Holidaze

Thanksgiving dog shows are usually viewed as counter-programming to football, but this year there's a connection between the 2 ... because the top dog has an NFL connection!!!

Winston, a 3-year-old French bulldog, won Best in Show at the 21st Annual National Dog Show. The pooch is partly owned by L.A. Chargers defensive end Morgan Fox.

Winston was top dog over hundreds of canine competitors. The show drew a huge audience -- 20 million folks tuned in to NBC for the fun.

One of the judges, Vicki Seiler-Cushman, gushed over Winston ... "He has a razzle-dazzle that says, 'I am here to win tonight.'"  She calls him the perfect pet.

FYI ... French bulldogs are the Avis of dogs ... the second most popular behind Labs.

As for some of Winston's competitors ... there's Cooper, an English Toy Spaniel, Sloan, an Irish Water Spaniel, and River, a German Shepard.

Aaron Carter's fiancée Melanie Martin just had her first holiday without him ... and she and her family found a way to honor the late singer.

Carter family sources tell TMZ … Melanie and Prince -- the son she shared with Aaron -- spent Turkey Day with her family. Prince just had his first birthday.

We're told Aaron used to be in charge of cooking the turkey, so this time Melanie and her fam tackled the chore in Aaron's honor ... doing their best to match his skills in the kitchen.

Melanie also kept up another of Aaron's Thanksgiving traditions ... he always liked watching 2 movies on Turkey Day -- "Home Alone" and "Iron Man" -- so Melanie and the brood watched both.

Obviously, the first holiday after the death of a loved one is super tough ... Melanie's sister, Jennifer, brought a four-legged friend to the family get-together ... Aaron's dog Zelda.

TMZ broke the story ... Jennifer and her fiancé Max took in Zelda, the 3-and-a-half-year-old German shepherd, the day after Aaron passed. Melanie was excited to see the pooch.

Melanie made it through a tough Thanksgiving, and she's dreading December, which is filled with holidays and milestones. December was Aaron's birthday month and their anniversary.

Al Roker was MIA from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in nearly THREE DECADES ... and it's all because of his recent health issues.

Earlier this month ... Al was taken to a hospital to be treated for blood clots in his legs and lungs. He was discharged Thursday morning, but he didn't feel up to hosting the world-famous parade so he decided to watch it on TV from his kitchen.

As you know, Al's been a TV host for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the past 27 years. During the "Today" show broadcast, Al's cohosts sent their well wishes to the iconic weatherman.

Al posted a video to his Instagram, showing him leaving the hospital and referencing the Thanksgiving Day Parade. He said he was thankful to be heading home in time for some turkey.

Meanwhile back on the ground, Flavor Flav got super into Paula Abdul's live performance.

Celebrities like R. Kelly and Harvey Weinstein are spending another Thanksgiving behind bars ... while Josh Duggar and Fetty Wap are spending the holiday in prison for the first time, but their menus are mostly traditional and plentiful.

TMZ obtained prison and jail menus from across the country -- specifically from spots where big names are locked up. Not everyone's getting turkey, but they'll all be feeling fowl!

Here's a breakdown of the Thanksgiving meals:

Duggar at FCI Seagoville:

-- Split turkey breast, baked ham, sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, vegetable lasagna, veggie meatloaf, green bean casserole, rolls, holiday pies and cranberry sauce

R. Kelly at MCC Chicago:

-- Baked cornish hen, mac & cheese, sweet potato casserole, cornbread dressing, green beans and holiday dessert

"Cheer" star Jerry Harris at FMC Lexington:

-- Glazed cornish hen, stuffed green peppers, candied yams, stuffing, mac & cheese, garlic macaroni, green beans, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and assorted fruit pies

Fetty Wap at MDC Brooklyn:

-- Herb-roasted turkey, tofu fried rice, baked candied sweet potato, mac & cheese, garlic macaroni, simmered cabbage, rolls and fruit pie

Ghislaine Maxwell at FCI Tallahassee:

-- Turkey, Tofurky, cornbread dressing, collard greens, mac & cheese, rolls, cranberry sauce and sweet potato pie

Harvey Weinstein at L.A. County Jail:

-- Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, green salad, rolls, pumpkin muffins and chocolate milk

In addition to all the grub, facilities are offering a ton of activities on Thanksgiving Day.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend are partners in more ways than one ... telling us they're both going to hit the kitchen ... cooking up a storm for Thanksgiving!

We got Chrissy and John at Bristol Farms Wednesday, as they were stocking up on all of the ingredients for what sounds like a delicious Turkey Day feast.

Chrissy says they're cookin' for lots of friends and fam ... and to make everyone happy she's whippin' up a bunch of dishes.

John's no slouch when it comes to Thanksgiving either ... he says he's going to deep fry a turkey and prepare some macaroni and cheese to boot.

Take notice, guys ... Thanksgiving isn't just for watching football and waiting for the food to hit the table ... at least not at Chrissy and John's house.

Of course, not everyone knows what they're doing in the kitchen ... our photog included ... and THAT can make Thanksgiving a daunting proposition.

Turkey? Check. Sweet AND mashed potatoes? Check, check. Mac and cheese?! You better believe it!!

Pop star Bebe Rexha tells TMZ Sports she'll have ALL the Thanksgiving dinner fixins ready to go after she performs at the Detroit Lions vs. Buffalo Bills game on Thursday ... and she made sure to bring her mom along for the feast!!

The "I'm Good" crooner spoke with us at LAX prior to heading to the Motor City for her gig at the Turkey Day game ... and she says despite being on the road, she's not going to miss out on the traditional grub.

Bebe says she's already ordered all the dishes to have a complete dinner ... setting it up perfectly to chow down right after she leaves the stage.

Of course, not everyone who works the Turkey Day games is as lucky -- FOX sideline reporter Erin Andrews previously told us she usually only has a PB&J sammich in the hotel after she wraps up her duties on Thanksgiving.

Bebe thoughtfully sends EA an invite to her Turkey Day gathering ... but unfortunately, she'll be in Dallas to report on the Cowboys game.

Some put on the football game on Thanksgiving, and some tune into Macy's big parade ... but MILLIONS of fans of our four-legged friends are watching the National Dog Show on Turkey Day.

We've gotten some behind the scenes pics of NBC's pup competition, presented by Purina, an event that catches an average of 20M sets of eyes every year -- it's televised directly after Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Nearly 2,000 dogs across 200 breeds are goin' for gold at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center ... and these furry friends are just as loveable as they are dedicated to the hustle -- especially this little face licker!

Grooming is no joke to dog handlers, because they put their animals through some rigorous steps to look 'Best in Show' ... including this doggy that's getting its ears primed for the big day!

Tinashe and James Charles are among the celebrities giving back for Thanksgiving ... throwing on aprons to pass out warm meals to folks down on their luck.

The L.A. Mission on Skid Row in downtown Los Angeles was crawling with famous folks Wednesday, as dozens of celebs got hands deep in mashed potatoes and gravy ahead of the holiday.

There were tons of reality TV stars volunteering, including "Vanderpump Rules" cast members Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and Raquel Leviss.

Other celebs serving up turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, collard greens, and biscuits included "Shahs of Sunset" alums Reza Farahan and Golnesa "GG" Gharachedaghi ... plus film producer Randall Emmett with his family, Kaycee Stroh, Emily Tosta, Tiffany Smith, Emma Caufield Ford, Frank Grillo, Chris McDonald, Montana Tucker and Julie Ann Emery.

Politicians got in on the act too -- like incoming Mayor Karen Bass, incoming L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna and former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Also serving meals to the 1,500 folks who needed some food ... Miss California USA Kelley Johnson and health and wellness entrepreneurs Liv Lo Golding and Hayley Hasselhoff.

Across the country in Atlanta, Sierra Glamshop from "Love & Hip Hop ATL" got in on the charitable action too -- dishing out $20k in gas cards and $20k in food cards to families that needed them from her beauty salon The Glam Shop.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is right around the corner -- and it looks like Team USA's World Cup run is about to blow up along 6th Avenue.

The giant balloons and floats set to be trotted in and around New York City Thursday are up and ready for action -- with some sneak peek shots showing us exactly what's in store ... including a patriotic soccer player who's going for goal.

One of the newer and more prominent attractions is this inflatable footballer who's in the middle of a bicycle kick ... no doubt, a nod to the U.S. Men's National Team who are in Qatar right now trying to compete for the coveted FIFA trophy.

Other balloons that stand out ... a big ol' Ronald McDonald, a Green Dinosaur and her babies, Snoopy (classic), Papa Smurf, a Minion and others.

Of course, there are traditional parade floats that are receiving their final touches -- and, yes, it's all about advertising! Black Friday is the following day, after all ... and these companies don't want you to forget it. That includes Wonder Bread, Toys "R" Us, 'Baby Shark' (the show), and naturally ... Macy's. There's also a cool Slumberland float, a la 'Little Nemo.'

Finally ... BTS shots of the rehearsal that was underway this week, with all the talent working out the kinks in the dark of night. Performers such as Jimmy Fallon, Black Thought, Jordin Sparks, Paula Abdul, Joss Stone, Sean Paul, Lea Michelle and more were on hand.

Roquan Smith has only been a member of the Ravens for a few weeks ... but the former Bears linebacker is already making his presence felt in the community, handing out Thanksgiving food to Baltimore families ahead of Turkey Day.

The 25-year-old -- traded from Chicago to Baltimore last month -- showed up with his teammates at a local elementary/middle school to hand out food to 200 families, per WBALTV.

The outlet says Smith and other Ravens pulled their money together to purchase turkeys and side dishes for the families to enjoy on the annual holiday.

Baltimore shared videos Monday of Smith and the team packing boxes of food into cars as families came to pick up the items in time for Thursday's celebration.

Smith and his teammates did more than just hand out birds, though ... they took time to interact with community members -- and Roquan even offered to take a pic with a little kid eager to meet him.

The youngster had the warmest smile as he stood next to the linebacker ... and even said "cheese" while throwing up the peace sign as he posed for the camera.

The house from "A Christmas Story" hit the market this week, and it could end up in the hand of some cast members!!!

Yano Anaya, who played Grover Dill in the 1983 film, tells TMZ ... he and a few other cast members are interested in picking up the property, adding, "It only makes sense to have the cast run the show."

He wouldn't disclose which of his costars are toying with the idea of jumping on board, but he sees it as a major opportunity for fans ... keeping the legacy in-house instead of causing worry over what might happen if the building's bought by someone else.

He tells us there have been tens of thousands of fans who've already expressed concern online in their "A Christmas Story Family" Facebook group. With the new sequel dropping Thursday, it's safe to say there's gonna be a huge wave of people wanting to get a glimpse of the famous pad.

Listing agent Chad Whitmer tells us the current owner bought the Parker's dysfunctional family home in 2004, refurbished it and bought surrounding properties to expand for a museum, gift shop, parking lots and '"The Bumpus House" next door. It became a designated landmark in Cleveland and has welcomed more than a million guests since opening in 2006.

Chad says he's received hundreds of calls, texts and emails from potential buyers since listing the 1.3-acre lot on Monday ... and while there's no public listing price, he expects it to go for 8 figures.

Hopefully, Yano and his castmates will go through with the sale ... we triple-dog dare them!!!

Darlene Love won't be assuming the title of "Queen of Christmas" after Mariah Carey lost her bid to trademark the phrase, because she's got a problem with anyone doing it!

Len Evans, rep for Darlene tells TMZ ... Darlene won't be going after 'QOF' trademark, although its technically fair game, considering Mariah won't be able to own it either.

Len says, Darlene doesn't think one person should be able to legally own the title by trademarking it. Instead, the music legend feels the phrase should be free for everyone to use  ... considering there are a lot of folks who call themselves the Queen, and have had huge success in the holiday music genre.

What's more, she notes Mariah only has one hit Christmas song ... when there are folks with several holiday hits, who have not tried to get exclusive rights to the phrase.

For the record, Darlene's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" is an absolute holiday banger, as are her versions of "White Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" and her 'Home Alone 2' track, "All Alone on Christmas."

As we've reported, MC's request to trademark the phrase was denied Tuesday by the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Darlene was among others, like singer Elizabeth Chan, who were turned off when MC filed for the title back in March 2021 ... and it's fair to say she still disagrees with it now.

We're told Darlene also doesn't like the fact Mariah didn't acknowledge her comments about it ... and took it as a snub when MC responded to Dolly Parton's thoughts instead of hers.

Despite this, Darlene's rep says she has no beef with Mariah and would be happy to work with her fellow holiday queen.

Mariah Carey won't be getting everything she wants for Christmas this year ... her attempt to trademark the phrase "Queen of Christmas" was just rejected, TMZ has learned.

The U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board denied MC's attempt to trademark "Queen of Christmas" on Tuesday ... along with her attempts to lock down the rights to "Princess Christmas" and "Christmas Princess," according to a release given to TMZ.

As we reported ... Mariah Carey applied for the trademarks back in March of 2021 but quickly faced some backlash.

Despite having some support ... legends like Darlene Love and singer Elizabeth Chan pushed back on MC -- Elizabeth filed an opposition, arguing no one should "monopolize" the word "Christmas."

As for what Mariah wanted to TM for, in her filing she said she planned to use the title for fragrances, lotions, nail polish, jewelry, cups, mugs, chocolate milk, coconut water ... as well as ornaments, toys, dog clothing, masks, lingerie and sweatshirts.

Heidi Klum's annual party brought out all the big celebs, but none were more in the spotlight than Elon Musk ... who had everyone seeing red.

The new Twitter chief showed up Monday night to the Moxy Hotel in NYC, where Klum was hosting her 21st annual gala of getups. He was dressed as some sort of warrior with pretty intricate crimson armor.

His mom was there too ... Maye Musk showed up at one point near Elon, dressed in goth-themed garb. A lot of eyes were on them, without a doubt -- the Twitter buy-out is top of mind these days, and EM's stunts have thrust him to the front of many conversations.

Anyway, the rest of the costumes were pretty sweet too ... including the one worn by the host. She was transformed from head to toe (and even beyond) as a fishing hook worm, with incredible attention to detail ... right down to the ribbing along the body.

Her husband, Tom Kaulitz, was dressed as a fisherman ... and Heidi was his oversized bait. At one point, though, she lost the worm suit and showed off her figure underneath.

Other stars who showed up dressed to impress -- Ice-T and Coco, Heather Graham, Julia Fox, Chloe Kim, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Kim Petras, Questlove and more.

The costumes were certainly impressive ... and cap off a packed weekend that was full of famous monsters and ghouls who did back-to-back-to-back nights in parties -- with Heidi's obviously being the last stop.

Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson certainly raised a lot of eyebrows this weekend with many wondering if the former couple had rekindled things yet again ... but we're told it simply isn't happening.

Kim Kardashian held a massive Halloween bash at her Hidden Hills estate for all of the youngins in the Kardashian/Jenner family. However, a video recap North posted from the party had everyone talking because you see Tristan front and center.

Sources connected to both Khloe and Tristan tell us ... he was only there to spend some time with his son and daughter -- he and Khloe aren't an item in any romantic capacity.

What's more, we're told he and Khloe have repaired their relationship to a point where it's easy to co-parent, and Khloe wants Tristan to be able to attend holidays and fun events for their kids for the rest of their lives without drama.

We're told at this time, there's not a chance Khloe would get back with Tristan romantically -- he's destroyed those chances -- they're in a really good place and he's a great dad.

TMZ broke the story, Khloe and Tristan hired a surrogate to bring another baby into the world. However, unbeknownst to Khloe, Tristan had gotten another woman pregnant ... embarrassing Khloe by cheating on her once again.

Stassie Karanikolaou is taking after her BFF Kylie Jenner when it comes to throwing a banger ... she had a huge Halloween party and some of the biggest celebs pulled up in killer 'fits.

The shindig went down Halloween night at Delilah in L.A., and Stassie stunned in her take on Medusa.

Lots of stars pulled up in their season's best including ... Lil Nas X, Tyga, and David Dobrik. MGK and Megan Fox also showed up in their couples costume.

Among other big names in the building ... Tana Mongeau, Todd Gurley, Wiz Khalifa and girlfriend Aimee Aguilar, Diplo, Addison Rae and Omer Fedi.

Chantel Jeffries, Bronny James, Adam Lambert, Anwar Hadid also were in attendance for the affair -- which seemed to be lacking spookiness, but more than made up for it with the badass costumes.