ... as he's known for his vibrant hair color and style.

Ross -- who went forward with the gift despite receiving an ass whoopin' in the cage during a sparring sesh earlier in the day -- also said he has an Audemars Piguet luxury watch for Sean.

New York Jets star Sauce Gardner is addressing the backlash after stating Jewish people "run the world" ... claiming he had no idea his words would be considered antisemitic -- but has since educated himself on the matter.

The two-time All-Pro came under fire after appearing in a video with popular streamer Adin Ross -- who is Jewish -- this week ... when he stated, "I'mma be honest, like no funny, weird s***, y'all run the world."

The comment was met with laughter from those in the room ... and while Ross didn't appear offended, many took to social media to sound off on Gardner.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is now clarifying his controversial take ... going to X to try to explain his side of things.

"I love all people," Gardner said. "While my intentions were positive, I just learned that people use those exact words I shared for hate towards Jewish people."

"That is not what I am about and I appreciate those who took the time to educate me on that fact."

Gardner also noted the majority of his agency and marketing teams consist of Jewish people and he talks to them on the daily ... and he meant it as a compliment.

Some folks had Gardner's back ... saying they understood he didn't mean any harm.

Jake Paul's speed-skating superstar girlfriend, Jutta Leerdam, threw on a bikini and took a swim during a lavish getaway recently ... showing off her incredible, Olympic-worthy body while snorkeling through the water.

The Problem Child and Dutch athlete got some R&R in Costa Rica ... soaking in the sun, enjoying the wildlife and having plenty of time at sea.

The couple of about a year have been inseparable throughout the trip ... sharing plenty of PDA snaps as they celebrated their love.

GloRilla never thought in a million yurrrs she'd be partying up at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- but that was the Memphis rapper's real life as she met President Biden face-to-face!!!

But, on the heels of that White House visit, Glo went on CNN to talk about whether it would impact her vote.

The "F.N.F." rapper told Laura Coates she was basically just at the White House for the vibes. When asked about possibly campaigning, she said ... "That ain't got nothing to do with me."

She punctuated her seriousness about not getting all political by singing along to Jill Scott's good mood anthem, "Golden."

Big Glo was amongst the handpicked Gen-Z influencers invited to kick it with Biden and VP Kamala Harris at a Women’s History Month event on Monday -- but her presence at the ballots on Election Day is still up in the air.

Biden's administration is feverishly trying to round up young voters ... their State of the Union watch party on March 7 had swarms of TikTokers and IG stars inside the WH, but TBD if those invites will translate to votes.

We spoke to finance guru Tiffany Aliche following the event, but she was still unsure if the glitzy galas would drive young voters to the polls.

All the boxing purists crying over the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight need to chill out ... at least that's what Tyson Fury thinks, 'cause the Gypsy King says their upcoming fight is "fantastic" for boxing -- and it's a "pretty even" matchup!!

The heavyweight champ gave his two cents on the huge July 20 event this week ... and while he acknowledged the naysayers' points (Tyson being 57 and Paul's lack of experience), he believes it's a perfect combination for a "good spectacle" that'll attract new eyeballs to the sport.

"You've got a legend in Mike Tyson. You've got a YouTube boxer who has come into the game and blew it up and he's got millions of followers and millions of views and millions of eyes," Fury said. "Good, bad or indifferent. Some people love him, some people hate him."

Fury -- who's named after Iron Mike -- pointed out Paul's rise in boxing after starring on the Disney Channel ... saying he doesn't blame the Problem Child for wanting to fight a legend like Tyson.

As for the fight, Fury says there will be no winners since the boxers will undoubtedly make a ton of money ... but he believes with Tyson's age and Paul only being a few years into the sport, it's actually a fair matchup.

Tucker Carlson interviewed someone claiming to be Kate Middleton's photo editor -- but who was actually just a prankster, something TC and co. caught onto, but not before talking to this bloke on camera.

Here's the deal ... Joshua Pieters -- a very popular prankster on social media -- sent an email to Tucker's team claiming to be the person who edited the photo of Kate Middleton and her three kids that went viral earlier this week.

Tucker's team replied, and Pieters got his partner-in-crime Archie Manners to stand in as the alleged photo editor who they named "George." Archie was asked for proof of employment and the original photo he said he edited.

Pieters used some quick Photoshop tricks to create the necessary documentation ... although, not before adding in a couple ridiculous additions to the employment contract -- like one clause about losing a limb for a failed probationary period -- to see how closely Tucker's team was checking the provided docs.

Ultimately, the duo was able to con their way into an interview with Tucker himself ... one they secretly recorded. Watch ... it seems like Tucker and Archie the imposter had a wide-ranging conversation about the photo -- a chat that clearly got TC super excited.

Tucker's people apparently told Pieters and his compatriot the interview would air next week ... though it seems the Goon Squad let them off the hook 'cause they posted the video clearing the air Thursday.

FWIW ... sources with direct knowledge tell us Tucker's team wasn't totally convinced the story was real to begin with, but decided to tape the interview anyway while continuing to look into the story.

We're told within an hour of finishing shooting, someone recognized Archie as a famous prankster, and they knew they weren't going to run the interview. It's a lesson in journalism -- but big picture, ya can't knock the team for at least talking to someone making this claim.

Todavía hay tiempo para que Jake Paul lo reconsidere, porque Mike Tyson acaba de compartir imágenes de su primer día de entrenamiento para su próxima pelea, y el tipo parece que todavía tiene poder en sus puños.

La leyenda del boxeo de 57 años de edad, demostró que sigue estando en buen estado físico, golpeando muy duro con su entrenador Rafael Cordeiro.

Tyson también se mostró sin camisa para mostrar su impresionante físico, diciendo que la diversión acaba de empezar, y está claro que se está tomando esta pelea en serio.

La gran pregunta cuando se anunció la pelea era si Iron Mike -uno de los luchadores más temidos que jamás haya llevado un par de guantes- todavía podía entrar al ring y atemorizar a su contrincante.

Por supuesto, el ex campeón de la UFC -Chuck Liddell- le dijo a TMZ Sports la semana pasada que el poder es lo último que se pierde en un luchador de edad, y una vez que Tyson haga contacto con Paul, la pelea habrá terminado.

En cuanto a Jake -que está a la altura del reto por delante- se refirió a los rumores de tag teaming con Logan en el evento y el uso de casco.

El Niño Problema dijo que son tonterías, y cualquiera que crea en esos "informes", es simplemente un iluso.

There's still time for Jake Paul to reconsider ... 'cause Mike Tyson just shared footage of his first day of training for their upcoming fight -- and the dude looks like he's still packing a ton of power!!

The 57-year-old boxing legend proved his hands haven't slowed down all that much on Wednesday ... hitting the mitts with his coach Rafael Cordeiro.

Tyson also went shirtless to show off his impressive physique ... saying the fun is just getting started, but it's clear he's taking this fight seriously.

The big question when the fight was announced was if Iron Mike -- one of the most feared fighters to ever wear a pair of gloves -- still had it ... and it's safe to say we have answers.

Of course, former UFC champ Chuck Liddell pointed out to TMZ Sports last week that power is the last thing to go in an aging fighter -- and once Tyson makes contact with Paul, the fight will be over.

As for Jake, he's up to the challenge ahead ... and addressed rumors of tag teaming with Logan in the event and the use of headgear.

The Problem Child said it's all BS ... and anyone believing the "reports" is straight-up too dumb to be allowed to vote or drive.

Logan Paul's foray into the sports world goes deeper than the WWE ring ... the star wrestler, along with partner business KSI, continues to kick ass in the drink space, linking up with one of the most valuable franchises in the world, the L.A. Lakers!

Prime Hydration and the Purple and Gold announced the biz deal on social media on Tuesday, revealing the new partnership, writing ... "Lakers x @PrimeHydrate Hydration: Get ready L.A., PRIME Hydration is the new Official Sports Drink of the Los Angeles Lakers."

Of course, it's not the first time Logan and KSI's company has gone into business with a major force in the sports world ... they're also the official sports drink of the UFC, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arsenal, and FC Barcelona, amongst other teams and leagues.

They also work with individual athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Israel Adesanya.

Not too shabby ... and the Lake Show deal positions Prime as an indirect partner with LeBron James.