8/15/2010 1:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
The woman who claims to have been Mel Gibson's mistress at the time of the now-famous January 6 blowout says she was badgered by Mel's bodyguard to keep her mouth shut ... this according to sources who have been in touch with the woman.
Sources say Violet Kowal claims she was communicating with Mel on January 6 about his blowup with Oksana Grigorieva.
In the days following -- January 7, 8 and 9 -- Violet Kowal claims she was contacted by one of Mel's bodyguards. We're told Kowal says the bodyguard sent text messages, warning her that she couldn't talk about the incident and that she should "disappear" for a price.
And sources say Kowal -- who is now repped by Gloria Allred -- has phone records and text messages.
Sources also say ... Kowal claims to have an email she received recently from the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services, the Sensitive Case Unit, informing her they wanted to speak with her. So far, we're told, Kowal has not met with anyone from DCFS.
Filed under: Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva, Violet Kowal, Celebrity Justice
8/15/2010 12:55 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Lindsay Lohan -- not a role model, except for some female patients at the UCLA Medical Center.
Sources close to Lindsay tell TMZ .... she's "passionate" about mentoring some of the troubled girls she's met in rehab. Lindsay has taken a genuine liking to the girls -- writing them inspirational notes and giving them advice. Ironic, we know.
As for life in rehab, one source close to Lindsay describes it as "full-on 'Girl, Interrupted'." We're told Lindsay gets no special treatment -- if anything, nurses are harder on her to show they're not playing favorites.
LiLo doesn't have a window in her room and she can't change the channels on her TV because it's behind glass.
A room at the Chateau, it ain't.
Filed under: Lindsay Lohan
8/15/2010 12:50 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Steven Slater wanted a couple of bottles of Blue Moon beer before he hopped off Flight 1052 last week -- but the beer company wants nothing to do with him!
As we first reported, the two beer bottles Slater grabbed on his off the plane were Blue Moon -- which go for around $6 on a JetBlue flight.
A rep for the beer company tells TMZ they weren't involved in what went down in the slightest. They tell us, "We have not been asked nor do we plan to promote our brand in this manner for the sake of publicity. There were some very serious allegations made surrounding this incident and our company is not in the business of trivializing public safety for publicity or potential financial gain."
So maybe the expression "All press is good press" isn't so true after all ...
Filed under: Steven Slater
8/15/2010 12:45 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Take a long look at the pictures we've cleverly altered -- then see if you can spot what is different for a comforting sense of accomplishment!
**HINT -- There are THREE differences in the above photo!**
Filed under: Photo Galleries
8/15/2010 12:40 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned White House party crasher Tareq Salahi had a run-in with police just a few weeks ago -- after his own mother called the cops, claiming he was trespassing at the family winery.
According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, it all went down at the Oasis Winery in Virginia -- a place Tareq's parents founded back in 1977. Tareq and his parents have been at war over Oasis for years, because his parents claim Tareq ran the winery into the ground and then tried to interfere with the sale of the property.
But on July 27th -- Tareq's mom called the Fauquier County Sheriff's Office in Virginia and reported that her son was trespassing on the property ... and was "changing the locks on the doors to the winery, and possibly removing items from the building."
Once police arrived, Tareq -- who now stars on "The Real Housewives of Washington D.C." -- advised the officers that he still has an apartment located above the winery and should be allowed to enter his residence.
Cops determined that Tareq was right ... and he was allowed to enter the apartment. The situation ended without further incident.
As for the winery -- Tareq's mother told police it's still involved in bankruptcy proceedings.
Filed under: Michaele Salahi, Tareq Salahi, Celebrity Justice, Real Housewives, TV
8/15/2010 12:30 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Former "Deadliest Catch" star Capt. Phil Harris -- who died in February -- has officially been honored with the corniest memorial ever ... a giant maze constructed in his likeness ... on a corn field.
According to sources at Rutledge Corn Maze -- a company that builds a different corn maze on their property every year as an amusement attraction -- "The Captain Phil Harris Memorial Maze" was made to honor the late fisherman for his contributions to the local community.
The name of Phil's crab fishing vessel -- the Cornelia Marie -- is also immortalized in the Tumwater, Washington corn field.
According to the Rutledge website, the grand opening for the maze is scheduled for September 11 ... and Phil's two sons -- also on the Discovery Channel show -- are expected to be there.
Filed under: Captain Phil Harris, Deadliest Catch
8/15/2010 12:20 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Michael Douglas has been in the limelight for decades -- but you wouldn't think so looking at him today.
Here is the the 42 year-old version in a film editing bay in 1986 (left) and the 65 year-old version at red carpet event earlier this summer (right).
For Michael -- looking good is a "Basic Instinct."
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8/14/2010 11:09 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
TMZ has obtained incredibly gruesome photos of Tila Tequila -- taken after she claims she was victim of crowd violence at a concert in Illinois.
According to Tila, she took the stage at the Gathering of the Juggalos in Illinois -- a concert featuring such acts as Insane Clown Posse and Kottonmouth Kings.
Tila gave TMZ a very detailed account of what happened, saying: "I went onstage and immediately, before I even got on stage, DUDES were throwing HUGE STONE ROCKS in my face, beer bottles that slit my eye open, almost burnt my hair on fire cuz they threw fire crackers on stage, and they even took the sh*t out of the port-0-potty and threw sh*t and piss at me when I was onstage."
Filed under: Tila Tequila
8/14/2010 1:00 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Sources tell TMZ the babysitter for Mel Gibson and Oksana Grigorieva was front and center for the beginning of the now-famous January 6 blowup.
In the hours before the incident, Oksana went to a basketball game ... leaving Mel, baby Lucia and the babysitter at Mel's Malibu home.
According to sources connected with the case, the babysitter says Mel "began freaking out" while Oksana was gone, "slamming doors, cussing and screaming at someone on the phone." The babysitter says Mel was screaming to someone on the phone, "I want to f**king destroy you."
We're told the babysitter called Oksana and urged her to come home because Mel was losing it. The babysitter claims, "Mel was possessed and completely out of control."
Sources say the babysitter was present when Oksana returned home but left before anything physical occurred.
Other sources, however, question the babysitter's claims, because they say she never previously made any such allegations.
People connected with the babysitter tell us she didn't come forward with her story because she's fearful of Mel and is fighting stage 4 cancer and undergoing chemo.
Filed under: Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva, Celebrity Justice
8/14/2010 12:50 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
Joe Jonas is prepared to go to war over a blog posting that insists he and his underage ex-girlfriend Demi Lovato are currently "friends with benefits" ... in fact, Joe's lawyers are already on the attack.
TMZ has learned ... Joe's attorney just fired off a letter to a Canadian entertainment blogger named Zack Taylor ... blasting the guy for a story he posted which implied that 20-year-old Joe and 17-year-old Demi "are involved in an illicit relationship."
In the letter, obtained by TMZ, Jonas' attorney claims the story is "completely false, offensive and defamatory" -- and accuses Taylor of a "malicious attempt to attack and devalue [Joe's] good name and reputation."
Team Jonas is demanding that Taylor pull the post ASAP ... or else a lawsuit may follow.
Taylor tells TMZ, "We are currently reviewing the situation & letter. However, at this time we
do stand by our sources and their claims."
Filed under: Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato, Celebrity Justice
8/13/2010 4:00 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Mel Gibson flew back to L.A. today with two of his sons -- back from a two-week fishing trip.
Gibson landed at around 2:00 PM PT. He's been fishin' in Fiji ... where no one -- not even Oksana -- could find him.
Sources tell us Mel's deposition in the custody case will go down next week.
Filed under: Mel Gibson, Oksana Grigorieva, Paparazzi Photo
8/14/2010 7:30 AM PDT by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned the secret identity of the two beer bottles Steven Slater allegedly grabbed right before he activated the emergency slide and made his heroic escape -- Blue Moon.
According to multiple eyewitnesses, Slater swiped the two BMs during his theatrical departure on Monday -- the newest brew on the airline's in-flight beer list.
The bottles usually go for about $6 on board -- but we're guessing Slater got a very special employee discount.
Filed under: Steven Slater
8/13/2010 4:40 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned ... Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston have reached a settlement in their custody case.
Under the deal, filed with an Alaska Superior Court, Bristol will get primary physical custody of Tripp. Levi will have visitation, between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM on Saturdays and 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM on Wednesdays.
Levi has to pay Bristol child support. The amount isn't stated, but the agreement says the calculation is based on earnings of $72,000 a year.
And get this ... Under the agreement filed with the court, the parties agree not to "speak badly about the other parent in front of the child ... or allow anyone else to speak badly about the other parent or members of their family in front of the child."
And it goes on ... "The parties agree that they shall not allow the child to visit with, or interact with, any family member who publicly ... or in front of the child, criticizes the other parent or the other parent's family."
Filed under: Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston, Sarah Palin, Celebrity Justice
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