19-Year-Old TikToker Arrested for Running GoFundMe Scam ... Over Fake Cancer Diagnosis
A 19-year-old has been arrested and booked in Iowa for what cops say was a phony charity scam that raked in tens of thousands ... all from people who believed she had cancer.
The Eldridge Police Department rang up Madison Russo on a first-degree theft charge this week, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted. She was arrested on Jan. 23, but has since bonded out ... and is due back in court on March 2.
Cops allege Russo lied about 3 different diagnoses that she'd publicly been touting for at least a year ... including leukemia, pancreatic cancer and a tumor "the size of a football."
Throughout much of 2022, Russo went viral on TikTok while documenting her health journey -- which the authorities are now saying was completely made-up ... and which entered criminal territory after she raised upwards of $37k on GoFundMe from 439 donors.
On social media, she was often seen adorned in hospital-like paraphernalia ... IV bags, tubes that ran through her nose and medical tape/gauze -- suggesting she was undergoing treatment. All of that, however, was phony and just an act -- so alleges Eldridge PD.
Court docs reportedly lay out what police say they found at Russo's apartment ... in addition to some of the medical supplies listed above, they allege they discovered a wig, pills for nausea in a relative's name and more. In other words, they're claiming these were all props.
In addition, Eldridge PD says they subpoenaed Russo's medical records ... and allege she'd never been diagnosed with cancer at any nearby hospitals. The cops say she got on their radar after people wrote in saying some of what they saw on social media seemed fishy.
Organizations that Russo had allegedly affiliated with during this time -- when she was presenting herself as poster child for cancer awareness -- are now distancing themselves. She hasn't addressed the matter publicly. A TikTok account attributed to her has been scrubbed.
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Jason Derulo I Broke My Damn Foot!!! But I'll Still Perform on Super Bowl Sunday
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Jason Derulo is facing a new challenge ahead of his big Super Bowl performance -- no, not a TikTok challenge ... he recently suffered a nasty injury and now he's walking on a cane.
A Source familiar tells TMZ ... the "Wiggle" singer was injured playing basketball 3 weeks ago. Apparently, he was going up for a rebound and wound up landing on someone's foot ... he now has a small break in his foot and a torn ligament to boot.
We're baaaaaack for year 3️⃣ of #TikTokTailgate
— Jason Derulo (@jasonderulo) January 28, 2023 @jasonderulo
Me and @theblackkeys are kicking things off for us at our 2023 TikTok Tailgate!
Catch the show on Feb. 12 on @NFL @tiktok_us #superbowl pic.twitter.com/zVrjbYBjsV
He was lucky enough to avoid surgery, but he did have stem cells injected, which help speed up recovery time.
As of now ... Jason's going to physical therapy daily and is getting around with the help of a cane.
Of course, this couldn't be worse timing for Jason. ICYMI, he and The Black Keys were announced as this year's headliners of the NFL TikTok Tailgate ... which is supposed to go down prior to the big game.
Our sources say, although he may not be fully recovered for the performance, he will power through it, come hell or high water.
The show's in less than 2 weeks, so stay tuned.
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Duquesne Men's Basketball Game Uber Eats Delivery Was A Prank ... School Says
12:14 PM PT -- The weird scene at the Duquesne men's basketball game was deemed to be a prank after all ... the school said in a statement Thursday afternoon that the whole thing appeared to be "done for internet exposure."
"We determined that the individual was wearing a mic while someone filmed him walk on to the court during active play," school officials told WPXI reporter Jenna Harner.
"While the incident may have seemed funny at the time, and no harm was done, we are mindful that incidents like this can put players and officials at risk."
Bizarre scene in the college basketball world Wednesday night ... an Uber Eats delivery person walked onto the court in the middle of a game -- halting play and leaving everyone in the arena scratching their heads.
The wild moment happened in the second half of the Loyola Chicago vs. Duquesne men's basketball game at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh ... when a man dressed in yellow and holding a bag of McDonald's goodies hit the hardwood right as the Dukes were trying to score a basket.
Stoppage in Play. Uber Eats delivery guy goes on court with food delivery in the middle of the Duquesne game. pic.twitter.com/rY4VFIsJnR
— Sickos Committee (@SickosCommittee) January 26, 2023 @SickosCommittee
Broadcast video shows a nearby ref trying his best to get the guy off the floor as the action kept moving forward ... but the man appeared to be oblivious as he attempted to find his food's intended target.
Eventually, the play was stopped -- and the game's broadcasters had to then describe what was happening.
"This guy's in the corner -- was he going to deliver the McDonald's to somebody on the court?!" one announcer said.
"Who's he delivering it to?!" the other said.
Everyone keeps asking me what happened with the door dash guy on the court at tonights game. Here was my angle.
— Austin Hansen (@AustinHansenTV) January 26, 2023 @AustinHansenTV
A thread... pic.twitter.com/QMY3nmw2tq
According to video shot on the baseline, the deliverer had actually been asking people on the floor if they had ordered Door Dash. You can see in the clip he was ushered out of the area by an arena staffer, who told him, "You've got to get off the court, man!"
Some speculated it was all part of a prank -- noting the person was wearing a microphone.
Either way, Duquesne head coach Keith Dambrot said afterward it was one of the most surreal scenes he's ever been a part of.
Duquesne Coach Keith Dambrot on the Uber Eats incident: pic.twitter.com/uJIHSmmuwd
— A10 Talk (@A10Talk) January 26, 2023 @A10Talk
"Craziest thing I've ever seen in my life," he said.
To their credit, Duquesne shook off the weird moment to cruise to a win ... beating Loyola Chicago 72-58.
Originally Published: 06:10 AM PT
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Enkyboys Randy Gonzalez Dead at 35 After Battle with Cancer
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Randy Gonzalez, the father in the popular TikTok duo Enkyboys, has died ... following a battle with cancer.
A source close to the family tells TMZ, Randy passed Wednesday morning in hospice after his struggles with colon cancer ... a health battle he provided updates about throughout his fight.
Randy broke the news about his condition back in April, telling fans he was diagnosed about 6 months prior, and given 2-3 years to live. He said chemotherapy could extend things a possible 5 more years.
The viral star created a GoFundMe to help pay for his treatments -- after he claimed he was denied at a cancer center at the University of Texas -- stating they didn't take his insurance.
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He and his son, Brice, used their social media platform to spread awareness about colon cancer ... and continued to gain serious popularity from their radiant father-and-son dynamic.
Randy gave his followers another update in November, detailing everything he'd gone through in only a few months ... hoping to be a great example in a year's time, "when I beat it."
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For those unaware, Brice landed a spot on NBC's "Lopez vs Lopez" ... cracking audiences up with his hilarious character, Chance.
Randy was only 35.
RIP.
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HYPE HOUSE Hollywood Hills Pad For Rent ... $50,000 Per Month!!!
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The Hollywood Hills mansion where the influencer group The Hype House lived and shot much of their content is looking for a new tenant -- it's up for rent, but it's got a hefty price tag.
Our real estate sources say the former Hype House property is currently listed for short or long-term leases ... and it's going for $50,000 per month.
Now, you do get a ton of house for that rent check ... the pad is 16,000 square feet with a whopping 10 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms.
Plus, it's decked out with a movie theater with a 160-inch screen and an 80-foot-long nightclub with a full bar, plus a gym, pool table, ping pong table, 3 sports bars and a high-speed elevator.
The estate also features a huge outdoor deck with an 80-foot-long swimming pool and spa ... not to mention state-of-the-art lighting, a sound system and a recording studio.
It was practically built for social media peeps, as it's already been home to TikTokers Thomas Petrou, Cole Hudson, Mia Hayward, Calvin Goldby, Patrick Huston, and Nicholas Austin.
TMZ broke the story ... the landlord is suing some Hype House members, claiming they moved in on a one-year lease but bounced 5 months early, and left behind $300,000 in property damage.
Not to worry, the crib's been cleaned up since then ... and now it's back on the rental market.
Manuela Villa of Compass holds the listing.
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Hype House Landlord Sues Over Trashed Home ... Says Influencers Stiffing Him!!!
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Members of the influencer group The Hype House are gonna end up in court -- a landlord claims they're not coughing up the dough they agreed to pay for some heavy damage to his property.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, TikTokers Thomas Petrou, Cole Hudson, Mia Hayward, Calvin Goldby, Patrick Huston, and Nicholas Austin are all defendants in the lawsuit landlord Daniel Fitzgerald filed for breach of contract.
In the suit, he says the crew moved out of the Hollywood Hills pad 5 months before their lease ended, and left it way worse for wear.
They entered a 1-year agreement in May 2020, according to the docs, and when they bounced early, Fitzgerald claims they'd caused more than $300K in property damage.
Fitzgerald claims he got the Hype Housers to agree, in writing, to pay $10K a month over 40 months to settle up with him -- but they're not even doing that.
In docs, he says they've only been paying him $2,500 per month since January of last year ... and even though he sent a notice to pay the balance, they never did.
Fitzgerald's suing to get the remaining balance paid in full immediately, per the agreement.
We've reached out to The Hype House for comment ... so far, no word back.
FYI -- the TikTokers were livin' it up in a pretty important pad ... that is, if you're into "American Idol," because this is the same L.A. mansion where the show's finalists shacked up back in the day!
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WWE's Alexa Bliss I'm Happy Logan Paul's Former Pet Pig Was Rescued ... Animals Need Love, Too!!
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WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss is overjoyed that Logan Paul's former pig, Pearl, has found a new home ... telling TMZ Sports all that matters now is that the animal is getting proper care.
As we previously reported, Logan took Pearl to a horse ranch in California before he moved to Puerto Rico a few years ago ... but sadly, after being rehomed again, the pig was found abandoned and in grave condition.
While many were quick to blame Logan for Pearl's state, the YouTuber made it clear he had no idea his beloved pet ever left the ranch ... nor did he know she was in terrible shape until the Gentle Barn animal sanctuary posted about her on TikTok.
The former women's champ -- who had a pet pig of her own for years -- spoke with us at LAX about the whole situation ... and she's not focused on who's at fault, but rather the fact Pearl is on the mend.
"Unfortunate as it is, I'm happy his pig was rescued and is in a better situation," Bliss says.
"As long as the animal is taken care of, that's all that matters."
Bliss goes on to give a bit of advice to anyone looking to get an oinker as a pet -- "mini" pigs don't exist ... and she'd know, considering her pet, Larry-Steve, a Vietnamese pot-bellied breed, weighed about 150-200 pounds!!
BTW -- Alexa's pig was a social media star, racking up nearly 90,000 followers on Instagram. Unfortunately, Larry-Steve died in 2021 after battling a severe illness.
As for Pearl, Logan has vowed to help Gentle Barn in any way possible ... and told TMZ he's hoping to assist with her care moving forward.
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Andrew Callaghan Responds To Sexual Misconduct Claims ... Says Alleged Victim Asked For Money
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Andrew Callaghan, the "All Gas No Brakes" host and star of HBO's new documentary "This Place Rules," is responding to sexual misconduct allegations against him ... claiming one of the alleged victims asked him for serious dough before making her accusation public.
A legal rep for the journalist tells TMZ, "Andrew is devastated that he is being accused of any type of physical or mental coercion against anyone. Conversations about pressure and consent are extremely important and Andrew wants to have these conversations, so he can continue to learn and grow."
Adding, "While every dynamic is open to interpretation and proper communication is critical from all those involved, repeated requests for money should not be part of these conversations."
For those unaware, Andrew started getting heat on TikTok after a woman named Caroline Elise recounted an alleged incident between her and Andrew -- claiming he got her consent to sleep together by wearing her down.
A source with direct knowledge tells us Caroline requested money from Andrew, referencing the "fat check" he got from HBO for his documentary. She allegedly asked to be paid just minutes before the doc aired.
We're told Andrew didn't pay up, and Caroline uploaded the TikTok a few days later -- urging others to come forward, which is exactly what happened.
Andrew's legal rep tells us he vows to be better with balanced communication and improve himself, and wants to remind his audience that "while even one concerned partner is too many, there are always multiple sides to a story."
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TikTok Star Bryce Hall Punches Vegas Security Guard ... Busted For Battery
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Bryce Hall seems to have put his boxing skills to the test in Sin City, punching a nightclub security guard in the head, and it's all on video -- an incident that could land him in some legal trouble.
TMZ obtained the footage, shot Friday night in Las Vegas outside XS nightclub at the Wynn, showing the TikTok star getting physical with security -- including a punch to the side of the guy's head.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LVMPD responded to a call from XS and police ended up citing Bryce with two counts of battery and one count of trespassing, all misdemeanors. We're told the case will be submitted to the District Attorney.
As for what sparked the fight ... we're told Bryce and a friend were kicked out of the club during a Calvin Harris performance after being invited up to the DJ booth.
In the video, you see Bryce throw the punch ... and it then takes four security guards to take him to the ground.
Remember ... Bryce is famous for his TikTok account, but he's also boxed before ... getting destroyed in a June 2021 boxing match against fellow social media star Austin McBroom.
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Bryce use to live in Los Angeles, but bought a house in Las Vegas in 2022. He also attended and posted at the AVN awards over the weekend.
We reached out to Bryce ... so far, no word back.
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North & Kim Shout-Out to Ye ... AND Taylor Swift?!?
Kim Kardashian's definitely gonna get her ex-husband's attention with this -- she and their daughter North West not only made a video homage to Kanye West ... but also his arch nemesis, Taylor Swift!!!
North recreated her dad's look with a damn good makeup job, and Kim recreated -- well, herself -- to make a TikTok with Ye's song "Bound 2." They didn't do any lip-synching, but ya gotta hand it to North ... she's got Ye's brooding look down pat. Kim famously co-starred with her then-husband in the OG 2013 music video.
We know North loves her some TikTok, so using it to pay tribute to her father has gotta sit well with Ye -- who hasn't always been a big fan of her even being on the platform. As for why they did it ... well, that's what's really interesting.
Before the "Bound 2" TikTok, Kim and North posted a different one -- a fully lip synched and choreographed routine to T Swift's "Shake It Off."
As everyone knows, there's nothing but "Bad Blood" between Ye and Taylor since the 2009 VMAs Taylor interruptus incident.
So while their Taylor TikTok is totally playful and seemingly innocent ... it wouldn't necessarily land that way on dear ol' Dad, who took another infamous swipe at Taylor in his "Famous" song and music vid.
Remember, back in better times for the couple, Kim was fully in lockstep with her then-hubby when it came to the war of words with Taylor.
So, you could see this as an olive branch to the singer on Kim's part.
As for the Ye clip -- we're not saying Kim and North's TikTok was a make good to him ... but, we're not NOT saying that either.
Interestingly, both vids -- posted on the kimandnorth page -- have comments turned off. Definitely for the best in this case.
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Noah Schnapp 'Stranger Things' Star Comes Out as Gay
"Stranger Things" star Noah Schnapp has come out as gay.
The 18-year-old made the announcement Thursday on TikTok with a video of himself and text that reads, "When I finally told my friends and family I was gay after being scared in the closet for 18 years and all they said was 'we know.'"
Interestingly enough, he also included the caption, "I guess I'm more similar to will than I thought."
Schnapp plays Will Byers on "Stranger Things" and fan speculation over the years has been that the character is gay, as it's clear he has a thing for Mike Wheeler on the show ... so it seems Schnapp is also confirming the fan theory.
Schnapp and his "Stranger Things" costar Millie Bobby Brown are super close -- the two hang out all the time and have appeared on late-night talk shows together over the years.
As we reported, Schnapp recently started his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania -- where he's made quite the splash -- we even got vid of him jumping into a pool at a party earlier this year.
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Angela Bassett 16-Y-O Son Pranks Her Fake Michael B. Jordan Death?!?
9:47 AM PT -- 1/1/23 -- Slater has issued an apology online.
His apology https://t.co/IafLFTGSSb pic.twitter.com/wYK0avm6Ls
— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) January 1, 2023 @rapalert6
He said sorry to both his mom, Michael B. and anyone else affected.
Angela Bassett's son pulled a pretty mean prank on his mom to cap off the year -- telling her Michael B. Jordan had just died (not true) ... but he realized it wasn't a good idea.
The actress' 16-year-old, Slater, posted a since-deleted video to his TikTok account this weekend ... a quick 20-second clip showing him break some would-be tragic news to AB -- namely, that another one of her "Black Panther" costars had passed away.
He's obviously trying to get a crazy reaction out of Angela, and boy does he get it ... you see his mom freaking out, saying "no" repeatedly as she approaches to see what he's seeing.
It sounds like Slater might've said he was joking in the clip, and we don't get to see what Angela's reaction is once she realizes the death story is fake. But, we imagine it wasn't great ... because, like we said, Slater took the video down -- but he's getting dragged regardless.
His video was captured by folks and is spreading like wildfire on social media ... and the consensus seems to be -- dude, how could you do that to your mom?!? Even as a prank.
Of course, Angela has already experienced tremendous loss on this front with the passing of Chadwick Boseman. As everyone knows, both Chadwick and Michael starred in the original "Black Panther" ... and the latter made a cameo in the recent sequel. So, they're all tight.
Neither Angela nor Slater have addressed the joke-gone-wrong since it went up. But, in light of the backlash, it's probably best to leave these fake death announcements in 2022.
Lord knows we already got our fair share of real deaths this year, especially in these last few days. Considering everything the 'BP' family has gone through, something like this would be way too much.
A valuable lesson learned, indeed.
Originally Published 12/31/22 1:45 PM PT
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TikTok Attack Man Charged with Hate Crimes ... Racist & Homophobic Assault
A disgusting verbal attack on two TikTokers eating at an In-N-Out has led to charges for one man after the video went viral.
The clip, filmed on Christmas Eve inside a California In-N-Out shows a Korean male and his female friend sitting at a table and trying various menu items from the fast food joint.
You hear a man -- seemingly unprovoked -- ask if the pair are filming themselves eating and then ask if they're Korean or Japanese. When the TikToker says he's Korean, the man goes into a racist and homophobic tirade, accusing the TikToker of having sexual relations with Kim Jong-un.
After the verbal exchange, the TikTokers claim the man waits for them outside for quite some time -- you can tell just how freaked out the two are during the video.
Turns out, San Ramon Police Chief, Denton Carlson, got wind of the video and not only tracked down the TikTokers -- but conducted to an investigation to find the man who was allegedly making the disgusting remarks.
Carlson says Jordan Douglas Krah, a 40-year-old from Denver, has been arrested as a result and charged with two counts of committing a hate crime.
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Drake Woman Claims He Kicked Her Out After Romantic Night ... Rapper Calls BS on Her!!!
Drake is denying rumors from a woman who claims the rapper flew her out for a romantic night, but then gave her the boot once she started recording him.
The Canadian rapper issued a statement Wednesday on Instagram, apparently addressing the women's TikTok video about their alleged encounter. Drake wrote, "Never met. Never spoke. Never flew." He added, "I hope people start doing more with the one life we are given s*** is sad out here".
In her TikTok video, the woman states that Drake direct messaged her after she posted a story mentioning the music icon while she was clad in lingerie.
She says they began talking, which led to Drake booking her a flight to see him. Before anything went down between them, Drake made her sign an NDA or so she claims.
At one point she says, "he kept on rubbing on my stomach and asking me questions like 'do you want kids?'" She went on to say they started drinking and vibing ... and eventually, things escalated to them having unprotected sex.
The woman also claims Drake became angry when she began recording him ... saying he slapped her phone out her hand and kicked her out his crib.
Of course, the woman's video went viral ... but the clip has been deleted now that Drake has entered the conversation, calling BS on her accusations.
But, the woman insists she has proof that what she says about Drake is TRUE!!!
We'll keep an eye out for those receipts.
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Univ. Of Idaho Murders Professor Accused By TikToker Of Ordering Hit ... Police Give Her The All Clear, For Now
Police have all but cleared a University of Idaho professor accused by a TikTok user of ordering the brutal murders of 4 college students.
Moscow PD released a statement Tuesday, saying that at this time "detectives do not believe the female associate professor and chair of the history department" is involved in the slayings. Not only that, but police have not publicly ID'd a single suspect after 6 weeks of investigation.
Professor Rebecca Scofield filed a federal suit last Wednesday, claiming Ashley Guillard posted TikTok videos accusing Scofield of ordering the fatal stabbings of Kalyee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
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According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, Guillard has over 100,000 TikTok followers and received 2.5 million likes on the Scofield videos, damaging the professor's reputation.
In the docs, Scofield denies any connection to the crimes, stating that she was visiting friends in Oregon at the time of the November 13 massacre. Scofield also says she didn't know any of the victims, nor did they take any of her classes. All 4 victims were attending the University of Idaho.
The suit describes Guillard as an Internet sleuth who purports to have solved high-profile murder cases, such as the shooting death of Migos star Takeoff, by simply reading tarot cards.
What's more, Scofield had allegedly never met Guillard ... but tried to resolve the situation by sending her cease and desist letters to no avail.
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Fivio Foreign TikTokin' With Asian Doll, Has GF Jasmine Hot!!! 😡
1:40 PM PT -- Fivio Foreign has responded to Jasmine Giselle with a rather sunny deposition ... claiming he and Asian Doll are just friends.
Fivio Foreign pissed off his girlfriend/baby mama Jasmine Giselle after he got a little too cozy on TikTok with Asian Doll.
FF and AD have been teasing a music collab for some time ... but they recently connected on a TikTok video and enjoyed a bit of seductive teasing ... the two rappers were bumping and grinding to an Ice Spice song.
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But, once Jasmine got wind of the clip, she laid into Fivio on Instagram Live … roasting him for putting on a facade that he was a single man. Jasmine said people had sent her the video and accused Fivio of trying to publicly embarrass her.
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Fivio didn't seem to care much ... he danced the night away before climbing into bed and staying mum about Jasmine's claims.
This isn't the first time Jasmine verbally attacked Fivio. Back in September, she apologized for starting false rumors the "City of Gods" rapper’s XXX video history was predominantly filled with gay porn searches.