'SpongeBob' Voice Actor Mr. SquarePants is Autistic ... That's His Superpower!!!
Tom Kenny -- the voice behind "SpongeBob SquarePants" -- is hitting the iconic yellow sponge with a new diagnosis ... autism.
The veteran performer, who's played SB for years, made an appearance at a Comic Con event in Detroit ... where he took questions from dedicated fans about the beloved Nickelodeon character ... and doubled down on a theory that SpongeBob is neurodivergent.
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As Tom told the crowd at the convention ... SpongeBob is "kind of on the spectrum," going as far as to call the cartoon character autistic.
Kanye West Shields Bianca During L.A. Outing ... For My Eyes Only!!!
Kanye West is protecting his wife, Bianca Censori, from prying eyes ... using his body as a shield during their latest outing -- while she continues to rock wacky, revealing outfits.
The couple stepped out for lunch at the Chateau Marmont Tuesday in L.A., where Bianca opted for a surprisingly covered-up, monochromatic ensemble ... which included a top, skirt, stockings, baseball hat and heels.
While she still showed some skin -- her shirt was see-through, after all -- her look was far more modest than what she's been known to wear lately. As you know ... BC's been out with no pants, a completely see-through top, the teeniest bikini and more bold fashion choices. So yeah, this is relatively safe by those standards.
Lil Rel Howery Shows Off Drastic Weight Loss ... Doubters Say It's Ozempic!!!
Lil Rel Howery is proudly showing off his body transformation -- he's looking a lot slimmer and fitter, and some folks think he's getting a helping hand from a popular drug.
The comedian is being hounded by allegations he's using one of the weight loss drugs -- like Ozempic or Wegovy -- which are super popular these days, especially among celebs looking to shed pounds.
For his part, Lil Rel says his new look is all from diet and exercise -- specifically, he's chalking it up to 5 years of physical, mental and spiritual work on himself.
Yellowstone National Park Geyser Erupts, Folks Go Runnin' Wrecks Part of Boardwalk!!!
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Yellowstone National Park tourists were sent scrambling after an unexpected hydrothermal explosion occurred at a geyser there ... which left a destructive scene in the aftermath.
The incident took place Tuesday around the Biscuit Basin area of the park -- which is just over 2 miles away from Old Faithful. Luckily, there were no reports of injuries following the explosion ... however, it caused damage to the sightseeing boardwalk.
Biscuit Basin's parking lot and boardwalks are temporarily closed in order to prioritize visitor safety ... with YNP's geologists currently investigating the event. They say the hydrothermal explosion was not a sign of an impending volcanic eruption ... and said there's been no changes to the Yellowstone region as far as they can tell.
Humpback Whale Breaches, Capsizes Boat
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Anglers off the coast of New Hampshire got dunked by a humpback whale ... when the marine mammal breached and came down hard on their boat, capsizing the vessel.
Ya gotta see the video ... a group of fishing boats are bobbing around on the surface when all of a sudden a whale comes up from the depths, launching into the air and landing on the back of a boat.
The vessel tips over and capsizes ... with two folks onboard jumping into the water as the whale submerges.
'Hawk Tuah' Girl Haliey Welch Autographed Cards Selling For $100
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Move over, LeBron James and Shohei Ohtani ... there's a new name taking over the trading card market -- "Hawk Tuah" girl Haliey Welch!!
The internet sensation -- who went viral just weeks ago -- inked yet another deal amid her meteoric rise in popularity ... this time, linking up with Leaf Trading Cards for an exclusive series of cardboard collectibles.
The company says fans can buy packs for $100 a pop ... and each batch will feature one autographed card with a unique inscription below a snapshot of her rocking a cowboy hat.
Francis Ngannou Opens Up On Son's Death ... 'What Do You Mean He's Gone?'
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Francis Ngannou is speaking into a mic for the first time since his 15-month-old son died suddenly back in March ... and his words are nothing short of heartbreaking.
Ngannou made an appearance on Joe Rogan's "JRE MMA Show" Tuesday and he talked about a wide range of subjects, including the moments he experienced in the leadup to the death of his son, Kobe.
Ngannou revealed his son had mild inflammation of the brain ... which led to him fainting twice. The first incident happened while they were in Cameroon, but he said the doctors found nothing.
Sonya Massey Shooting Deputy Got Closer For Better Shot ... So Claim Ben Crump, Sonya's Dad
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The sheriff's deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey claims he feared she was going to throw a pot of boiling water on him, but based on the horrifying police body cam ... her family and their attorney aren't buying it.
Ben Crump is representing Sonya's family, and joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday alongside her father, James Wilburn, and we asked about their takeaway from the body camera footage showing her fatal interaction with law enforcement.
Ben says Sean Grayson -- the Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy charged with first-degree murder -- doesn't look like he's fearing for his safety in the footage, because instead of moving away from Sonya as she handles a pot of boiling water, he moves toward her.
Elon Musk Woke Mind Virus 'Killed' My Child ... 'My Son Is Dead'
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Elon Musk says his transgender daughter is dead in his eyes -- saying he feels she was brainwashed by the "woke mind virus."
The Tesla chief did an interview with Jordan Peterson on Daily Wire this week, where he made the alarming comments ... saying his 20-year-old daughter, Vivian, was "killed" by what he considers left-wing propaganda as it pertains to LGBTQ+ matters.
Elon referred to his kid by her birthname -- which he rightly pointed out was her "deadname," and he said that description is accurate ... because he says your child is gone at that point.
Gov. Wes Moore Vision For America Key to Harris Win ... Not Just Attacking Trump!!!
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Gov. Wes Moore says Democrats will hold the White House by selling voters on VP Kamala Harris' vision for the future -- and he explained why prosecuting Donald Trump on the campaign trail won't be enough.
Maryland's head honcho joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live," and we asked him about the whirlwind 48 hours in the Democratic party, following Harris' rollout as the presumed presidential nominee.
As a co-chair on her campaign, he also told us what to expect from VP Harris heading into the DNC and Election Day.
Solange Knowles Lashes Out Over Sonya Massey Vid ... Black Women Aren't Protected In America!!!
The fatal police shooting of Sonya Massey has saddened Solange Knowles like many Americans -- and she's making a nuanced point about this being a regular thing in the U.S.
first words Sonya Massey said at her front door were “don’t hurt me”
— solange knowles (@solangeknowles) July 23, 2024 @solangeknowles
she was told “why would we hurt you, you called us”
when have those words meant anything when your black and woman in this country
when do those words protect you from not being murdered in your kitchen,…
After taking in the brutal body cam footage that was released this week -- Solange called out America for its historic treatment of Black women ... scoffing at the responding officer's disbelief Sonya had asked not to be hurt right from the get-go when they arrived.
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Sonya's plea still resulted in her dead on her kitchen floor with a bullet in her head, and Solange says words don't hold the same weight for Black women as they do everyone else.
Bryson DeChambeau Golfs With Trump ... Raves Over No. 45's Game!!!
Joe Biden might want to think twice about a potential golf face-off with Donald Trump ... No. 45 just recently hit the links with Bryson DeChambeau -- and he was so good, the U.S. Open champ couldn't believe his eyes.
The 78-year-old hooked up with the LIV Golf star sometime before he was nearly killed during a July 13 assassination attempt ... to film a video where the two would try to break a score of 50 on 18 holes from the most forward tees at one of Trump's courses.
The format for their game was simple -- they'd each hit their shots ... and whoever had the better one, they'd play from there. Normally -- in this kind of scramble -- DeChambeau's strokes would almost exclusively be used. But Trump was so locked in, the pair actually took a bunch of the former President's balls.
Don Buchwald Howard Stern's 'Super Agent' Dead at 88
Don Buchwald -- the iconic super-agent who started his own firm and who's repped tons of stars, including Howard Stern -- has died ... TMZ has learned.
The longtime Hollywood power player's agency confirmed the sad news -- explaining he passed Monday at his Massachusetts home surrounded by loved ones. We're told he died of natural causes.
Don formed his bi-coastal agency Buchwald with five associates in 1977 -- and over the years, he built it into a leader for Hollywood representation ... in the areas of commercial, broadcast, film, theater, television, literary and emerging talent.
Thom Brennaman I'm Putting On Headset Again ... After Homophobic Slur Scandal
Disgraced sports play-by-play announcer Thom Brennaman is returning to the broadcast booth ... securing a job calling college football games four years after he resigned for hurling a homophobic slur on air.
Brennaman was working a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals on Aug. 19, 2020, when, at one point in the broadcast, he was heard on a hot mic referring to a place as "one of the f** capitals of the world."
no way did this just happen, this is not real pic.twitter.com/6ou1BkAhYW
— paco (@AllaireMatt) August 20, 2020 @AllaireMatt
Brennaman then issued an apology later in the game ... which eventually was turned into a meme online, as he paused the mea culpa to call a Nick Castellanos home run before stating, "I don't know if I will be putting on this headset again."
Michael Jackson Purported Sketches to Be Auctioned Off ... Estate Skeptical
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update
4:28 PM PT -- Turns out, Michael Jackson's estate doesn't think these drawings being attributed to MJ are the real McCoy -- in fact, they say they have reason to believe otherwise.
A rep for the estate tells us they do not accept these sketches as authentic -- noting they examined the artwork years ago and upon further inspection, felt even more dubious. They say they've relayed this to the auction house since then, and insist they haven't gotten any evidence that, to them, would suggest these drawings were done by the late icon.
Michael Jackson may be best known for his legendary singing career, but he was also quite the sketch artist ... and his signed drawings are about to be available for purchase.
The singer's rare collection -- which is made up of 78 sketch drawings of various images, including the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth II, Peter Pan, Andy Warhol, etc. -- will be auctioned off by Kings Auctions Beverly Hills partnered with Kings Auctions Las Vegas on August 3. The location has yet to be disclosed.
The auction will reportedly first welcome bids for the entire collection ... though, a $1 million opening offer is required or the auction will move to selling the pieces separately.
President Biden Seen for 1st Time Since 'Rona Hit Him ... Heading Back to D.C.!!!
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update
11:16 AM PT -- Joe Biden just boarded Air Force One -- and he walked out of his SUV with a mask in hand.
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Of course, he was peppered with questions by reporters on hand -- who asked how he was feeling, and whether he thought Kamala Harris could beat Donald Trump. He replied with an inaudible answer and then went up the big stairs to get on the airplane. We'll see him in D.C. soon.
President Joe Biden is on the move -- surfacing in public for the first time since his COVID diagnosis ... and based on this video we just got, it looks like he's still playing it safe.