Tag: TMZ

Report: Josh Giddey will not face charges after investigation of alleged inappropriate relationship

Report: Josh Giddey will not face charges after investigation of alleged inappropriate relationship.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey will reportedly not face charges after being investigated for an alleged inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.

The Newport Beach Police Department has closed its investigation, which was opened in November to look into the online allegations, according to multiple sources. Officials were unable to find corroborating evidence.

The family of the minor involved in the allegations reportedly hired famed attorney Gloria Allred in December. She is known for taking high-profile and controversial cases centered around women’s rights.

A since-deleted social media post went viral in November that showed Giddey had been in an alleged relationship with an underage girl. Giddey elected to not give an official comment on the allegations in the immediate aftermath.

“I understand the question obviously, but there’s no further comment right now,” Giddey said on Nov. 24 following the first practice after the allegations arose.

The NBA is still conducting its investigation of Giddey. It opened its inquiry hours after Giddey spoke to the media. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in an ESPN interview in December the league wouldn’t take action until the police investigation concluded.

“I think if you look back, I can’t think of many circumstances where we’ve suspended a player based on an allegation alone,” Silver said. “So we have an allegation and then you have a police investigation and a parallel league investigation.

“I’ll also add that where there’s a criminal investigation, we take a backseat. You have an allegation, you have an ongoing criminal investigation — that impacts how the players and Players Association can work with us because of course the player needs to protect his rights.

“I’m not going to say never ever, but I think this is the path we’ve consistently followed in the past. … That’s where things currently stand.”

Giddey has continued to play for the Thunder amid both investigations. In 39 games, he’s averaging 11.8 points on 45.5% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

UPDATE: The Newport Beach PD officially released a statement on Giddey’s investigation, which they’ve closed:

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Report: Witness says Leonard Fournette was street racing before car caught fire in June

According to a police report obtained by TMZ, there may be more to the story after Fournette’s car was engulfed in flames on a Florida highway last month.

Former LSU running back [autotag]Leonard Fournette[/autotag] was allegedly engaging in street racing before his car was engulfed in flames on I-275 in Tampa on June 27.

According to a report from TMZ, a witness told Florida Highway Patrol that Fournette passed them in his black Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat traveling “at a high rate of speed” and apparently involved in a race with a motorcycle.

Fournette — a free agent who last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past season — reportedly pulled over when the car burst into flames, while the motorcycle continued moving.

Here are the details, according to the TMZ report.

The witness, according to the report, then stated “he observed the vehicle and [a] motorcycle to be racing and changing lanes.” He stated he observed the vehicles “racing when fire then erupted from the bottom of” Fournette’s car.

In the report, cops state the witness told them Fournette then slowed down and pulled over — while the motorcyclist kept on moving.

According to the police report obtained by TMZ, Fournette told investigators at the time that he had been having recent problems with the car. Per an FHP spokesperson, no further action is expected against Fournette.

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Broncos OLB Aaron Patrick suing NFL, Chargers after injury

After tearing his ACL on the sideline at SoFi Stadium, Broncos OLB Aaron Patrick is suing the NFL and Chargers.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Aaron Patrick is suing the NFL and Los Angeles Chargers (among others) after a carpet on the sideline of SoFi Stadium caused him to tear his ACL during a game on Oct. 17, according to a report from TMZ Sports.

“Patrick is suing for unspecified damages, including lost bonuses and future earning potential,” TMZ Sports reported Tuesday.

Patrick’s torn ACL was a season-ending injury that landed him on injured reserve.

Patrick’s agent, Lamont Smith, told NFL Network in October that he was “very disturbed” by how the injury happened.

“I was very disturbed about the way the injury occurred with the carpet being on the sideline like that,” Smith said last month. “His cleat got lodged in the carpet trying to avoid the media person.”

JC Tretter, the president of the NFL’s players union, recently wrote an article that called for the league to “clear the excess people and dangerous equipment from the sidelines.”

“We have seen too many injuries because of this issue, and it really should be a simple fix,” Tretter wrote on the NFLPA’s website. “Give the players their space to perform. Year after year, the NFL tells us they will look into it; and year after year, nothing ever changes.”

The NFL has not taken action, so Patrick is taking matters into his own hands by suing the league. Perhaps that will motivate the NFL to make some changes to its sidelines going forward.

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TMZ releases video of alleged Las Vegas altercation involving Alvin Kamara

TMZ releases video of alleged Las Vegas altercation involving Alvin Kamara, but it’s unlikely to lead to a suspension in 2022:

TMZ Sports shared video of an altercation allegedly involving New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara in Las Vegas back in February, in which a group including Kamara is accused of assaulting a man at a hotel. Kamara was infamously arrested by Las Vegas police after the Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium the next day, and he’s currently facing criminal charges in Las Vegas as well as a civil suit in New Orleans seeking $10 million in damages.

The alleged victim, Darnell Green Jr. of Houston, has retained Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee as his representation in the civil suit. Buzbee has risen to prominence by representing dozens of women accusing former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson (now with the Cleveland Browns, and who the Saints doggedly pursued this offseason) of sexual misconduct as well as former San Antonio Spurs team psychologist Dr. Hillary Cauthen, who has accused the Spurs of failing to take action after their former 2021 draft pick Josh Primo allegedly exposed himself to her in multiple sessions.

Buzbee unsuccessfully lobbied for the NFL to “take immediate action” in punishing Kamara back in August. While this video is disturbing, it’s unlikely to prompt the NFL to reverse course and issue a suspension at this time. The league office has established a precedent of waiting to hand down discipline until after the legal process has resolved itself, and that should remain the case here. Watson was suspended 11 games for violations of the league personal conduct policy, but that league discipline wasn’t handed down until after he settled the civil lawsuits against him.

Kamara’s case in criminal court has been delayed frequently given the number of defendants (four) and array of attorneys involved, and it’s unlikely to be wrapped up before the 2022 regular season draws to a close. If Kamara does receive a suspension from the NFL, it most likely won’t come into effect until 2023. Still, the league office has made unprecedented moves before, so we’ll keep an eye out.

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Duane Brown, former Seahawks left tackle arrested at LAX on gun charge

Former Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown was arrested on Saturday for an alleged gun violation at LAX.

Former Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown was arrested on Saturday at LAX airport for allegedly carrying a concealed handgun. Here are the details according to TMZ Sports, which was the first outlet to report the story.

“The NFL free agent — who was most recently playing offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks — was busted Saturday at LAX around 2 PM, where law enforcement sources tell us … he allegedly tried going through TSA with a gun in his luggage. We’re told this happened at Terminal 6, and that during the standard screening … one of Brown’s bags was found to have a firearm inside, which our sources say was unloaded.”

Brown’s arrest has since been corroborated by other reporters, including Alex Stone at ABC News and Gregg Bell at the Tacoma News Tribune.

Originally a first-round pick by the Texans in 2008, Brown was traded to Seattle in 2018 and continued to play for the Seahawks through the 2021 season. However, the one-year contract he signed last offseason has expired and he’s now a free agent.[lawrence-related id=91094][vertical-gallery id=90400]

Former Seahawks WR David Moore arrested on drug and weapons charges

Former Seahawks WR David Moore, now a member of the Bears, was arrested in Gainesville, Texas on Monday on drug and weapons charges.

Former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver David Moore, now a member of the Chicago Bears, was arrested in his hometown of Gainesville, Texas Monday on drug and weapons charges.

He was later released on a $5000 bond.

TMZ Sports provided more details on the incident:

“According to the Gainesville Police Dept., officers found Moore asleep in the driver’s seat of a 2018 Ford F250 at the local fast-food joint at around 11:18 PM on July 3,” TMZ reports. “Cops say they were able to make contact with Moore – and claim he smelled of weed during questioning. An ensuing search, police say, revealed he had ‘a package of THC edible candies along with three pistols’ in his car.”Moore was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful carrying of weapons.”

Moore was originally selected by the Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft and played four years in Seattle. Moore spent time with the Broncos and Packers before signing with the Bears this offseason.

This story is continuing to develop.

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Seahawks backup QB Alex McGough under investigation for assault

Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Alex McGough is under investigation for allegedly assaulting a man at a bar in Tampa on St. Patrick’s Day.

[lawrence-newsletter]Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Alex McGough is currently being investigated for assaulting a 24-year-old man at the Green Parrot Pub in Tampa, Florida on St. Patrick’s Day.

The victim, Anthony Albino, alleged that McGough accused him of hitting on his girlfriend and then punched him in the face. Albino told TMZ he was visiting a friend at the bar at the time and shared a video of the damage McGough allegedly inflicted on him in the aftermath of the incident.

The Seahawks drafted McGough out of Florida International University with the No. 220 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL draft. He has yet to play a single snap at the professional level, so we may see Seattle release him very soon.

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Former Steeler tells TMZ ‘Seven’s got to change,’ if he returns to Pittsburgh

Does Roethlisberger return this coming season has been a hot topic, and who better than the outspoken Ike Taylor to offer his take?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in limbo with their quarterback situation. While contract talks between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger are reported to be taking place this week, as it stands, there’s a lot of unknown.

Does Roethlisberger return this coming season has been a hot topic, and who better than the outspoken Ike Taylor to offer his take?

Taylor, who spent 11 seasons with the Steelers and 10 with Big Ben, recently spoke with TMZ about what we’ve all noticed over the past few seasons — Roethlisberger is slowing down, which says a lot because he was never fast.

The former cornerback points to the youth in the AFC North — Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Lamar Jackson — as the reason the 38-year-old should call it quits.

“You’re setting [the Steelers] back a year or two or three [with a comeback],” Taylor said about Roethlisberger returning. “The reason why I think you’re setting them back is because you’ve seen the progression in Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow — before he got hurt — and Baker Mayfield.”

“So, we’re talking about three young quarterbacks in one division. Who you going to pick last?”

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Taylor has nothing but respect for Roethlisberger and the Hall of Fame career he’s produced in Pittsburgh. But he knows from experience when it’s time to call it a career.

“Ain’t nothing wrong with shutting that thing down,” said Taylor. “It’s hard for a lot of people to shut it down. It’s hard.”

Should Ben come back to play this season, Taylor has some advice: Work to get in shape this offseason and gain some mobility.

“I think if Seven [Roethlisberger] wants to come back, Seven has got to get on this Tom Brady regimen,” Taylor said. “He’s got to really hone-in in the offseason and get some of his mobility back.”

“Seven” could never physically compare to the 43-year-old Brady, but it’s wise for Roethlisberger to think outside the pocket.

“In the NFL, unless you’ve got an offensive line like Tom Brady’s, you can’t be a pocket quarterback. They’re becoming extinct right now.”

The trouble is, Pittsburgh’s offensive line isn’t like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Far from it. It’s one of the many areas where the team needs to improve this offseason if they have postseason aspirations.

“Seven’s got to change,” Taylor continued. “Big Ben has to tell the offensive coordinator, ‘We need to run the ball.’ Seven won Super Bowls with a good defense and having a good running game. Seven needs to go tell Matt Canada, ‘Hey, bro, we’ve got to establish a run game.’”

I’m pretty sure Canada doesn’t need Big Ben to tell him that Pittsburgh needs to commit and stick to the run. Mending the run game is one of the reasons Canada was promoted in the first place.

As for whether Roethlisberger should retire — I’d rather see the Steelers more prepared for Roethlisberger’s departure than where they’re at now with Mason Rudolph. As long as Big Ben can still put up the numbers, which was evident last season, he should keep playing. But his days are certainly numbered, and Pittsburgh needs to get their ducks in a row for that inevitable day.

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Ezekiel Elliott’s lawyer: Dog attack victim was trespassing

An attorney for the Cowboys star says the pool cleaner bitten in the March incident did not have permission to be on the property that day.

Friday’s report of a dog attack on the Frisco property of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott came with a statement from the player’s attorney: “Ezekiel was in no way negligent in connection with the alleged incident and intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit.”

Less than twenty-four hours later, that vigorous defense began in earnest. Attorney Frank Salzano tells TMZ Sports, who first reported the March attack of a woman hired to clean Elliott’s swimming pool, that the woman did not have permission to be on the property at the time.

“The plaintiff was unauthorized to be on the premises the day of the incident and either willfully disregarded and/or negligently ignored her employer’s policy which required Elliott to be notified in advance of any visits. We look forward to further establishing the plaintiff’s contributory negligence during the course of this matter.”

According to the woman’s claims, she was “ambushed” by Elliott’s three dogs in March. The attack sent her to the emergency room “in immense pain” and required surgery to repair bite damage to her forearm.

TMZ has posted photos of the woman’s injuries, along with a warning regrading the images’ graphic nature.

The woman, who has reportedly been unable to work since the attack, is suing the Cowboys star for an amount between $200,000 and $1 million. An attorney representing her claims that “the attack has scarred her for life — both physically and mentally.”

“Our client attempted to resolve this matter out of court,” the lawyer continued, “providing a description of what happened and pictures of her injuries, but Elliott didn’t bother to respond.”

Elliott did respond, however, via Twitter to someone who appeared to make light of the situation. A user with the screen name “Haleigh” posted on Friday, “Devin used to clean Ezekiel Elliott’s pool (a Dallas Cowboys football player) & someone just told me his new pool tech was mauled by his 3 dogs and is now suing for $200,000 and my first thought was ‘wish it would have happened to Devin’ lmaoo”. The tweet ended with two moneybag emojis.

Elliott responded later in the day with three tweets of his own. The original post by Haleigh has since been deleted.

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Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott faces lawsuit over dog attack

A woman claims she was ‘ambushed’ while cleaning Elliott’s swimming pool in March and is seeking between $200,000 and $1 million in damages.

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has been sued by a woman hired to clean the Pro Bowler’s swimming pool. The woman says she was “ambushed” by Elliott’s three dogs in March, and underwent surgery as a result.

“The woman claims the Rottweiler bit her arm and dragged her,” as reported Friday by TMZ Sports, “before the two bulldogs began attacking her legs. The woman says the dogs bit her multiple times… and after she was able to free herself from the animals, she went straight to the emergency room ‘in immense pain.'”

In addition to requiring surgery to repair bite damage to her forearm, the woman claims to suffer from constant “mental and physical pain” stemming from the attack.

She is suing Elliott for an amount between $200,000 and $1 million.

As per TMZ, the Frisco Police Department stated through a spokesperson that animal services personnel did, in fact, respond to an incident at the star running back’s home on the date in question, but no criminal charges were filed at the time.

Frank Salzano, Elliott’s attorney, reportedly told TMZ that Elliott did nothing wrong. According to the attorney, “Ezekiel was in no way negligent in connection with the alleged incident and intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit.”

The March attack was apparently not the first run-in Elliott’s pool cleaners have had with his dogs. The woman in the lawsuit claims that another employee of the pool cleaning company was bitten by one of the dogs back in December.

The incident may sound familiar to Cowboys fans. Quarterback Dak Prescott reached an agreement with the city of Frisco to relocate a pet pit bull in March of last year after it escaped his home and bit a woman, causing her to lose a portion of a finger.

Elliott’s love for his dogs is well-known; he maintains an Instagram page for Ace, Deuce, and Jack Jack. Ace, the Rottweiler, is featured on a tattoo on the running back’s arm. And just this week, Elliott’s dogs made a cameo appearance in a Twitch video the Cowboys star did with Scooter Magruder.

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