Boxing Champ James DeGale My Olympic Gold Medal Was Stolen ... I've Got Video Of Heist!!!
Former boxing champ James DeGale claims he has video of a person stealing his Olympic gold medal from his parents' house ... and now, he's begging for any information that could help him ID the suspect.
The 35-year-old pugilist says security video at his folks' home caught a person wearing all black walking up to a doorway at around 9 PM on Sunday.
The footage is chilling ... it appears to show the person blocking the camera with some sort of bag, before breaking into the home.
DeGale claims the person walked away with his gold medal and his MBE -- a very coveted British award -- and he's now asking for any sort of help to get his stuff back.
"He took two of my prize possessions MY OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AND MY MBE," DeGale said. "They are worthless to anyone other than me and they are two achievements that I prize from my boxing career."
"I am gutted and need my medals back. Can anyone help by reporting any information you have. Please share far and wide."
It's unclear if police are investigating ... we're working on it.
DeGale won the gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ... and he later went on to earn the IBF super-middleweight title in 2015 -- becoming the 1st British boxer to win both honors.
He ultimately piled up a career record of 25-3-1 ... scoring 15 total knockouts.
Alex Killorn & Nikita Kucherov Jet Ski Ride With Stanley Cup ... At Epic Lightning Celebration!!!
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Lord Stanley looked more like Lord Jet Ski on Monday ... 'cause Tampa Bay Lightning stars Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov just took the Stanley Cup for an epic ride on the water!!!
It all went down at the NHL team's championship parade in Tampa, Fla. ... and video from the scene is absolutely AWESOME!!!
The two put the trophy up front near the steering column ... and then took the title bling out for a joy ride.
At one point, the guys maneuvered it all the way over to a packed crowd ... and stood up on the ride to lift it up so everyone could cheer it on!!!
BIG CAT, 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝! 🦁
— Bally Sports Sun: Lightning (@BallyLightning) July 12, 2021 @BallyLightning
Watch the #GoBolts #StanleyCup Boat Parade on ⤵️
📺: Bally Sports Sun
💻: https://t.co/p0qDDrOop7
📱: Bally Sports App pic.twitter.com/haFKClQBJP
Of course, the parade has featured a ton of other memorable moments ... with guys chuggin' booze, tossin' bottles from boat to boat, and even Andrei Vasilevskiy putting the Conn Smythe Trophy on his head!!
And, if you were wondering ... the Cup has NOT been thrown from one ride to another just yet -- seems the Lightning aren't willing to be as brave as Tom Brady was in February.
But, probably for the best ... the thing is, after all, WAY heavier than the Lombardi Trophy!!
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Matt James & Rachel Kirkconnell Finally Go Public ... Arm-in-Arm at ESPYs
You can definitely call it a comeback -- Matt James, the first Black 'Bachelor,' and Rachel Kirkconnell making their public debut as a couple ... after the racism controversy that broke them up, and blew up the TV franchise.
The duo was all smiles as they showed up for the ESPYs Saturday night in NYC ... and happily posed for photogs. Although we've known they were back together, they've been laying low.
They looked pretty stylish for their coming out -- Matt, a former college football player, rocked a double-breasted plaid suit, while Rachel went with a very low-cut sheer black gown.
Quick refresher: Matt gave Rachel his final rose, but after pics surfaced of her at an antebellum south, plantation-themed college party ... he broke up with her during the "After the Final Rose" special.
Matt said, “If you don’t understand that something like that is problematic in 2018, there’s a lot of me that you won’t understand.”
Matt framed the split as giving Rachel space to work on herself, and then a few weeks later ... bam! We spotted them out together in Santa Monica -- but they were obviously trying to keep it on the DL, as Matt covered up in shades and a hoodie.
Since then, we've also seen Matt and Rachel hanging out around NYC. So, with last night's debut ... it looks like they've fully worked things out!
Now they can get back to arguing, like every other couple.
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ESPY Awards Sha'Carri's Suspension Ripped ... Naomi Osaka Gets Support
If Sha'Carri Richardson and Naomi Osaka had any doubts about how much public support they're getting -- it's gone after the ESPY Awards, where host Anthony Mackie put a spotlight on them.
During his opening monologue, Mackie took a direct shot at U.S.A. Track & Field over its suspension of Richardson for a positive marijuana test. He joked, "The greatest celebration of sports is back! We up here on a rooftop in New York City. Man, we're so high they wouldn't let us compete in the Olympics."
The award show was held outdoors in NYC's Seaport district, and Mackie added, "How do you justify banning Sha'Carri Richardson for smoking weed? Weed is a de-hancing drug -- it doesn't make you do anything but want to watch another episode of 'Bob's Burgers.' You never saw Snoop Dogg run anywhere!"
The event was Sha'Carri's first public appearance since she got benched from the Olympics. Ditto for tennis superstar Osaka, who took home an award for Best Female Athlete.
But, even before she got the trophy, Mackie called out the World Tennis Association for not supporting her after she pulled out of the French Open and Wimbledon due to mental health.
"I'm no tennis exec, I don't know, but if my sport had one of the most popular and marketable athletes on the planet, you know what I would do? I would probably make sure she felt comfortable and respected. But hey, what do I know, right? I'm just Captain America."
Interestingly, while Sha'Carri's shut out of the Olympics, Naomi will be there. She's playing tennis for Japan ... her mother's home country.
Unfortunately, the cheers she got at the ESPYs won't be repeated in Tokyo ... as all spectators have been banned due to Japan's surge in COVID-19 cases.
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Matt Damon on 'Stillwater' Research for Role Was 'Eye-Opening' On MAGA, Work/Life Culture
Matt Damon says the research for his role in "Stillwater" -- in which he plays an oil-rig worker -- was a major wake-up call on red-state culture ... something that could well earn him an Academy Award.
The actor recently dished on what went into learning about his character for the Oscar bait-y flick -- which got rave reviews and even a standing O at the Cannes Film Festival the other day -- and he says what he gleaned from the roughnecks of Oklahoma was "eye-opening."
“They’re in the oil business, of course he voted for Trump,” Matt Damon says of his #Stillwater character, citing time spent in Oklahoma as critical to the role. "These guys who took us out to the oil rigs...were wonderful to us, they really helped us. It was eye opening for me." pic.twitter.com/Or6mZrW10Q
— Variety (@Variety) July 9, 2021 @Variety
Watch how Matt characterized the experience during a panel Q&A following the screening of his upcoming movie in France. He explains how he and director Tom McCarthy spent a good amount of time down in the South ... where they got the lay of the land, literally, from guys who do the job day in and day out -- getting a sense of their lifestyles, their POVs on life/family and, of course, their politics as well ... which Matt didn't discuss with disdain.
If anything ... he's got the opposite sentiment, saying the people he was around -- not to mention his character, Bill -- own who and what they are ... even on the issue of MAGA.
Matt Damon is brought to tears at the #Cannes2021 standing ovation for ‘Stillwater.’ pic.twitter.com/phpK2mOJT1
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) July 8, 2021 @RaminSetoodeh
It's a pretty fascinating take on what many may perhaps write off without a second thought -- the minute you bring up Trump and his supporters ... a lot of folks will tune it all out.
Not Matt, though ... the way he talks about his encounters down there makes it seem like there's some good people around -- regardless of their politics -- and that they're more nuanced than how they're made out to be a lot of the time. To which we say ... obviously.
BTW, this film isn't necessarily a slice-of-Oklahoma-life type of a project -- where Matt immerses himself in method acting or anything. It's actually an action thriller -- a la, "Taken" -- with the oil-rig/middle America stuff as the backdrop. Still ... word is, Matt's turn here is getting tons of buzz, as they're saying he's "unrecognizable" on screen.
Looks like it'll be a good one -- and with the Republican factor thrown in, we're sure it'll be the subject of some chatter once it hits theaters. "Stillwater" is set to come out later this month.
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National Spelling Bee Zaila Avant-garde Makes History ... First Black American Champ!!!
How do you spell "most interesting teenager in America?" Zaila Avant-garde!!!
Zaila entered the history books Thursday by winning the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the first Africa-American champion. The 14-year-old also became the first winner from the state of Louisiana.
The teen took home the title after she correctly spelled "murraya" -- a type of tree -- but not before she joked that the word contained the last name of a comedian ... to the delight of Bill Murray fans everywhere.
Along her way to becoming the first Black American to win in 93 editions of the competition, Zaila also had to spell words like "querimonious," "solidungulate," and "Nepeta." The only other Black winner was Jamaica's Jody-Anne Maxwell in 1998.
So I've known about this girl for years and it's for being an absolute hoooooper. Already a huge fan and to now see she won the National Spelling Bee?! Incredible. Check out her IG: https://t.co/cgWMA16Y3n
— C.J. Toledano (@CJToledano) July 9, 2021 @CJToledano
Will probably be our President someday. https://t.co/r1NVxIz23n pic.twitter.com/iU5IKRcd8s
There's much more to Avant-garde than her spelling though ... which she only began doing competitively 2 years ago. She's also a gifted basketball player who holds 3 Guinness world records for dribbling skills ... and even her last name is special. Her father changed it from Heard to Avant-garde in homage to the jazz legend, John Coltrane.
With her win, Zaila took home $50,000 and wowed folks like First Lady Jill Biden who attended the event.
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Lil Nas X BET Awards Kiss ... Draws Whopping 3 FCC Complaints!!!
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Lil Nas X triggered a wave of online criticism for kissing a male dancer during the BET Awards, but over at the FCC ... it was basically crickets. Sooo, sign of progress?
TMZ's obtained the complaints filed to the Federal Communications Commission and there were merely 3 of them made in after Lil Nas' much-talked about performance of "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)" ... which he buttoned with the kiss.
One viewer from the Bronx wrote to the FCC around 1 AM ... "I was very disturbed to see 2 men practically having sexual in the stage when the awards show is supposed to be a family show. It’s ridiculous and children and adults are being forced to endure this. Unacceptable and I will be unsubscribing from BET network. DISGUSTING AND DISTURBING!!!!!!!!"
Another pissed off viewer wrote, "During a performance 2 gay men kissed. Why are you showing this on tv. It is disgusting and wrong for kids to see because it’s unnatural." #Ugh.
The third gripe cam from a guy in Philly, but it was mostly about satanism than the kiss.
That's it. Just the 3. For comparison, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's Grammy performance of "WAP," and J Lo and Shakira's Super Bowl Halftime show each inspired more than 1,000 FCC complaints.
As we reported ... Lil Nas delivered a stunning performance at the BET Awards ... not only with his hit track but also with a tribute to Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time."
Of course, the rapper saw way more than 3 people sounding off on social media -- so many, in fact, that Lil Nas clapped back at the haters ... particularly one who called him out for using "AFRICAN CULTURE FOR S***S LIKE THIS!!!!!!!"
The incredibly low number of FCC complaints might have more to do with a lower number of viewers -- at least compared to the Grammys or a Super Bowl -- but one can hope part of it is also about tolerance.
More than anything, Twitter's the new clearing house for hate ... which the FCC's gotta love.
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Kodak Black June 11 is My Day!!! Rapper Honored for Charitable Work
Kodak Black has gone from prison to proclamation ... a proclamation that June 11 is now Kodak Black Day in Broward County, Florida.
Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness presented Kodak with the proclamation, stating June 11 will forever be known as a day honoring the rapper.
Holness bestowed the honor on Kodak Friday at a charity basketball tourney in Coral Springs.
Kodak was clearly moved, saying the proclamation means more to him than any platinum album. The proclamation lists some of Kodak's charitable work and personal accomplishments over the last few years.
The basketball tournament raised $5k to benefit the Lippman Youth Shelter.
As you know, Kodak scored a commutation from then-President Trump -- at the urging of his lawyer, Bradford Cohen -- in large part because of his charity work.
Among the good work Kodak has done ... donating a years' worth of diapers, underwear and socks to the Jack & Jill Children's Center and donating thousands of dollars so community groups could provide 1,000 turkeys to people in need. He's also forked over $20k for toys and other items for XMAS presents.
The proclamation also cites Kodak's contribution of $100k to families of fallen FBI agents, along with scholarship money for the children of the agents' families.
Kodak served half of his 46 months in prison for two counts of making a false statement on an application for a firearm.
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George Floyd Teen Who Recorded Murder Gets Pulitzer Prize Special Citation
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Darnella Frazier -- the teenager who recorded George Floyd's death under Derek Chauvin's knee -- has just earned a special citation in this year's Pulitzer Prize.
Pulitzer Prize co-chair Mindy Marqués said during Friday's announcement that the Floyd story, in particular, highlighted not only the essential role of journalists, but the increasing importance of ordinary citizens.
Pulitzer Prize co-chair Mindy Marqués awards a special citation to Darnella Frazier, the teenager who recorded the murder of George Floyd. pic.twitter.com/MmI51dp2uZ
— The Recount (@therecount) June 11, 2021 @therecount
She added, "We want to note that the board has awarded a special citation to Darnella Frazier, the teenage witness who filmed and posted the transformative video that jolted viewers and spurred protests against police brutality around the world."
The honor was presented after the board awarded the Minneapolis Star-Tribune with the Pulitzer -- arguably journalism's most prestigious award -- for its reporting of Floyd's death and the aftermath.
Darnella was 17 when she whipped out her phone to record the fatal arrest. After posting the video on social media, it spread like wildfire across the globe, sparking a worldwide movement against police brutality.
But, after the video went viral, Darnella said she had to move away from her home for safety. She also suffered anxiety attacks and couldn't sleep ... often times waking up shaking until her mom rocked her back to sleep.
On the 1-year anniversary of Floyd's death ... Darnella said even though it was a traumatic life-changing experience, she was still proud of herself. She added, “If it weren’t for my video, the world wouldn’t have known the truth.”
The video, of course, played a massive role in the prosecution and conviction of Chauvin.
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Pat Sajak Pulling for Trebek to Win Emmy ... What's 1 More Loss for Me???
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Pat Sajak says he doesn't mind losing another Emmy to the late, great Alex Trebek -- not only because Alex deserves it, but also ... Pat's learned to lower his expectations.
We got the legendary "Wheel of Fortune" host Wednesday in Bev Hills, and asked if he'd be cool with Trebek taking home top honors at this year's upcoming ceremony. Fact is, most see Alex as a shoo-in ... for his talent and for being the sentimental favorite.
Not too surprisingly, Pat told us he was more than fine with that ... because, honestly, what else is the guy gonna say? But, he took it a step further and echoed what Wayne Brady recently told us ... explaining he was actually rooting for AT, like most everyone else in the biz.
Now, when we pointed out the obvious -- namely, that Pat has lost to Alex in the game show host category for many years now -- he jokingly acknowledged it too ... comparing himself to soap opera star Susan Lucci, who was passed over for a Daytime Emmy a whopping 19 times before winning.
Like we said, PS seemed to mostly be kidding here, but he did promise to give us a HUGE scoop ... about his retirement!!!
Chill, it isn't happening anytime soon, but watch what he told us about where you'll hear about it first. Pat Sajak wouldn't lie to us, would he???
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Morgan Wallen 'Enough is Enough' Billboards Go Up ... 'Loyal Fans' Want Him Back!!!
A group of loyal Morgan Wallen fans believe he's been punished enough since casually dropping the n-word back in January ... so they're deploying a new round of billboards to protest the country music biz shunning him.
The fan-funded billboards went up in Nashville this week, spearheaded by a woman named Darleen Ingram, and the message is pretty simple -- "The Fans Are Speaking / Enough Is Enough."
The timing of the 7 new billboards coincides with the CMT Music Awards, which air Wednesday night. Wallen's been banned from the awards and didn't receive any nominations.
That's apparently not sitting right with his loyal fans, as their billboards add ... "Music Industry, We Want to Be Heard!"
The billboards also reference the Bible verse Mark 11:25, which says ... "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
We broke the story ... someone in Wallen's neighborhood shot video of him using the n-word after a night out partying with his friends, and the fallout was pretty swift. He was dropped by radio stations and his talent agency, suspended by his record label, and banned from several award shows.
However, his popularity still soared and he even managed to win awards at events from which he'd been banned. Morgan apologized and promised to work on bettering himself and stayed out of the public eye for months ... before returning to the stage last month.
Clearly, his loyal, billboard-funding fans want more Morgan ... and they're demanding country music let him back into the party.
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Wayne Brady Rooting for Trebek to Win Emmy for Game Show Host ... He Set the Bar!!!
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Wayne Brady is incredibly honored to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy alongside Alex Trebek ... but losing to him? Well, that'd be one helluva honor too.
We got the "Let's Make a Deal" host in Times Square, and wanted to get his 2 cents on being nominated alongside the late legendary "Jeopardy!" host for outstanding game show host.
Wayne, always the total gentleman, couldn't help singing Alex's praises.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Wayne said the fact Alex got nominated posthumously speaks volumes ... calling him the consummate professional and the kind of host who was smooth and always in control.
There are some other notable nominees ... like Steve Harvey for "Family Feud," Alfonso Ribeiro for "Catch 21" and Pat Sajak for "Wheel of Fortune." Wayne says there'd be no shame losing to any of 'em, but losing to Alex? Well, he did set the bar after all.
Alex was nominated almost 7 months after he passed away following his courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Despite announcing the diagnosis in March 2019 ... Alex continued hosting into his 37th season.
He's won 6 Emmys for outstanding game show host. If Alex gets his 7th, you can bet Wayne will applaud along with fans.
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Jay-Z I Have Big Love for DMX ... That's Why I Boycotted Grammys
Jay-Z had mad love for DMX, despite their fierce competition ... and he felt this way for years.
Jay was on the season premiere of "The Shop: Uninterrupted" with LeBron James and Maverick Carter, and talked about years past when he boycotted the Grammys after X was overlooked for a single nomination, despite having 2 #1 albums in 1999. Jay won his first Grammy but was a no-show as a way of standing with X.
As Bad Bunny, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike and SpringHill CMO Paul Rivera looked on, Jay recounted his relationship with DMX.
Jay went down memory lane, remembering his first meeting with X at a Bronx pool hall. He paid homage to his friend, saying he became a better rapper by watching X perform.
22 years after Jay boycotted the Grammys, a lot HASN'T changed. As you know, The Weeknd was shut out of the Grammy noms, despite having a huge year. He got his revenge at the Billboard Music Awards, winning 10 pieces of hardware.
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The Weeknd Keeps On Winning ... Eat It, Grammys
It might be time for The Weeknd to invest in a new mantel -- he continues to rack up awards, despite the Grammys snub ... this time taking home the most trophies at the iHeartRadio Awards.
Abel was the winner of 3 pieces of hardware Thursday night -- including the coveted Song of The Year and Top Male Artist awards -- for his single, "Blinding Lights," and album "After Hours." The 3 wins tied him with BTS for the most of the night.
The singer was humble in accepting, thanking his team and his fans ... but you gotta imagine the last couple weeks have brought him great vindication after leaving the Grammys with goose eggs.
Fans and fellow artists were outraged when "After Hours" was snubbed. Abel vowed to never submit his work to the Recording Academy for Grammy consideration again, accusing "secret committees" within the org of getting it wrong.
However, just last week, the singer was validated when he took home 10 trophies -- the most of any artist -- at The Billboard Awards.
By the way, he also showed off his singing chops at iHeart with newly-married Ariana Grande, the two performed their version of "Save Your Tears" ... and of course, the crowd ate it up.
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Drake Son Bursts Into Tears on Stage ... As Dad's Crowned Artist of the Decade
Drake's 3-year-old son clearly has dad's knack for big moments -- he made an unforgettable night at the Billboard Music Awards even more memorable by getting emotional on stage.
The hip-hop star cemented his spot as a legend Sunday night as he was named Artist of the Decade, and his little boy, Adonis, took the stage with him to accept the award ... to give it an adorable boost.
As Drake spoke to the celeb-stacked crowd at the Microsoft Theater in L.A. about dedication to his music and using his fear to fuel improvement, his son hugged his legs pretty tight.
But, as Champagne Papi was closing his speech, Adonis seemed to have had enough and started walking away ... only to get picked up by Drake and start crying as his father dedicated the award to him.
As we first told you ... Drake's mother, Sandi, was also in attendance to watch him win the huge award Sunday night, which previously went to Mariah Carey in the 1990s and Eminem in the 2000s.
Drake and friends celebrated his win at SoFi Stadium -- home of the L.A. Rams and Chargers -- after the show ... and there was a massive message on the big screen.
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Eurovision Song Contest Winner's Alleged Drug Use Debunked ... Party On, Maneskin!!!
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The lead singer of the music group that won the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest did NOT use drugs live on air during their celebration ... according to an official investigation.
As we told you ... Damiano David of the Italian band Maneskin -- which took top honors at the singing competition -- was accused of snorting a bump of cocaine after video showed him lowering his head toward a table where the group was gathered.
However, the European Broadcasting Union that organized the event says it conducted a review of the footage and facts -- while also claiming David took a voluntary drug test that came back negative, and determined ... "No drug use took place in the Green Room and we consider the matter closed."
The EBU added that "inaccurate speculation leading to fake news" tarnished this year's event and unfairly impacted Maneskin ... which the organization congratulated again for winning and wished them success.
As we reported ... David claimed the reason he was looking down by the table in the video clip was because a bandmate had broken a glass, and insisted to reporters he doesn't do drugs.
Looks like he's been vindicated.