Sean Penn had an intruder Friday ... a swab that went way up his nose to test for the presence of COVID-19.
Sean's doing great work in the 'Bu ... he helped organize and fund a COVID-19 testing facility through his org, the Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE).
In case you haven't followed it, the swab test collects samples from the nasal passage.
CORE is working the City of Los Angeles and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to offer drive-through testing free of charge.
Penn has said he hopes the system he set up through CORE will provide a model for other cities and counties around the country.
Testing is still not available in the numbers doctors and scientists say are necessary to reopen the country.
Jacksonville, FL Beachgoers Don't seem at all concerned with the number of coronavirus deaths and cases on the rise ... because they hit the sand Friday and packed in like sardines.
It's a crazy sight, as the sun worshipers took their chances by getting in close contact with other beachgoers.
Jacksonville's mayor, Lenny Curry, celebrated the trek to the beach saying, "This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life."
President Trump is clearly encouraging people to break quarantine, with Tweets like, "LIBERATE MICHIGAN," "LIBERATE VIRGINIA," and "LIBERATE MINNESOTA."
He's clearly dog-whistling, because he threw in this ... "And save your great 2nd Amendment."
Not hard to read between the lines ... he's telling his stalwarts to ignore the advice of doctors, scientists, their governor and mayor, because they're Americans dammit.
Florida currently has 24,066 confirmed coronavirus cases and 726 deaths ... and counting.
Jeff Bezos may have just paid millions of dollars over asking price for a New York City condo, but hey ... for him it's like throwing a penny into a fountain.
The richest dude in the world just dropped $16 mil on a 3-bedroom, 3,000 square foot apartment in the Big Apple. And check this out ... the joint sold in 2018 for $11.5 mil.
Real estate honchos say Jeff overpaid some for sure, but he has a higher purpose ... literally. The Amazon chief's new unit is smack dab below a penthouse and 2 other units which he bought last year for a cool $80 mil.
So, now Bezos has 4 contiguous units in the prestige building. The end game is to connect the units into a big ass home, but construction has yet to begin.
As we reported, Bezos is scooping up property left and right on both coasts ... he took David Geffen's Bev Hills home off his hands for $165 million ... also last year, after his divorce.
Speaking of his divorce, Bezos is closing in on replenishing his bank account afterhis marriageended. As of Friday, with Amazon stock soaring during the coronavirus pandemic, Bezos's net worth swelled to $138.5 billion. He recently donated $10 bil to combat climate change.
Don't let these two almost identical images of Arnold Schwarzenegger have you headed in the wrong direction ... Stay focused and see if you can spot the sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!
The multitalented star and former Governor of California was spotted getting some fresh air during a bike ride in Los Angeles, CA a few weeks ago. Take a really good look around this photo and see if you can figure out the differences between these two super similar snaps!
**HINT -- There are THREE differences in the above photographs!**
Here's Floyd Mayweather doing a preettttyyyy good job of social distancing on a bike ride Friday ... but we gotta ask -- is it The Best Ever job of it???
Maybe not.
Money and around a dozen members of his entourage rolled through downtown Los Angeles  ... and while they seemed to do an OK job of keeping their distance -- it wouldn't exactly make Dr. Fauci happy.
You can see in the pics, only some of the riders -- not including Floyd -- are wearing masks ... while others are awfully close to getting within 6 feet of each other, a big no-no in coronavirus times.
TMZ Sports has learned this isn't a one-time ride either ... we've been told Mayweather and his crew have been on this same ride throughout the week.
Hey, the legendary boxer's got every right to get his exercise in ... but just like everyone else, he's gotta do it responsibly -- so be safe out there, Floyd!
Lots of us are going stir crazy by now, and lots of us are thinking about sex. Dating/sex apps are seeing huge usage, and that can't be great when it comes to spreading the virus. So, we gotta ask ...
Las Vegas is looking into ways to lift coronavirus restrictions and safely reopen the world famous strip -- but it's gonna change your Vegas experience forever.
Our sources in Vegas tell TMZ ... when the casinos reopen, they will absolutely have different layouts and practices, and the biggest issues on the table are cleanliness and spacing.
We're told casinos will have to make sure gamblers don't get too close to one another, and that means spacing out people at table games like blackjack.
The strip sees about 115,000 revelers on an average day, so the risk for spreading the virus remains high while there's no vaccine. As a result, we're told officials' top priority is preventing a COVID-19 flare up.
Our sources say monumental sanitation efforts are being discussed for casinos -- machines will need to be cleaned more than ever before, and they'll need a system to sanitize playing chips, cards and dice -- the 3 surfaces gamblers touch the most.
We're told casino operators are working directly with government officials to hammer out a plan to lift restrictions and reopen the city -- but there are a lot of hurdles. For instance, our sources say they haven't even begun to tackle nightclubs.
As you know ... Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak closed all the state's casinos in mid-March to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and the order's now in place until at least April 30. Sisolak said this week the state isn't even close to lifting restrictions, so don't book those flights just yet.
The Nevada Gaming Board tells TMZ ... safety is a top priority, as well as protecting employees and visitors, and ideas on how to do so safely are being exchanged.
As for those famous Sin City buffets ... we're told it's highly unlikely they'll return to what they used to be, not for the foreseeable future. Possibly never.
One of the best parts of the NFL Draft is the CRAZY FASHION -- but don't expect to see too many crazy suits this year, thanks to COVID-19.
With the Draft going virtual -- and everyone from players to coaches to execs staying home -- the market for those dope tailored suits has basically dried out.
There's no way for the players to get to their tailors for measurements -- and we're told several players plan on going casual as a result.
One top celebrity tailor put it this way -- "Since it’s a virtual draft this year, there will sadly be no need for suits."
Another huge tailor said, "At this time none of the draftees I would normally have dressed for the occasion have committed to wearing a custom piece this year due to circumstances."
We reached out to the NFL to see if there is a dress code that would require players to dress up for the occasion, but we were told there is no policy regarding clothing.
"It’s up to the individual players," an NFL spokesperson tells us ... but hinted we most likely won't see draftees getting selected while wearing sweatpants.
"In previous years, players who did not attend the Draft but appeared in interviews with NFL Network or ESPN generally wore suits."
It started with wash your hands ... and it's now going to be WIPE YOUR FEET!!!
That's the route many businesses are looking to take in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Center for Disease Control reporting that coronavirus particles can live on shoes and not just on handrails and other surfaces.
Enter the disinfecting shoe mats. TMZ spoke to several companies who offer them and we're told business is boomin' ... as several industries ramp up measures to prevent spread of the virus.
The concept of the mats is pretty simple -- you wipe your feet on the, it sanitizes and disinfects the shoes. One of the big brands is SaniStride, which says its product is 99.99% effective ... and they've seen a jump in sales of over 500% since the middle of March. That CDC report about shoes gave the company another sales boost.
So far, the Oregon-based company has mailed out THOUSANDS of mats with continuing inquiries from nursing homes, hospitals, office buildings, markets, restaurants and rental car companies.
And, there's this ... SaniStride says a few major cruise liners reached out a few weeks ago. It's no secret the cruise industry is taking it on the chin lately ... with multiple coronavirus-related deaths on ships, which have triggered several lawsuits.
The "new normal" is also pushing sales through the roof for an Illinois-based company called allMATS, which says it's backed up on at least 100 orders. We're told customers are ordering in bulk -- 50 to 70 mats at a time. Likewise, Mat Supplier in Washington state says its sales have tripled compared to last year.
Point is, as states reopen their economies, you should expect to see more of these mats. Clean hands, clean shoes ... can't lose! We hope.
These stars are stuck at home just like us, but they're still managing to keep things hot ... even in quarantine!
Celebs always find a way to take everything to the next level, and these sexy stars are about to show you just how hot loungewear can be!
Take a look through our gallery of babes in sweatpants to see all the famous faces sharing their comfy pics ... Make sure you get a really good look so you can put your celeb skills to the test and try to guess who's in the pic!
Not even these babes can find the motivation to throw on some jeans.
Drakehas everyone, almost literally, doing the "Toosie Slide" -- his latest single just hit a 10-figure benchmark on TikTok, breaking Kylie Jenner's record.
Sources at the video creation app tell us the hashtag #ToosieSlide hit a billion views in just 2 days ... giving Drake the fastest music trend to reach a billion views on the platform.
That's not to say Drake's OG clip was viewed a billion times on TikTok ... there have been countless recreations of his quarantine-themed music video dance challenge, so the number represents how many times people have viewed #ToosieSlide related content.
Drake's still sliding BIG TIME -- our TikTok sources tell us #ToosieSlide just reached a whopping 3 BILLION views, and it ain't slowing down.
TMZ broke the story ... Kylie's "rise and shine" moment was thefastest-growing TikTok trend back in October, quickly reaching a billion views, but we're told #ToosieSlide reached the benchmark even faster than Kylie's hashtag.
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4:21 PM PT -- WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert wasted no time with the league's tribute to Gianna and her teammates ... announcing them as the first three honorary picks of the 2020 draft.
UPDATE
"While it brings us pain not to see their dreams come to fruition," Englebert said Friday, "I'm grateful and proud to announce them tonight as honorary draft picks."
UPDATE
Family members of the crash victims recorded thank you speeches for the honor ... and when it came to Vanessa Bryant's time to speak, things got emotional.
UPDATE
Kobe's wife -- who was wearing a WNBA sweatshirt that belonged to the Black Mamba -- said, "Thank you so much for honoring my GiGi and selecting her to be an honorary draft pick this year."
UPDATE
"Work hard. Never settle. Use that Mamba Mentality."
Vanessa Bryant thanks the WNBA for honoring Gigi, and shares some wisdom for the 2020 draft class. pic.twitter.com/CwvyxqG0fi
"It would have been a dream come true for her. She worked tirelessly every single day. She wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all-time, just like her daddy. So thank you, thank you for honoring my little girl."
UPDATE
Vanessa, with tears in her eyes, added, "Kobe and GiGi loved the WNBA. This is his sweatshirt. Thank you. I want to congratulate all of this year's draft picks. So congratulations, work hard. Never settle. Use that Mamba Mentality."
Gianna Bryant and her Mamba Academy teammates will be memorialized in a big way Friday night ... the WNBA is set to make them honorary picks in the org's annual draft, according to Vanessa Bryant.
GiGi, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester -- who all passed away in a helicopter crash withKobe Bryant -- will get the honor at some point during the televised selection process.
Of course, it's a huge deal for the trio ... they all had WNBA aspirations before their tragic deaths in January -- and Vanessa praised the tribute on social media Friday.
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The league's show -- which is slated to be entirely virtual this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic -- is set to kick off at 4 PM PT on ESPN.
The WNBA becomes the latest in a long line of organizations, celebs and athletes that have paid tribute to the victims following the devastating helicopter wreck.
Meanwhile, UConn -- Gianna's dream school to hoop at -- also paid tribute to Kobe's daughter by laying out a No. 2 jersey before its game in late January.
Leo, Michael and Ellen DeGeneres are all in the top 10 fan experiences ... meaning they have the most entries, as of Friday afternoon. Michael, the 76ers partner who created the All In Challenge, and his ultimate sports fan experience still has one of the most wanted celeb offerings.
As we told you ... ALL proceeds from the auctions and raffles are going to help feed Americans affected by COVID-19.
Leo's holding that No. 1 spot by raffling off a walk-on role in his next Martin Scorsese-directed film "Killers of the Flower Moon," which costars Robert DeNiro. So, a shot at hanging with Leo and Bobby D is as popular as you'd expect.
Rubin, who also owns the popular Fanatics brand, is offering you tickets to almost ALL of the world's biggest sporting events -- the NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup Finals and the Olympics Opening Ceremonies, to name just a few. He also threw in a $100k Fanatics gift card!!!
Ellen's giving someone a chance to be her next co-host. Here's the rest of the celebs within the top 10 ... although, in no particular order:
- Justin Timberlake (Pebble Beach Golf with Bill Murray) - Drake (Fly Air Drake, OVO & Nike Gear, Nightclub, Concert) - Kevin Hart (Walk-on movie role) - Matthew McConaughey (University of Texas football game) - TikTok stars Charli & Dixie (Shopping, concert and shoot TikTok vids) - Justin Bieber (Private performance at your home) - Gary Vaynerchuk ($25k Wine Library shopping spree, "Trash Talk" podcast)
Of course, that list excludes some awesome auction items, like the ones Tom Brady, Magic Johnson and Peyton Manning are offering -- but those big-ticket items have also helped the All In Challenge already bring in almost $8.5 million!!!
Twitch and Amazon have just been accused of intentionally and maliciously screwing with Omnis and Teddy Riley.
Jeff Bezos' companies -- yes, Amazon owns Twitch too -- are accused of blatantly ripping off Teddy's streamed concert April 2 on the Omnis internet platform by taking the entire event and putting it on Twitch.
The folks at Omnis have fired off a cease-and-desist letter to the Twitch folks, demanding they put a quick stop to the whole stealing thing.
According to the letter, obtained by TMZ ... "We further understand that Twitch and its affiliated companies, including Amazon.com, Inc., were fully aware of [Omnis'] rights in the Program at the time it was streamed, and that its infringement ... may have been intentional and in malicious disregard of [Omnis'] streaming platform.
The letter demands that Twitch take down Teddy's concert -- Teddy Riley & Blackstreet a Quarantine House Party -- and fork over any profits, or else a lawsuit's comin'.
Lori Loughlin just got a signal from the judge in her college admissions criminal case -- that the judge is about to open a can of whup-ass on prosecutors for allegedly coaching a key figure in the case to lie.
The judge just ordered prosecutors to get real over something prosecutors allegedly hid for months, but finally surfaced. TMZ broke the story, Lori claimed in documents that FBI agents were browbeating scammer and ringleader Rick Singer to lie, and when he wouldn't they screamed at him. Singer had told agents the money Lori and others paid were donations, but he claimed that agents -- including one named Liz -- told him he should say the money these parents paid were bribes. When he resisted, he says the started screaming at him.
The judge called the allegations "serious and disturbing," adding, "While government agents are permitted to coach a cooperating witness during the course of an investigation, they are not permitted to suborn the commission of a crime." The crime to which the judge refers is clearly that if Singer swore that which was not true, it would amount to perjury.
The judge is asking for answers from prosecutors. As we reported, Lori says they acted so corruptly, she wants the judge to dismiss the case outright.
Ranjit Chowdhry -- best known in the U.S. for playing Vikram on "The Office" -- has died in India ... according to reports.
The former Bollywood star lived in New York but reportedly traveled back to his home country to receive dental treatment months ago. According to Indian theater actor Dolly Thakore ... he was supposed to return to America, but couldn't due to the shutdown, and recently suffered a ruptured ulcer in his intestine.
Thakore says Ranjit underwent emergency surgery, but died Wednesday at a Mumbai hospital.
Chowdhry made a name for himself in Indian comedies in the late '70s and early '80s before moving to the U.S. for a Hollywood career.
He wrote the screenplay for the 1991 film, "Sam & Me" before becoming a successful character actor in the '90s.
Most notably, Ranjit played the role of Singh on "Cosby" and had a 2-episode arc on "The Office" as a telemarketer who worked with Michael Scott.
His other credits include "Prison Break," the Queen Latifah movie "Last Holiday," and most recently ... a guest spot on "Law & Order: SVU" in 2013.
