Taylor Swift No 'Woodvale' Album On the Way ... I Screw Up Sometimes!!!

121520_taylor_swift_kal
rabbit hole roundup
ABC

Taylor Swift can admit it ... she went too far with plotting and planting "Easter eggs," and that's why she's now debunking another huge fan theory.

The pop star was on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday, and they chopped it up about her new surprise album, "Evermore" -- her second drop of 2020 -- and got into the fervent speculation that she's planning to squeeze in one more album before Jan. 1.

Taylor copped to it ... there is nothing else coming out from her on the music front. She tells Jimmy she's exhausted and doesn't have anything else in the tank for this year, but she understands why fans thought there was another one coming.

TS said, yes ... she did leave a hidden word in the cover art for "Folklore" -- it reads "woodvale" -- and that led fans to believe Tay was trying to tell them something. Watch ... she breaks down the hilarious screw-up/misunderstanding.

As we reported ... the fan theory that Taylor named one of her new songs, "Dorothea," after Gigi Hadid's baby was also not true. So yeah, not everything's as it seems with her, y'all.

BTW, 'memba Taylor's BF, Joe Alwyn??? Yeah, he made an appearance on this new album again too ... under the same alias he used for "Folklore." Neat little factoid for ya.

NFL's Lamar Jackson I Didn't Poop My Pants on 'MNF' ... 'Didn't Pull a Paul Pierce'

121520_lamar_jackson_kal2
CRAMPY SITUATION
Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson insists he was CRAMPING -- not CRAPPING -- and that's why he raced to the locker room in the middle of "Monday Night Football."

In other words, Lamar says he didn't "pull a Paul Pierce" and fake an injury so he could take a dump!

Here's the deal ... Lamar was leading his Baltimore Ravens in a close and heated game against the Cleveland Browns (ha) when something went wrong with the QB in the 3rd quarter.

ESPN showed footage of Lamar scrambling to get to the locker room -- and to be honest, it looked like a guy trying to keep the turtle's head from poking out ... if you catch our drift.

When Jackson returned to the field, he looked relieved -- and balled the hell out for the rest of the game!

So, everyone thought the poop theory was confirmed -- he left, he crapped, he came back feeling better and dominated ... right?

Lamar was asked about the toilet conspiracy after the game -- but adamantly DENIED the locker room trip was bowel-related!!

"No, I was cramping," Jackson said ... "I didn’t pull no Paul Pierce! I didn’t pull a Paul Pierce!"

Remember, Pierce left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair due to an apparent injury -- only to return to the court minutes later and led the Celtics to victory.

Years later, Pierce admitted he needed the wheelchair to keep from pooping himself on live TV.

But, Lamar insists he's no Paul Pierce -- and followed up with a tweet to reinforce his point.

As for the Ravens, they beat the Browns thanks to some excellent 4th quarter play by Lamar Jackson.

Now, it's on to the NY Giants next week -- someone keep some Tums ready just in case!

Gigi Hadid Baby's Name Ain't Dorothea ... Sorry, Swifties!!!

Taylor Swift did NOT name a song after Gigi Hadid's baby, despite the former's fans thinking she'd revealed the secret with a bunch of clues ... which turn out to just be lyrics.

Sources connected to the supermodel new mom tell TMZ ... no. Gigi and Zayn's baby girl's name isn't Dorothea -- which is a song on Taylor's new album, "Evermore." That was the hot fan theory turned-rumor over the weekend, but we're told Swifties are connecting dots that aren't there.

The theory is long and complicated, but we'll simplify it for you. Basically, people noticed Gigi, an old friend of Taylor's, posted some throwback photos recently of her pregnancy, and mentioned the word "August" in her caption.

"August" also happens to be track #8 on Taylor's album, "Folklore." Fans then made a big leap, and noted track #8 on "Evermore," is "Dorothea."

Sooo ... Gigi's kid must be named Dorothea, right???

Here's where we burst that bubble -- we're here to tell you, our sources say Gigi only mentioned August because that was the month the photo was taken. She gave birth a month later, BTW, and has shown the baby's head, but still won't reveal the name.

Another big reason people thought Taylor was dropping Gigi hints is because she actually did reveal Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively's latest daughter's name through her music -- the girl's name is Betty, and Taylor alluded to that in a track by the same name on "Folklore."

In that case, it was much more obvious what she was doing -- Taylor also mentioned Ryan's other 2 kids' names in the song, so kind of a no-brainer -- but in this case ... we're told there's nothing there as it relates to Gigi and her baby. Fans are just reaching.

While Taylor does have some Easter eggs in her music, no doubt, people have mistakenly gone down nonexistent rabbit holes before ... as we've recently reported. As for Gigi's baby's actual name -- we're not hearing a damn thing other than that it'll come out in time.

Like, when she's booked her first job or graduating or getting married! 🤷🏽‍♂️

Lil Yachty Suspending Guys for Nail Polish, Just Dumb ... Let Kids Be Themselves!!!

121420_lil_yachty_kal
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
TMZ.com

Lil Yachty is going to bat for the male student who got in-school suspension simply for painting his nails -- calling out the small-town school's dress code as outdated.

We got the rapper at LAX and asked him about 17-year-old Trevor Wilkinson, who was punished by Clyde High School in West Texas for wearing nail polish to campus.

Lil Yachty, who was rocking some Christmas-themed nails when we got him, says Trevor should be allowed to express himself, especially because the kid's nail polish was harmless.

120720_trevor_wilkonson_kal
FIGHTIN' FOR CHANGE
ABC

Trevor, who is gay, thinks there's something homophobic or sexist behind his suspension ... and he's working hard to change his school's dress code.

Yachty fills us in on how he went through some of the same stuff in college, and says society's long overdue to lose the stigma and drop these barriers on men expressing themselves.

Lil Yachty says he wants to reach out to let Trevor know he's got his back. Also, it sounds like some special nail polish might end up in his stocking.

NFL's Mario Edwards Jr. Denies Wrongdoing in Dom. Violence Case ... Charge Filed Against Bears D-Lineman

Chicago Bears defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. has been charged with assault over an alleged domestic violence incident -- but Edwards is adamant he did NOTHING wrong.

TMZ Sports has learned ... prosecutors in North Carolina are moving forward with an assault case against the 26-year-old NFL player, a 2nd round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

We've obtained court documents outlining the allegations against Edwards by a woman who says she had a dating relationship with him.

In the docs, the woman claims Edwards got violent with her in a North Carolina hotel room on October 17, 2020 (the day before the Bears played the Carolina Panthers). She says Edwards got aggressive when she turned down his sexual advances that night.

The woman claims she took out her phone to record Edwards yelling at her -- and he reacted by smacking her in the eye with his hand.

Then, she claims, Edwards grabbed her by the arm and "dragged her to the door of the hotel room."

The woman claims Edwards continued his attack down the hotel hall by an elevator where he struck her in her arm.

In court docs obtained by TMZ Sports, the woman claims she was hospitalized for injuries sustained during the alleged attack. She also says she was pregnant at the time of the incident.

The woman claims this was not a one-off -- insisting Edwards has a history of violent outbursts with her.

But, Edwards is calling B.S. on the allegations -- his agent tells TMZ Sports that Mario denies ever striking the woman.

In fact, Edwards told cops he's the real victim -- claiming the woman was the aggressor.

We've obtained a police report from the night in question where Edwards is also listed as a victim. In the narrative section, cops say they were called in reference to a woman hitting a man and scratching his forehead.

Mario's agent, Peter Schaffer, tells us, "Mario Edwards doesn’t condone domestic violence. At no time did Mario Edwards do anything that raised to the level of domestic violence, or any violence."

Schaffer says Mario acknowledges there was a verbal dispute -- but "When she started to scream and yell, Mario did what he’s been told. Walk away and de-escalate the situation."

That said, a spokesperson for the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office tells us Edwards has a criminal summons for a misdemeanor assault on a female -- which means the case is expected to go in front of a judge at some point.

No word on when that's expected to happen.

Edwards played in the Bears vs. Panthers game on the day after the alleged incident and logged 1 sack and 2 combined tackles.

No Doubt Drummer Adrian Young 'Memba Him?!

Long Beach-local Adrian Young shot to stardom in the late '90s, along with his wacky persona and fast tempo percussions, as the drummer in the super popular punk/ska band No Doubt ... who released a string of awesome songs including "Spiderwebs," "Just A Girl," "Sunday Morning" and many more on their breakthrough album "Tragic Kingdom."

Adrian Young shared the stage with some awesome No Doubt artists including the calm and cool bassist, Tony Kanal, the go-to guitarist, Tom Dumont ... and of course, the band's leading lady, Gwen Stefani.

Guess what he looks like now at 51 years old!

Eddie Money's Estate Sues USC Hospital Over Death

Eddie Money received some pretty bad medical treatment at USC's Keck Hospital before he died ... at least according to his estate, which is now suing for wrongful death.

The late singer's estate is suing the university hospital and three doctors -- Mark Cunningham, Leonard Clavijo and John Anderson-Dam -- for medical negligence and wrongful death.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Eddie's estate claims he didn't get proper treatment from his doctors when he went in for cardiac problems. The estate claims the hospital failed to properly train its staff and care for Eddie.

In the suit, the estate claims Eddie ultimately got pneumonia, which contributed to his death.

As we reported ... Eddie, who had Stage 4 esophageal cancer, died in September 2019, and a source close to the singer told us he died from complications associated with a heart valve procedure.

Now, Eddie's estate is placing the blame squarely at the feet of USC's hospital and docs.

We reached out to Keck ... so far, no word back.

Joe Biden Electoral College Seals Presidential Victory

121420_joe_biden_kal
THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE
Fox News
UPDATE

5:07 PM PT -- President-elect Biden is preaching unity and a peaceful transition of power, which finally looks like it's going to happen.

UPDATE

Biden addressed the nation Monday after the Electoral College sealed his election victory over Trump, calling on America to set an example for the rest of the world with the peaceful transition.

UPDATE

JB says the road ahead won't be easy because of the virus, but he says the only way to get through the pandemic is by working together.

Joe Biden officially has big plans on Jan. 20, 2021 -- now that all 50 states have officially cast their Electoral College votes to make him the 46th President of the United States.

Electors cast their votes Monday across the country, confirming the winning total for President-elect Biden ... 306 for him, and 232 for now-outgoing President Trump.

110720_joe_biden_victory_kal 11/7/20
WE'RE NOT ENEMIES, WE'RE AMERICANS
PBS

Nevada -- one of the battleground states -- cast theirs first Monday morning, and all the other states followed shortly thereafter ... including Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona -- all states that Trump lost and has fought, unsuccessfully, to overturn the results in court.

Trump and his legal team filed several lawsuits all throughout the country, claiming election fraud, unfair vote counting and invalid ballots ... but failed to present any hard-hitting evidence. Pennsylvania was the one place they had a little bit of steam, but that was sucked away quickly when the Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

111920_rudy_giuliani_kal 11/19/2020
SWEATIN' IT
Fox News

Of course, it's been a long and rancorous road getting here -- Trump has refused to formally concede ... and he's sent Rudy Giuliani to do a lot of his bidding on this issue, only to see him come up short and contract COVID in the process.

Trump has said, on camera, that if the Electoral College did its thing, he'd bow out. That might be true, but absolutely no one's expecting him to deliver a concession speech.

Originally published -- 3:08 PM PT

Rachael Leigh Cook I'm Still All That ... Joining Reboot!!!

Rachael Leigh Cook is coming back for more of that ... the "She's All That" star is jumping onboard the second coming of her '90s teen classic.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Rachael is being added to the cast for "He's All That" and she's playing the mom of Addison Rae's character, Padget. Rachael tells us it's nice to be reunited with some familiar faces and that the new film has a nice spin that she thinks fans of the original will like.

As you know ... Rachael starred in the original movie way back in 1999 alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. The OG version also featured Paul Walker and Gabrielle Union. Ah, the '90s.

Fast-forward 21 years and Rachael will be the vet on set for the gender-swapped reboot ... Addison wasn't even born when Rachael, Freddie, Paul and Gabrielle got this whole thing rolling.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

"He's All That" is already a few weeks into production ... and it looks like Addison, Tanner Buchanan, Andrew Matarazzo, Myra Molloy, Peyton Meyer, Madison Pettis, Annie Jacob and Dominic Goodman are having a blast.

The rom-com reboot is in the perspective of a teenage girl, who happens to be a social media influencer. Yeah, a lot's changed since Rachael transformed from nerd to prom queen.

'RHOBH' Star Erika Jayne Estranged Husband's Assets Frozen ... Possible Criminal Investigation

'RHOBH' star Erika Jayne's estranged husband has had his assets frozen and a judge now wants prosecutors to have a look at what he allegedly did.

A federal judge said Tom Girardi conducted himself in an "unconscionable" manner ... finding that he misappropriated at least $2 million in client money. Even more ominous ... the judge is referring the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible criminal investigation.

The money was intended to compensate the families of victims of the Boing 737 Max, Lion Air crash. Lawyers for Girardi said their client didn't currently have the $2 mil he owes his clients ... shockingly announcing Girardi's firm has a measly $15k in the bank.

And, get this ... Girardi's lawyers said they had concerns about his mental competency, adding they were unsure if he understood the seriousness of the case. One of his lawyers told the judge she wanted Girardi to undergo a mental evaluation ... this according to the L.A. Times, which first reported the news.

As if the legal fallout couldn't get any worse ... Girardi's facing TWO more lawsuits -- one from Robert Keese, the other named partner in Girardi's firm, who claims Girardi owes him $506k for using his name per a deal they struck. Keese says Girardi made some payments but then stopped.

In the second lawsuit ... Girardi's partners in a venture called 1126 Wilshire filed legal docs to dissolve the partnership ... claiming Girardi fraudulently encumbered property the partnership owns worth around $7.5 million.

As we reported ... Girardi and his estranged wife, Erika, are being sued for allegedly hiding money ... claiming the break up of their marriage is actually just a sham divorce to hide assets.

Anti-Masker Wild Rant at Costco ... Fist Bumps and Boos!!!

The COVID vaccines aren't convincing this guy to put on a face covering and ride out the storm -- instead, he climbed a Costco clothing rack armed with a megaphone and let 'er rip.

This rant heard round the wholesaler went down Sunday in Tustin, CA ... and the guy taking the stand against face masks was greeted with a mix of fist bumps and haters.

During his moment in the spotlight, he spewed dubious claims about the CDC, masks and the virus ... all while standing in the middle of a display full of clothing. Call it his Kirkland Signature pulpit.

Some Costco shoppers showed support, apparently picking and choosing when to listen to science ... since they opted for fist bumps instead of handshakes. Others tried to stop the madness, but most remained focused on their shopping lists.

Kicked Out Of Cosco MAY 2020
KICKED OUT

Seems Costco is a popular place for anti-makers to give their 2 cents -- we've seen similar scenes play out across the country, like this wise guy in Colorado.

Yet another reason a return to "normalcy" can't come fast enough.

Dr. Phil on Pandemic Health Addiction Support Groups Screwed ... For Most Part, Anyway

121420_dr_phil_kal
KEEPIN' UP THE BATTLE
TMZ.com

People battling addiction or other health issues in need of a strong support system are mostly getting the short end of the stick during the pandemic ... so says Dr. Phil.

We spoke to the good doc Monday on "TMZ Live" and revisited a topic we'd discussed with him and others during the early stages of lockdowns -- the well-being of folks in AA, NA and other support groups as they have to navigate quarantining solo.

Phil was worried about this early on and tells us a lot of those fears have manifested as relapse rates and drug/substance usage is noticeably up throughout the U.S. Basically, Phil says virtual meetings lack a lot of factors that make in-person meetings so effective.

Dr. Phil
STEPS TO LESS STRESS
TMZ.com

While he does note some upsides to being able to partake in support groups online -- like a greater degree of anonymity, and more options of where to drop in for a meeting -- he says the list of cons outweigh the pros.

Dr. Phil adds ... one of the issues for virtual support groups is Zoom-bombing -- essentially, hackers dropping in on chats they have no place being. That makes many people apprehensive because they can't see everyone in the room.

Bottom line ... Phil says the battle's just beginning. He worries once the pandemic is over, we'll be playing a lot of catch-up to help heal these folks who are going down the rabbit hole now.

Machine Gun Kelly Stolen Aston Martin Recovered ... Whip's in Good Shape!!!

Machine Gun Kelly will soon be reunited with his stolen purple Aston Martin ... TMZ's learned cops found it almost a week after it had been reported stolen.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD officers were out on patrol late Sunday night when they spotted the whip -- someone drove it past their patrol car. The officers weren't in position to immediately go after it, but did later search the area and spotted the British sports car.

Our sources say cops found it abandoned in the driveway of a house with the engine running. We're told the suspect, or suspects, were gone by the time cops got there. Good news for MGK ... cops impounded the Aston Martin and say it's still in good shape.

As of Monday, the car's still at the impound lot, but we're sure MGK's anxious for a reunion. This is the same Aston Martin he was seen riding around in with Megan Fox back in May -- so yeah ... good memories!

"Flipping Out" star Jeff Lewis was the one who let it out of the bag last week that MGK's car had been stolen ... claiming on his "Jeff Lewis Live" show on SiriusXM that he got a call from the new owner of his L.A. crib, who is now MGK's neighbor.

Jeff says the new owner of his house wanted to know if the security cameras there might have captured the theft. No dice ... he says MGK's driveway is out of camera view. Luckily, cops tracked it down the old fashioned way.

Cleveland Indians No Native American Based Name Going Forward ... Owner Says

UPDATE

11:18 AM PT -- 12/14 -- The Cleveland Indians' new name will NOT have Native American ties ... team owner Paul Dolan said Monday.

UPDATE

"While Indians will always be a part of our history," Dolan said, "it is time to move forward and work to unify our stakeholders and fans through a new name."

UPDATE

Dolan told the Associated Press, however, the team will continue with its "Indians" moniker through the 2021 season ... and perhaps even longer as it tries to find a new, permanent nickname.

UPDATE

"We don’t want to be the Cleveland Baseball Team or some other interim name," he said. "We will continue to be the Indians until we have identified the next name that will hopefully take us through multiple centuries."

The Cleveland Indians are reportedly going the way of the Washington Football Team -- they're finally changing their team name, although it's unclear what it will be.

The NYT reports an announcement from the team is expected sometime this week, and the news is they're dropping the "Indians" name -- which they've had since 1915 -- and will start a process of adopting something new.

Thing is ... the report says they'll probably keep their current name for the 2021 season, and officially lose it for 2022 -- all while engaging the public about an appropriate alternative. In the interim, the team is reportedly considering going by the Cleveland Baseball Team.

As for the famous logo of a Native American -- known as Chief Wahoo -- that image was retired a couple years back, and the team adopted a letter "C" as their new official symbol.

The move to drop "Indians" is a long time coming -- similar to how Washington dropped "Redskins" not too long ago. There's been mounting pressure for years from the Native American community, as many found the caricatures/nicknames downright degrading.

Some Cleveland fans love the original name -- but it's clear the team's management and ownership feel it's time to get with the times, and stop exploiting indigenous groups.

Originally Published -- 12/13 6:05 PM PT

COVID Vaccine Black Woman First to Get it in NY State ... Black Doctor Led Research

121420_new_york_vaccine_kal
"THIS IS A SPECIAL DAY"
UPDATE

12:09 PM PT -- There's nothing for African-Americans to fear about the vaccination effort, because it wasn't rushed and a Black doctor was at the forefront of research ... so says Dr. Louito Edje.

UPDATE
121420_dr_louita_edje_kal
ICING ON THE COVID CAKE
TMZ.com
UPDATE

The good doc joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and offered an easy-to-understand analogy about the vaccine process ... telling us why it's like a cake that's been carefully baked for 20 years and just needed the right icing.

UPDATE

Dr. Edje also points out Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, an African-American scientist, led the team behind the COVID-19 vaccine and even got the shot herself.

The first vaccine in New York was administered Monday -- and the person they chose to give it to speaks volumes about very real concerns regarding safety and mistrust of the government.

The recipient was intensive-care nurse Sandra Lindsay, a Black woman working in healthcare, and she got the shot at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. Before the deed was done, Sandra was hailed for her bravery ... for getting vaccinated in public, and for months of work treating COVID patients on the front lines.

As the doctor, also a woman of color, injected the needle ... Sandra didn't even flinch, and got a big round of applause.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on standby, watching the inoculation virtually. He noted Sandra didn't make a fuss about it and that the doc who did it -- Dr. Chester --- must have a good touch. Sandra responded that it felt like any other shot or vaccine she's gotten before.

The fact New York decided to publicize the first Pfizer vaccination with 2 women of color shouldn't be lost on folks.

As we've mentioned, and as the federal government has noted too, African-Americans are highly suspicious of this vaccination effort, and many say they won't take it or don't trust it.

121220_offset_vaccine_kal
TRUST ISSUES
TMZ.com

There's a myriad of reasons why, but we got an up-close and personal look at that mindset this weekend with none other than Offset ... who told us straight-up he wasn't planning to get the shot.

Originally published -- 8:29 AM PT

Will Smith Plays Santa Claus for Teen w/ Cancer Jason Derulo & PS5?!?!

121420_will_smith_jason_derulo_kal
TIME TO PLAY
Snapchat

Will Smith's not playing games when it comes to bringing smiles this holiday season ... and he's pulling out all the stops with help from his celeb pals and Gamestop.

Will Smith's season 2 of his Snapchat series "Will From Home" premiered Monday ... and this holiday season he's inviting viewers to watch him surprise the hell out of people across the country to celebrate their selflessness and bravery.

For the season 2 premiere, Will brought along Jason Derulo to shock 14-year-old Aiden, who was diagnosed with cancer in April. Aiden's father, Chuck, has been doing his best to comfort him during weekly chemo treatments -- but due to COVID-19, he usually can only stand outside Aiden's room ... dancing to make him laugh.

Well, Dad got a big helping hand from Jason, Will and Gamestop.

Derulo kicked things off by teaching Chuck and Aiden some new dance moves. The big surprise, though, came when Will had Chuck and Aiden open a box delivered to them. And, viola!!! It's a PS5, which at the time weren't available to the public yet.

The look on Aiden's face was priceless, and in addition to the dance moves and PS5 surprise from Gamestop ... a $10k donation was also made to the Cook Children's Medical Center, with Will and Gamestop each kicking in $5k.

The 10-episode series will have other special guests, including Alicia Keys, DJ Khaled, Lil Nas X, and Ludacris. It's a good bet there won't be a dry eye after each episode celebrates real-life heroes.