Hollywood To Hamas Release All Hostages!!! Bring Them Home, Biden
Tons of Hollywood stars are banding together to pressure Hamas to release all hostages taken by the terrorist group in Gaza ... and they're asking President Biden to help make it happen.
Tiffany Haddish, Bradley Cooper, Justin Timberlake, Chris Rock, and Gwyneth Paltrow are among the big names who signed an open letter to Biden, which calls on Hamas to set all prisoners free.
The open letter is part of a new campaign out of Hollywood, led by Jewish celebs and executives, called #NoHostageLeftBehind.
It's a truly extraordinary number of Hollywood honchos who have signed on, and it's clearly well-intentioned ... but what's clearly lacking is how the letter brings Hamas hostages home ... not that we're expecting celebs to figure that out.
Seems Hollywood is looking to the White House for a hand here ... the letter also thanks Biden for his leadership in bringing home two American hostages Friday ... though the celebs say their "relief is tempered by our overwhelming concern that 220 innocent people, including 30 children, remain captive by terrorists, threatened with torture and death."
Hamas also released two Israeli hostages on Monday, but their spouses still remain in captivity.
The letter concludes ... "We all want the same thing: Freedom for Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side in peace. Freedom from the brutal violence spread by Hamas. And most urgently, in this moment, freedom for the hostages. We urge everyone to not rest until all hostages are released."
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Dave Chappelle Gets Offer to Meet with Jewish Group After Israel Comments
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Dave Chappelle has angered many in the Jewish community after his remarks on Israel -- but one group advocating for them is extending an olive branch if he's willing to chat.
American Jewish Committee spokesperson Richard Hirschhaut tells TMZ ... they'd love to have a sit-down with Dave to help him understand why so many people were upset, and how he can better navigate this topic next time around.
Chappelle was a 10/10
— Jim Murray (@bigjimmurray) October 20, 2023 @bigjimmurray
But if you’re going Friday night & the crowd is anything like tonight- good luck.
You’d have thought it was the first night out of the house since the pandemic for these slobs. pic.twitter.com/UKMF3mGCA2
The AJC, a global advocacy organization, says Dave's first attempt to discuss Israel-Palestine -- during his Boston show last week -- missed the mark and adds ... "Dave Chappelle prides himself on precision of language and moral clarity. His comments uttered during last Friday's show at TD Garden failed on both counts."
They tell us his initial condemnation of Hamas was great -- but that he should have stopped there. AJC continues, "By criticizing Israel's retaliatory strikes and accusing the US of aiding the slaughter of innocent people, Chappelle turns truth on its head. Make no mistake, the slaughter of innocents is precisely what Hamas did on October 7th."
Of course, there've been innocent Palestinians who've been killed in the aftermath of all this as well -- upwards of 4,300, in fact, depending on which tallies you look at. The original Hamas attack claimed around 1,400 or so innocent Israeli lives.
In any case, the AJC thinks DC needs to be more precise with his language -- and they also believe he should know better at such a volatile time. According to them, his encouraging of people to shout "Free Palestine" creates a hostile and dangerous environment for Jewish people, and they say if that happens again, it's incumbent on him to ask what that means.
In their mind, the answer is obvious ... Free Palestine boils down to eliminating Israel.
Still, Richard says his org "would welcome an opportunity to meet with Chappelle and his team in an effort to help deepen his understanding of the current situation and enable him to be a source of more light than heat going forward."
Based on Dave's track record with other controversies ... the AJC probably shouldn't hold its collective breath. He doesn't tend to apologize, nor does he often feel the need to sit down with anyone after something like this.
Another org repping Jewish interests -- StandWithUs -- has some strong words for Dave. Roz Rothstein, the co-founder and CEO says, "If the reports about Chappelle's comments are correct, it is deeply disappointing that he has yet again used his platform to promote more division, misinformation, and hate regarding Israel and the Jewish people. We applaud the audience members who spoke up and walked out of the show in protest."
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Celebrity Halloween Costumes Who'd You Rather?!
Hollywood will have you seeing double when it comes to their Halloween costumes, but don't lose your focus when it comes to these festive photos ... take in these costume treats and vote for who'd you, rather?!
Zombie brides have always been a go-to costume choice, and Lele Pons and Kim Loaiza have never looked better in white, but which one would you rather walk down the aisle with?
Paris Hilton has hit the streets every year during spooky season and has spun up "Alice And Wonderland", Sexy Furby, and Burlesque Bunny, but which one has you saying, "That's Hot!?"
And, Noah Beck's looks always come to the rescue, while David Beckham remains fatherly, brave, and straight-up zaddy ... But which superhero is more incredible?
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Jamie Lee Curtis 'Halloween' House Finds Buyer ... Sells in Time For Halloween!
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The iconic home from "Halloween" where Jamie Lee Curtis' character once lived has a new owner ... making a killing in the sale just in time for the pinnacle night of spooky season.
The South Pasadena, CA home that served as a filming location for the 1978 horror flick has officially sold for $1.68 million -- it hit the market last month for $1.8M but hey, still not bad for a place with such a gory pedigree!
TMZ broke the story, the house where teenage Laurie Strode sat out front holding a pumpkin in the film has been turned into a 3-unit property, with the potential for the garage space to be converted into a 4th spot as an ADU (accessory dwelling unit).
The first unit is a large 1-bedroom suite with a large porch, the second has 3 beds and 1 bath, and the third is a 1-bed, 1-bath. In other words, the buyer's gonna be able to make some great rental income with the space.
The Strode home had been in the real owner's family their grandparents lived there -- building the second structure over the garage back in 1948.
Heidi Babcock and Andrea Marcum-Valentine of eXp Realty of Los Angeles held the listing.
Heads up to the buyer, BTW -- watch out for the masked dude with a knife! Just sayin' ...
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Guess Who This Dressed Up Girl Turned Into!
Before this adorable girl in her green dress turned into a singer and fashion icon, she was just hoppin' on her family car for a pic, listening to folk music with her rents and growing up in Anaheim, California.
She provided vocals for her brother's band, and she wound up staying for nearly two decades before venturing off to a solo career. In most recent years, she may appear a tad judge-y but that's just how singing competitions work 😜!
Need one more clue? There's absolutely no doubt this gal is B-A-N-A-N-A-S!
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Lil Wayne Sorry Wax Museum, You Tried AND FAILED!!!
Lil Wayne agrees with the masses ... a wax figure with his likeness did a TERRIBLE job capturing his details.
An image of a Weezy F. Baby statue from the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge, TN began to explode across social media Monday ... with many recognizing the figure intended to resemble Wayne, it was close but no cigar.
The figurine nailed the details of Wayne's tattoos but couldn't really nail his face. Many thought it looked more like Toosii with dreads than the Young Money boss.
"Sorry wax museum but dat shit ain’t me! You tried tho and I appreciate the effort," Wayne wrote to the curators on Twitter.
Social media users were far less forgiving than Wayne -- equally merciless as the dragging they gave the weird-looking statue of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson earlier this week.
The Hollywood/WWE legend even offered to the museum, this particular one being located in Paris, personal hands-on help to fix the correction.
No telling if Wayne is down to do the same ... but these things are probably best left to the pros at Madame Tussauds at this point.
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Alaska Airlines Off-Duty Pilot Tries to Take Plane Down Hit w/ 83 Counts of Attempted Murder
An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot is in big trouble after allegedly trying to take down a plane from a sister airline -- and you can tell by the dozens of charges he's now facing.
44-year-old Joseph D. Emerson -- who's employed by Alaska -- was arrested and booked Monday on 83 counts of attempted murder in Multnomah County, OR ... this after law enforcement claims he attempted to shut off the aircraft's engines mid-flight the night prior.
It's a strange story ... apparently, Emerson was hitching a ride on a Horizon Airlines flight -- which is owned by the same company that manages Alaska -- that was going from Seattle to San Francisco ... but which had to divert to Portland because of this alleged incident.
According to cops -- who cite crew members onboard -- Emerson pulled this incredibly dangerous stunt while sitting in the cockpit's jump seat ... but thankfully, the captain and first officer were able to subdue him and prevent the plane from going down.
NEW: The FAA is telling airlines that Sunday’s incident involving an off-duty pilot who attempted to cut the engines of an Alaska Airlines flight is "not connected" to “current world events.”
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) October 23, 2023 @petemuntean
Even still, the agency urged airlines and crews to "maintain vigilance."
ATC audio reportedly captured crew members discussing what happened over the airwaves -- with someone saying, "We’ve got the guy that tried to shut the engines down out of the cockpit and he doesn’t sound like he’s causing any issue in the back right now, I think he’s subdued. We want law enforcement as soon as we get on the ground and parked."
Well, Emerson was indeed met by officials ... and they're accusing him of a lot. In addition to the 83 attempted murder charges, he's also been hit with 83 counts of reckless endangerment -- plus, endangering an aircraft. No word on what possibly led him to do this.
Alaska says the quick-thinking Horizon team are to thank for saving the day. The FAA, meanwhile, says Sunday's episode is not connected to world events ... aka, Israel-Palesine.
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Jake Paul I'm Not A Cokehead!!!
No, Jake Paul was NOT doing bumps of cocaine in the ring after his brother Logan's boxing match last weekend ... so says the Problem Child himself, who's combating the allegations with comedy.
The 26-year-old internet superstar and pugilist was spotted on camera touching his nose as he stood behind his older bro following his win over Dillon Danis in Manchester ... with many going to social media to accuse him of sniffing the booger sugar in plain sight.
Jake Paul is going viral for allegedly doing coke during misfits event. 🤯 ‼️
— DramaAlert (@DramaAlert) October 16, 2023 @DramaAlert
Do you think he is? pic.twitter.com/bhP7WjcSew
Paul addressed it all in his most recent YouTube video ... poking fun at the wild claims by surrounding himself with Coca-Cola cans and tossing a white powder in the air like LeBron James.
"Y'all want some Coke?" Paul asked his friends as he pretended to be drugged out.
After laughing it off, Paul got serious ... saying his gesture was the result of being a sweaty guy -- even zooming in on his nose to show how moist his skin gets from "five minutes of existing."
A brawl just broke out at Logan Paul vs Dillion Danis #PRIMECARD #MisfitsPrimeCard #LoganPaulvsDillonDanis pic.twitter.com/1BUJKfhIBE
— Fousey 24/8 (@Fousey24_8) October 14, 2023 @Fousey24_8
On top of that, his involvement in the post-fight scuffle certainly didn't help his perspiration problem.
"This is the thing, is I go to brawl in the ring to save my f***ing brother," Paul added. "Forty grown men around me, everyone's huffing and puffing, I'm yelling, 'You bitch, you're lucky I didn't kill you.' and I'm literally drenched in sweat."
"I come out, everyone knows I'm the most sweatiest person in the world. So I get into the ring to like, go be there for my brother and s***, and I put my hat on and I'm literally sweating down my face, so I'm just like this, trying to get the sweat off of my f***ing face."
Paul's girlfriend, Jutta Leerdam, backed her man ... saying she's seen first-hand how seriously he takes care of his body -- and all the haters need to quit trying to create a false image of him.
Ultimately, Paul said he's more of a mushroom and wine type of guy ... so you won't see him hitting the slopes anytime soon.
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Rick Ross Dinner With Jay-Z Made Me Millions!!! 🤷🏾♂️
Rick Ross isn't buying Jay-Z's answer to that ol' question -- $500k or dinner with him -- because the MMG rapper says his personal experience with Jay netted him way more cash!!!
Jay-Z shot down all the folks who'd opt for the dinner, thinking he'd say something life-changing that would make the meal more valuable than a half a million dollars -- but Rozay begs to differ.
Ahead of the release of his "Trilla" album in 2008, Rozay says he had dinner with Jay at Philippe Chow in NYC, where the Roc Nation boss instructed him to write songs for their intended impact ... as opposed to just rapping over beats he liked.
Ross remembers cutting his workload in half and seeing his stock rise -- it pays to work smarter, not harder!!!
Jay hopped on the album as well ... kicking off the famed "Maybach Music" series and Rozay says his career catapulted to another level.
Now, that being said ... Rick walked into that dinner with Jay already being a talented artist ... so, he understands why a normie -- without that kinda head start -- would take the money and run.
Point is, if you've got real potential in the biz ... the Boss says go with his mentality, and bypass the $500k for a seat at the table!!!
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Jennifer Lopez Sells Bel-Air House for $34 Million ... Last Solo Home Pre-Affleck
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Jennifer Lopez has finally unloaded her bachelorette pad in Cali -- officially cutting ties with the last part of her single life -- before marrying Ben Affleck last year.
Real estate sources tell TMZ, J Lo recently sold her Bel-Air mansion for a cool $34 million -- this after first listing it back in February. She made a nice profit, especially when you consider she first bought it in 2016 for about $28 mil.
Of course, it's not nearly as much as she would've liked -- the price tag on this place earlier in the year was $42.5 mil, so she had to take a bit off the top to get rid of it.
Still, we're told the sale was a record for the area -- so there's still reason to celebrate.
The estate features a huge main house ... including 9 bedrooms, 13 baths, an infinity pool, 30-seat screening room, a gym, a guest house, an extra 100-seat amphitheater and more.
Remember, Ben also got rid of his own spot, right around the same time he married Jen.
Jen and Ben have moved on up from their respective individual properties they owned before getting hitched -- having purchased a massive mansion in Bev Hills that reflects their collective wealth ... a whopping $60 million.
The agent who held the listing on Jen's solo home was Brett Lawyer from Carolwood Estates.
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Blueface Ordered To Pay $13 Million Over Vegas Strip Club Shooting
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Blueface was lucky to only get probation for his involvement in a shooting at a Vegas strip club, but he's now been ordered to pay an astonishing $13 million in damages to the club's owner.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Euphoric Gentleman's Club sued Blueface over the incident, claiming his business was ruined because of the shooting incident ... and just won summary judgment in the amount of $13,072,482.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
If you missed it, the club's owner erupted following the shooting, calling for Blueface's arrest and then some ... and now the court agrees he's gotta pay up.
The whopping bill is broken down into several categories ... $12.6 million in lost revenue, lease damages of $198K, $84k in payroll expenses to employees who had to be paid following the club's Nov. 2022 shutdown, and more.
Blueface Sentenced Up to 3 Years Probation For Vegas Strip Club Shooting
BF received a suspended sentence after taking a plea deal in the criminal case related to the incident, meaning he'll only have 3 years of probation and won't be serving any time behind bars if he keeps his nose clean.
It's unclear if BF plans to appeal ... he had no attorney listed for the civil case and it looks like he failed to appear in court to even challenge this latest ruling.
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Taylor Swift Kisses Travis Kelce After Chiefs Win
Taylor Swift planted one on Travis Kelce this weekend -- the first time we've seen her pucker up to her boyfriend in public ... though it's still very PG-13.
The singer was photographed after the game Sunday next to her man, posing with Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. and his girlfriend, Chariah Gordon. In one of the shots, you can see TayTay kissing Travis on the cheek, with her hand on his chest.
Like we said, this marks the debut of any kind of affection at this level -- thus far, we've only seen them hold hands in public ... so, it would seem their PDA is growing by the day.
TBH, this is a side of Taylor we haven't really seen until now. Before getting with Travis, she's tended to be quite private and away from the spotlight as it relates to her significant others ... particularly while she was dating Joe Alwyn. They were practically in the shadows.
Now, however, Taylor seems to be embracing the public nature of this relationship ... and she's loving it. Not only have we seen her express herself at games full throttle, but even when it comes to stuff like this -- it doesn't seem like she and Trav are all that shy.
As for TK ... he, too, seems ready for all the scrutiny -- something that undoubtedly comes with the territory of what he does professionally. If anything, this attention is nothing new.
Gotta say, the more we see of these two ... the more it feels like they could have real legs as a couple. Their lives are certainly blending at a fast rate -- and the people are all about it.
Let's give 'em a big ol' AWWWWW. 😚
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B-Rock and the Bizz Paul Costict Dead at 57
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Paul Costict, one of the original members of the rap group B-Rock and The Bizz -- famous for the single "My Baby Daddy" -- is dead ... TMZ has learned.
Paul died unexpectedly Saturday at his home in Norfolk, VA ... according to a family member. The cause of death is unclear.
While it's unclear exactly how he died, the family member tells us they spoke to Paul Wednesday, he seemed to be in good spirits ... but mentioned recently being sick.
As hip hop fans may know ... B-Rock and The Bizz are a one-hit wonder, thanks to their 1997 single, "My Baby Daddy," which peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard charts back in the day.
The song earned gold certification and Paul eventually ended up in a bitter dispute over his gold album with his ex-wife, Lasancious ... the exes fought over his plaque in a TV episode of "Divorce Court."
In addition to being a member of the band, we're told Paul was also the group's road manager.
Fellow band member Thaddeus "T-Bird" Maye grew up with Paul in Alabama and is remembering him as "a very funny and Kool brother."
Paul was 57.
RIP
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Mauricio Umansky Holding Hands w/ 'DWTS' Partner
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Mauricio Umansky might have turned his dance partner into a real-life romantic partner -- 'cause he's out here looking real cozy with Emma Slater ... or so it seems.
The 'Real Housewives' star -- who's currently separated from his estranged wife, Kyle Richards -- hit up a restaurant in Bev Hills Sunday night with Emma ... who he's sharing screen time with right now during his stint on "Dancing With the Stars" as her celeb plus-1.
Welp, it looks like they're taking their ballroom connection into the outside world -- that is, if these photos on their face are to be believed -- 'cause the 'DWTS' pair walked away from their one-on-one dinner hand in hand, coming across awfully couple-y.
No other signs of PDA between 'em that we can see ... but this feels telling on its own.
Mauricio and Emma have actually been hanging out a lot lately -- dressing up for Halloween as recently as last week. So, yeah ... they've been chummy for a good while now.
Now, our sources with direct knowledge tell us the hand-holding was spurred on by a deep convo the duo had over dinner -- namely discussing their upcoming dance on this week's episode. We're told the theme is "most important year of your life" -- and Mauricio opened up to Emma about why 1996 was so pivotal for him.
Our sources say Mauricio actually revealed a lot to Emma last night on this topic -- '96 was the year he and Kyle married, he was fired from the fashion industry and he pivoted to real estate -- and we're told that, as a result, they felt far more connected and closer than ever ... which, we suppose, explains why they looked like this while exiting.
As for whether this is blossoming into a romance ... the sources couldn't say one way or another.
Of course, there's been tons of speculation about Mauricio and Kyle, whose marriage has come under a microscope this year amid KR's friendship with Morgan Wade.
Kyle has long insisted they're simply partners on a project right now ... as Kyle is producing a documentary on Morgan's life -- but some have still suggested a romance might be afoot.
Meanwhile ... Mauricio and Kyle haven't really cut each other out of their respective lives. They've gone on vacation together with the rest of their family -- and have hung out on a number of occasions for holiday get-togethers and the like. It's been ... interesting.
So, for now, it would appear Mauricio might be ready to move on. Maybe ... or he's just really close with 'DWTS' co-worker.
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Chris Brown Joining CA Exodus ... 'Time For Something Different, L.A.'
Chris Brown could be the next California resident to pack up and find some new surroundings -- the R&B megastar says he's moving on from the Golden State.
Chris posted Monday ... "LA it's been FUN. Cali will always be my second home but I think it's time for me to try something different." He buttoned his farewell note with a 💗, so it doesn't appear there's anything too heavy behind the move.
Breezy's time in Cali has been the backdrop for virtually all his major headlines -- good and bad.
He's fended off noise and party complaints from neighbors for years at several of his residences -- and also dazzled fans with yard sales, liquidating rare clothing and memorabilia items.
Of course, he's also been pinched under the state's criminal justice system a few times -- most infamously for the 2009 Rihanna beating.
Chris didn't say where he's heading (or even if he's definitely moving), but if he's inclined to follow others fleeing Cali lately ... Texas, Florida and Tennessee are the hot spots.
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Mary Lou Retton Out Of ICU ... Recovering At Home
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Mary Lou Retton has just taken a huge step in her fight to beat pneumonia ... she's been released from the ICU -- and is now at home recovering.
One of the Olympic legend's daughters, McKenna, shared the good news on her Instagram page on Monday ... thanking doctors, nurses and fans for everything they've done to get her to this point.
"We still have a long road of recovery ahead of us," McKenna wrote, "but baby steps."
Retton was first admitted into the ICU earlier this month after contracting a rare form of pneumonia ... and while initially her family was pleased with her progress, they said she suffered a "pretty scary setback" last week.
Seems, though, Retton has battled past that ... something her family is obviously overjoyed about.
"We are overwhelmed with the love and support from everyone," McKenna said. "Grateful doesn't scrape the surface of the posture of our hearts."
A SpotFund created to help Retton with her hospital bills, meanwhile, received 8,319 donations totaling $459,304.