Money

Don Lemon's X partnership is dunzo -- his deal falling apart before the first episode could even air ... and he blames his Elon Musk interview, where he apparently struck a nerve.

The former CNN anchor took to social media Wednesday to announce the end of his exclusive deal with Elon's platform -- both via written statement and in a short video he posted to X, ironically enough.

The way Don explains it ... he sat down with Elon Friday to interview him for the first episode of "The Don Lemon Show," saying he wanted to speak with Musk as his debut guest because Elon considers himself a major proponent of free speech.

Don said the interview had no off-limit topics, and -- even though DL admits the convo got tense at times ... ultimately, he says he felt it was a good, fair back-and-forth.

However, it sounds like Musk didn't feel the same way according to Lemon ... who claims his deal with X -- agreed upon just two months ago -- was terminated mere hours after their interview wrapped.

Lemon told his fans he worked with X because he's a believer in free speech and wanted his message to reach a mass audience ... and, getting "fired" from X ain't stopping the former CNN anchor from airing it on the platform and elsewhere.

Lemon says he's still dropping the interview in all its glory Monday, March 18 on YouTube and X as well -- seemingly a big middle finger to EM and co. He's also gonna carry on with the show without X's backing ... so, the "The Don Lemon Show" is still on.

As for exactly what the two discussed ... we don't know much, but reports are floating around Don asked some hard-hitting questions -- including queries about Musk's use of ketamine.

BTW ... Lemon apparently still thinks X owes him money -- with a spokesperson for Don telling news site Puck he's willing to go to court for the cash he believes is owed ... to be continued, we suppose.

For their part, X is saying their platform is all about free speech, and Don can freely post whatever he wants ... but also X is still a business and can choose to begin or end partnerships with businesses as it sees fit.

As for Elon ... he responded to a Mark Zuckerberg parody account on X -- and claimed Don was still doing his CNN shtick, just on X -- and he said he felt Don was just parroting his old boss at the network, Jeff Zucker. EM also says he felt Don was putting on an act and not being his authentic self ... which was apparently enough for him to scrap their deal.

Ben Shapiro's popping off on retirement in the U.S., saying people who want to hang it up professionally at age 65 are off their rocker ... arguing the threshold should be raised.

The conservative talk show host made his case loud and clear on Tuesday's "The Ben Shapiro Show" ... saying the notion that retirement age should remain at 65 is absolutely absurd -- especially since President Biden is running for reelection at the ripe age of 81.

Ben says he's actually shocked the retirement age hasn't been bumped up already -- especially considering folks in the U.S. are living a lot longer nowadays.

The host continues arguing that working well past retirement age is a good thing ... 'cause, according to him, everyone he knows who's retired around 65 has lost their purpose in life. BS adds that it's ridiculous folks would solely rely on Social Security benefits for the next two decades after retirement rather than work ... seemingly suggesting it's a lazy way to go.

Ben uses his parents as a shining example of people older than 65 who've stayed on the grind -- although, it's unclear exactly how old they might be. Point is ... he thinks people oughta keep working into old age, and he says there's many examples of people doing so.

He also makes the point that people retiring at 65 and leaning SS isn't financially sustainable for the country ... a right-wing talking point that's been brought up by Republicans, etc.

Janelle Brown dice que está conmovida por la emoción después de que los fans honraran a su difunto hijo Garrison, donando dinero a refugios de animales en su nombre, y todo como una forma de destacar su pasión por sus gatos.

La estrella de "Sister Wives" compartió fotos de Garrison y sus gatos en Instagram el martes, diciendo que le saltaron las lágrimas cuando supo que High Country Humane y Ark Cat Sanctuary en Flagstaff, la ciudad natal de Garrison, habían recibido varias donaciones a raíz de su fallecimiento.

Janelle, que tuvo a Garrison y a otros cinco niños con su ex marido Kody Brown, dejó claro que esta era la manera perfecta de honrar a Garrison, quien amaba ser un "papá gato".

Y añadió: "Los gatos que adoptó de ambas agencias eran muy importantes para él".

Recuerden, Garrison había rescatado a un gato de nueve años al que llamó Ms. Buttons justo antes de su muerte a principios de este mes. En ese momento, Garrison compartió que el gato estaba "en la línea para la eutanasia" antes de que él interviniera.

Fuimos los primeros en contarles que Garrison falleció de un aparente suicidio la semana pasada. Como señalamos, la policía dice que su hermano Gabriel fue quien descubrió a Garrison sin vida en su casa.

Más tarde, Janelle confirmó la desgarradora noticia a través de un comunicado a nombre de ella y su ex marido Kody que decía: "Su pérdida dejará un agujero tan grande en nuestras vidas que nos quita el aliento".

Otros homenajes de la familia Brown, que documentó su alguna vez polígamo estilo de vida durante 18 temporadas, también llovieron sobre Garrison.

Solo tenía 25 años.

Que en paz descanse.

Janelle Brown says she's overwhelmed by emotion after fans honored her late son, Garrison, by donating to animal shelters in his name ... all as a way to highlight his pet cats.

The "Sister Wives" star shared photos of Garrison and his cats on Instagram Tuesday ... saying she was brought to tears after learning High Country Humane and Ark Cat Sanctuary in Garrison's hometown of Flagstaff received several donations in the wake of his passing.

Janelle -- who shared Garrison, as well as five other kids, with her ex-husband Kody Brown -- made it clear that this was the perfect way to honor Garrison ... who she said loved being a cat dad."

She adds, "The cats he adopted from both agencies were so important to him."

Remember, Garrison had rescued a nine-year-old cat -- which he named Ms. Buttons -- just before his death earlier this month. At the time, Garrison shared that the cat was "on the line for euthanasia" before he intervened.

We broke the story ... Garrison passed away in an apparent suicide last week. As we noted, cops say his brother Gabriel was the one who discovered Garrison deceased in his home.

Janelle later confirmed the heartbreaking news ... issuing a statement on behalf of herself and her ex-husband, Kody. She wrote ... "His loss will leave such a big hole in our lives that it takes our breath away."

Other tributes from the Brown family -- who documented their once polygamist life for 18 seasons -- soon poured in for Garrison as well.

He was only 25.

RIP

A woman is taking Novo Nordisk to court over what she claims were negative side effects she experienced after using Ozempic ... alleging the company knew it could jack up your gut.

Caren Elosua just filed suit against the pharmaceutical giant, claiming weight loss meds like Ozempic and Wegovy have long been suspected of being capable of causing serious harm based on studies and trials ... especially in a person's stomach and gastrointestinal system.

In her docs, obtained by TMZ, Elosua says that even with this alleged history of side effects in mind ... she was still prescribed Ozempic to combat her type-2 diabetes.

Elosua says she started taking a dose of 1ml of Ozempic injections weekly starting in April 2021, and goes on to say her dosage was increased by her doc to 2ml a couple years later.

However, toward the end of 2023 ... Elosua claims she started to suffer from symptoms like headaches, vomiting, cramping and severe stomach pain -- so she says she went to see a specialist ... who she says did a stomach emptying test on her to see what was up.

As it turns out, she claims this gastroenterologist diagnosed her with gastroparesis -- which means your stomach muscles get super weak and aren't able to properly digest food -- and she alleges that a second doctor confirmed this diagnosis.

She says her last Ozempic shot was around late January -- but by then, she claims the damage had been done ... alleging she had to be hospitalized due to the constant pain she was experiencing, which she claims has seriously torn up her abdominal area.

Elosua claims Novo Nordisk -- the company behind Ozempic -- knew this miracle drug could screw people up inside, but they cranked it out anyway and made a fortune ... with her claiming it came at the health expense of her and possibly others.

Neve Campbell vuelve a "Scream", algo que acaba de anunciar tras su salida hace un par de años por discrepancias salariales y mucho drama.

La actriz dio la noticia en Instagram el martes, publicando una foto de un guion de "Scream 7" con su nombre en él y algunos otros detalles interesantes acerca de quién está escribiendo y quién está dirigiendo (más detalles a continuación).

Nave escribe: "¡Estoy tan emocionada de anunciar esta noticia! ¡Sidney Prescott vuelve! Siempre ha sido un placer y un honor interpretar a Sidney en las películas de "Scream". Mi aprecio por estas películas y por lo que han significado para mí nunca ha disminuido".

Y añade: "Estoy muy feliz y orgullosa de decir que me han pedido, de la manera más respetuosa, que traiga de vuelta a Sidney a la pantalla y ¡no podría estar más emocionada! Bueno, en realidad sí podría".

Neve continúa diciendo que se siente honrada de trabajar en esta última entrega con el guionista original de las dos primeras entregas -Kevin Williamson- que ahora dirige.

Y termina diciendo: "A los increíbles fans de Scream, espero que estén tan emocionados como yo. Nos vemos en el set".

Está claro que los problemas salariales que Neve tuvo cuando se alejó de "Scream 6" se han resuelto, recordemos que primero dijo que los responsables de la película no le pagaban lo que ella consideraba justo, y como resultado se ausentó de la última película.

Por supuesto, después de toda la polémica, la franquicia "Scream" ha perdido a dos de sus estrellas principales -Melissa Barrera y Jenna Ortega- por lo que este movimiento para volver a tener a Neve como personaje principal (de nuevo) es una especie de obviedad. Ella es el alma de la franquicia después de todo.

A principios de este año, Neve sugirió que estaba dispuesta a volver en medio de todo el caos que la franquicia había experimentado últimamente, pero también dio a entender que solo volvería por la cantidad adecuada de dinero. Está claro que le dieron un buen cheque.

Neve Campbell is coming back into the fold for 'Scream' -- something she just announced after exiting a couple years back over pay discrepancies ... and a lot of drama since.

The actress broke the news on Instagram Tuesday, posting a photo of a 'Scream 7' script with her name on it -- and some other interesting deets about who's writing this, and who's directing (more on that later).

NC writes, "I’m so excited to announce this news!!! Sidney Prescott is coming back!!!! It’s always been such a blast and an honor to get to play Sidney in the Scream movies. My appreciation for these films and for what they have meant to me, has never waned."

She adds, "I’m very happy and proud to say I’ve been asked, in the most respectful way, to bring Sidney back to the screen and I couldn’t be more thrilled!!! Well actually I could."

Neve goes on to say that she's honored to work on this latest installment with the original screenwriter for the first and second films -- Kevin Williamson -- who's now directing.

She finishes by saying ... "To the amazing Scream fans, I hope you are as excited as I am. See you on set."

Clearly, whatever pay issues Neve had when she first walked away from 'Scream 6' have been resolved -- remember, she first said the honchos behind the film weren't shelling out a wage that she considered fair ... and as a result, she was absent from the last movie.

Of course, in the aftermath of all that ... the 'Scream' franchise has lost two of its lead stars -- Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega -- so this move to get Neve back into the mix as the main character (again) is sort of a no-brainer. She's the soul of the franchise, after all.

It's interesting ... earlier this year, Neve strongly suggested she was open to returning amid all the chaos the franchise had been experiencing of late -- but also implied she'd only come back for the right amount of money. Clearly, they wrote her a fat check.

Kim Zolciak y Kroy Biermann tienen que desembolsar aún más dinero en efectivo en medio de su divorcio, y esta vez, tienen que pagar para que vaya alguien a evaluar sus aptitudes como padres... TMZ ha indagado.

De acuerdo con nuevos documentos judiciales -obtenidos por TMZ- se le asignó una persona que los va a evaluar como padres, supervisándolos mientras comparten con sus 4 hijos menores de edad, Kroy Jr., Kash, y los gemelos Kaia y Kane.

Los servicios del evaluador consisten en entrevistar a Kim, Kroy y a sus hijos. Hacer visitas domiciliarias, observar al dúo y a sus pequeños y ver como transcurren las cosas en la escuela.

Además, el evaluador tiene el derecho -y la autoridad- para investigar todos los aspectos del caso. Esto significa que el profesional designado puede inspeccionar todos los registros, ya sea desde el Departamento de Familia y Servicios para Niños, la escuela de los niños, un hospital, los proveedores médicos, la policía, y más... básicamente cualquier cosa relacionada a Kim y Kroy.

El evaluador puede incluso hacer copias de los registros accedidos y no necesitan el permiso de Kroy o Kim para hacerlo... ninguna piedra se quedará sin remover aquí.

Como informamos, Kim y los niños de Kroy fueron arrastrados a su polémica ruptura cuando uno de ellos llamó a la policía en noviembre para ponerle fin a una acalorada discusión entre los padres. Esta fue la tercera vez que los oficiales fueron llamados a su casa de Georgia, la cual se enfrenta a la ejecución hipotecaria.

Este servicio no será barato para las estrellas de Bravo... cada uno tiene que pagar una sola vez $2.500 para el evaluador, por lo que son $5.000 en total. Recordemos que Kim y Kroy han tenido algunos problemas financieros notables los últimos tiempos y se han enfrentado a demandas por deudas de tarjetas de crédito sin pagar, etc.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann have to shell out even more cash amid their divorce -- this time, paying for someone to come by and see if they're good parents ... TMZ has learned.

According to new court documents, obtained by TMZ, the embattled exes were recently appointed a parent fitness evaluator who will monitor the on-and-off couple and their 4 minor children ... Kroy Jr., Kash, and twins Kaia and Kane.

The evaluator's services include interviewing Kim, Kroy and their kids, home visits, observing the duo and their youngsters, potential school observation, and consulting with professionals who have worked with the family.

Plus, the evaluator has the right -- and the authority -- to investigate all aspects of the case. This means the appointed pro can inspect all records ... whether it be from the Department of Family and Children Services, the kids' school, a hospital, medical providers, the cops, and more -- any and everything related to Kim and Kroy's brood, basically.

The evaluator can even make copies of the records accessed -- and they don't need Kroy or Kim's permission for any of it. Translation ... no stone will be left unturned here.

As we reported ... Kim and Kroy's kids were dragged into their contentious split when one of them called the police in November to break up a heated argument between the parents. This was the third time officers were called to their Georgia home -- which is facing foreclosure.

This service will not come cheaply for the Bravo stars, BTW ... they each have to pay a one-time $2,500 for the evaluator -- so $5,000 total. Remember, Kim and Kroy have had some notable financial trouble of late -- and have faced lawsuits over unpaid credit card debt, etc.

"Oppenheimer" making nearly $1 billion, and now winning Best Picture, doesn't mean it's immune to criticism, especially from the real-life people harmed by the atomic testing -- but in the wake of the Oscars, some are willing to forgive ... though, not forget.

Maybe the only bad thing uttered about the Christopher Nolan-directed flick has been that it glosses over the long-lasting radiation exposure and cancer cases generations of New Mexico locals have endured following the July 1945 nuclear bomb test.

Despite the omission, one of those victims, Wesley Burris, tells TMZ he doesn't have any ill will about the film being cemented as "the best" of the year. He says it's unlikely the cast or filmmakers were aware of the victims' backstories ... let alone that there were victims at all, starting nearly 80 years ago.

Remember, the explosive test took place amid thunderstorms over White Sands Missile Range, resulting in toxic debris falling back to Earth in the ensuing rain. It contaminated the landscape, water supplies, the food chain and exposed NM residents to harmful radiation.

Wesley reflected on the event that changed his life when he was just 5 years old. He described the detonation as being so bright, it was like looking at the sun, and the force blew him outta bed.

The medical fallout for his whole family's been devastating -- Wesley got skin cancer, his brother had radiation cancer, his sister had breast cancer and her daughter was born with leukemia. He also had friends who died from cancer they attributed to the atomic test.

Wesley acknowledges the government might not have known what the outcome would be, but failing to inform residents about it ahead of time was messed up.

In fact, he says they were all in the dark about what went down for a while, only to be told years later it was a nuclear test.

As for the movie, he says he paid money to go and watch it and thought it was good. But, he still thinks people should know what really happened in the aftermath, and realize people are still dying from it.

Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, joined us last week on "TMZ Live" ... to share how the nuclear testing is still affecting NM families -- including her own who lived 15 miles from the blast.

Tina's less forgiving than Wesley ... as she believes the literal and figurative fallout was intentionally left out of the film -- just as NM residents were left out of 1990's Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which provided compensation to residents living near nuclear testing sites. But, only those in Arizona, Utah and Nevada.

Dak Prescott claims a woman is threatening to go public with false sexual assault allegations against him if he doesn't pay her $100 million ... and now, he's suing to try to put a stop to it all.

The Dallas Cowboys superstar filed the lawsuit in Collin County, Texas on Monday ... alleging the woman, Victoria Shores, spelled out her extortion plot in a letter to him and his representatives back on Feb. 13.

Prescott claims Shores alleged in her letter that he assaulted her in Feb. 2017 -- just after his rookie season with the Cowboys had concluded. He said in the suit that if and only if he paid her $100 mil, she'd stay silent about it all.

The quarterback's attorneys, however, said emphatically in the lawsuit Monday, "Mr. Prescott has never engaged in any nonconsensual sexual behavior with anyone."

In fact, they wrote, "the timeline of events and [Shores'] actions in the years since the alleged assault are consistent with being involved with only consensual actions with Mr. Prescott."

"The fact that Mr. Prescott did not hear a single negative thing about this supposed interaction from nearly a decade ago is truly telling of" Shores' motives.

Prescott is now suing the woman and her lawyers for defamation, slander, civil extortion/duress and more.

Prescott's attorney, Levi McCathern, wrote in a statement to TMZ Sports on Monday evening, "Lies hurt. Especially, malicious lies. We will not allow the Defendant and her legal team to profit from this attempt to extort millions from Mr. Prescott."

Elon Musk and Steve Jobs' signatures are a holy grail of sorts for tech enthusiasts ... and if you're willing to splash some serious cash, you might just get lucky and score one of their elusive autographs.

Talk about a coveted piece of history ... a bidding war is on over at RR Auction for a movie ticket stub signed by Jobs -- and there's also the super rare SpaceX business card signed by Musk himself!!

As you can see, Steve's signature is on the back of a movie ticket from 2003's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" at Century Cinema 16 in Mountain View, CA.

Despite a little tear made by the usher before he signed it, the signature remains intact and in good condition.

It also comes with a detailed letter of provenance from the OG recipient, who says being a big Apple fan and suddenly spotting Steve and his fam at the cinema was a major deal.

The fan waited until the end of the movie to ask for his autograph -- and the wait paid off 'cause Steve dug out his own cinema ticket to sign as they didn't have a piece of paper.

Meanwhile, EM's signature on a SpaceX business card -- signed in black felt tip -- is like a piece of history from the forefront of space exploration.

La estrella de "Ghost Adventures" Zak Bagans no solo persigue fantasmas, el tipo es un gran aficionado a los deportes y ha estado soltando mucho dinero en algunos recuerdos deportivos de primera categoría.

El investigador paranormal le dice a TMZ que desembolsó una asombrosa cantidad de $160.000 para enganchar la tarjeta del novato de la NBA del Año Paolo Banchero, que es sin duda el sueño de un coleccionista de deportes.

Además, la tarjeta está firmada por el propio Banchero en tinta azul elegante, que sin duda aumentó su valor monetario.

Zak sabe que esto es una inversión, diciendo que la tarjeta podría ser una mina de oro en potencia y valdría millones si el novato llega a ganar un futuro campeonato.

Y lo que es más, la primera persona que consiguió esa épica tarjeta de novato de la NBA antes de que saliera a subasta no fue otro que Jonny Venters, ¡el lanzador All-Star de los Atlanta Braves!

Venters habló con el propietario de Goldin Auction -el mismísimo Ken Goldin- sobre cómo se hizo con el santo grial de los recuerdos deportivos y Ken lo calificó como el golpe definitivo de 2022.

"Ghost Adventures" star Zak Bagans ain't just chasing ghouls -- the dude's a major sports buff, and has been dropping serious cash on some top-notch sports memorabilia.

The paranormal investigator tells TMZ he splashed a jaw-dropping $160,000 at Goldin Auctions to snag the NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero Best 1/1 rookie card, which is most definitely a sports collector's dream.

Also, the card is signed by Banchero himself in sleek blue ink -- which undoubtedly increased its monetary value.

Zak's not just splurging for kicks, he's playing the long game here ... saying the card could be a goldmine down the road and worth millions if he wins an MVP or future championship. Talk about a savvy investment move!

What's more, the person who first scored that epic NBA rookie card before it hit the auction block was none other than Jonny Venters, the Atlanta Braves All-Star pitcher!

Venters spoke to the owner of Goldin Auction, Ken Goldin himself, about getting his hands on the holy grail of sports memorabilia -- with KG dubbing it the ultimate hit from 2022.

Keith Thurman is back ... and if you don't like it, oh well -- 'cause One Time says he is what boxing has been missin' and doesn't give a damn what the haters have to say!

TMZ Sports spoke with the 30-1 welterweight fighter ahead of his March 30 bout against Tim Tszyu (24-0) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It will be his 3rd fight in the last four years ... so you can understand why many don't believe Thurman will come back and be his old dominant self, but he doesn't care.

"My haters are my real motivators!" the 35-year-old said, "So keep hatin' baby and I'ma keep pushing."

"If you're not hated out here, you not doing nothing positive in life. Everyone who does something positive in life is gonna have haters. I'm a dreamer, I'm living the dream and the haters can hate all they want."

Thurman -- who fought big stars Manny Pacquaio, Danny Garcia, and Shawn Porter -- says his long absence is felt in boxing and plans to bring back awesomeness with his return.

"I believe boxing needs Keith Thurman. I really deliver some of the greatest entertainment on that world-class scene every time they put me in the ring," Thurman said.

Thurman also has a message for the critics who never stepped into the ring ... yet have so much to say about him and other boxers.

"We put our blood, sweat, and tears into that ring," Thurman said." We step into the fire where most people, they can sit here and they can type up and make all the comments -- they wouldn't last ONE MINUTE in the ring."

"They wouldn't last one minute. They're not about that life!"

Barbara Corcoran's dishing some no-nonsense advice for Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott over their desperate attempts to offload their uber-fancy Beverly Hills mansion.

We got the "Shark Tank" star out in L.A. earlier this week ... she tells us the exes slashing the price from $21.9M to under $18M ain't enough, and they need to quite simply be realistic when it comes to their asking price.

The real estate pro says it comes down to the L.A. luxury housing market not being the best right now, especially with that pesky new "mansion tax" in play -- which she's been vocal about ... previously telling us it was ridiculous.

BC also weighs in on Travis' other property, which sits atop a huge crack in a Brentwood hillside caused by recent record-breaking storms.

A precarious situation for sure, but Barbara says it's nothing to worry about.

As someone who's purchased a few oceanfront properties herself, Barbara says she's seen fellow seafront property owners have their pads washed out ... so, to her, a crack in the land ain't a big deal nor is it a bad investment, especially if Travis uses the property wisely.

Leave it to Barbara to put things in perspective!