Brian Laundrie Fight Breaks Out In Front of Home!!! ... Man Arrested

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READY TO THROW DOWN
BACKGRID
UPDATE

8:09 AM PT -- 9/30 -- Cops have arrested a man in connection with the incident, and according to the police report ... he's facing misdemeanor charges of simple battery and simple assault.

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UPDATE

The man, 48-year-old Angelo Zappacosta, is accused of shoving the other man in the video in the chest and taking a swing at him ... though it didn't connect. According to the alleged victim ... Zappacosta was upset over him reportedly being on his property days earlier handing out wanted posters for Laundrie.

Tensions are boiling over on Brian Laundrie's block, a fight just broke out right in front of his Florida home involving one of the family's neighbors.

Ya gotta see the video ... the neighbor, in a red shirt, starts screaming at a couple of protestors who have set up camp outside the Laundrie family home ... accusing the couple of stepping on his property.

The man sounds like he's had enough of the protestors on his street, threatening to open a can of whoop-ass if the protestors step foot on his property ... something he's already accused them of doing before.

The showdown is super intense ... and it gives a sense of the tensions building on Brian's block.

As you know ... there's a manhunt for Brian, and the FBI has already searched the house.

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FLOWERS FOR GABBY
NEWSNATION

The altercation outside Brian's home comes on the heels of a makeshift floral Gabby Petito memorial on the front lawn getting tossed in the garbage.

Bottom line ... Brian's neighborhood is on edge.

Originally Published 9/29 5:10 PM PT

BLINK-182'S MARK HOPPUS I'm Cancer Free!!!

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus just got some great news on his battle with cancer ... his oncologist told him he's cancer free!!!

Mark says he just got done with his doctor's visit Wednesday, and the positive prognosis has him feeling blessed.

Hoppus adds ... "Thank you God and universe and friends and family and everyone who sent support and kindness and love."

Mark says he still has to get cancer screenings every 6 months and it will take him until the end of the year to "get back to normal" ... but he says the doc's news is amazing.

As we reported ... Mark revealed back in June he had been quietly battling cancer and vowed to remain hopeful and positive despite being scared about undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma.

Hopefully, for Mark, the cancer is gone for good.

Stay tuned ...

Playboy Mansion Massive Remodel Still Going Strong After 2 Years!!!

The Playboy Mansion is getting closer to looking like a classic party venue again, instead of the construction zone it's been for 2 years now.

These are some aerial pics showing the insane progress that's taken place at the iconic mansion after its massive facelift. You can see the roofs are no longer covered in plastic, and there are fewer piles of dirt scattered about -- always a positive sign on a construction site.

There's still quite a bit of work to be done, but the huge progress is undeniable. One legendary Mansion landmark is still visible -- the old grotto's still getting renovated. Some of the work includes adding "structural steel mesh" and replacing the walls.

As we reported, the mansion's overhaul was nearing 7-figures back in April 2020, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Some of the big-ticket items were the staff area and garage renovations for $400k ... and redoing the basement -- which included expanding the theater, golf simulator area -- cost $125k.

For context ... the Playboy Mansion used to look like this ☝🏽. But, billionaire Daren Metropoulos, who bought it from Hugh Hefner for $100 million, started filing permits for his new playground in July 2019. They've been hammering ever since.

Gabby Petito Memorial Flowers Trash-Bound?!? Yes, If Left at Laundrie's Home

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FLOWERS FOR GABBY
NEWSNATION

Cops in Brian Laundrie's hometown are sending a message to floral delivery people, and anyone else mourning Gabby Petito -- don't send flowers to Brian's parents' house ... they'll just get tossed in the garbage.

You can see from the video, a makeshift memorial was beginning to form on the front lawn of the Laundrie's Florida home, but on Monday ... as a local florist tried dropping off a delivery, a cop informed her it's a waste of time.

The officer says all flowers should be sent to city hall in North Port, FL -- apparently, a memorial is set up there -- but some had already arrived outside the house, where Gabby once lived with her fiance.

The cop added that city's public works staff will be clearing the yard in the middle of the night.

A reporter on the ground there said another delivery was made about an hour later but with the police gone ... the delivery person was able to leave the flowers at the makeshift memorial.

As you know ... Gabby's family had her funeral over the weekend and there was a candlelight vigil in her hometown of Long Island. Brian is still missing.

Brian Laundrie FBI Gets Items from Parents' Home ... for DNA Matching

The FBI paid Brian Laundrie's parents' home a visit to get some personal items in hopes they might have his DNA on them.

Several FBI agents went to the Florida home Sunday after authorities requested some personal items belonging to Gabby Petito's fiance to assist them with DNA matching. An attorney for Laundrie's parents said they complied.

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SEARCHING THE HOME
Fox News

It's interesting ... one would have assumed authorities could have gotten their hands on some of his DNA from items in the van. Not to mention ... they also searched his car not long after he was named a person of interest, so it's puzzling why they'd need more.

Then there's this ... there's new dispatch audio that shows cops talking about a domestic dispute involving Gabby and Laundrie during a stop in Utah back in August.

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DISPATCH AUDIO
Moab Police Department

You can hear the cop saying "RP (reporting party) states seeing a male hit a female, domestic. He got into a white Ford Transit van, has a black ladder on the back, Florida plate."

As we've reported ... Laundrie allegedly slapped Gabby and hit her in the run-up to them being pulled over by cops in Moab, Utah. According to 911 audio ... the caller claimed to have witnessed the violence.

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REPORTING A DISTURBANCE
Fox News

Gabby was seen on video distraught, but Laundrie denied any wrongdoing and claimed nothing happened between them. Cops didn't cite or arrest Laundrie. The Moab City Police Dept. is now reportedly under investigation for how it handled the domestic dispute.

Laundrie is still missing ... while Gabby's friend held an emotional candlelight vigil for her in her hometown of Long Island.

William Shatner Beam Me Up, Jeffy ... Going into Space with Blue Origin!!!

Decades after he last played the role, William Shatner's going to become a real-life Captain Kirk ... because he's going to space ... on Jeff Bezos' rocket ship ... TMZ has learned.

Though he won't be boldly going where no man's gone before -- because Bezos and his Blue Origin crew already did it -- sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the 90-year-old actor is slated to be part of the second crew to take the space flight in the New Shepard capsule. That would make him the oldest person ever to be launched into space.

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WE HAVE LIFTOFF!!!
Blue Origin

We're told Shatner will be on board in October for the 15-minute civilian flight -- similar to the last launch. What we don't know -- BUT WHAT WOULD BE AWESOME -- is if he wears his Capt. Kirk getup.

Our sources say the mission will be filmed for a documentary. We're told Shatner's people were talking to Discovery about the special, but that didn't materialize ... but our sources say Shatner and Co. have taken the project elsewhere and are in negotiations.

It's unclear who will be joining William on the flight, but they'll join elite company as some of the first few amateur astronauts in space. You'll recall, when Bezos went up, up and away in July ... he was joined by just his brother, Mark Bezos, test pilot Wally Funk and recent HS grad Oliver Daemen.

That crew reached an altitude of 66.5 miles, floated around for a few minutes in zero-gravity while playing with ping pong balls ... then made their way back down for safe landing.

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BEZOS' BALLIN IN ZERO GRAVITY
Blue Origin

It's also unclear what Shatner's paying for his spot onboard New Shepard ... our sources believe he's being comped, which would be a smart move for Bezos.  You may recall with Blue Origin's first flight ... the final civilian seat went for more than $20 million at auction, and was given to Daemen (whose father is super rich).

Daymond John I'm Bringing Black Entrepreneurs Day to The Apollo!!!

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ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER OPORUNITY
TMZ.com

Daymond John says Black Entrepreneurs Day is going to be HUGE the second time around ... because the event is going live from one of the most famous stages in the world!!!

The "Shark Tank" star joined us on "TMZ Live" and filled us in on all the new happenings for the second annual venture -- he has tons of celebrities coming out to The Apollo Theater to inspire the next wave of entrepreneurs.

It's pretty cool ... Daymond says Kevin Hart, Tyra Banks, Shaquille O'Neal, Rev Run and Michael Strahan will be sharing biz tips live from Harlem, with a special performance from Khalid.

The celebrity backing is nice, but Daymond also tells us which major corporations are stepping up to help folks get a free $25,000 to help their small businesses.

Daymond and co. are streaming live for Black Entrepreneurs Day on Oct. 14 and you can tune in and take notes on Facebook.

Check out Daymond on Friday's "TMZ Live" in his weekly "Follow the Money" segment. He'll have more on those $25k grants -- which you can apply for at blackentrepreneursday.com -- and why, in some ways, they're a better deal than what he typically offers on "Shark Tank."

The winners will be announced next month at the second annual Black Entrepreneurs Day.

Gabby Petito's Fiance Brian Laundrie Possibly Spotted ... FL Cops Investigating Cam Footage

UPDATE

1:20 PM PT -- The Oskaloosa Co. Sheriff just released a statement saying they searched the area where the image was taken extensively and didn't find anything, or anyone, of interest. Cops searched using a drone, and checked nearby farmlands.

UPDATE

In a statement, cops said, "There are no known possible past or current connections between Laundrie and anyone in this area at this time to follow up on."

The hunt for Gabby Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie -- who's believed to be the last person to see her alive -- may have broken wide open ... because someone thinks they spotted him about 500 miles from his Florida home.

Sam Bass says a man fitting Brian's description was seen on his trail camera set up in the wilderness in Baker, FL early Monday morning ... and he's alerted the authorities.

Bass' deer camera footage shows a man with a backpack trekking through the woods, and he certainly resembles Laundrie ... who was reported missing by his family after being named a person of interest in the disappearance of Gabby.

Folks were quick to point out Baker is about 450-500 miles away from Laundrie's home in North Port -- which would be quite a journey on foot over 4 days -- but the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed it's actively looking into the footage ... but there's no confirmation it's Brian yet.

People have also pointed out that the man's backpack is similar to Laundrie's, and his parents told authorities he left with it on a hike Friday and never came back.

As we've reported ... the story of Gabby and Brian -- who were on a cross-country trip this summer and documenting it on social media -- garnered national attention when he returned to his Florida home without her on Sept. 1.

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INTERACTION WITH MOAB POLICE
Moab Police Department

Gabby was reported missing 10 days later by her family, who claim Brian was not cooperative at all in trying to locate her, and the feds believe they found her body at a national park Sunday in Wyoming ... a place she was believed to have visited with her fiance.

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REPORTING A DISTURBANCE
Fox News

There was also a domestic dispute between the couple in mid-August in Utah, but the authorities released them with no charges or arrests. A 911 caller from that incident said they had observed Brian physically attacking Gabby ... she went missing sometime after that.

On Monday, FBI agents tore up Brian's parent's home in Florida, searching for evidence and leaving with several boxes.

A makeshift memorial has already been set up at the site where the remains believed to be hers were found, though the autopsy confirming it's her has not been disclosed yet.

Originally Published -- 10:31 AM PT

Gabby Petito Memorial Set Up in Wyoming ... Where Body Believed to Be Hers Was Found

A cross made of stones is serving as a makeshift memorial for Gabby Petito in Wyoming ... on the exact site where cops believe they found the missing 22-year-old's body.

As we reported, the feds announced Sunday they'd found the remains of a young woman at the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in the Bridger-Teton National Forest ... where the van used by Gabby and her fiance, Brian Laundrie, was spotted days earlier.

An autopsy is scheduled Tuesday to confirm the body is Gabby's, but the stone cross memorial is already set up right where investigators searched for her in Spread Creek.

As you know ... Gabby's story became national news when Laundrie showed up back at his Florida home without her on Sept. 1, even though they had taken the cross-country trip together and were documenting it on social media.

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INTERACTION WITH MOAB POLICE
Moab Police Department

However, Gabby's family claims they lost touch with her in late August and Brian allegedly refused to give them any info on her location or what happened between them.

The family reported her missing on Sept. 11, and Laundrie was named a "person of interest" but never arrested.

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REPORTING A DISTURBANCE
Fox News

Shortly after that, it was revealed the couple had a domestic dispute in Utah on Aug. 12, and even though a 911 caller alleged Brian slapped Gabby ... an official police account of this entire incident reportedly claimed "no one reported that the male struck the female."

Nevertheless, the couple was eventually released with no arrests in mid-August, and Gabby went missing sometime after that ... though it's still unclear exactly when.

Laundrie may have the answers, but after being named a person of interest, he also went missing over the weekend and cops are now on the hunt for him. The authorities have also been at his family home in Florida for days, and have removed boxes of evidence.

SpaceX Civilians Blast Off Into Space ... No Astronauts Required!!!

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ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND
Space X
UPDATE

6:15 AM PT -- 9/16 -- We've obtained video from the ground in the Bahamas of the launch, you can see the incredible light as stunned onlookers filmed the crew mid-flight.

UPDATE
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LIGHTING UP THE SKY
Karen Murphy

Elon Musk's space company just made history ... the first ever, all-civilian spaceflight is way up above our planet ... and they blasted off without any astronauts.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman, a pilot himself, is leading the mission dubbed Inspiration4 ... and it looks like he's already having a blast up there in space with the rest of his lucky space tourists.

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Chris Sembroski, Dr. Sian Proctor and Hayley Arceneaux took off with Jared in a SpaceX Dragon capsule Wednesday night ... blasting into space using a Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

As you can see ... the space tourists were clapping and celebrating as they took off into space, breaking the speed of sound on the way up, while those in mission control back home were hyped too.

Now that they're in orbit, Jared and co. will be in space for the next 3 days, zipping around Earth about once every 90 minutes and enjoying the views.

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TMZ.com

As we first told you ... Jared told us back in February he was most looking forward to overriding the automatic pilot and taking Dragon for a spin up in space.

BTW ... the civilian crew will be sleeping in the same reclining seats you saw them in on the launch ... and they've got to share a toilet and forego showers.

Originally Published -- 9/15 6:17 PM PT

NY Mets Team To Wear FDNY, NYPD Caps ... During 9/11 Anniversary Game

The New York Mets will honor 9/11 first responders on the anniversary of the attacks once again this year ... by wearing FDNY and NYPD caps during their home game against the Yankees on Saturday.

The team made the announcement Wednesday ... saying players will have the option of wearing FDNY, NYPD, Port Authority Police Department, Department of Sanitation and Department of Correction hats for when they hit Citi Field on Sept. 11.

Of course, the Mets and the Yankees both donned the caps on the 9/11 anniversary last year ... and it was clear back then that the players would prefer to keep the tradition going on a yearly basis.

NY also announced the Mets' and Yankees' managers from the 2001 season, Bobby Valentine and Joe Torre, will take part in the first-pitch ceremonies before the game.

The Mets also said 14 coaches and players from the 2001 season -- including Mike Piazza, who hit that famous home run in the days after the attacks -- will be at Saturday's game as well.

First responders will also be in attendance and will join the FDNY honor guard, NYPD honor guard and others on the field.

The Mets added that the game's national anthem will be done by the NYPD Cops and Kids Chorus, while FDNY Firefighter Regina Wilson will sing God Bless America.

The game -- which is slated to begin at 7:40 PM ET -- will mark the first time the Mets and Yankees have played against each other on 9/11 since the tragedy.

Alaska Airlines Passenger I Got Booted for Being Fat in a Sports Bra ... Alleges Harassment, Discrimination

UPDATE

1:53 PM PT -- 9/7 -- Howard tells us the airline refunded her 3 tickets and offered her a discount code for future purchases, however, she tells us she'll never use the code because she won't fly AA again.

A woman who seemingly got kicked off a flight for wearing a revealing outfit believes she was also harassed and discriminated against because of her weight ... and possibly other aspects of her appearance.

Ray Lin Howard shared a video on TikTok of the apparent aftermath of getting booted from her Alaska Airlines flight Friday, in which police are questioning her about what went down.

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She tells the cops she was wearing a sports bra -- she shows them too -- and was told by the flight attendants to cover up ... so she says she did with a pink leopard print shirt.

According to Howard ... that didn't satisfy the airline staff and she kept getting harassed because her stomach was showing, and she was ultimately removed from the flight.

The cops imply she was booted for violating the airline's dress code -- something she rebuts -- but tell her it doesn't look like she acted criminally in any way.

In a follow-up TikTok, Howard says she was eventually released and the airline contacted her to apologize and offered her a discount on future purchases.

However, she tells Jam Press that this was about more than her outfit, saying ... "I felt like I was being discriminated against for being a fat, tattooed, mixed-race woman, which in turn left me full of emotions like anger, disappointment, helplessness, humiliation and confusion."

She also described the incident as the worst example of "fatphobia" she's encountered in her life.

We reached out to Alaska Airlines, who say they're in contact with the guest and "committed to finding out what happened and taking the appropriate actions." Alaska adds, "It's our goal to provide caring service to all of our guests. When we don't live up to that goal, we do everything we can to make it right."

Originally Published -- 9/6 11:24 AM PT

Bad Wolves Call Ex-Frontman Tommy Vext 'Abusive' Claim He's a Saboteur

Bad Wolves are firing back at their former frontman, Tommy Vext, over their bad blood ... claiming he was "abusive" and is still trying to take them down.

The heavy metal band says they've mostly stayed quiet as they've witnessed Vext's "never ending temper tantrums on social media, filled with fraudulent claims and sad attempts to defame members of our band and our team" ... but now they're calling him out.

According to the band ... Tommy was emotionally and physically abusive before he quit, and continues to demonstrate that behavior in an attempt to diminish the other group members' contributions and steal the credit for success.

Among some examples ... Bad Wolves claim 10 of the 13 songs on their 2018 album "Disobey" were musically written and recorded before Tommy joined the band, that he falsely claimed to be the mastermind behind the track "Killing Me Slowly," and he illegally leaked a music video after quitting.

Of course, all of this comes in wake of Vext suing Bad Wolves' manager, Allen Kovac, claiming he was ousted by Kovac due to his political stances and support for Donald Trump ... in an alleged scheme to steal the band from him.

Kovac, who's also the CEO of Better Noise Music, denied the claims and countersued Vext for copyright infringement.

In other band news ... Bad Wolves say they are releasing their third album, sans Vext, in late October with a new singer, and the first single releases this week.

Sarah Silverman Texas Anti-Abortion Law ... Declares War on Poor People

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ATTACKING THE POOR
TMZ.com

Sarah Silverman is not mincing words -- the Texas anti-abortion law is a declaration of war, but only certain women are targeted.

We got Sarah Saturday night in WeHo on her way out of Craig's, and she was blunt ... the law which effectively outlaws most abortions is a war on poor people. As she says, rich women have the means to leave the state and get an abortion elsewhere.

Sarah is not a fan of boycotts ... she says it only hurts people in the state who are themselves, victims. The real targets, she says, should be the politicians who enacted the law.

As you probably know by now, the Texas law pretty much outlaws abortion after the first 6 weeks of pregnancy. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. And, the law puts a bounty on the heads of anyone who assists a woman in getting an abortion after 6 weeks. Anybody in the country can sue people who assist for $10k plus attorney's fees.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to even hear the case before the law took effect Sept. 1st.  In effect, Roe vs. Wade is dead in Texas, at least for now, and SCOTUS has signaled Roe may be history next term when it passes judgment on a Mississippi law that poses a square challenge to the Constitutional right to an abortion.

Roe vs. Wade Abortion Rights Upended in Texas ... Supreme Court Signals the End

Abortion rights are now squarely on the chopping block after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to stop the most restrictive anti-abortion law in the country from going into effect.

The Texas law prohibits abortions after the 6th week of pregnancy. As you know, many/most women don't even know they're pregnant during the first 6 weeks. What's more, if an abortion is performed after the 6th week, any citizen in the country -- not just Texas, but the entire country -- can sue anyone who helps facilitate the abortion for $10,000 plus attorney's fees.

That means someone could sue not only the clinic, but the Uber driver who took the woman to the facility, a friend who made a call to the clinic on the woman's behalf, a counselor who advised the woman, the spouse of the woman, etc.

The Supreme Court was asked to put the law on ice Tuesday night, before it went into effect at midnight, but SCOTUS was silent ... and in this case, silence speaks volumes. If the justices didn't feel this law squarely violated Roe vs. Wade, it's a loud, screaming signal about their feelings toward Roe.

There are 5 justices -- and possibly 6 -- who have strongly indicated they would be inclined to overturning Roe, and they will have a shot at that soon, because a Mississippi anti-abortion law is a direct challenge to the 1973 precedent that gives women the right to an abortion.

For now ... Roe vs. Wade is effectively not the law of the land in Texas, where abortion clinics cannot exist at this point ... and its fate now hangs in the balance.

Master P Sending Hurricane Relief to NOLA ... Through His Water Co.

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I'M COMING, NEW ORLEANS
TMZ.com

Master P's looking out for the people of New Orleans who've been devastated by yet another hurricane ... by sending them some clean water.

The business mogul -- who hails from NOLA -- was out in Beverly Hills Tuesday when we asked how he's planning to help his city, and he says his water company, LA Great, is providing aid to those who've been impacted ... especially the most vulnerable.

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Master P tells us he's also looking into other ways to send relief and make sure people are getting fed too, while asking everyone to send prayers and come together to help in any way they can.

Though New Orleans' bolstered levees and floodgates held up against Hurricane Ida's force to protect the city against the same type of destruction as Hurricane Katrina 16 years ago ... the storm still left a million people without power and resulted in 4 deaths.

Master P says it's going to take a while for NOLA to recover, but it's clear he's trying to expedite the process ... and he's confident the city will stay strong and loving in the face of another hardship.