'Masked Singer' Big Season 6 Premiere ... Tapping the Kardashians!!!

It's that time of the year again -- "The Masked Singer" is on a roll ... and wouldn't ya know it, there might be Kardashian clout among the contestants. You heard it here first, folks.

Production sources tell TMZ ... somebody in and around the Kardashian empire will be all costumed up for this season from head to toe, and if that manifests like we're hearing ... they'll be singing their heart out as part of next week's Group B premiere.

Kiiiinda makes you wonder if Kim K was on to something last week at the Met Gala ... or perhaps telegraphing what's to come on the big stage. She herself was fully covered in something very similar. 😅

Anyway, we know what you're thinking -- the Kardashian clan is pretty damn big, so it could literally be anybody. True ... but you gotta figure that if it's any one of the sisters (sans Khloe and Kendall, who are tall AF) the costume they get stuffed in might match that height.

One person we're sure it WON'T be is ... Caitlyn Jenner. She showed up last season as the Phoenix, and got the boot relatively early. So, yeah ... they ain't gonna be double-dipping there. It's gotta be someone else entirely -- only question is ... who???

BACKSTAGE AT "THE MASKED SINGER"
Fox

Oh and FWIW, we've learned that one of the BEST singers this season will be unmasked in the first few weeks ... in what many backstage are calling one of the biggest upsets ever.

Stay tuned!

Brian Laundrie Federal Arrest Warrant Issued In Gabby Petito Case

3:58 PM PT -- The feds are tipping their hand ... the warrant for Laundrie's arrest is about way more than illegal credit card use. TMZ obtained a motion filed by prosecutors requesting Brian be held without bail before his trial, because he's a danger to the community.

Allegedly swiping someone's credit card hardly seems like a public safety issue, so the motion strongly suggests the feds suspect he's involved in something way more nefarious. The docs also state what's obvious at this point -- that Laundrie is a serious flight risk.

Brian Laundrie is now a wanted man by the feds ... an arrest warrant has been issued -- but NOT for Gabby Petito's death.

A Federal Grand Jury indicted Laundrie for the crime of Use of Unauthorized Access Devices. Specifically, prosecutors claim Laundrie used a Capital One Bank debit card. The document does not say it's Gabby's card, but that doesn't seem like much of a leap.

The indictment gives a timeline for the alleged unauthorized use of the card ... it was used from August 30 to Sept. 1 to purchase items totaling at least $1,000.

What's significant ... he returned to his parents' Florida home Sept. 1. And, the FBI first asked the public for assistance with Gabby's case around Aug. 28. She would later be reported missing on Sept. 11.

THE TRUTH WILL COME OUT
TMZ.com

It's interesting ... the feds aren't linking the homicide to Laundrie, at least not yet. That's probably because there are still loose ends ... namely, there has to be probable cause to get a warrant for her death, and it's unclear if there's physical or other evidence at the crime scene linking Laundrie to the homicide. But, the indictment allows the feds to take Laundrie into custody ... that is, if they can find him.

The preliminary autopsy report has not been released, but it's expected any day. The manner of death will be critical in the investigation.

Originally Published -- 3:11 PM PT

Bronx Zoo Gorillas Go Downtown!!! In Oral Sex Peep Show!!!

Gorillas Gettin' Down
Viral Hog

When Simon and Garfunkel sang that it's all happening at the zoo ... they weren't kidding, because 2 gorillas got busy in front of a throng of onlookers.

You gotta watch this video ... maybe the most hilarious this year. It -- and the primates -- went down Wednesday at the Bronx Zoo.

It started innocent enough ... one of the gorillas was perched on a rock when he caught the eye of a fellow ape. Seems like they're apes with benefits, because one of them immediately laid on its back, and the other assumed the position and went at it.

As hysterical as the gorillas were ... you gotta see the adults who quickly shielded their kids' faces and began screaming to make a run for it.

The video cuts off, but we're pretty sure it was a happy ending. And, we're not being fallacious.

Lamar Odom Fighting J Lo's Ex, Ojani Noa Taking Riddick Bowe's Place

The day after Riddick Bowe was pulled from his fight with Lamar Odom, the former NBA star has a new opponent, and it happens to be a dude who knows what it's like to have an insanely famous wife ... 'cause he was married to J Lo.

TMZ Sports has learned 47-year-old Ojani Noa has agreed to fight the 41-year-old ex-hooper on October 2 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami, FL ... all part of a Celebrity Boxing card.

If you don't remember Noa, a former server, he was married to Lopez from 1997 to 1998 ... before they split.

Of course, Odom, the 2x NBA champ, was married to Khloe Kardashian from 2009 to 2016.

Odom -- who beat pop star Aaron Carter via 2nd round TKO in June -- was originally scheduled to fight former heavyweight boxing champ, Bowe.

However, after 58-year-old Evander Holyfield recently lost to Vitor Belfort ... and didn't look great in the ring, everyone from Celebrity Boxing to the Florida state athletic commission thought it best to remove him from the match.

Riddick isn't totally off the event ... Paulie Malignaggi is also boxing Corey B on the card. Bowe will referee that fight.

Ojani was actually scheduled to step in the ring against a much shorter opponent last year ... having inked a deal to scrap with Joe Giudice. However, COVID screwed up those plans.

But, now it's on ... Odom vs. Noa, #BattleOfTheExes

Brian Laundrie Family Won't Be Repped by Casey Anthony Lawyer, Jose Baez

The family of Brian Laundrie -- the main person of interest in the death of Gabby Petito -- has not retained the lawyer known for representing other notorious defendants like Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez ... despite swirling rumors.

Attorney Jose Baez tells TMZ ... he has not spoken to the Laundrie family or Brian himself. He says, "Therefore, I do not represent him or anyone else related to the case" and tells us his current caseload makes it very unlikely he'd be available for this case "given its current complexities."

Earlier Thursday, Laundrie's parents made a 2-hour trip to Orlando and people online noticed they were close to Baez's office ... which sparked speculation they were looking to hire him. But, we're told that's not the case, and the Laundries' lawyer says they were simply there for business.

As you know ... Baez was responsible for getting Casey Anthony acquitted in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Baez was also the lawyer for NFL star Aaron Hernandez's in both his 2012 double murder case and his 2013 murder appeal ... until Hernandez killed himself in prison.

As we've reported ... Laundrie is still missing roughly a week after his parents first told authorities he took his backpack and went on a hike. Before that, he was named a person of interest in the disappearance of Gabby, his fiancee, after returning home from a cross-country trip on Sept. 1 without her.

Weeks before that, the couple were involved in a domestic dispute in Utah, in which a 911 caller said he saw Brian slapped and hit Gabby.

Her body was found Sunday in a Wyoming state park near a site where the van the couple was traveling in was spotted by a witness in mid-August. The coroner ruled Gabby's death a homicide, and as of now ... all signs point to Brian -- the last person to see her alive.

R. Kelly Trial Defense Compares Him to MLK ... Dream On!!!

Martin Luther King Jr.'s name got dragged into R. Kelly's federal trial on multiple sex crimes in a pretty outrageous way -- his attorney says the singer should be acquitted because he's just like MLK.

Yeah, try to catch your breath. Closing arguments are going down Thursday in the federal court in Brooklyn, NY -- and defense attorney Deveraux Cannick drew the comparison by telling the jury Kelly is demanding prosecutors prove he's guilty beyond a reasonable doubt ... the same way Dr. King fought for Constitutional rights.

He went on to quote a part of MLK's "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech, declaring ... "Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press."

His point seemed to be that Dr. King wanted the government to uphold the Constitution, and Kelly's doing the same ... in his sex crimes trial.

Mind you, Kelly's attorneys only called a handful of witnesses to the stand during the trial -- most of whom merely stated they hadn't seen Kelly doing anything illegal. The singer himself chose not to testify, although that's not uncommon.

Cannick also claimed prosecutors encouraged witnesses to lie on the stand.

The jury will soon begin deliberations. Kelly faces 10 years to life if he's convicted.

Dwight Howard 'Masked Singer' Even Surprised Mom ... I Kept Her in the Dark!!!

FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAM
TMZ.com

Dwight Howard says his own mother was shocked while watching her fave show -- "The Masked Singer" -- because she found out her baby boy was the "Octopus!!!"

The NBA veteran, and current L.A. Lakers star, joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to tell us all about his experience on the Fox show -- and why he went to great lengths to keep his appearance top secret from his mom.

It's super sweet ... Dwight says she was just like every other viewer across the country, watching his unmasking after he'd dropped a pretty good version of the Little Richard classic, "Tutti Frutti."

Keep in mind, he pulled that off while being 6'10" and draped in his heavy costume and headgear.

Unfortunately for the Howard fam, Dwight was eliminated at the end of Wednesday night's season premiere, but it sounds like she'll continue watching even though he got the boot.

It's a fun conversation ... and Dwight tells us why a family connection inspired his song choice.

'Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain' Film Aims to Open Eyes to Injustice Of 2011 Police-Involved Death

MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
TMZ.com

"The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain" star Frankie Faison says he hopes the new Morgan Freeman-produced film brings justice to the family and sheds light on what really happened.

Frankie joined "TMZ Live" on Thursday and explained the film's purpose is to highlight the horrific 2011 police shooting of Kenneth -- a U.S. Marine, whose family is still fighting for a sliver of justice in the case ... after the cops involved were acquitted.

Frankie, who plays the title character, says bringing accountability and opening eyes to those who don't know the complete story is the goal here ... and perhaps a lesson on how to avoid such a tragic thing from happening again.

If you don't know ... Kenneth, a 68-year-old Black Marine veteran who suffered from bipolar disorder, accidentally set off his medical device alarm necklace in his White Plains, NY home in the early hours of November 19, 2011.

Cops ultimately rushed to his home, but a confrontation ensued ... culminating with cops tasing Kenneth before fatally shooting him. At the time, cops initially said Kenneth came at them with a butcher knife ... but an autopsy report later concluded Kenneth's arms were at his side when he was shot.

Soon after, a grand jury decided the cops wouldn't face criminal charges ... and in 2016, the family lost a $21 million wrongful death lawsuit.

Frankie, best known for his role as the deputy commissioner in "The Wire," also told us how Morgan Freeman feels about the critically acclaimed film and what he hopes it accomplishes.

Drake Rented Out Dave & Buster's For Party ... Fun, Games & Twerking!!!

(SKEE) BALLIN'
TMZ.com

Drake went all out for a shin dig down in Miami ... renting out an entire Dave & Buster's and partying the night away with tons of celebs and scores of twerking hotties.

The fun and games went down Wednesday night at the D&B in Miami's Dolphin Mall ... and other celebs in attendance included Future, Yella Beezy and Alexis Skyy.

Folks who were there told us everything was free, courtesy of Drake, and the rapper played his number one album, "Certified Lover Boy."

GETTIN' DOWN
TMZ.com

As you can see, Drake's party people were having a blast ... the tunes were bumping and there were about 1,000 ladies in the house, many of whom got up on the arcade games and started twerking!!!

Drake's making a habit of renting out big venues for special occasions ... as we reported, he had a date night this summer with Johanna Leia in an empty Dodger Stadium, and celebrated his Billboard Award win at SoFi Stadium.

Mama June's Ex-BF Geno's Wanted in Alabama ... Doing Rehab in S. Carolina

Mama June's ex-boyfriend isn't getting any breaks from the judge -- even though he's in rehab, he's in rehab in the wrong state ... which is why he's now a wanted man.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... a bench warrant's been issued for Geno Doak in Macon County, Alabama for failing to comply with the terms of his sentencing in his crack cocaine case.

The warrant says Geno's to be taken into custody by any Alabama law enforcement officer and held without bail until he can have a hearing.

The thing is -- as we first told you -- Geno's in South Carolina after checking into a recovery center there earlier this week, and the facility said he made a 120-day commitment to inpatient treatment.

Doak filed docs to loop in the judge from his crack cocaine case about his whereabouts, but unfortunately for him ... he was supposed to be in Alabama as part of his sentence, and failed to relocate there as required.

So, rules are rules, and rehab or not ... the judge has made Geno a wanted man in 'Bama.

Brian Laundrie Parents Stay Silent ... As Search For Gabby's Fiance Continues

NOTHING TO SAY
Splashnews.com / momandpaparazzi.com

Brian Laundrie's been missing for nearly 6 days now, and his parents are still not talking as the search for him continues as a person of interest in Gabby Petito's death.

Laundrie's mother and father were leaving their home in North Port, FL Thursday morning when they were asked if they have any info on his whereabouts ... and they had nothing useful to say.

This has been par for the course ever since their son showed up at their doorstep September 1 without Gabby, his fiancee, even though they were on a long trip across the country.

Brian's family has not been forthcoming with many details, other than letting authorities know he went missing last Friday after he was named a "person of interest" in Gabby's case. They said he took his backpack and went for a hike, but never came back.

8/12/2021
INTERACTION WITH MOAB POLICE
Moab Police Department

As we reported ... Gabby's body was found 2 days later at a state park in Wyoming, a spot she and Brian are believed to have visited in the days after they had a domestic dispute in Utah.

The coroner ruled Gabby's manner of death homicide, and while the obvious suspect is Brian ... he's not officially been named one by police, at least not until they find out where he's at.

NOT MINCING WORDS
TMZ.com

If Geraldo gets his wish ... it won't even come to that.

Debra Messing Can't Fathom Kim K as 'SNL' Host ... 'Am I Missing Something?' Yes You Are!!!

Debra Messing became a huge TV star in the late '90s, and apparently, she thinks "Saturday Night Live" operates the same as it did back then ... because she doesn't have a clue why Kim Kardashian's hosting it.

The "Will & Grace" star took the bait after it was revealed the reality star would become the first Kardashian to host 'SNL' next month by airing her grievances on Twitter.

Debra questioned the choice, then added a back-handed compliment by saying ... "I know she is a cultural icon, but SNL has hosts, generally, who are performers who are there to promote a film, TV show, or album launch."

She added, "Am I missing something?"

Yep, she's missing something. The world changed, and reality stars are at the center of pop culture and Lorne Michaels is not only a great producer but a businessman who's in the business of getting ratings ... and that's exactly what's gonna happen when Kim hosts.  Remember a decade ago, when actors groused that reality stars like the Kardashians were famous for doing nothing? Debra clearly hasn't let it go.

What's more, the Kardashians have a massive project coming to Hulu, a leading TV and film streaming service ... so Messing is clearly just out of the loop.

You may recall ... when Elon Musk was tapped to host last season, many people were up in arms about it because he's not an entertainer.

Oh yeah, and one of those people ... was Debra Messing.

As for shading Kim, fans let Messing have it, one saying, "Yes Debra, you are missing something. Like the last 40 years." Another jabbed, "She’s arguably one of the most famous people in the world. It’s a smart decision by SNL ... Ppl who say she’s famous for being famous would kill to be famous for being famous. She uses her platform for positive things. Everyone RELAX"

Kim's yet to reply to Debra, but instead tweeted her excitement about hosting the October 9 gig with musical guest Halsey. Kim said, "OMFG no turning back now!!!! LOL I’m hosting SNL!!!!!!"

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