Carole Baskin Informed About Don's Fam 'DWTS' Commercial ... Minutes Before Dance

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SEEKING JUSTICE
Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt
UPDATE

7:09 AM PT -- 9/15 -- Carole tells TMZ ... someone made sure she knew about the commercial 10 minutes before going out on the dance floor. She adds, "And you can see that it did not keep me from bringing the best performance of my two weeks of learning."

UPDATE
UPDATE

5:45 PM PT -- Carole's mentioned by name in the commercial, which just aired during 'DWTS.'

UPDATE

The spot features Don's three daughters explaining how much they love and miss him and why they need to know what happened to him.

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Don's former assistant says his loved ones are just asking for justice, and the family lawyer says they deserve answers and asks the public if Carole was involved.

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The family mentions their $100,000 reward and drops a number for their tip line.

The family of Don Lewis -- Carole Baskin's millionaire husband who went missing in 1997 -- is cutting in on Carole's first night of 'DWTS' ... asking the public for help finding him.

Don's family and attorney John Phillips bought time to air a commercial during Carole's "Dancing with the Stars" debut. We're told the spot will implore the public to send tips regarding his mysterious disappearance ... featured, of course, on 'Tiger King.'

We're told the spot will run during the first 'DWTS' commercial break of Monday night's premiere. It features Don's 3 daughters Gale, Lynda and Donna, plus his former assistant, Anne McQueen, and the family attorney ... who all allege Carole has something to do with Don's disappearance.

As you know ... Carole is getting ready for her big 'DTWS' debut ... and we're told Don's family feels her participation in the dance competition series undermines the ongoing investigation into his whereabouts and is a "grossly insensitive" decision by the show's producers.

Carole has always maintained her innocence in Don's case.

Originally published -- 9/14 12:38 PM PT

Girl Scouts If Your Daughter Wants To Come To Our Events ... YOU GOTTA PROMISE NOT TO SUE US OVER COVID!!!

At least some Girl Scouts are doing things a bit differently during the pandemic -- little girls can still participate in person -- but their parents gotta sign a COVID-19 waiver first ... and acknowledge the virus could result in death.

TMZ has learned the Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois are requiring parents and guardians to sign a special waiver in order for girls to attend in-person events.

According to the waiver, obtained by TMZ, the doc is designed to protect the Girl Scouts organization from legal liability if any child or parent gets sick and/or dies from COVID-19 while participating in any GS activities.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois tells TMZ ... in-person troop meetings, gatherings and activities are NOT required for girls to participate in Girl Scouts, but the waiver is necessary for smaller groups that prefer meeting in real life.

If parents and guardians are wary of signing a waiver and sending their child off to an in-person event in the middle of a raging pandemic, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois tells us they offer a variety of programs and ways for girls to connect and experience the Girl Scout Leadership Experience online in a contactless environment.

We reached out to Girl Scouts of America to see how many branches are using similar waivers ... so far, no word back.

Might want to start mentally preparing for a Girl Scout Cookie season unlike any you've ever experienced.

'RHONY' Star Leah McSweeney's Contract Holdout ... Dissed by Bravo Offer

Leah McSweeney is the new star who became a fan favorite on Season 12 of "The Real Housewives of New York City," but she might be a one-and-done sensation ... unless Bravo ponies up.

Sources close to the show tell TMZ ... Leah is only being offered a "minuscule" pay raise for the upcoming 13th season of 'RHONY' -- which would be her second -- and she feels disrespected.

We're told the breakout 'Housewife' is holding out for an offer she feels is more deserving, considering what she brought to the table in her debut season ... and she won't return until she gets it. The clock is ticking, though -- the new season's supposed to start shooting in a week or 2.

Our sources say McSweeney made $3k per episode last season, which netted her about $60k, and she feels Bravo is trying to underpay her with a similar offer for Season 13.

Interestingly, the holdout comes on the heels of Leah updating her Instagram bio to show powerhouse talent agency, WME, is now repping her.

For those who don't know ... Leah got on the show through her relationship with Tinsley Mortimer, and fans felt she was a refreshing and exciting addition. Getting naked and throwing tiki torches around the pool at Ramona Singer's Hampton's crib will do that for ya!

We reached out to Bravo and McSweeney's reps … so far, no word back.

'Edward Scissorhands' Boggs Family Home Sold to Fans ... Hair Above Asking Price!!!

A family of "Edward Scissorhands" fans scooped up the Boggs house featured in the movie, and instead of getting it at a slashed price ... they ponied up a little extra to seal the deal.

We broke the story ... the Florida home used for exterior and interior shots in the 1990 Tim Burton cult classic -- starring Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder -- went on the market last month for $224k, with new colors and renovations.

It didn't take long for it to generate interest from multiple buyers, but we're told one family with kids pushed the hardest and bought the house for $6,000 above asking price.

Turns out, the buyers love the movie and the husband grew up in the area. We're told he had watched some of 'Scissorhands' being shot in the Tampa suburban town of Lutz back when he was a kid.

Our sources say the famous movie home got about a dozen offers in its first week on the market, and officially closed last week.

The 1,432-square-foot residence comes with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, including a completely remodeled master bath. Along with the upgrades, it still boasts some original charming attributes from the film ... like the kitchen cabinets and countertops.

The newly-sold Boggs home was listed by Stacie Savoy of Berkshire Hathaway Florida Properties Group.

Steve Nash Too Busy To Worry About Critics 'Trying To Build Something'

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FOCUSED ON THE TEAM
TMZSports.com

Steve Nash says his haters will NOT be his motivators with the Brooklyn Nets -- telling TMZ Sports he's too busy working to worry about outside noise.

And, there has been A LOT of noise ... with current and former NBA players, coaches, analysts and fans criticizing the Nets for hiring Nash over a qualified Black candidate.

So, when we saw Nash leaving Lilia in Brooklyn over the weekend, we asked if he's using the backlash as fuel to succeed.

"No," Nash told us straight-up ... "I'm busy trying to build something and collaborate with my staff."

Nash understands the criticism -- he has no real coaching experience and admitted to "skipping the line" to land the Nets job. But, he also argued that he's extremely qualified saying last week, "I think leading an NBA team [as a player] for almost 2 decades is pretty unique."

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I'M THE GUY
Brooklyn Nets

There's more in our convo with Nash ... here are the quick hits:

TMZ Sports: Have you spoken with Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant about the social justice movement?

Nash: "I haven't actually spoken with them about that," Nash says ... "but they know I'm an ally."

TMZ Sports: "Have you reached out to other coaches for advice?"

Nash: "I have."

TMZ Sports: Anyone, in particular, you can share?

Nash: "I can not."

TMZ Sports: "What's one goal you have in Brooklyn?

Nash: "Build a great environment for my players and make the community proud."

TMZ Sports: Were there any other teams you considered?

Nash: Just this one.

Guess Who This Stylish Star Turned Into!

Before this brace face was a familiar funny female on your television screens, she was just another brown-eyed gal growing up in East Cleveland, Ohio.

This young woman rockin' gold hoops got her start making appearances on children shows including "That's So Raven" "Drake & Josh," and "Victorious." She later got cast as a hilarious series regular on an NBC show set on a college campus.

The comedian has also added her expertise as a guest judge on the panel of multiple reality shows -- even joining her ex-costar to guess the hidden celebrities on "The Masked Singer."

Can you guess who she is?

Britney Spears I've Got No Desire to Perform Now ... Fights Dad's New Conservator Hire

UPDATE

6:06 PM PT -- Britney's dad just fired back ... in new docs, obtained by TMZ, Jamie claims Britney's objections to the appointment of the conservator are full of factual misstatements.

UPDATE

Jamie's asking the court to hold a hearing to weigh the facts.

Britney Spears is furious with her father for trying to rehire a man she claims is "uniquely unsuited" to manage her estate, and who made a fortune off her for years.

Andrew Wallet served as co-conservator of Britney's estate from 2008 to 2019 and, according to the pop star, was paid millions of dollars for his service ... including a $100,000 payout in March 2019 when he quit the job.

In docs filed Monday, Britney says she's done performing, at least for now, and she needs to keep her expenses in check and make "difficult budgetary choices going forward." Britney says she believes her dad, Jamie, is ignoring her financial situation by attempting to bring Wallet back on board.

Britney says Wallet was paid nearly a half a million dollars a year for the last 5 years he worked for her, and feels he's just way too expensive.

As we've reported, Britney and Jamie have been in a nasty battle over her conservatorship -- she no longer wants him to be the sole conservator of her estate, and has suggested a financial institution, not Wallet, should join him as co-conservator.

TMZ broke the story ... in a hearing last month, the status of Britney's conservatorship remained unchanged. Our sources said one of the main issues is Britney's mental illness has allegedly made it difficult for her to make important life decisions ... and she's been in rough shape for the last year.

Originally published -- 4:56 PM PT

Daniel Prude Death Rochester Mayor Fires Police Chief

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YOU'RE FIRED
Global News

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren is not letting retiring Police Chief La'Ron Singletary stick around for the rest of the month ... she just gave him the boot as the fallout from Daniel Prude's death in custody continues.

Warren announced Monday she fired Singletary, getting ahead of his plan to retire at the end of September, and suspended her communications director and top lawyer.

As we reported ... Chief Singletary announced his retirement last week in the wake of his department's deadly arrest of Prude, but planned to stick around a few more weeks.

Singletary won't get the chance to retire ... instead, Warren announced she axed him and suspended communication director Justin Roy and corporation counsel Tim Curtin for 30 days without pay after reviewing the city's role in Prude's death.

Warren says her initial review shows a "pervasive problem" in the Rochester Police Department, which she described as "one that views everything through the eyes of the badge and not the citizens we serve."

The Mayor says her review shows Prude's death "was not taken as seriously as it should have been by those who reviewed the case throughout city government at every level."

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EXCESSIVE FORCE
Rochester PD

As you know ... graphic video of Prude's March 23 arrest shows the 41-year-old with a hood placed over his head by police. Cops are then seen pressing his face into the ground for 2 minutes until he stops breathing ... leading to his death a week later.

Warren says she's apologized to Prude's family for "failures."

Cassie Randolph Judge Forces Colton to Stay Away

'Bachelor' star and former NFL player Colton Underwood better avoid his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, at least until he can plead his case in front of a judge ... TMZ has learned.

According to new court docs, a judge signed off on Cassie's request for a temporary restraining order against Colton, requiring him to keep at least 100 yards from her, her home, her work and avoid any contact or threatening behavior.

In October, he'll have a chance to appear at a hearing where he can argue his side of things ... but in the meantime, he has to steer clear of Cassie.

One last thing ... Cassie attached photos of the alleged tracking device she claims Colton stuck to her car in order to keep up with her whereabouts. It's a small, black contraption ... and she says it was taped to the bottom of the back bumper of her car.

As we first told you ... Cassie claims that -- in addition to allegedly trying to track her -- Colton was also bombarding her and others with harassing texts.

He hasn't come out to address the allegations publicly, but he's reportedly taken aback by Cassie's story ... because he hasn't been around her in a while since they split.

'Cheer' Star Jerry Harris Allegedly Solicited Minors for Sex ... Under FBI Investigation

UPDATE

5:19 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Harris confirmed he was 19 at the time of alleged solicitation, back in May 2019. We're also told the allegations don't involve any physical contact.

UPDATE

The spokesperson added, "We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager. We are confident that when the investigation is complete the true facts will be revealed."

UPDATE

3:36 PM PT -- Federal law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... federal authorities are investigating Jerry for alleged possession of child porn and as part of that probe they are looking into whether Jerry was allegedly soliciting minors.

UPDATE

Federal sources confirm they have been at Jerry's home all afternoon executing their search warrant.

Jerry Harris -- one of the cheerleading stars of Netflix's uber-popular show "Cheer" -- is being investigated by the FBI for allegedly soliciting minors for sex.

FBI agents executed a search warrant at a home in Illinois Monday, following up on the allegations against Harris ... according to USA Today. At this point, Harris -- a fan favorite while cheering for Navarro College on "Cheer" -- has not been charged.

Authorities were reportedly made aware of the allegations when Varsity, a private company in the cheerleading industry, alerted cops in Florida and Texas. The company learned about the claims of "inappropriate sexual conduct" last month.

According to the report, Varsity shared 2 screenshots with police, including an alleged Snapchat message of Jerry's face with the message, "Would you ever want to ****."

As you know ... Jerry rose to fame during the Netflix docu-series following his cheer team, and he became known as the "King of Mat Talk."

Originally published -- 2:16 PM PT

President Trump Science Schmience, CA Will Cool Down ... Laughs Off Climate Change

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TRUMP'S TAKE
Fox News

President Trump is pouring cold water on hard facts pointing to climate change sparking wildfires across the West ... insisting scientists don't know what the hell they're talking about.

The President left a few mouths agape with his comments during a briefing on the disastrous wildfires with California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Guv dropped some hard facts on climate change, record heatwaves and the historic fires burning throughout the state -- as did other emergency relief officials in the meeting.

Trump's response ... "It'll start getting cooler. You just watch."

He then took a direct jab at scientists and their knowledge about the Earth's climate.

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CLIMATE CRISIS

Trump's quip flies in the face of what Newsom and co. are seeing happen in Cali, where August was the hottest on record and the fire season is already the worst ever and by a long shot. Over the weekend, Gov. Newsom went off, standing in a still smoldering forest, about climate change deniers.

Newsom was direct, but polite on the issue while meeting with the President ... and asked him to respect California's science-based approach to dealing with the fires.

Not sure how it sat with Gov. Newsom, but Trump's promise for cooler temps in California feels about as respectful as telling America the coronavirus is going to just go away.

No denying this ... the state is burning.

Chris Pratt & Anna Faris Unload Marriage Crib for $4.75M!!!

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris got divorced nearly 2 years ago but still co-owned the house they lived in as a married couple, until now ... 'cause the crib's finally been sold.

Chris and Anna finally sold the Hollywood Hills home for a cool $4.75 million ... nearly 2 years after putting it on the market for $5 million. They bought it for $3.3 million back in 2014.

The Mediterranean-style crib features 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms with a sweet open floor plan. Enjoy a little R&R in the pool/spa and steam room or really break out a sweat on your own tennis court or in the outdoor gym. Gotta love L.A. weather ... most of the time, anyway.

Either way, Chris and Anna have to be pretty stoked about putting this bad boy behind them. Chris is remarried his new wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger and their new bundle of joy. Anna's also enjoying her engagement to cinematographer Michael Barrett.

Chris and Anna's divorce was so amicable ... they agreed to live within a 5-mile radius of each other for the first 5 years after the divorce to help their son Jack's transition.

Ray J Files for Divorce from Princess Love ... Wants Prenup to Stand

UPDATE

2:13 PM PT -- 9/15 -- According to the divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, Ray is asking for joint custody of their kids and wants the judge to uphold their prenup.

Ray J and Princess Love look like they're calling off their marriage once -- okay twice -- and for all ... but this time he's making the big move.

Ray J filed divorce docs Monday in L.A. citing irreconcilable differences -- a move that comes a few months after Princess Love first filed to divorce her husband and "Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood" costar.

So, what happened? After Princess filed in May, the couple reconciled over the summer, but it obviously didn't last.

As we reported, they'd been living separately earlier in the year after their relationship issues culminated with a blowout fight in Las Vegas in November.

Princess claimed Ray J "stranded" her and their daughter, Melody, in Sin City following the heated argument. At the time, Princess was only weeks away from having their second child.

Princess gave birth to their son, Epik, in January, but it wasn't enough to smooth things over ... and now it seems they want to be officially donezo. Like, for real this time. For now.

The couple tied the knot back in 2016 and have the 2 kids together.

Originally Published -- 9/14 2:13 

Floyd Mayweather Boxing Prodigy Danny Gonzalez Suspects Arrested for 1st-Degree Murder

Two men suspected of murdering Floyd Mayweather boxing prodigy Danny Gonzalez have been arrested, TMZ Sports has confirmed ... and cops say they're still on the hunt for a 3rd suspect.

Both 27-year-old Andre Richee and 32-year-old Lee Mooring were arrested Thursday for 1st-degree murder stemming from the Sept. 7 incident.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Office also says it's issued an arrest warrant for 28-year-old Joseph Goldsmith over his alleged involvement in the shooting as well.

As we previously reported ... 22-year-old Gonzalez -- who signed with Mayweather's The Money Team in 2016 -- was shot on Labor Day in Moreno Valley, Calif., just before 9 PM.

Cops say when they responded to the scene ... Gonzalez succumbed to his bullet wound injuries. They say two other men were also injured by gunfire in the incident.

What's still unclear ... why Gonzalez was killed? Officials have not revealed a possible motive.

Investigators say they not only spoke with multiple witnesses but also have evidence and surveillance footage pointing to Richee and Mooring as the killers.

If convicted of 1st-degree murder, both could face the death penalty.

The RCSO is now asking for help in finding Goldsmith.

Floyd was convinced Gonzalez was going to be a star after he signed with TMT Promotions when he was only 18 years old ... with Mayweather saying, "There are certain times when you know you've just struck gold and this is one of them."

Danny took 3 pro fights after signing with Floyd ... but eventually left the sport in 2017.

Social media posts from Gonzalez suggested a comeback to boxing could have been in the works before his tragic death.

'Princess Bride' Reunion Politics Non-Factor in Fred Savage's Absence

"The Princess Bride" cast virtually reunited Sunday night, but Fred Savage's face was noticeably missing from the Zoom call, leaving fans wondering if politics was afoot ... but TMZ's learned that's simply inconceivable.

Sources close to the actor -- who played The Grandson in the '80s cult classic -- tell us he was in the loop about the Zoom reunion but was unable to participate because he was celebrating his younger brother Ben's birthday.

Fred's absence quickly sparked speculation he didn't participate because he's believed to be a Republican -- though he's never stated that publicly -- and the virtual table read was planned by the film's star, Cary Elwes, in collaboration with the Wisconsin Democratic Party.

We're told that's not the case at all, as Fred has done events with the cast in the past and has no issues -- political or otherwise -- with anyone. In fact, Savage was part of the recent Quibi reunion and also reprised his role for the "Once Upon a Deadpool" trailer in late 2018.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Our Fred sources say he had other plans and was more or less told ... as you wish. He posted some sweet throwback bro photos of him and Ben and said, "while I’m always proud to be part of the Princess Bride family, sometimes real life family comes first."

For those who missed it, the Virtual 'Princess Bride' Reunion drew around 100,000 viewers as the main cast -- Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright and director Rob Reiner -- read the movie's script.

"Stranger Things" star Finn Wolfhard stepped in for Savage in the Grandson role, Josh Gad read for the late Andre the Giant, and Reiner played the part of the late Peter Falk's Grandfather character.

The reunion also included appearances by Whoopi Goldberg and Eric Idle, and other cast members like Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal and Carol Kane.

Now ... anybody want peanut?

Great Smoky Mountains Bear Found Eating Human Remains!!! (They're Not ALL Cuddly)

Wild bears are still VERY dangerous ... don't be fooled by recent cute videos of the furry beasts, because they still have an appetite for human flesh!!!

Here's the deal ... hikers in North Carolina's Great Smoky Mountains National Park came upon a grizzly scene this weekend when they discovered a black bear chowing down on human remains.

The hikers say they were passing by what they thought was an abandoned campsite around 7 PM Friday when they found human body parts scattered around the area, with a bear scavenging on the remains. Yikes!

Park officials say rangers arrived at campsite 82 shortly after midnight and found a dead adult man ... and a bear, presumably the same one the hikers spotted, was "actively scavenging on the remains."

The bear is dead now too ... park rangers euthanized the wild animal, but officials say they haven't determined if the bear actually killed the man, or just stumbled upon his remains.

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WAKEY, WAKEY
Newsflare

It's a stark contrast to the black bear in Massachusetts, which gently woke up a man sleeping in his back yard. Despite plenty of images of bears getting cozy with humans lately ... the danger of wild animals is still very real.

In any event, the park says a portion of the hiking trail and the campsite where the remains and bear were found are closed until further notice as an investigation is underway.