New Los Angeles Lockdown Restaurant Owner Calls Out Film Set Next Door to Shuttered Bar

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HOW IS THIS FAIR???
Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill/Facebook

An L.A. restaurant owner is calling out Mayor Garcetti and Gov. Newsom for allowing film sets to continue operating, while once again closing down outdoor dining ... but her comparison might be apples to oranges as far as containing the virus.

This is restaurateur Angela Marsden, and she posted a video showing  a movie production in full swing -- with outdoor tables and tents set up right next door to her now-shuttered eatery, Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill, in Sherman Oaks.

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In the video, Marsden says she can't fathom why her restaurant was forced to shut down (again) -- even after she had successfully ran outdoor dining for months behind her building -- but film sets like this, which look virtually identical in set-up dining-wise, can soldier on.

The new rule -- restaurants close on-the-spot dining, while music/video production can keep rolling -- is one of many that have left Angelenos scratching their head as Mayor Garcetti has instituted a new stay-at-home order in the City, which just got expanded to all of SoCal.

In a section about activities and businesses allowed to keep operating, production in L.A. can continue -- which explains the Sherman Oaks set -- but it says clearly ... they gotta follow COVID protocols as outlined by the County.

That's where Marsden might be mistaken in her juxtaposition. Fact is ... there's a ton of rules that production companies must abide by in order to shoot, including regular testing, plus a bunch of other mandates ... mask-wearing, temp checks, social distancing, sanitized sets, etc.

The big difference is the testing, and who's allowed in or out. A movie or TV shoot can have an awful lot of people on hand (just like a restaurant) at any given time, but the dinstinction is that the set -- while it's shooting -- is treated almost like a bubble, whereas a restaurant is revolving door of strangers, who aren't required to get tested to partake.

While Marsden's desperate pleas for help are heart-breaking -- as are so many business owners asking for assistance -- her thinking is somewhat flawed. Tough times, either way.

Miraculous Dog Rescue Man Tackles Bear to Save Pooch ... Awful, Gruesome Injuries

Cover your eyes if you hate seeing dogs get hurt, because this pit bull nearly had its head gnawed off by a bear before its owner courageously jumped in to save him.

Meet Buddy -- a rescue dog -- who was viciously attacked in his own backyard by a 350-lb bear the day before Thanksgiving in the Northern California city of Grass Valley, just outside the Tahoe National Forest, and not too far from Sacramento.

According to Buddy's owner, Kaleb Bentham, he heard commotion outside that Wednesday and some growling. When he went out to check, he says he saw a massive bear dragging Buddy away by the head, with its jaws clamped down tight and Buddy squirming.

Without hesitation, Bentham says he charged the beast and actually tackled it to the ground -- going on to start wailing on its head, and hitting it in the eye ... in hopes of forcing it to loosen its grip on Buddy. Miraculously, the bold move worked ... and the bear let go.

Not only that, but it sounds like Kaleb was able to scare the animal off without suffering any harm himself. He then had to rush a seriously injured Buddy to an ER vet clinic -- as you can see ... the doggo was in incredibly bad shape, on the verge of death even.

Buddy's face was damn near skinned, his ears were torn off, his mouth had been bitten through and so had his eyes. Bentham stood by as the pooch went into surgery -- a life-saving procedure that saw Buddy receive multiple staples, stitches and tubes.

While it might look like Buddy was out for the count, the dog has made an incredible recovery since then ... with a majority of his face starting to scab, as Bentham continues to care for him. He detailed the pup's full injuries to CBS 13 in Sacramento.

Buddy's got a cone on his head, but it sounds like he's gonna be okay.

Here's the kicker ... Bentham says he's actually seen the bear roaming his yard a few different times since the attack. In his eyes, he sees it as a wild animal having had its meal literally ripped out of its mouth, and that it keeps coming back to settle the score.

Might be time to start putting up a fence, or keeping Buddy indoors from now on 😬.

'Laverne & Shirley' Star David Lander, 'Squiggy' Star, Dead at 73

David Lander, the actor who played Squiggy on "Laverne & Shirley" has died, TMZ has learned.

David's wife, Kathy, tells us he died Friday at around 6:30 PM at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. ... as a result of complications from multiple sclerosis, which he battled for 37 years. Kathy, their daughter Natalie and her husband were at David's bedside when he passed.

David had his sights set on acting at age 10. He studied at the High School for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Tech and NYU.

He had a great career, but the pinnacle was absolutely "Squiggy," which he played during the show's run from 1976 to 1983. The yang to his yin was Lenny, played by Michael McKean.

The 2 guys actually met at Carnegie University in Pittsburgh ... that's where they developed the 2 characters.

They both appeared in Steven Spielberg's "1941," and in Robert Zemeckis's, "Used Cars."

They also voiced an animated TV series, "Oswald," which ran for 2 years beginning in 2001. Their voices brought the penguin cousins Henry and Louie to life.

David was 73. RIP

Matthew McConaughey Hatred and Intolerance on the Left and Right Must Stop

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meet me halfway ...
Under The Skin

Matthew McConaughey is not into extremes, at least not in politics ... and that's why he's saying the intolerance and condescension has got to stop, and he has a solution.

M.C. jumped on Russell Brand's podcast, 'Under the Skin,' and they were talkin' politics ... both here in the States and across the pond. Russell sees a bunch of similarities as far as vitriol for "the other side."

That's what got Matt going ... suggesting the trick is to meet in the middle, which sounds impossible, but hear him out.

For starters, he wants to find a way to measure the science behind each party's POVs and their values, like actually measuring it. It's somewhat difficult to understand exactly what he means, but he seems to be talking about quantifying how liberal views/policies and their conservative counterparts have benefited the country as a whole over time.

After that, Matt says each side will have to acknowledge that their fellow Americans across the aisle have value, and that even though they might not agree with everything they believe ... that their principles and viewpoints are worth something in and of themselves.

Matthew goes off on Twitter's blue checkmarks and other so-called liberal elites on the coasts of this country, saying that they are intolerant toward the right  -- but just the same, he's got criticism for the right as well.

He also suggests the media on both sides don't paint a fair picture ... and that's why the average Joe and Jane don't believe what they read and hear.

Amazon Yanks Children's Doll Racist description of Braided Hair

UPDATE

12:38 PM PT -- Amazon tells TMZ ... they've removed the product in question from their site.

Amazon's at it again ... peddling a product with a blatantly racist description that somehow slipped through the cracks -- this time taking aim at a doll's braided hair.

Check out this children's doll that's being sold on Amazon's digital marketplace right now -- it's a 14-inch figurine meant to depict a Black little girl with braids. However, the way the description points that out is more than just eyebrow-raising, to say the least.

It reads, "Doli Yearning 14-inch Adorable Black Doll with Casual Red Skirt and Colored Dirty Braid Fashion Gorgeous Doll for Ages 3+ Interactive Playtime BPA Free Safety Product Well-Designed Collectable Box." In case you missed that ... "colored dirty braid fashion."

What the hell does that mean, you may ask? Welp, apparently this company -- Doli Yearning -- thinks braided hair is dirty, and they feel the need to qualify it as "colored." BTW ... Doli Yearning is a Chinese company -- looks like they've been on Amazon less than a year.

Doli Yearning's also got other dolls just like this one -- except several of the others depict white girls, and there's no mention of their skin color or their hair at all. Take, for instance, this doll that's got blonde hair rolled up in buns.

The description here reads ... "Doli Yearning 14-inch Adorable Doll with Denim Suit and Colored Headbands Fashion Gorgeous Doll for Ages 3+ Interactive Playtime BPA Free Safety Product Well-Designed Collectable Box." Same deal for their other "white" dolls.

So what do we make of all this??? It's the same issue we've seen time and again with Amazon and their filtering process for product descriptions -- or a lack thereof. There just doesn't seem to be great oversight on this.

Granted, Amazon partners with virtually millions of merchandisers and retailers, and might argue they can't comb through every single one to weed out these awful descriptions -- but the counterpoint to that is ... Jeff Bezos is insanely rich, and he absolutely can.

Let's get it together, yeah?

Originally Published -- 11:17 AM PT

Jeremih Out of Hospital After Near-Death COVID Scare

Jeremih has beat COVID!!! He's been released from the hospital and is at home recovering ... TMZ has learned.

Jeremih tells TMZ, "First and foremost, I would like to thank God and the incredible team of doctors and nurses at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for saving my life. I will be forever grateful."

The R&B singer goes on ... "I would also like to thank my family and friends for all their prayers and well wishes. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude. A special thanks to Chance The Rapper, 50 Cent and Diddy for their love and support."

Those prayers from other artists and friends may have been just what the doctor ordered. As we reported, there was a time last month when it looked like Jeremih wouldn't make it. He was on a ventilator in ICU last weekend, when 50, Chance and others asked for prayers on Jeremih's behalf.

50 made it clear a week ago, things were not looking good ... "Pray for my boy Jeremih. He's not doing good. This  COVID s*** is real."

Jeremih says, "I would like to thank all my fans and people around the world who prayed for me. I'm getting stronger everyday, and look forward to spending time with my sons."

Thank God ... literally.

Wild Body Cam Video Nutcase Threatens to Shoot Cop ... White Suspect Flees Scene

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"I'LL SHOOT YOU!"
Genoa Township Police Department/Facebook

Newly released body cam video of an insane police stop -- where the suspect threatens to shoot a cop -- shows both restraint by the officer and how wildly different traffic stops can be based on the color of a suspect's skin.

The incident went down a few days ago in Ohio, when Officer Mike Sigman and his K9 Ben showed up to help the Ohio State Highway Patrol during a traffic stop. The driver, Merak Burr, was instantly uncooperative. Cops notice there's a gun in his vehicle ... a loaded, Beretta 9MM semi-automatic handgun on the front passenger seat.

-- He refuses to put his hands on the steering wheel

-- He refuses to get out of the car

-- He puts his hand on his gun

-- He twice threatens to shoot the cop

-- He closes the car door and speeds away

Officer Sigman exercised incredible restraint, but it's impossible not to think about case after case where a Black suspect is shot and killed for being way less threatening than the nutcase behind the wheel.

The fact that he threatens to shoot the officer several times and then lowers his hands to shut the door and then speeds off ... well, as they say, that'll get you killed.

In the end, cops chased down the fleeing car and arrested the guy.  He's been charged with improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and carrying a concealed weapon.

NBA's DeMar DeRozan Chases Off Home Intruder After Man Came Face-to-Face with His Kids

UPDATE

5:53 PM PT -- DeMar DeRozan has confirmed our story, and had a short and sweet response to the situation.

UPDATE
UPDATE

When reporters asked him about the attempted burglary, he simply said ... "Yeah, everything good. I grew up in Compton, CA -- I've been through worse."

UPDATE

There you have it!!! Tough dude right here.

Scary moment for NBA star DeMar DeRozan ... who chased an intruder out of his L.A.-area home after a terrifying encounter with his kids, TMZ Sports has learned.

Our sources tell us ... the man broke into DeRozan's home on Nov. 19 and made his way upstairs into a play area where at least one of DeMar's kids was hanging out.

We're told 31-year-old DeRozan -- who's 6'6", 220 pounds -- heard the commotion and raced to the area to see what was going on, coming "face-to-face" with the intruder in the process.

Our sources say DeRozan then "chased the man out of his house."

Law enforcement sources tell us the man fled the area -- before returning to DeRozan's gated community a short time later.

When the alleged intruder attempted to get back in to the gated community, security stopped him and called police.

According to our sources, the suspect told cops DeRozan's home was not his intended target -- he was trying to get to Kylie Jenner's home but made a mistake.

As we previously reported, the man was eventually arrested and has been charged with 1 count of felony burglary.

He's also been hit with a restraining order -- prohibiting him from getting anywhere close to DeMar's home and Kylie's home.

DeMar's not the first celeb to have issues with home security in a gated community, you'll remember a man scaled the hill behind Kendall Jenner's home a few years ago ... Kris Jenner also had a man break into her community several times.

Originally Published -- 1:00 AM PT

Prince Charles, Princess Diana Portrayal in 'The Crown' Triggers Anger in England

Prince Charles comes off as a gigantic a-hole in the latest installment of Netflix's "The Crown," and it has royally pissed off his fam and at least one member of Parliament.

The hubbub is over the way Charles is portrayed in his relationship with Diana. The show paints Charles as bullying, cruel and supremely disloyal. Netflix has said it took liberties with the facts, but that apparently has been lost on viewers.

It's interesting ... although Netflix claimed a lot of the show was fiction, it put a video from a Diana documentary on its social media account ... in which you hear Diana tearfully complain Charles was clearly in love with Camilla ... and some folks in Great Britain think all this does is double down on the perception "The Crown" accurately reflects the relationship between Charles and Diana.

The Royals have taken a lot of incoming ... hateful tweets based on people's perception "The Crown" is factual.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, a member of the House of Lords, called the series a "hurtful, false, misleading and poisonous impression of people in our public life who cannot fight back."

Lord Forsyth said he's canceled his Netflix subscription in protest.

Johns Hopkins Professor U.S. Response to Virus ... More Like 'Operation Turtle Speed'

Operation Warp Speed is a misnomer, according to a Johns Hopkins doctor ... the frustrated doc says it's more like Operation Turtle Speed.

Professor Marty Makary is angry the FDA hasn't gone the route of Great Britain by approving the COVID vaccine and injecting its citizens.

Dr. Makary says he can't believe the FDA is still reviewing the efficacy and safety of the 2 promising vaccines -- courtesy of Pfizer and Moderna.

He says, "FDA regulators are wasting precious time in greenlighting a COVID vaccine as more than 2,000 Americans are dying each day and the pandemic continues to starve American society."

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Friday, most Americans who are not in high-risk groups will probably have the vaccine available to them by April. Fauci had said he believed England cut corners in approving the vaccine and that the FDA was the gold standard and would be more thorough. He apologized for his comment the next day, presumably because it undermined confidence in the vaccines.

Fauci's feelings don't sit well with Dr. Makary, who shot back ... the FDA could have approved the vaccine within 24 to 48 hours without cutting any corners. He does not explain why he thinks the FDA process could be accelerated without rolling the dice on safety.

The sad reality is this ... there are now models suggesting more than half a million Americans will be dead from COVID by late April. The country is now in the grip of the virus ... more than 100,000 people are in the hospital and on Friday more than 2,600 died.

More Americans died this week from COVID than heart disease ... which up to now has been the leading cause of death in America.

Jax Taylor, Brittany Cartwright 'Vanderpump Rules' Days Are Over

UPDATE

7:39 PM PT -- One source close to Taylor disputes the report that he was fired, instead telling us that after discussions with the network, he and Brittany did not feel the show's direction would be compatible with their new baby and growing family. We're told there's no bad blood with Bravo.

Jax Taylor and his wife are out of a job ... the costars have been canned from "Vanderpump Rules."

Jax and Brittany Cartwright announced Friday they'd been given the ax ... and honchos at Bravo confirm the couple won't be returning to the show.

Jax was one of the reality show's OG cast members, carving out a bigger role over the past 8 seasons, and Brittany has been featured for the last 5 seasons.

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While Jax and Brittany's fates are sealed, the future of 'Vanderpump Rules' as a whole is unclear, because restaurants in Los Angeles are still shuttered due to the worsening pandemic.

Sources close to production tell us execs haven't yet determined when the show will return.

Jax and Brittany are the latest 'VR' stars to be shown the door ... as we reported, back in June the show 86'd Stassi Schroeder, Max Boyens, Brett Caprioni and Kristen Doute ... due to racist behavior and comments that came to light.

Jax's hinting he and Brittany have big plans for life after 'VR.'

The Kardashians This Rental's Giving Us Cabin Fever!!!

The Kardashians are getting outdoorsy ... with a rustically elegant alpine estate.

Sources tell TMZ ... the fam bam stayed at this stunning cabin in Lake Tahoe for a few days, and they brought company too. We're told a production crew was also there to document what will eventually air in the final season of 'KUWTK.'

The private compound's pretty damn breathtaking. It features a main residence and a guest house ... with a whopping 17 bedrooms and 18 bathrooms. The house is 17,000 square feet strong. The pad's even got a name -- the Gunbarrel Lodge -- after the Heavenly Ski Resort adjacent to the 15-acre property.

The scenic driveway takes guests to a hillside perch, which leads into a grand porte-cochere entry. The house has phenomenal lake views and a huge deck for chilling and sunbathing.

The decor includes melded timbers and rugged reclaimed materials -- like masterful stonework -- that seamlessly create an indoor/outdoor flow.

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GUESS WHO'S CALLIN'

When the Kardashians recently pranked some of their family members and close friends -- including Justin Bieber, Dave Chappelle, David Grutman and Travis Scott -- one of the pad's stone beams and walls was prominently featured in the background.

The house -- which rents out for around $6k per night -- is definitely camera friendly. It's been featured in other shows ... including the 'Bachelor' franchise. Gotta love the great outdoors!!!

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

Well, it looks like some people will get that shot this month, and Dr. Fauci is hopping on the Biden train. So we gotta ask ...

When The Vaccine Is Available ...

Who Do You Trust?

Taylor Swift's Re-recording Of 'Love Story' ...

George Clooney Says He's Used Flowbee For 25 Years ...

Obama Knows UFO Secrets ...

Bieber Going After Hailey Hater ...

Rihanna And A$AP Rocky Are ...

Who Ya Got?

Restaurant Owner Prohibiting Twerking

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?

Don't let these two almost identical images of Kendall Jenner distract you from the task at hand ... take a really good look at these pics and keep your focus on the goal of searching for the sneaky switches that have been made!

The model was recently seen out and about while running errands in New York City ... and we have made a few changes to this photo. Start searching around both images of the model moment and see if you can figure out the differences between these two super similar snaps!

**HINT -- There are THREE differences between the above photographs!**

Morgan Wallen 'I Ain't Leaving This Damn Hotel' ... Well, Just This Once!!!

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GLAD TO BE BACK
TMZ.com

Morgan Wallen has a plan to make sure he's not booted from his second crack at 'SNL' ... but his strategy already has some gaping holes of his own doing.

We got the country music star in New York City Friday and our photog asked him how he's planning to stay COVID safe ahead of his big 'SNL' performance.

Morgan tells us he "ain't leaving the damn hotel" ... as he's literally walking out of said hotel.

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NO MASK, BIG PROBLEM
@ashleighludlam/@emily.kinsbruner/Tik Tok

As you know ... Morgan is getting a second chance at 'SNL' 2 months after the show axed him from an earlier, planned gig. He got the boot after he was seen taking shots in a crowded bar and kissing women during some maskless partying down in Alabama. Y'know, stuff that's NOT COVID safe.

Morgan's thanking the Lord for another shot -- at 'SNL,' not the bar -- and says he'll do things differently this time. As for leaving the hotel, maybe he's going to 30 Rock for rehearsals.

Good on Morgan for wearing a face-covering as he climbs into a waiting SUV with his masked-up team.

The show should be pretty funny, with host Jason Bateman already in fine form.

Hopefully, he went straight to NBC studios ... with no pit stops for broads and booze.

Jake Paul Unsure About Fighting Logan Paul But Confident I'd Beat Big Bro's Ass!!!

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BROTHER BEATDOWN
TMZSports.com

Jake Paul admits he's seriously wrestling with the idea of taking a boxing match against his older brother Logan Paul -- but says he's 100% certain he'd whoop that ass if they do!

"I sort of change my mind on it every day," Jake said about fighting his brother ... "One day I'll do it, the next day I'm like 'I don't think I should do that.'"

Remember, Jake called out Logan -- along with Conor McGregor and others -- following his KO victory over Nate Robinson on Saturday ... leading many to wonder, would he REALLY fight his own bro?

Now that he's had time to think about it, Jake says it's come down to this -- "I would just do it to prove people wrong."

Jake says he's sick of hearing everyone praise Logan as the superior fighter -- saying, "I'm like a 10-times better boxer."

"I've had 2 fights and I've been in the ring for a total of 7 minutes and I've knocked down my opponents 6 times in that 7 minutes."

Jake previously told us he's dead serious about pursuing a boxing career -- and wants to take on some bigger names.

Since then, athletes like ex-boxing champ Antonio Tarver and NHL star Evander Kane have called out Jake.

Bottom line ... he doesn't HAVE to fight Logan -- he's got options.

But, who wouldn't watch a Paul vs. Paul throw down!?