TMZ.com Home

Jermaine Jackson is slamming Quincy Jones for removing Michael Jackson references from his orchestral show in London ... Jermaine thinks Quincy's caving to outside pressure.

We got Jermaine at LAX and asked him about Quincy's decision to scrub all references to the King of Pop from his upcoming concert across the pond ... and Michael's big bro had a very stern message for the legendary producer.

Quincy's orchestral show at The O2 arena in London next month was originally billed as a live performance of 3 classic MJ albums -- "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad" -- but now Quincy is calling it a "soundtrack of the 80s."

As you know ... Quincy produced Michael's 3 biggest albums, and the 2 will forever be linked. Jermaine tells us it's grossly unfair for Quincy to try and distance himself from Michael.

So far, Quincy isn't saying what prompted the change ... but there's been a lot of media pressure in the UK to mute Michael in the wake of "Leaving Neverland." Jermaine feels Quincy is listening to the wrong voices. BTW, the movement fizzled in the U.S.

Dennis Rodman claims he's NOT A THIEF -- telling TMZ Sports allegations he participated in a clothing heist at a yoga studio this week are just wrong.

Or as Dennis put it ... "We didn't steal sh*t!!!"

We spotted the NBA Hall of Famer leaving The Abbey in West Hollywood on Thursday with the same group of friends who were with him at the VIBES Hot Yoga studio in Newport Beach earlier this week.

As we previously reported, the owner of the studio claims Dennis and his crew stole more than $500 in clothing off the racks before breaking (and taking) a $2,500 crystal art piece. The whole incident was captured on surveillance video obtained by TMZ Sports.

But, Dennis claims it's all a giant misunderstanding -- insisting the staffers at the shop told the group they could take "a couple of gifts" in exchange for helping to move the giant crystal art piece ... which is why they grabbed the items.

Rodman never explains why his female companion tried to shield herself from view while stuffing shirts into her purse at the store ... or why the staff needed help moving the crystal in the first place.

"I tried to help ... as the good person I am," Rodman said.

When asked why the store owners filed a police report, Rodman and his crew insisted the yoga place was just looking for "exposure."

Remember, Rodman is still on probation from a 2018 DUI arrest -- but Dennis says he's not worried about this incident possibly triggering a violation because he's adamant he did NOTHING wrong!

"Am I going to jail? No."

Rodman also disputes claims he was drunk during the situation.

Cardi B has the Midas touch ... her new spring collection is nearly sold out after raking in over $1 MILLION bucks in the first 24 hours!!!

Our sources tell us Cardi's second collection with Fashion Nova is already vastly outperforming her first collab with the fast-fashion giant, a pretty tall order considering her first venture sold out within minutes.

We're told Fashion Nova prepared for "Season 2" of Cardi's spring-summer line collection by having nearly 5 times the amount of inventory as the first go-round ... and they're still struggling to meet the demand, with the vast majority of styles selling like hotcakes.

The numbers are impressive, but here's something else to give you a sense of just how wildly successful Cardi the businesswoman is ... Nasdaq is congratulating her with a massive billboard in Times Square!!! Now that's clout.

As we reported ... Cardi rolled out her new line as only she could, by shaking her ass and rapping during a launch party at the Hollywood Palladium. Tons of celebs showed up to support Cardi, including Master P, YG, Romeo, Lamar Odom, Nikki Bella, Swaggy P and Jeremy Meeks.

If you didn't get your hands on some Cardi B fashion merch, don't give up hope yet ... we're told Fashion Nova is planning weekly drops for each style to give everyone a chance to snag her new designs.

Just be sure to keep your finger on the trigger, or you might miss out. Okurrr!!!

"Jersey Shore" star Vinny Guadagnino needs a scooter to get around ... because he's nursing a severely sprained ankle that could throw a wrench in his new Chippendales gig.

We've just obtained video of Vinny cruising down the Las Vegas strip in a scooter ... and you can clearly see a huge black boot over his right foot. We're told Vinny recently suffered a really bad ankle sprain during rehearsals for Chippendales.

Vinny's scheduled to perform with Chippendales every weekend through the end of the month ... so a sprained ankle could seriously affect his new line of work. Anyone who's been to Chippendales knows the hunks put their bodies to the test to put on a good show.

But, Vinny's Jersey tough ... we're told he's been pushing through his injury, and he rides the scooter and slips on the walking boot during the week to keep his bum ankle from getting worse.

The NBA will NEVER make its employees play nice with Donald Trump ... that's according to league commissioner Adam Silver, who says if teams want to skip the White House, it's their prerogative.

No NBA champion has visited Donald Trump since he's occupied 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., with last year's Warriors actually opting to visit Barack Obama instead of the sitting Prez.

It's been quite the controversy, with many people suggesting players from all sports should put patriotism over politics and go to the White House. Some think the leagues should compel the players to go.

We got the NBA commish in D.C. and he says that'll NEVER happen in his league, telling our guy if teams want to skip it ... so be it.

"It's a team decision, we'll see who the champion is this year, and what they decide."

There are 7 teams left in the NBA playoffs -- Milwaukee, Portland, Denver, Houston, Toronto, Philly and Golden State. Last year, the Warriors famously blew off Trump to meet with Obama.

"A lot of our players still have relationships with President Obama and I think it's wonderful," Silver told us ... "Players make their own decisions, organizations make their own decisions."

Speaking of Obama, Silver also talked about the NBA's ongoing relationship with #44, and how they're partnering to do some big things in Africa.

"President Obama is doing a lot with the NBA. We announced down in Charlotte at the All-Star game that he was gonna be involved in Africa with us, we're starting a league down there. He's one of our partners."

Silver's a busy guy these days -- on Thursday, he was a featured speaker at a 400-person luncheon at the Economic Club in D.C. where he talked about the NCAA's 1-and-done issue.

Among the high-profile guests in the crowd ... Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh -- who's a big basketball fan.

In fact, Kavanaugh famously still coaches his daughter's youth basketball team.

Skinnyfromthe9 found himself in cuffs at the end of fun night in Hollywood, but luckily ... cops cut him a break.

Video of the incident -- obtained by TMZ -- shows the rapper standing outside a white ride being detained by a police officer, then led away toward the sidewalk in handcuffs.

Law enforcement sources tell us the car was pulled over for illegal tinted windows and for not having front plates, but during the traffic stop marijuana was found out in the open in the vehicle ... so everyone was ordered out.

We're told cops asked the rapper for his ID and he didn't have it, but he informed them he was on probation and was approved to be in L.A. Once officers looked into it ... they let Skinny and his crew go.

Our law enforcement sources say everyone got a warning, but that's it. As you may know ... recreational marijuana is legal in California, but it needs to be in a sealed container in a car or locked away in the trunk.

As for why he was in Hollywood ... Skinnyfromthe9 had just come from Cardi B's booty-poppin' performance down the street for the launch of her Fashion Nova X spring-summer line collection.

This tiny human was famous even as a kid after appearing on over 100 ads and small TV roles. The Disney Channel made her famous, but it was her sheer ambition that cemented her role in Hollywood. She did more than just act. She was a singer too ... landing a deal with Warner Bros. Records which released her debut album in 2007. The album was a MASSIVE success but she kept pushing herself.

She would go on to star in several films ... including "Scary Movie 5." She also joined the main cast of "Clipped" in 2015. Proving major versatility, she also launched her own production company and cosmetics line.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are joining forces with Prince William and Kate Middleton to cast their rumored differences aside in the name of helping others ... namely, people dealing with mental health issues.

The British Royals just launched a mental health crisis hotline, dubbed Shout ... a free text messaging service aiming to provide 24/7 support for people in the UK who are going through a rough patch.

The fact Harry and Meghan are working alongside William and Kate is huge news ... because it comes in the face of swirling rumors about possible feuds and rifts within the Royal family.

As for the new text messaging helpline ... it's powered by a team of volunteers trained to create a safe space for people burdened by mental health issues. The conversations can be difficult, as volunteers must listen without judgment on a range of issues, including suicidal thoughts, bullying, self-harm, abuse, relationships and sexuality.

That last topic is super interesting as it relates to the Royals ... they don't usually talk about issues with sexuality.

Shout launching in the United Kingdom comes on the heels of Harry, Meghan, William and Kate making a commitment to their Heads Together campaign, which supports conversations on mental health.

Jim Fowler -- the famous zoologist who made tons of appearances alongside Johnny Carson on the 'Tonight Show' and made a cameo on "Seinfeld" -- has died.

The longtime co-host of "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" died Wednesday at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut ... according to his family. The cause of death is unclear.

Fowler worked at a raptor sanctuary in Florida before landing his show 'Wild Kingdom' in 1963 ... co-hosting with fellow zoologist Marlin Perkins before going solo from 1985 to 1988. The show was later revived in 2002 and it aired until 2011.

Fowler, of course, appeared in over 100 episodes alongside Johnny Carson and also served as a wildlife correspondent for 'Today.' Fowler and Carson were tight ... to the point both families all went on a vacation to Africa after the 'Tonight' host retired.

Fowler was huge in the bird world ... becoming the first man to successfully trap a harpy eagle and bring it back alive in the U.S.

"Seinfeld" fans will remember him for his appearance on season 9 of the hit series ... "The Merv Griffin Show" episode. Kramer invited Fowler for his animals segment of the show. Fowler brings a hawk which hilariously attacked George Costanza, who was holding a squirrel.

Fowler was born in 1930 in Albany, Georgia. He was a standout baseball player who fielded offers from the Yankees and Phillies. Fowler was also rather tall ... standing an intimidating 6-foot-6.

But, he was a big softy when it came to all animals. The "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" wrote on its page Fowler's mission as a naturalist was to "educate the public about wildlife specifies throughout the world and how to preserve environments for both animals and humans."

4:30 PM PT -- Jenelle just issued a statement ... "My mom and I had conversations with Marriage Boot Camp: Family Edition years ago, but David and i have never been approached by the show. We don't have any plans to appear on Marriage Boot Camp, and any claims otherwise are false." For the record, our Jenelle and show sources insist there were discussions, but everyone backed off because of the backlash.

WE tv claims they have no plan to put Jenelle Evans and David Eason on "Marriage Boot Camp" -- despite what we know, that the show has already told Jenelle they want them -- and now we've learned there's a contract in place with an acknowledgment that David poses a danger.

Production sources tell TMZ ... folks at "Marriage Boot Camp" have a contract in hand with one big caveat -- before they put David on the show, they want him evaluated by a psychologist to determine if he's a safety risk to Jenelle, the other cast members and the crew.

We're told if David doesn't pass muster with the shrink, he will NOT be on the show and neither will Jenelle.

The concern is real ... aside from brutally killing the family dog last week, Jenelle has claimed in the past he attacked her and his obsession with guns, along with his mental instability, is downright scary.

People connected to "Marriage Boot Camp" say they now think there's a chance WE tv might pull the plug on the plan -- although that has not happened yet -- because after TMZ posted the story that they were offered a spot on the show the network was flooded with negative comments.

As we told you ... "Marriage Boot Camp" has been trying to recruit the couple for 2 years, but their MTV deal with "Teen Mom 2" kept them from signing on. When Jenelle got fired this week -- in wake of David killing the family dog, Nugget -- it cleared the path for them to be on 'Boot Camp.'

As of now, Jenelle is still living with David at the family home with three children and the remaining pets.

Russ says there's TONS of money to be made in the music industry ... but ya gotta get smart like Nipsey Hussle, Taylor Swift and Meek Mill.

The rapper joined "TMZ Live" and before getting down to business we got down to pleasure ... like his new single and music video "Civil War" which dropped Wednesday to much acclaim. Check out the clip ... you're NOT gonna believe how long it took Russ to shoot the sizzling vid.

We then talked to Russ about artists -- some of whom whine about not making money off of recording music -- but some getting wiser when it comes to their earning potential. You'll recall, Taylor Swift scored a new record deal last year under the caveat she had ownership of her masters going forward.

Meek Mill earlier this year tweeted, "All records labels should start letting artist have ownership" and, as you know by now, Nipsey Hussle owns a huge chunk of his master recordings.

Russ says those are huge baller moves. He should know. That exact strategy catapulted him this year into Forbes' list of top hip-hop earners at No. 20 after earning $15 million.

50 Cent is dropping a bombshell, revealing he's shutting down "Power" after its upcoming season, but on-set drama is not to blame -- he just wants to ride off into the sunset on a high note.

Sources close to production on the hit series tell TMZ ... 50 wants the show to go out on top, because he's seen too many other series run themselves into the ground. "Power" is still hugely successful as it enters its 6th season on Starz.

While there's speculation that drama between Fiddy and Randall Emmett is behind the decision to pull the plug ... we're told that's simply not the case, and there's no lingering beef between the fellow executive producers.

You'll recall ... Fiddy's character, Kanan Stark, died last season, and we're told that's no coincidence ... because 50 wanted more time to get started working on other projects, including "Power" spin-offs, which are already being developed.

As we first told you ... 50 inked an 8-figure deal with Starz back in 2017 to bring 3 more projects to life, and the contract runs through this September.

Donald Trump heaped TONS of praise on the Boston Red Sox at the White House -- calling out individuals like Chris Sale and J.D. Martinez ... while leaving out the key players who didn't show up.

As we previously reported, Sox manager Alex Cora boycotted the trip because he doesn't "feel comfortable" with Trump over the way POTUS handled the hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.

Other Red Sox players who refused to attend include Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, David Price and Red Sox legend David Ortiz.

Betts was the A.L. MVP last season and Price CRUSHED IT during the playoff run -- but got NO LOVE from Trump since they didn't show up to the White House on Thursday.

Same with Alex Cora.

Trump had glowing remarks for Chris Sale -- complimenting his World Series performance and the fact he struck out 14 batters Wednesday night in a regular season game against the Orioles.

Trump also invited the Red Sox players and staff in attendance to a personal tour of the Lincoln Bedroom -- a room that's supposed to be off-limits to the public.

TMZ Sports shot footage of some of the key execs arriving at the White House before the ceremony -- including VP of Baseball Operations Tony La Russa, owner John Henry, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and others.

Earlier Thursday, the Red Sox visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the D.C. area -- where they visited patients.

11:12 AM PT -- We've just obtained surveillance footage from the drive-by shooting ... and you can see someone hanging out of the passenger window of a car as shots ring out.

An Atlanta studio where Offset was recording got peppered with bullets Wednesday night in a drive-by shooting.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops responding to the shooting at the Crossover Entertainment Group studio Wednesday night were told by witnesses that Offset was there recording when the shots were fired into the building. Officers responded, but Offset was long gone by the time they arrived.

At least one witness felt the Migos rapper might have been the target of the shooting. So far, we're told cops have not spoken to Offset, but they'll likely reach out to him as they investigate.

According to Atlanta PD ... shots were fired at the building a little after 9 PM by passengers in the passing car. The bullets damaged 3 vehicles, as well as the building's exterior and at least one apartment window.

Cops received one report of someone getting shot in the leg, but officers were unable to locate a victim.

Our sources say the drive-by went down shortly after Offset went outside to chill for a few minutes. When the gunshots rang out, we're told people inside the studio rushed into another room for cover until things calmed down.

We're told there's surveillance footage of the vehicle cruising down the street and firing shots before speeding away.

Music producer and DJ Diablo -- who works with Lil Xan and Lil Pump -- is now under a 5150 hold after threatening to take his own life with a social media post that frightened his famous friends.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... after Diablo posted the suicide threat Wednesday morning, someone called cops, who showed up at his doorstep to check on him. Police put Diablo in handcuffs, and after taking him to the station ... we're told they determined he should have a mental evaluation.

During the incident, Diablo posted a video of himself in cuffs ... crying and telling his fans he was sorry.

Diablo's suicide threat was rather ominous ... he says he'll be "better of[f] dead" and thinks people and his music label will finally appreciate his work once he's gone. Diablo says he can't take the pressure from the industry anymore, and says "f*** this life" before threatening to off himself.

The post immediately drew the attention of his fans and friends, like Paris Hilton, Pump and Diplo ... who all posted concerned replies.