TMZ.com Home

Charles Dion McDowell -- better known as Wide Neck -- is back behind bars after a judge revoked his bond ... TMZ has learned.

The viral sensation was arrested in Pensacola, FL Tuesday ... but isn't facing any new charges. Instead, his bond was revoked in a previous case. We're not sure why the judge made this call at this point, but it looks like Neck will have to sit in a cell 'til it gets sorted out.

McDowell's been arrested a few times the past few months, but he blew up on social media thanks to a mug shot featuring his massive neck when he was busted in Florida in early November. During that arrest, he was booked for eluding, possession of cocaine, meth and marijuana.

He was arrested again a week later in Lee County, Alabama for allegedly eluding law enforcement, reckless driving, driving with a revoked license, improper lane usage and a 2nd-degree possession of marijuana charge. And yes, there was another necky mug shot.

1/30 -- The man, Arka Sangbarani Oroojian, turned himself into cops Tuesday night and was booked for assault with a deadly weapon. His bail is set at $90,000.

The Los Angeles Police Department is asking the public to help them identify a scumbag who punched two women in the face multiple times and is still on the run.

LAPD released this brutal footage of a muscular man assaulting two women on Saturday in DTLA. In the video you can see him flee on foot, and we're told he's still at large. Warning ... the video is pretty graphic, showing him repeatedly striking the women.

Law enforcement sources tell us the guy was arguing with a hot dog street vendor that night and holding up a line. One of the women asked if he could wrap it up so other people could order ... and the man turned around and socked her right in the face.

We're told her female friend tried to intervene, and was quickly struck as well. He then went off on both of them before bolting.

Cops are asking anyone who knows this guy or his whereabouts to contact LAPD at (213) 486-6606.

Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are understandably enraged by the brutal attack of Jussie Smollett.

We got the famed Hollywood director and producer in Bev Hills Tuesday afternoon, and their reactions to the racist and homophobic beating of the "Empire" star were visceral.

Grazer, who produces the hit Fox show, struggles to compose himself ... and then Howard unloads.

Both men want justice ... as in, throw the book at the monsters who committed the hate crime.

We broke the story ... Smollett was attacked by 2 men around 2 AM Tuesday shortly after leaving a Subway sandwich shop. The men beat him up, tied a noose around his neck, poured bleach over him and yelled, "MAGA country."

The attack came just 8 days after Fox Studios in Chicago received a threatening letter addressed to Smollett containing homophobic and racist slurs.

Halsey has a message for Magic Johnson -- quit messin' around and figure out a way to sign Anthony Davis already!!!

The superstar singer was one of the MANY famous faces in the crowd as the Lakers took on the Philadelphia 76ers at Staples Center in L.A. on Tuesday night ... and it was clear she's no fair-weather fan.

The video of Halsey is cool -- not only does she talk basketball, she signs autographs and takes pics with her fans after the game. Great stuff.

As for a potential Davis signing, it's possible -- but it would require the Lakers to give up almost all of their young stars ... Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and others. They might also have to give up some draft picks.

It seems L.A. is where Davis wants to end up -- in fact, he was just fined $50,000 this week for "tampering" because NBA officials believe he broke league rules by demanding a trade.

Oh, and ... A.D. and LeBron have the same agent. Just sayin' ...

Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

Meanwhile, check out all the superstars at the game -- the Kardashians were there supporting Kendall's boyfriend, Ben Simmons.

Leo DiCaprio was also on hand ... same with Kevin Hart, Rami Malek, Diplo, Flea and Ashton Kutcher.

Juliette Lewis isn't down with the notion that Ted Bundy was a "sexy" serial killer ... and she's weirded out by anyone -- especially women -- who thinks that.

The actress and singer was at LAX Tuesday when we asked her about the "hot" buzz around Bundy -- due to the fact that Zac Efron is playing him in the new film, "Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile."

Juliette thinks it's very gross, though she's got no problem with casting the stupidly handsome Efron as the infamous murderer. Her beef's with "weirdo women" who fall for a killer who happens to be charming and good looking -- when his heinous crimes are common knowledge.

As we've told you ... one of Ted Bundy's survivors, Kathy Kleiner Rubin, is fine with the hot take on Bundy in the new movie, as long as people learn a lesson about his evil ways.

Farrah Abraham is busting out her metaphorical whip and lashing out at haters blasting her for posting a video of her 9-year-old daughter dancing in underwear ... saying back the hell off, 'cause it's what parents do.

Farrah tells TMZ ... the video posted on Snapchat earlier this week -- showing Sophia wearing full-on makeup and dancing in just a top and underwear -- is no different than the kids modeling for Calvin Klein.

The ex-'Teen Mom' star also says the video -- taken at Nordstrom in NYC -- is not by any stretch inappropriate, because it was shot in a public area where kids look in the mirror after trying on clothes in the fitting room.

Farrah faced swift backlash after posting the video ... with one person saying on social media, "Farrah you're abusive. Stop marketing your daughter to child predators."

As for those questioning her parenting skills, Farrah's not batting an eyelash ... telling TMZ, "I know my daughter and I are living our best lives wearing Calvin Kleins."

7:28 AM PT -- The accuser's attorney tells us his client is suing for $8 million.

The woman who claims she was attacked by boxing superstar Sergey Kovalev has now filed a lawsuit against the Russian ... claiming the 35-year-old also brutalized her dog.

It's all in court docs obtained by TMZ Sports ... Jamie Frontz (who has identified herself publicly) claims she met Sergey at the grand opening of a boxing gym in Big Bear, CA back in June.

Frontz -- a model and actress -- claims Sergey and a friend followed her home from the party and Kovalev aggressively tried to have sex with her.

"At one point, Kovalev pinned Jamie to the couch, leaning over her with his hands on either side of her shoulders, such that she could not move away."

Jamie claims her dog sensed the danger and tried to intervene -- but Kovalev shoved the dog away and then kicked it in the chest.

While tending to her dog, Jamie claims, "Kovalev turned to [her] and punched her with full force directly in the face one time with a closed fist."

In her suit, Jamie claims Sergey fled the scene -- so, she called the cops.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... cops tracked down Kovalev and arrested him. He's been charged with felony assault and faces up to 4 years in prison. Kovalev has pleaded not guilty.

In her suit, Jamie claims she went to the emergency room where she was treated for a broken nose, head injuries and a concussion. She also suffered severe back and neck injuries.

The next morning, Jamie claims she saw Kovalev crawl out of the bushes near her cabin, and he yelled her name -- so, she called 911 and later got a restraining order against him.

Jamie is suing for more than $3 million in damages.

We reached out to Kovalev for comment -- so far, no word back.

Sergey is due back in court in March to face the criminal charge. He's also set to fight Eleider Alvarez this Saturday, in a rematch of an August bout that he shockingly lost.

Tyrese is furious that his ex-wife left their daughter with a friend while Mom was out of town -- and now she's gotta explain herself or a judge is going to punish her.

In a new court filing, obtained by TMZ, Tyrese claims his ex, Norma Gibson, left the country for a few days in early January while their daughter, Shayla, was supposed to be in her custody. Tyrese says Norma pawned the kid off to a classmate for a one-night sleepover, while she jetted off to Trinidad.

Presumably, that means Norma left Shayla with a friend on her final day of custody ... because Tyrese says Shayla was back under his care the following day.

He says he learned about the sleepover after the fact -- without a heads-up from Norma -- and claims that by doing what she did, Norma violated a court order from 2014 that gives him the right of first refusal in this type of situation.

Translation ... if you're leaving town without our kid, you have to let me know first. A judge already said so.

Tyrese is also pissed about alleged old social media posts that he unearthed from 2017 that feature Shayla, which he says is another violation of their previous court order.

A judge granted Tyrese's request -- and now, Norma must appear in court to justify her actions. If she doesn't, she risks being held in contempt of the court ... and having to pay Tyrese's legal and attorney fees.

Maroon 5 will NOT be taking questions from the media about their Super Bowl halftime show -- the NFL just announced the pre-show press conference is officially OFF.

The halftime show press conference has been a tradition for YEARS -- Justin Timberlake held one last year, Gaga before that ... Prince famously busted out his guitar and rocked out at his back in 2007.

So, why scrap the presser? The NFL says Maroon 5 and the other artists like Travis Scott want to "let their show do the talking" -- but it seems pretty obvious it's all about Kaepernick.

There's been a strong push from big stars like Common and Nick Cannon for the halftime show performers to pull out over the way the league has treated Kap.

Other stars like Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kelly Rowland have said they wouldn't work with the NFL in the wake of Kaepernick's allegations he's been blackballed for taking a knee during the national anthem.

SportsBusiness Journal's Daniel Kaplan says the presser had been on the official schedule of events -- and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport essentially confirmed by saying the presser was "canceled."

The NFL issued a statement saying ... "Maroon 5 has been working hard on a Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show that will meet and exceed the standards of this event."

"As it is about music, the artists will let their show do the talking as they prepare to take the stage this Sunday."

Instead of hosting a press conference, the NFL says the artists and the league will participate in a "social and digital media rollout" to promote the show.

4:00 PM PT -- Chicago PD confirms to TMZ Jussie told them, in a follow-up interview, about the attackers yelling, "MAGA country."

They add Jussie still had the rope around his neck when he made contact with cops at 2:42 AM. Remember, the attack happened around 2 AM.

12:43 PM PT -- Sources connected to production tell us Jussie and the rest of the main "Empire" cast members will have armed security going forward while they continue shooting in Chicago.

Lee Daniels briefly posted, but then deleted, a screen grab from a FaceTime he had with Jussie while he was in the hospital.

11:10 AM PT -- "Empire" creator Lee Daniels just expressed his outrage and horror over the attack.

11:18 AM PT -- We're told cops recently visited a Target Department Store close to where the incident happened and obtained surveillance footage. Our source says the video shows one person -- presumably Jussie -- walking down the street. Officers also visited a nearby apartment building to ask for video.

11:20 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us the FBI was already investigating the letter sent to Jussie last week containing racist and homophobic slurs.

11:10 AM PT -- Fox just issued this statement ... "We are deeply saddened and outraged to learn that a member of our EMPIRE family, Jussie Smollett, was viciously attacked last night. We send our love to Jussie, who is resilient and strong, and we will work with law enforcement to bring these perpetrators to justice. The entire studio, network and production stands united in the face of any despicable act of violence and hate -- and especially against one of our own."

10:30 AM PT -- "Empire" staff held an emergency meeting Tuesday morning in Chicago to tell everyone what happened to Jussie. We're told the cast and crew were extremely upset. Several actors were already in their trailers getting ready to shoot when they got the news.

We're told there was a discussion about getting extra security on set while shooting. They have a handful of episodes left to shoot for the current season.

"Empire" star Jussie Smollett was brutally attacked by 2 men who beat him up, put his head in a noose and screamed, "This is MAGA country."

Sources directly connected to Jussie tell TMZ, the actor arrived in Chicago from New York late Monday, and at around 2 AM he was hungry and went to a Subway. We're told when shortly after he walked out on his way home, someone yelled, "Aren't you that f***ot 'Empire' n*****?"

The 2 men -- both white and wearing ski masks -- viciously attacked Jussie as he fought back, but they beat him badly and fractured a rib. They put a rope around his neck, poured bleach on him and as they left they yelled, "This is MAGA country."

Jussie took himself to Northwestern Memorial where he was treated. He was discharged later Tuesday morning.

ThatGrapeJuice.Net first posted this letter which was sent to Fox Studios in Chicago with cut out letters spelling, "You will die black f**." Our sources say the letter was sent 8 days ago.

The envelope the letter arrived in appears to say MAGA in the upper left corner.

Chicago PD tells us they are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, and they are canvasing the area for any video.

Jerry O'Connell wants to play Billy McFarland in the worst way ... and his impression of B.M. makes him more than worthy.

We got Jerry and his wife, Rebecca Romijn, Tuesday at LAX and asked how they'd feel about a scripted reimagining of the "the best party that never happened" hitting the big screen.

Turns out Jerry and Rebecca are Fyre nuts, who've watched both the Hulu and Netflix documentaries.

We talked to McFarland shortly after his would-be music fest came crashing down, and at the time he explained how he and his team tried hard to make it work.

As for whether the models who were involved in promoting the Fyre Fest -- some of whom are still being indirectly roped in to the story, even now -- should feel bad about their role in all this ... Rebecca -- a former model -- actually comes to their defense.

One thing's for sure ... these two definitely know their Fyre Festival history!

Michael Carbonaro might need to pull a rabbit out of his hat -- or from behind the counter -- 'cause he's heading to trial for allegedly screwing over the lady who created the idea for his hit TV magic show.

Carbonaro was sued in 2015 by producer Beth Einhorn, when she claimed he'd broken a verbal agreement that she says they struck in 2012, to create a show based on the popular 'Tonight Show' skit called "Magic Clerk" ... which she wrote and he starred in.

Best of Magic Clerk from Trickster Productions on Vimeo.

Einhorn claims she and Carbonaro entered into a 50/50 verbal contract to produce a spin-off series based on "Magic Clerk," which she says they called "TrickShow." It would've been similar in premise -- a hidden camera show where in-store hijinks fool customers.

Fast-forward to 2014 ... Einhorn says she discovered Michael suddenly had his own show, "The Carbonaro Effect" ... which Beth says is an exact duplicate of what they allegedly agreed to produce together. Einhorn claims Carbonaro peddled the show as his own thing ... without crediting or paying her a dime.

'TCE' went on to be a huge hit on truTV, and now the 2015 lawsuit is heading to a jury trial, which starts Wednesday.

Grammy-winning R&B singer and songwriter James Ingram has died from a battle with a form of brain cancer ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the singer tell us James had been fighting the cancer for an extended period. Actress and choreographer Debbie Allen reacted to the news Tuesday, saying ... "I have lost my dearest friend."

Ingram recorded several chart-toppers in the '80s, including his #1 duet with Patti Austin, "Baby Come to Me" ... as well as "Somewhere Out There" with Linda Ronstadt, "100 Ways" and "Just Once."

He won a Grammy for "Yah Mo B There" -- his duet with Michael McDonald -- and another for "100 Ways." He was nominated for 12 other times for Grammys.

James worked closely Quincy Jones over the years ... recording and writing hits. For instance, he and Q co-wrote Michael Jackson's smash hit, "P.Y.T." from the "Thriller" album.

James was one of the featured soloists for the all-star choir that gathered to record the smash charity song, "We Are the World" in 1985 -- singing parts between Kenny Rogers, Tina Turner and Ray Charles.

He started his professional singing career in the 70s when he joined the group, Revelation Funk, and even played for Ray Charles' band at one point.

During a Quincy tribute concert in L.A. last September, James was noticeably absent when Patti performed their hit song. It was not clear at the time why he soldiered on without him, doing her best impression of her dear friend while singing his parts.

James was 66.

RIP

Rev. Al Sharpton is calling on President Trump to start speaking out -- and tweeting up a storm -- against the the MAGA hatred that apparently fueled the vicious attack on Jussie Smollett.

Sharpton joined us on "TMZ Live" to talk about what happened to his friend and said he doesn't blame Trump for the homophobic, racially-charged attack. However, Sharpton said the President should strongly denounce the attackers to make it crystal clear his slogan shouldn't be used as a battle cry for hate crimes.

As we first reported ... 2 men attacked Smollett at around 2 AM in Chicago and put his head in a noose and doused him in bleach. Jussie's reps say the men screamed, "This is MAGA country" as they fled the scene.

Sharpton told us, if Trump doesn't deliver a stern message to his nearly 58 million followers on Twitter condemning the attack ... "his silence would be very, very deafening."