Caitlyn Jenner Undergoes Knee Replacement Surgery ... Olympics Took Its Toll

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LONG TIME COMING
Caitlyn Jenner

Caitlyn Jenner's days as an Olympic star have caught up to her in a painful way -- in the form of knee replacement surgery.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the decathlon gold medalist went under the knife at Cedars-Sinai in L.A. December 14. We're told the surgery lasted 3 hours and so far, so good.

The before-and-after X-Rays pretty much tell the story.

Caitlyn's up and about again ... walking gingerly around her Malibu compound, where she's staying for at least another week before venturing out.

Her goal right at the start of 2022 ... to walk normally, drive and get back to all the stuff she likes ... including golf. She loves skiing -- something that was off the table before surgery -- but her goal is to hit the slopes next winter.

Fact is ... she's needed a knee replacement for a while -- 25 years to be exact. The pain, we're told, has been excruciating at times and Caitlyn knows it emanates from her training for the '76 games.

BTS' Suga Tests Positive for Covid-19

BTS's Suga has joined the ever-growing crowd, testing positive for COVID ... and that makes him the second major K-pop star to catch the virus in the last month.

Suga tested positive Friday ... according to his management team. It seems he was flying back from the U.S. to Korea Thursday and tested negative before getting on the plane, but that's a test given 72 hours before flying.

He took the test in Korea Thursday and got the positive results the next day. So, it's possible/almost certain he flew with COVID.

Suga was quarantined after getting tested and even before he got his results -- this per Korean guidelines. According to his team, he was not in contact with other BTS band members, although the time frame here is unclear.

Suga's been fully vaccinated since August, so this was clearly a breakthrough infection. Also unclear if it's Delta or Omicron. His team says he's experiencing no symptoms.

Last month, the group performed a bunch of shows in California ... and Suga stayed on for "personal engagements" and has been working on side projects, according to Big Hit Music.

Speedy recovery, Suga!!

Arnold Schwarzenegger Early Xmas for Homeless Vets ... Check Out Their New Homes He Donated!!!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas for some homeless military vets in L.A., thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger ... 'cause they now have new homes.

Arnold just paid a visit to some of the vets, now ensconced in the 25 tiny homes he bought for them. They've finally been installed, and Arnold's thrilled ... "It was fantastic to spend some time with our heroes and welcome them into their new homes."

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Schwarzenegger also shared photos of the homes and selfies with the vets and everyone was stoked, including The Terminator, who said, "I am ecstatic! I am really ecstatic. To me, this is the greatest Christmas gift."

Arnold bankrolled the houses to the tune of $250k. It's become a thing in L.A. and elsewhere ... a way to abate the homeless crisis. Jon Cryer and his wife, Lisa Joyner, have also been super involved with tiny homes.

The homes are fully equipped with electricity, air conditioning and room enough to settle in. Arnold's optimistic ... "We proved that when we all work together, we can solve any problem."

Good job, Guv.

Deshazor Everett Washington Team Safety Driver in Fatal Crash ... Woman Dies After Car Hits Trees

UPDATE

7:16 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us so far it does not appear alcohol was a factor, but they're still investigating.

UPDATE

7:00 AM PT -- Washington Football Team released a statement on the crash ... saying, "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends who lost a loved one" They continued, "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by this tragedy. Our team has alerted the league office and is working with local authorities."

A woman is dead after suffering injuries in a car crash where the driver was Washington Football Team Safety Deshazor Everett.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ, Deshazor was behind the wheel of the car when it hit multiple trees, killing a female passenger, 29-year-old Olivia S. Peters, who lived in Las Vegas. She was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Everett was taken to a local hospital, where he remained Friday morning. His injuries are reportedly serious but not life-threatening.

The accident occurred at around 9:15 Thursday night in Loudoun County, Virginia. Everett was driving a 2010 Nissan GT-R and actually hit a few trees before it rolled over.

Cops tell us the crash is under investigation but so far ... no arrests and no charges.

The cause of the crash has not been disclosed.

Originally Published -- 6:54 AM PT

Kardashian/Jenner Low-Key Xmas Eve, Thanks to COVID ... No Party This Year

The annual Kardashian/Jenner Christmas Eve party will be scaled way back for the second year in a row thanks to COVID-19 ... but that doesn't mean the fam won't be able to do a little celebrating themselves.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Kris and the family made the decision to hold off on the elaborate bash the family has become known for over the years due to the alarming rise of COVID cases in the area, and all over the country for that matter.

Our sources say Kris will still get her daughters and grandkids together on Christmas Eve, but that's it ... nothing over the top.

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KRISTMAS AT THE KARDASHIANS

Parties in the past have seen huge celeb guests, like J Lo, Paris Hilton, Dave Chappelle, Chrissy Teigen, Toni Braxton, Babyface, Kanye (of course) and even performances by John Legend and Sia.

The big question, of course, is if Kim's new dude, Pete Davidson, will spend part of the Christmas holiday with her. We're told Pete's headed back to NYC to spend time with immediate family. But he's been bouncing back and forth between coasts, so ya never know.

TMZ broke the story, Kim and Pete were spotted grabbing breakfast at the Bev Hills Hotel earlier in the week before Pete cruised around the city in Kim's tricked-out Rolls.

Kanye's still got a Christmas stocking at the home he and Kim once shared -- where she lives with the kids and without him -- but it's a safe bet they'll all spend Christmas Day together as a family.

Alec Baldwin Thanks to Those Who Supported Me After Shooting ... We Will Never Forget What Happened

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ALEC'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE

Alec Baldwin hopped on cam to deliver a holiday message ... thanking people who have supported him in the wake of the fatal shooting on the "Rust" set, saying it's been a rough road for him.

Baldwin expressed gratitude to people who reached out to him with messages of sympathy and support ... "I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the people who sent me such kind words and best wishes and strength and hope and prayers, thoughts and lots of encouragement. I got hundreds, hundreds of emails from friends, family and colleagues and people I haven't heard from in quite a while to send me strength and good wishes and so forth. I'm really grateful to them."

Baldwin talked about his desire to put the tragedy behind him, and at the same time acknowledged the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins will never be forgotten ... "I'm looking forward to some aspects of this being behind me, of course. For everyone who is involved in this, it'll never be behind us because someone died so tragically. I never lose sight of that, not a day goes by I don't think about that."

He then talked about the center of his life ... "It's true, I only care about my wife and my kids and moving forward with my life and trying to get through a tough time, a really tough time."

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I AIMED AS DIRECTED
ABC News

As we reported, Baldwin and others are currently under the microscope of the Sheriff and D.A. in the "Rust" investigation. No word on when prosecutors will decide whether to charge anyone with criminal misconduct in connection with the fatal shooting.

'Outer Banks' Star Chase Stokes Dancin' By Myself After Madelyn Cline Breakup

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FLYIN' SOLO
TMZ.com

"Outer Banks" star Chase Stokes seems to have moved on from Madelyn Cline ... because he was partying it up with some buds Thursday night and clearly feeling no pain.

Chase was at the Robinson Cafe & Cocktail Lounge in Orlando, Florida. The video was shot around 11:30 PM. Chase and 2 pals ordered a bottle of 1942 Don Julio tequila -- always a good choice -- and a line of women were coming up to him for ... a chat?

Chase seemed happy dancing by himself ... at least in the video we got.

As for Madelyn ... well, looks like she's put Chase in her rearview. She and DJ Zack Bia have been hanging out recently. They were together last Sunday for a dinner in Santa Monica, and earlier in the month Madelyn and Zack -- who once dated Madison Beer -- were together for Madelyn's 24th birthday party. They also hit up a Lakers game.

As for Chase and Madelyn ... they started dating back in April 2020, after appearing together on "Outer Banks." They took a page from the script ... the 2 were romantically linked in the show.

There were rumors they got back together after hanging out over Thanksgiving, but that was then ... looks like both have moved on.

Oprah 'Circle of Life' Chant to Welcome Gayle's Grandson

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WELCOMING A NEW KING

Oprah knows how to celebrate the birth of a child ... with a pretty awesome chant right out of "The Lion King!"

Oprah, Stedman and various loved ones perched themselves on the front porch of her Montecito estate to welcome Gayle King's 3-month-old grandson, Luca. Among the chants ... right from the opening song of "Lion King" ... "The Circle of Life."

As the group stretched their vocal cords, Gayle's daughter, Kirby Bumpus, and her hubby Virgil Miller walked a long stretch with the infant and then presented him to O.

You hear Oprah greet the kid ... "I know you've been waiting. You've been waiting to see me. I've been waiting to see you." She kisses Luca on the hand with glee.

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Gayle, curiously, was absent. All Oprah said was her BFF didn't meet all the rules for her COVID Xmas. Oprah said, "Everyone who is spending Christmas at my house has to be vaccinated, boosted, tested, and quarantined." It's unclear on which element Gayle fell short.

It looks like Gayle will be there belatedly, because Oprah said, "This was release day for our bubble and we knew we had to throw a welcome celebration for Baby Luca, who none of us had met yet!" Then she added ... "missed his grandma @gayleking but she'll join us once she completes the policy!"

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Kirby and Virgil tied the knot at Oprah's Montecito estate, and now they've come with their firstborn .... the circle of life.

Kris Jenner Check Out My Pipes!!! 'Jingle Bells' with Assist From Travis Barker

Kris Jenner is no threat to Mariah Carey for sure, but she did a respectable job with her rendition of "Jingle Bells," with an assist from her future son-in-law.

KJ posted her version of the Xmas staple, as Travis Barker, who produced the tune on "Kravis Records," kept the beat on his drum set. Not bad to have Blink-182 as your backup.

Kourtney Kardashian contributed by playing the song's title.

As for the art on the album cover ... well, it's a back-in-the-day photo, and a good one at that.

It's not the first Kris Jenner release ... back in '85 she recorded "I Like My Friends" to the tune of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A."

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The Kardashian/Jenner Christmas Eve party is being toned down this year to COVID. There will still be kids and grandkids and maybe some close friends, but that's about it.

Bezos/Sanchez Chowin' Down in St. Barts

Jeff Bezos and GF Lauren Sanchez live a fancy-schmancy life ... nevertheless, they like circulating in public, which is exactly what they did when they grabbed some grub in St. Barts.

Don't get us wrong -- St. Barts ain't exactly Venice beach, where all are welcome. It's a super-exclusive Caribbean island where lots of rich people go during the Xmas holidays and compare the size of their yachts (FYI, that's not code).

So, that's where J&L landed, and these pics are from a local restaurant called Gyp Sea Beach. Jeff and Lauren broke bread during lunch with about 8 others at the table.  There are 2 kids in the party -- unclear whose they are.

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LUNCH DATE
TMZ.com

With all the crap going on in the world, you'd think Jeff might be otherwise occupied, but he casually spent around 2 hours relaxing, eating, drinking and conversing.

No PDA during the lunch ... a stark contrast to their romantic hike earlier in the week.

BTW ... if you're interested, check out the restaurant's website. The food looks delish.

NBA Star Enes Kanter Freedom Officially Dating Emily Sears!!!

Enes Kanter Freedom is no longer a free man in the dating world... because TMZ has learned that he has made things official with Carl's Jr. model Emily Sears!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Emily and the Boston Celtics player have been dating for a couple of months. It's unclear how they met ... but meet they clearly did.

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Emily recently raised suspicions that the two were an item after she posted a pic from Boston with the hooper on IG, writing, "Bravest person I know" and tagging the NBA star.

We're told Emily's still living in LA and Enes is currently in Boston... that's always a struggle, but so far we're told it's not a real issue.

She's recently been spotted supporting him front and center at some of his games ... and of course, cheering on her bae.

Kyle Kuzma & Winnie Harlow Hold Hands On NYC Date ... Romance Officially Rekindled!!!

Kyle Kuzma and Winnie Harlow are back on ... and they wasted no time letting the world know it this week -- holding hands on a romantic date in NYC.

The couple -- which broke up back in August but rekindled their romance just recently -- hit up Carbone on Kuzma's NBA off day Wednesday, and looked as lovey-dovey as ever.

The Wizards star, who was in NYC for Washington's game against the Knicks, held Harlow's hand on the way to dinner -- and you can see in the pics, the supermodel was very happy.

Harlow looked to be in great spirits, smiling and waving before heading in -- and, yeah, it's clear the power couple is officially back.

As we previously reported, the two originally got together during the pandemic ... after Harlow says Kuzma successfully slid into her Instagram DMs.

They spent nearly all of quarantine together -- but broke up right around the time Kuzma was traded from the Lakers to the Wizards.

Seems everything's all good now, though ... congrats on finding love again!

Celebrity Christmas Trees 2021 Merry And Bright!

Hollywood is go big or go home when it comes to decor ... and Christmas is their time to shine like the star on top of the tree!

Some of your favorite stars -- like Kim Kardashian, Nia Vardalos, and James Charles -- are putting the extra in extravagance with their best holiday displays. A few are soaring to new heights with branches touching the sky while others are decking them out with the brightest lights.

The good news is Christmas isn't about who has the most decorations ... you can still impress Santa with all the holiday cheer you share with loved ones!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Mike Rowe Just When I Thought I Was Out Reboots 'Dirty Jobs' Series

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THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR
TMZ.com

Mike Rowe says he's delighted to relaunch "Dirty Jobs" series after a 10-year hiatus ... this time, he plans to take on pandemic-related jobs.

The TV host joined us on "TMZ Live" and talked about the journey to the show's triumphant return.

The series made a comeback earlier this year for a limited run, and Mike says over the last year he got hundreds of letters from loyal fans imploring him to reboot the series.

So why now? Mike's simple answer -- COVID. During the lockdown, essential workers became headline news ... the relaunch seemed like a good idea to remind people of the kinds of essential jobs that make life work, especially during the pandemic.

Now get this ... Mike also rightfully gloated about his side hustle -- singing! His song,  "Santa's Gotta Dirty Job" with Country music singer John Rich was released in early December ... and boy, it was a hit!

No, really ... the song hit #1 for a week on Country Music charts, #1 on iTunes for 4 days -- and even took the top spot on the Billboard digital song sales chart.

As for profits, John and Mike are splitting it even steven and giving all of the proceeds to non-profit orgs.

The series premieres on Jan 2 ... but you can tune in to "TMZ Live" today for the full interview.

Bobcat Goldthwait 'Memba Him?!

New York native Bobcat Goldthwait (real name Robert Francis Goldthwait) gained fame while in his mid-twenties after he parlayed his successful stand-up career into big-screen acting gigs while keeping his signature squawky voice on iconic '80s movies.

BG's recognizable roles include the zany Zed on "Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment," Fred Chaney on the talking horse hit "Hot To Trot," Egg Stork on the seasonal romantic comedy "One Crazy Summer" ... and of course Eliot Loudermilk on the 1988 Christmas classic "Scrooged."

Guess what he looks like now at almost 60 years old ... and with a sweet Santa beard!

Jason Flom Give Truck Driver Comm. Service ... Not 110 Years for Fatal Crash

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NO NEED FOR REVENGE
TMZ.com

The truck driver whose 110-year sentence outraged millions of Americans doesn't deserve ANY prison time at all, because the fatal crash was purely an accident ... according to justice reform activist Jason Flom.

Jason, who's on board of the Innocence Project, says Rogel Aguilera-Mederos getting such a severe sentence -- one even a Colorado prosecutor wants to be reviewed -- is purely about revenge, instead of justice.

As you probably know, Aguilera-Mederos was found guilty on 27 charges for the fiery interstate crash caused by his 18-wheeler smashing into multiple cars. 4 people were killed and more than a dozen more seriously injured.

Still, when Jason joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live" he said, "If I were the governor I would sentence him to community service.”

His reasoning is Aguilera-Mederos had no intent to harm anyone that fateful day in 2019 -- the truck driver said his brakes had failed, and there was nothing he could do to avoid the tragedy.

The judge seemed to believe him, and after giving him 110 years -- the minimum under Colorado law -- said, "If I had the discretion, it would not be my sentence."

More than 4 million people, including Kim Kardashian, signed a petition for the case to be reconsidered. Jason says the justice system is flawed -- "Doubling down on the tragedy by destroying this young man’s life -- I believe he is a father as well -- how does that serve anybody’s best interest?"

As we reported, Colorado D.A. Alexis King filed a motion this week for the judge to review the case -- but at least one victim's wife isn't happy with the push to reduce the sentence. She believes the accident could've been avoided, and called Kim a "loudmouth" for getting involved.