TMZ.com Home

William H. Macy is celebrating his baby girl's high school graduation, but the party's gonna have a little black cloud -- the college admissions scandal that's likely to land her mom, Felicity Huffman, in prison.

William was out Wednesday in WeHo picking up graduation balloons ... most likely for his 18-year-old daughter, Sophia Grace, who's wrapping up this week at Los Angeles High School of the Arts. Of course, Sophia's higher education is directly linked to the scandal.

As we've reported ... Felicity Huffman pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud as well as honest services mail fraud -- all for paying Rick Singer $15k to rig Sophia's SAT test. The feds say she got twice the amount of time as normal to take the test and the proctor corrected answers afterward.

We're guessing college won't be a hot topic at the party.

Macy said earlier this year -- before the federal indictment -- Sophia might take a gap year after she was admitted to a university. Felicity, who'll be sentenced in September, has said Sophia was unaware of the scheme to boost her test results.

Unclear what the college plan is now, but at least Sophia and her folks can celebrate this graduation.

Kodak Black is gonna have to make himself at home in a Florida jail cell, 'cause he's gonna be there at least until September ... according to the judge in the federal case.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the judge ruled Wednesday, saying Kodak must remain behind bars until his trial gets underway.

You'll recall, Kodak requested to be let out on bail -- but under strict supervision -- so he could travel to South Carolina and deal with a sexual assault case. The feds, however, said he's too dangerous to be let out at all before trial.

Looks like the judge agreed with prosecutors. The Dept. of Justice says the court deemed the rapper to be a danger to the community. Kodak is scheduled to go on trial in Miami for lying on federal gun applications.

Prosecutors are also linking him to a March shooting, in which firearms he allegedly purchased through those applications were used.

Jenelle Evans is sticking with her man -- despite temporarily losing custody of her children -- but wants to make one thing clear ... she still loves her kids.

Jenelle and her husband, David Eason, were in court Tuesday when a judge ruled they'd lose their kids for the foreseeable future. Evans just released a statement saying, "I love being a mother and David and I will get through this. We are staying strong and united."

It's an interesting statement considering our sources say David's actions are the root of the custody issues ... and the judge was pissed Jenelle kept the kids around him.

In Jenelle's statement to The Hollywood Gossip she continues, "I love my kids so much and I will do anything necessary to get them back and that is all I want everyone to understand."

Evans refused to talk on the specifics of the case for fear of repercussions from the judge.

As we reported ... Eason brutally beat and then shot and killed the family's dog after it nipped at their 2-year-old daughter, Ensley's face. As a result, 9-year-old Jace, 4-year-old Kaiser and Ensley were removed from the home.

Mandy Moore is getting some super cool social media content on her way up Mount Everest, but Sal Masekela says she's also putting herself in danger ... and she might not make it down alive!!!

We got the former X Games host at LAX Wednesday and asked him about the recent deaths at Mt. Everest ... and Sal delivers a dire warning to rich people who are climbing just for the social media snap -- and for Mandy, who just reached Everest's base camp.

This climbing season has already resulted in 11 deaths in the Himalayas, with the latest casualty an American lawyer. The way Sal sees it, even the most elite athletes can succumb to Everest's harsh conditions ... so Mandy's gotta be extra cautious, even though she's being guided by experts.

As far as David Letterman's concerned, fans need to keep the good vibes going Alex Trebek's way -- because he agrees, positivity is helping Alex near remission in his pancreatic cancer battle.

We got Letterman Wednesday in NYC and told him about Alex revealing his tumors have shrunk around 50 percent since beginning chemotherapy.

Dave made it clear, he's cosigning on Alex's assessment that his success isn't all attributed to science -- it's also very much about the flood of well-wishes from fans and friends contributing to an improved condition.

Remember, David's been in Alex's shoes before -- undergoing quintuple heart bypass surgery in 2000, and making a full recovery.

Good news, bad news for Drake -- Good news?? Klay Thompson likes your music. Bad news?? Klay Thompson HATES YOUR GUTS!!!

... as a Raptors fan.

The Warriors superstar was asked whether he's gonna get in the zone for the NBA Finals by vibin' out to some Drizzy, or skip his jams considering he's with the enemy Toronto Raptors ... and Klay had one helluva soundbite.

"If it's one of his soft, R&B songs, I'mma skip it 'cause I'm in 'kill mode' right now trying to get these 4 games," Klay says ... "So, I'll skip 'Hotline Bling' and anything along that line."

Side note -- Klay, don't do "Hotline Bling" like that. RESPECT "HOTLINE BLING"!!!!!! It's a classic.

Thompson -- who says he's been a Drake fan since high school -- added, "He's a great artist. Do I like him as a Raptors fan? No. But, I like him as a musician. He's extremely talented, but I will definitely skip the song if I don't like it."

Ashton Kutcher took the stand Wednesday in a murder case, and his testimony could be crucial in the case of a man prosecutors call a "serial sexual-thrill killer."

Kutcher was in an L.A. courthouse testifying in the trial of Michael Gargiulo -- aka the "Hollywood Ripper" -- who's accused of attacking 4 women with a knife and killing 3 of them over the span of 15 years.

Among them is Ashley Ellerin, a friend of Kutcher's who was supposed to be his date to a Grammys after-party in February 2001 but never showed. Kutcher reportedly went to her house to check on her but she didn't answer, so he left.

Ashton testified that he had met Ashley through a friend and he had gone to her house a few weeks before the Grammys to a housewarming party for her. He characterized his relationship with her as "an acquaintance," although he did say he had some interest in her.

Kutcher said the night of the Grammys was the first time he had thought he might pursue her in a dating relationship. He told the jury at around 7:30 PM he called her to say he was going to a friend's house to watch the show and then come to her home.

He said at 8:24 PM they talked and she said she had just gotten out of the shower and was going to blow dry her hair and they would meet up later and maybe go out to dinner. He called her at around 10 PM and believed he left a message saying it was getting late so they would not have dinner but just drinks.

Ashton says he went home, walked his dog and went to her place at around 10:45 PM. He knocked on her door but no one answered. He looked through a side window and saw what he thought was red wine spilled on the floor. So, he left.

The next morning Ashley was found dead in her home outside her bathroom, with more than 47 stab wounds, and authorities say Gargiulo was the murderer.

Ashton appeared in court wearing a blue suit and appeared relaxed on the stand.

The alleged serial killer is also accused of killing his 18-year-old neighbor, Tricia Pacaccio, back in 1993 when he lived in Illinois. Gargiulo moved to L.A. in 1998, but authorities say the killing didn't stop.

He's accused in Ellerin's death in 2001 and the 2005 murder of his neighbor, Maria Bruno, who was stabbed 17 times.

Gargiulo allegedly attacked another neighbor, Michelle Murphy, in her Santa Monica home in 2008, but she managed to fight off the attack and call 911. Blood matching Gargiulo's DNA was found at the scene.

Nichelle Nichols, who famously played Lt. Uhura on "Star Trek," is enraged at her son for putting her under a conservatorship ... and unleashed a blood-curdling scream when he attempted to take her home.

Audio of their confrontation was recorded by Gilbert Bell, Nichelle's manager and longtime friend -- and was first reported by Jonathan Carlson at Atlanta's CBS46. While Gilbert was visiting her last month, they got into a discussion about Nichelle's son and her conservatorship.

TMZ broke the story, Kyle Johnson was granted the conservatorship over his mother a year ago ... when she was diagnosed with dementia. Nichelle made it clear to Gilbert that she's pissed off about her son's legal maneuver, insisting ... "He's not the boss of me!" She also says she never gave him permission to take control of her estate.

Then, Kyle walked into the room to take her home. Nichelle refused, saying ... "Kyle, I'll kill you. You get the f**k out of my way." She then screamed and shouted at Kyle, "Give me my stuff!! Nooooo!! You're trying to get rid of me!!!"

As we've reported, one of the "Star Trek" icon's friends filed docs last year opposing Kyle's conservatorship. The friend claims he's merely out for his mother's money, and questioned the dementia diagnosis.

The friend even filed a letter she says Nichelle wrote to her son, informing him she was amending her will because he had told her, "I can't wait to get rid of this s**t" and sell off her house.

5:15 PM PT -- We just got Chazz Palminteri in NYC, and he told us he's glad he got the chance to work with Carmine ... calling him a really great man.

Chazz also feels Carmine should be reinstated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

9:53 AM PT -- Carmine's manager tells us, "From Broadway, to film and television, Carmine spent over six decades entertaining audiences, and nothing made him happier. His talent, wit, warmth, and charm will be missed. Carmine passed peacefully, surrounded by friends and family."

"Perhaps Carmine's biggest regret was his involvement in a scandal that left him expelled from The Motion Picture Academy. While exonerated by police and the FBI, Carmine was always deeply saddened by what had transpired."

9:10 AM PT -- A rep for Carmine tells us he had actually been at Cedars-Sinai since April 25 when he took a nasty fall. He had been getting treatment for back injuries, but after nearly a month in the hospital he came down with pneumonia.

We're told he was diagnosed last Thursday, and although doctors felt he was stable enough for release on Friday ... his health started going south on Saturday.

Although some of Carmine's friends have posted he was in a coma, the rep said he was responsive up until the day before his death.

Carmine Caridi has died from complications suffered during hospitalization for a bad fall ... TMZ has learned.

The 'Godfather' actor -- who played Carmine Rosato in the first sequel -- was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai hospital in L.A., and his health started slipping over the weekend. We're told he died on Wednesday. Carmine's friend, actor and director Chazz Palminteri, confirmed the passing to TMZ.

It's unclear what caused Carmine's health crisis.

Carmine is a veteran TV actor, who's starred in big shows like "Starsky and Hutch," "Taxi," "Fame" and "Simon & Simon." He also, notably, played Det. Vince Gotelli in "NYPD Blue."

Interestingly, he returned in "The Godfather Part III," but in a different role -- he played Albert Volpe that time around.

In total, Carmine has more than 100 acting credits over six decades in showbiz.

He's also known as one of the few people who've been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for sharing movie screeners in '04 -- which became the butt of Jimmy Kimmel's joke during the 2018 Oscars ... when he compared Carmine to Harvey Weinstein.

Carmine took exception with Kimmel's crack, telling us he shouldn't have been put in the same category as Weinstein ... even if it was all in good fun.

Carmine was 85.

RIP

Swae Lee says he empathizes with Meek Mill because he too has experienced the firm grip of the Cosmopolitan Hotel -- which he says has a bad rap in hip-hop.

The Rae Sremmurd rapper made his point to us while leaving the Avenue Lounge Tuesday night in Hollywood, where he said he felt Meek "100%" in regards to the Philly MC planning to sue the Cosmo for allegedly barring him due to the color of his skin.

Remember, Meek and his entourage were met at the front door by security over the weekend and wouldn't let him in and threatened him with arrest if he got out of his vehicle.

The Cosmo has officially said Meek was booted because of a capacity issue at a club on site, but that doesn't square with the hotel's hired muscle who told Meek he was being denied because of a "prior incident." Meek's lawyer, Joe Tacopina, calls BS and says this is pure racism and says Meek will sue.

Swae tells us he's also had a bad experience with the Vegas establishment, and when we pressed him on what exactly happened ... he says their staff was super aggro with him for no reason.

Jenelle Evans has lost custody of her kids, largely because her husband, David Eason, has created an abusive environment at home ... and this video seems to be evidence of that.

We're told the video was shot sometime this year at the family's North Carolina home. You hear a baby in the background as David launches, saying, "You could die right now for all I give a f***. You're a f***ing piece of s**t. You're the biggest f***ing piece of s*** I know."

You then see him flip off the camera operator and walk away.

From all we know, hardly anyone was allowed in the family home, and it appears Jenelle is behind the camera and the comments are directed at her.

As we reported, the judge in the custody case has stripped Jenelle and David of custody for the time being, after concluding David and Jenelle have put the kids at risk.

We're told one of the things that came out during the hearing was that 4-year-old Kaiser was terrified to go to David and Jenelle's home because he was terrified of David and had been mistreated by him.

One source said squarely, "It's all David's fault."

Jenelle has steadfastly stood behind David, and now they must attend parenting classes, counseling and weekly drug testing before there's any hope of them regaining custody.

The video is a glimpse into what appears to be a very turbulent home life.

Racing fans from all over the world packed St. Stephen's Cathedral in Austria on Wednesday to bid farewell to F1 legend Niki Lauda ... including Lewis Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The mourners braved heavy rains to get inside the church, where Lauda's coffin was flanked by flower wreaths. His trademark red crash helmet was placed on top.

The 70-year-old passed away last week -- nine months after undergoing surgery for a lung transplant.

Lewis Hamilton has taken Lauda's death particularly hard ... the two were very close. In fact, Lauda was involved when Lewis signed with McClaren ahead of the 2013 racing season.

Niki's widow, Birgit, and his son, Mathias Lauda -- who's also a pro racecar driver -- also attended the memorial service.

Other notable names at the service include Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and former drivers Alain Prost, Sir Jackie Stewart and Nico Rosberg.

Niki won the F1 drivers' championship in 1975 and '77 with Ferrari and again in '84 with McLaren ... but he's most famous for crashing and catching fire in 1976 at the German Grand Prix.

Lauda was badly burned in the crash, but he made a miraculous recovery an returned to racing only 6 weeks later.

Lauda's incredible comeback after dodging death instantly made him the stuff of a legend ... and his 1976 rivalry with British driver James Hunt was the plot line of the movie "Rush."

Meek Mill's claim the Cosmopolitan Hotel keeps a blacklist of black rappers is BS ... according to sources connected to the hotel.

Meek's attorney, Joe Tacopina, made a bombshell allegation against the resort -- claiming he has knowledge of a list that specifically makes black rappers persona non grata, and he believes that's precisely why his client was ordered to leave the hotel without even getting out of his vehicle, or face arrest.

Our Cosmo sources insist the hotel has always been more than accommodating with celebs, including black rappers, and the VIP staff goes out of its way to make sure everyone is comfortable.

Meek clearly wasn't comfortable when he was confronted by security Saturday and told to get the hell out or else. The hotel told us they turned him away because the Marquee Dayclub was filled to capacity, but it doesn't jibe with Cosmo security telling Meek he was not welcome because of a "prior incident."

Security would not be specific about any such prior incident, but a Cosmo source claimed Meek got in a fight with security a while ago. Tacopina says it's utter BS.

The Cosmo has maintained it has "zero tolerance for discrimination."

Alex Trebek is revealing some incredible news ... he's nearing remission and his tumors have shrunk by more than 50 percent!!!

The "Jeopardy!" host told People his progress battling stage 4 pancreatic cancer has been "kind of mind-boggling" ... because the cancer has a 9 percent survival rate. The doctors themselves are SHOCKED by how well Trebek's been responding to chemo.

Trebek says, "The doctors said they hadn't seen this kind of positive result in their memory ... some of the tumors have already shrunk by more than 50 percent."

It wasn't long ago -- back on May 1 -- when Trebek said his battle with cancer gives him "surges of deep, deep sadness." The 'Jeopardy!' legend was diagnosed in March as he was nearing the end of the 35th season of the enduring game show.

While this is all great news, Trebek says he knows he's not outta the woods just yet. He's got several more rounds of chemo before he goes into full remission. The good news, however, brought Trebek to tears, adding, "But they were tears of joy, not tears of depression."

As for why he's responded so well to chemo, Trebek said he credits well wishes from fans and friends from around the world. He said, "I told the doctors, this has to be more than just the chemo, and they agreed it could very well be an important part of this."

Luann de Lesseps is still pissing off judges and her probation officer, but her real-life problems are NOT jeopardizing her reality TV future with 'Housewives' -- at least, not yet.

Sources close to the "Real Housewives of New York" production tell TMZ ... Luann's position and security on the show are as strong as ever, despite the fact she continues to run into trouble while on probation for her drunken arrest case from 17 months ago.

As we reported ... she's already violated the terms of probation at least twice ... once for failing to prove she was going to AA meetings, and more recently for downing a couple mimosas.

After her most recent violation, she was slapped with newer, even stricter terms.

Our sources are clear though -- Luann's job is not on the line, and higher-ups haven't even discussed the possibility of firing her ... despite reports suggesting otherwise.

Fact is, Luann is great for TV right now because the fallout from her arrest offers up juicy drama and an interesting narrative for viewers. Translation ... ratings, baby!!!

One other thing our sources say should be taken into account ... some of the other 'RHONY' cast members have gotten wasted on-camera before, and have endured plenty of public embarrassment -- and they're still there.

"Love & Hip Hop" star Rah Ali gave birth 5 months into her pregnancy, and the baby only survived for a few minutes ... which is why Nicki Minaj is trying like hell to ease her close friend's pain.

Sources close to Rah Ali tell TMZ ... her baby girl died Sunday, almost immediately after the premature birth. She was not due until the middle of October.

We're told Rah Ali was in her house Sunday when her water broke and contractions started. She was rushed to the hospital, but doctors were unable to save her baby.

The premature birth came as a complete shock -- we're told all of Rah's previous doctors visits revealed no signs of trouble with her pregnancy.

Nicki and Rah have been close forever. Rah Ali allegedly tried to fight Cardi B on behalf of Nicki during last year's infamous shoe-throwing incident at a New York Fashion Week party.

Our sources say Nicki's doing everything she can to be supportive in the wake of the child's death ... calling and checking on Rah, and trying to lift her spirits ... as much as possible considering the devastating situation.