Venus Williams Reaches Settlement In Fatal Car Crash
Venus Williams has reached a settlement with the family of the man who died in the Florida car accident she had last year ... TMZ Sports has learned.
According to court docs filed in Palm Beach County, Jerome Barson's estate and the tennis star reached an agreement last week. It's unclear how much money changed hands, but according to the docs there was a financial settlement that will cover certain expenses.
Both sides are paying their own attorneys' fees in the wrongful death suit. TMZ Sports obtained surveillance video showing the brutal accident.
Jerome's wife was driving and he was the passenger in the sedan that T-boned Venus as she drove through a busy Palm Beach Gardens intersection in 2017.
Venus was cleared of criminal charges after cops determined she was "caught in the middle" of the intersection when her light turned red.
The Barsons had a green light and barreled into Venus' SUV. Jerome died from his injuries 14 days after the accident. His wife, Linda, was also injured.
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Aloe Blacc I'll Work with Trump on Prison Reform ... IF He's Serious About It
Aloe Blacc says working with President Trump to reform America's prison system is the best path to success, and it's exactly what Martin Luther King Jr. would do.
Aloe's one of more than 50 celebs lobbying to pass the First Step Act, which will eventually require Trump's signature. We asked the singer if it's tough interacting with POTUS, considering his policies and behavior have polarized much of the nation.
Aloe says that's beside the point in this case ... because it's the right move to achieve change for the better. As he put it, "Imagine the people [Dr. Martin Luther King] had to get into rooms with, knowing what side of the fence they were on."
Blacc's point -- whether or not you see eye-to-eye with Trump, he's the man with the "big megaphone" who can help the cause. First Step, organized by CNN host Van Jones, aims to improve the lives of prisoners and shorten mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses ... among other things.
Prison reform's been in the spotlight this year due, in part, to Kim Kardashian's successful effort to free imprisoned grandmother Alice Marie Johnson.
Other celebs -- like Alyssa Milano, Mark Cuban, Chelsea Handler and Kanye West -- have joined the movement, but Aloe says they need a big assist from Trump, the Senate and citizens like you.
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Michael Jordan Dishin' Out Turkey Meals ... to Hurricane Victims
They don't call him the G.O.A.T. for nothin' ... Michael Jordan is delivering a huge assist to Hurricane Florence victims ... handing out Thanksgiving meals to those affected by the storm on Tuesday.
TMZ Sports has learned ... His Airness was dishin' out the meals in front of a Lowe's in Wilmington, North Carolina ... personally greeting and helping out the people in attendance.
It's a tragedy that hit close to home for M.J. ... he grew up in Wilmington and later went on to ball out at University of North Carolina.
ICYMI -- Jordan already donated $2 MILLION to hurricane relief and boxed meals with his Charlotte Hornets back in September.
Jordan also raised more money by selling Hornets merch with proceeds going to hurricane relief.
Not only did Jordan do the Thanksgiving giveaway ... M.J's rep, Estee Portnoy, tells us he surprised kids at the Boys & Girls Club and hooked them up with food and Jordans as well.
Like we said ... G.O.A.T.
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Aaron Carter I'm the OG Biebs ... Kids Have No Respect!!!
Aaron Carter insists he laid the foundation for dudes like Justin Bieber ... even if kids these days don't wanna give him props for it.
Aaron hilariously responded to a random fan on Twitter Tuesday, who wondered why Aaron never achieved the same success as Biebs. That ticked off Aaron who suggests he's basically the Godfather of modern-day child pop stars.
Listen man. I can’t sit here & just not say anything to that, I’ve been in this industry before he was born. I’ve had harder times and always bounce back. No I’m not Justin Bieber I’m Aaron Carter. I’m also in construction 🚧 I paved the way. These kids have NEVER paid me homage. https://t.co/Qe86BI22Pq
@aaroncarter
In his tweet, Aaron says he's been in the music industry way longer than Biebs ... and, apparently, went through much harder times, only to bounce back time and again. He even jokes he's in construction because he "paved the way."
Aaron, at the ripe old age of 30, ended his rant with, "These kids have NEVER paid me homage."
No response from Bieber yet -- he's been a little busy with the missus and other stuff.
AARP says it fully supports Aaron. Kidding.
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Tyga Josie Canseco Went to 'Rack City' With My Bday Dancers!!!
Tyga made sure everyone at his 29th birthday bash got involved in the festivities, and that required some hands-on therapy with booty-shaking dancers in g-strings!
The rapper celebrated Monday night at Delilah in WeHo with some of his besties ... including several limber dancers with pole skills. We got video of Tyga enjoying himself, but from the looks of things ... no one had a better time than model Josie Canseco.
She was hanging all over her BF, rapper Mike Stud, while contributing to the dancers' college funds.
Tyga's BFF -- and Amber Rose's BF -- Alexander 'AE' Edwards was also there. The night couldn't finish without a birthday cake ... albeit stripper-themed. How fitting.
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Shaquille O'Neal The 'Shaq-A-Claus' Origin Story Will Melt Your Cold, Cold Heart
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EXCLUSIVE
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For the 26th year in a row, Shaq-A-Claus is coming to town -- giving out thousands of toys to kids in need -- and the Big Fella's reason for launching the program is DEFINITELY gonna give you the feels.
Shaquille O'Neal joined the guys on "TMZ Live" and explained how he started his Shaq-A-Claus initiative back in 1992 after someone very special to him asked to borrow money to buy gifts for underprivileged kids.
The NBA legend was so moved, he opened up his bank account -- and got a moving truck (he doesn't really fit in your standard sleigh) -- and brought Christmas gifts to kids with nothing under the tree.
This year, Shaq says he's teaming up with Zappos -- the shoe giant -- to make the program bigger than ever before.
Zappos is essentially offering to cover shipping costs to donate toys through its website -- and will match toy donations on Black Friday and Cyber Monday!
Shaq explained, "I know what it's like to wake up and not get one, single toy on Christmas and I don't want any child to have to go through that."
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Future Drake Hosts Lit Bday Bash ... Until 'Shots Fired' Call!!!
Future and Drake turned ATL's famed Magic City strip club into "Future City" for the rapper's birthday, but the party was cut short when a report of gunfire brought cops to the scene ... TMZ has learned.
Sources say Future and Drake's invite-only party brought in rappers Lil Yachty, Jacquees, Pastor Troy, Casino, MJAE The Great & 550 and Atlanta Falcons stud Julio Jones. Solid guest list and they pulled out all the stops with the 3 Bs -- tons of booze, booty-shaking and bands of cash.
We're told Drake literally backed up an armored truck to deliver six figures ... to make it rain on the strippers. Throw in 30 bottles of Hennessey, 30 bottles of Don Julio and another few thousand for Indaglow Productions to rebrand the club, "Future City" -- and ya got all ya need for the party of the year.
One problem though ... Atlanta PD responded at 3 AM to reports of fighting and gunfire. We're told officers found no evidence to support the gunshot claim, but the vibe was definitely killed and people started clearing out.
Check out the pics and video, though -- it was crazy fun while it lasted!
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Kevin Durant Cusses Out Mavericks Fans ... Over 'Cupcake' Insults
11/17/18
11/20 -- The NBA has fined Kevin Durant $25,000 for "directing inappropriate language toward a fan"
2:38 PM PT -- Another witness tells TMZ Sports ... the hecklers had been bombarding KD with the "cupcake" insults to the point where it became unbearable.
That witness tells us KD complained to the refs at one point but the fans were not removed or disciplined in any way.
The witness says KD's explicit outburst was completely justified.
Kevin Durant went off on a heckler who was sitting courtside at the Mavs game this weekend -- telling the guy, "Watch the f**king game and shut the f**k up."
It all went down during the 1st quarter of the Warriors vs. Mavs game in Dallas on Saturday.
One witness who was sitting in spitting distance from the incident tells us ... the heckler was just saying the typical NBA fan trash talk -- calling KD names like, "Cupcake" and other insults.
But, KD wasn't having it -- walking over to the group, leaning in ... and cussing the guys out.
Did Durant's warning work? Nope.
We're told the group laughed off the incident because they knew they got to him and ramped up the trash talk even more for the rest of the game.
Ultimately, the Mavs BEAT the Warriors 112 to 109 ... with KD dropping 32 points.
It ain't the first time KD's had to deal with hecklers -- he got into it with some trash talkers back in June and was held back when the guys shouted out that his alma mater (University of Texas) is "butt."
JUNE 2018
Originally Published -- 11/19/2018 1:46 PM PST
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Michael Avenatti Hit with Restraining Order Allegedly Grabbed GF, Dragged Her into Hallway
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EXCLUSIVE
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Michael Avenatti's alleged domestic violence victim claims they had an argument that turned violent -- with him being verbally and physically abusive -- and now she has a restraining order against him.
The woman, Mareli Miniutti, says she and Avenatti were in the master bedroom of their apartment arguing about money on November 13, when he called her an "ungrateful f**king bitch" ... according to docs. She says he followed her into a guest bedroom while verbally berating her and hitting her "forcefully" in the face with pillows. She claims he said, "Do not disrespect me. You don't get to sleep in my house tonight."
In the docs, Mareli says Avenatti grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her off of the bed in the guest bedroom -- and when she escaped his grasp, she started texting a friend. She claims he grabbed the phone out of her hand ... and started screaming for help out of a window.
According to the docs, Avenatti then dragged her by her right arm and out into the public hallway of the apartment building. She says she was only wearing underwear and a t-shirt, and suffered scratches on her side and leg. The woman says she rang a neighbor's doorbell for help, but Avenatti allegedly grabbed her and dragged her back into his apartment and shut the door ... preventing her from leaving.
Mareli says she was eventually able to get out of the apartment, but she claims Avenatti rode down in the elevator with her while begging, "Don't do this Mareli, don't involve them" ... presumably referring to building security. She says security guards did take her into a room by herself while she waited for a friend to come pick her up.
Mareli says, in the docs, this was the second time Avenatti was physically violent toward her. She claims the first time was in February ... when he pushed her out of the apartment into the hallway where she struck her head against a neighbor's door ... and threw her shoes at her. She also claims he has a history of being "verbally abusive and financially controlling."
According to the restraining order, Avenatti must stay 100 yards away from Mareli and have no contact of any sort with her. A hearing is scheduled for next month.
TMZ broke the story ... Avenatti was arrested Wednesday after the woman filed a felony domestic violence report. The alleged argument and confrontation she describes happened late Tuesday night at their exclusive apartment in the Century City area of L.A.
Avenatti posted $50k bail and, when he was released, he vehemently denied the allegations.
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Hailey Baldwin Tag, You're Bieber!! It's Billboard Graffiti Official
Someone really wants Hailey Baldwin to drop her name and publicly take Justin Bieber's -- a demand they boldly made by tagging her L.A. billboard.
Check it out ... we got pics and video of a man spray painting -- aka vandalizing -- Hailey's PrettyLittleThing billboard Monday night. As we told you, Hailey changed her Instagram handle to @HaileyBieber over the weekend, but that clearly wasn't enough for this guy.
The guy first covered "Baldwin" with white spray paint, then scribbled "Bieber" over that in black paint. We'll give him this ... he's efficient. The entire process only took a few minutes.
The billboard is on Fairfax Avenue ... not far from The Grove. Looks like the tagger had to sneak onto the roof of an art gallery to access the billboard's ladder.
The advertisement stood unscathed for about 2 weeks -- before Captain Change-a-Name jumped into action.
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Tekashi69 Placed in Gen Pop at Brutal Prison But Feds Say He's in Danger
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EXCLUSIVE
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Tekashi69 is getting NO special treatment while he's in prison awaiting his bail hearing because he's chillin' with every other inmate in general population ... TMZ has learned.
6ix9ine's lawyer, Lance Lazzaro, tells us ... Tekashi has been placed in gen pop at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center as opposed to being held in a segregated part of the federal pen ... due to his celeb status.
That's interesting because the MDC is notoriously brutal, with inmates that are "extremely dangerous, violent, or escape-prone," according to the U.S. Justice Department.
There's also this ... prosecutors expressed Monday just how much of a target Tekashi had been prior to his arrest this weekend. One prosecutor told a judge ex-members of Tekashi's crew "wanted to super violate him" following his appearance on the 'Breakfast Club' ... where he accused his inner circle of turning on him.
The prosecutor, Michael Longyear, said 'super violate' meant inflict harm on Tekashi, including possibly shooting him. He said they took Tekashi in after learning he was planning a trip to a Connecticut casino, and feared an attempt on his life could put innocent people in jeopardy.
As for the rapper getting placed in gen pop ... Lazzaro thinks Tekashi will be fine. His scheduled bail hearing for Tuesday was pushed to Wednesday since the judge was unavailable.
We broke the story ... Tekashi was arrested and indicted on 6 federal charges, some of which carry max sentences of life in prison.
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Paris Hilton She Still Has the Engagement Ring ... But He Wants it Back
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EXCLUSIVE
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Paris Hilton has yet to return the VERY expensive ring Chris Zylka gave her when he got on bended knee earlier this year, but it may just be a matter of time before she has to fork it over.
Sources close to Chris tell us, he bought the ring -- valued at $2 MILLION. Based on what we know, he got a massive discount. The jeweler and Paris have a close relationship, and publicity for jewelers is as valuable as cold, hard cash.
Now ... we're told Paris is the one who broke off the engagement. Under California law, if she calls off the engagement, he gets the ring back. And, not surprisingly, we're told he wants it back.
We're told Paris and Chris haven't seen each other since the split, and he hasn't requested that she turn the ring back ... but we know he wants it.
It's pretty damn unique, with a massive 20-carat diamond, which took about 4 months to cut.
You'd think something that valuable would've been safe and sound on Paris' finger, but it's been lost and found at least once since Chris proposed in Aspen.
Our sources say Chris will make the hard ask if Paris doesn't get the hint. Copy that, PH?
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UFC's Rachael Ostovich Files for Restraining Order ... Against MMA Fighter Husband
UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich has filed for a restraining order against her MMA fighter husband, Arnold Berdon, in the wake of a violent incident over the weekend ... TMZ Sports has learned.
Rachael filed for the order herself in Hawaii on Nov. 19 -- and based on court docs, it appears the order was temporarily granted and is set to stay in effect until May 18, 2019.
As we previously reported, Ostovich was hospitalized with a broken orbital bone along with other injuries after an incident in Hawaii.
Multiple sources tell us ... Ostovich is pointing the finger at Berdon and that's why she's filed the restraining order.
Cops have opened a felony domestic violence investigation but have not released the name of the suspect.
We spoke with a family member who is very close with Berdon, who tells us Arnold is seeking a lawyer and intends to defend himself against allegations he attacked his wife.
We're told Berdon will argue he was attacked first and defended himself.
Berdon is also a pro MMA fighter. He's 27 years old with a 7-2 record, according to Sherdog.com.
He's listed at 5'9" and 135 lbs. Berdon's last fight was back in June -- a unanimous decision victory over Jeremias Fernandez.
As for Ostovich, she recently pulled out of her January 19 fight against Paige VanZant explaining that her injuries are too severe.
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Blac Chyna Rob's Denying Dream the Life She Deserves ... Not Me!!!
Blac Chyna thinks Rob Kardashian's going the deadbeat dad route by depriving their daughter, Dream, of a luxurious lifestyle, all while he's living one himself ... or so she believes.
Chyna slammed Rob Monday evening by suggesting their daughter should be entitled to the same type of lifestyle he enjoys -- an obvious reference to him going to court last week to get a big reduction in child support.
As she put it on Instagram ... "'So' my children aren't Supposed to live the same lifestyle as their fathers ETC ETC ha?"
We broke the story ... Rob wants to reduce his $20k a month support payments -- which he agreed to in September 2017 -- because he claims he's basically broke, while Chyna's rolling in the dough.
Chyna doesn't deny she's doing well -- she's flaunted her success recently on social media -- but she's accused Rob of just pretending to be poor so he doesn't have to fork over as much dough for Dream.
The IG post is a clear attempt at publicly shaming him, though, because she's still insisting she doesn't need his money -- "As single Mother, I provide for them and give them the luxury lifestyle they deserve..... WOW!!!"
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David Guetta GF Shows Off Bod & Diamond Rock!!!
David Guetta showing off his abs and his hot bikini-clad girlfriend would normally be enough to focus on, but then his GF busted out a crazy diamond that's gonna get everyone talking ... ENGAGEMENT!!!
The EDM superstar and actress Jessica Ledon hit up Miami Beach Monday with their French bulldog. DG rocked his hard physique while she strutted in a blue bikini ... curves on full display.
She kept it classy too ... accessories around her neck, wrists and, of course, that ring finger.
David and Jessica haven't announced anything, but that ring's sure to set off a bunch of alarms. For what it's worth ... the ring looks like a doozy.
David and Jessica have been dating since 2015 and they both still look totally smitten. Just look at the hot pics ... it's easy to see why!!
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Jared Goff Emotional With Bar Shooting Victims ... After Win
Rams stars Jared Goff and Andrew Whitworth shared an emotional moment with victims of the horrific Thousand Oaks massacre after the L.A. win Monday night ... nearly coming to tears at midfield.
The QB and the left tackle passed on celebrating their epic 54-51 win with their teammates to meet with family members of those killed at Borderline Bar and Grill near L.A. earlier this month.
The players and the victims embraced for several seconds ... and the families couldn't thank Goff and Whitworth enough for their actions.
"I'll tell you what, you sometimes realize things are bigger than yourself," Andrew told reporters after the game.
"Coming off of a win, you realize quickly, man, there's a whole lot of things more important than football."
L.A. also hung up a banner with pictures of the victims and the words, "Together we mourn. Together we stand."
Family members of fallen Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus also lit the ceremonial torch pregame ... and Andrew donated his entire game check to the survivors.
The Rams also honored victims of the Southern California wildfires with LAFD hats ... and pledged to donate the profits of tons of game-worn items to survivors of that tragedy.