Famous Food

Lynn Yamada Davis -- an elderly social media influencer chef with a massive following -- has passed away ... her family has confirmed.

The "Cooking With Lynja" star passed away on January 1 at Riverview Medical Center, New Jersey, from esophageal cancer ... something her daughter, Hannah Mariko Shofet, told The New York Times.

The publication adds that Lynn had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019 and later with esophageal cancer in 2021. Now, she's succumbed to her cancer battle after nearly 5 years.

Like we mentioned ... Lynn was widely beloved on the social media app, amassing about 17 million followers ... all thanks to her hilarious and wholesome cooking videos. People simply loved her content, whether it was for the good eats, or her very sweet/funny personality.

Lynn's achievement also earned her a coveted place on Forbes' 50 over 50 list in 2022. She started the channel during the pandemic in 2020 with her youngest son, Tim Davis, telling NYT it was entirely his mother's idea.

LYD got to travel the world and meet new people since her social media success, says her other son, Sean Davis ... adding his mom's final chapter was "exactly how she would have wanted it to be written."

Her TikTok account has been kept active by her family since her passing ... and her family confirmed she asked for the rest of her pre-recorded videos to be edited and live.

Heartbroken fans have flooded Lynn's social media page with their tributes ... thanking her for giving them joy through her cooking. She was 67.

RIP

Celebrity chef Curtis Stone says foodies should be wary of McDonald's' new Double Big Mac ... and he thinks the mega burger should come with its own freakin' warning.

Curtis joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to talk about the Golden Arches' super-sized creation, which Australians have been chowin' down on for a while, and is about to return to the U.S. for a limited engagement.

According to Curtis, this 4-patty beast is an eat-at-your-own-risk kind of situation, and should have a health warning attached to it ... but his concerns don't stop at the caloric intake -- which is around 740 calories, for the record.

Curtis thinks McDonald's has often provided a lack of food information to its customers -- namely the "100% beef," which could be a mixture of all kinds of meat cuts -- and folks should always know exactly what they're ingesting.

He also thinks companies like Mickey D's dominate the country by adhering to peoples' cravings, but Curtis tells us why that's doing a lot more harm than good.

El famoso chef Curtis Stone dice que los amantes de la comida deberían tener cuidado con el nuevo Double Big Mac de McDonald's y cree que la mega hamburguesa debería venir con su propia advertencia.

Curtis se unió a nosotros el miércoles en "TMZ Live" para hablar de la nueva creación de la empresa de los Arcos Dorados, que los australianos han estado comiendo por un tiempo y que está a punto de regresar a los Estados Unidos para un compromiso limitado.

Según Curtis, esta bestia de 4 hamburguesas tiene sus riesgos y debería tener una advertencia de salud adjunta. Aunque sus preocupaciones no se detienen con la ingesta de calorías, que es de alrededor de 740, para que conste.

Curtis cree que McDonald's a menudo ha proporcionado poca información sobre los alimentos a sus clientes, como por ejemplo que el "100% carne de vacuno" podría ser una mezcla de todo tipo de cortes de carne. Él piensa que las personas siempre deberían saber exactamente lo que están ingiriendo.

También cree que las marcas como Mickey D's dominan el país por adherirse a los antojos de la gente, pero Curtis dice que eso está haciendo más daño que bien.

11:00 AM PT -- TMZ has obtained legal docs spelling out what allegedly happened and when as it pertains to the 'SuperChef's arrest ... and what we've discovered are very disturbing accusations.

Per the arrest warrant, Darnell Ferguson's estranged wife called 911 to report he'd broken into her Louisville home on Jan. 2, and proceeded to allegedly attack her. The alleged victim claims once Ferguson was inside, he started punching walls and eventually lunged at her and grabbed her by the neck ... allegedly choking her out and threatening to kill her.

She told police she eventually lost consciousness, and when she came to ... she claims Ferguson then ripped off her shorts and demanded to see her privates. His estranged wife alleges he then said she was his and nobody else's ... making her fear he'd sexually assault her.

In the end, it doesn't sound like that occurred ... because the woman told cops he left, but not before allegedly snatching her credit/debit cards and ID. Law enforcement says they observed visible injuries on her, which they say was enough to warrant the charges.

Ferguson has already been arraigned, and he's pleaded not guilty -- with his bond set at $10,000.

Darnell "SuperChef" Ferguson cooked up his own arrest in Kentucky ... getting hit with a slew of serious offenses.

Ferguson was booked into the Louisville Metro jail on Tuesday afternoon on two felonies – burglary and strangulation, a rep for the correctional facility told TMZ.

He also faces five misdemeanors – assault, menacing, criminal mischief, terroristic threatening and theft receipt of stolen credit and debit card.

We don't know yet the circumstances surrounding his legal troubles, but we've reached out to the Louisville Metro PD for answers.

According to his profile on the Food Network website, Ferguson is a "celebrity chef, restauranteur and entrepreneur" who currently hosts "Superchef Grudge Match" and shares recipes and videos on their social media.

He has appeared on three seasons of Guy Fieri's "Tournament of Champions," which pits the world's culinary masters against one another in cooking competitions.

Ferguson has also popped up on two other cooking shows on the OWN network -- "The Big Holiday Food Fight" and "Food Fantasies."

Darnell "SuperChef" Ferguson está preparando su propia detención en Kentucky, tras ser golpeado por una serie de delitos graves.

Ferguson fue reservado en la cárcel de Louisville Metro en la tarde del martes por dos delitos graves, robo y estrangulamiento, le dijo un representante de la institución a TMZ.

También se enfrenta a cinco delitos menores, de asalto, amenazas, daños criminales, amenazas terroristas y la recepción de robo de crédito robado y tarjeta de débito.

No sabemos todavía las circunstancias que rodean sus problemas legales, pero nos hemos puesto en contacto con la policía metropolitana de Louisville para obtener respuestas.

Según su perfil en el sitio web de Food Network, Ferguson es un "célebre chef, dueño de restaurantes y empresario" que actualmente presenta "Superchef Grudge Match" y comparte recetas y videos en sus redes sociales.

Ha aparecido en tres temporadas del "Tournament of Champions" de Guy Fieri, que enfrenta a los maestros culinarios del mundo en competencias de cocina.

The *used* Cheez-It's Hot Tub from the 2024 Citrus Bowl has a proud new owner ... and it didn't even cost 'em $4k!!

What👏 a👏 bargain👏!

The infamous Cheez-It jacuzzi sold Monday on eBay for $3,575 ... after receiving 36 bids between January 2nd, when the auction started, and yesterday afternoon, when it closed.

It's unclear who bought the item (it's likely someone in the Orlando area), described as ... "Used during the 2024 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. Selling as is, in great working condition as of 1/1/24. Proceeds benefit the Florida Citrus Sports Foundation."

The FCSF is a non-profit that aims to help uplift kids in central Florida by putting on big events ... like the Citrus Bowl.

Of course, Tennessee absolutely smacked Iowa on the field, beating them 35-0 on New Year's Day. Despite the great performance by the Vols, none of their guys were the stars of the show ... that honor belonged to the Cheez-It Hot Tub.

The hot tub, a normal jacuzzi, was wrapped in Cheez-It decor ... and used by fans and players alike during the afternoon.

Congrats to the winner!

Paul Giamatti traded a fancy dinner for a good ol' burger and fries to celebrate his Golden Globes win ... beelining straight to an In-N-Out after the awards ceremony Sunday evening.

The suited and booted actor dined at the popular fast food restaurant in Westwood ... his shiny Best Actor trophy, which he won for 'The Holdovers', perched alongside trays of food.

Writer Evan Ross Katz shared the IG snap ... writing, "Paul Giamatti celebrating his Golden Globe win at In-N-Out. King. Absolutely no notes."

Paul's low-key sighting comes after finding himself the center of attention while collecting his awards earlier onstage.

He placed focus elsewhere during his acceptance speech, though ... paying thanks to teachers -- especially as he plays a stubborn teacher in the movie.

Paul Giamatti cambió una cena de lujo por una buena hamburguesa y patatas fritas para celebrar su victoria en los Globos de Oro, pues el actor se fue directamente a un In-N-Out después de la ceremonia de entrega de premios el domingo por la noche.

El actor cenó en el popular restaurante de comida rápida en Westwood, con su brillante trofeo a Mejor Actor por 'The Holdovers', junto a las bandejas de comida.

El escritor Evan Ross Katz compartió la foto en Instagram, con el comentario: "Paul Giamatti celebrando su victoria en los Globos de Oro en In-N-Out. Rey. Absolutamente ninguna nota".

La discreta aparición de Paul se produjo después de estar en el centro de atención mientras recogía su premio en el escenario.

En su discurso de aceptación, Paul le dio las gracias a los profesores, especialmente pues él interpreta a un maestro terco en la película.

Bradley Cooper no obtuvo un nuevo y brillante Golden Globe, pero eso no empañó su noche de domingo, ya que pasó un tiempo de calidad con su supuesta novia, Gigi Hadid, y su madre, Gloria.

El trío coordinado, todos vestidos de negro de pies a cabeza, se dirigió a una cena privada en Giorgio Baldi en Los Ángeles alrededor de las 9:20 PM después de la ceremonia de premiación. Salieron del restaurante por separado, con Gigi saliendo alrededor de las 11:30 PM y luciendo un collar sentimental con el nombre 'Kai', en honor a la hija que comparte con su ex, Zayn Malik.

Gigi estaba radiante y sonriente, señal de que ella y la madre de Bradley congeniaron. Gloria y su elegante hijo hicieron su salida poco después que Gigi.

Aunque Bradley y Gigi no han confirmado su relación romántica, los hemos visto juntos en un montón citas acogedoras en Nueva York desde octubre.

Bradley Cooper doesn't have a shiny new Golden Globe award, but that didn't dampen his Sunday night as he got in some QT with his rumored GF, Gigi Hadid, and his mom Gloria.

The matching trio -- all head-to-toe in black -- headed to a private dinner at L.A's Giorgio Baldi around 9:20 PM after the award show. They left the restaurant separately ... Gigi headed out around 11:30 PM, and was sporting a sentimental 'Kai' necklace for the daughter she shares with her ex, Zayn Malik.

GH was giddy and smiling, perhaps a sign she and B's mother hit it off. Gloria and her dapper son made their exit shortly after Gigi.

While Bradley and Gigi haven't confirmed their romantic relationship... we've seen them together on a bunch of cozy sightings in NYC since October.

Taylor Swift y Travis Kelce recorrieron más de mil kilómetros para acabar en la misma ciudad... pero pasaron la noche separados.

Taylor está en Los Ángeles para los Globos de Oro el domingo por la noche, y Travis está en la ciudad para Chiefs vs Chargers alrededor de la misma hora.

Taylor, junto con sus amigas Brittany Mahomes y Lyndsay Bell, fueron al Spago de Wolfgang Puck en Beverly Hills el sábado por la noche, sin Travis. Tiene sentido... Travis se está preparando para el juego y una noche fuera habría sido una mala movida.

Entraron en Spago por el callejón trasero después de salir de la finca de Taylor en Beverly Hills.

La información desde el interior del restaurante ... nada espectacular. Se rieron, hablaron y comieron. Al parecer, ella estaba un poco preocupada en su teléfono ... hmmm, me pregunto a quién le estaba enviando mensajes de texto?

Es muy poco probable que Taylor asista al juego, la alfombra roja comienza a las 3:30 y el juego de Travis comienza alrededor de 2 horas antes... ¡a menos que vaya a los Globos de Oro con una chaqueta de los Chiefs!

La noche de chicas fue larga. Llegaron a las 7:30 y se fueron a las 11.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce both traveled more than a thousand miles to end up in the same city ... but they spent the night apart.

Taylor's in L.A. for the Golden Globes Sunday night, and Travis is in town for Chiefs vs. Chargers around the same time.

Taylor, along with pals Brittany Mahomes and Lyndsay Bell, hit up Wolfgang Puck's Spago in Bev Hills Saturday night, sans Travis. It makes sense ... Travis is getting ready for the game, and a night out would have made the wrong kind of headlines.

They entered Spago from the back alley after leaving from Taylor's Bev Hills estate.

The lowdown from inside the restaurant ... nothing spectacular. They laughed, they talked, they ate. She apparently, was a bit preoccupied on her phone ... hmmm, wonder who she was texting?

It's highly unlikely Taylor will attend the game ... the red carpet starts at 3:30 and Travis's game starts around 2 hours earlier ... that is, unless she goes to the Golden Globes in a Chiefs jacket!

As for the girls' night out ... it was a long one. They arrived at 7:30 and left at 11.

Tom Sandoval is getting some sweet revenge on a recently shut down L.A. bakery ... for selling "Sandoval's A Liar" and "Team Ariana" cakes following his Scandoval controversy last year.

News that L.A.'s Sweet Lady Jane bakery was closing down came as a real treat for Tom ... after his "Vanderpump Rules" costar Billie Lee tagged him in the comments of their sad IG announcement, writing "karma!?" with a laughing emoji.

Tom went all in ... commenting everything he'd tried from the bakery had been super dry ... suggesting that others had finally caught on ... leading to their dwindling sales and subsequent closure.

He added their attempts to make money selling cakes negatively using his name hurt his feelings and pushed him over the edge ... and for that, good riddance.

Tom appeared to be in the minority, though, as the bakery was clearly a Hollywood staple ... with Blake Lively commenting she was heartbroken and Chrissy Teigen and Sophia Bush also making their devastation known.

Even though the cake shop hurt his ego, it was probably the least of his concerns ... as he found himself in the biggest celebrity controversy of 2023.

It was tagged #Scandoval by 'VPR' fans when TMZ first broke the story in March ... he'd been cheating on longtime GF Ariana Madix with costar Rachel Leviss ...

If people risking jail time for a mug -- like some are to nab a limited edition Stanley Quencher Starbucks cup -- here's what ya gotta know ... they're making tons of money on the resale market.

It's pretty wild, and a sign of the times ... the pink cups retail for $49.95 at Starbucks branches inside Targets, and folks who've been able to snag them are turning around, and hawking them online for hundreds of dollars.

The resellers are working hard for that big payday, though ... the only way to get the cups seems to be camping outside Target for hours, or fighting through massive crowds in scenes straight out of Black Friday.

Other people are going to even greater lengths to try and cash in -- like the guy who hopped a counter and tried, unsuccessfully, to steal a whole box of the pink goodies.

On eBay, the pink cups are going for $250 to $280 ... and Mercari has them on sale for $225 to $300.

Social media is a factor too ... Stanley cups are wildly popular on Instagram and TikTok ... so there's huge demand and limited supply.

The limited-edition Stanley Cup fever has officially reached new heights ... with a desperate man jumping over the counter at a Target's Starbucks stall to steal a whole box of them.

Unclear which store it happened at ... but the footage picks up as the man kicks his way out of the coffee stall with the goods in hand. Almost immediately, bystanders and potentially store security step in ... with one person wrestling him to the ground.

The box is eventually pried out of the would-be thief's hands after a scuffle on the floor ... but the man appears to walk out of the store with one of the hot pink 40-ounce Stanley tumblers.

Stanley's special-edition cups, co-designed with Starbucks, were released Wednesday ... kickstarting mass chaos nationwide as tumbler enthusiasts pulled out all the stops to get their hands on them -- as seen in other viral clips.

The Burger King employee who went viral for getting a mediocre goodie bag in recognition of 27 years without missing work is finally seeing his dedication pay off ... in a massive way.

Kevin Ford tells TMZ … he bought a house on Dec. 13 with money raised from the GoFundMe his daughter set up for him in the wake of last summer's online fame.

Kevin says he walked away with about $350,000 from the crowdsourcing fund -- it raised almost $500K but GoFundMe took a sizeable chunk -- and he used about half to buy a place in Pahrump, Nevada for $177,000.

Kevin's new place has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and is 846 square feet ... with a covered front deck, fenced-in yard and views of the surrounding mountains. He says he's gonna invest more money into the place too.

With the rest of his GoFundMe cash, Kevin says he gave his daughter a chunk so she could put it toward a home for herself and his grandkids ... and he put the rest away for retirement.

Remember ... Kevin went viral back in June 2022 when his employer gave him a goodie bag with random candies to celebrate him going 27 years without missing a day on the job.

Kevin's daughter piggybacked off his viral moment and set up a GoFundMe so he could visit his family in Texas ... and David Spade was among the big-money donors.

Naturally, Kevin is still working at BK, but there's been a big change -- he says he's now missed one day ... for an appearance on the "Today" show.

Kevin says his new digs are about an hour away from work, but he likes driving so he doesn't mind the long commute.

It's pretty incredible ... Kevin tells us the viral fame literally saved his life. He says he was depressed and the support from strangers not only put a new roof over his head, but also saved his life.