Tory Lanez Defiant, No Apologies ... For Shooting Meg Thee Stallion
Tory Lanez is speaking out against his 10-year prison bid ... but he's not going to apologize for the Megan Thee Stallion shooting, as he still insists he didn't do it.
The Canadian rapper broke his silence Thursday with a lengthy Instagram post, promising to bounce back after he completes his stretch in a California state prison, and maintaining his innocence.
Tory says he's not apologizing for being found guilty of shooting Meg ... he says he was wrongfully convicted. He adds, "I remain on the stance that I refuse to apologize for something that I did not do."
As you know ... the judge sentenced Tory Tuesday to 10 years in prison, though his high-powered attorney Jose Baez says the plan is to appeal that sentence.
Tory says the conviction is just another moment where he has his back against the wall, but he says he's always overcome adversity and is promising to do so here.
He declares, "I refuse to stop fighting till I come out victorious."
TMZ broke the story ... Tory's lawyer says he's leaning on his faith and his family and friends as he begins serving his sentence.
Tory says "tough times don't last, tough people do" ... and he's thanking his supporters and promising to see them soon.
How soon? Well, with good behavior -- and due to prison overcrowding -- he won't have to do the full 10 years ... however, whatever he serves won't be a walk in the park.
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Bun B Tory Lanez Sentence a Wake-Up Call For Violence Against Women
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Contrary to popular belief, Bun B isn't wishing eternal hell on Tory Lanez amid his 10-year sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion -- the UGK legend wants the rapper to become a better man in prison.
TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Bun Thursday in NYC, where he said Tory's case is a lesson for society, in general, and less about hip hop culture ... as he sees Tory's punishment as a wake-up call for domestic violence.
Following the shooting in the summer of 2020, Bun was one of the few prominent figures to publicly defend Megan while also calling out Tory, effectively making him a target for Tory's song, "Sorry I Had To" ... a record that later came back to haunt him in court.
Despite that past beef, Bun still offers up OG advice for Tory, telling him to keep his head up and he wants him to return from prison safely after the term is complete.
On a much lighter note, Bun also talked about successfully carving out a niche for his Trill Burgers franchise ... which may be adding Trill Tacos to the menu soon.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
GMA floated Bun the idea of mixing his Smashburger recipe with a taco twist and he'll be letting the customers decide if it's finger-lickin' good -- or too hard to swallow.
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Tory Lanez Feeling Down, But Not Totally Out ... After Getting 10 Years
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Tory Lanez is starting to feel the gravity of his 10-year prison sentence -- after believing the system would do right by him, he's now turning to God to for strength.
Tory's defense attorney, Jose Baez, tells TMZ his client is feeling pretty low right now after having the book thrown at him. We're told Tory is having a hard time processing the sentence, but Baez also says despite that ... Tory's made it clear to him he's going to remain strong and deal with his time behind bars as best as he can.
Jose says Tory is leaning on his faith in God, the support of his friends/family and the indignation his supporters around the world are expressing -- many of whom are loudly lamenting the stiff punishment.
Baez says Tory was hoping the judge would show mercy -- especially with the number of people who went to bat for him in court, including some celebs. We're told the reason there's so much outcry for Tory is because he was genuinely loved in the community ... as he'd done a lot to give back over the years.
In the meantime, Baez insists an appeal is coming.
One last thing ... we asked Baez how Tory plans to navigate fatherhood with his young son, but the attorney wouldn't comment. He also addressed the prospect of deportation that Tory faces, but told us there were other priorities ahead of that (namely, the appeal).
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NFL's Bashaud Breeland Arrested For Possession Of Guns, Drugs & Stolen Car
Former NFL cornerback Bashaud Breeland -- a one-time Super Bowl champion -- was arrested this week ... after cops say he was in possession of drugs, a slew of guns and a stolen car.
According to police documents, Breeland was found with the vehicle, the firearms and the contraband at around 3:05 p.m. on Monday after he was pulled over in Charlotte, N.C.
Cops say during the traffic stop, they found the 2020 Mercedes-Benz he was driving had been reported stolen from Florida. They added that during an ensuing search of the car, they found a bevvy of weapons -- including two AR-15s and two AK-47s.
Police also said in the docs they discovered 5.45 pounds of suspected marijuana and 62 grams of suspected mushrooms in the ride ... plus a bunch of cash and drug paraphernalia.
They estimated the suspected drugs to be worth $7,000.
Records show the ex-cornerback was booked into Mecklenburg County Jail at 2:12 a.m. on Tuesday ... on eight total charges -- including possession of a stolen motor vehicle. The records show he was released from custody less than three hours later.
This is not the first time Breeland has been arrested in the past few years ... he was also jailed in South Carolina in 2020 following a scary encounter with cops at a gas station.
NFL's Bashaud Breeland Terrifying Arrest Video, Stared Down Cop's Gun Barrel
Breeland -- who played his college ball at Clemson -- has not logged a snap in the NFL since the 2021 season ... but he had been considered one of the league's better DBs throughout his career.
After initially being picked by Washington in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft -- he played a total of eight years, winning SB LIV with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in 2020. He started 101 games during his time in the league, nabbing 16 interceptions.
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MONTGOMERY RIVERBOAT BRAWL White Men Said N-Word, Threatened to Go & Get Gun ... Boat Employee Told Cops
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The Alabama riverfront brawl now includes allegations of white men dropping the n-word and threatening to use a gun.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a woman who says she was working on the riverboat told police one of the white men who attacked a Black deckhand yelled, "F*** that n*****" before coming down the dock to fight him.
The woman, Crystal Warren, claims the alleged n-bomb dropped after the Black deckhand moved a couple of smaller boats that were taking up space on the dock and preventing the riverboat from docking.
Warren told police the riverboat captain initially asked the boat owners to move their boat, which she said drew middle fingers and curses from the white men on the boat. She says the riverboat was stuck waiting for 17 minutes until a smaller commercial boat picked up a deckhand and her 16-year-old son from the riverboat and dropped them off on the dock.
From there, Warren claims the deckhand and her son Daniel moved the boats that were blocking the dock and tied them back up, and she says she heard at least one of the men yell the n-word.
Warren also claims one of the white men threatened to go and get a gun during the fight on the dock ... a brawl that was captured on video and has already led to at least one arrest.
The viral video appears to show Daniel trying to pull the white men off the Black deckhand, and his mother says he was punched in the chest while trying to break up the fight, suffering bruised ribs and going to a hospital for a diagnosis.
Richard Roberts is the man accused of punching Daniel ... and he's been arrested and charged with 3rd-degree assault
It's unclear who allegedly used the n-word and who allegedly threatened to bring a gun to the fight.
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Tory Lanez Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Shooting Meg Thee Stallion
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5:44 PM PT -- Tory's lawyer, Jose Baez, is ripping the 10-year sentence ... calling it "incredibly harsh" and "extreme" and claiming the rapper is being punished because of his celebrity status.
Baez also ripped prosecutors for making an example out of Tory ... and he says Tory's defense team plans on appealing.
3:36 PM PT -- Tory Lanez addressed the court before he was sentenced saying he wanted a chance, has a son that needs him and to better himself. He asked the judge to allow him the opportunity to prove himself and understood just how serious the charges were against him.
He also addressed the public's views about him, saying he's not a monster without sympathy or remorse ... and apologized for his mistakes the night of the incident.
Tory said Megan Thee Stallion was a friend to him, and they both bonded over the fact they lost their mothers. Tory took full responsibility for his wrongs, and once again asked for a chance to prove he'd learned his lessons.
Tory Lanez has just been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of shooting Megan Thee Stallion.
The rapper's sentencing was handed down Tuesday in L.A. after almost a full two days of sentencing hearings. Tory was facing over 22 years in prison. The sentencing was actually delayed several times over the last few months, at one point Tory begged the judge, "Please don't ruin my life, sir."
As we reported, Tory was found guilty in December of shooting Megan. Video, obtained by TMZ, from the now-infamous moment back in 2020 showed Megan limping near their SUV and leaving behind a trail of blood.
Tory was found guilty of all 3 charges against him -- negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and carrying a loaded and unregistered firearm.
The jury verdict was met with serious pain from Tory's family as it was read, because several members -- including his dad and stepmom -- shouted, "This system stands before God!" Some of his family members were even escorted out of the courtroom.
Sources connected to the case told us the Canadian rappers' lawyers were in contact with immigration officials before the verdict came in ... saying they were informed there was a strong chance he could be forced to leave the country, but obviously that hasn't happened.
A petition also grew online after the verdict in support of Tory ... and Tory even hired high-powered lawyer Jose Baez to work on his appeal.
Baez, who won an acquittal for Casey Anthony back in the day, joined us on "TMZ Live" in January, telling us he was all in to help Tory out -- adding he was pretty confident in getting the job done, claiming there were numerous procedural errors during the trial.
Originally Published -- 3:20 PM PT
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Austin and Lexy Burke Terrorized As Home Gets Shot Up
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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.
For more influencer drama, tune into TMZ Verified the podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.
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Megan Thee Stallion I Can't Be In Same Room As Tory ... No Peace Since Shooting
Megan Thee Stallion is still reeling from the Tory Lanez shooting incident ... she says she can't bring herself to be in the same room as him and hasn't found peace.
The "Savage" rapper was NOT in court Monday for Tory's sentencing, despite prosecutors hinting otherwise, but she did provide a statement that was read in court ... and it was emotional.
Meg says she struggled with showing up to court because she couldn't bring herself to be anywhere near Tory, who is awaiting sentencing after being convicted of shooting her.
What's more, Megan says she hasn't had a moment of peace since the July 2020 shooting ... and she ripped Tory, accusing him of making a mockery of her emotional trauma, treating it like a joke and refusing to take accountability.
Megan says Tory's blaming everyone but himself ... she says he first tried to blame the system but is now blaming his childhood trauma ... and she says if he had ever shown contrition she may have been able to heal her emotional wounds sooner.
Tory was expected to be sentenced Monday, but the hearing ran over time and will pick back up Tuesday.
Prosecutors want a judge to sentence Tory to at least 13 years behind bars, though he's seeking a shorter sentence.
We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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Aqib Talib's Brother Sentenced To 37 Years In Prison ... For Youth Football Coach Murder
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Aqib Talib's brother, Yaqub Talib, has been sentenced to 37 years behind bars for his role in the shooting of a youth football coach last summer.
Yaqub learned his fate inside a Dallas County courtroom on Monday morning. Aqib was in attendance for the proceedings. The older Talib was remanded into custody immediately following the sentencing.
Neither brother spoke to reporters as they made their way inside of the courthouse ... and prosecutors say Yaqub did not speak during the sentencing hearing either.
Yaqub Talib and his brother former NFL player, Aqib Talib just walked into a Dallas County courtroom. Yaqub Talib is being sentenced today for the murder of coach Mike Hickmon during a youth football game. @wfaa pic.twitter.com/XTeuaptZex
— Rebecca Lopez (@rlopezwfaa) August 7, 2023 @rlopezwfaa
Yaqub was accused of shooting Michael Hickmon during a heated dispute at an Aug. 13, 2022 youth football game involving a team that the Talib brothers were helping coach.
Aqib Talib Sued Over Fatal Shooting At Youth Football Game
According to a lawsuit against the Talibs filed by Hickmon's family, the Talib brothers were upset with Hickmon -- who was helping coach the opposing team -- over a call on the field ... and confronted him over it after abruptly ending the game.
During the altercation, Hickmon's family claimed Yaqub pulled out a handgun and fired five shots at Hickmon, striking him multiple times ... leading to his death.
40-year-old Yaqub was charged with murder shortly after the incident ... and he eventually pleaded guilty last month.
Aqib's attorney said in a statement at the time of Hickmon's death that the ex-NFL star was "very distraught and devastated over this terrible loss of life" ... though the former Super Bowl champion has not spoken out over it all since.
Meanwhile, prosecutors say Hickmon's wife, sister and college roommate all gave victim impact statements at Monday's sentencing hearing.
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Elvis Presley Buy His Old Revolver ... Smith & Wesson Model 53
Elvis Presley was a proud gun owner, and now a revolver from his expansive firearms collection is hitting the auction block, where it's expected to fetch five figures.
The gun going up for sale is a Smith & Wesson Model 53 double-action revolver ... and it was gifted to Elvis in November 1976, just 9 months before he died.
Like most relics from '76, Elvis' revolver commemorates the Bicentennial ... Smith & Wesson's master engraver, Russell Smith, customized the gun with silver inlaid five-pointed stars and the weapon features gold accents, with "1776-1976" inscribed near the muzzle.
Elvis' gun also includes a bald eagle holding a 13-star Betsy Ross American flag on one frame, a gold minuteman flanked by stars on the other frame, plus the Liberty Bell on the back strap.
Basically, the revolver screams AMERICA!!!
Elvis' firearm is going up for sale through Rock Island Auction Company ... and it's featured in this month's "Premier Auction," where the winning bid is expected to land somewhere between $60,000 and $90,000.
The King of Rock and Roll reportedly owned 37 firearms and a machine gun ... and now a special one's finding its way to the open market.
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Sharon Tate Sister Slams Auction of Murder House Front Door
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Sharon Tate's sister is disgusted a guy is trying to make a buck off the door to the home where her sibling was butchered ... slamming the whole sale as immoral.
Debra Tate tells TMZ ... the current owner of the door, Christopher Moore, and the auction house through which he's peddling it, Julien's Auctions, oughta be ashamed of themselves for trying to profit off the murder of the late actress, who was 8 months pregnant at the time.
It goes without saying, there's a very dark history behind this former piece of the Tate house ... and Debra hopes whoever ends up buying the front door knows this, and realizes it isn't something to gawk at or marvel over. On the contrary, she says it's morbid.
She tells us the door should be destroyed, and the only reason it's even being sold and generating interest is due to the shock factor -- something Debra laments.
Debra says while she's horrified over the sale, she's actually not all that sure it's the real McCoy. Her reasoning lies in the details ... namely the design of the doorknob.
The door was well-documented in photos, and she insists if you look at the ribbing lining the handle in the OG ... it doesn't appear to match the handle on the door being hawked.
Moore and Julien's have assured us this door is authentic ... and have documented where it's been over the years. It seems folks believe it's legit ... the bids have soared past $22k.
In any case, don't expect to see Debra bid -- she wants nothing to do with it, and believes it oughta be erased from the face of the Earth.
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Johnny Manziel I Planned To Kill Myself, Bought Gun ... After Hitting Rock Bottom
Johnny Manziel is opening up on his serious mental health battles following his NFL career ... revealing he purchased a gun and intended to use it on himself.
The former Heisman Trophy winner addressed his suicidal thoughts in Netflix's "Untold: Johnny Football" documentary, which drops next week ... saying he had his demise all mapped out -- he would blow all his money, and then take his own life.
"I think I was just running from problems," Manziel said. "It was probably a $5 million bender. Direct self-sabotage, trying to burn this thing down."
Manziel's issues on and off the field were well-documented at the time ... and he said he burned so many bridges that he felt "the ride was over."
"I had planned to do everything that I wanted to do at that point in my life. Spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan was to take my life. Months prior, I went and bought a gun I knew I was going to use. I wanted to get as bad as humanly possible to where it made sense and it made it seem like an excuse and an out for me."
It's unclear if Manziel actually attempted suicide ... but he said "the gun just clicked on me."
Johnny appears to be doing much better now ... and he's even opening his own bar near his old college campus at Texas A&M this fall.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
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Devin Haney Boxing Star's Gun Charge Dropped
Boxing star Devin Haney can breathe a sigh of relief -- his felony gun charge has been dropped, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
The L.A. District Attorney says Haney's case was declined last week due to insufficient evidence ... but it was not announced until his court appearance on Thursday.
We broke the story ... Haney was out in Hollywood on July 12th when the vehicle he was riding in was pulled over for an unsafe lane change and failure to use a turn signal.
Police said Haney -- who wasn't driving -- and his security got out of the car ... and during their search, they found a semi-automatic handgun under the driver's seat.
No one claimed the gun, but the car was in Haney's name ... leading to his arrest for felony possession of a concealed weapon. He was booked and released on July 13th on a $35k bail.
Haney is currently one of the biggest stars in boxing and is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. The WBC just approved his next fight -- Regis Prograis (29-1).
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UFC's Song Yadong Robbed By Four Men At Gunpoint ... Says Friend Was Pistol Whipped
UFC fighter Song Yadong just revealed he was robbed at gunpoint by four men earlier this week ... and his friend, who was with him at the time, was pistol-whipped during the alleged gas station robbery.
"For the first time in my life, I was held at gunpoint," the 25-year-old bantamweight fighter said on Thursday.
"Last night, my friend and I drove back to Sacramento from San Francisco. On the way back, we were robbed by four black men at gunpoint."
Yadong (20-7) admits he was a bit tipsy when the incident happened.
"When we got there, those four Black people who robbed us were already there," Yadong said. "They're not following us, they're waiting for the victim."
Yadong -- who last fought in April -- says after they grabbed water at the gas station store, they were approached and held at gunpoint while the perpetrators demanded their valuables. Song says his friend was pistol-whipped.
"The man told him to hand over his money, his wallet, his necklace, and hit him with the handle of his gun," Yadong said.
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Yadong says he's happy he and his friend are alive to tell the story and advised anyone being robbed to give the thieves whatever they want ... or "you're screwed."
The specific location of the incident is unknown, but we reached out to San Francisco.
So far, no word back.
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Clippers' Amir Coffey Arrested In L.A. ... For Gun Possession
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Clippers forward Amir Coffey was arrested in L.A. on Sunday morning ... after cops say they found a loaded gun in his ride during a routine traffic stop.
Law enforcement tells TMZ Sports ... officers pulled over a car that Coffey was a passenger in at around 2:30 AM in Hollywood -- after they say they saw it speeding.
When cops approached the vehicle, they said it smelled like marijuana -- so they searched it, and found a loaded gun.
Cops say Coffey admitted it was his -- and he was then arrested for misdemeanor possession of a firearm. We're told one other person at the scene was cited for weed.
Records show Coffey was booked into jail at around 5:05 AM -- though he was released four hours later on his own recognizance.
He's due in court for a hearing on the matter later next month.
26-year-old Coffey has been a member of the Clippers' org. since 2019 ... playing 181 games for the team over the past four seasons. During his L.A. career, he's averaged 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
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Oliver Stone Slams Biden Over Russia-Ukraine ... We're Headed for WWIII!!!
Oliver Stone thinks President Biden is leading us right into a looming Armageddon as it relates to Russia's war with Ukraine -- while also lamenting ever having voted for the guy.
The famed director went off on POTUS during a recent interview he did with Russell Brand -- who has tended to lean right in his political views these days. That was echoed in Oliver's diatribe ... where he accused Biden of being on the verge of starting World War III.
"I voted for him - I made a mistake!" @TheOliverStone flags his concerns about the US's involvement in the Ukraine & Russia war - don't miss our full conversation streaming SOON on Rumble pic.twitter.com/FW3TXBjRm7
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) July 28, 2023 @rustyrockets
Check it out ... OS says Joe is repeating historical missteps with his foreign policy, especially as it relates to how he and his administration are dealing with the ongoing conflict.
He doesn't really get into specifics -- at least not in this lone clip -- but he seems to be alluding to the fact that the U.S. continues to support Ukraine through funding and weaponry ... which he seems to think is only further antagonizing Putin, maybe for the worse.
Stone also had this to say about having buyer's remorse on election night ... "I voted for him – I made a mistake, I was thinking he was an old man now that he would calm down, that he would be more mellow and so-forth, I didn’t see that at all. I see a man who maybe is not in charge of his own administration. Who knows."
The filmmaker has a long history of movies that are critical of the federal government -- and it seems he's down to bash Dems as well as Republicans. Harsh words here, no doubt.