George Floyd Case Ex-Cop Derek Chauvin Released on Bond

Derek Chauvin -- the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing George Floyd -- is a free man for now ... he just got released from behind bars as he awaits trial.

Chauvin was cut loose Wednesday from the Oak Park Heights prison in Minnesota after court records show he posted a non-cash $1 million bond backed by a place called A-Affordable Bail Bonds. His trial is currently scheduled for March.

Chauvin was the last of the 4 accused cops still in custody. As we reported, the other 3 -- Alexander Keung, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao -- were released some time ago, and are all seeking a change of venue ahead of their trials.

Chauvin faces the most severe charges out of the group -- he's been rung up for 2nd-degree murder, 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter after leaving his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

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EXCESSIVE FORCE
Facebook/ Darnella Frazier

Chauvin recently asked a judge to dismiss the murder charges entirely ... arguing Floyd's alleged drug use is what led to his demise, and not the excessive force of Chauvin's knee on neck.

Eddie Van Halen Wife Janie Shattered By Death Rock World Mourns Too

Eddie Van Halen's wife is heartbroken over the death of her life partner ... as is the rest of the rock world, who are sharing personal tributes to the late, great guitar legend.

Janie Liszewski posted a remembrance Wednesday, writing ... "My husband, my love, my Peep." She adds, "My heart and soul have been shattered into a million pieces. I never knew it was possible to cry so many tears or feel such incredible sadness. Our journey together has not always been an easy one but in the end and always we have a connection."

She went on to say their love will stay alive. She said instead of saying goodbye ... she'll simply say "so long," as she hopes they'll meet again in heaven one day. Janie also asks Eddie to watch over her and their shared Pomeranian pooch, Kody.

Janie's been with Eddie 11 years now -- they got hitched in 2009. Prior to that, he was married to Valerie Bertinelli for over 20 years ... who also posted in his honor.

Other salutes have been pouring in from rock icons from the same era and beyond -- including messages from Gene Simmons, who called Eddie a "Superhero," adding he's "heartbroken." Ozzy Osbourne said Eddie "Made it look so easy," and his former bandmate Sammy Hagar, said he was "heartbroken and speechless."

Other tributes came in from Nikki Sixx, Flea, Paul Stanley, Geezer Butler, Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Tony Iommi, Pantera, Pearl Jam and so many other acts. They all had kind words to share, most touched on the fact that Eddie was a trailblazer and an inspiration for their own careers.

Moreover, it wasn't just musicians who weighed in on Eddie's passing -- comedian Dane Cook said Eddie's music made him feel alive. Mark Hamill called Eddie, "One of Rock's most extraordinary guitar virtuosos and Jimmy Kimmel said a chat he once had with Van Halen was, "two of the best hours of my life."

As we reported, Eddie died Tuesday after a battle with throat cancer. He was 65.

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TMZ.com

RIP

Dr. Robert Wachter Trump 'Roid Rage' Concerns Legit ... Scary Combo with COVID

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SIDE EFFECTS ARE A CONCERN
TMZ.com

Americans should absolutely be concerned the man with our nuclear codes is on steroids, because the reality is President Trump's judgment could be impaired ... according to Dr. Robert Wachter.

Dr. Wachter, considered the father of the hospitalist field, joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and told us older COVID patients sick enough to be hospitalized have a decent chance of experiencing cognitive problems.

He added ... coupling that with steroids increases the odds POTUS might not be thinking straight.

Dr. Wachter, who's the chair of UC San Francisco's Dept. of Medicine, says Trump could be experiencing euphoria or sometimes even mania due to the steroids ... which might explain some of the President's recent tweetstorms. Let's be honest, its hard to tell.

Just to give you an idea how impairing steroids can be ... Dr. Wachter says the FAA wouldn't allow the Prez to fly a plane -- if he were a pilot -- due to his steroid dosage.

The hard part for President Trump's doctors has everything to do with the patient himself ... and this good doc told us what they're up against.

Patrick Mahomes QB & Pregnant Fiancee Sleeping Separately ... Due to NFL COVID Scare

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Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes says he's sleeping in a completely different bedroom from his pregnant fiancee due to the Chiefs' COVID-19 scare ... because he understands the gravity of the situation.

"It's something I think about every day," the K.C. Chiefs star QB said. "You have to think about that with her being pregnant and kind of that high-risk category."

Mahomes and his fiancee, Brittany Matthews, just announced their pregnancy last month. It's their first child.

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So, it must have been scary when Kansas City's practice squad quarterback, Jordan Ta'amu -- who shares the same meeting rooms with Mahomes -- tested positive for coronavirus Saturday.

And, Patrick says he was so worried about possibly having COVID and how that might affect Brit and the baby, he avoided her at all costs around their house.

"When I went home over the weekend, I slept in a different bedroom and stayed away from her as much as possible."

Mahomes said he eased back on those restrictions once his COVID tests came back negative ... but he added the safety of his fiancee and their baby is still ALWAYS on his mind.

"I just try to do my part just to kind of keep myself away from her and social distance whenever stuff like this arises," Mahomes said.

Of course, there's a chance Mahomes might now have to go through a similar arrangement with Matthews this week after the quarterback came in close contact with COVID-19-positive Patriots star Stephon Gilmore during their game Monday.

Cameras caught Gilmore and Mahomes dapping each other up after K.C. beat New England ... and Mahomes said Wednesday he's regretting the actions.

"It was a little bit of a mental lapse," Patrick said.

So far, Mahomes and the rest of his Chiefs teammates have tested negative despite the close contact.

Fingers crossed it stays that way.

Claudia Conway Beefs with Her Ma on TikTok ... Seemingly Grounded

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CONWAY CHAOS
@claudiamconway / TikTok

Kellyanne Conway confronted her daughter over her recent viral posts about COVID in their family (and at the White House), and based on this video ... we're thinking the teenager's in timeout.

Claudia Conway captured a loud face-off she had with her mom on TikTok, which was briefly posted to her account. It shows Claudia facing the camera, when Kellyanne enters the room off-camera and scolds her for spreading what she calls lies about their COVID diagnoses.

Kellyanne drops an F-bomb while Claudia tries explaining she was just sharing her interpretation. Nice try, Claudia ... but ma ain't buying it, and seems pretty furious here. Especially once she realizes Claudia is recording the whole thing!

A written statement was posted to Claudia's account -- saying she was sorry for the "uproar" her TikTok posts have caused in recent days ... going on to explain it wasn't her intent to mislead and clarifying she had no special insight into Trump's health.

Claudia further explained Kellyanne didn't lie about testing positive -- and announced she, Claudia, would be taking a break from social media while the family quarantines together.

Translation: Mom's making me do damage control, and I'm grounded.

Well, so much for the 15-year-old trending every other night on Twitter and TikTok.

Miami Dolphins Get 'Full Capacity' Approval from Gov. ... for 65,000 Seat Stadium

This could be a huge problem ...

The Miami Dolphins have been granted permission from the governor of Florida to allow full capacity at Hard Rock Stadium.

You read that correctly. We're talking 65,000 seats. In the middle of a pandemic.

The green light comes by way of Gov. Ron DeSantis -- whose spokesperson told Andy Slater the team is now allowed to pack their stadium as part of statewide removal of COVID-19 stadium restrictions.

That doesn't mean the Dolphins will rush to allow 65,000 people to watch the team at their next home game ... Slater says the org. still plans on limiting the number of fans to 13,000 at the next home game on Oct. 25.

The news comes on the heels of an announcement from the Green Bay Packers -- which just pressed pause on the possibility of opening up Lambeau Field to fans any time soon.

"Due to the concerning increase of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the Green Bay area and across Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers today announced that the organization has put an indefinite hold on hosting fans for games at Lambeau Field this season," the team said in a statement.

Plus, with NFL teams like the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, K.C. Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders dealing with possible COVID outbreaks among the players ... it just doesn't seem like the best time for a team to pack a stadium with people!!

Please be safe, everyone.

CNN's Joe Johns Get Outta Here, Raccoon!!! Wildlife Disrupts White House Report

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RACCOON RUCKUS
@AlisynCamerota / Twitter

Frickin' raccoons, man ... they're feisty little beasts -- especially the ones in DC -- as CNN reporter Joe Johns learned while trying to report on President Trump's schedule.

The hilarious moment of levity went down early Wednesday morning on one of the White House lawns as a pesky raccoon interrupted Joe setting up for a live shot.

Joe stood his ground and yelled, "Get!!! AHHHHHH!!!!" ... trying to scare off the furry photobomber. He even threw a large object in its direction, but the raccoon kept coming.

JJ inched closer to losing his cool, and had some harsh words ... but we'll give him credit for not cursing while wearing a hot mic.

Apparently, this is an ongoing problem at 1600 Pennsylvania -- Joe later tweeted it's the second time in 2 weeks a raccoon's shown up during his morning show shift. He also dropped an important fact ... "No animals were harmed. I threw something to scare it off."

The White House these days -- if COVID doesn't get ya, the raccoons will!

Alleged DWI Mom Nearly Flips SUV, Slams into Home ... With 3 Kids Onboard!!!

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OUT OF CONTROL
Storyful

A Long Island mother apparently missed a memo from M.A.D.D. ... she got busted for DWI after a terrifying crash -- captured on camera -- with her 3 young children in her vehicle.

Ashley Thomas-Smith lost control of her Lincoln Navigator, and home surveillance cameras caught the moment she careened through a front yard, nearly flipping the SUV on its side. She then crashed into a home Sunday afternoon and demolished the kitchen.

Check out the video ... you can hear the tires screeching and, sadly, the screams of frightened children. Fortunately, the kids suffered no injuries and were released to their father. Thomas-Smith was arrested for DWI and endangering the welfare of a child.

The homeowner, Angelica Reyes, told WCBS TV the crash could have been much, much worse had they been home at the time, because she and her family, including a 2-month-old baby, spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

She also said Thomas-Smith was stuck in the SUV for an hour because the fridge was blocking her door. Her license has been suspended, and she was released with an alcohol-monitoring bracelet. She reportedly pled not guilty to the charges.

LeBron James I'm On the Wheaties Box!!! ... Takes Over for Serena

Michael Jordan's done it. Same with Walter Payton and Mary Lou Retton.

And now, LeBron James is finally getting the honor of being on the Wheaties box!!

It's kinda crazy LeBron hasn't been on the box before considering he's been an NBA superstar since 2003, but better late than never!

General Mills announced the Lakers superstar will take over as the box cover athlete, relieving Serena Williams of her cereal duties.

The company says it picked LeBron to celebrate his "efforts both on and off the court" -- most notably, his accomplishments with the I Promise program for underprivileged kids in Akron, Ohio.

In fact, LeBron will share the Wheaties box with images of kids, families and faculty from the I Promise program and the I Promise public school.

FYI, Wheaties has been putting top athletes on the cereal box for 85 years -- the very first athlete to grace the cover was Lou Gehrig back in 1934!

Congrats!

James Corden Burns Trump with McCartney Parody ... 'Maybe I'm Immune'!!!

James Corden did his best Paul McCartney to make fun of President Trump's coronavirus crisis -- and some people are saying he deserves a Grammy for this biting little diddy.

The 'Late Late Show' host opened Tuesday night's show with a musical segment, playing a song parody on McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" -- with James sitting at a piano and belting out tweaked lyrics to the '70s hit. JC aptly titled his rendition ... "Maybe I'm Immune."

You gotta watch it for yourself -- James weaves in lots of recent Trump-y 'rona topics that are both timely and hilarious ... like Trump's doctors saying he's responding very well to treatments, Trump's trouble with breathing, his bizarre drive-by outside Walter Reed and, of course, his offhand remark he might be immune to the virus after just a few days.

BTW, James kills it on both the keys and in the vocals department -- dude is seriously talented ... he seems to be playing live and is definitely singing his heart out. Sir Paul, or his publishing company, would approve!

Corden wrapped up the tune with a look into the not-so-distant future ... as in, Nov. 3. Just watch ... we're thinking POTUS would NOT approve.

Bobbi Kristina Brown Townhouse Where She OD'd ... On the Market in GA

The former home of Bobbi Kristina -- where she tragically overdosed in a bathtub, causing her death -- is for sale in Georgia ... and the history may explain why the price has already dropped.

The spacious townhouse in Alpharetta was previously owned by Bobbi's mom, Whitney Houston, and despite its macabre past ... it's actually quite beautiful.

The 2,600-sq.-ft. pad comes with 3 beds and 4 baths, a gorgeous great room, a gourmet kitchen, a huge master suite with a fireplace, and 2 guest suites with private baths.

Of course, the home also comes with the underlying tale of the tragic January 31, 2015 incident ... when Bobbi was found face down in a bathtub by her boyfriend, Nick Gordon.

She was put on life support afterward and moved to hospice, where she died nearly 6 months later on July 26.

Gordon was found civilly liable for her death in November 2016, and though cops investigated him in connection with her death for years ... he was never charged. Gordon died of a heroin overdose in early 2020.

All of this could explain why the home has failed to attract any buyers so far. Kayce Davidson, the real estate agent with the listing, tells us the townhome went on the market 3 weeks ago ... but they recently dropped the price $10k to $599,000.

Trump Supporter Punch Victim Now I'm Getting Death Threats ... And Still Hurting Badly

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FLYING FISTS
@thefakeryanking/Twitter

The man who got sucker punched for playing "F*** Donald Trump" says he now fears for his life, thanks to constant online threats from people backing the President.

Dan Schochler is the 20-year-old who got decked by a Trump supporter Saturday at a gas station in Denton, TX. Police showed up and Jason Lata was later arrested for the incident.

Dan's attorney, Loren Klitsas, and his friend, Ryan King -- who was with him at the protest -- tell TMZ ... the threats are coming on multiple social media platforms and include warnings to all 3 men to watch their backs.

Klitsas tells us Dan and Ryan are both scared, and not looking for this kind of trouble. He says they went to the Trump rally Saturday to peacefully protest ... and the video speaks for itself. They're turning over all threats to Denton PD.

We're told the punch from Lata resulted in broken teeth for Dan, face abrasions, and a possible concussion. His lawyer says his condition is worsening even after being treated at the hospital -- and both Dan and Ryan are seeking counseling to cope with trauma.

As we reported ... Lata was arrested hours after the incident for assault causing bodily injury.

He might also be facing a civil suit soon -- Klitsas tells us Dan and Ryan are planning to sue for all medical bills and damages they claim they’ve suffered.

Austin Mahone I'm Gonna Strip Down On OnlyFans!!!

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NAKED AND UNAFRAID
TMZ.com

Austin Mahone is the latest celeb to join the OnlyFans wave, but here's what's setting him apart from other famous folks on the site -- he's ready to get naked!!!

The singer's OnlyFans account has only been up for 3 days, and he tells us he's already getting blown up with some super weird requests ... like pics of his feet and even his butthole.

Austin says he's gonna stop short of straight-up pornography, but he's down to slip off his underwear for some sexy snaps.

Austin's already got a steamy video he's ready to upload to his OF page ... and we've obtained a snapshot from the shoot.

Easy to see why OnlyFans is right in Austin's wheelhouse ... remember, when he was only 19, he told us he's the champ when it comes to unstrapping bras during his hookups.

It's a pretty fun convo ... and Austin assures us he's gonna have the wildest OnlyFans page of any celeb!

Brie Bella Real Estate Twinsies with Nikki ... Lists AZ Pad for $1.7 Mil!!!

If it ain't broke, don't fix it -- Brie Bella and her twin sister, Nikki, are using the same playbook for real estate ... as they did for childbirth. Allow us to explain.

Brie just listed her Phoenix home for a cool $1,695,000. The 4-bedroom, 4.5-bathrooms crib is 1 of only 16 homes in a coveted gated neighborhood ... and it comes with a spacious 3,000 square feet of living space.

It's a semi-custom, modern farmhouse with soaring ceilings, custom wood cabinetry, stone counters and hardwood flooring throughout. Now, if the "Total Bellas" star's move sounds familiar, that's because Nikki did this with her AZ property just over a month ago.

As we first reported ... Nikki put her place on the market back in August after living in it for barely 3 months, and we're told she already has a contingent offer on it.

Nikki, of course, lived right next to Brie ... and the building process was part of this past season's storyline.

Brie's home listing -- Greg Corbett of eXp Realty -- totally makes sense for the sisters. Remember, they were pregnant the same time, and Nikki gave birth to her baby boy on July 31 ... while Brie followed the next day, also having a boy.

They joked on the show that if they got on each other's nerves, Nikki could just up and sell the house. No word if that actually happened -- we doubt it -- but they're bolting together.

It's a twins thing.

Steelers' Bud Dupree We're Taking No Chances W/ COVID-19 ... 'Practice & Go Home'

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TMZSports.com

Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker Bud Dupree is giving a firsthand account into what it's like to play during the pandemic ... telling TMZ Sports his life really consists of 2 things right now -- "go to practice and go home."

The NFL was hit with its first COVID outbreak following Week 3 ... with the Tennessee Titans and New England Patriots reporting positive tests within their organizations.

Dupree -- who had an unexpected week off when the Steelers' matchup with the Titans was pushed to later in the season -- says his team is being EXTRA cautious to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to them.

"We try to stay away as much as possible just so we won't be on that end of the stick," the 27-year-old tells us. "We don't wanna be the ones who are holding the game up."

Dupree -- a 1st-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft -- points out the league's strict guidelines have essentially prevented him from doing anything other than reconnecting with family at home during his bye week ... or he'd face a fine.

As for switching gears from preparing for the Titans to getting ready for the Philadelphia Eagles this week ... Dupree says Coach Mike Tomlin makes it easy.

"With a coach like Tomlin, anytime adversity hit, he already got us coded to just keep going," he says.

"Live in the moment, be ready for whatever, just keep the punches going. He does a great job of preparing us for the moments even throughout training camp."

"We knew something like this would happen so we was already prepared for it."

Guess Who This Little Lakers Fan Turned Into!

Before this little Lakers fanatic was one of the most successful models in the world, she was just another basketball girl blowing out her birthday candles in Los Angeles, California.

This suited-up hoopster was raised in a famous family -- her younger sister follows in her modeling career footsteps and their mother is featured on 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.' She's walked the most renowned runways and been photographed on the cover of numerous magazines ... including 35 appearances on Vogue.

Recently, this sporty sweetheart had a baby girl of her own with her boyfriend, a former member of the band, One Direction.

Can you guess who she is?