Britney Spears & Madonna 2003 VMAs Kiss Can be Yours!!! NFT Up for Auction

The famous shot of Madonna kissing Britney Spears on stage at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards will soon have a new owner in the digital world ... it's being auctioned off as an NFT.

The actual photo of the iconic kiss was taken by Hollywood photographer, John Shearer, who's entering the NFT space with Cryptograph to sell his one-of-a-kind moment ... while raising money for a good cause.

A portion of the proceeds from the auction -- which begins the morning of October 7 and runs for 72 hours -- will benefit GLAAD.

As you recall ... the 2003 VMAs opened with Britney popping out of a wedding cake dressed as a sexy bride before being joined on stage by Christina Aguilera, also in a wedding dress, and finally ... the Material Girl.

At the end of their performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood," Madonna locked lips with Spears AND Aguilera ... though the kiss with Britney got more pub.

Now, someone can own the piece of music history via NFT ... but it won't come cheap. The only question is -- how much is this kiss truly worth???

Cleveland Guardians Will Continue To Sell Indians Merch Donate Proceeds To Charity

Cleveland fans looking to honor the team's history will be able to get their hands on old merchandise AND help out a good cause at the same time -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the Guardians will continue to roll out Indians merch ... with proceeds going to charity.

Cleveland played its last game as the Indians on Sunday ... with the organization officially rolling out its new branding as the "Guardians" at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

We're told the Indians brand will not vanish forever, however -- fans will be able to get as many t-shirts, jerseys and other memorabilia sporting the old nickname as they please ... and our sources tell us the team plans to donate those items' proceeds to charity.

FYI -- Cleveland elected to do this in the past after retiring "Chief Wahoo" in 2018 ... by keeping items with the mascot on shelves and writing a check to Native American organizations.

072321-cleveland-guardians-kal
CHANGE IS COMING
Cleveland Indians

Our sources say the team is hoping to help a similar cause this time around with Indians gear ... but nothing is set in stone just yet.

As for the Guardians, the team introduced the new look with a video narrated by Tom Hanks back in July ... showing off new jerseys, logos and font stylization.

The merch news is great for Tribe fans holding on so dearly to the old name ... but also, maybe give the Guardians a try?!?

'Darrin's Dance Grooves' 'Memba Him?!

Bronx-based choreographer Darrin Henson was in his mid-30s when he switched roles ... from the guy behind the camera credited with creating some of the best moves in the music industry ... to the instructor on the wildly popular how-to dance DVD's "Darrin's Dance Grooves" back in 2001.

Before his grooves were printed on his signature dance series, Darrin was responsible for the choreography for some of the biggest names in pop including Britney Spears, The Spice Girls and NSYNC.

Darrin can still be spotted on-screen with roles on television shows like "The Family Business" and "Double Cross."

Guess what he looks like now at 55 years old!

'Free Britney' Movement Brit Gives Thanks ... I'm Almost Free Because of You!!!

Britney Spears is addressing her #FreeBritney crusaders for the first time since her monumental court hearing ... letting them know she knows what they've done for her.

Britney just went on Twitter -- Instagram's been down, if ya haven't heard -- and thanked all of her fans and supporters for helping her take a huge step closer to getting out of her conservatorship.

She wrote ... "#Free Britney movement … I have no words … because of you guys and your constant resilience in freeing me from my conservatorship … my life is now in that direction !!!!!"

Brit added she cried last night for 2 hours thinking about how her fans are the best.

Interestingly ... she also let everyone know she just got back from a trip to French Polynesia, which is apparently how she celebrated last week's victory in court. Well, that and posting some nudes.

As we've reported ... members of the "Free Britney" movement have been pivotal in drawing attention to her case, rallying public support against her father, Jamie, and pushing to end her conservatorship.

Finally, after last Wednesday's hearing, things appear to be headed in that direction very soon ... as Jamie was suspended as conservator and steps have been activated to end Britney's conservatorship once and for all.

And, after that, the movement will move on to Amanda Bynes ... or so we're told.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren FB Whistleblower's a Hero ... She Wants to Save Democracy!!!

100421-elizabeth-warren-kal
PEOPLE OVER PROFITS
TMZ.com

Elizabeth Warren says the Facebook employee who blew the lid on how they allegedly put profits over accuracy says she shouldn't be called a whistleblower ... but a patriot.

The U.S. Senator was on Capitol Hill Monday, where we got a chance to ask what she made of Frances Haugen's appearance on '60 Minutes' ... on which she made some bombshell claims against her former employer, for whom she worked up until earlier this year.

ICYMI ... Haugen alleged FB honchos have opted, of late, to highlight divisive -- and oftentimes erroneous -- posts and/or content on the platform ... killing their news filtering process in place for the election, and helping fuel the Jan. 6 insurrection with inaction.

Like we said, heavy-hitting stuff ... to which Sen. Warren says, good for her -- and also, THANK YOU.

Check out how she characterizes Haugen coming forward ... she uses the word "democracy" and says the woman is actually working to preserve our system of government by getting the word out on how this mega social media company is allegedly operating behind the scenes.

A lot of people are singing Haugen's praises right about now -- especially as she's set to testify on this exact issue in front of Congress in the not too distant future.

Of course, we also had to ask the Senator about this weird mass outage that unfolded Monday -- literally on the heels of Haugen speaking out ... which had FB, Instagram, What's App and a ton of other services down. People were slowly able to access their accounts after 6 hours.

Like many of us ... the Senator was just as confused, and hits our photog with a verbal 🤷🏽‍♂️.

Dog the Bounty Hunter Believes Laundrie's Alive But Not Well

100421_dog_the_bounty_hunter_kal
CLOSING IN
TMZ.com

Dog the Bounty Hunter believes Brian Laundrie is alive because his profile does not meet someone who is suicidal.

Dog appeared Monday on "TMZ Live" ... and he's convinced Laundrie has been hiding in the Florida Everglades where he's been searching.  Dog was quick to add Laundrie may have hightailed it out of there in the last few days, but he's adamant ... Laundrie's been there.

The famous bounty hunter does not think Laundrie's escaped to Mexico or South America ... he'd be a marked man, especially in Mexico.  Dog believes Laundrie is comfortable in the marshland ... noting he's a survivalist who has traversed the Appalachian trails for months at a time.

100321_dog_the_bounty_hunter_kal_1 10/3/21
DOG DOWN IN THE SWAMPS
@duanedogchapman / Instagram

That said, Dog doesn't think Laundrie is doing well now because of the conditions and the amount of time that has elapsed since his disappearance.

Harvey & the gang talked about Dog's manhunt for Brian Laundrie in the latest TMZ Podcast.

As we reported ... the reality TV star searched high and low for Laundrie over the weekend. He arrived by boat with the help of some local tour guides. You see him in video going into the thick brush and floating vegetation as he tries to zero in on America's most wanted.

Britney Spears Caretaker Robin Greenhill Mum on Secret Bedroom Bugging

100421-robin-greenhill-kal 10/4/21
STAYIN' SILENT
BACKGRID

Britney Spears' bedroom was secretly bugged, and a former security employee claims the idea was hatched by a woman named Robin Greenhill, but Robin had no interest in answering the allegation.

Greenhill said nothing to a photog at LAX Monday, where she was asked about the claim in the latest New York Times documentary, in which Alex Vlasov claimed Robin, who was a member of Britney's management team, came up with the idea of mirroring Britney's iPhone to monitor her messages and calls.

Robin works for the Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, which denied the allegation.

Sources with direct knowledge of the conservatorship tell TMZ ... Robin was the key person who managed Britney day-to-day, and often allegedly blocked Britney from spending her money, even for relatively inexpensive items.  Some people involved in Britney's life/business say Robin had an iron grip on Britney, making onerous decisions that blocked her from vacations and various purchases.

Robin worked for Lou Taylor, who is a honcho at Tri Star whom Jamie Spears would often call "the smartest person in any room." We're told Jamie delegated a lot of day-to-day decisions to Taylor, who then delegated to Greenhill. We're told Jamie wouldn't hear criticism of the way Taylor or Greenhill were managing Britney ... what they said goes.

Tri Star no longer handles Britney's affairs, and her lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, has vowed to get to the bottom of allegations involving secret recordings and monitoring.

Shaquille O'Neal Hits The Stage with Snoop ... While Raising Millions for Charity

100421_snoop_shaq_kal OCTOBER 2021
NUTHIN' BUT A SHAQ THANG
Shaquille O'Neal Foundation

Shaq's no stranger to taking the stage, but audience members at his inaugural charity event got a never-before-seen performance when the NBA legend collabed with Snoop Dogg on a hip-hop classic.

The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation held their first-ever "'The Event' Presented by Pepsi Stronger Together" Saturday night in Vegas. Jimmy Kimmel took over hosting duties, but Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson and Snoop were among the performers to grab the mic.

At one point during Snoop's set, Shaq jumped on stage to perform "Nuthin' But A G Thang" ... and as expected, the crowd went wild.

The event raised $2.7 million to benefit The Boys and Girls Club and Communities in Schools throughout Las Vegas and Atlanta ... including ticket sales and a live auction.

Speaking of the auction, Shaq wowed the crowd when he bid $90k of his own cash for a walk-on role in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie.

The world needs more people like Shaq.

George Floyd's Brother Open To Meeting With NYC Statue Vandal ... So We Can Start Healing

100421_terrence_floyd_kal_1
HEALING OVER HATE
TMZ.com

George Floyd's brother says he's open to meeting the man who threw paint onto a bust of George in NYC ... so they can leave the hate behind, heal, and move forward.

Terrence Floyd tells TMZ ... seeing George's statue vandalized tells him there's still people out there with hate in their hearts, and it's holding back society.

George's brother says he wants the vandal to get what he deserves ... but he also wants a chance to sit down with the guy and hash things out.

100421_george_floyd_statue_kal_1 OCTOBER 2021
SECURITY FOOTAGE
NYPD

As we reported ... NYPD released surveillance video they say shows the suspect throwing paint onto the bust in NYC's Union Square, and the perp is in the hate crime unit's crosshairs.

Terrence tells us his team did some reflecting on why George's statue, unveiled over the weekend by his We are Floyd org in partnership with Confront Art, was the only one vandalized ... and says the only way to move forward is through love, unity and healing, not more hate.

Bottom line for Terrance ... if he can express himself to George's killer, he can have a meaningful conversation with the vandal.

Shannen Doherty Wins Lawsuit Against State Farm Jury Finds $6.3M Damages

Shannen Doherty has prevailed in the lawsuit against her insurance company, which she claimed didn't want shell out money to build her a new home after a wildfire ... but it looks like they'll have to pay up now.

The '90210' actress just won her civil lawsuit against State Farm, which she filed last year ... saying the insurance giant refused to pay out enough money under her policy to restore her Malibu home from the ground up after it was damaged in the wildfires.

State Farm said her home had only suffered from residual smoke and simply needed a cleaning -- but Shannon begged to differ ... and after a trial, a jury agreed with her.

As for damages, her attorney, Devin McRae, tells us he'll be filing a proposed judgment consistent with the jury's verdict in the amount of around $6.3 million ... covering everything from the house rebuild itself to personal belongings she lost, as well as emotional distress and attorneys fees.

It's been a rancorous battle ... with mud-slinging back and forth, but especially toward Shannen, who said State Farm was trying to shame her for smoking in the past -- something she says she stopped after her cancer diagnosis.

That's another pivotal fact that was at the forefront of this lawsuit -- State Farm alleged SD was trying to gain sympathy points with the court (and the media) by playing up her stage 4 breast cancer, which was revealed publicly amid all this legal back and forth.

EX-WHITE HOUSE PRESS SEC. Trump Wanted Look At Young Aide's A** ... Summoned Her On AF1

"Let’s bring her up here and look at her ass."

That's what former President Donald Trump told staffers as he summoned a "young, highly attractive" aide to his private office on Air Force One ... this according to a new book.

Stephanie Grisham -- the former White House press secretary under Trump famous for holding zero press briefings -- makes the claims in her book due out Tuesday, saying she tried to keep Trump away from the press wrangler he allegedly took a liking to.

TMZ's obtained an excerpt from the book -- titled "I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in the Trump White House" -- in which Grisham says Trump was ogling the young woman from the day he first laid eyes on her.

In fact, Grisham writes ... "I began to notice that he was taking an unusual interest in a young, highly attractive press wrangler on my team ... What I do know is that he behaved inappropriately. And, since the woman worked for me, I tried to protect her and keep his unusual interest in her under wraps."

Grisham says Trump often asked her about the woman, and when he wanted the aide to see him on Air Force One, Grisham made sure they weren't left alone because, "the whole thing never felt quite right."

Things allegedly got weird on one trip Grisham missed ... she claims Trump asked how the woman was doing before instructing his staff to bring her to his office cabin so he could get a look at her butt ... so Grisham tried keeping the aide off future trips.

Grisham says she doesn't know if anything happened between Trump and the woman, but she writes that she came close to telling Melania about her husband's alleged behavior before ultimately being "too chickens***."

We've reached out to Trump ... so far, no word back.

Urban Meyer Apologizes to Jaguars for 'Distraction' ... After Video Dancing with Woman at Bar Goes Viral

100321_urban_meyer_kal_1
CAUGHT SLIPPIN'

Urban Meyer says he's sorry for the "distraction" he caused his team after video surfaced of him dancing with a woman -- who wasn't his wife -- surfaced over the weekend.

100421_urban_meyer_kal
DANCING DISTRACTION
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

A video of the former Ohio State head coach turned Jacksonville Jaguars play caller went viral Saturday ... showing a young, blonde woman grinding on Meyer at an Ohio bar. Meyer has been married to his wife, Shelley, since 1986.

Speaking to media Monday, Urban said he had apologized to his team, calling the incident a distraction and saying it was "stupid."

Urban's Jaguars were in Cincinnati Thursday where they lost to the Bengals 24-21, and he said he stayed in town to see his grandkids and grab dinner while the Jaguars have the next 10 days off.

Another photo from that night showed Urban with another blonde woman who seemingly jokingly captioned it, "Who is this he keeps flirting with me."

Prior to the dancing video going viral, Shelley Meyer had commented on another photo of the coach out with friends, sharing that she had stayed home to babysit the couple's grandkids with the hashtag "BuddyDeservedANightOut."

She has not said anything since his apology, and Urban did not mention his wife during the presser.

Ex-White House Press Sec. Trumps Likened to 'Beverly Hillbillies' By Melania's Chief of Staff

Come and listen to a story 'bout a man named Don

A poor President who didn't know right from wrong

And when his kids asked to meet the Royal Queen

His staff stepped in so they never would be seen

Stephanie Grisham -- the former White House press secretary under Donald Trump best known for holding zero press briefings -- is saying plenty about him now, and like many other of his former employees ... it ain't positive.

Grisham's got a new book coming out this week, and in it, she details her experiences working in Trump's White House and dealing with his family ... including when they went to visit The Queen in June 2019.

TMZ's obtained an excerpt from the book -- titled "I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw in the Trump White House" -- in which she says the trip to the U.K. for dinner with Queen Elizabeth royally excited the Trump children.

In fact, Grisham writes ... "It was the only trip in all four years that every single member of the family expected to attend."

Problem was, according to Grisham, the Trump fam also wanted royal service along the way ... including getting to ride on Air Force One, and spots at the Queen's official state dinner table for Don Jr.'s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Tiffany's boyfriend too.

Grisham says this didn't fly with Melania's chief of staff, Lindsay Reynolds, whom she claims was concerned the Trump kids would ruin the trip simply so they could get attention.

Grisham claims Reynolds told her, "We are going to look like the Beverly Hillbillies," adding ... "We'll be an embarrassment to the whole country."

The allegations get even juicier from there -- with plenty of smoke for Ivanka and Jared too -- so check out the full excerpt for more.

It should be noted, Grisham describes Trump's White House in her book as "a clown car on fire running at full speed into a warehouse full of fireworks" ... so you know what else to expect.

Ex-President Trump, through his spokesperson, is already refuting Grisham's claims, telling TMZ ... "Stephanie didn't have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning. She became very angry and bitter after her break up and as time went on she was seldom relied upon, or even thought about."

Trump adds ... "She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things."

George Floyd NYC Statue Vandal Seen in Video ... 'Keepers' Plan Patrolling

100421_george_floyd_statue_kal_1 OCTOBER 2021
SECURITY FOOTAGE
NYPD
UPDATE

9:00 AM PT -- The damage inflicted on the George Floyd bust in Union Square is already well on its way to being repaired -- and it's all thanks to some community members who stepped up, and who might continue stepping up to prevent this going forward.

UPDATE

Lindsay Eshelman -- co-founder of Confront Art, who teamed up with George's brother, Terrence, and his org We Are Floyd to produce the statues -- tells TMZ ... she and her team showed up shortly after news broke that the bust was vandalized, but were pleasantly surprised to see there were already at least 5 individuals working to clean up the mess.

UPDATE
100421_george_floyd_restoration_kal_1
RESPECTFUL RESTORATION
Andy Joel from Seven Media
UPDATE

We're told these folks are simply activists/art lovers -- and included one tourist who just showed up to help. One of the other good Samaritans was Eric Garner's son, Eric Jr., whom we're told formed a close bond with Terrence through this entire ordeal. Lindsay and co. also chipped in ... running out to get supplies to restore the statue's bronze shine.

UPDATE

As for what to expect from here ... Eshelman tells us she and Confront Art are trying organize a watch group to look after the statue, otherwise known as "keepers" -- as there are 30 days left in the installation, and they're worried this might happen again.

UPDATE

The NYPD has apparently told them they're on their own in this regard, 'cause the police force won't step up security or patrols. We're told CA has a 7 AM to midnight shift in mind, to help keep things kosher after the park closes there.

The man who threw paint onto a bust of George Floyd in NYC is now in the crosshairs of a hate crime unit ... and can be seen clear as day on camera doing the deed.

The NYPD's Crime Stoppers division released surveillance video they say depicts the suspect -- a guy with a light complexion, medium build ... and who was wearing a green jacket, shorts and a hat of some sort, and who cruised by nonchalantly before vandalizing the statue.

Just as we told you before ... he's seen clear as day hanging out near the John Lewis statue in Union Square, shuffling about and looking around -- before he busts out what seems to be a small paint can, hopping on his skateboard and heading for the bronze Floyd effigy.

Sure enough, there are some people around who get a good look at him doing it ... but no one really springs into action. It all happens so fast -- the man is gone in a flash.

We're told the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating this ... for obvious reasons. So far, the alleged perp hasn't been captured -- but cops are asking for tips or any help.

This weekend's paint job actually served as the second act of vandalism since the statue was first unveiled earlier this summer in Brooklyn ... where it was also defaced, with none other than white supremacy logos and signage. And now, at its new, home ... something similar.

Originally Published -- 6:32 AM PT

Andrew Wiggins Caves In To COVID-19 Vaccine Pressure ... Gets The Jab

Andrew Wiggins just made a nearly $15 million decision -- the Warriors forward has officially put his COVID-19 standoff to rest and is vaccinated, Steve Kerr confirmed Sunday.

The 26-year-old was previously hellbent against getting the jab ... saying he had nothing against other folks being vaccinated, but it was his personal decision to elect against it.

Considering the San Francisco Dept. of Public Health currently requires anyone 12 or older to be fully vaccinated to attend indoor events, Wiggins would have missed every Warriors home game this season -- and the paycheck that comes with it.

But, Kerr says the saga is over ... telling reporters the star decided to cave in and get the vaccine.

"Andrew got vaccinated," Kerr said. "He just told me today that he was fine with us acknowledging it and that will be the end of it. I'm not going to answer any questions beyond that."

As we reported before, Wiggins had applied for a religious exemption with the NBA ... which was denied.

Now that Andrew is vaccinated, the Warriors can put their focus on the upcoming season as they look to some noise in the Western Conference this season.

Kerr said he expects Wiggins to see some action Monday night as the GSW tip off their preseason against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Clint Eastwood Awarded $6.1 Mil ... in Lawsuit Against CBD Retailers

Clint Eastwood could see a LOT of green soon ... he's just been awarded nearly $6.1 million in his lawsuit against CBD retailers.

The legendary actor -- and the company Eastwood runs that owns rights to his likeness, Garrapata -- just scored a $6.1 million default judgment after the companies he sued failed to respond to his lawsuit.

You'll recall, Eastwood and Garrapata argued a Lithuanian CBD company falsely made it look like he endorsed their products and illegally tried to profit off his name, likeness, and goodwill. In addition to the damages, the CBD retailers were also permanently blocked from using Clint's name and likeness moving forward.

As we reported ... Clint sued in July 2020 after claiming several CBD retailers pimped their products by using fake interviews with him where he gushes over the weed merch.

The lawsuit claimed the CBD company made it look like Clint endorsed the CBD products on the "Today" show. The company took a photo of an actual interview Clint did on the show and flashed up words that appeared to be an endorsement.

Clint made it crystal clear in his pair of lawsuits -- he's never sat down with any of these companies and, under no circumstances, endorsed their products.

He also accused the companies of defaming him with their lies to lure customers into thinking he was in bed with the CBD products. Although the judge did say the ads were not defamatory on their face, the court found that Eastwood and Garrapata did enough to prove their case that the CBD company misappropriated his good name to sell the products.