Stars and Scars You Be the Judge
Chappelle may be catching heat for his latest Netflix special, but he couldn't give 2 f's, and Kim K's gonna host 'SNL' -- the question ... can she pull it off? So, we gotta ask ...
Dave Chappelle's New Netflix Special ...
Kim On 'SNL' ...
Brian Laundrie's Parents ...
Brian Laundrie Update
Facebook Whistleblower ...
Who Ya Got?
Cancel Culture ...
Congratulating Someone On Weight Loss ...
Social Media Makes This Country ...
Wilder Vs. Fury Stars Heading To Watch Fight ... Vince Vaughn, Michael B. Jordan & Draymond!!!
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Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury won't be the only stars in the building on fight night Saturday ... TMZ Sports has learned a TON of celebs are hittin' Sin City to take in the boxing match too!!
Actors Vince Vaughn, Michael B. Jordan and Michael J. Fox will have ringside seats at T-Mobile Arena, we're told. NBA ballers Draymond Green and Damian Lillard are set to be in attendance as well.
Rapper Fat Joe, TV star Mario Lopez and chef Wolfgang Puck are expected to be there too, while boxers Shakur Stevenson and Terence Crawford are set to watch their peers duke it out as well.
We're told Raiders owner Mark Davis, rapper Nas and cycling legend Lance Armstrong also couldn't stay away from Vegas, and will be at the fight too.
Of course, all of the guys are expected to see quite the show ... 'cause Fury and Wilder have both been promising a great fight in their third matchup.
Remember, Wilder and Fury fought to a draw back in 2018 ... but Fury demolished the Bronze Bomber in their rematch in Feb. 2020.
Wilder has said he's much improved since that fight, though ... and predicted a knockout within 3 rounds on Saturday.
Fury, meanwhile, laughed off that prediction and promised to inflict pain on Wilder.
So, who's right? First bell is only hours away!
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Kodak Black Asks Judge for Permission to Leave FL ... Doctors Say It'll Be Good For Me!!!
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Kodak Black's doctors believe it would behoove the rapper to spend the final 30 days of his treatment at a facility outside of Florida ... so he's asking the court for permission to do so.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kodak's physician and treatment specialist believe he would benefit from a program outside Florida. The location and details were not provided in the public documents for security reasons.
But, Kodak's team makes it clear ... his doctors think that for Kodak to have a better chance of success, he needs to be in a different environment for a period of time.
The request comes on the heels of some very alarming tweets from the rapper that quickly had fans worried about his mental health. He's since deleted all of his social media accounts but some tweets included, "Sitting In My Room Crying Feel Like Killing Myself."
He also wrote, "So Lonely Depressed Sad & F***** Up ... Nobody Love Me Nobody Cares ... I'm Everywhere @ Once ... Friends Playin In My Head ... Girls Playin Wit My Heart ... Wish I Can Go Back To The Start I'll Never Be Famous."
Kodak's legal team is now asking for the court's permission to join an out-of-state residential treatment facility for the last 30 days of his court-ordered residential program.
Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... they'd love to move Kodak to a different state if and when probation agrees. He wouldn't say which state they have in mind.
We asked Cohen about Kodak's failed drug test and about Kodak's concerning tweets but he declined to comment.
As we first reported ... Kodak violated the terms of his supervised release in his federal gun case by failing a drug test. He was ordered to get treatment. He's currently in treatment now ... but his doctors want him to spend the last 30 days at an out-of-state facility.
The judge has yet to rule on the request.
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What's The Big Frigin' Difference?
Don't let these two almost identical images of Kim Kardashian sketch you out! Step out on the town and see if you can skim through the concealed switches made to this sneaky snap!
The celebrity personality and fashion mogul was seen leaving her hotel in New York City this week as she prepares for her first hosting gig on "Saturday Night Live" ... and we have made a few changes to the original pic! See if you can keep up to find the differences between these two super similar snaps!
**HINT -- There are THREE differences in the above photographs!**
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'Squid Game' Behind The Scenes Get In The Game!
There isn’t a person in the world that hasn’t heard of the new Netflix show “Squid Game” ... and we have an inside look at how the Korean stars of the show spent their time behind the cameras while taking a break from all the intense gameplay.
Go on set of the new Netflix smash show and see how all of your favorite players like Seung Gi-hun (456), Cho Sang-woo (218) and Kang Sae-byeok (067) passed the time while shooting the greatest game of your life!
You get the green light to go behind the scenes ... just make sure you don’t lose your marbles along the way.
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Princess Love 'Never Been Better' After 3rd Divorce Filing ... Ray J's Fine Too
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Princess Love's marriage to Ray J might be ending for real this time, but she doesn't seem to be fazed by it ... in fact, she says she's doing better than ever!!!
Princess Love was loading up to leave LAX with her kids Friday when she was asked how she's doing following Ray J filing for divorce this week. Sounds like she's barely thinking about it ... and is focused on herself and her kids.
As for her estranged hubby ... she provided a bit of an update on his health, we think, saying he's "alive and well."
That's good to hear, because as we reported ... Ray was hospitalized this week with pneumonia, but for 2 days doctors thought he may have been dealing with COVID-19 too ... and even held him in the COVID ward.
Last we knew he was still struggling to fight it off, but according to Princess Love ... he's doing okay.
Of course, it's hard to really know what's going on with PL and RJ. As you'll recall ... his filing for divorce was the third time it's gone down between the couple. She did it first in May 2020, then they reconciled, then he did it again in Sept. 2020, followed but another reconciliation ... which brings us to now.
But, through it all, Princess Love has remained Princess Love ... and she says that's not gonna change.
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MLB's Jim Kaat Sorry For Slavery Reference ... During Playoff Game
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Longtime MLB announcer Jim Kaat is in some scalding hot water ... after he shockingly made a slavery reference while calling the Astros vs. White Sox ALDS playoff game Friday.
Kaat's comment came in the 2nd inning of Game 2 as Chicago infielder Yoan Moncada stepped up to the plate ... when co-announcer Buck Showalter shared a story about the first time he saw the 26-year-old Cuban star in person.
The ex-Orioles manager said he remembered asking the Baltimore front office, "Can we have one of those" ... to which Kaat replied, "Get a 40-acre field full of 'em."
Hey @MLB @MLBTV can we maybe talk about this "Get a 40 acre field full of 'em" comment by the announcer? pic.twitter.com/BWDmkbCFI8
— Dan Ewen Ⓥ (@VaguelyFunnyDan) October 8, 2021 @VaguelyFunnyDan
82-year-old Kaat apologized for the comment a few innings later ... saying, "Earlier in the game, when Yoan Moncada was at the plate, in an attempt to compliment the great player that he is, I used a poor choice of words that resulted in an insensitive and hurtful remark and I'm sorry for that."
Kaat is getting grilled for the cookie cutter apology ... with many calling him out for apparently reading the statement off a piece of paper.
wow that sounded heartfelt pic.twitter.com/5XEzLhFrGL
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 8, 2021 @bubbaprog
The comment comes just months after Detroit Tigers announcer Jack Morris was suspended for using a mocking accent during a Shohei Ohtani at-bat.
Thom Brennaman also faced backlash for using a homophobic slur while calling a Cincinnati Reds game last season.
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R. Kelly Victim Faith Rodgers No, Cosby ... Kelly Wasn't 'Railroaded'!!!
Bill Cosby is way off with his R. Kelly theory about the singer getting a raw deal in his federal sex crimes case ... according to one of Kelly's victims.
Faith Rodgers, who previously testified she's a victim of Kelly's sexual misconduct, spoke out Friday for the first time since the singer was convicted on all 9 federal counts ... and she says Kelly tried to threaten her into silence.
With attorney Gloria Allred by her side, Faith ripped Cosby's spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, for telling TMZ ... his client's reaction to Kelly's conviction was, "The guy was railroaded."
Faith says that line of thinking, and terminology, is "beyond insulting" to all of Kelly's victims.
What's more, she claims Kelly threatened her multiple times after she decided to come forward as a victim. She says the alleged threats included publishing nude pictures and videos of her.
As we reported ... Kelly was found guilty last month on 9 federal counts, including sex crimes, human trafficking, kidnapping, racketeering and obstruction of justice and human trafficking. He's looking at 10 years to life when he gets sentenced next year.
Bottom line for Faith ... Kelly got a fair trial, and lost.
Jon Gruden Apologizes For Racist Language in 2011 Email ... NFL Investigating
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3:21 PM PT -- The Raiders have just released a statement on Gruden's email ... calling the contents of it "disturbing and not what the Raiders stand for."
The team said it is currently investigating the situation and is in the process of "addressing the matter with Coach Gruden."
Jon Gruden says he's sorry for sending an email back in 2011 that contained racist language ... saying the comment he wrote was "horrible."
The email, according to the Wall Street Journal, was sent to Washington Football Team exec Bruce Allen ... and it contained a nasty remark about NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith.
"Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of michellin tires," Gruden wrote, according to the report.
The email was sent at a time when the NFLPA and the NFL owners were feuding over the league's collective bargaining agreement.
Gruden, who at the time was a broadcaster for ESPN, told the WSJ he didn't "specifically recall writing the email" -- but he added he was still "really sorry" for it.
"I was upset," 58-year-old Gruden said. "I used a horrible way of explaining it."
"I don't think he's dumb. I don't think he's a liar,” Gruden added. "I don't have a racial bone in my body, and I've proven that for 58 years."
Gruden went on to say he had, in the past, called liars "rubber lips" and went "too far" in his message about Smith to Allen.
What's interesting, NFL sources tell TMZ Sports the email was found by league investigators while they were conducting a probe into allegations of workplace misconduct in the Washington Football Team organization.
They added the league is currently investigating the matter.
Smith, meanwhile, told the WSJ he was disappointed to learn of the comments Gruden wrote behind his back ... explaining, "Racism like this comes from the fact that I'm at the same table as they are and they don't think someone who looks like me belongs."
"I'm sorry my family has to see something like this but I would rather they know. I will not let it define me."
The Raiders -- who hired Gruden away from ESPN to be their head coach in 2018 -- have yet to comment.
Originally Published -- 1:28 PM PT
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Jacob Blake Cop Who Shot Him ... Won't Be Charged by Feds Either
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2:40 PM PT -- Jacob's attorney, B'Ivory LaMarr, tells TMZ ... the family's disheartened by the DOJ's decision and, it goes without saying, disagree with its account of the evidence.
Jacob's legal team says, along with many Americans across the country, "maintain the belief that the video evidence depicts nothing short of willful conduct by Officer Shesky."
LaMarr adds, "Our country cannot continue to withstand the days of officers avoiding criminal consequences by rationalizing egregious behavior on the premise of fear, mistake, or pure negligence. Racial and implicit bias is a willful act."
He also said, "America cannot continue to perpetuate willful blindness to grave injustices." Jacob's legal team "will continue to seek justice in our civil system, whereas such a standard is inapplicable."
The Kenosha PD officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times -- and who's avoided state prosecution -- will also not face federal charges.
The U.S. Justice Department said Friday it will not pursue federal criminal charges against Rusten Sheskey. The feds say "the evidence obtained is insufficient to prove that the KPD officer willfully used excessive force."
Remember, Blake was unarmed, back in August 2020, when Sheskey opened fire at point-blank range. Video of the shooting sparked racial justice protests across the country, and led to the Kyle Rittenhouse shooting.
According to the feds ... a team of experienced federal prosecutors from the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office reviewed the evidence to determine whether the police officer violated any federal laws.
The feds added that "a detailed and lengthy analysis of numerous materials, including police reports, law enforcement accounts, witness statements, affidavits of witnesses, dispatch logs, physical evidence reports, photographs and videos of some portions of the incident."
In essence ... prosecutors say they couldn't establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer "willfully" deprived Jacob of his constitutional rights. The feds say "neither accident, mistake, fear, negligence, nor bad judgment is sufficient to establish a willful federal criminal civil rights violation."
As we reported ... Kenosha County District Attorney Michael D. Graveley also announced back in January that Sheskey would not be charged for the shooting. Graveley said Sheskey acted in self-defense, and it was necessary for the officer to use lethal force to stop Jacob from potentially harming him or others.
The shooting left Jacob paralyzed. The Justice Dept. says it's already informed his family about the decision not to charge Sheskey.
Originally Published -- 1:42 PM PT
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Waffle House Troll Made Up Backstory for Employee With Baby ... It's a Financial Scam!!!
The Waffle House employee holding a baby while she worked didn't just take heat online, but an online scammer also made up a backstory about the incident for financial gain ... TMZ has learned.
As you may know ... a TikTok of the Waffle House worker went viral last weekend, because she was holding a baby while it appeared she was helping the cooks prepare meals.
In researching the incident, a person contacted us claiming to be the employee and gave us a tragic backstory explaining why she was holding the child in the video -- claiming the baby was the child of her dead brother.
This person posing as the employee also told us she was suspended for a week by Waffle House ... all of which we now know is NOT TRUE.
Waffle House's VP of Public Relations, Njeri Boss, tells TMZ ... they investigated the TikTok video and "have determined that the media portrayals and social media posts are not accurate."
Boss adds ... "While an employee of ours was recorded holding a baby at work, she is not related to that baby in any manner, never identified herself as the person in the TikTok video, never provided a CashApp account to receive any donations, never gave an interview to any media outlet, and never was suspended from her job."
Fortunately, TMZ did not include any of the scammer's CashApp info in our story, but some people out there did ... and likely donated to a phony cause.
Waffle House further explains that the employee in the TikTok vid held a baby belonging to her co-worker in an attempt to quickly settle the crying child ... and she's been coached and re-trained on proper safety guidelines going forward.
The restaurant chain adds ... "We caution against further dissemination of that false story and the damages that might result, not to mention the help that might give to support an apparent fraud on the public."
As for the phony TikTok profile ... beware. It's still active and has more than 14,000 followers. We've reached out to TikTok, but haven't heard back yet.
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Kim Kardashian Ellen, Dave, Michelle and Amy Help Her Prep For 'SNL' Hosting Duties
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Kim Kardashian is getting some good advice from some of the funniest people on Earth as she gets ready to host "Saturday Night Live."
Production sources tell TMZ … Dave Chappelle, Michelle Wolf, Ellen DeGeneres, Amy Schumer and James Corden have all been helping Kim with her preparation.
We're told the comedy legends have been giving Kim tips on what to include in her monologue, how to perform certain skits and nail comedic delivery.
THIS SATURDAY!!! @KimKardashian @halsey pic.twitter.com/9KYPAoEehj
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) October 8, 2021 @nbcsnl
As we reported, Saturday will mark the first time a Kardashian hosts 'SNL' ... and she's already landed some promo jokes.
Our sources say Kim has been having a blast getting ready for 'SNL' ... and some of the material will be self-deprecating. We're also told she's been very open to all ideas Lorne Michaels and the 'SNL' team have thrown her way. BTW ... good move on her part.
We're told producers and cast in rehearsals say Kim's actually been exceeding the expectations they had for someone without any experience in the comedy world.
The big question ... who, if anyone, comes along for the ride? Kanye? Kris? Kylie?
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U.S. Marshals Dodgers Fan Not Missing Fugitive ... Whoops
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Turns out the dude who sat behind home plate at the Dodgers game back in 2016 is NOT one of the most wanted men in the world ... he's just a regular ol' baseball fan who happens to look like the convicted felon who illegally swindled $325 million, authorities say.
As we previously reported, the U.S. Marshals believed they had a credible lead on John Ruffo after a relative believed they spotted him on TV sitting behind home plate at a Dodgers game in 2016.
FYI, Ruffo was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for stealing hundreds of millions of dollars, but skipped town before serving his time.
The story recently came to light after ABC recently published a podcast on the case.
But, the U.S. Marshals now tell TMZ Sports the fan in question is NOT the fugitive ... he was just a dude who went to a baseball game and landed at the center of one of the biggest sports stories of the week.
After the story blew up, someone recognized their family member as the man in question, and contacted authorities ... who ultimately cleared the guy.
So, the search continues ...
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Nicki Minaj 'RHOP' Reunion Gig Doesn't Mean She's Vaccinated
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Nicki Minaj showed up for the taping of "The Real Housewives of the Potomac" reunion, causing some folks to wonder if she's changed her tune on getting vaccinated ... but TMZ's learned her vax status is irrelevant.
As you know ... Nicki caused quite a stir last month when she tweeted some COVID vaccine misinformation -- specifically, that her cousin's friend in Trinidad and Tobago had a severe side effect resulting in swollen testicles. She also implied that she was still not vaccinated.
Nicki for the #RHOP reunion! pic.twitter.com/FdutEigNBO
— Stats of Minaj (@statsofminaj) October 8, 2021 @statsofminaj
So, with her appearance on the 'RHOP' reunion set Thursday night -- something that came to fruition after she jokingly pitched guest-hosting to Andy Cohen in July -- fans believed she might have gotten vaccinated in order to get the gig.
But, we've learned that's not necessarily the case ... because being vaccinated was not a requirement for the reunion taping.
Instead, Nicki and the 'Housewives' and the rest of the crew only had to comply with local orders in New Jersey ... so in this case, getting a PCR test that came back negative for COVID.
Obviously, everyone who participated in the reunion taping, including Nicki, had a negative test ... but it's still unclear if the rapper's vaxxed or not.
BTW ... the reunion with Nicki's guest appearance will air later in the year after the 'RHOP' season airs. Andy also shared the news on IG, saying ... "It’s the Reunion I could never get away with!"
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The Rock I'm a Rapper Now!!! Debuts on Tech N9ne Track
Dwayne Johnson is flexing in a whole new way -- he's jumping on the mic to try his hand at rapping, and he's actually got some flow!!!
The Rock features on the new Tech N9ne track, "Face Off" -- from the new album, "ASIN9NE" -- dropping a few bars at the end of the song. As the old saying goes, rap about what you know, and DJ does just that ... paying homage to his roots and his passion for extreme workouts.
Just a sample of his rhymes -- "It's about tribe, it's about power. We stay hungry, we devour. Put in the work, put in the hours and take what's ours."
#TheRock is rapping on #TechN9ne’s new album?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/OBzAzTPigk
— Beneath the Dirt (@beneathdirt) October 7, 2021 @beneathdirt
There's another line about being Black and Samoan, and the Rock even drops some profanity! Censored, of course.
This isn't the first time he's showed off his musical talents. He's strummed a guitar in the ring during his WWE days, and was also featured in Wyclef Jean's music video for "It Doesn't Matter." He came close to rapping on that song, but this is the first time we've heard him ball out on the mic.
And, talk about synergy ... 'cause in true entrepreneurial spirit Dwayne's already promoting his Project Rock by Under Armour collection by integrating his featured verse in a video of him doing his thing in the gym.
BTW, Rock only needed ONE TAKE to drop the verse!!! Well, according to him, anyway ... but are you gonna question that? Didn't think so.
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White Sox Vs. Astros Fan Struck By Massive Haymaker ... In Violent Fight At Game
A White Sox fan is fortunate to have avoided serious injury at the team's playoff game Thursday ... because he was struck by a huge haymaker during a fight with Astros fans -- and it was scary.
The violent scrap went down at some point during Houston's win over Chicago at Minute Maid Park ... when a fan in a Tim Anderson jersey got into it with an Astros supporter.
White Sox fan gets drink tossed on him and punched during Astros playoff game pic.twitter.com/tLheMEiyXv
— BLACK ADAM SCHEFTER (@B1ackSchefter) October 8, 2021 @B1ackSchefter
In the footage, filmed by a bystander, you can see the Houston fan poured his drink all over the guy ... who then retaliated by shoving the man down a row of seats.
Immediately after the push, another Astros supporter came in with a monstrous right hand ... connecting with the White Sox fan's left cheek.
The guy in the Anderson jersey hit the floor hard ... but when he got up, he was punched in the face one more time.
What’s the score? #ForTheH #Section153 pic.twitter.com/4UOOdiEmAC
— Angel Corona (@aacoronaa35) October 7, 2021 @aacoronaa35
Another angle of the fight appears to show the altercation was eventually broken up by other fans in the section.
It's unclear if police were involved or if any arrests were made ... we reached out to cops, but so far, no word back yet.