Matthew Morrison Plays Super-Sexy Grinch in Musical ... Still Steals Christmas

Matthew Morrison probably thinks fans who saw his performance in "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" have hearts 2 sizes too small ... 'cause they're going off about his hyper-sexual take on the Grinch.

The "Glee" star drenched himself in the green getup for Wednesday night's musical on NBC, but instead of softening hearts around the world, things got strange.

With lots of moaning, heavy breathing and come hither stares into the camera ... many viewers felt MM went bizarrely overboard with his portrayal.

You could almost hear people at home screaming, "That's a no for me, dawg" ... which is a pretty good summary of the Twitter reviews. One viewer even said, "Sending matthew morrison the bill for all the therapy i’ll need after watching his bizarrely sexual interpretation of the grinch."

After the show, Matthew posted a video of himself taking off his makeup while singing "For Good" from the popular play, "Wicked."

Nice PR move, but it still didn't distract fans from taking out their frustrations. Some of them included concerned parents who said their kids had nightmares.

As one unhappy customer put it, "matthew morrison doing an incredibly cursed rendition of the grinch is the most fitting way to end this wretched year imo, we r in hell."

Settle down folks, it's just a freakin' musical. You're all mean ones.

Mo3 Cops Nab Alleged Murderer

Dallas PD says they got the guy who gunned down rapper Mo3 in cold blood, slapped him with a murder charge and turned him over to the feds ... 'cause he's in even more trouble.

Homicide detectives say they tracked down Kewon Dontrell White on Wednesday after getting a tip from a witness about his alleged involvement in Mo3's November 11 killing in Dallas. Cops tell TMZ ... they believe White is the armed man seen on surveillance video running near the murder scene.

It appears White either knew Mo3 or was tailing him -- detectives say they have evidence placing him near the rapper a full day before the shooting, and also on the day of the murder.

As we first reported, sources told us Mo3 knew he was being tailed as he left a female companion's home the morning of November 11. A car chase ensued that ended on the I-35 freeway, and Mo3 was gunned down as he tried to flee on foot.

Cops tell us 22-year-old White is now in federal custody for a charge of prohibited person in possession of a firearm ... in addition to the murder charge in Dallas.

TMZ broke the story ... Mo3 was pronounced dead at a hospital after the shooting in his hometown. An innocent bystander on the freeway was also shot and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Canadian Cop 'Dealt With' Over Revenge Ticket After Driver Questions Cop

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TICKETED FOR WHAT
UPDATE

10:33 AM PT -- The Winnipeg Police Service says the cop has been spoken to by his commanding officer about his conduct and the matter has been "dealt with." That being said, Winnipeg PS doesn't say how it dealt with it.

UPDATE

As for the cop not wearing a mask ... the Service says its officers "are expected to wear face masks during interactions with members of the public unless social distancing is being practiced." As you can see from the video ... social distancing was NOT being practiced.

UPDATE

WPS also says they're trying to contact the driver to speak with her, though there's no mention if the ticket can or will be rescinded. As for why she was initially pulled over ... WPS says the driver was "stopped for not moving to a farther lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle using emergency lamps or equipment."

A Canadian cop was out for revenge when a motorist dared to call him out for not wearing a mask ... and it's right there on video.

It went down in Winnipeg when the officer pulled a woman over and said he was prepared to give her a warning for some sort of driving infraction. That's when the lady asked the cop why he wasn't wearing a mask, and that did not sit well with the officer.

He clearly felt disrespected, for some reason ... incorrectly saying he was safe because he was 6 feet away. In case he missed it, the pandemic has exploded, and just about every scientist is saying 6 feet away isn't enough ... you gotta wear a mask, even outdoors.

In any event, he exacts revenge on the woman for daring to question him.

God, we hope she fights this in court.

Originally Published -- 7:22 AM PT

Diplo Gets Restraining Order ... Ex-Fling to Delete His Sexual Images

Diplo's scored a legal victory against the woman he says posted explicit pics of him on social media ... a judge ordered her to remove the pics and stay the hell away from him.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the DJ was granted a restraining order against the woman, and it requires her to stop distributing sexually explicit images of Diplo. She's also been ordered to "identify and remove any such images previously posted or distributed" on social media.

The woman also has to stay at least 100 yards away from Diplo, his son's mother, Jevon King ... as well as one of the DJ's friends. TMZ broke the story ... Diplo claimed his ex-fling had posted photos and videos of the two of them having sex while also harassing him and his family.

Diplo claimed she shared these images after their relationship soured at some point in 2020 ... sending them directly to the DJ's past partners, including his baby mama.

Teyana Taylor 30th Bday Calls for Packed Rooftop ... Followed COVID Guidelines

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PANDEMIC PARTYIN'
@diddy, @ejking21 / Instagram
UPDATE

11:49 AM PT -- Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the party followed COVID-19 safety guidelines with less than 100 people in attendance. The state's health department recommends gatherings of no more than 250 attendees. For what it's worth ... Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly hosted a GOP backyard party last weekend in the Gov's mansion for roughly 50 guests.

UPDATE

As for Teyana's party ... we're told there was a mask mandate but people took them off for pics. They say having the party completely outdoors was also a safety guideline it followed.

Teyana Taylor's gotta be feeling appreciated today ... she celebrated her 30th birthday with a flashy Miami shindig, packed with her celeb friends.

The newly-retired singer danced her ass off Wednesday night at the bash ... surrounded by folks like Diddy, Lil Wayne and A$AP Ferg, just to name a few. You can see in the video ... people were shoulder-to-shoulder at times on the dance floor.

Unclear what, if any, testing went down beforehand -- but there was no social distancing and very few face masks.

Also worth noting, there are very few COVID restrictions right now in Florida.

The party, sponsored by the clothing line Pretty Little Thing, came less than a week after Teyana announced she was retiring from music because she felt underappreciated by the industry.

She said, "I’m retiring this chapter of my story with the comfort that I can depart with peace of mind seeing that all the hard work & passion put was indeed loved & supported somewhere in the world!"

She definitely got love and support to ring in the big 3-0.

Originally Published -- 6:30 AM PT

Lizzo 'I'm Beautiful, I Just Don't Feel it' ... Shares Moment of 'Negative Thoughts'

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ONE OF THOSE DAYS
@lizzo/TikTok

Lizzo is going through it -- in a brutally honest moment, she's admitting she lets all the mean crap Internet trolls say get to her sometimes ... but she's also confident it will pass.

Lest you think things are always "Good As Hell" for the singer, Lizzo opened up about an emotional low she hit Wednesday as she was taking a shower -- "I just started having all of these really negative thoughts about myself. Like, you know, what's wrong with me? Maybe everything, [and] all the mean things people say about me are true."

The video is remarkable because it's the kinda honesty we don't often see from celebs ... and also because ya just wanna give her a hug.

Lizzo says, at that moment, she was hating her body ... but adds these are normal thoughts that "happen to everybody, they happen to the best of us."

She's never lacked for confidence, and you can almost see her working through her emotions, because by the end of the clip Lizzo had some inspirational words -- for herself and everyone else who goes through this on the daily.

Alright ... group hug, peeps.

Underground Sex Parties Springing Up All Over Due to COVID ... Secret Network Runs Deep

The pandemic hasn't stopped people from getting their freak on at possible COVID super-spreader events -- they've simply gone underground, and they're going to extremes to keep it hidden.

A source with direct knowledge tells us the events have been happening since the start of COVID, but the recent surge in cases has made them more hush-hush. There's a vetting process, but more for secrecy than public health issues.

For starters, we're told anyone looking to access these speakeasy-esque events will first have to get in touch with a real sex worker.

Alice Little, a popular prostitute in Nevada, tells us sex workers -- who advertise on social media and escort sites -- serve as gatekeepers, giving only their most trusted clients the hookup to a party.

Alice says the sex worker might ask for references -- not unlike a job interview -- but we're told the grilling is more to sniff out narcs and undercover agents ... and not about health issues.

While you'd think there would be testing -- for COVID and STIs -- we're told that's not the concern for these underground parties ... they're more worried about getting busted by law enforcement.

This is a big change, and a dangerous one considering we're in a pandemic. Alice says pre-COVID these events would typically be run by brothels ... which were more likely to require medical testing.

Anyway, if you pass muster, we're told the sex worker takes you to the so-called kingdom -- which could be at a strip club, a private residence or even a literal underground hideaway.

As we reported, a swingers party in NYC was busted and more recently ... 158 people were arrested in L.A. County. So, these events are clearly on law enforcement's radar, and for good reason.

Party-goers risk arrest, but now the other major concern is the threat to public health and spreading COVID.

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Pfizer We Got a Good Catchphrase ... To Market COVID Vaccines

Pfizer is in inevitable competition with the other drug companies that are developing COVID vaccines, and it's apparently trying to get a jump on its competitors with a new catchphrase.

The pharmaceutical giant filed docs this week to lock up the rights to the phrase, "Science will make the breakthrough." The phrase will be used in several initiatives, including marketing vaccines.

As we get closer to mass inoculation, the drug companies that are able to market COVID vaccines will have to make the case ... they should be the first choice, and good marketing becomes essential.

And remember, this is not a one-time deal. Everyone will have to periodically get re-inoculated ... ultimately it will go direct to consumer, so marketing will be essential.

While a rep for the company wouldn't say exactly what the campaign would look like, they did tell us, "We plan to use the phrase in our corporate campaign as a continuation of our 'Science Will Win' digital ads.”

As you know ... it was almost exactly a month ago when Pfizer gave the world a figurative booster shot by announcing it had developed a coronavirus vaccine that was more than 90 percent effective.

That number went up even higher -- closer to 95 percent -- after a phase 3 study concluded, and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has already begun to be administered to at-risk folks in England.

Pfizer's mission statement says its purpose is to "deliver breakthroughs that change patients’ lives" ... so they must be feeling themselves right now.

That, or it's just time for a fresh catchphrase.

'A Christmas Story' Ohh Ffffudge ... COVID Crushing House Holiday Biz

The house featured in "A Christmas Story" is normally a tourist hot spot during the holidays, but this year business is hurting as much as getting your tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole.

Folks running A Christmas Story House & Museum -- the Cleveland residence used for exterior shots of Ralphie's home in the 1983 classic -- tell TMZ ... they're projected to have about 50,000 less visitors compared to 2019.

On top of that, the home -- which guests can reserve for an overnight stay and sleep in Ralphie and Randy's beds -- is still available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ... which we're told is unprecedented.

Since the place began allowing overnight reservations in 2008, it's usually booked for November and December 6 months in advance ... even though it costs nearly $3k per night!!!

But, with COVID-19 cases surging, stay-at-home orders and financial struggles for families across the country ... 2020's put the 'Christmas Story' business in a difficult spot too.

The good news is ... the museum's online gift shop is helping make up for some of the losses in tour and lodging revenue this year.

We're told the shop's sold around 14,000 different variations of the movie's famous leg lamp, 1,000 pink bunny suits, and a couple hundred Red Ryder BB Guns ... and there are plenty more in stock.

Pro Surfing Surfer Dies After Shark Attack In Hawaii Pro Surf Competition to Move Location

UPDATE

5:39 AM PT -- 12/10 -- The 56-year-old shark attack victim has died, hospital officials confirm.

UPDATE

The man passed away Wednesday evening at Maui Memorial Medical Center, following surgery on Tuesday.

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The victim's identity and details about how injuries have not been released out of respect for the family, hospital officials say.

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The victim was in stable condition following his initial round of surgery -- but his health quickly deteriorated and doctors were unable to save him.

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The Maui Pro surf competition -- which had been placed on hold -- will now move locations as a result of the shark attack.

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The World Surf League announced ... "The WSL has made the decision not to continue running the remaining heats at Honolua Bay. We are working on options to complete the Maui Pro event at an alternate location in Hawaii. We will update everyone soon."

UPDATE

A recreational surfer was attacked by a shark in Maui on Tuesday -- forcing a pro surfing competition to go on hold until it's safe to get back in the water.

Officials in Hawaii confirm a 56-year-old man was badly injured in the attack while paddling out at Honolua Bay.

The details of his injuries are unclear but officials say the man was treated on shore and then raced to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

The Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources released pictures of the surfer's board ... and it looks like a prop from a "Jaws" movie.

The shark attack took place near the World Surfing League's Maui Women's Pro surf contest ... and event organizers decided to suspend action out of an abundance of caution.

"There will be no competition at the Maui Pro [Tuesday] following a shark incident involving a recreational surfer this morning at Honolua Bay," the WSL said in a statement.

"The WSL is working with authorities and our thoughts are with the victim of this incident. The Maui Pro is on hold until further notice."

The DNLR says both county and state officials are working on the situation and evaluating the danger.

No word on the victim's current health status -- but here's hoping he's okay.

Originally Published -- 12/9 8:16 AM PT

YFN Lucci Nabs U.S.'s First 2021 Maybach SUV Thanks to Label Honcho!!!

Talk about speaking something into existence ... YFN Lucci's been gifted the first 2021 Maybach SUV in the U.S. to celebrate his success.

The Atlanta rapper's the recipient of Mercedes' first Maybach GLS whip thanks to his gracious boss, Girvan "Fly" Henry. We're told Fly dropped $200k for the luxury whip.

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BRAND NEW WHIP

We're told Fly -- who is the CEO of Think It's A Game Records -- wanted to celebrate YFN's release of his latest album ... "Wish Me Well 3." The album's getting a lot of buzz already ... especially for the hitmakers who collaborated, including Rick Ross, Yo Gotti, Mulatto and Mozzy.

The Maybach SUV -- brought to market to compete with the likes of Rolls Royce and Bentley SUVs -- just oozes luxury with rear seats that recline and massage passengers.

The whip's also got a wine fridge big enough to store some good bubbly.

Sorry, Dom not included -- but life's still plenty Gucci for Lucci.

Evander Holyfield's Son My Dad's Ready to Whoop Tyson Again ... Put Me On the Undercard!!!

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MAKIN' HISTORY
TMZSports.com

Evander Holyfield's son -- a rising star in boxing -- says his dad is ready to kick Mike Tyson's ass for the 3rd time ... and when it happens, he wants to fight on the undercard!

23-year-old Evan Holyfield -- who's 4-0 as a pro -- says he LOVES the idea of his father running it back with Tyson, especially after Iron Mike's performance against Roy Jones Jr.

As we previously reported, 58-year-old Evander has been training for a comeback ... in hopes of a 3rd crack at his former rival.

Evan -- aka "Yung Holy" -- tells TMZ Sports his Dad looks ready to scrap!

"My dad's lookin' pretty swole right now," Evan says ... "I know he's been training this whole time, even before the whole thing, so I'm pretty excited to see what happens!"

"I don't expect him to lose! The first 2 [fights] went a certain way and I feel like the 3rd -- I know it's all for good sport and for charity and stuff at the end of the day -- but I don't plan on seeing my dad getting beat up."

Evan wasn't born yet when his pops fought Tyson in '96 and '97 -- so the chance to see those guys get in the ring again in 2021 would be special for him.

And, by the way, Evan's a pretty solid fighter himself -- he's got his 5th pro fight coming up on December 12 against Donnis Reed.

After that, Evan says he really hopes Mike and Evander can work out a deal ... because he really wants to fight on the undercard to create memories he can share with his own children.

"At the end of the day, that Roy Jones vs. Mike Tyson fight was pretty historical and I feel like it would be pretty important to me to be part of a historical moment along with my father."

Guess Who This Bottle Baby Turned Into!

Before this happy little lady was a professional angel walking the runway and modeling on magazine covers, she was just another cute kid thirsty for the spotlight in Wilson, North Carolina.

This blonde beauty is a fashion icon known for strutting her stuff on some of the most famous runways around the world ... including Paris Fashion Week and on the popularly televised Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

She has notably been a close friend and member of Taylor Swift's 'Squad', even being featured in her secret agent inspired music video for the pop song "Bad Blood."

Can you guess who she is?

Dr. Anthony Fauci 'To My African-American Brothers and Sisters' ... Black Woman Developed COVID-19 Vaccine

Dr. Anthony Fauci wants Black Americans skeptical about the COVID-19 vaccines to know a Black woman was at the forefront of creating one of them ... so fear not.

The nation's leading infectious disease expert spoke Tuesday at an event hosted by the National Urban League and, while discussing racism in medical research and how it's created mistrust ... Fauci put a spotlight on the contributions of Black scientists in the historic development of COVID vaccines ... most notably Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett.

While it might have sounded awkward, Fauci was simply addressing the elephant in the room -- a new study shows only 14% of African-Americans trust the vaccine will be safe and only 18% trust it'll be effective. That's alarming, considering a large portion of the country needs to get vaccinated in order to beat the virus which has disproportionally affected people of color.

Corbett's a pretty big deal in the medical research world. She's the lead scientist for coronavirus vaccine research at Fauci's National Institute of Health. She was also part of the team that worked with Moderna to develop its vaccine that's expected to get emergency use authorization from the FDA and be rolled out later this month.

Fauci added, "So, the first thing you might want to say to my African-American brothers and sisters is that the vaccine that you're going to be taking was developed by an African-American woman. And, that is just a fact."

Tiffany Haddish Rejected Pre-Grammys Hosting Gig ... All Costs Were on Her

UPDATE

7:28 AM PT -- The Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., says Tiffany's deal was handled by a talent booker, and the specifics -- including her having to pay her own expenses -- happened without his knowledge. Nonetheless, he's still owning up to it and expressing his frustration.

UPDATE
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WRONG & DISRESPECTFUL
UPDATE

Mason says, "I apologized to her personally, and I apologized to her from the Academy. I expressed to her my regret and my displeasure about how this was handled. Again I want to say, Tiffany, we are sorry, and thank you for allowing me to speak on it."

Tiffany Haddish says she turned down an offer to host a Grammys pre-show -- and it's all because the org was trying to make her foot the bill ... for everything.

The comedic actor says she was offered the hosting gig for the Recording Academy's 3-hour pre-telecast ahead of the main show in January, but when she was told she wouldn't get paid ... it gave her pause. Then she was told everything else would come out of her own pocket as well -- including hair, makeup and wardrobe costs -- so Tiff told them to kick rocks.

She tells Variety, "I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful." Tiffany is, in fact, up for a Grammy this year for her Netflix comedy special, 'Black Mitzvah' ... she was nominated last year too for a spoken word project.

The Recording Academy tells Variety that because the pre-telecast isn't put on by CBS but, rather, themselves (a non-profit), they say it's normal for the hosting job to be pro-bono -- and apparently has been for a while. They also said Tiff's decision would have no bearing on any future nominations whatsoever.

That still didn't stop TH from openly criticizing them though -- she says, "How many other people have they done that to? It’s like a guy asking you on a date but telling you that you have to pay for it."

This is just the latest controversy to dog the Grammys this year ... coming a couple weeks after The Weeknd's outrage at being snubbed, and his allegations there were shady politics behind it.

Originally Published -- 12/9 5:12 PM PT

SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends with Fiery Crash ... Back to Drawing Board!!!

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COMIN' IN HOT
SpaceX

Elon Musk, we have a problem.

SpaceX's much-hyped high-altitude test flight of Starship -- a spacecraft designed to take people and cargo to the moon and Mars -- ended in a fireball as it crash-landed Wednesday in South Texas.

Video shows the large reusable capsule, which is supposed to land vertically, came down way too hard and instantly exploded. However, even though the footage is crazy ... it was not unexpected.

Musk predicted Starship would likely crash land, but said data gathered in the test flight would be critical in moving the mission forward. SpaceX stated ... "With a test such as this, success is not measured by completion of specific objectives but rather how much we can learn."

Hopefully, the company and its CEO learned a lot from what looks like one very expensive experiment.