Michael Strahan Tests Positive for COVID-19

Michael Strahan has tested positive for COVID-19 ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the "Good Morning America" host and NFL Hall of Famer tell us he is currently quarantining ... which is why he's been absent from 'GMA' all week.

Football fans also noticed he only appeared remotely for his other gig on "FOX NFL Sunday" during the NFC Championship -- that's because Michael was already taking precautions.

We're told he found out on Saturday he'd been exposed at some point last week, and immediately started quarantining. Our sources say he's planning to appear on 'GMA' Thursday, remotely, to discuss his diagnosis. He's not currently experiencing any severe symptoms.

There's also this ... we've learned Strahan's daughters came into contact with him AFTER he'd been exposed -- so they're getting tested. So is their mother, Jean, with whom they live most of the time. We're told they haven't gotten their results yet.

It's unclear how much he'll be working for now. We've seen other anchors work from home while quarantining -- CNN's Chris Cuomo comes to mind.

'GMA' has been through this already ... you'll recall Michael's co-host George Stephanopoulos caught the 'rona last year.

Chester Bennington Widow Files for Divorce ... 1 Year After Tying the Knot

Talinda Bennington has filed for divorce 1 year after tying the knot again ... TMZ has learned.

Chester Bennington's widow filed her divorce petition Wednesday in L.A. County Court ... according to court records. As you know by now, she got married to L.A. County firefighter Michael Fredman around New Year's Eve 2019 at Turtle Bay Resort in Kahuku, Hawaii.

Talinda already took to Instagram to announce the news too ... saying, in part, "Divorce is never easy, but in our case it is for the best. We have remained good friends and he continues to be an important part of my children's lives."

Talinda and Michael had no kids together during their short marriage. She and Chester had 3 children -- son Tyler and twins Lily and Lila. The children were also part of Talinda's wedding to Fredman.

Interestingly enough ... Talinda and Chester were also married on New Year's Eve in 2005.

As we previously reported ... Talinda and Michael got engaged back in April 2019 ... just over 2 years after the Linkin Park singer committed suicide.

After the news about her engagement broke ... Talinda said, "I can find love after tragedy" and added, "To all suicide loss survivors, you CAN be happy again. You CAN have space in your heart for grief, joy, happiness, sadness and love."

Pamela Anderson I Married My Bodyguard ... Fell In Love In Lockdown

Pamela Anderson tied the knot -- for the fifth time -- and this time she said "I Do" to her bodyguard.

The actress and her muscle, Dan Hayhurst, got married Christmas Eve in a private ceremony at Pamela's Vancouver Island home in Canada ... according to the Daily Mail.

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Pamela says she fell in love with Dan during coronavirus lockdown, when they were together 24/7, so they got hitched over the holidays.

The ceremony, reportedly in the backyard of a home Pam originally bought for her grandparents, was super small ... no bridesmaids, no groomsmen, no family or friends, just a local pastor and a witness.

Hey, when ya fall in love and get married during a pandemic lockdown, it's hard to invite a lot of people to a wedding in the middle of said pandemic. Pamela says both of their families gave their blessings, as did their friends.

As we said, Pamela's done this 5 times now with 4 different grooms ... and that's not even counting last January when she said "I Do" to movie mogul Jon Peters before breaking up 12 days later having never filed legal docs to become mister and missus.

Dan joins Tommy Lee, Kid Rock and Rick Salomon (twice) as Pamela's other halves.

Congrats!!!

Tim Robbins Files for Divorce After Secretly Marrying GF

Tim Robbins has filed for divorce, which comes as a surprise ... because we didn't know he was even married.

The "Shawshank Redemption" star filed legal docs Wednesday in L.A. to divorce Gratiela Brancusi ... who he'd been rumored to be dating for about 3 years now.

The 2 were first linked publicly when he brought her to the premiere of his HBO show, "Here and Now," in February 2018, but they attended several more events together in 2019 ... including a family outing at a hockey game in Dec. 2019.

It's unclear when they got hitched ... but he's seeking a dissolution of their marriage now. According to his filing, they don't have any kids together.

As you know ... Robbins was previously with Susan Sarandon. The famous Hollywood couple began dating in the late '80s after meeting on the set of "Bull Durham" and were together for 2 decades, until their split in 2009.

They were never married, but have 2 adult sons together.

Lewiston, ID City Council Woman Says She Rocks 'Muslim' Garb To Avoid Mask Wearing

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this is what it's come to!

An Idaho woman showed up to a city council meeting dressed in what she described as Muslim attire, as an example of the lengths she says she goes to just to avoid wearing a mask.

This went down Monday in the city of Lewiston, where council members opened the meeting with public comments ... which brought forth a throng of angry citizens, many of whom were griping about local mask mandates and restaurant shutdowns, claiming it was illegal.

Eventually, this woman -- who ID'd herself as Katie Dugger -- stepped up to the podium ... wearing a bright purple headdress that she later said she got in Peru, but apparently used in public to get out of putting on face covering.

Watch for yourself ... it's bonkers. Basically, Dugger says in order for her to go to school in-person, this is what she has to wear to get by without any hassle, passing herself off as a Muslim. She even wraps the fabric around her face like a burka, to bring her point home.

She isn't using the religious liberty argument ... she claims her aversion to mask-wearing is all about childhood trauma 🤷🏽‍♂️.

In any case, it just goes to show ... the inclination to fight masking up -- even at this point in the pandemic -- is still very much alive in this country.

Capitol Police Union Blasts Leadership for Riot Response ... 'Inaction Cost Lives'

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12:13 PM PT -- The Capitol Police union admits its front-line officers are beyond angry, and is blasting the bosses for failing to protect them from injury and death ... stating "Leadership Betrayed Our Mission."

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The union calls acting Chief Pittman's admission that the department knew what was coming on January 6 but did not properly prepare the cops for potential violence "unconscionable" and "inexcusable."

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The Union Chairman says, "The officers are angry, and I don't blame them. The entire executive team failed us, and they must be held accountable. Their inaction cost lives."

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The union goes on to criticize Pittman further by suggesting she should not remain Police Chief, but rather another leader from within the department who has the support of the front-line officers should get the job.

Capitol Police officers are furious with their Police Chief for apologizing to lawmakers for the Capitol riots ... while still failing to talk to them about what went down January 6, and what to do if something similar happens again.

Sources within the Capitol Police tell TMZ ... neither acting Police Chief Yogananda Pittman, nor any of the other USCP higher-ups have directly addressed the officers who were on duty during the insurrection to say sorry to them for the lack of preparedness.

Even worse, we're told upper management has not clearly communicated to the officers what's being done -- or should be done -- to thwart another coup attempt at the Capitol.

According to our sources, cops want to hear from their leaders, "This is what went wrong, and this is what we need you to do next time" ... but so far, nothing.

Instead, Chief Pittman issued an apology to Congress on Tuesday, admitting that her department was not well enough prepared for the terrorist attack. She added they knew armed militia groups and white supremacists would be protesting, and there was a strong potential for violence and that Congress was the target.

We're told the feeling among the police officers is ... USCP management cares more about the image of the agency and getting the media off its back than taking care of its force, and Pittman's apology lends more proof.

Our sources say there's also not much internal support for Pittman as police chief, especially because she was the head of intelligence during the Jan. 6 riots ... and cops involved that day feel she let them down.

We broke the story ... Capitol Police officers were also incensed by the lack of direction before President Biden's inauguration, and a lack of clarity in the use of deadly force.

Originally Published -- 12:50 AM PT

'Mighty Ducks' Goalie Shaun Weiss is Celebrating 1 Year of Sobriety!!!

Shaun Weiss -- famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- is damn near unrecognizable again, but in a great way ... and that's because he's now 1-year sober.

His friend, Drew Gallagher, tells TMZ ... Shaun officially hit the milestone yesterday. He says Shaun chose to delay his Christmas as part of the celebration ... waiting to open presents on the day he celebrated his sobriety.

There's more good news ... remember the full dental sponsorship he got back in September to address his need for new teeth? Well, his permanent pearly whites -- top and bottom -- are almost done. He's wearing temporary dentures for now.

Shaun, who is still at a sober living house in Tarzana, CA, is getting ready for his next steps in life. We're told he's working on his comedy chops and doing some scriptwriting.

As we reported ... Shaun lived on the streets, suffering from methamphetamine addiction, and ran into trouble with the law before checking into a sober living facility changed his life. 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽

Halsey Surprise ... I'm Pregnant!!!

Halsey just dropped a bombshell ... she's got a bun in the oven!!!

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The "You Should Be Sad" singer definitely is not that now ... she made the surprise announcement Wednesday, posting three pics of her baby bump and adding the caption, "surprise!"

It's unclear when the photos were taken, but in the images, Halsey looks at least a few months along.

Halsey also dropped what appears to be a huge hint about the baby's father ... she tagged Alev Aydin in the post. The two have been hanging out a lot recently -- going back to October, at least -- and he's a writer and producer.

As we've reported ... Halsey just scooped up Liam Payne's Calabasas mansion for a cool $10,161,150. The 9,659-square-foot home has 5 bedrooms, plus a home theatre, giant library, beautiful backyard, pool, koi pond, waterfalls, gardens and a massage/meditation house. In other words, a pretty good nesting spot.

Halsey previously sparked pregnancy rumors back in 2019, rubbing her belly with then-boyfriend Evan Peters. She later clarified it wasn't a baby bump, just a stomach full of pancakes.

This time though, it's the real deal. Congrats!!!

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Old FB Activity Resurfaces Supported Execution of Dems

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is under fire for old Facebook activity that suggests she was onboard with the killing of Democrat lawmakers ... but she's brushing most of it off as "fake news."

The newly-elected Congresswoman from Georgia has a ton of posts, likes and replies/comments that were still active of late, and dug up by several outlets, including CNN, which say she either co-signed or outright called for the execution of folks like Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton ... just to name a few.

One such post from 2019, before she ran for office and was elected, reportedly shows she liked a comment that read, "a bullet in the head would be quicker" in response to someone speculating how to remove the House Speaker. Screenshots seem to prove ... it's legit.

There are other posts Rep. Greene reportedly liked about FBI agents getting killed ... because they were apparently part of the "deep state" working against Trump.

Her sights were also set on Hillary, it would seem -- she reportedly mentioned her in a couple different posts over the years. In one such case, she agreed with someone on a conspiracy theory about a "hit" Hillary supposedly ordered on a woman who'd seen heinous child-killing content on Anthony Weiner's laptop, and in another ... looping in Obama too.

Somebody reportedly once asked if "H & O" -- apparently referring to Hillary and Obama -- ought to be "hanged" ... to which Greene reportedly replied, "Stage is being set."

In light of all these old posts coming to light, Rep. Greene is commenting, but in a very defiant, Trump-like way.

She writes, "Fake News CNN is writing yet another hit piece on me focused on my time before running for political office. I will never back down to the enemy of the American people and neither should you." Greene goes on to say different people have managed her accounts for her at different points -- and while acknowledging some posts were legit, not everything she engaged online represents her views.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy called the reports about Greene "disturbing," and said he plans to speak to her about it.

Bernie Sanders Inauguration Bobblehead Sales Explode ... Triggers Big Donation

The Bernie Sanders bobblehead is ON FIRE -- with roughly 20,000 people snatching up the special Inauguration Day figure ... leading to a massive $10,000 charity donation!

Just moments after images of a bundled up Bernie went viral on social media -- the folks at the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame Museum got to work designing a special googly-headed Bernie piece.

And man, did the people LOVE IT! We're told the demand has been crazy -- and the Bernie figure is already the 2nd best-selling bobblehead they've ever produced ... behind Dr. Fauci, which is approaching 50,000 units sold.

In fact, sales have been so spectacular, the NBHOF&M says it's donating $10,000 to Meals on Wheels Vermont, Bernie's charity of choice for sweatshirts his campaign is selling that featured the same viral Inauguration Day image.

So, who's buying the Bernie bobbleheads?

We're told at least one figure has been sold in all 50 states, nearly a dozen different countries and 5 continents. Bernie-mania is global.

Oh, and if you're wondering ... the NBHOF&M's 3rd best-selling figure? Sister Jean from Loyola-Chicago!

GameStop Stock Price Continues to Soar ... Redditors Reveling, Hedge Funds Hurting

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11:28 AM PT -- Jaime Rogozinski -- the man who created the Reddit forum behind this wild GameStop stock play -- tells us when he started it back in 2012 ... his intention was to form a community for investors who don't mind being a little risky with their disposable income in order to try to make some quick cash.

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IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
TMZ.com
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He says it's amazing to see how WallStreetBets has progressed ... to the point where it's now being compared to the Occupy Wall Street movement.

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Jaime tells us how he thinks this is different though ... and how the GameStop method could be a game-changer for traditional Wall Street.

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BTW ... GME's stock price got as high at $377 Wednesday, but has cooled down a little bit and is now around $300. But, who knows what Thursday will bring???

GameStop's wild ride on the stock market is still going strong, as one of the crazier Wall St. stories continues to stun hedge fund managers ... to the delight of Reddit investors.

The video game retailer's stock price has surged Wednesday -- it's up more than $220 for the day, and is approaching $400 -- thanks to a group of traders belonging to the Reddit message board, WallStreetBets.

Here's what's going on, in layman's terms -- the Reddit investors basically decided to make GameStop Corp. (GME) their main stock market focus, buying up as many shares as possible in order to screw over hedge funds that have shorted the stock ... meaning they bet against it.

So, the Redditors have been encouraging everyday investors -- called retail investors -- to buy up GME stock to increase its price and, as a result, the hedge funds are getting screwed.

Elon Musk, who's had battles with hedge funds shorting Tesla in the past, joined the troll job -- that's what hedge fund managers see this as -- by tweeting a link to the Reddit message board behind the GameStop action.

All of it has been working -- GameStop began the year at $19, reached the $90 mark earlier in the week ... and it just got much closer to $400 in the time it took to write this article.

Meanwhile ... hedge funds that shorted GME are losing tons of money.

What a day on Wall Street!!!

Originally Published -- 8:31 AM PT

Osceola Co. Sheriff Deputy On Paid Leave, Being Investigated ... After Student Body Slam

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UNDER INVESTIGATION
Osceola County Sheriff's Office/Facebook
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8:15 AM PT -- The Osceola County Sheriff's Office says their deputy who body slammed the female high school student is now on administrative paid leave pending an investigation, which is being headed up by a separate law enforcement agency.

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The Sheriff, Marcos Lopez, says he turned the case over to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ... whom he says are going to get to the bottom of whether the officer did anything wrong here, or if he broke protocol/the law in restraining the teen.

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Speaking of her, Lopez said the girl -- whose name or age he didn't mention -- was treated at the scene and later released, going on to say she was "fine."

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On the other hand, the officer's name was dropped in the presser ... Ethan Fournier, who's been on the force for 10 years. Lopez didn't reveal his hand on any opinions, but he did say one interesting thing -- condemning death threats he claims have been hurled at Fournier to the utmost degree.

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He said while he doesn't condone rogue officers who engage in violent behavior, he equally disavows anyone calling for Fournier's life. Lopez said he's innocent until proven guilty.

Florida cops are feeling the heat over that video of a deputy's assault on a female high school student ... so much so, they're addressing the case in a news conference.

The Osceola County Sheriff's Office will discuss the case Wednesday morning after the horrific incident at Liberty High School Tuesday afternoon. Video showed a resource officer violently restraining a female student, and throwing her onto the ground ... head first.

In the video, you see the teenager hit the concrete hard, and her body goes limp. The officer proceeds to place handcuffs on her as the crowd around screams. Multiple people appeared to be recording, and caught the action from different angles. It looked like the student lost consciousness.

The only thing we've heard from OCSO thus far is that the officer was breaking up a fight, and that an investigation is underway.

Presumably, Sheriff Marcos Lopez -- who'll be at the podium shortly -- will have some sort of update on what they've learned at this point, and whether the officer will face any repercussions. It'll be interesting to hear if he denounces the act, or tries to justify it.

Several people have accused the officer of excessive force, with some supposed eyewitnesses claiming the girl was already under control and separated when the cop did what he did. Unclear how the student is doing, or what her condition is.

Originally Published -- 7:57 AM PT

Amanda Gorman Reciting Original Poem At Super Bowl ... Honoring Pandemic Heroes

Amanda Gorman -- the famous poet who delivered a powerful speech at Joe Biden's inauguration earlier this month -- has been tapped by the NFL to read another beautiful message at next week's Super Bowl.

League officials made the announcement Wednesday ... saying the 22-year-old has agreed to write and recite a poem honoring three pandemic heroes just before kickoff on Feb. 7.

"The recitation of the poem will air nationally on CBS," NFL officials said, "and be featured in-stadium.​"

The 3 honorees the NFL has selected for the big moment are all very special Americans ... Trimaine Davis, a teacher; Suzie Dorner, a nurse; and James Martin, a Marine Corps veteran; have all been widely heralded for their roles in helping others during the height of COVID-19.

Davis, the NFL says, helped less fortunate families with technology so they could learn his teaching lessons properly over the Internet while in quarantine.

NFL officials say Dorner logged countless hours in the hospital helping sick patients -- this all while losing two grandparents to the coronavirus.

The NFL says Martin, meanwhile, helped veterans and other members of his community get through tough times during the pandemic.

The NFL recently surprised all three with trips to the Super Bowl ... having NFL legends Doug Baldwin, Derrick Brooks and Jerome Bettis break the news in an awesome fashion to the trio.

The league says all three heroes will be honorary captains at the pre-game coin toss.

"We are honored to recognize these three individuals who represent the best in all of us,” NFL commish Roger Goodell said. “During this incredibly challenging time in our lives, Trimaine, Suzie, and James have exemplified the essence of leadership, each in their own way."

"We are grateful for their commitment and proud to share their stories and recognize them during this special moment on Super Bowl Sunday."

Palm Beach County Dems Fear Looming 'Trump Effect'

Donald Trump moving to Mar-a-Lago has become worrisome, especially for Dems in the county, who say they fear a Trump effect ... and they're gearing up for a fight.

Believe it or not, Palm Beach County -- which obviously encompasses Palm Beach itself, where DT now lives -- is actually a pretty blue-leaning area ... but top dogs in the party say they're worried 45's influence will seep into their local politics and elections, for the worse.

Palm Beach County Democratic Party Secretary Sophia Nelson tells TMZ ... Trump's presence could be a game-changer in the political landscape, and it's something she and the rest of her cohorts will have to actively monitor in the coming months, and even years.

She says, for now, most Republican politicians -- who make up a minority in the county with an 80/20 split -- are pretty reasonable, and have no problem working across the aisle. But, Nelson warns that could quickly change with fringe GOP candidates who might run for local office going forward, emboldened by the arrival of their hero.

Nelson says she and others have already seen changes in town, especially near Trump properties, where upwards of 100 supporters have been gathering daily to show their love since Trump's arrival last week. She calls them "verbally violent."

As for what Nelson and the Dems plan to do about it ... more outreach, more grassroots campaigning and more voter registration, which she says will be key in fortifying their stronghold and pushing back against any wave Trump might create from here on out.

Moreover, Dems wanna get digital with their approach ... particularly with young folks. That's what Vice Chair Alex Berrios says will help them break through to the new generation.

Phil Collins' Ex Auctioning Off His Stuff for Cheap .... Gold LPs Starting at $100!!!

Phil Collins and his ex have not had a groovy kind of breakup, and it seems she don't care anymore ... because she's damn near giving away his awards and gold records.

Orianne Cevey has put multiple gold LPs and "Assorted Phil Collins Awards" on the auction block in the latest bitter development in their legal war ... which has already seen Phil evict her from his Miami Beach mansion.

Now that Cevey's moved out, she's unloading items that no longer "spark joy" in a Marie Kondo-esque move ... and those items include a gold record of Robert Plant’s "The Principle of Moments," which Phil got because his label, Es Paranza, released it.

There's another Gold LP Award for the Plant album, "Pictures at Eleven" -- on which Collins played drums -- and all the records have an opening bid price of $100. According to the auction site, Kodner, which was first reported by Page Six, 10 percent of the proceeds will go to the Never Give Up Foundation.

If this seems like a super bitter ex move ... Cevey's rep says it's just downsizing. Orianne's moving to a smaller home, and is also getting rid of some of her clothing and jewelry. Not sure that'll make Phil feel better, but we're pretty sure she's not thinking about that.

As we've told you ... things went south for Phil and Orianne near the end of 2020, when he decided to kick her out of his house after she allegedly secretly remarried another guy in Vegas in August.

She later claimed he promised her 50/50 ownership -- while also accusing him of living like a hermit and having poor hygiene -- but he accused her of lying to try to extort him.

Despite all that, she's moved out now ... with less stuff of his to remind her of their time together.

John Gilbert Getty Died from Fentanyl Overdose ... Heart Condition Also Factor

John Gilbert Getty -- one of the heirs to the Getty fortune -- died from complications related to a fentanyl overdose ... TMZ has learned.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office in Texas tells TMZ ... John died of cardiomyopathy and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease -- heart disease and COPD, in layman's terms -- complicated by fentanyl toxicity.

The M.E. also says the overdose was accidental.

As we reported ... John died back in November after he was found unresponsive in a San Antonio hotel room.

It was a tumultuous 2020 for the Getty family. Just 2 months before John died ... his mother, Ann, died from a heart attack. John's other brother, Andrew, died in 2015 from meth intoxication.

John Gilbert, of course, was one of several descendants of J. Paul Getty -- the oilman whose art collection was central to the famed Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

The Getty family fortune's estimated at around $5 billion.