Flo Rida's teaming up with his personal doctor -- and dropping his own cash -- to get COVID-19 testing ramped up at Florida companies trying to reopen safely.
The rapper -- along with his doc and business partner, Dr. George Tabi -- have launched a $1.5 million healthcare venture together called the Asktabs Mobile Wellness Center ... with the goal of getting healthy people back to work on the heels of the state reopening its economy.
That requires a lot of coronavirus testing, and Flo's mobile site boasts the ability to test up to 1,500 patients per day with a staff of up to 14 people.
The Asktabs mobile center had its first round of tests last week for The Metro Wrapz company in Miami, where we're told 30 employees got tested.
Flo Rida's mobile site is available for anyone, but we're told the main focus is providing testing for businesses so workers can get their jobs back as quickly and safely as possible. The rapper and his doctor hope to travel to other cities around the Sunshine State, as well.
This isn't the duo's first healthcare project either -- they previously launched an immune-boosting daily vitamin gummy that's CBD infused, called Jet Setter. As you can see, they're repurposing their vitamin van to transport testing supplies.
J.J. Wattsays he's not sure whether the 2020 NFL season will take place as originally planned -- but he's training his ass off anyway because it's better to "stay ready."
"I don't know what's going to happen," Watt tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm just like everybody else. We're all kind of just waiting and seeing."
"The uncertainty is the worst part of it all. We don't know what's going to happen. But, I'm training like it's gonna happen on time. And, I'm looking forward to playing -- fans, no fans -- whatever it is. I'm just looking forward to competing and just doing what we do."
The Houston Texans superstar -- who's also hosting "Ultimate Tag" on FOX -- believes the return of football is super important ... but not at the expense of American lives.
"We love the game. We love the competition ... as long as it's safe for everybody," Watt explained.
"You have to remember we have coaches who are older. We have people helping out on the sidelines and staff members. So, as long it's safe for everybody and as long as everybody is comfortable and confident, I'm all for it because I think it does help return some normalcy and it gives people something to be excited about, to cheer for again."
"And, we're looking forward to that opportunity if it's safe."
Watt says he's been staying in touch with his teammates via Zoom meetings -- but jokes about some players not wanting to show off their homes to the rest of the team!
"One guy just points his [camera] at his ceiling fan for 2 hours straight during the meeting! Give us a little something. I mean geez, what are you hiding!?"
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Besides training, we also talked to Watt about "Ultimate Tag" -- airs Wednesday night on FOX -- and says the athletes he's got on the show are FREAKS!
In fact, Watt says he doesn't think half the players in the League could keep up with the crazy athletes on "Ultimate Tag" ... which sounds like a challenge to us!!!
As for the NFL stars who would do the best on the show???
Here's a shocker -- Watt loves Lamar Jackson and Tyreek Hill ... some of the most talented players EVER!
But seriously, JJ -- pull some strings and get 'em on the show!!!
Dimitri Diatchenko -- best known for his famous role in "Chernobyl Diaries" -- died from an accidental fentanyl and valium overdose.
According to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Daytona Beach, Florida ... Dimitri's official cause of death is listed as a combination of fentanyl and diazepam toxicity. He also suffered from cardiomegaly ... an enlarged heart -- and had moderate coronary artery disease.
The report also lists the cause of death as an accident following "illicit drug abuse with prescription drug use." It's interesting ... the report also says Dimitri "sustained injury by electrocution [at 220 volts] while at work several days prior to being found dead at his home" but the medical examiner ultimately excluded a delayed arrhythmia from the electrical shock as a cause of death.
The report also stated Dimitri had long-standing prescriptions for hydrocodone and diazepam, but could not confirm a prescription for fentanyl.
TMZ broke the story ... Dimitri died back in April and it came as a complete shock to his family. Dimitri's family was worried after not hearing from him for several days. Dimitri, who played Uri in "Chernobyl Diaries," also had roles in "Get Smart" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
Before this adorable little boy buckled into a cute pair of overalls and had strapped himself into a wild ride as an athlete, rapper, actor, sports commentator ... and even Superman ... he was just another cute kid getting dressed up for a photo in Newark, New Jersey.
Although this side-eye guy hasn't looked back since he shot to fame in the mid-'90s in magical fashion ... he still maintains his child-like playfulness and young spirit in everything he does.
Attack this awesome throwback and see if you can get to the center of who he turned into!
The Mayor of Scottsdale is furious with the Arizona nightclub where Floyd Mayweather partied this weekend -- calling the images straight-up "disturbing."
As we previously reported, Mayweather hit up TWO parties on Saturday -- including a rager at the International Boutique Nightclub in Old Town Scottsdale.
You can see in the video NO ONE is wearing a mask or making an attempt to social distance.
We reached out to the Mayor to see how officials felt about the situation ... and man, Jim Lane is PISSED!
"The images from Old Town Scottsdale this weekend are disturbing, and frankly show a real lack of common sense and civic responsibility," Lane tells TMZ Sports.
"Businesses and their patrons need to realize that individually we each play an absolute part in our own personal hygiene, distancing and health courtesies, and each of us also plays a significant part in our city’s health, both physically and economically."
"This disease is spread between people -- and personal actions determine whether public health guidance is effective in blunting the spread of COVID-19."
"We succeeded together in preventing our medical services from being overwhelmed. It was a costly effort; many businesses and individuals paid a huge cost for the success we have had to date.
It is imperative that all businesses comply with the governor’s executive orders -- to ignore them is to risk faster spread of this disease and further damage to our physical and economic wellbeing."
In other words, if people aren't SMART about public social gatherings, things could get A LOT worse!
Mayor Lane continues ...
"In responding to reports about non-compliance to the governor’s orders and public health guidelines, we educate businesses and solicit their cooperation first. I am personally reaching out to the businesses that were shown over this past weekend to be open with large crowds, so that I can discuss with them the importance of our continued progress."
"If we choose to respect one another as part of a community effort, we will bring the city and the country back."
"There are other steps that can be employed under the state and city emergency declarations if needed -- we take these matters very seriously."
"Now more than ever we need people and businesses to do the right things. Stay home if you are sick or have any symptoms of illness; wash or sanitize your hands frequently; stay six feet away from others wherever possible and cover your nose and mouth when you can’t keep your distance."
Khloe Kardashianhas decided she'll move on from her incredible Calabasas estate IF the price is right, and that price is a whopping $19 million!!!
Khloe is willing to sell her massive property in the uber-exclusive gated community, The Oaks, for a cool $18,950,000 ... a 6-bedroom, 7-bathroom mansion that's also been home to Justin Bieber and Eddie Murphy, who bought it for his ex, Nicole Murphy.
Khloe completely renovated the property, with the help of famed designers, Waldo Fernandez and Tommy Clements. There are photos out online right now, but they show the home before Khole remodeled it. These shots are the way the home currently looks.
The 11,000-square-foot estate is where Khloe put down roots after divorcing Lamar Odom in 2013 ... and it's right down the block from Kourtney's house, and only 5 minutes from Kris Jenner's Hidden Hills mansion.
Khloe has not listed the house yet, but we know she's willing to sell if she gets her price.
Khloe's been sheltering in place at the sprawling property during the coronavirus pandemic, self-isolating with True, and at times seeing her ex Tristan Thompson.
The estate is magnificent, and it's decked out with all the bells and whistles ... home theater, insane guesthouse, swimming pool with a hot tub, huge kitchen with an island, and a meditation trail. News of the sale was first reported by Daily Mailafter an episode of The Society Group's REAL TALK dropped some clues about the property.
Khloe scooped up the place from Justin back in 2014 for $7.2 million ... and one of the first orders of business was 86'ing the Biebs' skateboard ramp.
The home is one of just 16 properties in The Oaks with breathtaking views of Malibu Canyon ... and it's got total privacy, thanks to a guarded gate to enter the neighborhood and a bigger gate to get on the property itself.
It took 20 years, but Jimmy Fallon's impersonation of Chris Rock on "Saturday Night Live" -- which he did in blackface -- has come back to bite him.
It seems unbelievable, but much like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last year, Fallon's late to learn the lesson that doing blackface at any point in your past is something that won't stay secret.
After the 'SNL' clip from the year 2000 resurfaced early Tuesday, the hashtag #jimmyfallonisoverparty began trending on Twitter ... and now, the late-night talk show host is apologizing.
Fallon says, "I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface. There is no excuse for this."
He adds ... "I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable."
In the sketch -- which we repeat, aired on TV in 2000 -- Jimmy comes out in blackface dressed as the famous comedian to join Regis Philbin, played by Darrell Hammond, and crack some Chris Rock-esque jokes.
Hard to say if people found it funny back then ... but even Jimmy agrees it definitely was NOT worth it.
Of course, Fallon hosts 'The Tonight Show' on NBC, which many folks online were eager to point out is the same network that fired Megyn Kelly in 2018 for making controversial comments defending the use of blackface.
No word yet from NBC on if there will be any consequences for Jimmy.
The killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer is the latest example of a shockingly disturbing reality in America ... leading many to conclude it's "open season on black people" ... this according to the lawyer representing George's family.
Attorney Ben Crump joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to express the shock, outrage and sadness so many are feeling following Monday night's brutal incident ... in which a cop, who was responding to a forgery call, choked off George's air supply until he died.
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Crump says George's family is having a terrible time comprehending what's captured on video -- the cop kept his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 MINUTES, despite his pleas that he couldn't breathe ... and everyone's in disbelief at what Ben calls a lack of humanity.
As we reported ... the Police Dept. released a statement saying no weapons were used during the incident, but as Crump points out -- that statement doesn't address the officer's brutality, and there's no explanation or justification for what happened anyway. The P.D.'s initial statement seemed to justify the incident, and it appears it was released before the video surfaced.
The Mayor of Minneapolis has expressed outrage, saying, "When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense."
Of course, the cop responsible for the knee to the neck had a partner during the arrest, and Crump believes that officer's actions make him complicit in the killing. As Crump says ... this cop also ignored Floyd's cries and protests from people watching, and didn't do a thing to help.
Minneapolis PD Chief Medaria Arradondo seems to have reached a similar conclusion -- on Tuesday afternoon he announced the firing of 4 officers involved in the incident. The officers names have not been released yet.
Crump feels it's long overdue for police officers to be held accountable for their actions -- or inaction -- like this ... no more benefit of the doubt or obligatory moral high ground given. Listen to how Ben explains it, though ... he makes a very good point.
Finally, this case is being compared to the death of Eric Garner in 2014 because of the obvious similarities, and Crump says he's going to try to get Eric's family in touch with Floyd's ... a request made by Eric's mother.
Along with representing Floyd's family, Crump is the lawyer for Ahmaud Arbery's family and he's a renowned civil rights attorney, who also worked withTrayvon Martin's family in the past.
Archie Williams has a second chance at life after spending nearly 4 decades locked up for a crime he didn't commit ... and Elton John's here for it.
Archie's already the fan favorite for the new season of "America's Got Talent," not only because of his smooth and soulful singing voice, but because of his incredible backstory that has everyone pulling for him ... including Sir Elton.
'AGT' released Archie's segment -- including his performance of John's 1974 hit, "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- to hype up the return of the talent competition Tuesday night ... and Elton said he was "moved to tears" by it.
He added ... "The courage and forgiveness shown by him is truly inspiring. The same spirit that the world found so inspiring with Nelson Mandela."
Here's Williams's story -- when he was 22, he was accused of raping and stabbing a white woman in Baton Rouge. Despite being home asleep at the time of the assault -- and having no connection to the crime scene -- the woman repeatedly ID'd him as her rapist.
Archie was convicted in 1983 for attempted murder, aggravated rape and aggravated burglary and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Thankfully, the Innocence Project took up his case in the '90s, and after years of working on it ... Archie was finally exonerated by DNA evidence in early 2019. He spent nearly 37 years in a Louisiana prison before the charges were dropped and he was freed.
Archie's performance shows he has the attitude, and the voice, to start making up for the years taken away from him. Maybe the easiest 'YES' votes ever for the 'AGT' judges.
3:45 PM PT -- The killing of George Floyd is starting to have Rodney King-esque levels of repercussions out in Minnesota -- hundreds of people are taking to the street and decrying his death.
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Check out this scene right now in Minneapolis, where throngs of people are blocking roads and demonstrating en masse. Several different blocks are completely covered in bodies moving about -- it's surreal to see from a bird's eye view.
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Things don't appear to be getting too out of hand at the moment, but we're sure law enforcement (and the public) is keeping a close eye on how things play out in the hours to come.
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12:45 PM PT -- Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo announced 4 cops have been fired over George Floyd's death. The police chief, who made the announcement during a Tuesday news conference, did not identify the officers involved. Mayor Jacob Frey said, "This is the right call."
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8:26 AM PT -- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey just delivered some strong remarks about the death of the African-American man, George Floyd, who had an officer's knee on his neck for several minutes -- and his message is clear ... this cop failed by all accounts, and the victim should NOT have died.
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Mayor Frey says, "Being Black in should not be a death sentence." He goes on to say, "When you hear someone calling for help, you're supposed to help. This officer failed in the most basic, human sense." Frey added, "All I keep coming back to is this: this man should not have died."
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Frey went on to say that the victim's life mattered, and that regardless of what the investigation revealed ... it doesn't change the simple fact that what happened is wrong. He also issued an apology to the African-American community and the family of the victim in Minneapolis, saying he was so sorry.
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Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo also came to the podium and backed up what the Mayor said. He also implied the knee technique was not one sanctioned or taught at the police academy there, and also discussed why the feds were set to investigate.
A Minneapolis man is dead after a police officer put his knee on the man's neck and kept it there, despite pleas by the man that he couldn't breathe, and now the FBI is on the case.
It happened Monday night, when cops were responding to a "forgery in progress." Police arrived and saw the suspect sitting in a car. According to the Department, the man resisted arrest so he was placed in handcuffs, adding "he appeared to be suffering medical distress."
The Police Dept. added, "At no time were weapons of any type used by anyone involved in this incident."
What the P.D. did not address ... is the video, and it's incredibly disturbing.
You see the man on the ground in cuffs, as an officer puts his knee on his neck and the African-American man cries out, "Please, I can't breathe." The officer doesn't budge, as another officer passively watches.
It's apparent the man is in distress, as a passerby screams, "That's bulls***, bro. You're stopping his breathing right there, bro. Get him off the ground, bro," adding the officer was "enjoying it."
The man becomes motionless, an ambulance shows up and the man is taken to a hospital where he died.
The officers, whose bodycams were on and activated during the incident, were placed on administrative leave and the FBI is now investigating.
11:40 AM PT -- 5/26 Franklin Templeton has just announced Cooper's been fired from her job. The company said, "Following our internal review of the incident in Central Park [Monday], we have made the decision to terminate the employee involved, effective immediately." The investment firm doubled down ... "We do not tolerate racism of any kind at Franklin Templeton."
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5:36 AM PT -- 5/26 -- "Karen" has been put on administrative leave by her employer, an investment company, in the wake of the video surfacing. The company, Franklin Templeton, said, "We take these matters very seriously, and we do not condone racism of any kind."
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The woman, whose real name is Amy Cooper, said Monday, "I sincerely and humbly apologize to everyone, especially to that man, his family ... It was unacceptable and I humbly and fully apologize to everyone who's seen that video, everyone that's been offended," adding, "everyone who thinks of me in a lower light and I understand why they do."
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8:02 PM PT -- It appears "Karen" was shamed into returning her adopted rescue. The Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniel Rescue, Inc. -- where she reportedly adopted the pup in March 2018 -- said just hours after "Karen" went viral, she "voluntarily surrendered the dog in question to our rescue while this matter is being addressed ... the dog is now in our rescue's care and he is safe and in good health."
This is a disgusting case of Karen-ing caught on video -- a white woman calling the police and pretending a black man is attacking her ... when he really just asked her to leash her dog.
This went down Monday in NYC's Central Park ... and the video starts with the woman attempting to leash her dog, but then she quickly walks toward the man recording the video ... who'd complained her dog was off-leash. All dogs are required to be on-leash, by law, in Central Park from 9AM-9PM.
What happened next is really heinous to watch play out -- she asked the man to stop recording her, which he didn't. She then threatened to call NYPD and "tell them there's an African-American man threatening my life."
The man encouraged her to call and, of course, she did and carried out her threat ... which you have to see. The woman started yelling, and used a high-pitched, hurried tone -- trying to make it sound like she was in imminent danger.
It worked. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... NYPD responded around 8 AM, but when they arrived both parties had left, so no tickets, no arrests. We're told the initial call dispatch put out to officers was for a "possible assault."
Well, the cops didn't get her, but with the video getting around on social media ... the woman is, deservedly, getting dragged online. Several people believe they've ID'd her and her dog. BTW, the woman was also dragging/choking her poor dog during her phony-baloney rant to cops.
Aside from the harmful, blatant lie about a fellow citizen ... she also wasted NYPD resources at a time when the city is still recovering from being the coronavirus epicenter.
Jill Zarin and her daughter, Ally Shapiro, are proven pandemic heroes -- just ask nurses all over the NY, NJ-area -- but now they're up against a new foe ... depleting funds.
The 'Real Housewives of New York' star and Ally hopped on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to talk about their "Noshes for Nurses" project ... which launched back in April.
Since then, they've been feeding hospital staffs -- 3 to 5 hospitals per day -- in and around the NYC-area, and also in Florida, where they're quarantining. They raised money for the venture through GoFundMe, but Jill says they've gone through about $60k in donations so far, and the money's running out.
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One way Ally's trying to help the cause even more is by tie-dying face masks she sells for $25 a pop. For every mask the Sotheby's Institute of Art graduate sells, she's also donating a mask to a nurse, doctor or any hospital worker in need.
BTW, the program doesn't only deliver meals for nurses. Jill told us they make sure food also gets to some hardworking pros who don't normally get a lot of shine.
Chrissy Teigen is hoping laughter is the best medicine in the face of a deadly pandemic ... laughing her face off while getting tested for the novel coronavirus.
The supermodel/TV personality mom posted video Tuesday of her in-home coronavirus test, and she couldn't help but giggle while a healthcare worker shoved a swab deep up her nostril.
Chrissy lets out a bit of a scream as the swab enters her nose, but by the time the guy pulls it out, she's laughing. When she gets her other nostril swabbed, Chrissy is giggling the whole time, and seems extra ticklish.
The testing process doesn't seem like a whole lotta fun ... but Chrissy says it's not bad at all.
John Legend's wife also says she "honestly loved" her coronavirus test ... which is good news for anyone on the fence about getting tested.
Hopefully Chrissy loves the results ... otherwise, it might not be so funny.
Pablo Escobar's brother says his life was threatened because of lax security protocols on his phone ... so, now he wants Apple to cough up billions.
The notorious Colombian kingpin's bro, Roberto, is suing Apple for a whopping $2.6 BILLION, claiming someone hacked his smartphone and found his address through FaceTime, even though he claims an Apple employee assured him the iPhone X was the most secure on the market.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Pablo's brother bought an iPhone X back in April 2018, and he claims the security promise fell horribly flat. One year after buying the X, Roberto claims he got a life-threatening letter from someone named Diego, who said he found Roberto's address through FaceTime.
In the docs, Pablo's bro says he had to relocate for his safety, and lost a ton of money beefing up his security ... not to mention the emotional distress he says he suffered as a result of the security breach. Roberto claims he had several assassination attempts on his life before buying the iPhone X, and only bought the phone because he'd been assured his info would be safe from hackers.
In the suit, Roberto says he conducted his own investigation after receiving the letter, and found his iPhone had been compromised due to a FaceTime vulnerability.
Pablo's brother is not stopping at a lawsuit ... Roberto is also going after Apple's bread and butter.
Roberto just launched a limited edition gold-plated iPhone 11 Pro 256GB, which his Escobar Inc company is hawking for $499. Roberto says it's his way of fighting Apple -- selling their phones at a lower price, with gold-plating and sexy girls showing off the phones.
Pablo's brother says ... "Apple can never do that."
Roberto also bought and launched the domain name www.ripapple.com, which links to his gold-plated iPhone. He says the website will have "proof showing how the people of the world were scammed by Apple Inc, buying crap for crazy prices."
If he wins the lawsuit, Roberto says he will share the dough with people who bought iPhones and "ultimately donate it all."
A huge snake clamped onto a woman's hand, and then tried to put a death grip on her arm and leg in a matter of seconds ... and the whole battle is on video.
Check out this gnarly clip showing a woman -- who seems familiar with the python -- get attacked as soon as she lets it out of its tank. The snake bites down on her hand and then starts to curl itself around her entire arm.
At first, she tries to keep her cool and almost acts as if she's gonna handle the sitch on her own -- but things quickly escalated as the python wrapped itself even tighter, which prompted her to ask for help. Too little, too late it would seem.
Just a few seconds later, the snake latched onto her leg and started to coil even more ... which sent the woman into panic mode -- not to mention the guy who's trying to get it the hell off of her. Amid the chaos, the video finally cuts out.
It's unclear where or when exactly this happened, or what happened after this whole mishap -- but on its face, the message seems clear ... do NOT play with pythons!!!
As Indiana Jones once said ... anything but snakes 😬
Richard Herd -- who played George Costanza's Yankees boss on "Seinfeld" -- has died.
The veteran actor -- who's possibly best remembered as Mr. Wilhelm on the hit sitcom -- passed away Tuesday at his home in L.A. due to complications from cancer.
Herd only appeared on 11 episodes of "Seinfeld," but his time was memorable (and hilarious). He portrayed a (fake) New York Yankees executive who supervised George when he was the assistant to the traveling secretary, and would often give GC complicated tasks he'd fumble his way through completing (or not completing, more often).
Mr. Wilhelm eventually stole George's dream gig of scouting for the Mets ... a great farewell to his character.
Richard had many, many roles besides "Seinfeld," though -- he acted in huge films like "All the President's Men," "Get Out," "The China Syndrome," and "Planes, Trains and Automobiles."
On TV, he also appeared on "Simon & Simon," "Murder, She Wrote," "Quantum Leap," "SeaQuest 2032," "Dallas" and "Hart to Hart."
He's survived by his wife, Patricia, and his three children.
