Lionel Richie Nixes MSG Show Cites Crappy Weather
Bad weather threw a monkey wrench into Lionel Richie’s plans to perform at Madison Square Garden in NYC.
The iconic R&B singer was set to hit the stage with Earth Wind & Fire Saturday night — but the act of nature derailed their sold out show and an hour after it was supposed to start Lionel made his disappointing announcement.
Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I’m unable to make it to the show tonight. I’m so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can’t wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight’s show are valid for the show on Monday.
— Lionel Richie (@LionelRichie) August 13, 2023 @LionelRichie
Lionel posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Due to severe weather and being unable to land in the NY and surrounding areas, I’m unable to make it to the show tonight.”
He went on, “I’m so bummed. We are rescheduling the show to Monday Aug 14. Can’t wait to perform for you all. Tickets for tonight’s show are valid for the show on Monday.”
The 20,000 strong audience was totally bummed too. Video from inside the venue shows fans booing as an MSG official announces the show had been canceled.
But come August 14 — Lionel will have them hooting and hollering.
Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sanchez 'Heartbroken' Over Maui Wildfires ... Donate $100 Mil for Relief
Jeff Bezos is taking some much-needed action to help Maui recover and rebuild after the horrific wildfires -- not only by donating a huge sum of money, but also by creating a fund to keep the relief effort going.
Jeff's fiancee Lauren Sanchez announced they're donating $100 million and launching the Maui Fund, saying ... "Jeff and I are heartbroken by what's happening in Maui. We are thinking of all the families that have lost so much and a community that has been left devastated."
The deadly fires -- which have claimed at least 59 lives and wiped Lahaina off the map -- have left thousands homeless and without any personal belongings. The humanitarian crisis would be enough to draw Bezos' attention, but he also has a personal tie to the island.
He purchased a 14-acre estate for $78 million in 2021 ... which is about 20 miles south of where the fires are raging.
Lauren says she and Jeff are thinking long term -- "The immediate needs are important, and so is the longer term rebuilding that will have to happen -- even after much of the attention has subsided."
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Oprah Hands Out Supplies At Maui Fire Shelter ... After Devastating Blaze
Oprah is helping her ohana on Maui ... personally delivering crucial supplies to folks who lost everything in the deadly wildfires that wiped out an historic town.
The media mogul, who is one of Maui's biggest private landowners, visited wildfire victims Thursday at a makeshift relief shelter ... passing out cots, pillows and toiletries.
Video shows Oprah giving a man in a cot a pillow, and he appears bandaged. Oprah reportedly offered to buy supplies for the shelter, which is overrun with folks who lost their homes in the deadly blaze.
Oprah shared moments with evacuees at War Memorial Gymnasium in Wailuku, which is being used as a shelter and a drop-off location for donations and supplies, even taking a moment to pose for photos.
Oprah owns more than 1,000 acres on Maui ... including in Hana and Kula, which is in one of the areas where the fires are raging. The blaze completely wiped out Lahaina, an historic town and popular tourist destination.
Maui's been absolutely devastated by the wildfires that ripped through the island this week, and as of Friday the death toll stands at 55. In addition to the tragic loss of life, thousands of structures burned to the ground.
Folks on Maui were forced to flee the flames with just the clothing on their backs ... so they need all the help they can get.
TMZ broke the story ... boxer Floyd Mayweather is paying for 68 families displaced by the fires to fly to safety and stay in a hotel for several weeks, and he's also footing the bill for their food and clothing.
Now, Oprah's stepping up too.
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Hawaii Wildfires Lahaina Residents Dive into Ocean To Escape Deadly Maui Fires
In what could be a scene directly out of a horror movie ... Lahaina residents barely escape with their lives after diving into the ocean for relief from the city's deadly fires.
The terrifying clip shows residents -- many who appear to have grabbed whatever belongings they could last minute -- getting into the water for shelter. Some cling onto pieces of wood to stick together, while others appear to be solo.
The smoke and ash make it almost impossible for residents to see, let alone breathe ... and the diving into the water shows just how desperate the situation got on Maui.
As of Thursday night, the wildfires -- which spread at an unimaginable speed because of high winds -- were about 80% contained. However, there's still been a significant loss of life, with at least 55 people reported dead and more expected once rescue efforts conclude.
Lahaina has seemingly taken the worst hit of the towns in the area -- leaving it essentially flattened and thousands of residents without water, power and forms of communication.
We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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Britney Spears & Kevin Federline Sons Are Safe in Hawaii ... As Fires Tear Through Maui
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Kevin Federline's family -- including his sons with ex-wife Britney Spears -- is safe in Hawaii amid the devastating Maui fires, but we're told the horrifying scenes in their new home state are upsetting the boys.
Sources close to Kevin tell TMZ ... he and Jayden James and Sean Preston -- along with Kevin's wife, Victoria -- aren't physically affected by the wildfires because they live on one of the neighboring islands, where they moved just 2 weeks ago.
The fam is settling into a new rental home, but we're told it's been traumatic for them to see all the death and devastation on Maui. As you'd expect, it's dominating all the news coverage on Hawaiian TV stations.
Utter devastation left by the wildfires in Maui, Hawaï. It is far from hyperbole to say that Lahaina has been wiped off the map.
— Nahel Belgherze (@WxNB_) August 9, 2023 @WxNB_
Credit: Vince Carter pic.twitter.com/dlwxTNY51R
At least 36 people have died in Maui since the fires broke out Tuesday, making it the deadliest blaze in the U.S. since 2018 ... and all of the homes, schools and businesses in downtown Lahaina -- a tourism hot spot -- have been wiped off the map.
TMZ broke the story, Kevin and his sons packed their bags at the beginning of this month, flying to Hawaii with the boys, who opted to not say goodbye in-person to Britney.
We covered the story on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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DJ Paul Sued Pay Up, You Posted My Tornado Vid Without Permission!!!
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DJ Paul's love for natural disasters may have backfired ... the Three 6 Mafia legend is now facing a lawsuit for posting a viral clip of a tornado.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, a company named Viral DRM claims it owns the rights to the clip Paul posted on his Instagram, which shows an insane dashcam view of a tornado wreaking havoc in Elgin, Texas.
It's not hard to see what drew Paul to share the clip, which apparently was first posted back in March 2022. If the close-up shots of lightning bolts weren't eye-popping enough, the sight of the red pickup truck barely making it from out of the storm's eye will surely make your jaw drop!!!
Viral DRM says the clip was shot by a man named Ronald Brian Emfinger but the company says they now own the rights to the video. They say DJ Paul posted the clip on his account in March 2022 without permission
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Viral DM is now suing for damages, claiming its ability to make money from the clip was harmed by Paul's posting.
We reached out to DJ Paul's attorney. No comment for now.
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Beyoncé Pays $100k for Extra Train Hour ... D.C. Show Weather-Stricken
Beyoncé's fans had to wait out a storm in D.C. just to see her perform live, and she returned the favor by shelling out a lot of dough to make sure they could get home afterward.
The singer's show Sunday was hit with really bad weather just before the concert was set to begin at FedEx Field in neighboring Maryland -- with lightning storms and a downpour of rain coming down in the area ... and forcing everyone to shelter in place for a hot minute.
We about to pass out waiting. Shelter in place has 50000 people in a hallway at fedex field !!!! 😡🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵@Beyonce pic.twitter.com/9rYejmRtNL
— and nem. (@rightschamp) August 7, 2023 @rightschamp
There's tons of video showing the D.C. Beyhive huddling up by the thousands in and around the stadium as they waited for the green light ... reports say they were waiting about 2 hours.
Eventually, the elements subsided enough so that the show could start -- but even as Bey did her thing on the big stage, it was still pretty freaking wet out there, as you see.
Pouring but so worth it!! 🙌🏾🙌🏾 #Beyonce #RENAISSANCEWOLRDTOUR pic.twitter.com/nYn0jpQ1ZD
— Jeannette Reyes (@Fox5DCJeannette) August 7, 2023 @Fox5DCJeannette
More importantly, because things were running late from the jump ... the local Metro's train service hours had to be extended, something that doesn't come cheap -- and an expensive tab that somebody had to cover.
In the end ... Bey's 'Renaissance' tour company footed the bill, coming out to $100,000, all told. This allowed the trains at the surrounding 98 stations to run for an extra 60 minutes, and it sounds like that might've bled into the wee hours of Monday morning.
Blue Ivy really performed in front of her dad, her auntie Solange, her grandma, the obamas, kamala harris, 50K people, at the age of 11, with her mom Beyoncé, in the color BLUE. LEGENDARIC😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/FfYh0MmKRz
— danny🫧💚² (@captainyonce) August 6, 2023 @captainyonce
For those who stuck it out and caught the performance in person, they were able to see Blue Ivy -- who's working as a dancer on her mom's tour. Kinda cool, if you're into all that.
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Ben Affleck Uncool with Classic Car!!!
Ben Affleck is yet another victim of the scorching heat wave gripping the nation ... his classic car overheated in the mean streets of Brentwood, CA.
Ben and his son Samuel were cruising in his 1969 Cadillac DeVille Wednesday -- where temps hovered around 90 -- when the car apparently started smoking.
Ben pulled over, popped the hood and hit the pavement in search of a gas station to buy coolant.
Ben eyed the engine, looking for the radiator, and a passerby leaned in for an assist. As Ben hydrated his ride, someone couldn't resist taking a selfie with him.
This isn't the first time Ben's had car issues with his son ... Samuel jumped into the driver's seat of a Lamborghini last year while car browsing with his dad in Bev Hills, but things took a turn for the worse when Sam put the car in reverse, backing into a BMW.
And then there's the time last year when Ben failed to navigate a Starbucks sign at the drive-thru while J Lo rode shotgun.
And speaking of J Lo ... she had her own issues Wednesday when she got locked out of a gym. She was clearly more upset than Ben, telling photogs, "F**k you, bye."
Celebs ... they're just like us.
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Lionel Messi Grand Intro At Inter Miami ... Despite Horrible Weather
A bunch of rain couldn't kill Lionel Messi's vibe at his big Inter Miami introduction on Sunday -- the soccer superstar was happy as ever as he made his grand entrance with his new team.
The lavish celebration was delayed two hours due to a pestering thunderstorm ... but there was no way the thousands of fans at DRV PNK Stadium were going to miss out on seeing the Argentinian striker's first appearance with the MLS club.
Messi cracked a joke about the downpour while addressing the crowd .. saying, "Tonight, we’re doing this Miami-style in the rain. This is holy water!!"
He also got serious during his speech ... saying he's thankful for all the local fans giving him a warm welcome ever since he touched down in the States.
"Truthfully, I'm very excited, very happy to be here in Miami and be with you," Messi said. "I'm eager to start training and to compete. I come here with the same desire to compete, desire to win and help the club to continue to grow."
Messi -- who's reported to make up to $150 million overall during his time with Inter Miami -- also doubled down on his decision to venture to MLS ... saying it's going to be a positive experience for both sides.
Team owner David Beckham also took the mic to share a few words ... saying it's a "dream come true" to have Messi join the family.
The whole event was filled with fireworks, flashing lights and music ... but it's safe to say the party is just getting started.
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Julian Sands Dead at 65 Hikers Find Remains 5 Months After Going Missing
The mystery of actor Julian Sands' disappearance has finally come to a close ... after officials confirm human remains discovered where Sands last went hiking are his.
A statement released Tuesday from the San Bernardino Co. Sheriff's Office read, "The identification process for the body located on Mt Baldy on 24 June, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood."
As we reported, it was Saturday when some hikers in the area discovered the human remains -- more than 5 months after Sands first went missing.
There's not yet a cause of death for Sands, but extreme weather rolled into the area when he went on his hiking trip.
Interestingly enough, rescuers had continued to search for Sands over the last few months, with efforts happening as recently as this month.
While some of Sands' relatives had already lost hope and said their goodbyes, others released a statement, saying they were, "deeply grateful to the search teams and coordinators who have worked tirelessly to find Julian."
Most of Sands' success came in the '80s and '90s in films like "Warlock: The Armageddon" and "Arachnophobia."
He was 65.
RIP
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Louis Tomlinson Grisly Fan Injury Photos ... Hail Storm Horror Show!!!
Some of the Louis Tomlinson fans pulverized in a hail storm are revealing the gnarly injuries they suffered ... and it ain't pretty!!!
Videos/photos of concertgoers' painful wounds were posted to social media after Tomlinson's Wednesday night performance came to a screeching halt due to the brutal weather conditions. One fan's back was covered with massive welts. 😱
Nearly 100 attendees suffered injuries as they were rushed out of the Red Rocks Amphitheater.
The footage shows one fan with golf-ball size red blotches on her back...another person with gashes to her fingers and a third individual whose leg looks like it was beaten with a club.
According to the fire department ... 7 people were taken to a hospital to be treated for cuts and broken bones while 80-to-90 others received medical attention at the venue.
UPDATE: Red Rocks hail storm- 7 people transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. A total of 80 to 90 people treated on scene. Injuries include cuts and broken bones. Sporadic hail still coming down in Morrison area. @StadiumMedical pic.twitter.com/gM7KKNqocW
— WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) June 22, 2023 @WestMetroFire
As the balls of ice were falling, fans tried to seek refuge anywhere they could and many later wrote about their harrowing experiences on Twitter. One even called the ordeal the "scariest night of my life."
Louis says they're gonna give fans full refunds, or do a make-up show -- it hasn't been determined yet.
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Louis Tomlinson Hail Storm Slams Concert Venue ... Injured Fans Flee Show
Louis Tomlinson fans are licking their wounds this morning after a massive hail storm forced them to evacuate his Colorado concert ... and nearly 100 concertgoers were injured.
The weather disaster went down Wednesday night at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater -- the show was set to start at 7 PM, but the huge bout of hail resulted in a few delays and push-backs until the whole thing was called off around 10:25 PM.
Fans were seeking shelter anywhere they could, too ... and many took to Twitter after the nightmare to complain about the golf ball-sized hail. One called the ordeal the "scariest night of my life," while another claimed they left the spot with a broken hand.
UPDATE: Red Rocks hail storm- 7 people transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. A total of 80 to 90 people treated on scene. Injuries include cuts and broken bones. Sporadic hail still coming down in Morrison area. @StadiumMedical pic.twitter.com/gM7KKNqocW
— WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) June 22, 2023 @WestMetroFire
According to the fire department ... 7 people at Red Rocks were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and another 80 to 90 people were treated on the scene.
As for the show, Louie took to the bird app after the terrifying storm ... letting fans know he's devastated about having to pull the plug, before adding "I felt all of your passion! Sending you all love!"
There's yet to be an announcement about a refund or a make-up show, but we're guessing Louis fans might rock hard hats for their next night at Red Rocks.
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Stars In Gloomy Weather ... Hollywood Throwing Shade!
Hollywood's ever-lasting marine layer ain't stopping the stars from enjoying the outdoors, however, their social media pics may be a tad cloudier than usual. But like the true champs they are ... it's safe to assume these stars are still going strong in the gloom!
Foggy or not, stars like Hugh Jackman hasn't let the overcast get in his way of some good ol' gardening, Emily Ratajkowski stayed on brand and gave a strato-tastic bikini shot under the dusk, and Sydney Sweeney looked on the brighter side, showing off a "euphoric" rainbow selfie!
Don't mist out on our gallery of gloomy stars who are feeling anything but shady 😜!
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Shawn Mendes Uses Smoky NYC Skyline to Promote New Single ... Fans Left Confused
Shawn Mendes left fans both excited and understandably confused when he surprise-announced he had a new single on the way ... yet used a photo of a smoke-covered NYC to promote the new tune.
Mendes broke his musical hiatus Friday with the release of "What the Hell Are We Dying For?" but when he announced the single on Thursday, he also shared art showing the orange-tinted NYC skyline.
For the most part, fans were happy, as it's been about a year since Shawn dropped new music ... but there were also comments like, "Extremely poor taste" and "I thought this was parody" regarding the image Shawn used to promote the single.
One positive though -- Shawn says a portion of the proceeds will go to the Canadian Red Cross -- an org that's been on the frontlines assisting with the wildfires raging so badly across the country, it's smoked out multiple states in America's northeast.
As for the song's lyrics ... it opens up with "Smoke in the air, the city's burnin' down. I wanna speak, but I don't make a sound. Locked in my mind, you're all I think about. I wanna save us but I don't know how."
However, the rest of the song doesn't appear to have anything to do with the recent crisis in NYC.
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F1 Auctioning Imola G.P. Trophies ... For Italy Flood Relief
Wanna have a trophy case like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton?? Now's your chance ... 'cause Formula One is auctioning off awards from the canceled Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to support flood relief in Italy.
F1 is currently taking bids on some seriously rare, autographed items ... with all proceeds going to the Emilia-Romagna Region's Agency for Territorial Safety and Civil Protection.
The 2023 pole position award, the first, second, third place and constructor trophies, as well as a podium bottle of champagne are all up for grabs ... but they're not gonna come cheap.
The pole position award is currently going for more than $47,000 ... and with the first place trophy getting nearly $25,000 in bids so far.
Formula One's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Canceled Due To Severe Flooding
All drivers and team principals put their John Hancocks on each piece ... making them even cooler for any F1 fan's collection.
The May 21 race was scrapped due to severe rainfall that rocked the northern Italy area at the time ... with fears there was no way to safely host the weekend's festivities.
F1 has already stepped up to help recovery efforts ... with the org. donating 1 million euros last month.
Bidding ends Tuesday ... so better act faster than Max on a flying lap!!
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Yuki Tsunoda Helps With Flood Cleanup ... F1 Donates 1 Mil. Euros
10:01 AM PT -- 5/19 -- F1 is also helping out in a big way -- the organization just announced it is making an immediate 1 million euro donation ($1.08 million) to the Emilia-Romagna area to help those affected by the flooding.
F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali explained the gesture ... saying, "I was born and grew up in the marvelous lands of Emilia-Romagna, a place that is living through some of the saddest moments in its history."
"The situation facing the communities in the region is terrible, but I know that the resilience and passion of the people in the region, like so many across Italy, will prevail through this crisis."
He added ... "We must do everything we can to support them at this difficult time and that is why we are donating to help support the relief efforts on the ground."
Formula One's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was canceled, but Yuki Tsunoda still deserves Driver of the Day honors ... 'cause the AlphaTauri driver decided to step up and help the locals in Italy clean up after this week's severe flooding.
Shots of the Japanese driver's good deed were captured on Thursday ... showing him shoveling mud out of the streets of Faenza, which is home to AlphaTauri headquarters.
Yuki and his team have been doing everything they can to help the area as it deals with the floods -- earlier this week, he called on his followers to donate to relief funds.
"After a horrible night the town is heavily impacted: dust, mud, and the smell of gasoline everywhere," Tsunoda said Wednesday morning. "Currently people are struggling to find food and especially places to stay, after many have been evacuated from their own homes."
"Please, anything you can do to help is appreciated."
After a horrible night the town is heavily impacted: dust, mud, and the smell of gasoline everywhere. Currently people are struggling to find food and especially places to stay,after many have been evacuated from their own homes. Please, anything you can do to help is appreciated pic.twitter.com/NQw72LeCLy
— 角田裕毅/Yuki Tsunoda (@yukitsunoda07) May 17, 2023 @yukitsunoda07
Of course, F1 decided Wednesday to scrap the weekend's festivities ... saying it would not be possible to go ahead with the race while ensuring everyone's safety.
Northern Italy has been hit hard by the weather ... with thousands evacuating the area, and at least 13 deaths.
Originally Published -- 5/18 2:24 PM PT