Movies

Cops say Robert De Niro's grandson ingested fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, and even though his alleged dealer knew the pills could kill ... she sold them anyway.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, investigators found several pills at the death scene of 19-year-old Leandro De Niro. They say they went through the teen's phone, and discovered he had exchanged texts with a 20-year-old woman named Sophia Marks about purchasing counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax just days before his death.

Most disturbing, cops say during one exchange Marks asked, "do you really need them? I don't wanna kill you." She continued, "I just don't like serving u them cuz they not script."

Eventually, the two struck a deal for 3 of the fake oxycodone pills and two tablets of Xanax for $105 ... and Marks allegedly texted (about the Oxy), "don't go overboard with these."

The drugs were delivered by car to De Niro around 9 PM July 1, and at 1:50 AM July 2 cops say Marks texted the teen, "u good?" ... De Niro never responded.

De Niro was found dead of a suspected overdose on July 2 ... investigators found one bag of cocaine, one straw with residue, two blue pills with "M" and "30" (the oxycodone) and seven rectangular tablets -- believed to be Xanax.

Shockingly enough, cops say Marks continued to sell after De Niro's death -- selling an undercover agent 25 pills for $500 on July 9 ... allegedly telling the undercover, "please be careful with these. don't do more than one at a time. my friend just died."

Investigators say further analysis revealed both the pills found at the De Niro scene as well as those sold to the undercover all contained traces of fentanyl.

Ariana Grande is an expert in the studio, even outside her sweet spot of the recording booth ... so claims her longtime collaborator Leon Thomas III!!!

Leon and Ariana starred on the Nickelodeon series "Victorious" together back in the day, and he recalled coaching the megastar singer during a recent sit-down on the "Shirley's Temple" podcast.

Leon says he advised AG, early on, to learn the art of engineering her own music and swears he saw her grow into a master wizard at Pro Tools software.

Their still-developing creativity led them to make their own rendition of Drake and Rihanna's "Take Care" duet.

Leon says he was too mortified to let Drizzy hear, but AG didn't sound half-bad -- about as good as a rookie who was destined to sell more than 90 million records!!!

AG's last album, "Positions," (which Leon helped produce) was released in 2020, and it just may be time for her to fire up those studio skills again ... now that the actors' strike is in full swing.

Fran Drescher is ripping Hollywood studios, saying their negotiation strategy was all a ploy to have extra time to promote upcoming blockbusters.

We got the actress and President of SAG-AFTRA on Friday's picket line outside Netflix HQ, and she said the studios duped the union leading up to Thursday's strike.

Fran says her union was sincere in extending the strike deadline 12 days in hopes to avoid a nasty standoff ... but she's convinced the studios weren't negotiating in good faith and only wanted to use the extension to hold premieres for some upcoming flicks, like "Barbie."

Fran's not holding back ... ripping the studios' negotiating tactics as "thoughtless, insensitive and not compassionate." She says they straight-up don't care about the actors who make this whole industry go forward.

As we reported, Fran went nuclear Thursday in announcing the strike ... the union's first walkout in 43 years, with actors joining already striking writers on the picket lines.

Fran sees an end to the standoff, even though she has said both sides are far apart ... telling us the public has the power to make this whole thing go away.

The way Fran sees it ... public opinion and the way people spend their money will dictate a lot of the outcome, and she's asking folks to stand tall with the folks in front of the cameras to give them some leverage against the studios and their CEOs.

Kevin Costner's estranged wife Christine Baumgartner better think twice before removing a sofa or fridge from the family home, because we've learned a judge has just laid down the law.

The judge in the bitter divorce case just issued a ruling this morning -- Christine is permitted to remove and take all her clothing, toiletries, handbags and jewelry when she vacates the family beach club compound at the end of this month, but she shall NOT remove any other property without coming to an agreement with Kevin.

Among the things Christine can't take on her own ... furniture, furnishings, appliances and artwork. She also can't take it upon herself to remove items from their storage units.

TMZ broke the story ... Kevin claimed in legal docs Christine has been fleecing him by taking Kevin's property and cash post-split without his consent.

Among the things, he alleged ... Christine bought a fancy new car a month before she filed for divorce. Kevin's lawyer says it's curious because they only leased cars, and the lawyer believes Christine hatched a plan to get various items and cash even before she filed.

There's nothing but an empty set behind the wizard's curtain on the set of "Wicked" ... looking more like a ghost town as the SAG-AFTRA strike begins.

The Buckinghamshire village that Universal transformed into some vibrant sets for the Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo-led musical has become a dreamland for the cast and crew hard at work on the production ... but as the actors' strike went into effect Friday morning, the hundreds of cast and crew are nowhere to be found.

FYI, this movie has been brewin' since first announced back in 2016 -- obviously COVID was a big setback, but things were finally moving smoothly for the blockbuster before the strike.

HBO's "House of the Dragon" is also a project that's shooting overseas, but while that production's still going forward, don't think that makes the stars a bunch of scabs.

For those unaware, the actors in the 'GoT' prequel operate under the UK's local union, Equity -- which has strict rules against striking in solidarity with other unions like SAG-AFTRA.

"Wicked" is slated to come out next November ... but who knows if the team will be able to defy the gravity of the strike in time for its release.

Fran Drescher is clapping back against criticism she hung out with Kim Kardashian at a publicity event in Italy amid contract negotiations between actors and studios.

The President of SAG-AFTRA addressed the controversy -- specifically a 'selfie' she took with Kim K --  during a press conference Thursday announcing thousands of actors were going on strike while bringing all TV and film production to a grinding halt.

Drescher insisted, "That wasn’t a selfie," adding, "I’m a brand ambassador for a fashion company and so is Kim. I had only met Kim seconds before that publicity picture was taken."

Fran continued, "It had nothing to do with being at a party or having fun – it was absolute work … We work, that’s what we do."

The photo, snapped at the Dolce & Gabbana soiree, was shared on social media and it quickly went viral, causing all the turmoil.

One actor tweeted, "We're asking to be better compensated by the studios and Fran Drescher is mugging for the cameras in Italy. The optics look f---king terrible."

Another one wrote, "Hey @frandrescher, why are you gallivanting around when our strike is looming? Super bad look."

During her speech Thursday, Drescher -- former star of the sitcom "The Nanny" -- also mentioned she regularly stayed in touch with SAG-AFTRA colleagues in L.A. while she was in Europe.

Cops have a woman in custody who they believe is directly tied to the overdose death of Robert De Niro's grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez ... and TMZ has learned the feds are now on the case too.

Law enforcement sources tell us the 20-year-old woman was busted Thursday in NYC by a joint NYPD and federal task force -- and they believe she sold drugs to Leandro before his death ... which his mother has said was due to a fentanyl OD.

We're told the suspect is being processed at this moment, and we don't know yet what charges she will be facing.

As we reported, the 19-year-old was found dead inside an apartment on July 2. He had appeared in the 2018 film, "A Star is Born" ... playing the son of Bradley Cooper's best friend, George "Noodles" Stone, played by Dave Chappelle. Leandro also appeared in "Cabaret Maxime" in 2018.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ Leandro's death is being investigated as an overdose. We're told the teen was house-sitting, and both drugs and drug paraphernalia were found near his body.

While authorities have yet to release an official cause of death, his mother, Drena De Niro, said last week, "Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him."

Rosanna Arquette got into a frightening car wreck in a Malibu shopping center ... but she managed to walk away unscathed, TMZ has confirmed.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actress apparently lost control of her vehicle Tuesday morning and crashed into a building in Point Dume Village.

The accident occurred as Rosanna attempted to park ... while trying to go in reverse, the Malibu Times first reported. Instead, Rosanna's car lurched forward and plowed through three pillars supporting the roof of the structure.

Video posted to Twitter showed the aftermath of the collision and all the damage it caused to Rosanna's ride and the building.

Luckily, Rosanna didn't suffer so much as a scratch, but she was taken to a hospital anyway to get checked out.

Cops said no pedestrians were hurt either, and Rosanna was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.

American actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead was 25 years old when she played the role of Ramona Flowers -- the sarcastic Amazon delivery gal with the capability of teleporting -- in the action/romance film "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" back in 2010.

Winstead shared the big screen with Michael Cera as the sweet and awkward Scott Pilgrim, Aubrey Plaza as the snarky and rude Julie Powers and Chris Evans as the antagonistic skateboarder who loves action movies Lucas Lee.

In March 2023, Netflix announced an animated version, "Scott Pilgrim The Anime", is in the works, and the OG cast will be reprising their roles.

SAG-AFTRA actors are facing a load of rules as the strike goes into effect ... and we're talking about everything, from acting on camera to even tweeting about projects.

TMZ has obtained a copy of the rigorous guidelines the 160,000 union members are required to follow until the strike ends ... and it cites the expected no-nos like acting, singing, and doing motion capture work in front of a camera.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, because they also aren't allowed to do any voice acting, narrating, or re-recording their voice for a scene, also known as dubbing.

In addition, performers can't attend costume fittings, makeup tests, or rehearsals and they can't audition for upcoming projects.

There's also a ban on promotion, in every form -- they can't do interviews, tours, fan expos and conventions, podcast appearances, award shows or even post about a project on social media.

It appears pre-recorded promos are fair game for the studios, but SAG-AFTRA's asked publicists to add a disclaimer in front of pre-deadline press junkets so some actors don't come off as scabs down the line.

Stand-ins and background actors in the union are also forbidden from crossing that picket line ... leaving options incredibly limited for any shows or movies staying in production. Also, anyone not in SAG-AFTRA that crosses the line won't be getting future entry into the union.

San Diego Comic-Con, arguably the biggest pop culture fan event of the year, is already feelin' the heat of the SAG-AFTRA strike ... because some of the hottest panels have already backed out.

The West Coast's biggest convention has already seen a handful of cancelations -- "The Rookie" pulled the plug on its scheduled signing event and and "That '70s Show" is no longer hosting its anniversary panel.

Prime Video's "Good Omens" also had plans to do both a panel and a signing, but has instead pivoted to hold an advanced screening for fans, showing its season premiere.

There are loads of other panels and meet and greets set to go down when SDCC starts up next week, including shows like "Abbott Elementary" and "What We Do in the Shadows" ... but time will tell if it all goes dark.

For those unaware, one of the many rules union actors have to follow involves staying away from conventions and fan expos ... so there's a high chance other actors will follow in dropping out.

There were already talks of studios pulling the plug before Thursday's strike call ... with Marvel being a big name that already said it wouldn't hold its big presentation.

Hollywood is officially shut down ... the union representing actors is now on strike, which means actors will join writers on the picket lines for the first time in more than half a century.

SAG-AFTRA's national board met Thursday morning and voted unanimously to strike after its contract ran out Wednesday night, following a 2-week extension at the end of June to keep negotiations with the studios going.

Both sides of the battle agreed Tuesday to have a federal mediator join negotiation talks in a last-ditch effort, but that failed to get the union and the studios on the same page.

You'll recall, roughly 98% of union members voted in favor of a strike last month if a deal wasn't struck ... and that vote came weeks after the Writers Guild stopped working.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher called the studios' responses to their demands "insulting and disrespectful" after the contract expired ... adding, “Until they do negotiate in good faith, we cannot begin to reach a deal.”

There are some pretty strict rules that come with this strike ... starting at midnight tonight, actors cannot work on film and TV projects across the globe -- actors also aren't allowed to do any promotions for upcoming projects ... which includes press junkets and premieres.

The big London premiere for "Oppenheimer" happened Thursday, and the studio pushed the event up an hour so stars like Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, and more aren't going against union rules.

The massive cast stepped onto the red carpet, but they weren't present inside the theater -- with director Christopher Nolan saying they left to gear up for the strike.

Actors also can't participate in panel discussions, including those going down at the ultra-popular San Diego Comic-Con, which kicks off next week.

Actors and writers last joined forces on the picket line way back in 1960 -- for context, Ronald Reagan was the president of SAG at that time.

FYI, actors are asking for fair streaming residuals, improved working conditions, and increased minimum rates, among other things ... and as you know, the WGA began fighting for much of the same when it put pencils down at the beginning of May.

Disney CEO Bob Iger took a shot at writers and actors Thursday morning, saying they're demands aren't realistic -- adding the challenges they're adding to the industry are "very disruptive."

Kevin Spacey testified Thursday at his London sex assault trial calling one of his accusers a backstabber -- and described their intimate moments as purely consensual while claiming he’s just a "big flirt."

The Oscar-winning actor took the stand in Southwark Crown Court and went down memory lane, laying out his relationship with one of the 4 men he’s accused of sexually assaulting.

Spacey described the man as funny, charming and flirtatious -- and their relationship as "romantic" and "somewhat sexual." Kevin also testified, "I liked him greatly. We had a good time together. We laughed a lot."

Kevin continued, "I never thought that (the man) I knew would … 20 years later stab me in the back," which Spacey says "crushed" him emotionally.

Spacey then testified he was the dominant partner in their relationship, adding, "I'm a flirt, I'm a big flirt." He categorically denied molesting the man, saying it was all consensual.

"It didn’t happen in a violent, aggressive, painful way," Spacey told the jury, explaining, "It was gentle and it was touching and it was, in my mind, romantic."

Kevin also testified they never actually had sex because the man made it clear he didn’t want to take it to that level. "And I respected that," Spacey testified, while dismissing the other allegations against him because, in his view, they made "no logical sense."

Spacey further testified his accusers were simply retaliating against him after they regretted getting intimate with him.

Spacey has pleaded not guilty to 12 criminal charges, including indecent assault and causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.

Lindsay Lohan looks ready to welcome her first child, and not just because her baby bump's growing ... the kid's nursery is also coming together.

The actress showed off her pregnancy progress Wednesday, plus the room she's preparing for her kid.

Lindsay says she designed the nursery with Nestig, a furniture and decor brand for little ones, and she's drawn inspiration from the beach.

TMZ broke the story ... Lindsay's pregnant with a boy -- and, as you can see, she's going kinda traditional with a mostly blue decor.

Looks like Lindsay's kid will be chilling with a huge teddy bear and a sweet crib once he arrives. We don't know her due date, but considering she announced the pregnancy back in March ... it's a good bet she's into her third trimester.

Ryan Reynolds got a taste of home while filming the latest 'Deadpool' film over in Britain ... thanks to a visit from his wife Blake Lively and two of the couple's daughters.

In the ultimate take your kids to work day, Ryan was suited up as his Marvel movie character -- minus the famous mask -- when his family stopped by the set in the south of England. Ryan was clearly in dad mode, scooping up one of his kiddos while still in costume.

For Ryan and Blake's kids, having Deadpool as a daddy has got to be pretty cool ... not to mention, they also got to hang out with Hugh Jackman, who was decked out as his usual Wolverine comic book character.

One of the kids even played with a Wolverine action figure ... so she's getting the best of both worlds.

Superhero movie sets have been the background for some important moments between Ryan and Blake over the years, remember, they first met way back in 2010 on the set of "Green Lantern."

Ryan and Blake had a few minutes to themselves too ... and he used some of it to plant a kiss on her forehead and give her a hug.

We gotta say, Ryan and Blake's daughters probably have their peers beat when it comes to summer vacations.

Sam Smith was all about bringing extra to the "Barbie" movie premiere across the pond ... as in, lots of extra material to complete their look.

The singer showed up to Wednesday's European premier in London rocking a crewneck with 16 XL written across the front. Unclear if that's the actual size of the gear, but it's a BIG fashion statement nonetheless.

As you can see, Sam paired the super baggy top with, what else, super baggy jeans ... so baggy, in fact, you couldn't even see their feet.

Sam's not in the movie, instead they're singing on the "Barbie" soundtrack ... with a song called "Man I Am," dropping next week, at the same time the Greta Gerwig film hits cinemas back here in the States.

Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, meanwhile, were on the other end of the fashion spectrum ... Ryan went with a mint green suit, and Margot wore pink once again, as she has throughout her movie promotion.

Barbie fanatics may recognize Margot's outfit inspiration ... she channeled a doll from way back in the day, "Enchanted Evening" Barbie.