Posted Jul 4th 2009 5:16PM by TMZ Staff
Steve McNair -- an NFL QB with the Tennesse Titans and Baltimore Ravens -- was found dead today in Nashville, Tenn., according to Nashville police.
McNair suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head in downtown Nashville. A female victim was also found dead. No suspects have been taken into custody.
Don Aaron, a spokesman for the Nashville Metro PD, told News Channel 5 in Tennessee, "When police officers arrived in response to that call, they found two individuals who had been shot to death inside the residence: one female, one male. We now know that the male deceased is Steve McNair. The female deceased has been tentatively identified. We're working to confirm that and then notify her next of kin."
McNair was a three-time Pro Bowler and was the NFL MVP in 2003.
Story developing ...
Filed under: R.I.P., Talk Sports
Posted Jul 4th 2009 12:23PM by TMZ Staff
As law enforcement officials comb through medical records to determine who supplied and administered the anesthesia Propofol and other drugs to Michael Jackson, we've learned there may be a fail-safe way of getting at the truth.
It's no secret -- especially in a celebrity town like L.A. -- some doctors use pseudonyms for celebrity patients and sometimes their medical charts somehow get "lost." But we've learned most doctors leave an indelible footprint when it comes to treating patients.
Many doctors -- especially ones with big practices -- use medical software systems from MD Systems, NexTech and other companies. These companies provide the software that makes it easy to input billing data.
Doctors typically input the patient's name, billing amount, type of treatment, type of drugs prescribed and administered, and date of service. Here's the thing -- that data cannot be deleted from the server.
The system allows doctors to add other data like medical charts, and those things can be deleted. But if someone deletes that info, the software shows the name of the user who did it and the date it was done.
Bottom line -- the basic billing information will not go away.
As we reported days ago, law enforcement found Propofol inside Jackson's house. Propofol is an anesthesia, which should never be administered outside a hospital, and it's looking like that drug killed Jackson. If cops find who supplied it and who administered it, the docs could well be prosecuted for manslaughter.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Posted Jul 4th 2009 10:00AM by TMZ Staff
A doctor who has treated Michael Jackson, went on tour with Jackson and even videotaped Jackson's wedding to Debbie Rowe, was reprimanded by the Medical Board of California for writing fraudulent prescriptions for Michael's sister, Janet.
Dr. Allan Metzger received a public letter of reprimand from the Medical Board in September, 2000. The letter states, "You engaged in fraudulent medical practice based on prescriptions written for an international entertainer, using a false/fictitious name." Dr. Metzger told us the entertainer is Janet Jackson.
Dr. Metzger is a lupus specialist -- Michael Jackson reportedly had the disease. Dr. Metzger traveled with Jackson during the HIStory Tour in 1996.
Dr. Metzger told us in the late 90s, he wrote prescriptions for Janet Jackson using the name of her private chef, Ricardo Macchi. Dr. Metzger told us the prescriptions were for diuretics. He also wrote a prescription for a hepatitis B injection -- he says he wrote it because Janet was going on tour and wanted to guard against the disease. Again, the name on the prescription was Ricardo Macchi, even though it was for Janet.
Dr. Metzger told us, "I had done this for Janet for her anonymity."
Macchi sued Dr. Metzger but the Dr. says the suit was dropped and no money was paid out.
As for Michael, Dr. Metzger says, "I have not treated Michael Jackson for many years." Metzger says he has talked to Jackson on the phone over the years, even giving him medical advice. As for whether Dr. Metzger prescribed meds for Jackson, he wouldn't say: "I am not at liberty to discuss Michael's medical care." We asked if he ever prescribed meds to Michael using an alias. His response: "I have not treated him for ages." Metzger said he last spoke with Michael in April. The doctor says he talked to Jackson about the tour, his children, nutrition and hydration.
Dr. Metzger added, "I have nothing to do with this tragedy with Michael. I have not prescribed any medication in relation to what happened to him."
Posted Jul 4th 2009 9:50AM by TMZ Staff
How'd you like to have had Michael Jackson by your side when you exchanged your wedding vows?
Check out this photo of Michael Jackson with his lawyer, John Branca, at Branca's wedding in 1987. Jackson served as best man.
Branca worked for Jackson from 1980-2006, and was then re-hired by Jackson weeks before his death. Branca was named co-executor Jackson's will.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Posted Jul 4th 2009 8:49AM by TMZ Staff
No one enjoys freedom more than celebrities -- as you can see by this group of newly single celebs who'll be setting off Fourth of July fireworks all by their lonesome.
Filed under: Dirty Divorces, Photo Galleries
Posted Jul 4th 2009 7:48AM by TMZ Staff
Don't book your plane tickets yet -- you're probably going to be watching the Michael Jackson memorial from home.
A spokesman for the Jackson family revealed that after only seven hours, over 500,000 people had entered the lottery for memorial tickets. Okay, time for some quick math: that means that roughly 71,500 people per hour have signed up. And if you extend that rate for the remaining 25 hours (especially since the lottery has been opened up to the entire world), you get a total number of around 2.3 million.
Only 8,750 of those people will get tickets to the memorial (two tickets per person), and some of those people will get only get passes to the "satellite event" in the Nokia Theatre across the street-- like watching it on TV but in a pressure cooker with thousands of other people.
The bottom line: a 0.4% chance of getting a ticket. The good news? You're still more likely to get a ticket than get struck by lightning.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Posted Jul 4th 2009 7:30AM by TMZ Staff
Former "American Idol" star Taylor Hicks laid out in Mexico yesterday, working on his soulful tan.
Hicks has not had a song make the charts since 2006.
Filed under: Paparazzi Photo, American Idol
Posted Jul 4th 2009 6:47AM by TMZ Staff
Michael Jackson is clearly the international star in death that he was in life -- the memorial lottery is now open to the world.
Initially, only U.S.residents qualified for the ticket drawing to score seats for Tuesday's Staples Center memorial. But now the folks putting it together have decided to open up registration to all earthly beings, saying, "Additional legal terms have been incorporated into the conditions of entry to allow non-U.S. residents the opportunity to register for the random ticket drawing."
The drawing closes tonight at 6:00 PM PT. Click here to register.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Posted Jul 4th 2009 5:42AM by TMZ Staff
Michael Jackson made the rounds at L.A. doctors' offices, often getting anesthesia for minor outpatient procedures -- procedures that did not require anesthesia.
Medical sources say Jackson would get cosmetic surgery, collagen injections, Botox and acne treatment for which he would often be put under or sedated, even when it was not medically necessary.
One medical source described Jackson as "an anesthesia addict."
We're also told Jackson would get controlled substances, such as Demerol, during and after these minor procedures.
The question now -- which docs were happy to oblige the singer?
As we first reported, police found the anesthesia Propofol in Jackson's house after he died, and it's looking like that's the drug that killed him.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Posted Jul 4th 2009 4:40AM by TMZ Staff
Frederick Koehler is best known for playing Chip on the '80s TV series "Kate & Allie." Guess what he looks like now!
Filed under: TV, Beauty, 'Memba Them?!
Posted Jul 4th 2009 4:25AM by TMZ Staff
The most foul, regrettable party pictures poured in for our 21st Birthday Contest -- so watch out ... just clicking through the pics could give you a hangover!
**Be sure to check back on Monday to help decide who is going to score the $250 prize!**
Posted Jul 4th 2009 3:29AM by TMZ Staff
While we wait to see whether or not she mounts a battle for custody of her possibly biological children, Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe was spotted out at her mother's house yesterday after running errands.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Posted Jul 3rd 2009 7:41PM by TMZ Staff
In pure Billy Mays fashion, all of Billy's pallbearers wore OxiClean button up shirts during his funeral in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania today.
Mays died on Sunday morning in his sleep -- an autopsy suggested he died from complications due to heart disease.
Filed under: R.I.P., Billy Mays
Posted Jul 3rd 2009 2:55PM by TMZ Staff
Failed vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin sure likes to finish what she starts ... she just announced she's stepping down as Governor of Alaska later this month.
Palin also said she won't seek a second term in 2010 -- Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell is set to take her place.
It's not clear exactly why she's turning her back on the citizens of Alaska, but people suspect she has her sights set on the White House in 2012.
Posted Jul 3rd 2009 2:41PM by TMZ Staff
A spokesperson for Lloyd's of London tells us she's never heard of a case where her company has insured someone for a drug overdose.
AEG, the company that was promoting Jackson's London concerts, claimed yesterday the policy it took out from Lloyd's did not cover death from natural causes but did cover overdoses.
Louise Shield -- the head of communications for Lloyd's of London -- tells us such a policy is "odd" and that she's never heard the company insuring for drug overdoses.
What's more -- Shield says the company typically requires a "medical assessment" .... a physical before the policy is written.
As we first reported, Jackson's body had dozens of injection sites in various places. So the question -- how could a policy be issued with clear evidence of a problem?
Shield would not comment on the policy, and found it strange AEG discussed it publicly. She's not saying if overdoses were covered or not.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
