Ex-Rep. John Conyers Dead at 90

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Former congressman Rep. John Conyers has died.

Conyers passed away in his sleep Sunday, per his son, John Conyers III. A longtime representative of Detroit and the longest-serving member of the House prior to stepping down in 2017, Conyers was instrumental in establishing the Congressional Black Caucus.

He was elected into office in the '60s and continued to serve in his capacity for decades to come ... working tirelessly toward civil rights for African-Americans and minorities along the way, helping to boost voter registration in the community while also securing legal representation for countless people who were wrongly arrested.

He co-sponsored the original Voting Rights Act of 1965, and shortly after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 ... Conyers introduced a bill that would honor Dr. King with a federal holiday, which President Reagan signed into law years later.

He earned a seat on the House Judiciary Committee in 1965, and eventually went on to chair the committee in 2007 -- becoming the first black man in American history to do it. Conyers was also famously on President Nixon's "enemies" list during the Watergate scandal.

Rep. Conyers became embroiled in a scandal himself in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced in the wake of #MeToo. He denied the accusations but resigned nonetheless. His son, Conyers III, had shown interest in running for his open seat, but Rep. Rashida Tlaib ultimately ran and ended up winning it in the 2018 election.

Conyers' death comes a little more than a week after his congressional colleague and fellow civil rights activist, Rep. Elijah Cummings, passed away himself.

Conyers was 90. RIP

'Supernatural' Star Sam Arrested at His Austin Haunt ... Drunk in Public & Assault

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"Supernatural" star Jared Padalecki was arrested at a club he tends to frequent quite often -- which makes this story all the more ghastly.

Jared -- who plays Sam Winchester on the show, opposite Jensen Ackles -- was busted by cops early Sunday morning in Austin, TX outside of a lounge called Stereotype. Per his booking sheet, he's facing two counts of assault and one count of public intoxication.

Based on video TMZ obtained in the moments leading up to Jared's arrest ... you can see why. The guy was getting physical on the sidewalk, and cops had to get involved.

Eyewitnesses on the scene tell us that at first, Jared allegedly struck a bartender in the face from inside the establishment ... and that a friend tried calming him down outside, but got put into a headlock after a standoff, which you can see here in the footage.

We're also told he got into it with the general manager of the place, and allegedly struck him in the face as well. Eventually, Jared was restrained by police ... but not before pulling out what we're told was a wad of cash, and allegedly flashing it to the officers.

As for Jared's connection to Stereotype -- it's a bit hazy, but he's definitely a regular and might even be an investor too. Local reports suggest he straight-up owns the joint -- he and Jensen own respective businesses in Austin aside from this, BTW -- and we could probably buy that, considering he was there opening night last year, and drops in a lot.

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Jared's bond is set at  $15k -- $5,000 per charge -- but it's unclear for now if he's bailed out yet. We've reached out to his rep ... so far, no official word back.

Kim K's Pal Jonathan Cheban No More The Name's Foodgod, Legally!!!

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Jonathan Cheban -- Kim Kardashian's longtime friend and frequent guest on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" -- just turned his Instagram handle into his legal name. Chow down!!!!

JC filed legal docs in Florida -- his primary residence, it seems -- asking a judge to sign off on the name change from Jonathan Cheban to .................... wait for it ...

...

...

.... just a little bit more

........... FOODGOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's actually just Foodgod, but you get the idea. And yes, there's no capital G in the name, and the words aren't split up either as some media outlets have stylized it in the past. Sorry about that, holy folks and grammar nerds. Unfortunately for you, the Foodgod has spoken.

TMZ got a hold of the official judgment that was entered last week. It ain't all that fancy -- a name change isn't complicated. But, for Jonathan Foodgod, it carries significant weight.

If you don't know, FG's been all about the eats for a while now -- being a bonafide foodie is kinda his thing, and he proudly showcases it all over his social media pages. Literally, it seems like just about every post is related to good grub ... he even sleeps with food.

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And, of course, Jon's been rockin' the @foodgod handle for a minute too. But, if you check out his IG today ... you'll see he's got the registered trademark symbol next to it.

Next stop ... the DMV!!!

Ben Affleck Sobriety Setback ... I Won't Let it Derail Me

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102719_ben_affleck_next_morning_v2_4660082 :: 0_i1bj3w0k :: 0_ru3jmvmi
BACK ON TRACK
UPDATE

4:34 PM PT -- Ben Affleck bounced back Sunday from a boozy Saturday night with a fistful of coffee and a face full of optimism ... while also acknowledging that he stumbled in his sobriety.

UPDATE

The actor was seen showing up Sunday to what we're told was the home of his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, in L.A. ... rocking a sweater and some dad jeans. He didn't seem too bent out of shape considering how rocky he looked the night before -- if anything, Ben was sort of radiating here. Hell, the guy even drove himself over and had a pep in his step.

UPDATE

A pap asked how he was holding up, and Ben made no bones about ... he slipped up. There's a silver lining though. Watch ... sounds like Ben's not gonna let this get him down.

Ben Affleck seemed to have fallen off the wagon Saturday night at a Halloween party.

Ben was leaving La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood for the Unicef Masquerade ball. He clearly has trouble walking and uses the SUV to steady himself. He nearly fell before catching himself on the vehicle.

Ben Affleck 10/26/19
SHAKY EVENING

Affleck has had a rough go of things over the years. He's struggled with his sobriety and repeatedly gone to rehab ... most recently in August 2018, when his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, drove him to a facility in Malibu. He's had a sober coach and seemed to have been doing well.

Ben had been attending wellness classes at an L.A. wellness center that specializes in "Buddhist ethics," where people who attend engage in meditation with a focus on healthy body, mind and spirit.

Sobriety is difficult and elusive for everyone struggling with addiction, and we're told Ben has acknowledged he's going to slip up from time to time ... it was never as if this was simply behind him.

It's unclear if Ben will be heading back to rehab.

Originally Published -- 7:11 AM PT

Tyson Fury I'll Be Training w/ Conor McGregor ... For My MMA Debut

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Tyson Fury wasn't just talkin' that talk when he said he wanted to get into MMA -- he was serious ... now announcing he'll be training with the Notorious MMA to get ready.

The heavyweight boxer confirmed the big news Sunday while talking to Sky Sports News, telling them that he's got something even bigger in the works than his upcoming WWE match against Braun Strowman in Saudi Arabia. What might that be, you ask???

It's the Octagon, baby!!! The Gypsy King himself says an MMA debut is on the horizon, and that none other than Conor McGregor is going to help him train across the pond.

And, when is this gonna be happening, you may wonder??? Tyson had an answer for that too ... he says if all goes according to plan, we may be seeing him get in the cage sometime this year. Keep in mind -- it's October, folks. So, if he's serious, that's a quick turnaround.

Tyson Fury
COMING TO A RING NEAR YOU

Lucky for Tyson, he looks to be in great shape right now ... and is definitely on a tear to take over all combat sports, as he told us just last week in NYC. We couldn't tell if he was simply hyped off his WWE debut by roping in MMA, but clearly he wasn't. He's dead serious.

It sounds like he's got some unfinished business on the table -- namely, beating Deontay Wilder in the ring -- but the man's on a mission to fight. Good luck, champ.

Kanye West My New Tour Breaks All The Rules ... And I'm Going Global!!!

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Kanye West is going to push boundaries, travel the world and redefine everything audiences expect to experience when showing up to a concert.

Sources close to Kanye tell us his upcoming tour for "Jesus is King" will be unlike anything anyone has seen. We're told the Sunday Service format will serve as a pillar to the production, but it's only a part of the larger picture.

Our sources say the tour is meant for all types of venues -- whether inside or out -- and will be versatile to fit the space.

Kanye West
TAKIN' JESUS ON THE ROAD

While Kanye hasn't announced a start to the tour, or any official dates, we're told it'll be a global event ... for fans all around the world to enjoy.

We got a happy Kanye out in NYC Friday who announced the tour would start "right away." Interestingly enough, when we asked about stage design, Kanye was quiet ... but only said it will be different than the floating stage design featured during his Saint Pablo Tour.

Kanye started his Sunday Service in a field in Calabasas ... but has since taken it across the country -- making stops in Utah, Chicago and at Howard University -- even spotlighting at Coachella this year.

The new tour will be Kanye's first since 2016 ... the Saint Pablo Tour was cut short after Kanye was hospitalized to deal with mental health issues.

Demi Lovato Hosts Massive Halloween Bash

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Demi Lovato threw a crazy Halloween party Saturday night, and tons of celebs came out to celebrate.

The bash went down at Hyde nightclub in Hollywood. Among those who attended ... Paris Hilton, Larsa Pippen, Jason Derulo, Jake Paul, Madison Beer, Hana Cross, EJ Johnson, Jayde Nicole and Dorothy Wang.

Demi came as Pennywise from "It." Paris came as a schoolgirl. Larsa came in camo ... check out the gallery.

Kylie Jenner was supposed to attend, but her driver got in a little fender bender and she ended up being a no-show. She wasn't hurt and spent her night hanging with Sofia Richie. BTW ... Kylie was dressed as Madonna, circa 2003 VMA Awards.

Demi has made her love for Halloween known over the years with a few other Halloween parties in the past, but this one seems to take the cake of her spookiest event yet.

Ja Rule Stops Ashanti's Set ... Rouses Crowd to Sing 'Happy Birthday'

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Ja Rule interrupted Ashanti's set Saturday night and got the crowd to wish and sing her "Happy Birthday" ... this is, her birthday was 2 weeks ago!

Ja and Ashanti were both featured performers at Nightmare on Q street, at a concert thrown by radio station Q100 at the Orleans Arena in Vegas.

Ashanti was in the middle of her set when Ja Rule jumped on stage to wish her happy birthday and got the crowd all amped up. He got them to sing "Happy Birthday," and people in the audience did the OG version ... to Ashanti's delight.

Others performing at the concert included Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Chingy, MIMS and Baby Bash.

Happy BD, Ashanti!!!

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro Baby Mama Jen Harley Getting A Bigger Ass Thanks to Stranger's Fat!!!

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Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's baby mama, Jen Harley, is in the market for more junk in her trunk ... and she's gonna do it with the help of some fat donations.

Harley's set to get fat injections early next month, however, it won't be her own blubber. We're told doctors take fat cells out of other patients, clean them up, and then inject them into folks looking for a thicker caboose.

L.A. Dr. Jaime Schwartz will do the honors ... he specializes in performing the procedure on women who don't have enough fat in their bodies to move around.

We're told the process takes about an hour and a half and is pretty much pain-free. Jen will be awake during the whole time.

BTW the procedure costs around $25k.

When all is said and done, Jen's ass will be fuller, rounder and better sculpted.

The timing makes sense for someone looking to move on ... Jen and Ronnie just had a nasty breakup after a domestic incident in L.A. Ronnie's been charged with 5 misdemeanors for the incident, including domestic violence and child endangerment.

We're told the two will continue to co-parent their 18-month-old daughter, Ariana, and hammer out a more official custody arrangement once the dust settles from the criminal case.

Usain Bolt Down For NFL If Pack Or Pats Call ... 'I'm Ready!!!'

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Usain Bolt
CALL ME, AARON!!!

Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady ... looking for a 6'5" receiver who runs a 4.2 40-yard dash?? Good news -- Usain Bolt says give him a call ... 'cause he's down to play!!!

We got the most decorated Olympic sprinter ever out in NYC this week ... and now that he's retired, we had to ask -- would he be up for an NFL career??

The 33-year-old said yes ... but on one condition -- it's gotta be either with New England or Green Bay!!

"If the Patriots or Aaron Rodgers call me," Bolt says ... "If they call me, I'm ready!"

Think it's crazy?? It ain't ... the former fastest man in the world actually once got offers from NFL teams to tryout for a roster spot back in 2016, but he famously declined.

But, now that the whole track thing isn't in the picture ... seems he's up to give it a shot!!

By the way, we also asked Bolt for his opinion on a G.O.A.T.-off between Rodgers and Brady ... and ya gotta hear his thoughts on the debate.

'The Walking Dead' Legal War Won't Die ... With 'The Toking Dead'

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AMC's "The Walking Dead" is waging legal war with the creators of a comic book series ... and just like the zombies at the heart of both stories, the dispute refuses to die.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... "The Toking Dead" filed a trademark application back in August 2017, but AMC fired back with a cease and desist, claiming copyright infringement ... and the legal standoff is still going down.

For those unfamiliar ... 'Toking Dead' is a comic strip about 2 friends who open a marijuana dispensary, and when disaster strikes and people mutate into zombies, the guys discover their weed holds the key to saving humanity.

It's kinda easy to see why the honchos at AMC don't want their super-popular show mixed up with potheads. Yeah, some people still don't like Mary Jane.

Anyways, 'Toking Dead' responded to the 'Walking Dead' legal threat by pushing forward with its trademark application and eventually publishing the comic in June 2018 in the NY Gazette.

AMC got pissed and quickly filed an opposition to the 'Talking Dead' trademark ... and now the whole thing is once again in legal limbo.

Sure, reputations, brands and money are on the line ... but maybe everyone needs to just chill out and smoke some herb.

World Series Champagne Celebrations ...The Best Bubbly Shots

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The World Series is popping off as the Washington Nationals face off with the Houston Astros in this year's Fall Classic, but before this MLB season comes to an end, it's time to look back at all the champagne celebrations from the winning teams through the years.

From the St. Louis Cardinals defeating the Texas Rangers in Game 7 of the 2011 World Series, to the unforgettable party when Josh Reddick stripped down to an American flag Speedo after the Astros' win against the Dodgers in 2017 ... these striking photos are a home run.

Whoever takes the win this season, the forecast is in ... and we're predicting heavy, bubbly showers.

Jeremy Renner Ex-Wife Takes Ava to the Pumpkin Patch ... Amid Custody Battle

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Jeremy Renner's ex-wife seems to be trying to show why she should get sole custody of their daughter as the court battle wages on ... opting for a day in the hay as exhibit A.

Sonni Pacheco was seen Saturday with her and Jeremy's 6-year-old daughter, Ava, at a pumpkin patch in L.A., where it was just mom and the kid enjoying themselves. In photos and video we got of their outing, you can see Ava having a great time.

She goes up and down an inflatable slide a few times while Sonni looks on, and certainly seemed down with the festive scenery all around her as she held hands with her ma.

It even looks like there might've been some other parents there with their own kids tagging along, as Sonni was seen mingling with a woman and a guy in a black shirt. Safe to say, it was a cozy looking scene -- the opposite of what's been going on behind closed doors.

Sonni Pacheco
MOTHER OF THE YEAR

As we've reported ... Jeremy and Sonni are locked in a bitter custody battle right now, with allegations being hurled against each other left and right. Sonni has said that Jeremy is a substance-abusing loose canon who threatened to kill her as well as himself.

He denied that, and claimed she was the one with substance abuse issues ... not to mention being sex obsessed and introducing that type of content to their kid. He's also called her mentally unstable and a liar, who's only attempting to smear him for revenge.

Both parents are out for sole custody, and with this ... it looks like Sonni's the first to strike with a good photo-op. Time will tell if it helps her cause.

Christina Ricci Good Genes or Good Docs?

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Christina Ricci has been looking good now and then!

Here is a 15-year-old version of the young actress at the world premiere for one of her most famous roles as Kat in "Casper" back in 1995 (left).

And, 24 years later ... the now 39-year-old mother of one -- who has starred in many spooky films such as Wednesday Addams in "The Addams Family" at the age of 10 and "Sleepy Hollow" alongside Johnny Depp in 1999 -- looking anything but scary at New Jersey Horror Con in Atlantic City last week (right).

It's time to get in the Halloween spirit!

The question is ...

Michael Jackson Son Hosts 'Thriller' Party Talks About Past Halloweens w/ Dad

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Michael Jackson's imprint on Halloween culture is living on through his children -- one of whom's got an interesting tidbit about how his late father would celebrate ... incognito.

Prince Jackson hosted the third annual 'Thriller Night' at the Jackson family estate Friday night, which was all done in partnership with the charity Heal LA Foundation -- a nonprofit that emulates MJ's Heal the World org, but with a focus on those struggling in Los Angeles.

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Tons of members of the Jackson clan rolled through, including Paris and Blanket (who goes by Bigi now), as well as Michael's nephews Taryll, TJ and Taj Jackson ... they all wore costumes.

While being interviewed outside the party, Prince shared a nice little nugget about life with their dad during the spooky holiday ... which, as it turns out, was one of the only times MJ could get out in public with his family without so much hoopla and attention.

PJ says because it's acceptable to be in costume for Halloween, MJ would take advantage and go trick-or-treating with the kids. Sounds like those outings were successful to a certain extent. MJ's nephews say there was always a tell that'd give him away. Any guesses???

As for what went down inside the actual party, it seemed pretty family-friendly ... with what appeared to be a haunted maze built in, and a 'Thriller' tribute show put on by dancers.

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Of course, Michael's signature song has become a Halloween staple -- and tons of people still jam out to it and even rock his look from the music vid to this day. Again, a classic.

Controversies aside, it looks like the fam's keeping that going for a good cause. Good on them.

Machine Gun Kelly Shoves Stagehand During Concert ... Vows to 'Get Help'

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Machine Gun Kelly
THROWIN' A TANTRUM

Machine Gun Kelly seemed quite pissed during one of his concerts after his guitar wasn't working, and he took it out on one of his stagehands ... for which he's now apologized.

The Cleveland rapper was performing Friday night at the Credit Union 1 Pavilion in Chicago, where at one point while he and his band were rocking out to MGK's "Hollywood Whore" ... an equipment malfunction occurred, and Kelly kinda lost his s*** up there.

TMZ got video of the meltdown moment, where MGK realizes his guitar isn't working at a part of the song where it's supposed to (his guitar solo, it seems), and he rushes over to the backstage area to see what's going on ... confronting a frantic stagehand.

He seems to make some sort of physical contact with the guy before rushing back to the other side of the stage, with the stagehand following close behind with a mic stand.

Once they're on the left side again, Machine Gun Kelly appears to shove his guitar into the stagehand's chest, clearly frustrated with him as the guy scurries off back to the right again.

The song continues to play as MGK awkwardly stands in the back, not having played a lick of guitar through most of the ending of the track ... and things ended even more poorly as Kelly appeared to lurk over to the stagehand who appeared upset and flustered.

MGK climbs a box behind the main stage and stares the dude down from above, and then LEAPS down and follows him back stage as the guy tries to get away. Bad look, right?

Seems like Kelly himself realized just how nasty he'd acted, and took to Twitter after the show to address it. He wrote, "tonight the frustrations from my personal life came out on the stage. sorry to my fans and my band. i’ll get help after tour is over."

The good news is that the man's self-aware and owned up to it ... no harm, no foul.