Meek Mill I'm Suing the Cosmo for Racism Meek's Lawyer Vows to Take Down Hotel

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10:12 AM PT -- Yo Gotti has weighed in on the situation, telling TMZ he has experienced similar discrimination at the Cosmopolitan, and other hotels in Vegas. He says, "It's a disgrace that these establishments continue to judge us by the color of our skin and our professions instead of recognizing our artistry and dedication to our communities."

Gotti states, "I stand with Meek Mill and all my peers in the hip-hop community that have been disrespected by places like the Cosmopolitan."

9:08 AM PT -- Meek's lawyer is doubling down, telling us he believes the Cosmo and other Vegas hotels are discriminating against black hip-hop artists and illegally circulating a banned list.

Tacopina says the properties are treating the rappers like dogs, and acting like it's the days of Tupac and Biggie all over again.

He adds that the video of Meek being denied and threatened is all the proof needed to show there's something seriously messed up going on in Sin City.

Meek Mill will file a lawsuit this week against the Cosmopolitan hotel in Vegas for ordering him to leave the grounds and threatening him with arrest, and his lawyer vows to destroy the hotel for its actions.

Meek's celeb lawyer, Joe Tacopina, tells TMZ, he will ask for "heavy monetary damages" for "lying and humiliating Meek," adding, "I'm going to take this place down because of what they did."

Tacopina claims there's a list of black rappers who are persona non grata at a group of Vegas hotels. Cosmo denies it excludes anyone because of race, but Tacopina tells us he's already identified 2 other rappers -- Yo Gotti and BlocBoy JB -- who claim other Vegas hotels have denied them because they're black rappers.

TMZ broke the story, Meek and his crew were going to see DJ Mustard Saturday at the Marquee Nightclub at the hotel but they were met by security as they pulled up and were ordered to leave, and if they got out of the car they'd be arrested for trespassing.

The hotel tells TMZ, they do not discriminate against anyone ... They wouldn't let Meek in because Marquee was at capacity and they had told him that before he left for the hotel. There are problems with the hotel's story. First, you hear a security guard in the video say they denied him because of a prior incident. Meek seemed baffled and repeatedly asked for specifics, but the hotel security guy wouldn't say.

There's also this ... Meek asked if he could go inside the hotel to get something to eat, but he was still denied. Presumably, the restaurants were not at capacity.

TMZ broke the story ... Tacopina fired off a letter to the Cosmo just after the incident demanding an apology and entrance to the club, but the hotel didn't respond. Tacopina says it's now game on.

Tacopina claims the Cosmo is scrambling now, coming up with 2 different versions of events, both of which he says are lies -- that Meek was involved in a prior incident, and he was denied because the club was at capacity.

Tacopina says, "Show us one other incident where a white individual was denied hotel club access or access to the grounds because Marquee was full?"

The lawsuit will allege racial discrimination under state and federal law as well as defamation.

Originally published -- 1:00 AM PT

Ellen DeGeneres I was Sexually Assaulted as a Teen ... By My Stepfather

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Ellen DeGeneres revealed she's a victim of sexual assault ... and hopes her story helps other victims who are afraid to come forward.

The famed talk show host opened up on season 2 of David Letterman's Netflix show, 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction' ... about her mother, Betty DeGeneres, marrying a "very bad man" who took advantage of Ellen when she a teenager.

She claims her stepfather waited until her mom was out of town and told her he needed to feel her breasts because he'd found a lump in her mom's breast and needed to check hers.

Ellen says she was 15 or 16 when it happened, and she's still angry at herself because she was too weak to stand up to him. She says ... "It's a really horrible, horrible story and the only reason I'm actually going to go into detail about it is because I want other girls to not ever let someone do that."

Ellen adds ... "We [women] just don't feel like we're worthy, or we're scared to have a voice, and we're scared to say no ... That's the only reason I think it's important to talk about it because there's so many young girls and it doesn't matter how old you are."

She says she's angered when victims do come forward and aren't believed, because women don't just make stuff up ... but feels it's time for women to have a voice, and have power.

Spice Girls Reunion Tour What Some Fans Really, Really Want ... A Refund!!!

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The Spice Girls are still shaking off the rust -- their second tour stop was plagued with the same problem as the first ... and some concertgoers are demanding their money back.

Many fans who attended Spice World 2019's show at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales Monday night complained of poor sound quality throughout the performance, saying the music was hard to hear ... and so was the singing.

One fan claimed the Spice Girls' voices were drowned out the entire time by the band ... so you couldn't hear the harmonies or even make out the words.

Many unhappy fans took to Twitter to express their frustration over the sound issues -- one called the tour a complete disaster -- and even demanded a public apology and a refund.

The Cardiff show comes days after the group kicked off its reunion tour in Dublin Friday night ... which also had sound problems. Mel B promised it would be better for show #2 ... but apparently, she was wrong.

As with all things these days, though ... some fans completely disagree with the poor reviews and say the Girls' performance has been incredible.

Regardless ... there are still 11 shows left on the tour. Next stop -- Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Wednesday night. Say you'll be there?

MacKenzie Bezos Buh-Bye, Jeff ... I'm Giving Away $17 Billion!!!

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9:17 AM PT -- Jeff is apparently very supportive of MacKenzie's pledge, saying, "MacKenzie is going to be amazing and thoughtful and effective at philanthropy, and I'm proud of her. Her letter is so beautiful. Go get 'em MacKenzie."

MacKenzie Bezos is taking her half of her nearly $37 billion divorce settlement with Jeff Bezos, and giving it all away ... to charity.

MacKenzie announced on Tuesday morning she was signing The Giving Pledge ... vowing to donate at least $17 billion. She became the 3rd richest woman in the world when she and the Amazon founder made their divorce official less than 2 months ago -- so she wasted almost no time deciding what to do with her fortune.

Her decision to join the likes of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett in signing The Giving Pledge -- aside from being incredibly generous -- also puts her ex-husband in a conspicuous position.

Jeff had been widely criticized, as recently as last year, for not signing the Pledge. He's the only billionaire among the top 5 richest Americans to NOT sign it. MacKenzie signing so quickly after the divorce makes it seem like, she wanted to all along.

BTW, Buffet has already pledged more than $45 billion, and Melinda and Bill are forking over $46 bil.

As you know, MacKenzie and Jeff announced their split back in January, when Jeff went public about his relationship with TV host Lauren Sanchez. The divorce was hammered out in record time -- considering they were divvying up the world's largest fortune -- and in April they reached the settlement.

In her letter, MacKenzie wrote, "My approach to philanthropy will continue to be thoughtful. It will take time and effort and care. But I won’t wait. And I will keep at it until the safe is empty.”

The "I won't wait" ... sure seems like a message to someone whose name might rhyme with Schmeff Schmezos.

Originally Published -- 7:07 AM PT

Blac Chyna No Evidence She Brandished Knife In Fight with Hairdresser

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There's no clear-cut evidence Blac Chyna was wielding a knife when she allegedly threatened her hairdresser.

Sources close to the case tell TMZ ... no witnesses have come forward backing the hairdresser's claim Chyna went after her with a blade. Nor does the surveillance footage we obtained from that night show a knife.

It's possible the alleged knife appeared off-camera -- but, again, zippo from witnesses.

TMZ broke the story ... BC and her hairdresser got into a heated argument earlier this month at Chyna's San Fernando Valley home. The hairdresser filed a police report, and BC appeared as a named suspect for assault with a deadly weapon.

For her part, Blac Chyna insists she's the victim, not the aggressor ... and claims her Rolls-Royce was damaged when the hairdresser started hurling soda cans during the altercation.

Chyna might be S-O-L too ... our sources say there's no way of proving the damage to her car came from soda cans being thrown.

Fact is ... neither woman's got evidence to help 'em prove a case.

Still, law enforcement sources tell us the case will be submitted to the L.A. County District Attorney -- but for now it's a she said-she said sitch.

Iggy Azalea I'm Pressing Charges Against Leaker of My GQ Nudes

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5:58 PM PT -- The photographer who shot Iggy for GQ Australia's cover that year says his photos were stolen from him and published without his permission.

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He also mentions there's an investigation underway, and vows that the culprit will be prosecuted. The photog adds, "I empathize with any discomfort that this situation has caused to anyone that is involved." He didn't mention Iggy by name.

Iggy Azalea is equally pissed and hurt that someone betrayed her and leaked nude photos from a shoot she did for GQ years ago ... vowing to hold the guilty party responsible.

Topless photos of the Australian MC made their way around the Internet over the weekend, which prompted a flood of inappropriate comments aimed at her ... and, ultimately, it led to Iggy completely deactivating her social media accounts on IG and Twitter.

She later reactivated one of the accounts to issue a statement. It couldn't be more clear -- she's not happy about it, and she's gonna find out who screwed her over.

In her since-deleted remarks, Iggy says the photos were outtake shots from her 2016 GQ Australia cover shoot ... and that she was assured no fully topless photos of her would make the final cut. She says she also never gave permission for those pics to see the light of day.

Iggy goes on to write that there is no reason anyone who was working on the shoot that day should've saved the fully topless shots of herself, adding that she feels blindsided, embarrassed, violated and a whirlwind of other emotions over the invasion of privacy.

She ends with this ... "I fully intend on finding out where the leak originated from and pressing criminal charges in regards to this. It's important to me that someone actually be held accountable for their actions & the way it impacts my life."

We've reached out to GQ Australia for comment ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 5:45 PM PT

DaBaby Legal Battle Brewing Over Skipped Gig ... And Brutal Beatdown

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Unless DaBaby's willing to fork over $22k, he's got a show to make up in New England ... this according to the promoter that feels it got left holding the bag when the rapper bailed.

We broke the story ... DaBaby's security's accused of violently punching a man's face and head outside the Centro Night Club in Lawrence, MA last Friday night after the fan allegedly got aggressive when he was declined a photo with the rapper.

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DABABY BEATDOWN

Interesting thing is, the guy who got pummeled is a fellow rapper named Don Trag ... who opened for DaBaby at the concert. DaBaby never took the stage -- he bounced after his crew's altercation with Trag. But, NTS Entertainment says he took the $22k he was paid for the show anyway.

NTS tells TMZ that's all fine and good ... as long as he reschedules and comes back to do a show at a later date. The company says it's in the early stages of negotiating with DaBaby, but would be willing to book the gig at a different venue in Boston or Connecticut.

We're told NTS expects to work it out with the rapper and hopes to avoid getting lawyers involved ... but we've learned Traq has already lawyered up and he's going after DaBaby for the vicious attack.

Sources close to DaBaby tell us his contract specifically states ... if his safety becomes a concern he has every right to leave. We're told his side feels the venue failed to provide adequate security to keep overzealous fans like Trag at bay ... which is why his crew had to handle it.

NTS confirms the contract mentions DaBaby could leave if he felt security was inadequate ... but not that he could take the money and run without performing. It also denies there was any security risk.

If both sides fail to come to an agreement, NTS tells us it would have no choice but to take legal action for breach of contract, but it really just wants DaBaby to do the show down the road.

As for the beatdown outside the club ... Trag's family says he's still dealing with his injuries. His mother originally told us he was in a coma and in seriously bad shape ... and they've been in touch with lawyers about the incident.

DaBaby might have to do the same thing soon.

Donovan McNabb I'd Trade My NFL Career For NBA One ... Here's Why

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BALL IS LIFE

Would Donovan McNabb give up his legendary NFL career if he could have similar success in the NBA??

HELL YES ... so says the former Philadelphia Eagles QB himself, who told the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV Show (airs weeknights on FS1) he believes basketball is the better team sport.

"At the end of the day, it's about team ball and moving that ball around."

Of course, D-Mac nearly had the choice of the NFL or the NBA coming out of college ... the guy was a beast in both sports back at Syracuse.

In fact, McNabb was part of the Orange team in the 1995-96 season that nearly won the NCAA Tournament ... falling just short to Kentucky in the final game.

Ultimately, McNabb chose football -- he was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft -- and things worked out pretty well for him after that.

But, what if?!?!?

Guess Who This Goggles Girl Turned Into!

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Before this model made her debut on a catwalk show for Burberry ... this little goggle-wearing blondy got her start as a little girl modeling in Cadbury chocolate ads. She was ultimately dubbed the next Kate Moss ... landing on the cover of Vogue a whopping 14 times.

Her eyebrows are also iconic. British news outlets reportedly claimed she is single-handedly responsible for a slowdown in the tweezer industry. No joke!! She also walked in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show but announced in 2015 she would quit the runway to focus on films. She ultimately starred alongside Ben Affleck and Margot Robbie in "Suicide Squad."

Can you guess who she is?

Meek Mill Cosmo Hotel Fires Back We're Not Racist, We Were Just Full

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8:00 PM PT -- Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, just told us, "The assertion that the Cosmopolitan denied Meek because of capacity concerns at Marquee Dayclub is outright false. In the recorded video, Meek also inquired about getting a meal at one of the hotel's restaurants, yet their security team continued to deny Meek and said he would be arrested for trespassing regardless of location in the premises. The Cosmopolitan's conduct continues to be deplorable."

Meek Mill was sent away from the Cosmopolitan hotel in Vegas not because he's a black rapper, but because the club he wanted to go to had reached capacity ... problem is, the story doesn't make sense.

TMZ broke the story ... Meek was ordered to leave the Cosmo on Saturday, and he was told by security if he got out of the car he'd be arrested for trespassing. Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said the hotel has a thing against black rappers.

Cosmo just told TMZ, they have a "zero tolerance for discrimination" and said this was not an issue of race. Cosmo says Meek was going to the Marquee Dayclub inside the hotel where DJ Mustard was performing. Cosmo says, "Marquee Dayclub had reached capacity per Las Vegas Fire Marshall code. Earlier that day, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police had been called onsite to manage a larger than usual venue crowd."

Cosmo goes on ... "Accordingly, when Marquee Dayclub was contacted in advance of Meek Mill's arrival, security staff clarified that he would not be granted access because of capacity issues, in accordance with both club and resort policy. Upon his arrival, it was reiterated to Meek Mill and his team for a second time that access to the venue was not permitted."

The Hotel says, "Meek Mill refused to depart property and was then informed that any continued attempt would result in trespassing." As we reported, they threatened to arrest Meek if he got out of the car.

Now, here's what doesn't make sense. First, check out the video TMZ posted Saturday, just after Meek left. You clearly hear a Cosmo security guard talking to Meek and his team and referencing a prior incident that happened in the lobby. Meek and his team repeatedly asked when the alleged incident occurred, but got no answer.

And, check out this video. Meek says he might just go inside to grab some grub, but that didn't fly with security and, presumably, the restaurants were not at capacity.

There were others who were trying to get in despite the capacity limit, and as far as we know they weren't greeted by security in the front of the hotel and ordered to leave before getting out of their cars.

Tacopina claims the Cosmo and other hotels have a list of black rappers who are persona non grata.

Drake Flies Massive New Jet to Bahamas ... After Historic Raptors Win

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Drake's refueling in the Caribbean before his Raptors take on the Warriors in the NBA Finals -- flying down in his massive new jet ... which is a monster compared to other airliners.

Champagne Papi's new custom "Air Drake" plane was spotted on a landing zone in the Bahamas Sunday, where all its grandeur and OVO swag were on full display as it sized up what appears to be a much smaller Delta-branded model nearby -- maybe a -700.

Drake didn't settle for a standard G4 -- he opted for a custom 767-300F Boeing plane, which normally seats hundreds of passengers or even cargo loads. The retail price for this type of ride has ranged anywhere from $185M to $220M over the past couple years.

He also gave a tour of the plane as it was being finished up earlier this month, and it's definitely got all the bells and whistles you might expect.

Can't blame Drizzy for wanting to get away for a few days either -- he was Toronto's biggest cheerleader these past few days ... and could certainly use some rest if he's gonna bring that same energy for Oakland (which we're sure he will).

Rest up, Aubrey ... and be careful where you swing that thing. It could hurt somebody.

Moby My Apologies to Natalie Now, Can We Talk Earth for a Sec?

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LET'S CHANGE THE SUBJECT

Moby is ready to move on from his claim that he once dated, or tried dating, a young Natalie Portman ... 'cause he's got another hot topic up his sleeve: the planet.

The musician was questioned Monday by a pap in L.A. -- just a couple days after he publicly apologized for including Natalie in his new memoir. He drew a ton of backlash when she denied ever dating him in the '90s, despite his assertion they were kinda-almost a thing.

The pap gets to the meat of what many feel was left unanswered ... are the details of what he alleged true or not? Moby fully deflects ... switching gears to climate change.

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In his mea culpa, Moby said ... "As some time has passed I've realized that many of the criticisms leveled at me regarding my inclusion of Natalie in Then It Fell Apart are very valid." He went on to say, "I also fully recognize that it was truly inconsiderate of me to not let her know about her inclusion in the book beforehand, and equally inconsiderate for me to not fully respect her reaction."

Worth noting ... Moby did NOT retract his characterization of their relationship -- which came off as romantic in his book. He paints it like they were circling a full-blown relationship ... saying they kissed a few times and slept in the same bed together once, until Natalie eventually told him she'd started seeing someone else.

Meanwhile, Natalie responded by saying the brief time she knew him wasn't anything close to dating. In fact, she labeled their dynamic at the time as "creepy." FWIW, she didn't specifically deny any of his details either ... other than to say she was 18 and not 20, as he recalled.

So ... case closed?

Red Sox Bill Buckner Dead at 69

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Bill Buckner -- who drew the ire of Red Sox fans for decades due to a major World Series error -- has died after battling dementia ... according to his family.

Buckner passed away early Monday morning surrounded by family and friends following a tough battle with Lewy Body Dementia, per a statement his family released. They went on to write, "Bill fought with courage and grit as he did all things in life."

They ended their remarks by saying, "Our hearts are broken but we are at peace knowing he is in the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

He's perhaps most famous for a game-deciding blunder during the 1986 World Series, when he was playing first base for Boston and failed to field a slow chopper down the line.

With the game tied at the bottom of the 10th and a runner on second, Mets player Mookie Wilson tapped a ball on the ground toward first, which seemed like an easy enough play to make -- only Buckner didn't. It hopped between his legs and rolled into right field.

The Mets scored and won the game, and then went on to win Game 7 ... dashing the hopes of the Red Sox who were hunting for their first World Series win at the time since 1918. The mistake went down in baseball history, and made him hated among Sox fans for years to come.

Buckner was eventually honored at Fenway Park in 2008, after the Sox had won the WS four years prior. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and it was clear the old wounds between himself and the city had healed.

He played with the Dodgers, Cubs and Sox over the course of his 22 season baseball career.

Bill was 69.

RIP

Kid Ink Home Burglarized ... Over $200k in Stuff Gone

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Kid Ink came home to a broken-into house last week -- and, quite likely, a big SMH moment followed thereafter.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Ink arrived at his L.A.-area home Thursday evening and found a bunch of luggage in his backyard, which he hadn't put there. Upon further investigation, we're told he discovered the property had been broken into ... and that upwards of $200k worth of items were stolen.

Our sources say some of the stuff that was jacked included purses and an assortment of jewelry he had lying around the place.

To make matters worse ... we're told the prowlers were able to get in fairly easy -- through his very own back door ... which was left completely unlocked. Our sources say that's how the dude(s) got in -- as there were no signs of forced entry. Doh!!!

High-profile burglaries have plagued the Los Angeles area for well over a year now, with celeb victims like Rihanna, Yasiel Puig, Taylor Swift, Chief Keef, Christina Milian and other stars who were set to be targets of robberies. Cops cracked down and arrested a handful of suspects in relation to some of those burglaries, but it's clear there are still people out there breaking and entering.

As for KI ... we're told police are investigating the matter.

Meek Mill Allegedly Denied Entry at Vegas Cosmopolitan ... Because of Prior Fight with Security

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7:55 AM PT -- Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, tells TMZ, "The racist hole that they [Cosmopolitan] have dug for themselves has just gotten deeper. Yesterday, when this incident unfolded, the chief security guard could not articulate a reason why Meek was denied entry and threatened with arrest. They've now come up with some fabricated claim through an anonymous source that Meek was involved in a fight on their property."

Tacopina goes on ... "Meek Mill was never involved in a fight on their property, ever and I challenge the Cosmopolitan to produce a video of such altercation or a contemporaneous incident report. The legal case against the Cosmopolitan just got stronger."

Meek Mill was not racially profiled when he was denied entrance at the Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas -- he was ordered to leave because of a past incident ... so claims a Cosmo source.

TMZ broke the story ... Meek rolled up to the hotel Saturday and was ordered to stay in his car and drive away ... or else he'd be arrested.

Meek's celebrity lawyer, Joe Tacopina, told TMZ, Meek is part of a long list of African-American rappers who were blacklisted from certain Vegas hotels. Tacopina has threatened the hotel with a lawsuit unless it apologizes, and STAT.

Cosmopolitan officially had nothing to say about the incident and did not issue an apology, but the Cosmo source says there was a prior incident where Meek was at the hotel and "fought with security guards." The source claims Meek became persona non grata for that reason.

Tacopina told TMZ, "We have learned that the Cosmopolitan maintains a list of African American recording artists who should be denied access for no other reason than their culture and skin color."

Originally Published -- 7:19 AM PT

Quavo & GF Saweetie Up Next to Get Hitched??? Bouquet & Garter Don't Lie

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Quavo might very well be the next Migo to walk down the aisle, if what went down at his sister's wedding is any indication ... and conventional wisdom tells us it kinda was.

The rapper was down near Atlanta Saturday night for his sibling's nuptials, where he and fellow ATL artist, Jacquees, were doing their thing on the mic while the rest of the guests enjoyed a free show. Hey, sometimes it pays to have famous family members ... they'll do your wedding!

Soon enough, the shindig became a crystal ball of sorts for Huncho and his girlfriend -- fellow MC, Saweetie. The reason ... each of them got their hands on two pretty important things that bode well for the relationship -- the bouquet and garter, respectively.

It looks like Saweetie caught the bouquet first, and Quavo definitely hinted at marriage by writing on Instagram, "GUESS WE NEXT." She eventually responded, "Yesssssir."

As if that wasn't enough of a prediction ... Quavo actually caught the freakin' garter too, and then put it on Saweetie's leg. That pretty much seals it, right?

The couple has been linked together since at least the end of summer last year, when they collab'd on a music video of his. Since then, they've been practically inseparable.

We'll be looking out for the RSVP ... mazel!