This FedEx driver wants you to know what it's like to be black in America -- and the horrific treatment he got while simply doing his job, brought him to tears.
The driver is 23-year-old Brandon Brackins, and he says while making deliveries this week in rural Ohio, some "hick" sped around him as he was taking packages out of his truck. He says the person nearly hit him, yelled "n***er" at him ... and spit on him.
The absolutely dehumanizing experience left Brandon sobbing, and he immediately went live on Facebook to recount it. He wondered out loud, "What the f**k is the point of all of this protest s**t if it don't work?!"
He added, "Racism is alive. If any of you ever had to go through that s**t firsthand" ... before trailing off.
His whole testimonial is incredibly powerful, as is the point he's making here. If the country is really serious about finally tackling racism ... then it needs to know what it's like to live with it daily.
In other words: Take a hard look in the mirror, America.
SpongeBob SquarePants' sexuality has entered the chat -- and lo and behold, the Bikini Bottom dweller might be, as many suspected for years, gay.
Nickelodeon tweeted Saturday in support of Pride month, and attached photos of three of their canon characters as a clear indicator that they're all part of the LGBTQ+ community ... but without actually saying it outright.
The tweet heard round the Krusty Krab said, "Celebrating #Pride with the LGBTQ+ community and their allies this month and every month 🌈."
All of the characters -- Sponge, Schwoz Schwartz from 'Henry Danger,' and Korra from the 'Avatar' spin-off show 'Legend of Korra' -- are featured in a rainbow color background.
What's interesting is ... fans have known for a while Korra was gay/bisexual -- as it was revealed in the show itself. As for Schwoz, the actor who plays him -- Michael D. Cohen -- is a transgender man in real life.
So, that leaves the Krusty Krab's fry cook. If the other 2 are clearly members of the community, it makes some people think the tweet is about more than declaring SpongeBob an ally ... instead, they think it's his coming out.
Of course, we gotta say folks had their suspicions for a long time. If you know, you know ... we won't break it down for boomers.
Funny enough, Nickelodeon AND the series creator Stephen Hillenburg came out firmly in the early 2000s and explicitly said SBSP was NOT gay ... but asexual. Change of heart?
A NYC woman had a meltdown after being rightfully called out for not wearing a mask inside, which caused her to start hawking up phlegm ... and it's all on video.
The incident recently went down in Astoria, Queens at a bagel shop called New York City Bagel Coffee House -- and, apparently, one of the customers who was wearing a mask noticed this gal without one while coughing, not covering her mouth ... and going mask-less.
The masked patron suggested to one of the staffers that they enforce a mandatory mask-on policy while inside the building -- and after overhearing her complaint, this woman lost it.
You can see for yourself what exactly she does and how she starts to conduct herself -- but here's a hint ... it's a lot of childish name-calling and then straight up flagrant coughing. It's crazy, 'cause once this woman turns around and sees she's being recorded ... she makes a face that basically says, "S***, I've been caught on camera acting like a jackass."
She sure was, and not only that ... people online are ID'ing her and finding out where she works, etc. The typical 'Karen' treatment if you will, only this is the COVID-19 edition.
But wait, there's more ... according to the woman who was coughed on, the employees didn't do a damn thing and they STILL served this wacko ... supposedly, not even checking on the victim or anything. That left the cough-ee furious and vowing never to return.
Good, word is ... Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company has better grub anyhow.
Former "SNL" cast member Jay Pharoah was jogging down a San Fernando Valley street, when multiple LAPD cops pulled their guns on him, ordered him spreadeagled on the ground and one officer then put his knee on Jay's neck ... Jay says all because he matched a vague description of a black suspect wearing gray.
Jay posted the video Friday night and said the incident went down approximately one week before Ahmaud Arbery's murder. He says he was getting exercise, wearing noise-canceling headphones, when he saw the cops approach. He thought whoever they were after was in big trouble ... and then it dawned on him -- they were after him.
The cops told Jay he fit the description of a suspect -- black male wearing gray sweatpants and a gray shirt.
You see the security footage in Jay's video, and it matches his narration. You see a cop approach Jay from behind, with gun pointed. Another officer arrives with his gun in the air, and a patrol car rolls up and one of the 2 cops exits with his gun drawn.
Jay was cuffed, and with a knee to the neck, he urgently tried explaining he was not the guy they were looking for. He told the cops to look him up on Google, adding, "You will see that you made a big mistake." He says the cops released him "a minute later."
Jay says he's gone public with his story because he could have been Ahmaud Arbery or George Floyd, and "I'm still here to tell my story."
Jay ended by saying his parents tried to shield him from racism, but now he says as black men, "we have the knowledge and we have the power to overthrow," adding, "I'm Jay Pharoah, and I'm a black man in America and my life matters. Black lives always matter."
The LAPD tells TMZ they've seen the video and are investigating.
Matt James celebrated his new "Bachelor" status by hopping on a boat with buddy and fellow "Bachelor" Tyler Cameron and his female friend.
Matt was enjoying the R&R aboard Tyler's boat in sunny Jupiter, Florida.
As you know, "The Bachelor" has finally selected the show's next leading man -- the first African-American in that role in the 40 seasons.
Rachel Lindsaybecame the first black female lead on season 13 of "The Bachelorette" ... way back in 2017. It's clearly no coincidence ... Matt got tapped because of what's going on in the country and the world.
ABC said, "We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we're seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in, and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning, and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him."
The 28-year-old works in real estate, and was a football player at Wake Forest University. He tried unsuccessfully to make it on a couple NFL teams.
If there's another hand sanitizer shortage amid the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, the federal government might be partly to blame ... because it bought a bundle to keep everyone at the upcoming political conventions germ-free.
According to financial docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the feds spent $32,353 on 400 cartons of hand sanitizer and 100 dispensers to cover the Democratic and Republican National Conventions ... which are scheduled for August.
The cost was filed under "National Interest Action - Covid-19 2020."
As you know ... both conventions were pushed from mid-summer to August over coronavirus concerns, and as of now, the Dems are still debating going virtual for theirs, but it's still possible it will be held in Milwaukee.
The GOP, on the other hand, is full steam ahead with its convention, which will go down in a newly-announced location -- Jacksonville.
It's interesting ... the Secret Service spent $7.2 million to secure the perimeter of President Trump's convention ... nearly double the $3.7 mil spent on security for Joe Biden's party.
Donald Trump's latest decision to hold a campaign rally on the anniversary slaves were freed -- at the site of one of the most horrific massacres in our history -- has drawn outrage. Meanwhile, for millions ... corona what? So we gotta ask ...
Don't let these two almost identical images of Logan Paul have you feeling confused ... Keep your eye on the prize and try to find the sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!
The Youtube star was spotted out protesting in Los Angeles, CA earlier this week ... And we have made a few changes to this pic. Pull out your detective cap cause now it's up to you to see if you have what it takes to spot the differences between these two super similar snaps!
**HINT -- There are THREE differences in the above photographs!**
Faith Evans is off the hook in her felony domestic violence case ... TMZ has learned she won't be prosecuted for allegedly attacking Stevie J.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... they are declining to prosecute the singer because the alleged victim, her husband, declined to testify against her.
We broke the story ... Faith was arrested last month after she allegedly got into a heated argument with Stevie at their L.A.-area home, which at some point turned violent.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Stevie was the one who called cops to their home the night of the fight. We're told he just wanted her out of the house, and never wanted her arrested or prosecuted in the first place.
Our sources also tell us cops had no choice but to arrest Faith for domestic violence because Stevie had visible scratches on his face when officers arrived at the scene.
July 2019
TMZ.com
You'll remember ... it was just last year when rumors started that their marriage was in trouble. As we first reported ... there was palpable tension after our camera guy got the couple leaving the Essence Festival in New Orleans.
However, things seem to be OK -- even after this arrest -- the couple is still together and Stevie recently told The Shade Room he's not going anywhere.
Matt Alexander, who survived 21 days on "Naked and Afraid," is now accused of beating his girlfriend and holding her against her will in a car.
The former reality show contestant was arrested in Louisiana on a warrant for domestic battery and false imprisonment, after Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff's deputies spoke with his GF about an alleged fight she and Matt had last Sunday.
According to law enforcement ... the couple was driving down Interstate 10 when they started arguing, and Alexander allegedly struck her in the face several times. She told cops Matt kept her in the car for 40 minutes before she was finally able to escape.
Deputies who spoke to the woman said they saw bruises on her face and busted blood vessels in her left eye. They found Alexander at his home the next day and arrested him. He's since been released after posting a $3,500 bond.
The 38-year-old appeared on "Naked and Afraid" in 2016 ... when he made it through 3 weeks in a jungle in the Philippines.
But, Amanda Nunes is still often excluded from "Greatest Of All Time" conversations. And, Dana White thinks he knows why ...
"I think it's because she's a woman, to be honest with you."
32-year-old Nunes currently holds belts in TWO divisions -- bantamweight and featherweight -- and hasn't lost a fight since 2014.
But, after that "L" to Cat Zingano, Nunes has been on an 11-fight win streak ... defeating some of the biggest names in the history of women's MMA.
Most recently, Nunes dominated Felicia Spencer at UFC 250 ... just months after a 5-round victory over Germaine de Randamie.
"It's getting very hard now for people not to start respecting her, especially after this last performance," White says.
"When she fought Germaine de Randamie, people were like 'Ohh she looked awful human in that fight.' She looked human?!! What?!? She fought the greatest female striker ever and she won the fight. What do you guys want from this woman?! And, this last fight against an unbelievably tough durable Spencer, she put on an absolute clinic."
So, who's next for Nunes? Some have been calling for a 3rd fight with Valentina Shevchenko (who's a beast) or even a boxing match with undefeated champ Claressa Shields.
White weighed in on both situations ...
First, Claressa ...
"The hard part with a fight like that is where do they fight? Do they box or do they do MMA?"
"I know Clarrisa's been training [in MMA] but she couldn't possibly be at the level as Amanda Nunes."
Still, White says he likes Claressa and recently met with her manager ... but they've gotta figure out how to make a fight work.
As for Shevchenko ...
"'Well, maybe we throw Shevchenko at her again' is what people are thinking. And, I don't like anything about that because they already fought twice and Amanda beat her twice."
"I would rather see Shevchenko keep doing her thing, Weili Zhang keep doing her thing and if they stay on the same trajectory, those two eventually squaring off."
There isn't much labor involved for these pregnant ladies during the shelter-in-place!
These bursting bellies are taking their maternity leave early and passing the time by soaking up the sunlight, floating in their pools and flexin' some yoga moves. Whether these stars are just starting to show or approaching their due dates, it won't stop them from getting through the bumpy 2020 year.
Scroll through this gallery of celebrities about to pop to see if you can guess the mommies-to-be stuck in quarantine!
Can you guess the mystery mom or will you come up a dilate and a dollar short?
It's a crazy idea, but Britney Spears statues could soon replace Confederate monuments across Louisiana ... if a petition signed by thousands sways politicians in her home state.
Here's the deal ... one Britney fan is behind a growing petition on Change.org, asking Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards toreplace Confederate statues with busts of Britney. Seriously.
The petition, started by Kassie Thibodeaux, is hurtling towards 10,000 signatures and counting ... and it calls on the Governor, Sen. Bill Cassidy, Rep. Cedric Richmond and the Louisiana State Senate and House to "do the right thing: Replace Confederate statues with an actual Louisiana hero and influential human being, Britney Spears."
There are a lot of Confederate statues and monuments in Louisiana, nearly three dozen in all, so it would be a pretty monumental task to replace them all with Britney's likeness.
As you know ... historical statues are being toppled all across the country in the wake of George Floyd's death and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, and Taylor Swift just called on Tennessee to remove its symbols related to the Confederacy.
The petition paints Britney as the perfect solution ... citing her long list of contributions towards Louisiana, including money for Hurricane Katrina relief and flood victims.
3:41 PM PT -- Torrance police have identified this "Karen" as 56-year-old Lena Hernandez from Long Beach. They say she's been involved in at least 3 racial incidents in which criminal reports were taken.
UPDATE
During one incident this past October, cops say Hernandez allegedly harassed a custodian and physically assaulted a Good Samaritan.
UPDATE
6:19 AM PT -- 6/12 -- A new video -- which is somehow even more disturbing than the first -- has surfaced of SoCal Karen. The clip shows the woman confront an Asian man in a parking lot and launch a series of racist remarks at him. We're told this incident happened after the first one, but on the same day, and a police report for criminal threats was filed this time. Cops are still working to get in touch with the woman.
UPDATE
2:42 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops have now spoken to the young woman exercising at the park and we're told police took a report for misdemeanor criminal threats. Our sources say cops are now working to locate the woman who spewed the racist tirade. When cops wrap up the investigation, we're told they'll submit the case to the city attorney.
New rule (apparently): Where there's a park, there's an angry white woman -- aka "Karen" -- spewing hateful, racist words ... and this winner does her biz in a Southern California park. Meet Torrance "Karen," everyone.
6/10/20
@mynamegangg/Twitter - @myullz/Twitter
Her tirade went down Wednesday at the Charles H. Wilson Park in Torrance, CA ... because she was pissed a young woman was using a set of stairs to exercise. Now, she claims "Karen" intentionally walked through her workout ... and, as you see in the vid, she said "Jesus" ... which set off "Karen.'
She jumped in headfirst, threatening violence ... "Next time you ever talk to me like that, you're gonna get your ass kicked by my family. They're gonna f**k you up!"
She continued to unload profanities, and then quickly got racial.
"Karen" screamed, "Get the f**k out of this world, get the f**k out of this state, go back to whatever f***ing Asian country you belong in. You little f***ing bitch! This is not your place. This is not your home. We do not want you here!"
The vile woman then tells her to post it on Facebook and threatens more violence, before finally -- and strangely -- laying into her for wearing black clothes in the California sun. Seriously? Pick your beef "Karen!"
The young woman working out told reporters she was in shock over the lady's attack and it's left her shaken and afraid about returning to the park.
Taylor Swiftis on a crusade to rid her home state of racist statues honoring "villains" ... and she wants to give them the boot forever.
The singer opened up in a big way Friday, zeroing in on monuments in Nashville celebrating "racist historical figures who did evil things."
Taylor says it makes her sick that men like Edward Carmack and Nathan Bedford Forrest are honored with statues in Tennessee ... she says they are both "despicable" figures who should be remembered and treated as such.
Taylor's first salvo took aim at Carmack's statue, which was sitting inside the state Capitol in Nashville until last week, when Black Lives Matter protesters tore it down.
Tennessee has vowed to replace the toppled statue -- it's part of state law -- but Taylor says it's a waste of state funds and missed opportunity to do the right thing.
Carmack was a state lawmaker and newspaper publisher in the early 1900s, who published editorials against Ida B. Wells. Taylor says he was also a white supremacist.
Next, Taylor turned her ire to NBF -- the Ku Klux Klan's first grand wizard and a confederate general.
Taylor calls his statue, which is still standing, a "monstrosity." She says she's tired of stomaching 'Nathan Bedford Forrest Day' in Tennessee, which until now was observed in the state each July 13.
But, Taylor isn't stopping at just toppling statues ... she says that alone won't "fix centuries of systemic oppression, violence and hatred that black people have had to endure."
Taylor says statues honoring folks who "perpetuated hideous patterns of racism" should be retroactively changed from heroes to villains and removed ... because "villains don't deserve statues."
Taylor's imploring the Capitol Commission and Tennessee Historical Commission to stop fighting to preserve these monuments.
Bottom line for Taylor ... "When you fight to honor racists, you show black Tennesseans and all of their allies where you stand, and you continue this cycle of hurt."
A teenage soccer player in Mexico allegedly murdered by police scored the final goal at his own funeral Friday ... and the video of it will bring you to tears.
The powerful scene all went down in Oaxaca ... where teammates decided to honor their fallen 16-year-old friend by setting him up for one last shot attempt.
Así despiden en Oaxaca a Alexander, el joven de 16 años asesinado por policías municipales.
Check out the clip, the boys positioned his casket so they could redirect a soccer ball off of it ... and when the ball slid past the keeper into the makeshift goal -- things got emotional.
All of his teammates surrounded the casket, hugged it and sobbed uncontrollably.
Sports reporter Guillermo Schutz posted the vid to social media ... captioning it in Spanish, "In Oaxaca, this is how they bid Alexander a final goodbye, the 16-year-old teen murdered by municipal police. His friends honor him with one last goal. We're all crying."
The footage was so touching ... even former UCLA hoops star Lorenzo Mata had to share it on Twitter.
