Justin Hartley Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot ... 'Cause I Got a New GF!!!

Justin Hartley is ringing in the new year by unveiling his new romance.

The "This is Us" star just posted a pic of him celebrating New Year's Eve with Sofia Pernas in their "quarantine den." You can see from the pics ... Justin has clearly moved on.

Justin posted, "Last minutes of 2020 here in LA. Bring on 2021! Happy New Year!" They dressed up for the pic, despite it being shot in a kitchen.

They've been dating for a while, and dropping clues along the way. Sofia posted a pic of a dude leaning on a countertop, cigar and drink in hand, with the caption "Easy like Sunday mornin." He responded with a pic of himself poolside with a dog with a similar caption, "Paisley like Sunday mornin."

The 2 have history ... both were on "The Young and the Restless," along with his estranged wife Chrishell Stause.

As we reported, Justin filed for divorce last year ... a move that stunned Chrishell. She said she had no warning, although she later said he'd threatened to leave many times before.

Justin got dragged for the breakup, but who knows what really happened but them. 2 stories ... 3 takes ... his, hers and the truth.

Brad Paisley Gifts Nashville Musician Guitar Lost Everything in Blast, Including Cat

A Nashville musician whose home was decimated by the Nashville blast is starting 2021 off with his cat who was missing for 6 days, and a new guitar to boot, thanks to Brad Paisley.

Buck McCoy was in his downtown Nashville apartment when the blast hit Christmas Day. The place was destroyed, and his beloved cat Molly must have freaked out and escaped.

Authorities who were conducting the investigation at the scene of the blast found the cat roaming the streets Thursday and reunited her with Buck.

Buck was ecstatic, saying, "I know she's just a little orange cutie thing, but she was everything to me ... The last 5 years she's always been there for me."

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COMPLETE DESTRUCTION
Buck McCoy / Facebook

Buck lost everything in the bombing ... he shot this video immediately after the blast and it shows the devastation inside his apartment. As for why he didn't leave, Buck tells TMZ he heard gunshots -- something others heard as well but authorities say they found no evidence of it -- and then heard something coming from a loudspeaker but he couldn't understand it so he went back to sleep and was awakened by the blast.

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CHECK OUT THE NEW AXE
TMZ.com

Buck got some help from a famous Nashville resident who saw him on TV getting reunited with his feline friend. Brad called Buck and said he was sending him one of his brand new guitars so Buck could get back to work at Legend's Corner, where he plays with his band.

Buck's gonna put the guitar to immediate use when he performs Saturday at Legend's Corner.

Brad also offered Buck unlimited groceries at Brad's place, The Store, which offers food to all the people in town who are struggling.

Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Post.

And, there's more ... Brad posted a link to Buck's GoFundMe account on his Facebook page.

'Love Island's' Zara Holland Detained After Trying to Board Plane ... With COVID-Positive Boyfriend

UPDATE

11:21 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources confirm with TMZ ... both Holland and Love were detained, but she's been released to return to her hotel. We're told Love remains a resident at the medical facility.

Zara Holland, a “Love Island” star and Miss Great Britain 2015, could be facing time behind bars in Barbados, after allegedly trying to board a plane bound for England when her boyfriend tested positive for COVID.

The reality star and Elliott Love were reportedly trying to board the plane to avoid being taken to a quarantine facility.

They were tested 6 days ago upon their arrival to the island and ordered to self-quarantine until they got the results. The results came back and Love tested positive, according to The Sun. They were given red wristbands and the plan was for them to quarantine at a military base that is now used to isolate COVID-positive people.

They reportedly tried to jump the gun by cutting off their wristbands, calling a cab and hightailing it to the airport. Someone apparently found the wristbands and figured out what was up and called the cops. The couple was corralled at airport security and taken into custody. They're reportedly being held in the COVID-wing at a local hospital.

They could both face possible criminal charges if true, which includes the crime of endangering the lives of others. The crime carries a maximum sentence of 1 year in jail.

Zara's had her issues before. She lost her beauty crown after video aired on "Love Island" of her performing oral sex on another contestant.

Originally Published -- 9:06 AM PT

Wayne Gretzky Hits His First Hole-in-One on NYE ... Good Omen???

They don't call him "The Great One" for nothin' -- Wayne Gretzky managed to end the year on a high note ... by smacking a hole-in-one on New Year's Eve.

The hockey legend had more reason to celebrate the end of 2020 than everyone else, because he hit his first ace on the golf course ... on the signature par-3 6th hole at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Gretzky hit a 9-iron on the 140-yard hole, and though COVID restrictions kept onlookers away from his big moment ... word traveled pretty fast.

We're told the world's #1 golfer, Dustin Johnson, called him from Hawaii afterward to congratulate him. Johnson, of course, is engaged to Wayne's daughter, Paulina.

So, there ya go ... the man who holds the NHL records for goals, assists, points and hat tricks -- along with countless other records -- is also as good at golf as his future son-in-law.

At least for one hole.

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

Mariah Carey Old Acquaintances Not the Only Thing Forgot ... Who Wrote These Damn Lyrics!??!

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AULD LANG OOPS!

Mariah Carey struggled at the end of 2020 with the same thing millions of Americans have struggled with ... the words to "Auld Lang Syne."

Mariah sang the song that makes no sense, but it wasn't easy ... not by a long shot. Despite her fumbling for the lyrics, her voice is on point.

Mariah dropped the bars just before midnight and posted it on social media. Ever the perfectionist, she didn't care the song was not flawless, but it was still light years better than what any of us could do.

Mariah ended her message with a universal ask ... "Let's hope for better, better days in 2021 and beyond."

Mariah spent part of New Year's Eve with Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper, both of whom had taken a number of shots (as in alcohol) before yakking it up with her.

During the convo, she heard music in the background and asked what was going on. They explained it was JLo behind them performing. Remember when Mariah shaded JLo by saying she was unfamiliar with her ... well, still stands.

Isle of Man Everybody in the Frigid Water!!!

There are certain traditions that persevere, even in COVID times, and one of them is jumping in freezing cold water on New Year's Day.

It went down per usual in the Isle of Man, where hundreds of folks said shrinkage be damned and jumped into water with temps below 50 degrees.

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WET AND WILD
SplashNews.com

The tradition started back in covered wagon days ... 1983, where 4 dippers jumped in the icy water to raise money for Multiple Sclerosis.

Ever since then, there's been a growing number of dippers and more charities have been included in the mix.

This time around the folks ran into the water at Peel Beach, but there were new concerns -- COVID. Obviously, no masks and no real social distancing.

The island has handled the pandemic better than most. It went into total lockdown in March, and since June they have avoided massive outbreaks and the kids are back in school.

They've also closed their borders, to further protect the 85,000 residents.

Happy frigid New Year!!!

'Pawn Stars' Corey Harrison Accused of Trashing RV Rental

Corey Harrison from "Pawn Stars" trashed an RV he rented, essentially wrecking it ... that's what the guy who rented him the RV told police.

Corey rented a 37-foot RV two months ago through RVShare (think Airbnb but for RVs) for a trip to a desert in California. But, what was supposed to be a 3-day rental from October 20-23 turned into a week-long nightmare, so says William Villafana who rented him the RV.

Villafana says he was contacted by Corey's assistant on the 24th ... saying they were involved in an accident and were going to have the RV towed back. The RV didn't show up until the 26th and Villafana says it was wrecked.

You can see from the pics ... the body of the RV is damaged ... the awning ripped off. The inside was a mess. Villafana says it was littered with empty bottles and eggs, among other things. He estimates the damages between $20k and $30k.

Villafana claims Harrison refused to pay for the damages ... this on top of the extra 3 days the RV was in their possession. The RV owner says as a result of the damage he had to cancel 10 reservations.

Villafana filed a report with the North Las Vegas Police Department, which he says was necessary in order to go after Harrison's insurance.

A rep for Corey tells TMZ ... “Corey rented the RV, the pop outs wouldn’t go back in and it was not driveable. He had it towed back to Las Vegas and had insurance on it."

Celebrity Deaths in 2020 Kobe, Trebek ... Legendary Figures Gone

The pandemic no doubt made the year 2020 one of the saddest and most terrifying years ever on this planet. Losing legends like Kobe Bryant and Alex Trebek made it much worse.

The NBA superstar and TV host are just some of the many shocking celebrity deaths in 2020. Kobe’s death back in January got the year off on a terrible note. The helicopter crash that claimed Kobe’s life also claimed his daughter, Gianna’s, life and those of 7 others.

Trebek succumbed after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He fought valiantly until the end. “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman never let on to the world he was suffering with colon cancer. He was only 43 when his shocking death was announced.

Actress Naya Rivera and rapper Pop Smoke were also taken way too soon. She was 33 and he was a rising star at just 20.

The list of legends gone sadly went on … Regis Philbin, Jerry Stiller, Little Richard, Carl Reiner and Kirk Douglas.

What a year.

RIP

Asante Samuel My Son Has NFL Star Potential ... Could Be Better Than Me!!!

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THE SKY IS THE LIMIT
TMZSports.com

Another Asante Samuel is on his way to the NFL ... and this one could better than the previous one -- so says the original Asante Samuel!!

Here's the deal if you ain't aware ... ex-NFL star Asante Samuel Sr. has a college-aged son, Asante Samuel Jr., who's an absolute BALLER for Florida State.

So much so, the Seminoles defensive back just announced he has intentions of entering the 2021 NFL Draft!!

And, when we asked Dad about his son's potential ... the 2-time Super Bowl champ told us the kid could be an even better player than he was!

"It's definitely possible," Samuel Sr. says. "He can go to the right team, right situation and get a little technique things knocked off, get it worked on a little bit -- he definitely can rise up the ranks and have a great career."

Samuel has been a regular in FSU's defensive backfield since arriving on campus in 2018, playing in 31 games and recording 4 career INTs.

And while it's still early in the draft process ... many have labeled the 5-foot-10, 184-pound corner a possible first-round pick.

Samuel Sr. says watching him grow into that kind of player has been pretty special.

"Man, it's an incredible feeling," the former Patriots star tells us. "It's an unbelievable feeling. All I can think about is how my mom felt when she saw me get drafted. I wasn't able to declare and all that good stuff. I mean, it feels ecstatic."

Guess Who This Snowy Star Turned Into!

Before this world-wide singing sensation was top of the charts and shaking off the competition, she was just another bright-eyed young lady exploring the snow with an adorable dog in West Reading, Pennsylvania.

Don't let this seemingly normal shot of a gorgeous girl stump you ... try to fill in the blank space of who this blonde kid could be by listening to one of her hit songs.

If you're still struggling to guess the little girl maybe you can look towards the company she keeps, because her squad has run deep with celebs like Karlie Kloss, Blake Lively and Gigi Hadid!

Can you guess who she is?

End of 2020 Final L.A. Sunset ... Good Riddance!!!

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GOODBYE 2020!!!
TMZ.com

2020's been a hell of a year -- mostly in the worst way imaginable -- but folks in L.A. swarmed to the beach to watch the last sunset of the year over the Pacific ... to say "GOOD RIDDANCE!!!"

Unusually large crowds descended on Venice Beach, applauding the sun setting on this miserable year ... one that's ravaged the entire world with COVID and destroyed lives in so many other ways.

Of course, here in the States, the country also went through one of its most contentious and divisive elections of all time ... following a summer of protests and unrest sparked by the killing of George Floyd and other unarmed black citizens.

So yes, there have been plenty of reasons to cheer for the end of 2020 ... but let's all virtually toast to 2021 ... and hopefully MUCH better days ahead.

Church of Scientology Catches Huge Break in Stalking Case ... Masterson Accusers Must Use Church Judges

Danny Masterson's rape accusers -- who sued him and The Church of Scientology for allegedly stalking them -- are facing an uphill battle ... because the church's own leaders will ultimately get to play judge and jury in their case.

According to a new court order obtained by TMZ ... Chrissie Carnell Bixler -- along with her husband, Mars Volta singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala -- and another rape accuser entered into a written agreement when they were still members of the church, which says "any dispute, claim or controversy" that arises between them must be resolved by the church ... instead of by the courts.

The L.A. Superior Court ruled on Wednesday that this agreement is binding, and requires them to "use Scientology internal Ethics, Justice, and binding religious arbitration procedures" for such disputes.

The arbitration clause goes on to say these issues will be resolved by "application to senior ecclesiastical bodies, including, as necessary, final submission of the dispute to the international justice Chief of the Mother Church of the Scientology religion."

As we reported ... Bixler and 3 other women who've alleged Masterson sexually assaulted them filed their suit in August 2019, claiming they've been mercilessly stalked by the Church of Scientology in an effort to silence them.

Masterson has repeatedly denied the claims against him, but of course ... the recent court order says he's agreed to the church's arbitration.

Dog Rescue Cops Save Poor Pup From Icy Waters!!!

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DANGEROUS DOGGY RESCUE
CheektowagaPD

Watching this daring dog rescue might make you shiver, but the end result is heart-warming ... a much needed boost to end the year.

A Boxer found itself in peril Wednesday in the town of Cheektowaga, outside Buffalo, NY, stuck in an icy cold creek as temperatures were barely above freezing.

Cheektowaga PD says the super timid pup -- recently rescued from a puppy mill -- got spooked, ran from its owner and unfortunately headed toward the creek.

Cops had a hard time locating the poor pooch, but Patrolman James Rutkowski eventually spotted it and jumped into the chilly water -- up to his waist -- for the rescue mission.

Officer Rutkowski was slipping and sliding over trees to get to the cold doggie, but fortunately, it was already wearing a harness ... which allowed him to lift the dog out to safety and hand it to another cop closer to dry land.

Crisis averted, and the boxer was checked out at an animal hospital ... all's well.

Minneapolis PD Body Cam from Fatal Shooting Cops Say Suspect Fired First

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KILLED BY POLICE
Minneapolis PD

Minneapolis Police just released body cam footage of officers shooting and killing a Black man Wednesday night, but they say he shot first -- a claim the video seems to support.

The incident began as a traffic stop of a man Minneapolis PD say was a suspect in a felony crime. When the video begins 3 cop cars are surrounding the man's vehicle in a gas station parking lot. You can hear one officer yell, "Drop your gun" as another charges toward the scene with his weapon drawn.

As officers yelled for him to stop and put his hands up, the man tried to drive away ... but the cops had him pinned in with their patrol cars. That's when it appears a bullet shattered the windshield of a cop car, and then multiple officers started shooting.

You can hear at least a dozen shots fired. The man was killed ... while his female passenger was not hurt. Police have not identified the man, but his family says it was 23-year-old Dolal Idd.

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TAKING TO THE STREETS
ByLizSawyer / Twitter

A group of about 100 protesters gathered at the scene late Wednesday night, and the Mayor and Police Chief both made pleas for peaceful protests. The fatal shooting comes 7 months after the killing of George Floyd and the unrest that followed in Minneapolis.

George Floyd Murder Trial Prosecutors Ask to Move to June ... COVID Vaccine Will Make it Safer!!!

The 4 officers charged in the killing of George Floyd might have to wait a few more months to stand trial ... because the State of Minnesota believes it will be better for public health.

Prosecutors filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- asking to continue the trial to June 7 due to the recent approval of 2 COVID-19 vaccines. The State believes "moving the start of this trial to June 2021 would reduce the public health risks associated with conducting the trial during the COVID-19 pandemic" in light of this development.

Prosecutors add that moving the trial from March to June "would also reduce the likelihood that the trial will be disrupted by COVID-19 cases among court staff, lawyers, jurors, and witnesses."

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EXCESSIVE FORCE
Facebook/ Darnella Frazier

The State makes a point to say it's ready to try the case March 8 as scheduled, but feels a 3-month delay would be in the best interest of public health ... especially in a high-profile case that may pose unique health risks.

According to the docs ... the trial involves "a larger-than-usual number of participants, including four Defendants, their counsel, and dozens of witnesses" and "is likely to be the subject of large public demonstrations, which may increase the risk of community spread of COVID-19."

A delay might work out for all parties, because just 2 weeks ago defense lawyers for the 4 former Minneapolis PD officers in Floyd's case argued for more time to prepare for the trial, because prosecutors revealed potential evidence after a court-imposed deadline.

As we reported ... Derek Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao are each charged with aiding and abetting murder and manslaughter.

Louis Gossett, Jr. Hospitalized with COVID, BUT ... Left Out of Fear

Louis Gossett, Jr. can tell you how bad COVID is ... he has it, was hospitalized for it, but left because it's a s*** show inside.

Sources connected to the Oscar-winning actor tell TMZ ... the 84-year-old tested positive and was so sick he couldn't even stand. He was taken to a Georgia-area hospital, where he stayed for just a couple days before bolting. We're told he was put in an area with all the other COVID patients, and the wave of deaths freaked him out.

Hospital staff begged him to stay -- given his age and underlying conditions including cancer -- but Louis was determined to leave, and he did. He checked out Tuesday.

Louis -- best known his award-winning roles in "An Officer and a Gentleman" and on "Roots" -- tells TMZ and everyone else, "Please wear masks, social distance, isolate, pray and listen within. We cannot survive without one another."

Louis is now at home with his son ... and he is isolating.

He's recovering at home now, but he's not out of the woods by a long shot. His friends and family are asking for personal messages of healing and love #LoveLettertToLou.