NYC Catcall Viral Video Woman Sues for $500k ... Damn, I Was USED!
Shoshana Roberts, the woman catcalled 100-plus times in an anti-street harassment vid that went viral, is now suing the director of that video.
In case you missed it ... Roberts was secretly recorded walking around NYC while men threw endless whistles and pickup lines at her. The clip got more than 40 million views.
Roberts filed docs against director Rob Bliss and Hollaback! -- the anti-street harassment group -- for using her likeness to promote their agenda. Her attorney says Shoshana did not have a written agreement with Bliss. He wouldn't say if she was paid for the gig, but believes she didn't get everything she was promised. He refused to be more specific.
Roberts is suing for at least $500k.
She's also suing Google, YouTube and T.G.I. Friday's ... which parodied the the catcall vid for one of its ads. Roberts isn't laughing, but we think it's kinda funny.
See also
Steve-O Launches Bottle Rocket ... OFF HIS NOSE!!
Steve-O had a super epic 4th by strapping fireworks to his skateboard and firing rockets all over a skatepark.
The "Jackass" alum was in rare form -- using his board and his nose as the launching pad for a couple of bottle rockets. What's really amazing here is that Steve didn't take out the skaters who were watching his stunts ... but he came really close.
He did catch a few embers in his eyes though.
Patriotism ... it really burns sometimes.
Homeless Man Featured in YouTube $100 Challenge Dies from Alcoholism
The $100 homeless man who became famous for his generosity has died ... TMZ has learned.
We're told Kenni Thomas Nickel -- featured in a YouTube video that generated 40 million views -- was found dead in an L.A. alleyway. The L.A. County Coroner's Office tells us Nickel died from chronic alcohol abuse. He passed away last month.
You'll recall, a stranger gave Nickel $100 and then followed him around with a hidden camera to see how Nickel spent it. To everyone's surprise, Nickel used the cash to dish out food and other necessities to homeless people.
Nickel was 56.
R.I.P.
See also
YouTube Star Chuck Testa Dead Animals Make Awesome Gifts
YouTube sensation Chuck Testa knows the perfect gift to give at a party … the head of a dead animal.
Chuck came bearing a very familiar gift when he showed up at the studio opening for the guys who produced his now famous taxidermy commercial for Ojai Valley Taxidermy.
The viral vid producers, Rhett and Link, tell TMZ that a stone-faced Chuck handed over an $800 stuffed antelope -- which you should recognize as the "antelope driving a car" in the spot. We're told Antie was the life of the party and will be going up on a wall in their new studio.
Death inspires.
Can anyone bring a dead animal to a party? NOPE … just Chuck Testa.
See also
Teen Poets LAPD Investigates Death Threat Over Rape Poem
Two up-and-coming poets who once opened for John Legend are the targets of death and rape threats ... and the LAPD is on the hunt for the bad guys.
Belissa Escobedo and Rhiannon McGavin, 16 and 17, performed their poem, "Rape Joke," at the Brave New Voices poetry slam competition in July 2014 -- which was then posted to YouTube and viewed more than 400,000 times.
Apparently it didn't sit well with everyone. Someone has threatened to "stab the fat one in the nose straight up to the brain, effectively leaving her in a state where all she can do is feel pain, but I won't kill her just yet."
Another threat promises to "anally rape the blond one with a rusty-nailed plank, tie her to a f***ing chair ..."
The threats were posted on the YouTube page and that was enough for the LAPD to get a search warrant.
Cops have not found the people who posted the threats ... at least not yet. But the girls are standing firm ... they will continue to perform poems in public and the videos will stay on YouTube.
See also
Sony Pictures Caves to More Hacker Demands Wipes 'Interview' From Social Media
Looks like the "Guardians of Peace" scored another victory ... Sony quietly gave in to another hacker demand by wiping almost all traces of "The Interview" from its social media pages.
Hackers threatened top level Sony execs Friday saying, "We want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately."
The movie studio almost immediately obliged ... the movie's Twitter page no longer has any tweets, the Facebook page has been deleted and all "Interview" footage has been wiped from its YouTube page.
Sad.
1:50 PM PST -- The hackers also released a message Saturday afternoon mocking the FBI ... saying, "The result of investigation by FBI is so excellent that you might have seen what we were doing with your own eyes. We congratulate you success. FBI is the BEST in the world."
They included a link to a weird YouTube video featuring a bunch of dancing happy faces titled "you are an idiot."
See also
Weed Smoking Granny Viral Video Sesh Was Fun But I'm Done Taking Bong Rips!
The video of 3 grannys getting stoned for the first time is blazing up the Internet ... but sorry pot enthusiasts -- one of the women in the video says she'll NEVER GET HIGH AGAIN!
Dorothea -- the most timid granny in the video -- says she won't try wacky tobacky again because she didn't like the way it made her totally lose control.
However, the Internet star tells us she now understands why there's a big fight to legalize it -- and she hopes it's decriminalized ... adding, "I don't understand what the big deal is about being high on marijuana."
Not surprising ... the director of the video says Paula (granny on the left) told producers she was down to smoke again after they were done toking up.
Bet she'll make awesome Christmas cookies this year.
See also
Pantera Drummer That Baby Rocks!! Here's Something to Bang
A viral video of a baby drumming to a Pantera song rocks so hard ... the band's real drummer Vinnie Paul is sending the tot a mini-metalhead starter kit.
Vinnie tells TMZ ... he was so blown away by the clip of 8-month-old Wyatt faux-jamming (there's an adult moving his arms) to the Pantera classic "5 Minutes Alone" -- he reached out personally to the kid's parents in Kentucky.
Vinnie put together a $400 ddrum D1 starter kit for Wyatt -- 2 cymbals, snare drum, bass drum, 3 tom toms and sticks -- which he's shipping this week with a personal message.
"Walk" on, little Wyatt!
See also
Mozart Classic Recording Sullied With Boobs
Mozart just rolled over in his grave ... but don't worry, it was only because this video made him really excited.
Thanks to the awesomeness of the Internet some chick named Sara X took to YouTube to show off an amazing talent ... bouncing her boobs to the tune of a song with no hands.
This time, she chose the Mozart classic "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" -- and it's AWESOME!
Have you seriously not started watching this video yet?!
Shame on you.
See also
Chef Auntie Fee Hey Oprah, Help A Sista Out
The Chef -- aka Sista Girl -- tells us she's gotten dogged by Jimmy Kimmel ... even a producer-type from "Orange is the New Black" -- everyone wants to book her. But she says she's a simple woman and isn't up on celebs ... so she doesn't know who these people are.
She does, however, know one -- Oprah -- who can help her navigate her new-found fame.
There are 2 others she tells us she would place faith in -- Tyler Perry and Steve Harvey.
See also
'Snakes in a Cab' Prankster Suspended by the TLC ... But Hollywood Is Calling!
Jimmy Failla -- the taxi driver who rode around with a snake in his cab and then posted riders' reactions to YouTube -- has lost his cabbie license ... but tells TMZ he's gained a slew of new job offers.
Jimmy tells TMZ the Taxi and Limousine Commission yanked his license for two years, but Jimmy is more than ok with it. He says he's gotten two TV development offers, his stand-up career is taking off and he's even auditioned for a slot on "The Tonight Show."
Failla says he's even been approached by producers to pull the prank in Los Angeles, though he says he'd need a fake taxi.
Clearly he's not ready for Hollywood ... we use Uber in these parts, pal!
See also
'Snakes in a Cab' Prankster Taxi Commission Can Take My License I'm Bigger Than a Cabbie Now
A NYC cabbie who pranked passengers with a live snake -- and posted their reactions to YouTube -- doesn't give two craps if the Taxi and Limousine Commission yanks his license ... he tells TMZ, he's on to much bigger things now.
Check out Jimmy Failla's video above -- it's pretty funny -- but New York City's TLC isn't laughing ... calling the prank "monumentally poor judgement on the driver's part." A rep says the commission is now actively reviewing Jimmy's TLC license. It's up for renewal next week.
But Jimmy tells us, if TLC wants to take his license away ... they can have it.
He says he shot the YouTube video to promote his new book ... and he's also making a living as a stand-up comedian -- so he doesn't need to drive cabs anymore. He never really liked doing it anyway.
Fun fact: Jimmy says he HATES snakes.
See also
ESPN Announcer Did He Drop an F-Bomb During NBA Broadcast?
During last night's game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Chicago Bulls, ESPN's Jon Barry either dropped a very causal F-bomb or ... well, we really don't have another option.
As Grizzlies center Marc Gasol drained a midrange jumper, Barry remarked, "four f**king jumpers he's knocked down."
It's possible Barry said something else (one site postulated he was trying to say "flat-footed" jumpers), but it's clear he got a little tongue-tied.
[h/t the ironically named Fire Jon Barry]
See also
Randy Moss' Daughter DROPS 63 POINTS Sets College Basketball Record
BALLER runs in family ... 'cause Randy Moss' daughter just dropped 63 points in a college basketball game in one of the most DOMINANT performances of all time.
Sydney Moss WENT OFF for Thomas More College in a 106-88 victory over Waynesburg in a DIII tournament in Kentucky on Friday night ... setting the DIII single-game scoring record.
Moss -- a 5'11" sophomore -- is sorta following her dad's college career path. She started at the University of Florida and then transferred to the smaller school.
Of course, Randy started at Florida State before transferring to Marshall ... where he emerged as one of the best wide receivers in the country.
David Lee Roth Performs 'California Girls' With Beach Boys Singer
David Lee Roth and Mike Love may not be surrounded by California girls anymore ... but that didn't stop them from getting together to sing about how much they still love 'em.
DLR and Love hit the stage with John Stamos at an ELAA Awards benefit in Beverly Hills -- and despite their age (Roth is 59; Love is 72) ... both performers were pretty spry on stage.
David Lee Roth's version of the song was released over 20 years ago.
... and now you feel old.
See also
Kanye West TMZ Rags On Me Out Of Racial Nervousness
Kanye West went on another endless rant Saturday night ... but this one had a racial twist.
Kanye was playing the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey when he called out TMZ and other media for criticizing him over the last year.
Kanye said we all make him look like "a maniac and an animal" ... not because of anything he did ... but because of our discomfort over interracial relationships.
Unless we're missing something ... he thinks we all have a problem with the fact that he's engaged to Kim Kardashian.
Funny ... we thought we were ragging on him long before he hooked up with Kim.