TMZ Live

The white woman who shot and killed her Black neighbor -- a mother of 4 -- is getting off easy when it comes to charges ... so says attorney Ben Crump and the victim's mother, who both say race is very much a factor.

Crump and Pamela Dias joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," to reveal everything that led up to Friday's tragedy. Police say 58-year-old Susan Louise Lorincz opened fire through her front door, killing 35-year-old Ajike Owens, who was knocking on the door to defend her kids.

Lorincz was arrested Tuesday night, and charged with 2 counts of assault, battery, culpable negligence, and manslaughter. That last charge is offensive to Pamela, as she firmly believes her daughter was murdered.

Crump pointed out prosecutors still have the discretion to upgrade the charges against Lorincz, and he says that's warranted in this case.

Pamela and Ben claim Lorincz has been tormenting neighborhood kids -- including Ajike's -- for years about an open field where they play. They say her anger was completely unwarranted as Lorincz didn't own the land, which is adjacent to her apartment.

Perhaps most tragically, Pamela says 2 of her grandkids witnessed their mother get shot.

And, Crump says he has no doubt racism is a critical factor in this case -- he claims Lorincz has hurled epithets and insults at kids on previous occasions.

Apple's newest fancy gadget -- an AR headset -- could be a massive hit, but considering recent tech history, it might be a huge flop ... so says one plugged in journo.

We're talking about Apple Vision Pro -- which Tim Cook and co. unveiled Monday as their latest "game-changer" ... and, yes, it took the internet/Twitter by storm. It's an augmented reality device that you slip over your face (much like traditional VR headsets).

The difference here ... the real world is only slightly digitized -- with iPhone screens/apps popping up in front of your eyes, almost making them seem like they're integrated into your actual reality.

The footage and photos they showed off at the big Apple showcase from their Bay Area HQ definitely made it look cool, but the question is ... will anyone actually buy into this???

Welp, according to tech reporter Ian Sherr ... the odds might be in Apple's favor for this one. He came on "TMZ Live" to break down the new toy -- and he says while it certainly has the potential to flop, similar to Meta's Oculus headset, he thinks it might actually catch on.

Ian says the fact Vision Pro offers a decent blend of reality with augmented reality, along with the functionality and addictive entertainment we get in smartphones ... might be enough to set it apart from previous headset failures.

In other words, this one gives you more to do than just play games ... which has, by and large, been what other VR headsets have been able to produce thus far. Here, Ian says Apple might've struck the right balance to give people a truly unique experience.

Plus, he notes Apple has gambled big in the past and won people over, despite initial doubters ... like there are now.

As for the price tag, it wasn't announced when we were talking to Sherr -- but it's since been revealed ... a whopping $3,500, which is A LOT.

Time will tell if folks wanna shell out that much just to close themselves off from the outside world. Another option, they could just go and buy an old Google Glass for much cheaper ... which, as many online have rightly noted, is essentially the same as this ... circa 2013.

Former "American Idol" winner Samantha "Just Sam" Diaz says their unglamorous return to singing in New York City subways for money isn't the final chapter -- instead, the bounce back is underway.

Just Sam joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and told us why winning a show like 'Idol' isn't always all it's cracked up to be ... especially under some very unique and onerus circumstances.

While lots of folks, Sam included, look at 'Idol' as a potential golden ticket to fame and fortune ... the non-binary singer says the reality is quite different.

Sam says a perfect storm resulted in their returning to their subway roots to make cash. They won 'AI' at the beginning of COVID, and the pandemic made it virtually impossible to get into the studio and record. Plus, glossing over contracts and blindly signing didn't help either.

Despite initially feeling embarrassed by reverting back to subway busking to eat and pay bills ... Sam says last month's headlines actually helped, because tons of big name artists are reaching out and showing love.

Now, Sam says they have a few collabs in the works, and they aren't afraid to go a different route to make it in the music biz.

The scheduled headliner for a drag show on a U.S. Air Force base is ripping President Biden's administration for scrapping this year's event, saying it doesn't line up with the White House's supposed support for the LGBTQ+ community.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Coco Montrese joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" to give us her reaction to the Pentagon's decision to nix tonight's scheduled drag show at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

There had been 2 previous drag shows on the base, and in fact, Coco performed at the first one in 2021.

Coco says all the drag queens performed to a packed house, and they were generally well received -- which is why she's disappointed military brass switched course, and scrapped Thursday's show at the last minute.

She told us the decision is at odds with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's public statements of support for the military's LGBTQ+ members and Pride Month. Coco suggests the Prez can make amends ... by hosting a drag show right there at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

It's interesting ... the Pentagon says the Department of Defense will not host drag events at bases because "these types of events in federally funded facilities is not a suitable use of DOD resources."

However, Coco says the scrapped show at Nellis was privately funded, so that would have been a moot point.

Congressman Adam Schiff tries his hand at live stand-up comedy once a year ... but he sees nothing funny about how CNN set up Donald Trump's town hall for a national audience.

The distinguished gentleman from Burbank, CA joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him about his upcoming comedy set at The Improv in L.A.

Schiff, who's running for U.S. Senate, is hosting a fundraiser next month at the famous West Hollywood venue -- and while he'll mostly be introducing professional comics, he says he likes to mix in a few jokes of his own.

As Adam explains, he's performed full stand-up acts at his annual fundraiser in the past -- usually writing his own jokes during the cross-country flight -- and he let us in on some of his favorite material.

All jokes aside, Adam's not only eyeing the Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Dianne Feinstein ... he's also paying attention to Trump's presidential campaign.

Rep. Schiff ripped CNN for this month's town hall with the former President -- although, he doesn't take issue with CNN holding the event, he strongly objects to one thing about the spectacle ... comparing it to a reality TV show.

The security guard who went viral for being an undercover Swiftie says it was a simple process to get the job working Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, but he admits things didn't go as he originally planned.

Davis Perrigo, whose day job is accounting, joined us Monday on "TMZ Live," and explained he just had to fill out a form in order to work "security" at Nashville's Nissan Stadium for Taylor's concert -- and even did a test run by working a Luke Combs' concert at the same venue the week before.

ow-pressureOnce Davis was in the stadium he figured out how to get himself as close to the singer as possible ... and ended up doing a very basic, l security detail while havin' the time of his life.

ICYMI, clips of Davis have blown up online, showing him singing to his heart's content as Taylor's performing over his shoulder.

Many fans expressed love for him after seeing him go all out -- in true Swiftee fashion -- but Davis also gives us the deets about a "real" security guard who had to tell him to tone it down.

And BTW, Davis had a completely different plan for sneaking in before he found the spot up front. Originally, he was gonna ditch his uniform altogether and have fun in the audience.

Artificial Intelligence poses some serious risks and could potentially threaten the very fabric of our democracy ... so says AI expert Gary Marcus, who is urging Congress to implement strong guard rails.

Gary joined us on "TMZ Live," a day after he testified before Congress ... warning about the future of AI machines and urging them to take local, national, and global measures.

Having worked extensively with AI, he feels morally responsible for warning the public about the risks ... and there are plenty. He agreed some genies are already out of the bottle -- all the more reason to slow the technology with regulations.

Gary says that while some large language models are here to stay, chatbots pose a serious threat. He emphasizes that this technology has the power to influence ways of thinking and manipulate users ... and that boils over to the political realm and threatens our democracy.

Remember, even former President Trump shared a doctored Anderson Cooper clip from the CNN town hall. That one wasn't AI, but it makes you wonder how much worse it could be if someone used AI to distribute misinformation. Of course, some of this tech has already infiltrated the music industry.

The Walgreens security guard who fatally shot a shopfitter in San Francisco used unnecessary aggression, and it was not a clear case of self-defense ... so says a former prosecutor who's challenging the D.A.'s theory.

Attorney Tony Brass joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday shortly after San Fran's District Attorney Brooke Jenkins released the footage of the April 27 shooting to show why she was not charging security guard Michael Earl-Wayne Anthony for killing Banko Brown.

Tony says, on a human level, it is super clear the security guard used a high level of aggression when he confronted Brown, which he finds absurd considering it was a shoplifting case "at best" ... and not an imminent danger.

On top of that, Tony says he's super shocked the D.A.'s already decided it was self-defense and there should be no charges. From his perspective, Anthony should've just let the guy go when he tried to leave ... and the gun was not necessary at all.

As we reported, Jenkins shared the footage Monday of the violent encounter ... that ended with Anthony gunning down Brown as he fled the store with a bag of allegedly stolen items.

Tony also points out the election of Jenkins as D.A. was a direct response to the former D.A. Chesa Boudin, who helped build San Francisco's "soft on crime" rep.

The "Jeopardy! Masters" tournament has host Ken Jennings' arch nemesis back in the game, but don't expect Ken to give in to the trash talk being thrown his way -- he tells us he's hung up his buzzer for good.

Ken joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to respond to James Holzhauer, who's playing again in the 'Masters' tourney ... and who called out Ken during Monday night's episode. 'Jeopardy!' fans know Ken and James were long considered #1 and #2 in the all-time rankings -- they went head-to-head in 2020's 'G.O.A.T.' (Greatest of All Time) tournament, and Ken came out on top.

Last night, James playfully demanded Ken give him a rematch -- but KJ tells us it ain't gonna happen. He says he's happy just to have defeated James once ... plus he's digging being the host now, instead of playing.

For now, Holzhauer will have to settle for taking on 5 other champs for a $500K prize and a Trebek Trophy.

Ken says he's thrilled to be watching the action from his hosting podium, adding ... the competition is already really fierce.

The family of the NYC subway rider who was choked to death wants prosecutors to go after the marine vet who put Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold ... and they wonder why he hasn't even been arrested yet.

Lennon Edwards, one of the attorneys representing Jordan's family, joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and we asked what justice looks like for the Neelys.

Lennon says Jordan's family is outraged and feels like the justice system isn't working on their behalf -- he says it took too long for the medical examiner to rule Jordan's death a homicide, and now the family wants the marine, Daniel Penny, to face criminal charges.

Jordan's family is also taking issue with how some are framing the incident. The NYPD says Neely appeared to be having a mental health episode, with some witnesses telling cops Jordan's behavior made them fearful.

Lennon insists that feeling alone doesn't justify putting someone in a chokehold for 15 minutes ... arguing Penny, and not Neely, is who subway riders should have feared.

What's more, Lennon says Jordan clearly showed he was unarmed when he took off his jacket to reveal a short-sleeve shirt ... and he says Penny appears to have attacked from behind.

Bottom line: the Neely fam thinks Penny should be in an NYPD jail cell right now.

Protests are erupting in the Big Apple and politicians are bickering over the way the incident is being discussed  ... and Lennon says the marine's actions seem like they have less to do with Jordan specifically, and more to do with his general feelings toward homeless people.

Erik and Lyle Menendez have at least 2 new pieces of evidence backing their claim their father was molesting them, and their new high-powered attorney says it's enough for them to get a new trial ... and perhaps a new verdict.

Mark Geragos joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live," explaining why a recently discovered letter written by Erik, as well as the rape claims made by former Menudo member Roy Rossello, are both crucial if they get their day back in court.

He says either piece of evidence -- the letter or Rossello's allegation -- could've resulted in a way different outcome in the 90s. Remember, they were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

As we reported, new legal docs filed by Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, reference Rossello's claim he was drugged and raped by the brothers' father, Jose. The petition also points to a letter Erik wrote to a cousin months before they shot their parents in which he says his father was molesting them.

We asked Geragos, hypothetically, if a judge grants the brothers a new trial ... how would he address the fact Erik and Lyle still premeditatively killed not only Jose, but their mother, Kitty, as well. He had a very interesting response.

The Menendez Brothers want to have their day in court ... again ... they say they have new evidence backing up their defense that their father was sexually abusing them, but there's a new wrinkle involving a member of the '80's boy band "Menudo."

According to new legal docs filed by attorney Mark Geragos, and obtained by TMZ, Erik and Lyle Menendez cited recent allegations by former Menudo star Roy Rossello that he was sexually abused when he was 13 or 14 by Jose Menendez.

Rosello made the accusations against Jose -- a then-RCA record exec -- in a new three part Peacock docuseries, "Menendez + Menudo: Boys Betrayed." In the series, two journalists dove into claims that the band's founder, Edgardo Diaz, brought Rosello to Jose's home in New Jersey to broker a deal between "Menudo" and RCA. But things took a dark turn when Jose allegedly drugged Rossello and then raped the teen.

Per the court docs, Erik and Lyle argued that Rossello's allegations of abuse by their dad only served to strengthen their original contention that they fatally shot Jose and their mom, Kitty, out of self-defense.

The petition also mentioned a letter Erik sent to their cousin, Andy Cano, months before the shootings ... where Erik accused Jose of sexual abuse.

In the letter, which the brothers claimed wasn't shown to the jury at trial, Erik says he wished he could tell his mom about the alleged abuse but says he can't risk it because he feared she would tell Jose. Erik also told Andy his father was continuing to molest him.

The Menendez Brothers say the letter was sent around 8 months before they murdered their parents, and they argued it supported their defense theory that Jose was sexually abusing them and warned them to not speak out about being molested, to the point where they became frightened of their father.

They say jurors never heard from Roy either, and they claimed if the jury knew about Roy's allegations and the letter, things might have turned out differently and they might have bought the defense's theory that the brothers were guilty of manslaughter, instead of murder.

Erik and Lyle filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in an effort to determine whether the new evidence was enough for the court to grant them a new trial or other relief.

Attorney Alan Jackson talked to us in April about the possibility of the Menendez brothers getting a new trial ... and he didn't seem to think it was likely, and told us exactly why.

Carrie Fisher's brother says he'd be well within his rights to show up to her Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony and cause a fuss over getting snubbed from attending ... but he's opting to keep things "classy" in honor of his late sister.

Todd Fisher joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked him why he and Carrie's sisters are officially off the guest list for the big event Thursday on Hollywood Blvd.

Todd says he doesn't know what's behind the snub ... but strongly hinted it's Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd, calling the shots. He admits they don't really have a relationship these days, but seems genuinely puzzled as to why.

There's definitely some bad blood ... Carrie's sisters, Joely Fisher, and Tricia Leigh Fisher ripped Billie on social media for the snub. Todd seemed to be trying to play nice, as he would only say he hasn't talked to his niece since she ghosted an invite almost 3 years ago to visit a dying relative.

Todd says he's the one who got the ball rolling on Carrie getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was shocked when he found out he didn't make the 30-person guest list.

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's flirty behavior on and off set of their new rom-com is very real -- real strategy, that is, cooked up for one purpose ... according to a guy who's a pro in this department.

Celebrity branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev -- who's written books on this topic -- came on "TMZ Live" Monday to break down what he thinks has been going on between Syd and Glen, lately. What we've all seen is a lot of sexy body language, and some not-so-happy significant others ... creating speculation their on-screen romance is now an IRL romance.

Check out his take ... essentially, Sehdev suspects this is just good old-fashioned public relations and organic viral marketing -- courtesy of the stars, their teams and the studio behind their film, "Anyone But You."

He makes compelling points. For starters, neither is a huge movie star, at this point ... and having them colead a seemingly run-of-the-mill "hard-R" rom-com probably isn't a recipe for the success Sony's hoping for at the box office.

Yes, they're both hot and on the come-up, but, according to Sehdev, the powers that be probably realized they need a little extra juice to get people interested in the flick. Think "Don't Worry Darling" drama ... but, this time, it's about 2 costars turned would-be-lovers.

If that is, in fact, what's going on ... Sehdev says SS and GP are going about this game all wrong. In his eyes, fans and potential viewers demand transparency these days -- and he feels being more forthcoming about the sitch would go a long way.

The strange thing about this theory is the movie won't come out for a while, as they just wrapped filming. So, any buzz for it now will almost certainly have died out when it eventually hits theaters.

Steve Wilkos is opening up about his final time seeing Jerry Springer -- a night they both got very emotional -- but he says his dear friend never let on that he was battling cancer.

Steve, who spent 10 seasons working on "The Jerry Springer Show" from '94 to '07, joined "TMZ Live" Thursday ... after news broke his longtime boss and close pal passed away.

He says he and Jerry just hung out about a month ago, and while Jerry didn't mention his pancreatic cancer diagnosis ... Steve says he might have "been saying goodbye to me." He told us Jerry "hugged me like he never hugged me before," and they reminisced about the good old times ... something they rarely ever did.

As we reported, Jerry died at the age of 79, Thursday at his home in the Chicago area, and will forever be remembered for his bombastic talk show -- which ran for 27 years and eventually helped Steve start his very own show.

Other than his father, Steve says no one had a bigger impact on his life than Jerry. He credits JS for giving him his career ... and even his wife!

Steve was a retired cop when he was hired, in 1994, as a security guard for the 'Springer Show.' His immense popularity there led to him launching "The Steve Wilkos Show" in 2007, and is now in its 16th season.

Through all the ups and downs, Steve says Jerry was always in his corner, and even at their last get together last month ...he believed his good friend would outlive him.

Ralph Yarl is alive today thanks, in part, to the actions of 2 neighbors who came to his assistance minutes after Andrew Lester shot the 16-year-old boy twice -- and one of those neighbors is tearfully sharing the traumatic experience.

Jodi Rae joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live," and was almost immediately choked up remembering when Ralph banged on her front door, desperately seeking help. She says she couldn't see out her front door, and was uncertain about what was going on outside.

She had not heard the gunshots, but says it was clear Ralph was in dire need of assistance ... so, she decided to call 911. The operator told her there was an active shooter in the area, and advised Jodi not to open her door.

This definitely created a massive dilemma for Jodi ... one that brought her to tears as she told us about it -- she wanted to make sure her own son remained safe in their home, but also wanted to help Ralph, who she could see through her window falling to his knees.

Jodi says once she saw another neighbor walking outside, she figured the danger must have passed ... and immediately ran to Ralph's side. When she saw pools of blood outside her door, she realized the teen had been shot.

The story gets even more gripping and emotional at this point ... Jodi says she and a male neighbor used a towel to apply pressure to Ralph's head wound, held his hand and talked to him about school ... anything to keep his mind off the pain he was clearly suffering.

She fought through tears to tell us what Ralph told them about getting shot. She says she's had very limited contact with the shooter, Lester, since moving to the Kansas City neighborhood last year.

Jodi says she just kept thinking, "That's somebody's son," and knew she had to do something to help him. Sadly, she says there's been some backlash against her and other neighbors ... people who are, incorrectly, assuming the community did nothing to help Ralph.

While that's clearly not what happened, Jodi says she's mostly concerned with Ralph's recovery. She says, "Nothing compares to what that young man is living through every day."