Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Dead at 62

7:08 PM PT -- A release from The L.A. County Sheriff's Department says friends and business associates of Lister became worried Thursday when they hadn't heard from him since Wednesday night. Deputies performed a welfare check where they made their way into his apartment and found him dead.

At this point, cops say it's believed that Lister died of natural causes ... but an autopsy will be performed to determine an official cause of death.

Ice Cube, who starred in 'Friday' posted a tribute, saying, "RIP Tiny “Deebo” Lister. America’s favorite bully was a born entertainer who would pop into character at the drop of a hat terrifying people on and off camera.  Followed by a big smile and laugh. Thank you for being a good dude at heart. I miss you already."

Tommy "Tiny" Lister -- famous for playing intimidating, but lovable tough guys in films like "Friday" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us they got a call to the actor's Marina Del Rey apartment Thursday, just before 3 PM, for an unconscious male. Our sources say Tommy was not transported to the hospital, as he was pronounced dead on the scene.

We're told the coroner is at the home, but there's no word yet on a cause of death.

Though "Tiny" began landing his bullying bad guy roles in the '80s, he's most famous for his hilarious turn as Deebo in "Friday" and the sequel, "Next Friday."

He also played President Lindberg in the sci-fi action film, "The Fifth Element," and more recently appeared in the box office smash hit, "The Dark Knight." He voiced the character Finnick in "Zootopia" as well.

Along with acting, Tommy had 2 short pro wrestling stints, and starred alongside Hulk Hogan -- as the bad guy, Zeus, of course -- in the 1989 film, "No Holds Barred."

Oh, and if ya didn't know, his nickname is pure irony ... "Tiny" was 6'5".

10/17/19
LAST TIME WE SPOKE
TMZ.com

When we last saw him out and about, "Tiny" couldn't have been nicer ... talking to us about another Deebo currently playing in the NFL, and dishing out some new "Friday" info.

Earlier this year, Lister used his bullying powers for the greater good ... getting word out to help grieving families -- and a few months before that, he was warning kids to stay inside during the early days of the pandemic.

Tommy was 62.

RIP

Originally Published -- 5:39 PM PT

Brandon Bernard Executed in Texas Despite Pleas from Kim K

Exclusive Details

6:42 PM PT -- After several hours of legal pushback, Brandon's execution was carried out, and he was pronounced dead at 9:27 PM ET.

Shortly before his death, his legal team released a statement, calling the execution, "a stain on America's criminal justice system" and insisting that Brandon's life mattered to many -- including his family, friends, and supporters around the world.

2:21 PM PT -- Kim says she just shared a heartbreaking call with Brandon Bernard as his time runs out, at one point having to mute the phone so he couldn't hear her cry. She tweeted, "We didn’t say goodbye bc we wanted to be hopeful that we would talk again, we said talk to you soon!"

Kim Kardashian West needs to stop trying to save convicted killer Brandon Bernard from being executed because she's not considering the pain of the family he destroyed  ... so says a member of that family.

Dana Ladd, the stepsister of one of Bernard's victims, Stacie Bagley, tells TMZ ... Bernard deserves to be executed by lethal injection Thursday at a penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana despite Kim's desperate pleas to the White House to spare his life.

Ladd says, "I want her to think about if it was one of her children that Bernard did that to -- would she feel differently? It's easy for people to say things when they don't have similar experiences."

A source close to Kim tells us her heart breaks for both sides and in no way has she meant for her efforts to diminish the loss of Stacie. Kim says she knows what Brandon did was wrong, but taking his life won't make things right.

Bernard was 18 in 1999 when he was involved in the brutal kidnapping and killing of Todd and Stacie Bagley. While Bernard was not the trigger man, he put the victim's bodies in the trunk of a car and set it on fire.

Dana says during his trial, Bernard never showed remorse. Our Kim sources say she's spoken directly to Brandon, who has repeatedly said he's sorry for his role in Stacie's murder ... his remorse and his young family are major reasons why she got involved in his case.

Another defendant in that case, Christopher Vialva, who shot the couple in the head, was executed back in September. There were 3 other teenagers involved and they received long prison sentences ... while Vialva and Bernard got the death penalty.

As you might know ... Kim's been tweeting constantly since bringing Bernard's case to light last month. She had tweeted Bernard has only seen his kids through a glass, a tweet that really got to Dana.

Dana says, "Bernard was able to see his family through glass, but we'll never be able to see Stacie anymore. He has a daughter -- what would he think if someone did that to his daughter?" Dana says ... Bernard's getting what he deserves and nothing more.

She added, "A sin is a sin -- consequences of those sins will play out and that's what's happening today."

Originally published -- 1:27 PM PT

Kardashians We're Streamers Now ... Headed to Hulu

Breaking News

The Kardashians won't be without a medium for their reality tv content for long, because they're headed to Hulu ... just months after announcing 'KUWTK' was kaput.

The announcement was made Thursday during Disney's Investor Day in Santa Monica. We're told Kim, Kris, Kylie, Khloe, Kendall and Kourtney will all join the streaming service to create new global content that is expected to debut late 2021. Their content will air exclusively on Hulu domestically and on Star internationally.

As we reported, it was back in September when the family announced that after 20 seasons on E! "Keeping Up with The Kardashians" was coming to an end next year. At the time, Kim said, "This show made us who we are and I will be forever in debt to everyone who played a role in shaping our careers and changing our lives forever."

At the time, we were told the family was able to promote their own personal brands and products on their own social media pages, and needed to step away from TV for a bit.

Turns out, they now have massive plans to stream.

Lil Wayne Sued Ex-Manager Says ... You Owe Me $20 Million+!!!

Exclusive

Lil Wayne is deep in the hole with his ex-manager to the tune of more than $20 mil ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Ronald Sweeney claims Wayne hired him in 2005 to help renegotiate his deal with Cash Money. You'll recall Weezy beefed with Cash Money honcho Birdman over how much Cash Money paid out to Wayne's label, Young Money.

Long story short ... Lil Wayne settled that Cash Money lawsuit in May 2018, but Sweeney now claims he only got a few payments from that settlement ... and they were nowhere near what he says his full cut should be.

Then there's this ... in the suit, filed by attorney Ed McPherson,  Sweeney says back in May 2018, Lil Wayne asked him to fire Cortez Bryant -- Weezy's manager and childhood friend -- over a conflict of interest in a legal dispute involving Drake and Cash Money.

Sweeney says he did so, and took over Bryant's duties and got Wayne to give him a pay bump from 10% to 17% commission. But, Sweeney claims Bryant and Mack Maine then conspired to drive a wedge between Wayne and Sweeney, which allegedly worked. Sweeney says Wayne fired him in September 2018.

Then, this past June, Lil Wayne sold his masters to Universal Music Group for more than $100 million. Sweeney doesn't seem to be asking for any money from that deal ... but brings it up seemingly to point out Wayne has the cash to pay him what he claims he's owed.

We've reached out to Lil Wayne for comment, so far no word back.

Rep. Andre Carson Yes, I'll Get COVID Vaccine ... But Mistrust in Black Community a Real Issue

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THE MISTRUST IS REAL
TMZ.com

Rep. Andre Carson's 5-second pause, when asked if he'll get vaccinated against COVID-19, underscores the hesitation most African-Americans have ... but he believes that can change.

We got the U.S. Congressman on Capitol Hill Thursday and he addressed the new study showing only 14% of African-Americans trust the vaccine will be safe -- in short, he's not surprised.

The congressman brought up America's ugly history when it comes to medical research on Black citizens -- most notably the Tuskegee experiments with syphilis on 600 Black men.

However, Andre also pointed to the work of Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett ... the African-American scientist who helped develop one of the COVID-19 vaccines.

He believes that will help start the "healing" process necessary for African-Americans to trust vaccines, but stressed ... it's just a start.

Rep. Carson shouted out the efforts of a few more people before telling us he's willing to step up to the plate ... whenever the vaccine becomes available to him. Interestingly, although he's a Congressman, he's not looking to cut the line.

Vegas Police Shooting Cop Fatally Shoots Robbery Suspect Charging with a Hammer

THE WILD INCIDENT
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

A robbery suspect went after residents of the home he was in with a hammer before being shot dead by a responding officer in the nick of time ... and it was captured on body cam.

Police footage of the terrifying Las Vegas incident from the early morning hours Tuesday shows the cop arrive to check out a report of a burglary. The officer says he can see the suspect through a window in the house, then goes to the front door.

The officer tries to get the 2 homeowners -- who are 73 and 76 years old -- to open up quickly to let him in, and thankfully they do ... because a second later the suspect charges with a hammer.

The cop shouts "No!" several times as the suspect tries to attack one of the residents, and as he raises the hammer to strike ... he's shot several times.

He reportedly died at the scene.

The Clark County Coroner has identified the dead man as 40-year-old Nathaniel Sironen. According to police, he broke into the residence armed with the hammer and demanded money and car keys from the homeowners, and told the female resident she was "coming with him."

Fortunately, neither of the elderly residents were injured in the scary ordeal.

Kelly Clarkson My Estranged Husband Defrauded Me Out of Millions

Breaking News

Kelly Clarkson has declared war on her estranged husband, claiming he defrauded her out of a fortune.

Clarkson just filed legal docs with the California Labor Commission, claiming her ex, Brandon Blackstock, who also served as her personal manager, defrauded her by charging exorbitant fees, and she wants all of the loot back.

Among other things, Kelly says Brandon wasn't legally allowed to operate as a talent agent, because he never obtained a license.

She wants all the money back, and we are talking a fortune. Kelly has been one of the top money earners in the music biz for a long time now, so the commissions she's paid are enormous. She was with Brandon's company for 13 years.

Bryan Freedman, lawyer for Starstruck, tells TMZ “The labor petition conveniently ignores the fact that Kelly had her own licensed talent agency CAA at all times. While Starstruck Management Group provided talent management services on her behalf, it did so at all times that CAA was her agency of record."

He continues, "It is unfortunate that Kelly is again attempting to avoid paying commissions that are due and owing to Starstruck to try and achieve some perceived advantage in her ongoing custody and divorce proceedings.”

Kelly was sued by Brandon's company in September, Starstruck Management, claiming she owed the company $1.4 mil in commissions.

This is the latest shot over the bow in what has become a nasty divorce.

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly and Brandon were fighting over custody ... he wanted their 2 kids to stay with him at the family's Montana ranch. She said she did not want the kids shuttling back and forth between states, and L.A. has been home base for the children. The judge agreed, and now Brandon can only see the kids every other weekend.

OK! Magazine first reported the story.

Youth Football Coach Investigated for Child Abuse Victim's Mom Doesn't Want to Press Charges

Exclusive Details
THE DISGUSTING INCIDENT

10:53 AM PT -- The coach who attacked the kid has been identified at Gerrel Williams -- who actually worked for a Sheriff's Dept. in Georgia.

Law enforcement tells TMZ Sports ... the Osceola County Sheriff's Office in Florida investigated Williams for possible child abuse after someone sent them video of the Dec. 7 incident.

Investigators noted the violence in the video and ultimately made contact with the victim's mother ... but she made it clear she did NOT want to press charges against the coach.

That doesn't mean he's off the hook -- it's possible prosecutors can move forward with charges and use the video evidence. But, it's much tougher to get a conviction without a cooperating victim.

As for Williams, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office in Georgia confirms he was an employee -- "He was a counselor in the detention center."

But, the CCSO says after seeing the video, Williams is "no longer an employee."

9:41 AM PT -- The coach who smacked the kid has now been banned from all American Youth Football activities, the org. tells TMZ Sports.

We spoke with AYF Executive Vice President Adam Laufer who tells us, "We are of course beyond disappointed in the coach's actions, which are wholly inconsistent with the fundamental value of youth sports."

"The coach has been banned indefinitely from all future AYF events and activities."

AYF is a massive youth football league with a presence in all 50 U.S. states and 6 countries.

LeBron James was so outraged after watching a youth football coach smack a child during a game this month ... he said he might've straight-up fought the guy over it all if he were there in person.

"If I there and it's not even my kid we gone have more than words for sure," the Lakers superstar said Wednesday night.

If you haven't seen it ... the video is pretty disturbing -- a grown-man ATTACKS one his players after a play on the field, hitting the kid in the head multiple times before throwing him to the sideline.

The incident all reportedly went down at the American Youth Football National Championships in Kissimmee, Florida ... and the child is reportedly only 9 years old

The man was hit with a TON of backlash on social media for his actions ... with many people calling for his job -- and even jail time.

The coach issued a video apology ... saying, "At the end of the day, I am a man. I'm not going to make no excuses for what I did" -- but, clearly, the mea culpa wasn't enough for LeBron.

James Instagrammed the video and SLAMMED the coach ... adding, "Ain't no way!! Couldn't be my kid."

Other athletes have expressed similar outrage ... with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe writing, "Even IF* that’s his kid, I’ll whip him."

"I won’t let anyone prey on the weak or vulnerable in front of me," Sharpe continued. "Not going to happen."

It's unclear if the coach will face any criminal charges -- or even discipline from the youth league -- over the incident.

Originally Published -- 6:18 AM PT

L.A. County D.A. George Gascon Kim K's Goals Are in Line with Mine ... Sweeping Criminal Justice Reform

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FIGHTING THE SAME FIGHT
TMZ.com

Kim Kardashian's influence can be a huge asset in rolling out transformative changes to L.A.'s criminal justice system ... so says new D.A. George Gascon, who's ready to work with her.

The freshly sworn-in L.A. County District Attorney says he and Kim share a lot of the same viewpoints about prison reform, and he believes her reach will be vital to spread their message ... especially to young people.

Gascon tells us he respects the commitment Kim's demonstrated to changing the system, and he wants her help in fully re-imagining it for the better.

On that note ... Gascon's already taken major steps to get the ball rolling, which is why Kim shouted him out in the first place and grabbed his attention.

During his first days on the job, he called for ending the death penalty -- something very important to Kim -- eliminating cash bail for non-violent crimes ... and ordering a cease of prosecuting first-time offenders for misdemeanors.

Gascon explains why he feels these changes are so important, and will lead L.A. away from defaulting to putting people behind bars -- and instead aim to help and rehabilitate them.

Obviously, it's all easier said than done, but the new D.A.'s confident, and like Kim, hopes L.A. can lead the nation in efforts to fix criminal justice.

Peloton Sued Deaf Folks Need More Guidance!!!

Exclusive

Listen up, Peloton -- you're excluding deaf people from being able to enjoy your app ... at least that's what's alleged in a new class-action lawsuit.

A man in New York is suing the stationary exercise bike company on behalf of his fellow deaf and hearing-impaired people ... claiming the app is violating their civil rights.

That's because, according to legal docs obtained by TMZ, the Peloton app does not include closed captioning for its workout videos.

The plaintiff claims this makes it "impossible" to comprehend the audio portions of the workout tutorials for deaf Peloton members, so they are not able to enjoy the features of the app as much as people without hearing impairments.

Specifically, the man suing says he was unable to understand vids on the app titled "10 Minutes Stretching," "10 Minutes Arm Toning" and "3-Minute Warm-up" due to the lack of closed captioning.

The lawsuit's seeking damages from Peloton and an order requiring the company to close-caption its videos.

SURPRISE!!!
PELOTON

This isn't the first big controversy for the exercise company as it's skyrocketed in popularity the past couple years. About a year ago, it caught flak for a Christmas ad many deemed "sexist" ... though it stood behind it.

Earlier in 2019, Peloton was sued over songs by several big-name artists it used for classes ... and it had them yanked.

Ellen DeGeneres I Have COVID ... But Feelin' Fine

Ellen DeGeneres has tested positive for coronavirus, but says, so far, she feels okay ... but she wants to give everyone she's been in close contact with a heads up.

The talk show host revealed her diagnosis Thursday morning and says she's following all the proper CDC guidelines. It sounds like she's going to be taking a break from work, because she adds ... "I'll see you again after the holidays. Please stay healthy and safe."

As for the guests she's had in studio in the last week -- Justin Bieber, Bryan Cranston, Diane Keaton, Alison Brie and Lil Nas X.

It's been a rough stretch for Ellen the past several months. We broke the story ... her Montecito mansion with Portia de Rossi was burglarized in July, which led to a serious security upgrade at the home.

Around the same time ... several ex-employees of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" alleged a toxic work environment, for which she later apologized.

Ellen's show will be on hiatus for the Xmas holidays, so there isn't an issue shooting the show.

Montana Yao Files for Divorce From NBA Husband Malik Beasley

Exclusive

Montana Yao has officially filed divorce docs seeking to end her 9-month marriage to NBA player Malik Beasley, TMZ Sports has learned.

Yao filed the papers this week in Minnesota, where the family has been living since Malik was traded to the Timberwolves back in February.

We're told the couple was married on March 5, 2020. They have one young child together.

As we previously reported, Yao felt "blindsided" by recent photos of Beasley holding hands in public with Larsa Pippen during a Nov. 23 outing in Miami.

The photos show 24-year-old Beasley and 46-year-old Pippen strolling around arm-in-arm at a public shopping area.

Yao has been posting on social media about her marriage ever since -- and on Wednesday she issued a statement saying, "Things have been pretty rough I'm not going to lie."

Montana added, "We were told to leave our family home 10 days ago and just like you all I'm pretty confused."

She continued, "There have been no public or private addressing of the situation nor any type of apology."

We reached out to Beasley's reps for comment -- so far, no word back.

Beasley was a 1st round pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He averaged 20.7 points per game with Minnesota in the 14 games he played with the T-Wolves in 2020.

Oh, and he also signed a 4-year, $60 MILLION deal just last month.

Florida Fatal Shooting Cop Begs Suspect to Cooperate ... 'Please Don't Make Me Do This'

Breaking News
"I'M BEGGING YOU"

A police officer stopped a driver and begged him to cooperate, but after a standoff, he unloaded his gun on the suspect ... and this could be a case of suicide by cop.

It happened Tuesday night in Hillsborough County Florida. The officer was trying to serve an arrest warrant on Dylan Scott in a McDonald's parking lot. Scott was wanted on charges of grand theft and resisting arrest.

The officer asks Scott to put his hands up but he refuses. The cop begs Scott, telling him, "I don't want to do this. It's not worth it."

As Scott remains steadfastly uncooperative, the officer tells him if he makes a bad decision it could cost him his life, but still ... Scott refuses to cooperate.

The officer pled with Scott for 4 minutes, to no avail. He begs Scott to put his hands up, repeating he does not "want to do this." It then gets even more tense, when the cop apparently sees Scott reaching for something. He begs him not to, and says "Whatever you've got in your hands, drop it." Scott still refuses, and the officer tells a fellow cop, Scott has a gun.

You then hear a series of shots from the officer's gun. No gun was found in Scott's car.

Scott was taken to the hospital where he died.

Scott's mother called the Sheriff's Office in July, saying her son left a note that he wanted to die by suicide by cop.

Matthew Morrison Plays Super-Sexy Grinch in Musical ... Still Steals Christmas

Matthew Morrison probably thinks fans who saw his performance in "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch Musical!" have hearts 2 sizes too small ... 'cause they're going off about his hyper-sexual take on the Grinch.

The "Glee" star drenched himself in the green getup for Wednesday night's musical on NBC, but instead of softening hearts around the world, things got strange.

With lots of moaning, heavy breathing and come hither stares into the camera ... many viewers felt MM went bizarrely overboard with his portrayal.

You could almost hear people at home screaming, "That's a no for me, dawg" ... which is a pretty good summary of the Twitter reviews. One viewer even said, "Sending matthew morrison the bill for all the therapy i’ll need after watching his bizarrely sexual interpretation of the grinch."

After the show, Matthew posted a video of himself taking off his makeup while singing "For Good" from the popular play, "Wicked."

Nice PR move, but it still didn't distract fans from taking out their frustrations. Some of them included concerned parents who said their kids had nightmares.

As one unhappy customer put it, "matthew morrison doing an incredibly cursed rendition of the grinch is the most fitting way to end this wretched year imo, we r in hell."

Settle down folks, it's just a freakin' musical. You're all mean ones.

Mo3 Cops Nab Alleged Murderer

Breaking News

Dallas PD says they got the guy who gunned down rapper Mo3 in cold blood, slapped him with a murder charge and turned him over to the feds ... 'cause he's in even more trouble.

Homicide detectives say they tracked down Kewon Dontrell White on Wednesday after getting a tip from a witness about his alleged involvement in Mo3's November 11 killing in Dallas. Cops tell TMZ ... they believe White is the armed man seen on surveillance video running near the murder scene.

It appears White either knew Mo3 or was tailing him -- detectives say they have evidence placing him near the rapper a full day before the shooting, and also on the day of the murder.

As we first reported, sources told us Mo3 knew he was being tailed as he left a female companion's home the morning of November 11. A car chase ensued that ended on the I-35 freeway, and Mo3 was gunned down as he tried to flee on foot.

Cops tell us 22-year-old White is now in federal custody for a charge of prohibited person in possession of a firearm ... in addition to the murder charge in Dallas.

TMZ broke the story ... Mo3 was pronounced dead at a hospital after the shooting in his hometown. An innocent bystander on the freeway was also shot and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Canadian Cop 'Dealt With' Over Revenge Ticket After Driver Questions Cop

TICKETED FOR WHAT

10:33 AM PT -- The Winnipeg Police Service says the cop has been spoken to by his commanding officer about his conduct and the matter has been "dealt with." That being said, Winnipeg PS doesn't say how it dealt with it.

As for the cop not wearing a mask ... the Service says its officers "are expected to wear face masks during interactions with members of the public unless social distancing is being practiced." As you can see from the video ... social distancing was NOT being practiced.

WPS also says they're trying to contact the driver to speak with her, though there's no mention if the ticket can or will be rescinded. As for why she was initially pulled over ... WPS says the driver was "stopped for not moving to a farther lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle using emergency lamps or equipment."

A Canadian cop was out for revenge when a motorist dared to call him out for not wearing a mask ... and it's right there on video.

It went down in Winnipeg when the officer pulled a woman over and said he was prepared to give her a warning for some sort of driving infraction. That's when the lady asked the cop why he wasn't wearing a mask, and that did not sit well with the officer.

He clearly felt disrespected, for some reason ... incorrectly saying he was safe because he was 6 feet away. In case he missed it, the pandemic has exploded, and just about every scientist is saying 6 feet away isn't enough ... you gotta wear a mask, even outdoors.

In any event, he exacts revenge on the woman for daring to question him.

God, we hope she fights this in court.

Originally Published -- 7:22 AM PT

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