Jussie Smollett Completes 5-Month Rehab Program
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Here's a milestone for Jussie Smollett -- he's completed a rehab stint for substance abuse.
Sources close to Jussie tell TMZ … earlier this month, the former "Empire" star finished a 5-month outpatient program.
We're told Jussie put in the work, focusing on his health and being consistent with his workouts during his time in rehab.
Remember ... Jussie's substance abuse came up frequently during his criminal trial in Chicago, which is still hanging over his head as he continues to fight his conviction and jail sentence.
On the bright side, our sources say Jussie's new management team is hard at work gearing him up for the upcoming release of his new film and other projects.
As we reported, Jussie checked himself into an outpatient treatment facility back in October, and during his rehab stint, we saw him reading Matthew Perry's memoir ... which, of course, detailed the late actor's own struggles with addiction.
Jussie continues trying to push forward through the past several years of adversity. Completing rehab was one hurdle, and the next big one will be his legal battle.
As we reported, he's waiting to see if the Illinois Supreme Court will weigh in on whether his conviction -- and subsequent 150-day sentence -- should stand.
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Adam22 I Think Drake's 🍆 Vid Is Dope ... But He's Not Happy It's Out
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Adam22 is declaring himself and Wack100 as hip hop's de facto d*** pic raters ... and according to his expertise, Drake and his schlong are a gift to the rap game!!!
The "No Jumper" boss recently linked with TMZ Hip Hop and he has the utmost confidence the viral video purported to be Drake is 100% real.
Everyone's seen "the video" and Adam claims he was privy to a peek at Drake's scepter months ago after a mutual friend of theirs showed him pics.
Many speculated it was a sleazy leak to build buzz for Drake's tour ... but Adam says Drake told him personally he wasn't responsible for unleashing the clip, because that's not on brand for OVO!!!
Adam speculates Drake was getting blackmailed for money, and the vid was posted as payback for a failed shakedown ... but Adam says there's no reason for Drizzy to be ashamed.
He's slapping a fat 8/10 on Drake's meat, just south of the perfect score many pornstars get ... and keep in mind they swing theirs for a living!!!
We also discussed his blushing bride Lena The Plug, and despite their very open sex lives, he clarified she's not just a hot prize to be passed around to the next horndog ... something he says NLE Choppa, clearly, doesn't understand.
Adam recently gave the thumbs up to NLE's package deal, but says the Memphis rapper pushed his luck by pushing up on Lena.
Relax bro I was just complimenting your dick https://t.co/FOZWUmKeTY
— adam22 (@adam22) February 17, 2024 @adam22
That being said, Adam says a threesome still isn't out of the question -- but cautions, it would be a pro shoot, so NLE better bring his A-game!
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DWAYNE JOHNSON Owns 'If You Smell What The Rock Is Cooking' ... 'Candy Ass,' Other Zingers
The Rock is cooking up some serious business moves ... because he's locked up the rights to some of his most famous stage names and catch phrases, all part of his WWE deal.
Dwayne Johnson's recent agreement with the new board, as it turns out, calls for him to own his stage name "The Rock," plus a wide range of other titles and zingers ... which just became public knowledge.
According to an SEC filing, Dwayne legally acquired popular taglines like ... "If you smell what The Rock is cooking" and "Know Your Role and Shut Your Mouth."
DJ also locked up the rights to his various wrestling nicknames and wrestling moves, including ... "The People's Champion," "The People's Elbow," "The Great One," "The Samoan Sensation," "The Brahma Bull" and "The Blue Chipper."
The Rock also owns "Jabroni" and "Candy Ass" ... plus "Roody Poo" ... among other items. Worth noting ... he owns these names/phrases in the context of WWE ... that's it. Everyone else can throw these lines around in public, DJ only has dominion in the wrestling world.
Of course, this is one of the major benefits of Dwayne's deal to become the newest board of directors member for TKO -- which now owns WWE and UFC as a new one-stop shop entity.
As we reported ... The Rock is also getting stock options valued at $30 million and some executive decision-making power. And yes, he's a major shot-caller as a board member now -- so he's got a nice little package of perks to himself ... including things only he can say.
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal!!!
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'Love Is Blind' Alleged 'Script' Spotted in the Pods ... It Ain't What You Think!!!
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"Love Is Blind" is facing a conspiracy theory that the show is staged after a supposed script was spotted in a scene from season 6 -- but TMZ knows the truth ... and it's all live, baby!
A still shot of contestant Jessica Vestal from earlier this season is making the rounds online -- which shows the single mother with a notebook filled with printed-out text sitting on her lap during a pod date with Jimmy Presnell.
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Since the notebook was presented like a regular ol' journal ... fans were quick to speculate that the Netflix reality series might be hiding something -- namely, that the whole thing is staged, to be exact, and that Jess wasn't taking notes but rather ... reading lines.
Despite the rampant speculation, a production source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... the show is absolutely not scripted, and the printouts in question are merely questions the contestants are provided in case they need some ideas on topics to hit in conversation.
For example, we're told some of these questions seen in the journals could be something like ... "What’s your favorite color," or something else personal to keep the vibes flowing.
Our sources tell us that the prompts you see are simply meant to help the contestants get to know each other. Remember, the 'LIB' contestants initially meet with a wall between them -- so a little assistance isn't wildly unexpected, and that's exactly what this is.
Watching Love is Blind I realized Cole’s notebook seems to have a printed out sheet glued in. Could it be a script? Do they have access to computers/printers for their notes? Does Cole bullet journal/scrapbook? I have so many questions. 👀 pic.twitter.com/GbYKTdA7NS
— Ces Heredia-Rothschild (@CesHeredia) October 23, 2022 @CesHeredia
Now, whether the contestants are overselling the notion these are just plain old notebooks to scribble things down in -- when there are clearly things written in there ahead of time for them -- is a different story ... because yes, they most certainly do seem to be playing it up.
The point is, though ... there's no scandal here, and there's no script either. We're told 'Love is Blind' is 100% live reality TV -- and what you see is what you get in terms of interactions.
BTW, this isn't the first time the notebooks have been questioned by viewers.
The journals were actually called out way back in season 3 -- when a similar photo ... this time featuring Cole Barnett -- was posted to X. At the time ... one fan declared they were left with "so many questions" over the journal.
We're glad to have shut the book on this conspiracy, FWIW.
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Taylor Swift Woman Looks Up Song at Concert ... Swifties Come After Her!!!
Major no-no at the Taylor Swift concert down in Australia ... Swifties are coming after a woman who was caught on video using an app to look up one of Taylor's hit songs -- but lots of others are actually defending this lady.
Some Taylor fans are furious the concertgoer, who appears to be a middle-aged woman, turned to Shazam to identify one of the songs Tay Tay was singing ... specifically, "Champagne Problems."
A short clip of the woman frantically looking up the song on her phone is going viral on TikTok ... and a faction of Swifties are pissed, complaining about a non-diehard fan scoring a ticket to the sold-out "Eras" tour shows.
There's a bunch of mean folks in the comments ... seemingly upset the woman had the audacity to use Shazam in the middle of the show. How dare she not know the full setlist!!!
While the outrage is pretty loud, the majority of people are being supportive ... and understanding. Just check the comments from the OG TikTok -- there's a good amount of folks cutting her some slack, while other overzealous Swifties are dogpiling.
One popular theory ... the woman using Shazam probably went to the show with a younger family member who is a huge Taylor fan -- and she just didn't know the songs herself ... and wants to learn. Sounds pretty plausible, and it's definitely nothing to fret.
Hey, it's not like she was looking up "Shake It Off." Let's leave this poor woman alone!
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'Rust' Armorer Trial AD Gives Emotional Testimony ... Others Testify Against Her
The first assistant director on the set of "Rust" -- who handed Alec Baldwin the gun that was ultimately fired at Halyna Hutchins -- just took the stand in the armorer's trial, and he cried.
David Halls testified on behalf of the prosecution Thursday in New Mexico -- where they're going after Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on manslaughter charges ... and he gave a detailed description of his last interaction with Halyna before she died on set.
It's incredibly emotional ... he says Halyna told him she couldn't feel her legs before she passed -- and DH sheds some tears here.
The prosecution also had a producer on the film, Ryan Winterstern, testify Thursday. Prosecutors say Hannah previously claimed she spoke to 2 producers named Ryan and Nathan and told them she needed additional armorer time with Baldwin concerning his cross draw.
Remember ... Alec was working on his cross draw in the scene when his gun went off and shot a live round, hitting Halyna and ultimately taking her life. Prosecutors say Hannah shares at least some of the blame because she was responsible for the guns on set.
Anyway, Ryan was asked straight up if he remembers having that conversation with Hannah ... and he testified he didn't recall her ever bringing that to his attention, and said he probably would remember such a convo if it had occurred.
Meanwhile, in testimony from Wednesday, prosecutors asked line producer Gabrielle Pickle if she ever expressed concerns to Hannah about firearms being left unattended on set.
Gabrielle testified she twice raised the issue with Hannah ... in person and also via email.
Asked if she suggested a way of fixing the issue with unattended firearms on the "Rust" set, Gabrielle testified she proposed a logging system to Hannah, where the firearms would be checked in and checked out with each use.
Gabrielle testified Hannah shot down the suggestion ... allegedly telling Gabrielle it was "too complicated" and that Hannah was working with her own system for keeping track of the guns.
As we reported ... the prosecution's opening statement was all about Hannah being at fault for the live round that killed Halyna.
Prosecutors said Hannah did not follow proper gun safety protocols on set ... claiming she regularly left guns and ammo just lying around the set, and even allowed live ammo to infiltrate the production.
For her part, Hannah's lawyers have said she was tasked with multiple jobs on set -- armorer and prop assistant -- which was a lot to ask of her at just 24 years old.
Hannah's camp claims her age and relative anonymity make her a textbook scapegoat here.
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'Teen Mom' Jenelle Evans Details Attempted Break-In at Home Says She Had Gun with Her
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Jenelle Evans is getting into the details of the attempted break-in at her North Carolina home -- and the story she tells is absolutely horrific ... making clear, she's lucky to be alive.
The former "Teen Mom" star hopped on TikTok Thursday to get into what she experienced last weekend -- and she says this all unfolded in the middle of the night while she was at home with her 14-year-old son, Jace.
Jenelle says this random guy -- who she says she's never seen before, and who was not her husband -- was all of a sudden on her property and attempting to get into the house.
She goes on to describe her waking up Jace, huddling together and calling 911 ... all while this unidentified man tried yanking her sliding glass door open, which she says was only prevented by a stick blocking it from the floor.
Jenelle does say she had a gun with her ... but notes, she didn't want to use it if she didn't have to -- not wanting to put her boy through that type of trauma. In the end, she says the guy only stopped once he realized she was with her teenage kid, and he apologized.
She says he told her he was at the wrong house -- but Jenelle calls BS, saying she lives out in the country on a 10-acre property ... and she suspects he was there to do her harm.
Jenelle also says she's got this guy on camera, and is working with cops as they investigate. She says she'll post this footage soon in hopes that people online can help track him down.
The one thing she didn't clarify ... where was her hubby, David Eason? No word on that.
Cops have since told TMZ ... the call came in as an attempted break-in, and the suspect was described as a Hispanic male. For now, there are no new updates in the case.
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ECU Gunman Exchanges Gunfire w/ Cops on Video ... Allegedly Shot Employee
Police in North Carolina have taken a man into custody after he allegedly shot a college employee ... and their confrontation with the suspect was all caught on video.
Greenville police officers said the alleged gunman -- identified as 38-year-old Savell Hightower -- was taken into custody after they say he shot an East Carolina University employee outside a local elementary school in what they're currently calling an unprovoked attack.
Police say the alleged victim encountered a man on a bike before that man apparently fired at him at least five times. The 27-year-old ECU employee sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Fast-forward a bit ... and cop cars flying down the street apparently drew the attention of a local citizen who started to film through his windows as a man calmly rode by the house on a bike.
It appears he caught the moment two police cars pulled up with officers hopping out, guns drawn and pointed at the man on the bike. It looks like the cops open fire though it's unclear from the video if the man is firing back -- though police say he did fire at officers.
Somehow, the suspect was reportedly uninjured, and cops say they managed to get him into custody without further incident.
Hightower is reportedly booked on multiple charges, including attempted murder counts, assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a stolen firearm.
Seems like everyone's gonna be just fine from this encounter ... but, certainly a scary situation to say the least.
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CHEERIOS LAWSUIT YOUR CEREAL IS FILLED WITH PESTICIDE!!!
General Mills has been hit with a class-action lawsuit claiming Cheerios contains a harmful pesticide ... which some angry customers say definitely ain't good for the heart!
In the docs obtained by TMZ, plaintiff Steven Epstein alleges that GM has been manufacturing, marketing and distributing the hugely popular oat-based cereal brand without making it clear that it's laden with dangerously high levels of a particular pesticide known as chlormequat chloride ... which he claims independent studies have confirmed to be present.
In the docs, NY native Epstein says when he bought a box of Cheerios from the store in January, he had no reason to suspect that it contained chlormequat chloride based on the product's advertising, marketing, and listed ingredients.
He says chlormequat is linked to causing problems with fetal growth and the nervous system.
Epstein claims that if he had known that Cheerios contained dangerous levels of the pesticide and the potential harm that could result from ingesting it, he either wouldn't have purchased it at all or would have been willing to pay significantly less for it.
So now, Epstein is trying to put together a class action ... and is looking for millions in damages for what he claims are material misrepresentations and omissions in marketing the popular cereal.
We've reached out to General Mills for comment ... so far, no word back.
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Lizzo I Didn't Turn Down J Lo For Movie Role!!!
Lizzo is pushing back on the notion she turned down a cameo for the new Jennifer Lopez movie ... and it sounds like she would've come aboard if she knew about it.
Here's the deal ... J Lo revealed all the celebs who allegedly passed on roles in her recent flick "This Is Me ... Now" in a Prime Video doc about the making of her new album ... and Lizzo's name came up as being "unavailable."
However, Lizzo's singing a different tune, literally. In a TikTok post, Lizzo claims no one told her about the movie offer. She doubles down, claiming she wasn't asked to be in the flick.
No hard feelings from Lizzo though ... she looks into the camera and tells J Lo she loves her. So, she's not really bent out of shape -- but it does raise an eyebrow, no doubt.
Remember, in the 'Greatest Love Story Never Told' doc, J Lo tells her love story through her eyes ... but it sounds like the casting journey was full of twists and turns.
Among the celebs J Lo's teams said passed on the flick ... Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge, Vanessa Hudgens, Snoop Dogg, SZA, Bad Bunny and Anthony Ramos.
Most of the stars had legitimate conflicts ... Taylor was doing her 'Eras' tour and Ariana was filming "Wicked" across the pond ... but J Lo claims Khloé Kardashian backed out of a cameo at the last second.
Despite her reps saying a bunch of people passed on the project -- two people so far have come forward to refute that ... JC talked to a pap just yesterday and denied any knowledge, and now -- Lizzo's saying she, too, had no clue about this.
Of course, J Lo did manage to bag a couple big names ... including Sofia Vergara, Jane Fonda, Keke Palmer, Post Malone and Trevor Noah.
All's well that ends well, we suppose ... but it is weird that there are two different accounts of this.
Oh well! 🤷🏽♂️
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Drake Cancer Survivor Gets $25K Honors Fans Killed After His Show
Drake's honoring the mother and daughter who died tragically after a recent show in St. Louis ... while also making another sweet gesture to somebody battling cancer.
During his Buffalo, NY concert Wednesday night at KeyBank Center, Drake took time to share an emotional message with the crowd, saying ... "You never know what somebody else's reality will be when they walk out of this building,"
He also encouraged fans in the audience to show love to a total stranger, which people did.
Drake's mind and heart were heavy as he was clearly referring to Laticha Bracero and her daughter, 21-year-old Alyssa Cordova, adding …"Rest in peace to that young mother and her child."
The tragic moment was caught on video ... the mother/daughter duo were leaving Drake and J. Cole's St. Louis concert on the early morning of February 14 when a car struck them at a high rate of speed.
Police say the man they allege was operating the vehicle, Monte Henderson, ran several red lights before the collision and charged the 22-year-old with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and two counts of armed criminal action.
Drake's first of his 2 Buffalo shows wasn't all somber though ... he peeped a fan in the crowd waving a sign that said “Beat stage four cancer just in time for Drake #godsplan.”
The rapper made the concert trip worth the woman's while -- he blessed her with $25k just like he did in the actual "God's Plan" video.
Pretty cool moment from Drizzy, on both fronts.
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Diddy Sexual Assault Accuser Can't Remain Anonymous
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The woman suing Diddy for an alleged sexual assault she claims happened when she was in high school has to reveal her identity ... the judge just ruled she can't keep her identity under wraps as a Jane Doe if the case moves forward.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Diddy's accuser can no longer remain anonymous if her case against Diddy survives his attempt to get it dismissed.
The judge in the case denied the woman's motion to proceed anonymously ... but her identity will remain a secret at least until after the court decides whether to dismiss the case.
Diddy is trying to get the lawsuit against him tossed, and Thursday's ruling means if Diddy loses his motion to dismiss the case, the proceedings will move forward with the accuser's real name on the documents.
As we reported ... this Jane Doe filed suit against Diddy back in December 2023, claiming she was only 17 years old when Diddy and others sex trafficked and gang raped her. The woman alleges this all occurred way back in 2003 ... and she was among many people who came forward with old accusations against stars in NY late last year.
Diddy and his co-defendants argued they would suffer prejudice if the accuser got to remain anonymous while their identities were widely reported ... and it looks like they were able to convince the judge.
Mind you ... this is just one of several lawsuits Diddy's dealing with. He's denied all the allegations levied against him in every single legal complaint.
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DR. PHIL BIDEN'S MEMORY LOSS IS A CONCERN!!! ... Talks Politics, New Book
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Dr. Phil isn't afraid to voice his concerns about a red flag in the political arena -- and that'd be Joe Biden's apparent difficulty remembering things ... and his cognitive ability at large.
The TV star and medical professional stopped off at "TMZ Live" Thursday to chat about his new book, "We've Got Issues: How You Can Stand Strong for America's Soul and Sanity" -- and the convo eventually turned to Biden's doctor recently claiming he was fit for duty without needing a physical or neurological exam.
He declared this with conviction, despite many public examples of him forgetting basic deets.
Of course, Biden's all-clear raised eyebrows among some -- including Phil ... who tapped into his days practicing in brain, central nervous system, and cognitive ability fields to weigh in on the situation.
With this in mind, he tells us POTUS if didn't have anything to hide regarding his brain power, he would theoretically have no issue undergoing a transparent neurocognitive test.
Biden's memory loss has become prime material for online roasting sessions -- especially among Republicans -- and even Jon Stewart couldn't resist taking a jab at him during his recent "The Daily Show" return to the hosting chair.
In fairness, JS also went after his opponent -- roasting Trump for being unable to remember basic stuff ... which is a pretty crucial trait to have if you're running the country.
Just don't ask Dr. Phil to throw his hat into the presidential ring anytime soon. He tells us he's been approached for the important gig several times, but he just doesn't know enough about politics to take it all seriously. With that said, he is exploring politics more lately.
It's probably a good call to recognize where your strengths lie and where you might need to sit things out. Phil's very self-aware, and as wise as ever here.
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Shohei Ohtani I'm Married!!!
UPDATE
1:47 PM PT -- Shohei Ohtani just revealed more about his wife during a meeting with media members out at spring training on Thursday ... saying the two knew each other around three or four years before tying the knot.
The baseball star also said she had "nothing to do" with his decision to leave the Angels and join the Dodgers this offseason.
Shohei Ohtani is officially off the dating market ... the MLB superstar revealed late Wednesday night he's now married!!!
The Dodgers' designated hitter said in a post on his Instagram page his new spouse is "someone from my Native country of Japan who is very special to me" ... although he did not reveal the person's name.
"I am excited for what is come," he wrote ... before adding, "thank you for your support."
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Ohtani included a picture of his adorable dog, Decoy, on the announcement as well.
Of course, it's now the second time in the last three months the 29-year-old has told the world of a life-changing event on IG ... back in December, he shared he was moving on from the Angels to the Dodgers for the foreseeable future.
That announcement got over two million "likes" on the social media app ... and so far, it's appeared to be a great decision for the two-way player.
Shohei Ohtani homers in his @Dodgers #SpringTraining debut. 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/o6vMUHKUR4
— MLB (@MLB) February 27, 2024 @MLB
Ohtani homered in his first spring training game with the team earlier this week, and he looks poised for a huge 2024 -- even if he won't pitch this year while recovering from elbow surgery.
Only about three more weeks until the at-bats actually count for L.A. ... get that popcorn ready!
Originally Published -- 6:15 AM PT
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ADAM SANDLER TAYLOR SWIFT'S AS BIG AS THE BEATLES ... She Makes Me Nervous!!
Adam Sandler's just like the rest of us ... turns out, not even he can keep his cool around Taylor Swift.
Speaking on SiriusXM's "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend," Adam and host Conan discussed how 21st-century celebs didn't quite leave them fangirling like the ones from back in the day did -- but according to the actor ... one modern star broke that rule -- Tay Tay!!
Adam explained that he still gets "a little f***ing jumpy" around the singer cause of what she means to his teen daughters Sadie and Sunny ... and he doesn't want to risk blowing their chance to have an awesome experience by acting all awkward around TS.
In fact, it's like his comedy movie characters come to life when he's trying to get Taylor's attention ... 'cause he says he's super loud and excited!!
.@taylorswift13 hugs Adam Sandler’s family and takes a picture before she leaves the theater #TSErasTourFilm pic.twitter.com/3Ol4ry3VeK
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) October 12, 2023 @DEADLINE
Conan totally got where Adam was coming from here, BTW ... adding TS was on a whole other level now with her superstardom reaching crazy heights and her Travis Kelce romance hitting headlines.
Adam went on to compare Swift's success to "Beatlemania" in the '60s ... adding she has so many smash hits, and there's not a word his kids don't know.
He's had plenty of opportunities to sing along with them, too ... last year, he took his daughters to Taylor's "Eras" tour in L.A., and they also hit up the "The Eras Tour: The Movie" premiere. So yeah, AS is a well-anointed Swifite via proxy, thanks to his kids.
Adam's definitely rocking the ultimate girl dad title, that's for damn sure!
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LEAP YEAR 2024 STARS JUMPING FOR JOY!!
The Leap Year's like a bonus round of fun that rolls around once every four years, and this squad of celebs are ready to seize the extra day on Feb 29!
First, we have DJ Steve Aoki taking his celebration to a whole new level by getting Pikachu involved in Japan.
Then check out Serena Williams serving us with a serious vacay high jump, while fellow tennis player Maria Sharapova has the perfect approach to her winter wonderland setting.
"Selling Sunset" stars Mary Fitzgerald and Romain Bonnet make the leap for luxury on a Bali beach.
"Pitch Perfect" star Skylar Astin makes a splash ... hurling himself into the crystal-clear waters of Jamaica.
Kimora Lee and Russell Simmons' daughter, Aoki Lee Simmons, rounds things off by soaring to new heights ... all thanks to a trampoline.
Safe to say ... people seem to be happy to jump around on a leap year.
Happy Feb. 29, y'all!