Money

If Francis Ngannou pulls off the upset win over Anthony Joshua on Friday, perhaps nobody will be happier than Drake -- 'cause the rapper just bet a small fortune on the UFC fighter to get the dub!!

Drizzy showed off his betting slip on his Instagram page just hours before the match goes down ... revealing he put a whopping $615,000 on Ngannou to beat Joshua in a boxing match in Saudi Arabia.

If it hits, Drake stands to make a ton of cash -- $1,906,500 to be exact -- and based on his IG caption, he seems confident it will all actually happen.

"Betting on a scary man," Drake said.

The fight will be just the second pro boxing one of Ngannou's career -- but, given how the first one went against Tyson Fury back in October, many think he can actually win it.

You'll recall, Ngannou -- the former UFC heavyweight champ -- roughed up Fury for most of their bout ... but lost in a controversial split decision.

One loss aside, Ngannou's seemed super confident in the leadup to this next fight -- and Drake appears to be believing the bravado.

Tan Mom is bowing out of the race for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida, and, oddly, Wendy Williams -- of all people -- played a role in her decision ... TMZ has learned.

The bronzed mother of 5, whose real name is Patricia Krentcil, says in a new video obtained by TMZ that she's dropped out of the running after watching the new Wendy documentary, and comparing it to her own reality series, "Tan to 10."

Tan Mom says she realized she could end up like Wendy, who struggles with alcohol abuse and a myriad of other health issues, if she continued with all the pressure that comes along with a political run for office.

Another factor ... mass layoffs at struggling and bankrupt Vice Media.

Tan Mom says she was filming a documentary about her campaign for Vice, but the media company pulled the plug and has not paid her or her team a dime, despite a contract she says she signed with Vice.

Patricia says the Vice staffers who were working on her documentary told her team a couple weeks ago their entire department was laid off, and would try to get her paid -- but Tan Mom says the whole thing has been a waste of time and effort and greatly hurt her campaign.

She also took time off the campaign trail in November to undergo a risky medical procedure ... bypass surgery to remove a stent separating her pancreas and liver.

When she announced her Senate bid last year, Tan Mom told us she was motivated to run because of Florida's hot-button issues ... like healthcare and drag show bans.

Even though she's waving the white flag, Tan Mom says she's proud of all the work she did on her campaign -- such as a Town Hall she filmed at Hamburger Mary's supporting the LGBTQ community.

Nika King isn't letting the ups and downs of her HBO show's filming schedule get her down -- 'cause even though she says she's struggling ... she's also out here hustlin'.

The 'Euphoria' star did an interview with a pap Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, just outside her Blue Tree Cafe ... where she remained relatively tight-lipped about the bombshells she dropped earlier in the week -- namely, that the delay for Season 3 was hurting her.

The only thing she could really say on the matter was that she wasn't sure what the holdup was -- but she also seemed to be telegraphing that she's doing just fine, or so it seems.

She also says that despite the challenges she's faced, she's been busy working hard and making ends meet with the jobs she does have as a stand-up comic and at her café -- even encouraging the photog to come inside and place an order.

As we reported ... Nika plays Zendaya's on-screen mom on "Euphoria," but filming for the third season has hit some snags -- which she said has affected her ability to pay rent for the last 6 months. Nika also said she hadn't been hired for anything after "Euphoria."

Season two of "Euphoria" aired ages ago in 2022, but filming for the next one has been dragging ... mainly due to the writers' strikes and the sad passing of Angus Cloud.

On top of that, Zendaya's been booked and busy -- specifically, on her 'Dune 2' press run.

Although Jake wanted no part of Mike in 2020 when we talked to him, Paul's opinion changed a couple of years later. In 2022, as The Problem Child was promoting his scrap with Anderson Silva, reporter Blake Beasley asked JP which legend he'd like to box ... his answer? Iron Mike!

Jake Paul has come a LONG way in the sport of boxing ... 'cause what he once considered impossible has just become his next challenge -- Mike Tyson.

TMZ Sports took a peek into our Problem Child interview archives after his fight against the legend was announced on Thursday ... and it's fascinating to see the dude's growth in just a short amount of time.

When we spoke with Jake back in 2020, we asked if he'd step foot in the ring with a boxing legend like Tyson or Evander Holyfield ... and his response was an emphatic rejection.

"Look, I'm confident, but I'm not stupid." Paul -- who had two fights under his belt at the time -- told us. "I would not go into the ring with them. Nah, no chance."

Remember, this was before Jake's viral knockouts of Nate Robinson, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley and impressive wins over Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva ... when he was just a "silly YouTube kid" who wanted to handle his long list of celebrity enemies through boxing matches.

Now, he's one of the most famous fighters on the planet, a successful promoter and envisions becoming a world champion ... and will go head-to-head with Iron Mike in a massive event at AT&T Stadium in July.

He's accomplished way more than he ever expected ... 'cause in that same interview, he told us his goal in boxing was simply to prove that he's a "legitimate fighter" and to "earn people's respect."

Elon Musk apparently doesn't like MacKenzie Scott's charitable efforts ... criticizing Jeff Bezos' ex-wife for donating billions to charities supporting women and minorities.

The Tesla founder vented about this issue (in his mind) on X Wednesday ... writing, "'Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse' should be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died'."

As of Thursday, the fiery post is no longer available ... so yeah, he took it down.

Elon's message was actually a response to another user's complaint about Scott's donations ... which bashed her for giving money to orgs focused on race and gender issues -- calling it "the ultimate expression of the most awful group in the US."

On its face, this seems to align with Elon's recent railing against DEI. But this isn't the first time he's spoken out against Scott's philanthropy. In 2022, he linked hostility toward his companies to "Mackenzie's donation to PACs posing as charities."

Goes without saying ... EM's stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts hasn't exactly been a secret -- and he's also faced accusations of sexism over the years to boot.

As for Scott, her philanthropic efforts have been pretty impressive. After her divorce from Bezos in 2019, she walked away with nearly $37B and pledged to donate half of it to charity. She's definitely stuck to her word ... giving away over $16.5B to more than 1,900 nonprofits, as reported on her Yield Giving website.

Chuck D has joined the fight initiated by Fat Joe and many others to tackle the U.S. medical industry's hazy pricing methods ... which he says is public enemy #1 to the average American citizen.

We kid of course, but Chuck was deadly serious while talking to TMZ Hip Hop about this issue -- which he thinks is going to bite Americans in the ass the longer it goes ignored.

The legendary rapper joined Joe, The Foo Fighters, French Montana, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Valerie June and several other music stars this week for the Power to the Patients' concert in Washington D.C. to further pressure lawmakers to pass legislation to combat the healthcare price transparency issue.

FF frontman Dave Grohl called Chuck his "hero" during their performance, noting how Chuck and Public Enemy set the tone long ago for using their platform to raise social awareness among fans.

We ask if celebrities can still sway the vote at this point in time but Chuck points out that hip hop is now 50 years old -- with rock being even older -- and both communities are well-traveled enough to speak facts. Remember, artists are voters too!!!

Chuck rallying in Washington is one of the many precursors to the 2024 election -- with all signs pointing to a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump -- two unappealing candidates from Chuck's POV.

He laughed off Trump's recent string of promos ... slangin' sneakers and shirts with his mugshot photo have caused a stir but Chuck says Americans shouldn't believe the hype, 'cause it's the same 'ol scenario.

Rashard Mendenhall, a former NFL player turned Hollywood writer, is selling his lavish estate ... which just happens to be the iconic former home of comedy legend Richard Pryor.

Rashard, who played 6 seasons as a running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals, just put the 6-bedroom property on the market for $4,236,000.

Richard lived there for several years after purchasing the home way back in 1976 ... and it's where he once hosted Barbara Walters for a famous sit-down interview.

It's also where Pryor infamously doused himself in rum and lit himself on fire while freebasing cocaine. Pryor suffered severe burns on more than 50% of his body and referenced the incident in his comedy special "Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip."

The property is tucked away in the exclusive Sherwood Forest neighborhood in Northridge -- outside L.A. in the Valley -- with 9,000 square feet of living space on a 2.2-acre plot of land.

The main residence includes 4 bedrooms, a formal dining room, a gourmet kitchen and a library ... plus game and billiard rooms.

There's a separate guest house and a separate pool house ... each with its own kitchen ... as well as a professional dance studio/gym space that can be turned into a recording or production studio.

In addition, the sprawling property features an office, children's playhouse, 3-car garage and a kennel. The estate is also a legal horse property, for those who are so inclined.

Among the resort-style amenities ... a 65-foot pool and spa with a cascading waterfall, tennis court, putting green, sauna, wine closet and a barbeque pavilion.

The meticulously maintained grounds include a citrus grove and a vegetable garden ... and the property sits behind a wall and a gate.

Rashard bought the place back in 2017 for $2.5 million ... a couple years after he retired from the NFL and started writing "Ballers" episodes for HBO.

There's meaning behind the $4,236,000 asking price, for Rashard, at least -- his career NFL rushing total stands at 4,236 yards. We'll see if potential buyers are inclined to stick to his sentimental pricing.

Teresa Giudice's marriage to Luis Ruelas is doing just fine -- this despite the fact that a new trailer for an upcoming season of her show suggests otherwise ... TMZ has learned.

A source close to the couple tells TMZ that fans of 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' shouldn't be concerned for Tre and Louie -- as they've never been better as a couple. In fact ... we're told fans should be praying for the other ladies on the show -- hinting at serious drama to come (for them).

There's no shortage of intrigue in what Bravo teased in the trailer for Season 14 of 'RHONJ.' Like in previous seasons, Teresa's personal life is at the center of the new footage ... with costar Danielle Cabral alleging that the longtime reality star is "distraught" amid supposed trouble at home.

While the sneak peek does not get into many specifics -- they want you to watch, after all -- they do show a glimpse of Teresa and Louie bickering at one point. Another costar, Margaret Josephs, claims in a phone call that Louie has "pissed [Teresa's] money away."

Of course, we can't speak to the validity of this claim ... we reached out to Teresa’s attorney, James Leonard, but no word back just yet.

Still, this topic is likely a sensitive subject for Teresa. Remember, she served 11 months behind bars after pleading guilty to fraud charges back in 2014.

Her ex-husband, Joe Giudice, also pled guilty to the charges and served three years in prison before being released ... and subsequently deported. Since leaving Joe -- she's moved on and married Louie ... and on the surface, there's been no signs of trouble between 'em.

Adam Sandler y Margot Robbie fueron los actores mejor pagados de 2023, pero uno está definitivamente ganando más que el otro (al igual que los demás) y Netflix juega un papel importante.

Forbes publicó una lista de todos los grandes actores el año pasado y sus clasificaciónes basada en los números es interesante. Para empezar, Sandler es la máquina de hacer dinero de Hollywood, después de haber rastrillado $73 millones en 2023.

Si te estás preguntando de dónde viene todo ese dineral, puedes apostar a que es gracias al mayor streaming del mundo del espectáculo... Adam tenía 4 películas de Netflix en total el año pasado.

Adam protagonizó "Murder Mystery 2", "You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah", "Leo" y "Spaceman". Esta última se estrenó este año, aunque le pagaron el año pasado.

Netflix y Adam han estado en el negocio desde hace años. Tiene un acuerdo exclusivo con ellos para producir una tonelada de películas, y sin duda está cumpliendo su parte del trato. A cambio, el tipo está recibiendo un buen pago. Es una locura teniendo en cuenta que estas son las películas de streaming... esto demuestra, ¡que este es el camino del futuro!

Margot, por su parte, hizo $59 millones el año pasado. Obviamente, la mayor parte fue gracias a "Barbie" -que hizo 1.000 millones de dólares- y tuvo un pequeño cameo en "Asteroid City".

La diferencia entre Margot y Adam -aparte de los 14 millones de dólares- es que ella es una actriz a la antigua en el sentido de que sus películas se estrenan estrictamente en cines.

El resto de la lista no es tan sorprendente, ya que incluye a un montón de grandes nombres, tales como Tom Cruise ($45M), Ryan Gosling ($43M), Matt Damon ($43M), Jennifer Aniston ($42M), Leonardo DiCaprio ($41M), Jason Statham ($41M), Ben Affleck ($38M) y Denzel Washington ($24M).

La prueba de la bomba nuclear que se muestra en "Oppenheimer" dejó un legado duradero de exposición a la radiación y diagnósticos de cáncer en las generaciones de personas que ayudaron a construir Los Álamos en Nuevo México, y estas mismas personas dicen que sus problemas siguen siendo ignorados por Hollywood y el Congreso.

Tina Cordova, cofundadora del Consorcio Tularosa Basin Downwinders, se unió a nosotros en "TMZ Live" el miércoles y nos dijo por qué la primera prueba de la bomba nuclear del mundo sigue afectando a las familias en Nuevo México, décadas después de que se hiciera la detonación nuclear de Robert Oppenheimer en el desierto.

"Oppenheimer" parece estar a punto de ganar un montón de estatuillas en los premios Oscar de la Academia de este fin de semana, pero Tina dice que los cineastas excluyeron descaradamente a todas las personas que hicieron posible Los Álamos y la Prueba Trinity.

Recuerden, la prueba de la bomba nuclear en julio de 1945 se llevó a cabo en medio de tormentas eléctricas, lo que resultó en escombros tóxicos que cayeron de nuevo a la tierra producto de la lluvia posterior, contaminando el paisaje, los suministros de agua y la cadena alimentaria así como exponiendo a los residentes de Nuevo México a la radiación nociva.

Tina, que colaboró en la realización de un documental sobre la lluvia radiactiva, nos cuenta que el cáncer ha diezmado a su familia desde que estalló la bomba (vivían a solo 24 kilómetros de la explosión), y que cinco generaciones han sido diagnosticadas con todo tipo de cánceres, incluidos los de pulmón, boca, piel, cerebro y tiroides.

Dice que los cineastas dejaron este desastre fuera de la película a propósito, del mismo modo que los residentes de Nuevo México fueron dejados fuera de la Ley de Compensación por Exposición a la Radiación (RECA) en su momento, que proporcionó una compensación económica a los estadounidenses que viven cerca de los lugares de pruebas nucleares.

Cuando la gente que vivía cerca de la zona de pruebas de Trinity fue finalmente incluida en RECA y se abrieron potencialmente las puertas para recibir pagos, Tina dice que el liderazgo republicano en el Congreso cortó su financiamiento debido a preocupaciones presupuestarias.

Ahora, con "Oppenheimer" preparándose para una gran noche en los Oscar y una próxima votación del Senado sobre la reautorización y ampliación de RECA, Tina está haciendo ruido por el pueblo de Nuevo México.

Adam Sandler and Margot Robbie were 2023's highest-paid actors -- but one is definitely making more than the other (and all the rest, too) with the difference being ... Netflix.

Forbes put out a list of all the big-shot actors who cleaned up last year -- and their ranking based on the numbers is interesting ... for a few different reasons, we suppose. For starters, the Sandman is king of the Hollywood money machine, having raked in $73 mil in '23.

If you're wondering where all that dough came from -- you can thank the biggest streamer in showbiz for lining his pockets ... Adam had 4 Netflix movies total that released last year.

Adam starred in "Murder Mystery 2," "You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah," "Leo" and "Spaceman" ... with that last one being released this year, although he already got paid for it.

Netflix and Adam have been in business for years now -- he's got an exclusive deal with them to produce a crap ton of flicks ... and he's certainly fulfilling his end of the bargain. In return, the guy's getting paid handsomely ... which is nuts considering these are streaming movies we're talking about here. Just goes to show ... this is the way of the future!

Margot, meanwhile, made $59 million last year ... obviously, most of that is "Barbie" money -- it made over $1 billion at the box office -- and she had a small cameo in "Asteroid City."

The difference between Margot and Adam -- aside from the $14 mil -- is that MR's an old-fashioned actress in the sense that her movies are strictly in theaters. Hmm ... interesting.

The rest of the list isn't all that surprising, as it includes a lot of big names -- including Tom Cruise ($45M), Ryan Gosling ($43M), Matt Damon ($43M), Jennifer Aniston ($42M), Leonardo DiCaprio ($41M), Jason Statham ($41M), Ben Affleck ($38M) and Denzel Washington ($24M).

The nuclear bomb test shown in "Oppenheimer" left a lasting legacy of radiation exposure and cancer diagnosis on generations of folks who helped build Los Alamos in New Mexico ... but people there say their problems are still being ignored by Hollywood and Congress.

Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us why the world's first nuclear bomb test is still affecting families in New Mexico, decades after Robert Oppenheimer's nuke detonated in the desert.

"Oppenheimer" looks poised to win a bunch of Oscar statues at this weekend's Academy Awards, but Tina says filmmakers blatantly excluded all the people who made Los Alamos and the Trinity Test possible in the first place.

Remember ... the nuclear bomb test in July 1945 took place amid thunderstorms, resulting in toxic debris falling back to earth in the ensuing rain ... contaminating the landscape, water supplies and the food chain ... and exposing New Mexico residents to harmful radiation.

Tina, who helped make a doc about the fallout, tells us cancer has decimated her family ever since the bomb went off -- they lived only 15 miles from the blast -- with 5 generations being diagnosed with all sorts of cancers ... including lung, oral, skin, brain and thyroid.

She says filmmakers left this nuclear mess out of the film on purpose ... similar to how New Mexico residents were left out of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act back in the day, which provided financial compensation to Americans living near nuclear testing sites.

When folks living near the Trinity Test site were finally set to be included in RECA, potentially opening the door for payments, Tina says Republican leadership in Congress cut their funding because of budget concerns.

Now, with "Oppenheimer" gearing up for a big Oscars night and an upcoming Senate vote on reauthorizing and expanding RECA, Tina is banging the drum for the people of New Mexico.

Nika King dice que no ha sido capaz de pagar su alquiler en medio de los cambios de calendario de "Euphoria", y lo que es aún más loco, dice que tampoco ha estado actuando.

La estrella de "Euphoria", que interpreta a Leslie en la pantalla, la madre de Zendaya, publicó un clip esta semana donde se le ve haciendo un poco de standup comedy. Y, la broma que lanza frente a la audiencia tiene que ver con los muchos problemas con los que está lidiando en este momento en la vida real.

Hay un poco de humor y verdad en este clip y es bastante sorprendente de escuchar.

Nika dice que la gente le sigue preguntando cuándo se emitirá la tercera temporada de la exitosa serie de HBO, pero ella se encoge de hombros, básicamente admitiendo que simplemente no lo sabe. Luego, continúa diciendo que sin grabaciones no puede permitirse el lujo de pagar el alquiler y no lo ha hecho durante 6 meses.

Peor aún, dice que no ha agendado ninguna actuación desde "Euphoria", lo que ella misma admite que es sorprendente. Sin embargo, bromea diciendo que Taraji P. Henson le dijo que se acostumbrara y también le suplicó en broma a Zendaya que volviera a Estados Unidos para que pudieran volver a trabajar.

La nueva temporada de "Euphoria" aún no tiene fecha de estreno y el rodaje ha sido intermitente en los últimos meses, en medio de las huelgas y el fallecimiento de Angus Cloud.

Nika King says she hasn't been able to pay her rent amid the stop-and-go production schedule for "Euphoria" ... and even crazier, she says she hasn't been acting either.

The "Euphoria" star -- who plays Zendaya's on-screen mom, Leslie -- posted a clip this week showing her doing some standup comedy ... and the joke she dropped in front of a live audience had to do with how much she's struggling right now in real life.

There's some humor and truth mixed into this one ... and it's pretty astonishing to hear.

Nika says people keep asking her when Season 3 of the hit HBO show is airing, but she shrugs her shoulder ... basically admitting that she simply doesn't know. NK goes on to say that with cameras not rolling, she can't afford to pay her rent ... and hasn't for 6 months.

Worse yet, Nika says she hasn't booked anything since "Euphoria" ... which she says is surprising. However, she jokes that Taraji P. Henson told her to get used to it ... and she also jokingly pleaded with Zendaya to get back to the States so they can get back to work.

The new season of "Euphoria" doesn't have a release date yet -- and filming has been on and off over the past several months, amid the strikes and the passing of Angus Cloud.

Cary Elwes has some trouble in his own castle ... 'cause he told police a lot of valuables are missing from his home, and officers think it might be an inside job.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the 'Princess Bride' star is the latest celebrity to fall victim to a recurring crime wave in Los Angeles -- this after the actor discovered a boatload of cash, art and jewelry missing from his Malibu estate.

We're told Cary's lost goods are valued in the 6 figures -- about $100k, more or less, according to sources with direct knowledge. We're also told the current working theory is this isn't a smash-and-grab job ... like we've seen recently with a rash of celeb home burglaries.

Instead, cops say they believe someone on Cary's home staff might have swiped the items from his place, possibly over several years, and it allegedly went undetected ... until now. Our sources say it's unclear what finally made Cary realize a bunch of stuff was missing ... but once he was wise to it, he reported it to the police.

The violation of his home has gotta feel like a streak of bad luck for Cary -- remember, we broke the story about him suffering a rattlesnake bite in April 2022, when he had to be airlifted for immediate treatment.

Cary Elwes tiene algunos problemas en su propio castillo, porque le dijo a la policía una gran cantidad de objetos de valor que le faltan en su casa y los oficiales piensan que podría ser un trabajo interno.

Fuentes policiales le dicen a TMZ que la estrella de "La Princesa Prometida" es la última celebridad en ser víctima de una ola de delincuencia recurrente en Los Ángeles, esto después de que el actor descubrió una gran cantidad de dinero en efectivo, arte y joyas que faltaban en su casa de Malibú.

Nos dicen que los bienes perdidos de Cary están valorados en 6 cifras, alrededor de $100k más o menos, según fuentes con conocimiento directo. También nos dicen que la teoría es que no se trata de un trabajo de romper y agarrar, como hemos visto recientemente con una racha de robos en casas de celebridades.

En cambio, los policías dicen que creen que alguien en la casa de Cary podría haber robado los artículos de su lugar, posiblemente durante varios años sin ser detectado. Nuestras fuentes dicen que no está claro lo que finalmente hizo que Cary se diera cuenta, pero una vez que lo hizo, lo denunció a la policía.

La violación de su casa tiene que sentirse como una racha de mala suerte para Cary, recordemos que hace poco publicamos la noticias de que sufrió una mordedura de serpiente de cascabel en abril de 2022, cuando tuvo que ser trasladado por vía aérea para recibir tratamiento inmediato.