'Cheer' Star Jerry Harris Denied Bond ... Will Stay in Jail Until Trial

Jerry Harris will remain in custody until he stands trial in his child pornography case.

A federal judge just denied bond for the star of Netflix's popular docuseries, "Cheer." As we reported, Harris had a bond hearing Wednesday in Texas, where the judge heard arguments for and against cutting him loose before his trial. The judge finally ruled Friday, agreeing with the prosecution's wishes to keep him behind bars.

Prosecutors said they believe Harris could prey on minors if released on bond. They claimed he has multiple underage victims already, and would likely revert back to the same alleged behavior. Remember ... the feds claim he continued targeting minors despite being tipped off about the federal investigation.

The judge cited that allegation in Friday's ruling ... saying Harris was consistent in his pursuit of the alleged victims and demonstrated uncontrollable behavior.

Harris' defense team told the court he wouldn't pose a threat or hurt people if he was released pending trial, because he wouldn't have access to the Internet, and would have regular check-ins with a psychiatrist. The judge was unswayed and said community support and a lack of criminal history were not enough to prove Harris doesn't pose a threat to the community.

Instead, the judge said a lack of criminal history actually shows how easy it is for this kind of alleged behavior to go undetected.

In addition to the federal charges, 2 of Harris' alleged victims have sued him.

Killer Mike People of Color Can Thrive Again ... Come Bank at Greenwood!!!

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MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE
TMZ.com

Killer Mike's evoking the spirit of the historic Greenwood District with his new bank, which he says is going to help Black and Brown people take the power of their earnings back ... and set them up for future success.

The rapper's launching a digital bank called Greenwood -- named after the Tulsa, Oklahoma business district known as Black Wall Street, where the 1921 race massacre occurred -- in an effort to rebuild its legacy in modern times.

Watch the clip, because he lays out examples of how Greenwood can help working-class people and others -- who have been shunned by traditional banks -- and turn them into business leaders for generations to come.

Not only is the Atlanta hip-hop star on a noble crusade for his people, but he strongly believes his bank model will be followed by larger institutions once they see its potential, and say what you will about capitalism ... Mike's all for it.

Greenwood began accepting applications for accounts last week and received tens of thousands of application within 24 hours, so things are definitely looking good for its January 2021 launch.

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SHOUTOUT TO CUBE
TMZ.com

Along with promoting his digital bank, Killer Mike also shouted out one of his heroes, Ice Cube, on "TMZ Live" for his bravery and leadership regarding Cube's "Contract with Black America."

If you missed it ... the rapper's taking some heat for working with Trump's administration on a plan to pump $500 billion dollars into Black communities and improve access to jobs and education, with critics accusing him of being used by the President.

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PLAYING BOTH SIDES
TMZ.com

Ice Cube scoffed at those claims and insisted he's only focused on improving Black lives and is willing to work with anybody ... something Killer Mike clearly understands and applauds.

'Homeless Jesus' Statue Triggers Calls to Cops

Someone called the cops on Jesus ... because he was depicted as a homeless man sleeping on an Ohio park bench.

A statue called "Homeless Jesus" is being hosted by the St. Barnabas Episcopal Church near Cleveland to raise awareness of homelessness in the city, and apparently it worked ... because someone reported it right away.

Alex Martin, a priest at the church, says within 20 minutes of the statue being delivered earlier this week, he had to talk with a police officer ... because someone thought it was a real person.

The church says the response to the statue -- which is intended to inspire citizens to take action and help tackle the homelessness crisis -- "speaks to its power."

St. Barnabas adds ... "The caller surely contacted the police out of genuine concern and the responding officer was excellent: he was extremely professional and eager to learn more about the sculpture and its intended message."

Just a heads up to any "Karens" in the Cleveland area -- the statue will be at the Ohio church until December.

Tyler Skaggs Death Case Ex-Angels Employee Facing Life In Prison ... Over Pills

UPDATE

12:31 PM PT -- Prosecutors tell TMZ Sports ... Kay is facing LIFE behind bars if convicted on the charges.

Ex-Angels staffer Eric Kay has been indicted by a grand jury in Texas on two counts in the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs, court docs show.

Kay -- who worked with the Angels in media relations for 24 years -- had previously been charged by prosecutors with distribution of the fentanyl that led to Skaggs' overdose death back in June 2019.

But, the case has since gone to a grand jury -- which has now handed down a 2-count indictment against Kay.

According to the documents, Kay was indicted on 1 count of conspiracy to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute and 1 count of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death.

Unclear why the case went to a grand jury after prosecutors had already announced a formal charge against Kay. We're working on it.

As we previously reported, prosecutors claim to have a text conversation between Kay and Skaggs from the night of the pitcher's overdose.

In the exchange, Kay asks "Hoe [sic] many?" ... to which Skaggs responded, "Just a few like 5."

Law enforcement officials have said they believe Kay and Skaggs were discussing drugs ... clearly implying the exchange proves Kay is the one who supplied the pitcher with the lethal dose of the pills.

Law enforcement also claimed Kay provided "30-milligram oxycodone pills" to Skaggs on multiple occasions.

Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, TX in July 2019 ... hours before the Angels were set to play the Texas Rangers.

He was only 27.

Originally Published -- 10:37 AM PT

Drake Lawsuit Calls Out Alleged Victim ... Not Too Depressed for 'Love Island'!!!

Drake's legal team is calling BS on injuries a man claims he suffered in a beatdown, because as they put it ... the guy wasn't too depressed or injured to appear on a reality TV show.

As you might recall, Bennett Sipes claimed he suffered a concussion, back injury, physical injury and depression after a March 2018 fight at Delilah nightclub with Drake, Odell Beckham and others. Sipes filed a lawsuit over the fight, but Drake's attorneys filed docs pointing out Sipes not only appeared on "Love Island" recently ... they also claim he attended music festivals and did backflips off rope swings while on vacay in Mexico.

As they say in the docs, obtained by TMZ, Sipes "appeared anything but depressed."

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THE BRUTAL BEATDOWN
TMZ.com

The legal docs include a declaration from Sipes' ex-GF, Sommer Ray Beaty, saying he started working with her after the brawl. She claims he carried her camera equipment without difficulty. She also claims Sipes seemed fine after his visible injuries healed -- and they traveled together to Mexico, Maryland, Colorado, England, France, Italy and Japan. She claims they also attended Coachella, Stagecoach and Rolling Loud Festival.

Drake's team also says Sipes deleted a bunch of text messages with Beaty ... which they say is a big no-no while the lawsuit was pending. They suspect the messages could have shed some light on Sipes' alleged injuries or the incident itself.

TMZ broke the story ... Sipes sued Drake, OBJ and Kourtney Kardashian's ex, Younes Bendjima, back in January 2019 claiming Younes attacked him along with members of Drake and OBJ's entourage. Sipes' ex said in her declaration both Drake and OBJ were standing at the back of the group and "appeared to simply be observing what was happening and following the group out of curiosity. Neither of them seemed to be instructing others or encouraging others to do anything at all."

Sipes had alleged Drake made a "throat slash" gesture and that's what triggered his crew to beat Sipes to a pulp. But, Sipes' ex contradicts that ... claiming she did not see any "throat slash" gesture "nor did I observe Drake encourage anything at all."

Drake's team is asking a judge to throw out Sipes' lawsuit.

Chadwick Boseman Died without a Will But Made Sure Wife Was Protected

Although Chadwick Boseman knew for years he had terminal cancer, we now know he died without writing a will, but he made a key move months before his death to financially protect his wife.

The "Black Panther" star's widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, has filed probate docs, obtained by TMZ, in which she asks to be named administrator of Chadwick's estate. Taylor has to file the docs in probate court because he did not leave a will.

That seems odd considering Chadwick was diagnosed with colon cancer 4 years ago, and knew it was terminal. However, that also puts his marriage to Taylor, who he reportedly dated since 2015, in a new light ... and here's why.

They got engaged in late 2019, and reportedly tied the knot at some point in 2020. That's important because when a person dies without a will and without children, their surviving spouse inherits all the assets of the probate estate.

According to the docs, Taylor gets nearly $1 million in personal property and assets, but that's not a true reflection of Chadwick's wealth and success. Most likely the majority of his assets are held in separate private trusts.

In the docs, Taylor notes Chadwick is also survived by his 2 parents.

As you know, he was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and it progressed to stage IV as he silently battled through it. Chadwick died in his home surrounded by his wife and family.

Tyler Perry Let's Rock the Vote in Florida ... $500k Campaign to Mobilize Black Voters

Tyler Perry's part of a massive campaign targeting 25 counties and 250k Black residents in Florida ... in a push to get them to the polls.

The entertainment mogul's teamed up with a Black-led nonpartisan group called Equal Ground Education Fund on its half a million-dollar "Park & Praise" initiative. The campaign includes a series of events where voters can drop off mail-in ballots while hearing from church leaders, musical acts and gospel choirs.

Perry's helping fund the effort -- dubbed as bringing "Souls to the Polls" -- to increase Black voter engagement and turnout in the state. Equal Ground adds that its mission is to combat Florida’s long history of voter disenfranchisement and help build Black political power.

Of course for this election, the organization says it must adapt to the pandemic ... so it's retooling the popular voter tradition by taking proper precautions to "meet the moment of social-distancing."

The non-profit's founder, Jasmine Burney-Clark, says ... "Our work to provide robust voter education and ensure that accurate information reaches our communities is the highest priority and is exactly what this partnership with Tyler Perry is going to do."

Kourtney Kardashian 'Vote Kanye' ... Endorsement Pisses Off Fans

Kim Kardashian hasn't endorsed a candidate for the Presidential election -- despite the fact her husband, Kanye West, is running -- but now her sis, Kourtney Kardashian, is endorsing him and catching major heat for it.

Kourtney posted a photo sporting a "Vote for Kanye" hat Thursday ... seemingly encouraging her more than 100 million social media followers to get behind a candidate who will only appear on the ballot in 12 states. She also included a link to his merch website where fans can purchase that hat for $40.

The move pissed a lot of people off who felt Kourtney's using her platform to distract from the 2 candidates who actually have a shot ... Joe Biden and President Trump. Not to mention the shameless promo for his gear.

One user wrote, "How sad 2 c that U support Kanye. A vote 4 him is a vote 4 Trump. I thought U may b the only Kar-Jenner that had some intelligence. I was wrong! U must b enjoying the enormous tax breaks & stimulus checks. U r a multimillionaire w/out a conscience! How sad 4 your children,& your soul!"

Kourtney is the first person from the Kardashian/Jenner fam to publicly support Kanye's run for Prez. Earlier Thursday, Kim posted a photo on IG thanking her fans for getting her to the 190M follower mark and encouraging them to vote ... she did not endorse a specific candidate.

Kanye recently released his first campaign ad, a video with a strong emphasis on religion.

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HITTIN' THE AIRWAVES

As we reported ... during his rally in South Carolina, he wept on stage while telling the story of considering abortion when Kim was pregnant with their daughter, North. The moment triggered serious problems in Kim and Kanye's marriage, which as of late, seems to be on the mend.

Cardi B My Relationship Isn't Abusive ... It's Really About THIS!!!

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GETTIN' TOO OLD FOR THIS

Cardi B getting back with Offset has some of her fans accusing her of staying in a mentally abusive relationship, but Cardi's firing back ... as only she can.

The rapper posted a video late Thursday to remind fans, and haters alike, she's gonna live life on her terms no matter what anyone thinks about her reconciling with her husband.

Cardi mocked the comments she's seen online, saying ... "Twitter users be like, 'Cardi, you're in a mentally abusive relationship. Oh my gosh. We gotta save you."

Then she made it clear they've got it all wrong ...  "I be, All right, but can I f**k him today? Because I need to have sex."

Cardi also made a totally sarcastic apology to her fans saying, "Imma just give ya an apology because ya want me to apologize for living MY LIFE the way that ya live YOURS. Im sorry. Im not perfect I don’t want to be neither."

You get the point ... she's sick of getting flak for getting back with Offset. She's already denied doing it for attention, and said the real reason she's been flip-flopping is because she's a "crazy bitch."

BTW, she also gave a hilarious shout-out to all the guys sliding into her DMs.

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OFF AND ON
@bobbylytes, @theestallion, @achontishanise / Instagram

Donald Trump I Can't Denounce QAnon ... I Know Nothing About It!!!

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QANON?
NBC

Donald Trump says he's always denounced white supremacy despite his stumbling block on the debate stage, but he won't denounce the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Trump refused to condemn the bizarre QAnon theory during Thursday's town hall on NBC with Savannah Guthrie ... and his reasoning -- he doesn't know anything about it.

Quick refresher ... QAnon claims, among other things, the world is being run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who are moving against Trump at the same time they operate a global child sex-trafficking ring.

Trump says he can't denounce it, or tell the American people it's all bogus, because he's not up to speed on the theory ... other than knowing QAnon is against pedophilia just like he is.

POTUS brushed off several points Guthrie made ... like the fact GOP Sen. Ben Sasse has already ripped the theory as "nuts" and said real leaders call out conspiracy theories.

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STAND BY
FOX News

Guthrie also pressed Trump on his hesitation to denounce white supremacy at the debate, and he claimed he's always denounced white supremacists ... despite the fact he told the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by."

Trump got super defensive, then attacked Guthrie and the media.

There are a few things Trump says he's well versed on and happy to denounce ... "Antifa and the radical left."

Allison Janney Wanted on 'SNL' ... Please Play Woman Who Gushed Over Trump!!!

The woman who praised President Trump for his smile and called him handsome is ripe for parody on "Saturday Night Live," and Twitter's already decided who should play her -- Academy Award winner Allison Janney.

In case you missed it ... the Prez was fielding questions during his Town Hall Thursday night from voters who apparently are still undecided, when a woman named Paulette Dale stole the show by fangirling out.

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WINNING SMILE
NBC

Paulette -- a registered Republican who indicated she's leaning toward voting for Joe Biden -- decided to shoot her shot with Trump before asking her question ... by telling him he has a "great smile."

This prompted an awkward smile and a "thank you" from Trump before Paulette really went for it, telling him ... "You're so handsome when you smile."

Like we said ... perfect 'SNL' material.

The awkward exchange unsurprisingly spread all over social media, and many Twitter users quickly came to the conclusion that Janney would be the best choice to play her in the inevitable sketch this weekend.

It's unclear if the "Mom" star's willing to do it, but you'll recall ... Brad Pitt ended up playing Anthony Fauci after the good doc personally advocated for that casting.

So, keep an eye out for Allison as Paulette on Saturday night.

Mike Tyson Shows Off Insanely Shredded Bod ... In New Training Vid

Uhhhhh -- heads up, Roy Jones Jr. ...

Mike Tyson is getting ABSOLUTELY JACKED for his November comeback fight with RJJ ... he revealed his new bod in another training video -- and the boxing legend looks ridiculous!!

The clip ain't long ... but in the few seconds where you see Tyson shirtless -- you can tell the guy has done nothing but prepare for his Nov. 28 bout with Jones Jr.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

He's got abs. He's got biceps. He's got pecs. And, he looks as ferocious as ever!

The vid caught the attention of a bunch of famous people ... The Rock liked the clip and UFC superstar Tyron Woodley even reposted it to his social media page.

It all begs the question ... is Jones Jr. absolutely sure he wants to go through with this fight???

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TIP-TOP SHAPE
TMZSports.com

In addition to getting his body back in fighting shape, 54-year-old Tyson has also repeatedly posted videos showing he's still got knockout power too!

Only about 1 more month 'til Tyson's return to the ring ... can't wait!

Thomas Jefferson Byrd Man Arrested for Murder Of Spike Lee Films Actor

UPDATE

11:43 AM PT -- Police just released footage, taken from a drone of Rhynes' arrest ... you can see him come out of his room with his hands up.

UPDATE

An Atlanta man has been arrested and charged with murder of Thomas Jefferson Byrd ... the popular actor known for several roles in Spike Lee joints.

The Atlanta PD says they followed evidence and tips that led them to identify the suspect, Antonio Demetrice Rhynes. An arrest warrant was issued for Rhynes Wednesday and he was arrested Friday morning.

He's facing a felony murder charge for the shooting, which occurred near Byrd's Atlanta home. It's still unclear what led to the killing.

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As we reported ... 70-year-old Byrd died on October 3 from multiple gunshot wounds to the back, and Spike broke the news himself on social media after learning of his murder.

Byrd had notable roles in several of Spike's films, such as "Clockers," "Get on the Bus," "Bamboozled," "He Got Game," "Red Hook Summer," "Chi-Raq" and more.

Originally published -- 7:34 AM PT

TLC's T-Boz The Biz Turned On Us After Left Eye Died ... But it's All Good!!!

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IT'S JUST BUSINESS
TMZ.com

Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins says there's no doubt the industry abandoned TLC after the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, but she wants to make it clear she's got no beef with anyone ... except maybe one guy.

T-Boz -- one half of the popular girl group which still includes Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas -- tells TMZ ... the recent comments she made on a podcast aren't as incendiary as they seem, she was just stating facts fans might not know about the biz.

Her remarks, on "Hollywood Unlocked," especially took aim at famed record exec L.A. Reid for allegedly bailing on the group. T-Boz isn't backing down from that, but says it wasn't because Reid didn't believe in the group.

Check out her explanation, and what's perfectly clear is she hasn't gotten over whatever went down between Reid and her.

As for the rappers T-Boz called out -- Drake, T.I. and Nelly, among others -- for backing out of the 2014 Super Bowl Blitz with TLC ... she says that was actually a blessing.

If you don't remember, that SB performance was a major TLC comeback, and T-Boz says she doesn't blame the artists for not wanting to rock with them at that time.

And, this should rock TLC fans -- T-Boz told us she just found out 2 days ago that "No Scrubs" is now ... 5-times platinum!!!

Lil Tay Custody Battle Looms ... Career Hangs in Balance

Lil Tay could be returning to the limelight soon, but her future career hinges on a custody battle between her parents that's about to come to a head.

Sources close to Lil Tay tell TMZ ... the foul-mouthed kid rapper is home in Vancouver where her parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope, are locked in a court battle for custody of Lil Tay and full control over her life and career.

We're told Lil Tay's parents have been duking it out in court since late 2018, and they're expecting the judge to make some big custody rulings in the coming weeks. We're told they currently share custody.

Lil Tay's future will be heavily impacted by the judge's decision ... our sources say her parents both want her in entertainment, but they have very different plans for her to stay relevant.

We're told Lil Tay's mom wants to let her do whatever she wants to do -- even if that means dropping lots of trash-talking videos on social media.

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SUCK IT, HATERS!!!

Perhaps not surprising ... remember, Mom used her boss' Mercedes as a prop in one of Lil Tay's infamous trash-talking videos, and quit her job when her boss caught on and got pissed.

On the other hand, we're told Lil Tay's father prefers the more traditional career path of acting and singing.

In the past, Lil Tay's father has expressed concern about her social media antics and felt others were taking advantage of her just to profit for themselves.

As you know ... Lil Tay has been absent from social media since way back in June 2018, after her father got a court order requiring her to return to Vancouver and stop posting on her Instagram account, which has 1.8 million followers.

Sounds like she could be coming back soon ... so stay tuned.

We reached out to Lil Tay's dad, who said he did not want to comment on the pending legal matters but says he loves and wants what's best for his daughter. Tay's mom had no comment.