You Might Want to Rethink

Dave Chappelle tiene un par de fans en el Congreso de EE.UU., y uno de ellos es la Republicana Lauren Boebert.

Boebert y la congresista Anna Paulina Luna se hicieron un selfie junto al cómico el jueves en el Capitolio y la congresista de Colorado convirtió el momento en una plataforma para sus puntos de vista anti-LGBTQ. Ella subtituló su post a IG, "tres personas que entienden que solo hay dos géneros 😄".

Una fuente con conocimiento directo le dice a TMZ que Dave no tenía intención de ponerse político con la sesión de fotos y que fue un momento espontáneo. Está en D.C. para un evento de "Arte es Activismo" en la Escuela de Artes Duke Ellington, que es el alma mater de la escuela secundaria de Dave.

Nos dicen que fue a reunirse con algunos amigos  —no políticos— que trabajan en el Capitolio, y terminó encontrándose con varios miembros del Congreso, incluyendo a Lauren y Anna, que se apresuraron para las fotos.

Hay que imaginar que Dave tenía un montón de bromas rebotando en su cabeza al ver a la diputada Boebert,  teniendo en cuenta todo el revuelo a principios de este año, debido al incidente donde se le vio manosenadose en la oscuridad con un chico en un teatro de Denver. Nada menos que mientras veían "Beetlejuice".

Dave Chappelle has a couple of U.S. Congresswomen full-on fangirling -- and since one of 'em is Rep. Lauren Boebert, ya couldn't blame Dave if he asked her to keep her hands in clear view!

Boebert and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna snapped a selfie alongside the comedian Thursday in the Capitol -- and the Colorado congresswoman turned the moment into a platform for her anti-LGBTQ views. She captioned her IG post, "Just three people who understand that there are only two genders 😄."

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ Dave had no intent on getting political with the photo op, and it was a spontaneous moment. He's in D.C. for an "Art is Activism" event at Duke Ellington School of the Arts ... which is, famously, Dave's high school alma mater.

We're told he went to meet some friends -- not politicians -- who work on Capitol Hill, and ended up running into several members of Congress, including Lauren and Anna, who scrambled for pics.

Ya gotta imagine Dave had a bunch of jokes bouncing around his head upon seeing Rep. Boebert -- considering all the buzz earlier this year when she was getting super handsy in the dark with her date at a Denver theatre. While watching "Beetlejuice," no less!

Ari Lennox no juega... eso está muy claro, porque detuvo su show y amenazó con noquear a una fan en Los Ángeles después de que una botella de agua la golpeara en plena performance.

La cantante nacida en Washington DC, que ha firmado con Dreamville Records de J. Cole desde 2015, estaba en el escenario abriendo para la gira "Nostalgia" de Rod Wave cuando una botella de agua la golpeó en el brazo.

Ari parecía haber logrado deshacerse de la fan y estaba más que dispuesta a reorganizar su cara, pero su guardaespaldas sabiamente la escoltó fuera del escenario antes de que la violencia se desatara.

No se sabe si el fan fue expulsado del lugar, pero los alborotadores han sido muy intensos durante todo el año, si no pregúntenle a Drake. De hecho, atrapó un objeto que le lanzaron durante su gira "It's All a Blur", pero otros artistas como Bebe Rexha no han tenido tanta suerte.

12/1 7:33 AM PT -- It doesn't look like Ari Lennox's assailant got too far.

TikTok user TwistDCreole captured security confronting a woman and claims she was later thrown out of the venue -- with the bottle she allegedly threw.

Somehow this all feels like it could've been prevented.

Ari Lennox don't play ... that much is crystal clear, because she stopped her show and threatened to knock out a fan in L.A. after she got belted with a water bottle while performing!!!

The D.C.-born singer, who's been signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records since 2015, was onstage opening up for Rod Wave’s "Nostalgia" tour when the water bottle whizzed in her direction and struck her in the arm.

An enraged Ari immediately addressed the Kia Forum crowd in hopes of seeking out the bottle-throwing bozo and told them don’t be fooled by the glitz and glamour … she’s a “real ass bitch” and she’ll “f*** them up!!!”

Ari appeared to have scoped the fan out and was MORE than willing to rearrange their face ... but her bodyguard wisely escorted her from the stage before the violence could erupt.

No word if the fan got removed from the venue but troublemakers have been out of pocket all year -- just ask Drake. He actually caught the book thrown at him during his "It's All a Blur" tour, but other artists such as Bebe Rexha haven't been as lucky.

The fan is probably lucky security held Ari back ... she was going to do much more damage than a water bottle!!!

4:46 PM PT -- Ryan Shazier tells TMZ ... "Michelle and I have been living apart and are currently separated. As we work through what comes next for our family, I ask for privacy and prayers."

Ryan Shazier is a "liar and a cheater" ... this according to his wife, who just put the former NFL linebacker on blast by sharing raunchy text messages she claims he sent to another woman.

Michelle Shazier -- who has been with Ryan well before his career-ending spinal cord injury in 2017 -- unleashed on her husband in a since-deleted Instagram post on Wednesday ... saying, "A person that loves his family … this is what they do to their family … the WIFE.. that has been there for him since day 1!"

Michelle -- a former college basketball player who has raised two boys with the Pro Bowler -- posted multiple text exchanges allegedly between Ryan and a woman named Marie ... and while they initially start off as casual flirting, things eventually got more intense.

In fact, in one screenshot, a text exchange shows the person Michelle claims is Ryan sending links to books titled "The Ultimate Guide To Anal Sex For Women" and "Blow By Blow: A Step-by-Step Guide On How To Give Blow Jobs So Explosive That He Will Be Willing To Do Anything For You."

"Infidelity at its finest!" Michelle continued in her post. "I can’t sit here and keep hiding anymore . You can have it. I deserve better. 🤍 This is Ryan… he’s a liar and a cheater!"

Ryan and Michelle got married back in May 2019. He has yet to address the allegations.

Mali, the "world's saddest elephant," has passed away following health complications after decades of confinement at Manila Zoo in the Philippines ... where she spent most of her life alone in a pen.

The announcement was made Wednesday by the city's mayor, Honey Lacuna, during a news conference -- a day after the zoo's chief veterinarian, Dr Heinrich Patrick Peña-Domingo, confirmed the captive elephant had cancer in some of her organs and a blockage in her aorta.

The diagnosis came after Mali was seen Friday repeatedly rubbing her trunk against a wall -- an indicator she was in pain -- and then laying on her side and breathing heavily Tuesday, passing away later in the day.

At only 11 months old, Mali, whose full name was Vishwamali, was gifted to former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos by the Sri Lankan government in 1981.

In her early years, she lived at Manila Zoo alongside another elephant, Shiva, who died in 1990 after arriving in 1977.

Since then, Mali had been the zoo's only elephant and lived in solitary until her death.

Animal rights activists have long criticized the conditions of Manila Zoo ... blasting the keepers for being ill-equipped to provide the animals with proper care.

In 2013, Paul McCartney wrote to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III begging for Mali to be moved to an animal sanctuary to "bring an end to her suffering," ... while animal welfare group PETA added at the time that Mali "endures intense confinement, loneliness, boredom and isolation" at the zoo.

Pamela Anderson and Dr. Jane Goodall have backed the "Free Mali" movement.

Mali, la "elefanta más triste del mundo", ha fallecido tras complicaciones de salud después de décadas de confinamiento en el zoológico de Manila en Filipinas, donde pasó la mayor parte de su vida sola en un corral.

El anuncio fue hecho el miércoles por el alcalde de la ciudad, Honey Lacuna, durante una conferencia de prensa. Esto, un día después de que el veterinario en jefe del zoológico, el Dr. Heinrich Patrick Peña-Domingo, confirmara que la elefanta tenía cáncer en algunos de sus órganos y una obstrucción en la aorta.

El diagnóstico se produjo después de que se viera a Mali frotando repetidamente su trompa contra una pared el viernes, una señal de que estaba sintiendo dolor, y se tumbara de lado y respirara con dificultad el martes, falleciendo más tarde ese mismo día.

Cuando Mali tenía 11 años de vida fue regalada a la ex primera dama filipina Imelda Marcos por el gobierno de Sri Lanka en 1981.

En sus primeros años de vida, estuvo en el zoológico de Manila junto a otro elefante, Shiva, quien murió en 1990. Este había llegado en 1977.

Desde entonces, Mali fue la única elefanta del zoológico y vivió sola hasta su muerte.

Los activistas por los derechos de los animales llevaban mucho tiempo criticando las condiciones del cautiverio de Manila, especialmente a los cuidadores por estar mal equipados para entregarle a los animales el cuidado debido.

En 2013, Paul McCartney le escribió al presidente filipino Benigno Aquino III rogando que Mali fuera trasladada a un santuario de animales para "poner fin a su sufrimiento". El grupo de bienestar animal PETA agregó en ese momento que Mali "soporta un intenso confinamiento, soledad, aburrimiento y aislamiento" en el zoológico.

Pamela Anderson y la doctora Jane Goodall habían apoyado el movimiento "Liberen a Mali".

La madre de un fan de los Kansas City Chiefs ha salido en su defensa, afirmando que todos los que dicen que su traje del partido fue ofensivo necesitan calmarse un poco.

Holden Armenta causó un gran revuelo en Internet el domingo cuando las cámaras de televisión en el partido de los Chiefs contra los Raiders en Las Vegas lo mostraron con un tocado con la cara pintada.

Algunos, incluyendo Deadspin, pensaron que el niño estaba haciendo black face (pintarse la cara en tono de burla), y la NFL se refirió al asunto, llamando a su atuendo de plumas inapropiado.

La madre de Armenta, sin embargo, dijo en su página de Facebook esta semana que simplemente no había necesidad para indignarse, explicando que la pintura de la cara del niño en realidad consistía en colores negro y rojo - con el fin de coincidir con los tonos de su equipo favorito.

En cuanto al tocado, dijo que Holden es nativo americano.

"La gente es ridícula", escribió Shannon Armenta en un post.

Ella también compartió algunas otras instantáneas de Holden del juego y dijo: "Todo el mundo pidió tomarse una foto con él".

"¡Hasta a los jugadores les encantó!".

El padre de Holden añadió en su página de Facebook que su hijo es simplemente "El mayor Fan" de los Chiefs.

Diontae Johnson is owning up to his lack of effort in the middle of the Steelers' matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals ... saying he addressed the situation with his teammates and vowed to do better moving forward.

The 27-year-old wide receiver faced a ton of backlash for seemingly giving up in the middle of a play during Pittsburgh's 16-10 win on Sunday ... with game footage showing him appearing uninterested in going for the ball after Jaylen Warren fumbled in the first quarter.

Johnson spoke with reporters about the now-viral lowlight on Wednesday ... and he's looking to get past the whole ordeal.

"I addressed the situation with my teammates," Johnson told the media. "They know how I feel and how I feel about the situation. I'm not perfect. All I can do is move forward and just keep playing football."

Johnson -- who was pissed he messed up on a potential touchdown catch on the previous play -- explained he does not want to be judged based on one moment ... and he promised to prove it with his play from here on out.

A Kansas City Chiefs fan's mom is coming to his defense ... claiming that all of the haters who are saying his gameday outfit was offensive need to kick rocks.

Holden Armenta caused a big stir online on Sunday when TV cameras at the Chiefs vs. Raiders game in Las Vegas showed him donning a headdress with a painted face.

Some, including Deadspin, thought the boy was wearing blackface ... and urged the NFL to speak out on the matter -- calling his feathered attire inappropriate as well.

Armenta's mother, however, said on her Facebook page this week there was simply no need for the outrage ... explaining the boy's face paint actually consisted of both black and red colors -- in order to match his favorite team's hues.

As for the headdress, she said Holden is Native American.

"People are ridiculous," Shannon Armenta wrote in one post.

She also shared a few other snaps of Holden from the game ... and said, "Everyone asked to take a photo with him."

"The players even loved it!"

Holden's dad added on his Facebook page that his son is simply "The biggest Fan" of the Chiefs.

11:35 AM -- Shaq Lawson is apologizing for his role in the incident ... claiming he only took action after the man directed death threats at Bills players and their families.

"Those of you who know me know that I'm all about the fans, and I have a lot of respect for the game I play and my opponents," Lawson said on Monday. "Before the game started yesterday, there was a fan behind our bench, who was making life threatening remarks towards us and our families."

Lawson claims the players alerted stadium security about the situation, but the fan was not removed from his seat and continued to heckle their sidelines.

"Eventually, our emotions boiled over, and I made a mistake," Lawson added. "For that, I apologize, but there are certain lines that should not be crossed."

A confrontation between Bills players and one Eagles fan on Sunday grew so contentious ... it actually ended with Shaq Lawson shoving the Philadelphia supporter.

It all happened just before Philly beat the Bills at Lincoln Financial Field ... when a throng of Buffalo players got into a verbal argument with a man in the stands wearing an Eagles-colored beanie.

You can see in video shot by a bystander, Bills defensive lineman Jordan Phillips first got into the man's face ... while Lawson, Greg Rousseau and Ed Oliver joined in on the spat just steps behind.

The guys traded words for several moments ... when, suddenly, Lawson can be seen on the video putting his right arm on the man, jolting him backward. The parties, however, were quickly separated by stadium security after the shove.

Neither the Bills nor the NFL has publicly commented on the altercation.

Meanwhile, Buffalo fell to 6-6 with the overtime loss ... while the Eagles moved to a league-best 10-1.

La hija de Beyoncé, Blue Ivy, ha sido una constante en casi todos los conciertos de su gira 'Renaissance' este año -- y ha mejorado su forma en el escenario... todo gracias a los detractores.

Tras el estreno de la película de su concierto este fin de semana, el NYT hizo una reseña de la película y citó a Queen Bay diciendo... la colaboración de BI en la gira tenía la finalidad de ser temporal únicamente, un acuerdo de una sola vez... pero se convirtió en constante después de que su hija se retractara.

Y añadió: "Aunque al final cedió, Beyoncé se sintió consternada cuando Blue Ivy leyó los comentarios en las redes sociales que criticaban sus deslucidos movimientos. Pero emocionó a su madre que, en lugar de renunciar, decidió esforzarse y entrenar aún más duro para futuras paradas".

Esta noticia ha causado gran revuelo en las redes sociales... la mitad de Twitter está indignada de que tanta gente criticara brutalmente a la niña de 11 años al principio de la gira, pero otros están haciendo uso de esto como prueba de la resiliencia/talento de Blue Ivy -- porque es una mucho mejor bailarina ahora.

Han circulado por Internet imágenes de su actuación, de sus actuaciones en Europa ... y sí, se puede observar una gran diferencia entre su actuación en aquel entonces y la de los últimos conciertos.

El debate ahora se concentra en si la dura evaluación de sus habilidades en aquel momento estaban justificadas o no -- algunos piensan que BI se merecía el 100 % de las críticas que recibió, argumentando que si se pone bajo los reflectores (junto a su madre, nada menos) es un juego limpio. Otros piensan que la niña se merecía un respiro.

Jillian Barberie almost experienced a would-be home invasion this weekend when her front door nearly came crashing down in the dead of the night ... and she filmed it all, too.

The former TV host and FOX personality -- who used to work on "Good Day L.A.," among other telecasts -- documented the terrifying aftermath of what she says was a loud bang in the wee hours of Sunday morning ... which left the entryway to her apartment crushed.

Watch ... Jillian jumped on IG Live right after it happened and was spurred by her followers/fans to call the police -- something that apparently didn't occur to her right away.

Later, Jillian explains she was still pretty out of it ... but while this was all unfolding -- she took her audience on quite a ride, showing off how she was barricading the door with what supplies she had ... and even demonstrating how she planned to defend herself.

She didn't have a gun or anything, but pepper spray will do in a pinch, we suppose.

Anyway, she ultimately did call 911 at 2:15 AM and filmed that encounter too. The officer who showed up had her file a report and told her to talk to maintenance in the AM. The weird thing is, when they examined the door damage ... there was no footprint on the outside, seeing that's what JB (and just about everyone else) suspected it was -- namely, somebody kicking it in.

Jillian's been posting a ton of updates on her social media pages ... and reveals that a friend came to stay with her until the management team crew came by to make the repairs.

Strangely, there's still no clear explanation for what it could've been. Jillian still thinks this was human-caused -- and believes somebody might've just slammed their whole body into her door and bolted. But an investigation is underway and they're looking for the culprit.

Pretty freaky stuff, obviously -- and what's crazier is that Jillian appears to live in a swanky apartment building out in Ventura ... which is usually considered a pretty decent area.

No evidence suggested anyone entered the residence. Detectives are investigating.

Derek Chauvin's family is angry they learned from the media their imprisoned son was stabbed and not from prison officials.

Carolyn Pawlenty, the mother of the cop who murdered George Floyd, told Alpha News, "How the hell do these news agencies know and his own mother doesn't even know?" She adds the prison had an emergency contact number -- her number -- but no one called.

She went on ... “I can’t even think what to say. I haven’t been to bed and made a path in my kitchen and living room floor by pacing."

Chauvin’s attorney, Bill Mohrman, says he got involved and tried calling the prison for information but hasn't heard back.

And another Chauvin lawyer, Gregory M. Erickson, slammed prison officials for its radio silence ... “It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek’s assault was allowed to happen.”

Erickson added, “How the family members who are in charge of Derek’s decisions regarding his personal medical care and his emergency contact were not informed after his stabbing further indicates the institution’s poor procedures and lack of institutional control.”

As we reported ... Chauvin was stabbed in the federal prison in Arizona where he is currently serving a nearly 21-year sentence after pleading guilty to a federal charge of violating Floyd's civil rights.

Chauvin is in stable condition after he was assaulted Friday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson. The stabbing was reportedly carried out by another inmate.

The squeaky-clean Patrick Mahomes may have finally misstepped ... 'cause according to Henry Winkler, the Chiefs superstar has inexplicably left him hanging on a sweet dinner invitation.

The Fonz relayed the surprising news to TMZ Sports while signing some autographs in Los Angeles this week ... saying despite initially agreeing to come to Winkler's pad for a homemade meal, Mahomes has now ghosted.

"I think he fibbed to me," a defeated Winkler told us.

If you're unfamiliar ... Winkler and Mahomes first made the plans back in 2022, after the guys developed a bromance following an in-person meeting on the sidelines of a Chiefs vs. Chargers game.

Winkler said he was going to make the quarterback his famous chicken stuffed with ricotta -- and it seemed it had all been set to go down in the offseason after Mahomes won Super Bowl LVII.

But apparently, Mahomes has reneged on the deal ... and check out the clip, Winkler couldn't appear to be more sad about it.

Of course, Mahomes was busy this offseason with his newborn son ... so maybe he's waiting for 2024 to break bread with Winkler??

11/27/23 -- A Target rep is addressing the viral "call-out" from TikTokers, telling TMZ ... "A recent TikTok video showed a guest questioning if there was a sale on three Samsung TVs that had both a Black Friday sale sign, as well as a sale sign behind it indicating the same price."

They add, "In fact, the TVs were on sale before Black Friday as part of our early Black Friday sales. We continued to offer those items at the same discount during Black Friday, but updated the signage to reflect the extended timing. "

The rep continues, "In both instances, guests would have saved the same amount, between $20-$80 depending on which TV they purchased. Those discounted prices compared to the regular prices are clearly shown in both sale signs in the video.

And finally, "We know our guests are looking for flexibility when they shop holiday deals, which is why we began Black Friday deals in late October and will continue offering great discounts throughout the holiday season. We also offer a Price Match Guarantee, and will match the price of any item purchased by a guest that is offered at a lower price later in the season."

TikTokers are hitting Target to prove the big box store's Black Friday deals may not be what they seem -- showing off some sticker prices as being equal ... regardless of the day.

There's a viral trend on the app right now -- namely, Gen Z'ers going to their local bullseye center and wading through the Black Friday sales that were going on yesterday. Based on what they're capturing though ... they seem to be suggesting clever marketing is afoot.

Check out the video and you'll see what we mean ... in at least three instances, people are removing the "Black Friday Deals" signage -- which features one price -- and revealing the price tag that's covered up in the background. In the examples seen here, they're the same.

One girl hit a pallet with TVs, and the Black Friday mark-down has it pegged at $429. But when she removes the holiday price card, the regular card behind it has a matching number. In other words, she's suggesting there is no real deal at play here ... just new cardstock.

Another dude does something similar, but over in the clothes section ... where he peels back a sticker price for a pair of pants -- which then shows it's been upped in price from $25 to $30 ... so, the guy's implying Target's price-gouged to make it seem like folks are saving.

While most people are wise to this sorta thing -- companies tweaking prices and signage to capitalize on a holiday -- these young'ns apparently think they've uncovered Watergate! 😅

We've reached out to Target for comment on this -- but there isn't much to say besides ... welcome to capitalism, everyone. Now then, go buy more new stuff and be happy, dammit!