Breonna Taylor Statue Vandalized ... Sculptor Calls it 'Racist Aggression'
A bust of Breonna Taylor was vandalized, smashed into pieces, just 2 weeks after it was installed.
The statue graced an area of downtown Oakland, with the inscription, "Say Her Name Breonna Taylor."
The cops are now on the hunt for the vandal/vandals. Since it's in the downtown area there may be surveillance video that helps police find the culprit, but so far no one has been named a suspect.
The sculptor, Leo Carson, said he's starting a GoFundMe page to pay for the repairs.
Disappointing to see the #BreonnaTaylor statue in downtown Oakland vandalized. It was installed just 2 weeks ago. @oaklandpoliceca are aware & are investigating. pic.twitter.com/0rNPiPLTSI
— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) December 27, 2020 @DionLimTV
Carson was furious, saying ..."This vandalism is an act of racist aggression, and it shows why sculpture and art matters," adding, "I made this sculpture to support the Black Lives Matter movement and while I'm overcome with rage and sadness at their cowardly act, their vandalism will make her even more potent."
As you know, no one was indicted for Breonna's death and although the Kentucky Attorney General claimed to have submitted all the evidence to the Grand Jury, that's not what Grand Jurors said. They were never given the option of indicting any of the cops for Breonna's death, and some were outraged.
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Dwayne Haskins Washington Cuts 2nd Year QB ... After Maskless Partying
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Dwayne Haskins has been released by the Washington Football Team ... this after he was caught partying it up without a mask.
The announcement was made Monday following the team's loss to the Carolina Panthers. The poor record this season -- plus Dwayne's on-camera COVID-risky screw-up, we imagine -- were the final straw for upper management.
Bottom line, the former first-round draft pick is out.
Is this Dwayne Haskins? I really hope not. These women are all wearing Washington #7 shirts yesterday and that certainly does look like #7 himself partying maskless last night with strippers after the game. pic.twitter.com/BxgHdjuiCe
— Rudy Gersten (@DCBarno) December 21, 2020 @DCBarno
The 2nd year QB released a statement saying, "My time with the WFT has unfortunately come to an end. I thank the team & fans for the opportunity to play for the team I grew up rooting for."
He adds, "I take full responsibility for not meeting the standards of a NFL QB & will become a better man & player because of this experience."
Of course, Dwayne is probably talking about the fact he was recently caught raging with strippers (sans masks or distancing) on the heels of his team's loss to the Seahawks.
We have released QB Dwayne Haskins pic.twitter.com/KRrWxWra7E
— Washington Football Team (@WashingtonNFL) December 28, 2020 @WashingtonNFL
Not only that, but Dwayne simply wasn't living up to expectations after Washington made him its top pick in 2019.
For its part, WFT management says they talked to Dwayne, and basically said ... it'd be best if they went their separate ways.
Now, he's a free agent.
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Lori Loughlin She's Free!!! Released from Prison
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Lori Loughlin may have missed spending Christmas with her family but the good news ... she's only 3 days late 'cause she was just released from prison.
The "Full House" star will enjoy the rest of whatever 2020 has to offer after she was sprung free Monday ... and just 2 days shy of serving 2 months for her role in the college admissions scandal.
Lori flew back in style in a private jet that landed early Monday morning at the Van Nuys Airport.
As we reported ... Lori surrendered to authorities at FCI Dublin in California on Halloween Eve. Remember, she surrendered nearly 3 weeks before her November 19 deadline.
Lori, of course, agreed back in May to plead guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Lori -- along with her hubby, Mossimo -- were accused of paying $500k in bribes to get their daughters into USC and faking a photo that made it look like the girls were college-caliber rowers.
Now that Lori's out ... she'll be on 2 years of supervised release. She also has to perform 250 hours of community service. Mossimo was sentenced to 5 months and is still in prison.
He reported to prison officials back in November ... with a new look. One down, one more to go.
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Dr. Dre Nicole's Gotta Learn to Spend Less ... 'Cause The Money Tree is Going Away
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Dr. Dre is warning his estranged wife ... the party's over when it comes to money, because he claims he's giving her way more now than she'll get when the divorce is final.
As we reported, Dre says he's been footing the bill for all Nicole Young's expenses, to the tune of $293,306 a month while the divorce winds its way through the courts.
TMZ broke the story ... Dre is hanging his hat on a prenup that says all of their property is separate, although she's entitled to spousal support if they divorce. Nicole claims Dre tore up the prenup shortly after their 1996 marriage, but he denies that.
Nicole has filed legal docs asking for $2 million a month in temporary spousal support.
Sources connected to Dre tell TMZ, the court-approved schedule establishing the factors in computing spousal support entitles Nicole to somewhere between $138,622 and $81,002 a month. As one source told TMZ, "Once this case is resolved and Dre discontinues his current practice of paying for all of her expenses, Nicole is going to have to learn to tighten that belt."
We've learned Dre has now filed a police report, claiming Nicole embezzled a total of $385,029 from one of Dre's companies. They further claim when Nicole was asked about it during her deposition, she took the 5th. Her lawyers have previously said she was entitled to the money.
We reached out to Nicole's camp ... so far, no word back.
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2020 Hero ATL Homeless Man Rescues 16 Dogs and Cats ... Runs into Burning Shelter
A homeless man in Atlanta is a true hero after risking his own life by running into a burning animal shelter and rescuing 16 dogs and cats.
Keith Walker saw the burning building and couldn't just sit there and wait. He jumped into action.
The 53-year-old didn't pretend he wasn't scared, saying, "I was nervous as hell. I'm not going to lie. I was really scared to go in there with all that smoke. But God put me there to save those animals."
The fire was said to have started in the kitchen and been an electrical fire
Turns out Walker, who's been homeless since he was 13, loves dogs, saying, "If you love a dog, you can love anyone in the world. My dog is my best friend, and I wouldn't be here without him, so I knew I had to save all those other dogs."
Walker has a pit bull named Bravo, and the owner of the W-Underdogs shelter, let him keep the dog there every night.
Walker was on his way to pick up Bravo for a walk when he saw the flames. The owner of the shelter, Gracie Hamlin, said, "Even the firefighters didn't want to handle the dogs. They called animal control, but Keith was already in the building pulling out the cats and dogs until they were all safe." In all, Walker saved 6 dogs and 10 cats.
Hamlin was beyond grateful ... "I can't thank him enough for saving my animals," adding, "I'm still in disbelief because I've been around a fire and I know how fast they flare-up. He is my hero."
A hero indeed.
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'Deadliest Catch' Star Nick McGlashan Dead at 33
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Nick McGlashan, a 7th generation fisherman who starred in "Deadliest Catch," has died ... TMZ has learned.
The Medical Examiner and family tell TMZ ... Nick passed away Sunday in Nashville. The cause of death has not been determined.
Nick appeared on the show for years ... from 2013 - 2020, in 78 episodes.
Nick's family has a storied tale of the sea. His great uncle worked on the first boat in the U.S. crab industry. Two of his aunts were crabbers ... one of who was lost at sea after the boat sank.
As for Nick ... he started crabbing at age 13. Nick quickly earned his stripes and up piloting the Cape Caution ... eventually upgrading to the Summer Bay.
Nick was an unrelenting figure on the boat. Nothing could stop him ... not pain, nothing. He never gave up ... even when the boat had perilous mechanical problems.
He struggled for years with addiction to alcohol and drugs ... it got bad enough he was suspended from part of Season 13 and ended up in rehab. It got so bad he said he was drinking a half-gallon of vodka and shooting up with one gram of meth and 2 grams of heroin in a single day. He tried hard to stay sober and said he was trying to inspire others to get clean.
The show has had its share of tragedies. We broke the story ... deckhand Mahlon Reyes died back in August after suffering a heart attack.
Nick was 33.
RIP
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Stars Showing Off Their Sweet Sleds ... Hot Car Models!
Who needs a regular ole sled when you can cruise down the mountains in one of these sweet rides?!
Celebs have clearly made it a point to pull up in style and have been proudly posting on social media what luxury cars are taking them to new heights.
These motor-powered pics will have you wishing you were at the dealers ... And, you can blame all that daydreaming on stars like Bella Hadid, Paris Hilton, Keyshia Ka'Oir Davis, Larsa Pippen and several others!
Cruise your way through our gallery of stars showing off their sweet sleds to see all the other celebs that have been sharing snaps of their hot wheels!
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The White House Sprucing Up for Biden's Arrival ... $44k to Clean Carpets!!!
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President-elect Joe Biden might be missing out on the usual huge public gathering for his inauguration due to the pandemic ... but at least he'll be moving into nice, clean digs.
Although beefing up security and working to ensure the health and safety of everyone involved with Biden's swearing-in are the top priorities, the government's also spending some dough to tidy up ... according to federal financial docs.
We've learned The White House is dropping a little over $44,000 on what's listed as "Inauguration Carpet Cleaning." It's unclear how many rooms will have fresh carpeting ... the White House has 132 rooms.
So, if you're coming to pay POTUS a visit after January 20 ... you might need to take your shoes off.
As we've reported ... Biden's inauguration is getting scaled back because of COVID-19 concerns, with the ceremony having an "extremely limited" footprint and a "reimagined" parade.
Still, they've been setting up the stage for the event since early November, and aren't sparing any expense in securing it to make sure Biden and VP-elect Kamala Harris are in good hands ... and apparently, everyone in The White House will be walking on good, clean carpets.
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Trump Supporter Spits, Coughs on BLM Protester!!!
Denying there's a pandemic is one thing, and then there's this ... actively, and disgustingly, committing a crime by intentionally spitting on someone -- and, stupidly, doing it on camera.
This Trump supporter went face-to-face with Black Lives Matter protesters over the weekend in Swampscott, MA. The guy who posted the video claims the man in shades and a Trump 2020 cap just turned to him, unprovoked, yelled "all lives matter" ... then started hacking and spitting.
The video is pretty graphic ... when ya see this jerk loading up to spit, which he did at least twice, on people standing across from him. As if this video wasn't enough evidence ... a police officer on scene witnessed the crime.
It's called assault and battery or unwanted touching -- and that does include spitting on someone -- and it's a crime. Cops were there observing the protest, and did cite the guy for assault.
This vile individual is clearly ignoring the images of patients packed into hospital ICUs, stressed nurses and doctors ... or the fact more than 330,000 Americans are already dead from COVID-19. But, intentionally doing what's seen here?
We really are living in 2 Americas now.
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Jessie J Hospitalized, Unable to Walk or Hear
Singer Jessie J spent Christmas in the hospital, deaf and unable to walk, with a disease that has no cure.
Jessie J suffers from Meniere's disease ... an inner-ear condition that causes extreme ringing in the ear, hearing loss and vertigo.
The "Bang Bang" singer said she went totally deaf in her right ear and could not walk a straight line ... presumably from vertigo, which messes with your equilibrium, making the room spin.
The ringing in the ears can sound like a jet engine with unrelenting noise that is almost impossible to ignore.
Channing Tatum's on-again-off-again GF described it as "sound[ing] like there's someone trying to run out of my ear ... like someone crawled in and turned a hairdryer on."
She says she's on the upswing now ... feeling better. The symptoms typically come and go. Estimates are that 615,000 Americans suffer from Ménière’s and more than 45,000 cases are diagnosed every year.
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Anti-Masker Spews Asian Slurs, Threats ... 'Go Back to F***ing China!!!'
A couple's refusal to wear face masks inside a Sephora, spilled into a parking lot confrontation where one guy hurled Asian ethnic slurs.
In this video, you see the guy behind the wheel of a Jeep get out of his car as he's yelling "go back to China," and calling the person recording him a "stupid g**k."
According to witnesses, this all started Sunday inside Sephora in Irvine, CA ... and the couple in the video allegedly refused to wear masks, which upset nearby customers ... including the woman recording this video.
They met again in the parking lot just outside the store ... and on top of hurling epithets, the guy charged toward the woman in a threatening way, saying ... "Are you really that stupid? You know that recording doesn't do anything."
Doesn't look like police got involved this time, and the guy threw one more bigoted parting shot as he pulled away -- "Stay home, and thanks for giving my country COVID."
Kudos to the woman who got the brunt of this hate speech -- she's choosing to focus on positives, and posted ... "I understand there's always unfortunate people living in hate. It's pathetic."
What she said.
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Ice-T My Big Fear of Appearing on 'Masked Dancer' ... Busting My Ass!!!
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Ice-T had just one worry about appearing on "The Masked Dancer" ... busting his ass!!!
The 'Law & Order: SVU' star joined "TMZ Live" and said everything was fine and dandy when he agreed to do the new FOX show. It was only one day of filming for him, he said, and the choreography also was a breeze. But then ... he got into costume.
The actor/rapper told us after putting the 20-pound head on his body ... he struggled to even lift his foot. He said his only focus at that point was simply not crashing to the ground.
Ice was super worried, not just about falling, but -- even worse -- becoming a meme loop.
Ice-T was confused about the show when his manager called him -- all he knew about was "The Masked Singer." But, his 5-year-old daughter, Chanel, was a fan of the show and that was enough for him.
As for why Ice only taped one day -- he was first to be eliminated. It doesn't sound like he was too upset with the judges' decision.
"The Masked Dancer" airs on Fox, Wednesdays at 8 PM ET.
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Jillian Michaels Home Workouts Great But Gyms Offer Huge Benefits!!!
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Jillian Michaels loves that people used quarantine to focus on their health with at-home workouts, but she also stresses the importance of gyms will be obvious when we get back to "normal."
The fitness guru joined "TMZ Live" and said the silver lining in the pandemic-ravaged year is people at home found creative ways to stay in shape when the coronavirus forced gyms to shut down across the country.
That being said ... Jillian said there's something to be said about the benefits a gym offers. And, it doesn't matter if it's a huge gym, a boutique gym or even just a yoga class ... the benefits range from having a social environment to the intensity of in-person instruction.
Jillian's not knocking at-home workouts. Far from it. In fact ... she loves all the options spinning bikes, workout apps -- she has a very popular one -- and other devices have to offer. But, in a post-pandemic fitness life ... she envisions folks subscribing to what she calls a hybrid model.
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Willie Roaf Taysom Hill Can Take Over For Brees in 2021 ... He's Like Kyler & Lamar
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Legendary Saints OL Willie Roaf says he's confident Taysom Hill can take over for Drew Brees in 2021 if necessary ... telling TMZ Sports the QB has all the tools to be great.
"Taysom Hill has looked good," Roaf says. "He's played well. He's got a lot of potential."
Brees just took the starting reins back from Hill last Sunday after returning from his rib and lung injuries ... but he didn't look sharp in a loss to the Chiefs, and now, the questions about his future in New Orleans are swirling again.
Many are wondering if the 41-year-old will hang it up after this season ... and if so, would Sean Payton be comfortable going into 2021 with Hill under center?
Roaf thinks it's all certainly possible ... telling us 30-year-old Hill has similar traits to star QBs like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray.
"He's in the mold of the young guys," Roaf says. "He uses his legs. He's a big guy. He's like a running back. But, he can throw the ball."
Roaf added he doesn't believe the Saints need to draft any signal callers this offseason.
But, the N.O. legend did advise Payton to give a longer look at Jameis Winston next season ... saying the former #1 overall pick could be a viable option to replace Drew one day too.
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Guess Who This Gifted Girl Turned Into!
Before this cute kid in her holiday dress and matching shoes was gifting the world with her acting skills and eye-popping social media selfies, she was just another excited kid unwrapping present on Christmas morning in Waldorf, Maryland.
If you're struggling to unbox who might be behind this cute kid pic, maybe you should take a look at her lovely films like "Falling Inn Love" and "Love Don't Cost a Thing."
Tear into this selfie of an adorable tot under the tree and test if you can guess which celeb is behind the merry little throwback photo.
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President Trump Finally Signs COVID Relief Package ... Promises Big Trade-off
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President Trump's folding ... the guy finally put pen to paper on the latest COVID relief package that he shot down last week, which means some cash is one the way to Americans -- plus, a potential trade-off he insists is on the way too.
Trump signed the $900 billion-plus bill Sunday -- also helping fund the government and avoiding another shutdown -- which will get a second round of stimulus checks to adults who qualify ... namely, in the amount of $600 ... plus other assistance.
Trump, in a statement, says he’s secured a commitment from the House and the Senate to look into voter fraud (no clue) and suggests that Senate will consider a bill to send $2k checks out pic.twitter.com/PVZYOXKrmW
— Sam Stein (@samstein) December 28, 2020 @samstein
In a statement to his supporters, he says he's signing the legislation on the condition that Congress look into alleged voter fraud from the election, take up a new bill guaranteeing higher payments and revisit a provision about big tech (and who can sue them).
For now, though, this will have to do ... or so it seems.
The timing is odd ... if Trump was gonna sign anyway, why didn't he just do it Tuesday, when checks could've possibly gotten to folks before the New Year (and before their unemployment benefits lapsed, which happened this weekend because of his delay. Plus, rent is due)?
Remember, 45 made a big stink at the 11th hour ... indicating he'd veto the bill -- which members of his own administration helped negotiate -- because he felt the stimulus money was too low, not to mention the fact the bill was packed with tons of other spending that had nothing to do with COVID. Again, things his team negotiated.
DT demanded $2,000 for individuals and up to $4,000 for families -- something Dems actually praised and were willing to do STAT. Problem is, Trump was nowhere near on the same page as his Republican colleagues on that front ... and the messaging was all off.
Good news on Covid Relief Bill. Information to follow!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 27, 2020 @realDonaldTrump
Now, after leaving people wondering if they'd get any assistance before Joe Biden takes office ... he's put down his signature, on the basis of supposed promises which may not even come to pass, despite his assertions that it will.
So, all of that waiting was for ... nothing, really. Not just that, but the funds probably won't see bank accounts for at least another week, and Americans needed help yesterday. Thanks!!!