TikTok

Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson says she's been iced out of network TV amid her campaign ... but says moving to TikTok has done wonders.

Williamson, formerly known as the "spiritual advisor" to Oprah Winfrey, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday, chatting about not being able to bring her campaign to TV. She says she eventually realized the social media app would bring a lot of power to her cause.

She says the platform's been a great way to reach young U.S. voters ... and according to her, there's a shocking difference in intelligence on TikTok compared to on big news orgs.

As for the old stigma that young folks aren't rocking the vote, she says that's BS -- and tells us exactly why.

For those unaware, Williamson is 1 of 2 Democrats -- RFK Jr. being the other -- running against current prez, Joe Biden ... and since the DNC doesn't normally hold debates when a current president is in the mix, her campaign has been crucial to getting the word out.

She also wasn't welcomed into the race by her fellow Democrats, and staffers from her 2020 campaign didn't think she should go for it, but her move to TikTok is seemingly helping.

Williamson has raked in over half a million followers -- the most on the app compared to other candidates -- and since making the switch, she's been polling above 20% with voters under 30.

TikTok star Caleb Coffee is lucky to be alive -- but in really rough shape -- after a horrific fall off a cliff in Hawaii and onto lava rock ... sending him to the hospital with serious injuries.

Caleb was hiking with friends Wednesday when he allegedly slipped and fell from a 60-80ft cliff, landing on the rocks below. He was immediately airlifted to a hospital, but has suffered a fractured spine, broken femur, elbow, and wrist with gashes and burns across his entire body.

A GoFundMe created for the 18-year-old features several images of him in the hospital with his family. The page says Caleb didn't have health insurance at the time of his injury, and currently features a goal of $100K in fundraising.

Caleb's got more than 11 million followers on TikTok, and 1 million on Instagram.

His high-energy posts and photos often feature him out in nature, working out and hanging with friends.

A California man caught on a viral TikTok sniffing women's butts at a Barnes & Noble was arrested last week ... but he's already back on the streets despite a lengthy criminal record.

The disturbing clip made the rounds online last week -- the man, who law enforcement sources believe is 36-year-old Calese Carron Crowder, is seen going up to women from behind and allegedly smelling them.

According to online records, Crowder was arrested last week for what appears to be a separate, misdemeanor incident in Glendale. He was released a few days later.

What's shocking is that records show Crowder has a very long list of arrests over the years, but was let go relatively quickly after the August arrest.

TikTok star "Uncle Chris" -- famous for the Yeet Baby videos -- is getting treatment in a mental health facility after a difficult several months ... which all led up to his alleged disappearance.

As we reported, Chris Rooney's family went to the cops last week after they couldn't get in touch and feared the worst. A short time later, officers told us Chris had been located safe, but it was unclear what led up to his family's report.

Now, Rooney's family is explaining what happened behind the scenes, saying, "As many of you know, his life the last 6 months has been nothing short of difficult. What you all witnessed leading up to his disappearance was all of his emotions coming to a head."

Those following along with Chris' life likely knew he had recently separated from his wife -- at times talking about it on social media.

What's more, his family says, "Prior to his disappearance he had seen the movie "Sound of Freedom," and like many others, he was sick to his core over it. This prompted him to post links to raise money for the cause of ending child sex trafficking. To many of you this may have seemed odd, but he genuinely wanted and still wants to help this cause."

Chris's family says he wasn't acting like himself, and when they couldn't get in touch with him, they feared the worst ... calling the police to make a missing person's report.

Thankfully, they learned he was in the mental health facility several hours later -- where he remains -- and is getting the treatment he needs.

Chris also released a statement, saying, "Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to help me. It is something that I have to work on and am going to make it my life's mission to not only get myself healthy but also others. If there is one thing I have learned during this time, there are a lot of hurting people in this world and I am going to do everything I can to help them."

TikTok star Lexy Burke and her country singer hubby Austin Burke are super shaken after a bullet ripped through their Tennessee home.

Austin tells TMZ ... he was sitting on his couch Sunday night while Lexy was upstairs taking a bath when they both heard gunshots ... and then they felt their house rattle.

He says they checked their surveillance cameras and heard a gun being loaded, cocked, and fired. He called police, who came and quickly discovered a bullet hole in the home's exterior.

TMZ obtained a photo of the bullet hole ... as well as home security footage in which you hear the gun discharge. You can't see who fired the shot in the video.

Police in Nashville tell TMZ ... officers responded to the couple's home over the weekend for a shots fired report. We're told no arrests have been made and the case remains under investigation.

Austin tells us it's "incredibly unsettling" knowing someone fired a gun at their home in the middle of the night with his pregnant wife inside. He has no idea who did it.

A scary few hours for the family of TikTok personality "Uncle Chris" -- famous for his Yeet Baby videos -- as his family reported him missing to cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Chris Rooney's family made a missing person's report for the social media star Thursday with cops in Virginia after they couldn't get in touch. It's unclear why his family felt they needed to escalate the incident to police ... but clearly, something happened to cause them concern.

From there ... the message of Rooney's alleged disappearance spread across various social media platforms, with his family and friends desperate to get in touch.

After several hours, our law enforcement sources tell us Chris made contact with the police to let them know of his whereabouts and to report he was safe.

No word on whether or not he's been reunited with his family or what happened in the days and hours leading up to his alleged disappearance.

Chris, along with his niece and nephew, has become very popular on TikTok -- amassing more than 5 million followers -- mostly for videos of the tots trying to fill cups with large containers of various liquids.

Neyo White, the TikToker who says an infamous chemical peel led to severe burns, is now feeling like a million bucks ... 'cause he just scored a huge payday in court.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, Neyo was awarded $1 million in damages at the end of June in his lawsuit against Diamond Facez Skin Care Bar in ATL and the woman he says administered the peel, who's also the CEO.

Here's the breakdown of the damages ... Neyo is getting $750K in compensatory -- two-thirds of that comes from the company, and the rest comes from the CEO. He's getting another $250K in punitive damages.

We reached out to Diamond Facez Skin Care Bar for comment ... so far, no word back.

In case ya forgot, Neyo went viral last year after his treatment from hell ... which he said landed him in the hospital with painful burns.

He told us all about the scary aftermath of the peel and insisted he was definitely going to be taking legal action.

Neyo, who has since started his own skincare line called Neyo Skincare Brand, eventually got laser treatments to fix the burns -- seeing an almost immediate difference, which was a huge boost to his confidence.

Tyga and Avril Lavigne are really enjoying each other's company after their reported split ... at least according to a new video they shot together.

Check out the short clip Tyga posted to TikTok, which shows the pair looking very comfy as they boogie to Tyga's new summer jam, "Bops Goin Brazy."

Under the circumstances, one might think Avril and Tyga are playing a guessing game with everyone ... are they back together or just really good friends?

You may recall ... TMZ broke the story Tyga and Avril called it quits after they became an item back in March. Our sources said the breakup was mutual, with both feeling the relationship had run its course.

Then came their Vegas reunion of sorts a few days ago ... the two were photographed hanging out at the Encore Beach Club after Avril performed onstage. The rapper and pop star were smiling and giggling ... and even left the place with one another surrounded by their posse. Lots of smoke here, right?

Sophia Culpo says Braxton Berrios is lying through his teeth about how their relationship ended ... sharing what she claims are receipts to back her side of the messy breakup.

Olivia's younger sister posted multiple alleged text exchanges and pictures with the Miami Dolphins wide receiver from as recent as February ... which would debunk the NFLer's timeline that the two decided to call it quits a month prior.

In the convos posted to the model/influencer's TikTok, SC and BB appear to be on the rocks ... with the two seemingly discussing the public speculation surrounding their relationship. Berrios' responses make it seem as if he's willing to work through their differences ... reassuring Culpo he will "do everything in my power" to make sure the situation doesn't blow up any further.

The most explosive allegation came in Sophia's caption of the post ... where she says the couple broke up following the Drake concert during Super Bowl weekend when Braxton was "seen making out with another girl."

As we previously reported, Braxton went to Instagram to defend himself earlier this week ... saying cheating was not a factor in the split -- despite rumors he was seeing TikTok star Alix Earle while he was still dating Sophia.

Culpo seems ready to put the drama to bed ... saying, "Not bitter, in fact I know this situation has been one of my biggest blessings."

Braxton Berrios is finally opening up on his messy split from Sophia Culpo ... and he's claiming all rumors he cheated on her with TikTok star Alix Earle are 100% false.

The Miami Dolphins receiver has been the center of some spicy allegations recently ... with Olivia Culpo's little sister telling her followers he was spotted out in public with Earle shortly before their breakup, leading many to believe he was being unfaithful.

Sophia has been shading the hell outta her ex and his new girl ever since ... and it's gotten to the point where BB took to Instagram to share his side of the story.

"I don't want to start anything, I don't want to fuel anything," Berrios said in a video. "I genuinely want all this to be over and everybody to move on and do whatever makes them happy."

The former Miami Hurricanes star said his relationship with Sophia was good and healthy ... but at the end, they both realized it simply wasn't working out.

"It had nothing to do with anything else," Berrios said of the January breakup. "It had nothing to do with anybody else for that matter. And we just didn't work out, and that's okay."

"I've been quiet because it's totally out of character for me to talk about my private life publicly, but I feel like it needed to be touched on now."

Dan Benson -- a former star on "Wizards of Waverly Place" -- went from child star to porn star ... and he says he couldn't be happier over the career change.

The ex-Disney Channel actor -- who used to play Zeke Beakerman and work alongside Selena Gomez between 2007 and 2012 -- hopped on TikTok to provide a mental health update ... explaining he was feeling great about his pivot into adult entertainment.

He says he has no regrets about the kinda stuff he's doing on camera now, and that he was even surprised about some of the reactions he's gotten ... which have mostly been positive.

DB explains that while he thought he'd be met with shame and condemnation, he's actually experienced a lot of love and empowerment -- and he's glad the stigma associated with porn isn't being hurled his way. On the job front, there too he's found a healthy environment.

Dan goes on to say he's asked to do stuff all the time that he's not necessarily comfortable with, but now finds himself in a position to say no -- which he says is often respected.

And, the cherry on top ... him being supported, encouraged and, sometimes, approached by fans in public -- who he says have been nothing but lovely to him since he left the Mouse House. As he puts it, Dan feels like a "badass" these days ... so he's in a solid place.

Dan uses OnlyFans, among other X-rated platforms ... and has embraced his sensuality.

It just goes to show, there's lots of ways to make money these days -- and even the untraditional ways are being viewed in a different light than ever before.

Symba is chalking up the XXL Freshman to be a lost cause ... but he could also be feeling some kinda way for being snubbed on this year's issue.

The Bay Area rapper ponied up his honest thoughts about the newest Freshman class in 92.3's BET Awards radio room ... and suggested hip hop culture's future is in shaky hands with XXL's picks.

Symba says rap music's lack of chart-topping music ... a first in 30 years ... is a direct result of XXL's insistence on putting TikTok-quality rappers on its cover.

He was plenty dismissive of the list as a whole. GloRilla, SleazyWorld Go, Luh Tyler and 2Rare are just a handful of the budding talent to make the 2023 cut -- but Symba's saying just trash the whole thing.

It may sound a little drastic for someone like K Camp ... who's been an XXL Freshman in the past. The Rare Sound rapper thinks when your buzz is as big as Ice Spice's, skipping the cover is cool but the look can't hurt at the end of the day.

Symba's wordplay and mixtape with DJ Drama attracted praise from his peers, especially from older rappers, for being a formidable MC ... but apparently, the publication felt differently and didn't select him during this period of eligibility.

Cops are searching for a dangerous assailant who knocked the crap out of a woman in an NYC subway station ... and the unprovoked attack was all caught on video.

Check out the SCARY footage ... it starts rather calmly with the woman peering down at her cell phone as she's walking along the platform at Clinton-Washington Avenues Station in Brooklyn last Sunday.

The suspect then appears, heading toward her in the opposite direction ... as the two pass each other on the platform, the guy hauls off and socks the woman in the face, knocking her down.

Dazed and confused, the woman covers her injured face with her hands as a good Samaritan rushes to her aid from a subway idling in the station.

The woman later posted video of the assault to TikTok, showing her black eye and blaming herself for not paying attention by staring at her phone.

Meanwhile, the perpetrator dashed out of the station and is currently being sought by NYPD detectives.

Carl Eiswerth -- who amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok -- died in a car accident ... TMZ has learned.

Carl's mom, Janet, tells us the social media star was killed Tuesday in Pennsylvania. Janet says Carl was driving with a close friend -- he was in the passenger's seat -- when they were struck by another vehicle in the middle of an intersection.

Carl grew his TikTok following to nearly 500,000 before his death. We're told his family is planning two memorial services, and may live stream the events so his fans can participate.

As for what will happen with his TikTok account, that's still up in the air ... Janet says they don't yet know if his family will take it over, or if there's any material to still be posted.

Carl's page was full of videos, mostly of himself, where he'd combine humor and wit to show his fans a day in the life as he navigated the world.

Carl was only 35.

Olivia Dunne is taking a break from rizzing up Baby Gronk to enjoy a summer getaway this week ... and she's spending her downtime lounging around on a yacht in Italy!!

The 20-year-old LSU gymnast/social media superstar shared some snaps from her island vacation in Capri on Monday ... and it looks like she's having the time of her life as she catches some rays in a black bikini.

"Ms. Worldwide," Livvy captioned the post ... which has already racked up 100,000 likes and a ton of comments.

Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue cover model Brooks Nader was one of the many complimentary reactions ... giving a simple "Yes," under the post.

Fellow influencer/athlete Hanna Cavinder added her own praise ... saying, "glowing."

Of course, Livvy is wildly popular already ... but she was trending all last week after a series of TikToks poked fun at a video she made with 10-year-old Madden San Miguel on LSU's campus earlier this year.

Dunne is a natural in front of the camera -- she's featured in this year's S.I. Swim issue ... and is no stranger to posting about her life to her millions of followers.

On top of her social media fame, she's a damn good athlete for the Tigers ... but unfortunately, she battled several injuries this past season.

Miguel is currently blowing up on TikTok, despite not dropping a full-length album in nearly 6 years ... something he plans on changing very soon.

We caught up with the singer for a hot sec Thursday at LAX, and asked if he felt comfortable enough to just coast on the success he's having on the globally massive app.

Thanks to TikTok's popular "sped-up" trend, Miguel's 2011 hit "Sure Thing" amassed over 4 million video creations, and reentered the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #10 on the UK charts ... and it's also been doing hella well on pop radio!!!

Miguel tells us his TikTok wins have only given him more reason to release his next project and appeared to be dashing to the studio.

The TikTok community has been showing Miguel and his new track "Give It to Me" Plenty of love in the meantime. He and the Jonas Brothers recently kicked off the app's "New Music Hub" search feature.