Maui Wildfire Victim No Trust in Biden, Feds' Response ... My Family's Lost Everything
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Maui resident and former TV host Peter O'Riordan lost his home, car and belongings in the deadly wildfire, and says President Biden's visit is doing little to raise hope for victims like himself.
Peter, a former TMZ staffer who went on to host an Irish TV show before moving to Lahaina, joined us on Tuesday on "TMZ Live" ... revealing the devastating details of what's happened to his family and countless others just like him.
He says he's lost everything in the blaze, and its aftermath is wreaking havoc on his children's lives ... as they've been uprooted from their home, and have school left to attend.
Peter says his crying children were told to grab what they could, and flee for their lives as the fire advanced -- and it's that kind of lasting trauma that's so negatively impacting all kids in the Lahaina area.
As a business owner who relies on tourism, Peter says folks on Maui are super worried about the future and their island's economy ... and they don't feel like the federal government is a reliable source of help.
POTUS was met with jeers, and even outright chants of "f***k you" and residents flipping the bird, during his Monday tour of the devastation.
Peter tells us the President's delayed visit -- coming 13 days after the fire -- already pissed off many residents, but he added that Biden made it worse when he said "no comment" to a question about the federal government's reaction.
With Peter's home and belongings reduced to a pile of ash, he's crowdfunding for his snorkel biz, Sea Maui, and he's reminding tourists that most of Maui is open for business.
While they desperately need tourism dollars, he's also asking visitors to be respectful of what locals are going through right now.
Peter's also working with the Maui Pono Foundation and Lahaina Restoration Foundation to help rebuild homes and businesses.
It's a first-hand account of what folks on the island are living through as they attempt to recover.
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Serena Williams Deuce!!! Gives Birth to Baby #2
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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have a lot to celebrate ... the couple just welcomed their second child together!!
The tennis superstar revealed the major news with a TikTok on Tuesday ... showing her get up from a table and leave the frame before returning with the little bundle of joy.
Waiting for your permission to load TikTok Post.
Alexis and Olympia look happy as can be -- with big sis adorably giving baby Adira River a kiss on the forehead.
The Reddit co-founder also posted about the newcomer ... saying, "I'm grateful to report our house is teaming with love: a happy & healthy newborn girl and happy & healthy mama."
"Feeling grateful. @serenawilliams you've now given me another incomparable gift — you're the GMOAT. Thanks to all the amazing medical staff who took care of my wife & our daughter 🙏 I'll never forget the moment I introduced @olympiaohanian to her baby sister."
Serena and Alexis shared they were having another daughter at a lavish gender reveal just a few weeks ago ... and now that Adira is here, the countdown is on to see her take the court with Olympia -- just like Mama and Aunt Venus!!
No pressure, though.
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James Harden Fined $100K By NBA ... For Saying He Won't Play For Sixers
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James Harden's bank account is 5 zeros lighter this morning ... the NBA slapped the perennial All-Star with a huge 100 grand fine for saying he wouldn't play for the Philadelphia 76ers, despite being under contract.
"The NBA announced today that Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team," the Association announced.
"The league’s investigation, which included an interview of Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded."
Of course, it was just last week when the 2018 NBA MVP blasted the Sixers exec while at an Adidas event, saying, "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of."
EXCLUSIVE: James Harden tells me he thinks his relationship w/ 76ers is beyond repair.
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) August 18, 2023 @JBristolKHOU
"I've been patient all summer."
Back from China, he's in #Houston for his 'JH-Town Weekend,' including kids carnival & celebrity softball game for charity.
Story: https://t.co/qDTacHfa51 @KHOU pic.twitter.com/gSDdAVoo9S
In case there was any doubt, James doubled down.
"Let me say that again. Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
Once James returned to the States, he was asked whether the relationship with Morey and the team could be salvaged ... to which he said no.
Harden is set to be a free agent after this season ... but he's made it clear, despite being owed over $30 million, he won't play for the 76ers.
The question now is ... with the substantial fine, and the threat of more coming down the pike, might Harden come around on the idea of playing in the City of Brotherly Love.
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Xavien Howard Slams Sex Video Accuser ... You Attempted To Shake Me Down!!!
Xavien Howard says the woman who accused him of filming sex acts with her without her consent attempted to shake him down for a ton of cash before going public with her allegations.
The Miami Dolphins star made the claim in a motion to dismiss his accuser's lawsuit on Monday ... alleging the woman -- ID'ed only as Jane Doe -- sought "presumably millions of dollars" from him prior to filing her suit in Florida in the spring.
NFL Star Xavien Howard Sued, Allegedly Filmed, Shared Sex Videos Without Consent
In the court filing, Howard also said the woman's suit should be thrown out immediately for a multitude of reasons -- including Doe's insistence on remaining anonymous.
As we previously reported, the woman filed the suit against Howard in May ... alleging he had not only videotaped sex with her without her knowing -- but he then distributed the footage to at least one other person.
In her suit, she said she found out about it all because a woman had sent her the clips after claiming Howard had messaged them in an effort "to make her mad because she didn't want to have sex with him."
The woman sued Howard for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress -- and asked for damages.
In his motion Monday, however, Howard also argued that Doe didn't meet Florida legal standards for either of her claims.
"Her anonymous lawsuit is not compliant with the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, wildly at odds with due process, and further creates the practical problem of one-sidedly prejudicing the public and potential jury pool," Howard's attorney, Brad Sohn, wrote in the docs.
Howard -- a Pro Bowler last season -- is currently in training camp with the Dolphins ... and is expected to have another huge role on Miami's defense this season.
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Tori Spelling Leaves Hospital After 4-Day Stay ... Bruises On Face, Arm
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Tori Spelling is out of the hospital where she's been getting treatment for several days ... but she had some bruises as she exited in a wheelchair.
The actress was spotted leaving an L.A. hospital Sunday, the same day she posted a photo, revealing to the public that she was there. Of course, the wheels are usually standard ops when leaving a hospital after 4 days ... but we're told she needed a bit of help getting out of the chair and into her SUV.
She also has some bruising on her face, but we still don't know what landed her in the hospital last Thursday.
As we reported, Tori posted a pic from inside the facility, showing an IV in her hand -- and while she didn't reveal why she was there ... she made it clear her kids have been supportive.
Tori said she was missing her children, while also being extremely grateful for how strong and brave they've been.
Of course, the mysterious health scare comes a couple of months after she and Dean McDermott called it quits after nearly 2 decades of marriage.
There was also concern surrounding Tori when she and her kids were spotted outside an RV, sparking speculation that they were living in the vehicle after the breakup.
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OnlyFans Model Sells Nudes, Raises $10K For Maui Fire After GoFundMe Banned Her
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The OnlyFans model banned by GoFundMe for selling nude photos to aid Maui wildfire relief is still raising tons of money ... all because she took her talents to a different platform.
Mariah Casillas, who goes by Lavagrll on social media, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and told us about her fundraising issues with GoFundMe.
The model says was up to $7,800 in donations on GoFundMe when the platform pulled the plug on her fundraiser, which involved sending one nude for every $10 donated.
As she explains, the nudes were never posted on GoFundMe ... but that didn't stop the crowdfunding giant from shutting her down for violating the website's terms of service, specifically, the "prohibited conduct section."
GoFundMe refunded all the money she raised, meaning displaced folks on Maui were out of luck ... but then she took her nude fundraiser over to OnlyFans and started fresh.
The move paid off, literally ... she tells us she's already raised $10,000 and counting for Maui residents who lost everything in the deadly blaze.
That's a lot of nudes!!!
For more influencer news, tune in to TMZ Verified the podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.
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Travis Scott 'Utopia' Breaks Vinyl Sales Record With $5 Clearance Price!!!
Travis Scott’s "Utopia" is the biggest rap album of the year by miles, earning its 3rd consecutive week on top of the Billboard 200 ... and a deep discount for the project's vinyl definitely helped keep it on top.
Trav raked in 185k equivalent album units in the U.S. alone last week, bringing his total to over 800k units ... nearly platinum status in just a month!!!
Out of the 185k Travis sold last week, 93k of them came from "Utopia's" vinyl record sales, which were discounted from $50 to $5 for a limited time.
Despite the low payout, "Utopia" now holds the record for biggest vinyl sales week for an R&B/hip-hop or rap album ... and it ranks in the top 10 of vinyl sales for any album -- at No. 7 -- since 1991.
All the hard work hasn't made Travis a dull boy, he's been basking in his success with lavish vacations but the R&R won't last forever. He'll be hitting the road soon, and he'll have plenty of vinyl to sign!!!
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Taylor Swift Team Met with Cops Before Jack's Wedding ... Prepared For Fan Swarm!!!
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Taylor Swift is no stranger to the fact she draws a crowd ... making sure her team met with local cops before Jack Antonoff's wedding to prep for the crush of fans showing up to catch a glimpse of their favorite singer.
Beach Haven Police Chief James Markoski tells TMZ ... security for the singer and her producer pal met with the department 2 weeks before the weekend wedding, and Jack's wedding planner paid for 3 additional officers to be on duty during the event.
We're told 2 viewing areas were set up for fans outside the Long Beach Island bash in New Jersey -- cops also shut down 3 intersections to prevent cars from getting near the folks in the designated areas, hoping to get a peek of the celebs.
For those unaware, a fishing competition and a block party were going down in the area at the same time ... but we're told there were no arrests, tickets, or major injuries that went down during all the ruckus.
As for the swarm of fans, Markoski tells us they stuck around for nearly 12 hours, showing up around 2 PM and getting out of there after Taylor finally left the wedding around 1:30 AM.
Some locals were a bit irked when streets were impassible during the rehearsal dinner the night before thanks to Taylor's fans. The police chief says he was expecting "much worse" on the big day ... but adds, "I couldn't believe how calm it was." Way to go, swifties!
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Britney Spears Divorce Won't Change My Book ... Memoir Still a Go for October
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Britney Spears fans eager to get their hands on her memoir won't get a glimpse into the downfall of her marriage with Sam Asghari ... TMZ has learned.
It was back in July when Britney announced her book, "The Woman in Me" had finally gotten a release date of October 24. Obviously, fans were thrilled ... but there's been a huge development in Britney's life since that announcement.
Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ there won't be any changes made to the memoir to reflect Britney's divorce ... we're told the book will be released as is.
In fact, our sources say 2 weeks ago, Britney gave her final sign-off on the book, meaning she had no right to demand any further changes.
What's more, our sources say since the news of Britney's divorce broke, presales for "The Woman in Me" have only increased ... though it's likely those fans don't realize the divorce drama won't be included.
We've spoken with someone directly involved with the book who tells us Sam is featured in it, but their relationship is not the main crux of her story -- it's more about Britney's early life, career and journey out of her conservatorship.
We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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Tesla Sued Model 3 Exploded On Impact With Tree ... Now My Husband's Dead
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Tesla is being dragged to court over a deadly car crash ... a woman is blaming Elon Musk's company for her husband's death, claiming his Model 3 burst into flames on impact with a tree.
According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Jiyoung Yoon claims her late husband, Jyung Woo Hahn, died when his 2020 Tesla Model 3 malfunctioned, crashed into a tree and burst into flames.
Jiyoung claims the incident happened in March 2022, when her husband was driving on the Palisades Interstate Parkway in Rockland County, NY.
In the docs, Jiyoung says her husband survived the initial impact but was unable to escape his Tesla and was ultimately consumed by fire.
She claims the Model 3 was defective in design, manufacture, and warning ... she says it was not crashworthy, making it "unreasonably dangerous for its designed and intended purposes."
Jiyoung is going after Tesla for damages ... and she wants the suit to go to a jury trial.
We reached out to Tesla ... so far no word back.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo I Want To Play In Saudi Arabia ... 'A Lot Of Money!!!'
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Giannis Antetokounmpo has already made a ton of money in the NBA, but he's looking to rake in even more in retirement ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to take his talents to Saudi Arabia.
It's becoming quite the trend in sports ... with soccer and golf stars getting massive checks made out to them to play in the Middle Eastern country -- like Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and all the LIV Golf guys.
Giannis has cracked jokes in the past after seeing the offers being thrown at the biggest names in sports ... so when we caught up with him in L.A. this week, we asked if he was really down to suit up in Saudi Arabia after his NBA days.
"Of course," the 28-year-old said with a smile on his face.
"If the NBA worked out, maybe like a trade between the NBA and Saudi Arabia League, I'm there!" the champ said ... although it's unclear if he meant suiting up for a hoops team, or alongside his buddy Neymar on the soccer pitch.
Giannis isn't the only NBA superstar who likes the idea -- after French soccer star Kylian Mbappe was offered $776 million to play for Al-Hilal, LeBron James tweeted he was also heading to Saudi Arabia.
Me headed to Saudi when they call @RichPaul4 & @mavcarter for that 1 year deal! ✌🏾🤷🏾♂️😁 pic.twitter.com/IX0VSMZYNb
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 25, 2023 @KingJames
While it may all be in good fun, many see a serious issue with players going to Saudi Arabia for a big payday ... considering the country's history of human rights violations.
BTW -- Giannis has made $188 MILLION on the court alone through 10 seasons in the league so far ... but one thing's for sure, the dude would love to have more!!
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Tori Spelling Hospitalized Amid Split with Dean
The troubles keep piling up for Tori Spelling -- but this time, it's her health at risk -- as she's been hospitalized in the wake of her split with Dean McDermott.
Tori kept the details vague in a post Sunday where she said, "4th day here and I’m missing my kiddos so much." Tori included a photo of her hand with an IV in the photo.
She continued, “Grateful and so proud of my strong, brave, resilient and kind to the core children who remain positive no matter what comes my way." Tori didn't reveal why she was in the hospital, but her hospital band revealed she was first admitted on August 17.
Of course, things have been seemingly tough for Tori and family over the last few months, but there was serious concern only a couple weeks ago when Tori and kids were spotted outside an RV, with speculation they were living in the mobile home.
While it seemed only temporary, many speculated why Tori's mother, Candy Spelling, who is super rich hadn't come to her daughter's aid. We spoke to Candy back in July who said she was willing to help ... but unclear if Tori ever reached out or if Candy came through.
We should note ... Tori revealed earlier this year, when she and Dean were still together that they'd experienced issues with mold in their home. It's possible her health issues could still be stemming from the mold problem ... though she hasn't clarified anything.
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Mark Cuban I Missed Out on Billions from Uber Passed On Early Investment
"Shark Tank" star Mark Cuban has a ton of money, but his wealth could've actually grown by a couple more BILLION if he would've taken an early opportunity to invest in Uber ... a move he's regretting to this day.
The billionaire investor and entrepreneur talked about the deal that got away on an episode last month of Kevin Hart's "Hart to Heart," saying he was offered the opportunity to put some dough into the company in 2009 -- years before the ridesharing game took off.
Mark says it was a $250k investment at a $10M valuation -- for the "Shark Tank" fans doing the math, that would've given him 2.5 percent of the company. While the other sharks might've laughed that valuation off, Mark's $250k would've been $2.25 BILLION today.
Mark says he offered to give the cash if the company was valued at $5 million, but he claims he never heard anything back ... and they eventually got someone else to fill his spot. As you can guess, he's vowing to never make a mistake like that again.
Kevin says he also had the chance to put $50k down on the brand years ago ... but thought the idea of strangers driving each other around sounded like "Murderville."
BTW, Cuban had previously invested in Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick's startup, Red Swoosh, but the stars didn't align on this one ... and it sounds like he's kicking himself over it pretty hard!
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Maui Wildfires Model Sells Nudes For Relief Funds ... GoFundMe Shuts Her Down
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The OnlyFans model using her nude photos to raise money for Maui wildfire relief efforts can no longer crowdfund on GoFundMe ... because the platform shut down her efforts.
Mariah Casillas, who goes by Lavagrll on social media, was sending nudes to folks who donated $10 to victims of the deadly Maui wildfires ... and a GoFundMe she started this week was raking in a ton of dough until her page was shut down.
The model raised over $7,400 in just a few days, but the manner in which she collected the money seems to have ruffled some feathers over at the crowdfunding giant.
Selling Nudes For Relief ...
A GoFundMe Spokesperson tells TMZ ... her fundraiser was removed for violating the website's terms of service, specifically, the "prohibited conduct section."
We're told all of the model's donors have been refunded ... so they're essentially getting her nudes for free.
She's now taking her nude fundraiser over to OnlyFans ... where it will likely get a different reaction from the folks calling the shots.
Moved my fundraiser to OF. Free trial for 30 days right now.
— lava (@lavagrll) August 17, 2023 @lavagrll
Drop your donations on my pinned post and let’s get to work 🔥
$10 = 1 NUDE pic.twitter.com/ZtzswBudyX
As for GoFundMe, they tell us folks looking to donate to rebuilding efforts on the island should pledge money through their new Maui wildfire centralized hub ... nudes not included.
For more influencer news, tune in to the TMZ Verified podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.
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Mark Zuckerberg Could 100% Win A Pro MMA Fight Says ONE's Mikey Musumeci
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If you expect Mark Zuckerberg to fight a professional fighter and get slaughtered, you may be in for a rude awakening ... ONE Championship star Mikey Musumeci has trained with the Meta boss on several occasions, and says Zuck would 100% win a fight.
"I was pretty shocked. [Mark's] a grinder. He has that grind in him. The second I saw that I said, 'Okay, he can be very good at MMA or jiu-jitsu' because first of all, he has the highest IQ, but he's also tough as f***!" Mikey told TMZ Sports.
It's high praise coming from Musumeci ... a 5x IBJJF world champion and current ONE Championship flyweight grappling champ. He's quite literally the best in the world!
Mikey and Mark are friends who not only train together ... but also talk when they aren't working out.
We doubled down ... asking Musumeci if he really believed Zuck could "hang with a professional fighter?"
"100%. 100%, and I think he could win."
Of course, we asked Mikey the question because all signs point to Zuckerberg, now that the Elon Musk fight is seemingly done, fighting against an actual pro fighter in a top MMA promotion.
"Not holding my breath for Elon, but I'll share details on my next fight when I'm ready," Mark said on Threads.
"When I compete, I want to do it in a way that puts a spotlight on the elite athletes at the top of the game. You do that by working with professional orgs like the UFC or ONE to pull this off well and create a great card."
There's more ... we also talked to ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong -- who is also friends with Mark -- about the billionaire's foray into MMA.
The message from both men seems clear ... don't underestimate Zuck!
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Billy Porter on Hollywood Strike I've Got Venom and Rage For Studios ... But Trying To Have Grace
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Billy Porter has three things for the Hollywood studios, producers and executives he blames for the strikes ... venom, rage and a little bit of grace.
The actor was at LAX Friday when a photog asked him about the unnamed studio exec who was quoted as saying studios are purposefully delaying negotiations with the writers and actors "until union members start losing their apartments and losing their houses."
Billy unloads ... he says he's already losing his home, and his financial situation is why there are strikes in the first place ... though he's not quite going full Ron Perlman here.
Getting emotional, Billy says the strikes aren't a game ... and he's trying to have some grace about the situation he and others in Hollywood find themselves in.
At the same time, Billy says he's tried to bite his tongue because he knows all that's going to come out of his mouth is venom and rage, which he fears will not be useful to the strike's end goal.
Billy also seems to reference some of his recent interviews, like the one where he slammed Harry Styles' Vogue cover and called Anna Wintour a bitch.
For Billy, he says he's just telling the truth and is getting dragged as a result of keeping it real.
Billy says the blowback is new for him, but that won't stop him from being open, vulnerable and truthful about all topics, Hollywood strikes or otherwise.