Facebook 'Meta' Change Trademark Applicants Will Sell to Zuck ... For $20 Million!!!

It might not be smooth sailing for Mark Zuckerberg in his quest to change Facebook's identity, because we've learned someone was already ahead of him in trying to grab the "Meta" trademark ... and they're willing to give it up to Zuck for a steep price.

Back in August, the founders of a company called Meta PC filed to trademark the word "Meta" for computers, laptops, tablets, software and more items relating to tech -- so, right in Facebook's wheelhouse.

The founders, Joe Darger and Zack Shutt, tell us they've been operating Meta PC for a little over a year, but recently filed docs to formally trademark their brand.

While Meta PC's trademark petition hasn't yet been granted, they still have a lead on Zuckerberg if he tries to claim it for his rebranded company. For that, Darger and Shutt tell us they're willing to give up their quest to lock the phrase down if Zuck will shell out $20 MILLION.

The cost might seem crazy, but the way Darger and Shutt see it, giving up the TM will require them to rebrand their entire company ... which, of course, will be super expensive.

Trademark or not, Meta PC has already reaped some of Facebook's announcement benefits -- they've seen a 5,000% increase in followers across their social media channels ... not too bad.

However, a source close to discussions tells TMZ ... Meta (Facebook) believes they have the rights necessary to adopt the "Meta" trademark for their goods and services.

Black Eyed Peas' Taboo All Love to Petito Family ... But MSM Obsesses Over Missing White Girls

102721_jaime_luis_gomez_kal
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS?
TMZ.com

The Gabby Petito saga has raised questions about who the media focuses on in cases like these, and it seems disproportionally white ... so says a member of the Black Eyed Peas.

We talked to Taboo (Jaime Luis Gomez) -- who is of Mexican descent and identifies as an indigenous person -- and he broke down the phenomenon of "Missing White Girl Syndrome" ... something news networks/society has been accused of doing during this entire ordeal.

Put plainly ... the guy says it is, indeed, a real thing -- and the proof is in the pudding on wall-to-wall coverage of Gabby's story for weeks on end.

091921_gabby_petito_kal_1 8/12/2021
INTERACTION WITH MOAB POLICE
Moab Police Department

As Taboo eloquently puts it, there are scores of Black and indigenous women who go missing every single day ... but don't get even a drop of the same mainstream attention as Petito did -- or any number of missing caucasian girls/women over the years.

That's not to say this is criticizing Gabby or her family or anyone affected by the tragedy -- quite the opposite ... Taboo says he has all the empathy in the world for them.

However, he does feel an underlying issue exists and doesn't wanna shy away from hard talks like these out of fear of propriety. Check out this chat -- you can tell he's passionate about speaking up for his people and other marginalized groups, so this hits home for him.

Taboo just wants to get the conversation started ... in hopes of more equality for all down the line.

Master P Zaire Wade Can Be A Game Changer ... If He Puts In The Work

102921-master-p-g-league-kal
EVERY JOURNEY IS DIFFERENT
TMZ.com

Master P has a message for the haters who think Dwyane Wade got his son, Zaire, a spot in the G League ... telling TMZ Sports, "Life ain't fair."

As we previously reported, the former Sierra Canyon standout joined the Salt Lake City Stars earlier this month ... which just so happens to be the affiliate for the Utah Jazz, of which D-Wade is part owner.

We spoke with MP about Zaire's opportunity while at LAX this week ... and he brings the truth.

"When you look at it, it's a blessing," P said. "His dad knows the business. He played in the game."

P says Zaire is working with some top-notch trainers and busting his ass every day ... and thinks Wade can really "change the game" if he continues to put in serious effort.

MP -- who suited up for two NBA teams back in the day -- knows a thing or two about raising an athlete ... his son, Hercy, is a hoops star at an HBCU and he thinks his team can make the tournament if his son keeps it up.

"You know what, he's working hard," Master said. "He just played last night. He had a great game. They won."

"That's what life is about. Just getting better and better."

As for Wade, P also went on to rave about how bright the future is for him in the G League ... but is Zaire "finessing" the system?!? He disagrees.

"He taking advantage of an opportunity. He knows he wants to be a pro player."

"Everybody's journey is different."

Ron Perlman KEEPS TESLA, GIVES UP HOUSE ... In Divorce Settlement

Ron Perlman is walking away from his marriage with one of Elon Musk's cars ... but his ex-wife is keeping the family home in their divorce.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the judge signed off on Ron and Opal Stone Perlman's divorce judgment, and his ex-wife gets to keep their massive property in Los Angeles.

Ron gets to keep a leased Tesla, and Opal is keeping a set of wheels too ... she gets a leased Mercedes-Benz.

Per the terms of the judgment, the 'Hellboy' star will pay Opal $12,500 per month in spousal support, plus 20% of his annual income between $52k and $1.5 million.

We broke the story ... Ron filed for divorce from Opal back in November 2019 after 38 years of marriage ... months after getting in a relationship with Allison Dunbar, his costar on the TV show "StartUp."

Famous Frights In The Night ... Haunted Hollywood!

These spooked stars are getting the daylight scared out of them!

Popular nighttime attractions -- such as Universal Studio's Hollywood Horror Nights, Knott's Scary Farms, Haunt O'Ween, and more -- were scatted with spooked stars this month.

Some celebrities, like Wilmer Valderrama and Rob Dyrdek, checked out some of the more family-friendly events ... while Seth Green and Bridget Marquardt amped up the haunt with some really freaky frights.

Also, cute couples like Karl-Anthony Towns & Jordyn Woods and Finneas O'Connell & Claudia Sulewski were seen keeping each other company for comfort!

Don't be scared to scroll through this gallery of famous frights!

Guess Who This Hungry Kid Turned Into!

Before this hungry kid was serving up talented performances in television and film, she was just another grinning girl who was licking her plate clean in Oakland, California.

This foodie female got her start in the industry by showcasing her acting, singing and dancing skills on Disney Channel ... where she starred alongside Bella Thorne. She was able to break out of this Disney persona quickly when she was cast in a dramatic series on HBO -- in which she plays a teenage drug addict.

Now, you can catch this superstar on the big screen with her latest movie premiere that's already breaking box office records!

Can you guess who she is?

White House Press Sec. Jen Psaki Positive for COVID ... Not With Biden in Rome

President Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, says she's come down with COVID-19 ... but is away from POTUS and has been for several days now.

Psaki revealed Sunday that she'd tested positive for the virus -- this after multiple days of testing negative upon learning people in her household had caught it. She was supposed to hit Europe with JB, but scrapped those plans after learning her family members were sick.

The Press Secretary also notes she was last in contact with Biden on Tuesday ... just before he flew to Rome, where he's currently at for the G20 summit. She notes they were standing at least six feet apart then, and were also wearing masks.

Psaki says, "I am disclosing today's positive test out of an abundance of transparency," adding ... "Thanks to the vaccine, I have only experienced mild symptoms which has enabled me to continue working from home."

She goes on to explain she'll return to the WH after a full 10-day quarantine period, and obviously after a negative test is once again registered.

Unclear if White House press briefings will continue this week with someone in Psaki's place.

Kal Penn Comes Out as Gay ... And I'm Also Engaged!!!

Kal Penn has come out of the closet in the most surprising of ways -- announcing he's gay in a new book of his, which reveals that he's actually getting married as well.

The actor shared the news through his forthcoming offering, "You Can't Be Serious," via excerpts that leaked over the weekend ... and which is due out this Tuesday. He makes no bones about it ... he's in a relationship with a guy named Josh, whom he's been dating for 11 years.

More importantly, they're on the road to matrimony ... because the couple is engaged. Apparently, Kal met Josh while he was living/working in D.C. under the Obama administration -- for which he worked in an official capacity -- and they've been together since.

He discusses his sexuality this way, "I've always been very public with everybody I've personally interacted with. Whether it's somebody that I meet at a bar, if Josh and I are out or we're talking to friends." He adds, "I'm really excited to share our relationship with readers. But Josh, my partner, my parents, and my brother, four people who I'm closest to in the family, are fairly quiet. They don't love attention and shy away from the limelight."

The guy is getting overwhelming support for finally sharing his truth -- one that's been kept as a secret for years now ... as no one really seems to have known Kal was gay.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

He posted a video thanking people for the love he's been getting ... and also shouted out folks whom he sent an early copy of his book to -- with their reaction quotes featured on the back cover.

Kal has traditionally played stoner bros in a lot of the raunchy comedies he's known for, especially from the 'Harold & Kumar' franchise. He's also known for roles from "Designated Survivor," "How I Met Your Mother," "House," "Van Wilder," "Battle Creek" and many more.

Congrats!

Kanye West Invites Manson to Sunday Service ... Everyone Dressed in White

Kanye West is continuing his friendship with Marilyn Manson -- going so far as to invite the guy to his newest Sunday Service ... and even going in on a prayer together.

Ye kicked off a new round of worship and gospel singing Sunday -- and he invited the embattled rocker, who's been accused of sexual misconduct by several women, to join in on the gathering. Manson was standing front and center alongside the rest of the choir.

Everyone was wearing white ... and some even had hoods and face coverings over their heads. At one point, Ye and MM bowed toward each other ... touching foreheads and closing their eyes. Speaking of eyes ... looks like Mr. West has lost his brows, and his hair.

BTW, Manson wasn't the only famous person there ... one Justin Bieber was also on hand, and he too appeared to be joining them for the spiritual moment. He also got on the mic at one point ... and said a few words. He mostly kept his hood on, seemingly trying to lay low.

There's no question though ... he was there, and standing shoulder to shoulder wtih Ye and Manson.

So many reactions to this -- including a lot of indignation that Ye would actually invite somebody like Manson to something like this ... presumably, a sanctified meeting on Christians. Beyond Manson's mere public image as the exact opposite of that ... folks can't help but point to the allegations against him as a major reason he shouldn't be there.

Fact is ... Marilyn stands accused of sexually assaulting and/or abusing multiple women, dating back years -- all of which he had vehemently denied, and is fighting in court.

He has insisted that all of these liaisons were completely consensual, and a lot of them were straight-up relationships he was in ... but the women have characterized it in much different terms, especially Evan Rachel Wood ... who's been the most outspoken about this.

110121-sunday-service-kal
SUNDAY SERVICE
TMZ.com

This probably shouldn't come as much of a surprise to anyone -- Kanye has already indicated he's cool with Manson ... evident in the fact that he featured him in his latest album.

He also invited the man to one of his "Donda" listening events ... ditto for DaBaby, who's been getting public heat of late. Unclear if his cozying up to Manson means he believes him (and not the women) ... or if he's bringing him in as a gesture of forgiveness or something.

In any case ... Ye clearly has some amount of love for him.

Joker Japanese Man Dressed as Villain Stabbing Spree, Tokyo Train

103121_train_stabbing_kal_2
get out!!!
Newsflare

A Japanese man dressed as the Joker went on a rampage with a knife while onboard a train in Tokyo -- and video of the passengers attempting to flee is absolutely terrifying.

Check out this wild footage from inside a subway car Sunday that was heading to the Shinjuku station ... where folks were running for their lives after a guy who's said to be just 24 years old started randomly stabbing people -- all while donning a Joker costume.

You can see passengers from one train car hopping to another in sheer panic, and then huddle up together on the opposite end ... obviously scared to death. It looks like a movie ... but it's as real as it gets.

Witnesses told police and local media that the man was brandishing a long knife smeared in what looked like blood -- something bystanders thought was a Halloween joke -- and then he started swinging it, successfully stabbing upwards of 10 people ... per reports.

He then began dousing the interior with a liquid of some sort ... and tried setting the train ablaze. That's why you're seeing all the smoke start to build up -- and why people were literally jumping out of windows to escape. All in all, cops say at least 17 people were hurt, to varying degrees.

The perp appears to have sat down after all the chaos ... and lit a cigarette with his legs crossed, seemingly taking in everything he'd just done. It's as eerie as it sounds. People from the outside filmed him through the door windows ... all he does he stare back and smoke.

It wasn't long before the cops showed up and arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder, among other charges. He didn't put up much of a fight either -- looks like the man cooperated with police and allowed himself to be taken into custody.

Cops say they don't have any clear motive just yet -- but we're sure this dude will get the grilling of his life to figure out why he did this.

BTW, this is apparently the second such public stabbing incident in as little as 3 months ... another one went down during the Olympics, where a guy also stabbed nearly a dozen people on a train.

Hilaria Baldwin Worried Alec Will Develop PTSD ... After 'Rust' Shooting

Hilaria Baldwin thinks her husband, Alec, will develop post-traumatic stress disorder after the shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life ... which is partly why they fled New York.

The actor's spouse revealed the reason behind their family's travel to Vermont, saying they needed to get away from all the madness following the fatal accident ... this according to the NYPost, who snagged a one-on-one interview on Saturday, separate from their pap encounter.

It also sounds like she was tasked with finding a solitary place for them all, telling the outlet she drove around "an entire day" before settling on Manchester, VT ... and before Alec and co. eventually joined her. She says they needed to get away to "mourn Halyna's death."

She added, "Alec had a really traumatic thing happen, and I am trying to limit the PTSD."

HB went on to compare Alec's situation to that of a war vet or cop ... who might normally develop the affliction -- saying, "You look at what happens to soldiers and police officers when something like this happens, it's traumatic. We just came up here for quiet."

103021_alec_baldwin_kal_1 10/30/21
"SHE WAS MY FRIEND"
BACKGRID

She also spoke on whether her hubby would ever act again, and the Post says she replied she was "hopeful but not certain." Hilaria also said, "He needs space for me to take care of him and his mental health. It's an awful thing that happened. Alec feels awful."

Hilaria also echoed something Alec himself said on camera -- that this sort of thing shouldn't have happened, and tighter regulations need to be in place. She's clearly standing by her man, taking to IG after their eventful weekend to post a photo of their hands intertwined.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

She writes, "I love you and I'm here❤️."

Dave Chappelle at R&R HOF 'I Apologize' Joke During Jay-Z Speech ... Yuks it Up w/ Sarandos

Dave Chappelle is still being cheeky about his Netflix controversy -- taking his act to the Rock & Roll HOF this weekend, and getting facetime with none other than Ted Sarandos.

The comedian helped induct Jay-Z into the Hall Saturday down in Cleveland, where he was one of the few who kicked off the introduction -- alongside folks like Barack Obama, who also delivered remarks -- and DC opened with a line that directly touched on "The Closer."

He started by whipping out a piece of paper and reading from it, saying ... "I would like to apologize," cut himself off and then said, "nah, I'm just f***ing with ya." Everyone laughed.

Dave didn't discuss it much beyond that -- but he did sing HOV's praises ... talking about the impressive ascension he's made in life, going from drug dealer to rapper to bona fide mogul. Of course, there were jokes sprinkled in along the way -- and Dave was very well-received.

That's not all, though. Netflix's CEO was also on hand for the festivities -- for his father-in-law Clarence Avant's own induction into the Hall -- and he actually bumped into Dave backstage ... where they shook hands and shared a few words. Some reports say Dave and Ted were even seen laughing together at one point as well.

They also posed for a photo together -- and Mr. Dave Grohl himself joined in on the fun ... squeezing his way in and cheesin'. It's quite obvious ... Dave is nowhere near "canceled" as he incredulously alluded to last weekend over his comments on the LGBT community.

Obviously, he's still got many, many friends in Hollywood -- and he's considered in high enough regard to get booked for something like this ... where an ex-Prez (a Democratic one, no less) was among them too, albeit via video -- BO beamed in with a video message.

If you can show your face around Barry and friends, you're probably going to be just fine.

Sports Pro Athletes Kill It for Halloween ... LeBron, Rodgers, Paul, Etc.

Halloween is upon us -- but a lot of Hollywood's A-listers got started a night early, including some of the biggest sports superstars out there ... who looked scary good in costume.

There were tons of parties Saturday night in L.A. ... and they were attended by the likes of our most famous athletes, who did not disappoint in the slightest with their 'stumes.

We saw LeBron James as Freddy Krueger, Russell Westbrook and Nina Westbrook as Chucky and his bride, Jake Paul and his girlfriend as Dana White with his "hookers and cocaine," Paul Pogba as a skeleton, Neymar Day of the Dead sugar skull and Jordyn Woods and Karl Anthony-Towns as Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.

Anthony Davis as Candyman was most definitely a standout, as was Aaron Rodgers as John Wick -- a costume he says was a year in the making ... which is ... strange. Just throw on a suit and get going, right???

Anyway, it was just a taste of what else Tinseltown had to offer as far as getups -- the non-athletes were just as disguised ... and their outfits were equally as impressive.

Harry Styles Clickin' Heels At Madison Square Garden Concert!!!

Harry Styles killed -- not Freddy Krugger style, but still -- Saturday night in NYC, as he chose a throwback both in costume and in song.

Harry performed at a jam-packed Madison Square Garden and hopped on stage as Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz." He got it right ... right down to the ruby-red slippers. He called the night, "Harryween!"

And, then he sang the staple, "Over the Rainbow," and it was kinda awesome. Too bad Judy Garland's not alive ... she could've sung "Watermelon Sugar!" Speaking of ... does that song work as performed by Dorothy from 'TWOO?' We'll go with YES.

It's part of Harry's Love On Tour, and he has one more night at the Garden.

One thing's for sure ... it's nice to see crowds at concerts again as we hopefully exit the pandemic.

Drake Having a Blast ... During Rap Battle

UPDATE

6:06 AM PT -- A rep for Ultimate Rap League tells TMZ ... Drake helped to broker the deal between Ultimate Rap League & Caffeine TV so that more people could view the battles. We're also told he wasn't drunk, but simply joking and flirting with a friend.

Drake was feeling it Saturday night, with a little help from a beverage.

Drake hosted a rap battle Saturday night in Long Beach, and he may not have been 3 sheets, but surely at least 2!

He was at the "Til Death Do Us Part" show, and as he chit-chatted with Nunu Nellz, it doesn't take an alcohol expert to see ... Drake was under the influence and having a blast. He wasn't in costume, but Drake's famous enough to be himself. Yeah, that doesn't really make sense.

There were tons of parties Saturday night in Hollywood and parts surrounding .... including one hosted by Alessandra Ambrosia which attacked a gaggle of celebs, including Meagan Good, Doja Cat, Tyga, Ryan Phillippe, Victoria Justice and Jeff Ross.

After the rap battle, Drake left for parts or parties unknown, but it's clear ... he had a better time than most.

Happy Halloween!!!

Originally Published -- 7:38 AM PT

Halloween 2021 Celeb Costumes Strictly Rated PG

Big Hollywood Halloween bashes Saturday night ... and most of the celebs stuck to tried-and-true costumes.

Darren Dzienciol's CARN*EVIL party was hosted by Alessandra Ambrosio in Bel Air. Lots of folks showed, including Meagan Good, Doja Cat, Tyga, Josie Canseco, Ryan Phillippe, Victoria Justice and Jeff Ross.

Another Halloween bash attracted the likes of Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas, Sophie Turner and Emma Roberts.

LeBron James killed it as Freddy Krugger, right?

There were various other parties as well, but all of the costumes were PG Halloween. Not so much over at the TMZ office Friday ... where several of us may have crossed the line!

Paris Hilton dressed up as Cinderella, Justin Bieber was a teddy bear, Dove Cameron played The Joker, and Jamie Foxx was a Gremlin. And, then there's Joe and Sophie who came as Paolo and Isabella from "The Lizzie McGuire Movie," and Emma Roberts who came as clown Hannah Stocking.

A good time had by all, though it wasn't very scary at all.