REFORM is partnering with Madge's Ray of Light Foundation to send 100,000 surgical masks to jails and prisons across the country ... especially some hit hard by the coronavirus.
The massive donation includes 50,000 masks for the Cook County Jail and the Illinois Department of Corrections ... where more than 600 prisoners, staffers and deputies have been infected. At last count, 7 people have died.
Another 20,000 masks are going to the Louisiana Department of Corrections, while the remaining 30,000 masks will be distributed between Vacaville Prison in California, FCI Ray Brook in New York and Suffolk Co. Sheriff’s Dept. in Massachusetts.
76ers partner and REFORM Alliance co-chair Rubin tells us ... "It's absolutely crucial that we protect our inmates and prison staff, especially since social distancing guidelines are difficult to abide by in these facilities."
Jessica Alba's husband, Cash Warren, is also part of the effort -- through his company, Pair of Thieves -- to distribute the PPE at a time when the pandemic seems to be intensifying at several correctional facilities. Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Virginia experienced their first COVID-19 deaths in prisons or jails within the past week.
This is the second big donation from REFORM -- last month, the Alliance sent 100,000 surgical masks to Rikers Island, the Tennessee Department of Corrections and the Mississippi State Penitentiary.
Tarvaris Jackson lost control of his car while doing 70 in a 30 MPH zone -- slamming into a signpost and crashing into a ditch, this according to the police report obtained by TMZ Sports.
The former NFL quarterback was fatally injured in the April 12 crash in Montgomery, Alabama around 8:50 PM.
According to the police report, the road where Jackson crashed was not well lit -- and he lost control while going around a bend.
When emergency personnel arrived at the scene just a few minutes after the crash, Jackson was "unable to give a reason why he crashed his vehicle."
The 36-year-old was transported to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The report also says Jackson was not tested for alcohol or drugs at the scene.
Officials also note Jackson WAS wearing his full shoulder and lap seatbelt at the time of the crash.
It was also noted the roadway way dry and the conditions outside of the poor lighting were normal.
They seem to blame the crash on Tarvaris driving at a "high rated speed."
Josh Altman -- one of the many realtors to the stars in Hollywood -- says Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are cream of the crop clients every agent is clamoring for right now -- but if they were under his wing, he'd have one key piece of advice for them ... gated or bust.
The 'Million Dollar Listing' star tells TMZ ... everybody in the real estate game in L.A. knows someone who knows the Sussex couple -- and every big shot realtor wants a bite at the Royal apple now that they're officially doing some home shopping in the City of Angels.
Josh says he isn't repping them himself, but if he was their agent, he'd strongly suggest getting a house that's tucked away and firmly secure, to keep paparazzi and other crazies away. He's got a neighborhood in mind for reference, which has two exits out of the gated community ... something he thinks they want.
As we've seen in the recent past ... Meg and Harry value their privacy, and have at times gone to great lengths to close themselves off -- even making threats when they feel it's being violated. It'll probably only get worse in La La Land, so maybe listen to Josh here.
TMZ broke the story ... sources with direct knowledge tell us Meghan and Harry are looking in Bel-Air and their range is $12 to $18 mil. It's unlikely they'd end up in a gated community in Bel-Air, but they'd almost certainly have a gated estate with security.
BTW, JA also talks about the housing market and what he thinks is going to happen once the coronavirus pandemic is under control. Long story short ... it's a great time to buy, so that means it'll probably be properties galore for the newbies in town too.
Pick up a pad and a pencil and draw your favorite celebrity nude scene ... your artistry could bring home some serious bacon!!!
The good folks over at MrSkin.com just announced a brand new social media contest, and 3 lucky winners are going home with a cool $1,200 just for drawing, sketching or painting celebs in the buff.
Here's the deal ... it's called the #MrSkinChallenge and there's a chance to win an extra stimulus check. All you gotta do is depict a famous nude movie scene or sexy celeb moment, then post your art on social media with the hashtag.
The nude scenes are already rolling in, and ya gotta see some of the submissions ... there are famous moments from "The Shining," "Basic Instinct," "Titanic," "The Wolf of Wall Street" and even a drawing of Kim Kardashian's infamous Paper Magazine cover.
The contest is open to U.S. state residents ages 21 and over with valid social media accounts, and 10 finalists will be announced May 3 with a special post on MrSkin.com.
Once it's down to the top 10, people will vote on the best submissions and the 3 artists with the most votes get $1,200 a pop!!!
If you're unfamiliar with MrSkin.com or haven't discovered it yet in quarantine, the website is a famous online source cataloging movie nudity scenes, and it even got a shout-out in Judd Apatow's romantic comedy, "Knocked Up."
This contest kinda gives the term "movie buff" a whole new meaning ...
Sarah Stage is like most parents who've had to celebrate their kids' birthdays under quarantine -- ya gotta go virtual, but unlike most, she still ended up spending a bundle!
The fitness-focused model threw her 5-year-old, James, a party at their L.A. home last week -- which was quarantine-friendly ... as it was technically just her and her two kids, including the birthday boy. That doesn't mean she didn't go above and beyond though.
Sarah got all of James' friends and closest relatives, including his Grammy, to hop on a video message to wish him happy birthday. On top of that, she got his inner circle of pals to do a drive-by laser gun shoot-out. All from a distance, of course.
That stuff doesn't take the cake, though ... the "Sonic the Hedgehog" pastry does, 'cause that's what Sarah ordered for James -- not to mention curbside balloon service to deliver a bunch of balloons and party favors for his at-home shindig.
Last but not least ... Spider-Man!!! Mom hit up Super Fly Ent. and dropped a couple hundred bucks for a personalized video message from the web-slinger, and a 1-hour virtual dance party for the kids ... which you can see was money well spent.
Sarah says she went with SFE because the company's giving back to frontline workers. For every party booked through them, they throw a free party for someone helping in the COVID-19 fight.
All in all, Sarah dropped about $1,000 for the digital blowout, and despite the distancing ... she says it's the best party James ever had. Hey, if the kid's happy, everyone's happy. Even virtually.
"When has Tony Romo ever been here? Has he done a game here in Tampa? Best analyst in football and I think he's been here one time. Those types of things will change."
"'Monday Night Football' will come here. 'Sunday Night Football' will come here. These types of things are gonna drive the energy for the Bucs franchise here in 2020."
By the way, Ronde's only 45 years old -- just 3 years older than Tom. So, has he considered dusting off the cleats and getting back on the field?
Watch the clip ... the answer is pretty hilarious!
Connecticut-born kid Christy Carlson Romano, was 16 years old when she landed the role of the school-driven middle sister, Ren Stevens -- who is the brains of the family and has to keep her two wacky brothers in check -- in the classic Disney family program, "Even Stevens."
Christy Carlson Romano was cast alongside Nick Spano as the sporty older brother, Donnie Stevens, Steven Anthony Lawrence as the annoying neighbor, Beans ... and of course, Shia LaBeouf as the youngest of the Stevens clan, Louis.
Christy also had two other stand-out roles on Disney ... the voice of Kim on "Kim Possible" and Captain Jenny on "Cadet Kelly."
It's another swing and a miss for R. Kelly -- the judge shot down his 2nd attempt to get released from jail due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal judge acknowledged the disease has spread at MCC Chicago, where Kelly is being held awaiting the first of many trials. However, the judge said Kelly's motion for release on bond did not present enough evidence the singer is uniquely at risk to contract the coronavirus.
As for Kelly's argument, he's not a flight risk because he's previously showed up for scheduled court appearances ... the judge wasn't buying that. She said Kelly is now facing more serious charges, including allegedly tampering with witnesses ... so again, no dice on release.
TMZ broke the story ... Kelly's lawyer told the judge the singer's in a vulnerable position at MCC Chicago especially after claiming an inmate on Kelly's floor has recently been hospitalized for COVID-19.
He also insisted Kelly is NOT a flight risk because the singer doesn't really have the means. They pointed out Kelly owes nearly $2 million to Uncle Sam, and any money he does make from royalties is going to pay bills.
The judge's decision didn't reference his financial trouble, but she did address Kelly's insistence he would lay low -- while wearing a GPS monitor -- and stay off social media. She said due to the pandemic and law enforcement resources being stretched ... "They cannot ensure that a defendant with a history, incentive and opportunity to interfere with potential witnesses will not do so."
Remember, Kelly had already been denied on his first bid to get out. At the time, the judge said there were no fears the singer would contract the virus because there were no confirmed cases at MCC Chicago. That part's changed, but same end result for Kelly.
Life ain't all that beautiful in 2020 ... another music festival is getting scrapped due to concerns over the novel coronavirus.
Life is Beautiful, a three-day outdoor festival in downtown Las Vegas celebrating music, art, food and comedy, has just been canceled due to COVID-19.
The festival was scheduled to take place on multiple stages in Sin City Sept. 18-20, but event organizers say they're taking a one-year hiatus and intend to return in 2021.
Life is Beautiful is still gonna try and make an impact on Vegas even though no bands are coming and no murals will be painted ... festival organizers say they're putting resources towards the local community instead of the event.
Seems festival honchos saw the writing on the wall ... Life is Beautiful says there was just no way the festival could happen as planned due to the health and economic impacts being brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
As we reported ... Vegas is looking at ways to lift coronavirus restrictions, but it's not even close to happening, and when it does, the Strip will look and feel completely different, with tons of social distancing and sanitization practices, which would make a packed festival untenable.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has a big new idea that he's launching ... and it could be the beginning of a New Deal-like revolution in America.
The Guv came on "TMZ Live" to unveil his latest initiative -- Californiansforall.ca.gov. The idea is pretty simple ... jump on the website and you'll be hooked up with someone who will help you figure out how you can best volunteer your time to help people.
It could be delivering food or medicine to a senior's center, or helping feed the homeless. There are a thousand ways to help, and the program matches people's talent with the needs of those who are living on the edge.
You know, when you watch people like Jeff Bezos contribute $10 billion or Oprah plunking down $10 million, a lot of people figure they can't really make nearly that kind of difference, so why bother?
Well, Governor Newsom has an answer to "why bother?" People -- especially young people -- have the energy and unique talents to help others. Think about it ... with everything in our economy changing, what if this becomes like the New Deal and we start turning volunteer work into a profession? So, people who volunteer could make a living and help others live well in the process.
And, one more thing. Crises like the coronavirus pandemic create heroes, and Newsom is among them. He's been a steady, smart leader who has captured national attention by the way he's handled the crisis, and this latest move is just another great initiative by the Governor.
3:40 PM PT -- More from Gronk via Jay Glazer, "I’m back. I always said when I have that feeling and it feels right, I will be ready to take the field again. And I have that feeling. I’m ready."
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Gronk tells Jay Glazer he has already passed his physical and added, "I'm baaaaackkkkkk!"
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1:22 PM PT -- Rob Gronkowski is officially coming back to the NFL -- reuniting with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay ... and the deal should be done in less than 24 hours.
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UPDATE
Gronk had been coy about a possible comeback, but he's made up his mind -- and will return to the league for the 2020 season.
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The issue -- Gronk is still technically a member of the New England Patriots -- but the team has been in contact with the TB Bucs and worked out a deal to ship the future Hall of Fame tight end to Florida.
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The deal ... the Patriots are sending Gronk and a 7th-rounder to Tampa Bay for a 4th-round pick.
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Jay Glazer has already spoken with Gronk ... who says the deal should be wrapped up by Wednesday ... pending the results of a physical.
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Gronk had been dealing with back injuries -- but recently had been bragging about his recovery ... and proved he's back in playing shape by jumping off the Jumbotron at WrestleMania 36 earlier this month in a high-risk stunt.
Speaking of which, Gronk is the reigning WWE 24/7 Champion -- but we're guessing that won't get in the way of an NFL contract.
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We're guessing it's Tom Brady who pushed for the trade ... the guys have become super-tight friends over their 9 seasons together in NE ... where they won 3 Super Bowls.
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Tampa Bay is quickly becoming the TB Patriots ... all they need now is Julian Edelman.
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Get ready, Tampa!!!
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12:48 PM PT -- IT MIGHT ACTUALLY BE HAPPENING!!!
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Gronk has informed the New England Patriots he's interested in making a return to football with the intention of seeking a trade to play with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.
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"The #Patriots and #Bucs have had some communication, from what I’m told," Rapoport added.
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Of course, Gronk and TB12 played together for YEARS in New England ... and became one of the greatest QB-receiver duos EVER.
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And, with the Bucs shopping their current starting tight end O.J. Howard ... there would be room for Gronk if a trade went through.
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It would also make sense for Gronk personally ... as we've previously reported, he's owned property in Florida in the past -- and has spent time in the Tampa area recently for his WWE gig.
Just call Rob Gronkowskithe pancake man ... 'cause he's flipping AGAIN on retirement talk -- this time saying he's "not totally done" with football after all!!!
The NFL's greatest-ever tight end has been in a tug-o-war almost since the day he quit the NFL in 2019 ... going back and forth on whether or not he's officially done.
The latest? Gronk told Andy Cohen this week on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" that a reunion with Tom Brady in Tampa Bay ain't totally out of the question.
"I'm feeling good right now," the Patriots legend said. "I'm happy where I'm at. You just never know, man. You just never know. You never know. I'm not totally done."
Gronk says the only thing that's holding him back is a passion for the game ... adding, "I like to stay in shape, but I've gotta get that feeling back."
Rob retired in March 2019 ... and has said injuries -- including roughly 20 concussions -- played a big role in him calling it a career at the age of 29.
The rumors of a return haven't stopped, though ... with Gronk playing a big role in the whispers -- flipping publicly between "I'm done" and "You never know" often.
As for those close to him ... TMZ Sportsspoke with Gronk's brother, Chris, just a few weeks ago, and he said he'd be surprised to see the tight end come back.
Killer Mike thinks Georgia's jumped the gun with reopening on Friday -- potentially risking lives -- so, he is NOT rushing to open doors at his chain of barbershops.
The rapper joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" and told us he's concerned about Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's plan to lift much of the state's lockdown restrictions Friday, allowing barbershops, salons, gyms and several other businesses to reopen.
Killer Mike and his wife, Shay, own a string of barbershops in Atlanta, called The Swag Shop, but tells us they're opting to keep all the locations shuttered.
While he sees strong incentives to reopen the shops -- businesses are around to make money -- Mike says concern over the health and safety of his employees and customers outweigh the company's bottom line.
He also admits race is a factor, because African Americans are being impacted by COVID-19 at a very high rate, and that's the community he serves -- so he doesn't want to put anyone in danger by opening too soon.
Sounds like Killer Mike thinks Dr. Anthony Fauci is right when he says lifting restrictions too soon could backfire. Mike's hoping governors and mayors can get on the same page, and formulate a better plan. So far, that hasn't happened in Georgia ... where several mayors are vocally opposed to the Gov. Kemp's move.
Until then, Mike has a message for the average American worker who feels they might need to rush back to work.
Chipotle may need to start charging even more for guac -- the company is paying the largest fine EVER in a food safety case stemming from more than a thousand instances of food poisoning.
The Justice Department announced Tuesday, Chipotle's been ordered to pay a whopping $25 million fine to settle criminal charges over foodborne illness outbreaks at its restaurants.
You'll recall, more than 1,100 people across the U.S. claimed they got sick from Chipotle restaurants between 2015 and 2018. The feds charged Chipotle with 2 counts of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for selling tainted food.
According to the DOJ, Chipotle admitted to more than several instances that resulted in outbreaks. For example, in December 2015 an ill employee in Boston was ordered to continue working after vomiting inside the restaurant -- a clear violation of company policy.
The feds say 2 days later, the employee returned to work and helped package a catering order for a Boston College basketball team, whose members were among customers sickened by the outbreak.
Chipotle was also accused of failing to hold food at appropriate temperatures to prevent and control the growth of foodborne pathogens.
Aside from the 8-figure fine, the company also has to be under a food safety compliance program for 3 years.
Another complete loser deliberately coughing at someone during the coronavirus pandemic, but the good news this time is -- this one's already spending time in jail.
A British woman was caught on video coughing at a police officer earlier this month while he was arresting her on suspicion of assault and property damage.
The woman, 39-year-old Charlene Merrifield, was stopped by the cop in South Tyneside following a call that a woman had attacked a man with a knife and damaged his car.
Merrifield angrily questions why she's being arrested and not the other guy, and the cop points out she was "going absolutely berserk" while holding bricks when he showed up ... so that's why.
She continues protesting as she gets in the police van and bumps her head, then proceeds to wildly cough in the officer's direction without covering her mouth. The cop loses his patience with her at that point and threatens her with jail.
Turns out, he was just foreshadowing where she'd end up ... because about a week after the incident she reportedly admitted to the assault of an emergency worker along with other offenses. Merrifield was sentenced to 21 weeks in jail.
Rachel, Ross, Joey and the other "Friends" are the latest to dive into the All In Challenge -- the stars of the show are giving folks a chance to watch them reunite on camera at long last.
Jennifer Aniston and the rest of her costars made the surprise announcement Tuesday -- notifying their followers of the "The One Where You Meet the Entire Cast of 'Friends'" ... which, of course, might just be the biggest All In Challenge yet -- if you're a fan, that is.
Jen took to Instagram to explain, writing ... "We’re inviting you and five of YOUR friends to join the six of us on Stage 24. Be our personal guests in the audience for the taping of our @HBOMAX reunion, as we reminisce about the show and celebrate all the fun we had 🥳 ... and get the whole Friends VIP experience on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour."
She went on, "Can’t wait to meet and hug you guys when this is all over 🥰 Until then, keep Facetiming, calling, DMing, and texting your friends and family. We gotta stay connected 🙏🏼" Everyone else said something similar, and the official description's almost word for word the same thing. Bottom line ... a VIP "Friends" experience like none other.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
If you're unfamiliar at this point, the All In Challenge is pretty simple -- you purchase "entries" into any given contest (there's a lot now) in increments of $10, $25, $50 or $100 ... with the more you buy, the more the chances you get of getting selected to win. Most contests only allow one purchase of $100 per person, so you can't go crazy and guarantee a win.
All the money goes to a bunch of charities and causes pertaining to helping fend off COVID-19 and feed people in the process -- 76ers partner Michael Rubin got it started ... and the challenge has taken off since then with a bunch of celebs offering one of their own.
As for the "Friends" reunion prize ... it's a perfect combination of TV bliss and advertising for HBO -- which is rolling out its new streaming service, HBO Max, very soon. Great timing!
Sadly, it doesn't sound like this reunion will be an actual episode or anything -- just the cast sitting around reminiscing on the show. So, yeah ... we're still left with this final scene.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are angling to join the movement among celebs to own a sports franchise -- like Magic, Jay-Z and Derek Jeter -- but insiders tell us it's strictly a business decision ... and we're told A-Rod has a vision for the New York Mets that will handsomely line his and his fiancee's pockets.
Sources familiar with the deal tell us ... A-Rod's weakness is also his strength -- he knows he doesn't have a background in business so he's going to leave the business part of running the team to people who know better than him. He's more of a "people manager" -- meaning his strength is inspiring players, but he's leaving the business part to people who know better than him.
We're also told A-Rod and J Lo are putting up a relatively small percentage of the cash necessary to make a deal. We're told they're looking for big investors who might put up somewhere between $25 million and $50 mil. At which point they could get financing from a bank for the balance.
As it was put to us ... the Mets have been "so mismanaged" that there is nothing but upside if he can right the organization. The danger -- we're told A-Rod has an interest in working with the players. The conventional wisdom ... Hall of Fame-level players typically screw up when they try to mess with the roster.
Our sources say it all comes down to money. There are reports the Mets are worth around $2.4 billion, but some of the financial people we've spoken with say that's way too high, and the team is worth more in the $1.5 billion range. Hedge fund manager Steve Cohen was previously in negotiations to buy the Mets in a deal valued at $2.6 billion, but that fell apart in February. Lots of people felt the offer was way over market.
As for A-Rod and J Lo, they've reportedly retained JPMorgan Chase to raise capital.
The man in charge of finding the money is JPMorgan Chase managing director Eric Menell, according to Variety.
Menell runs the company's North American media investment banking.
As we previously reported, the Wilpon family -- which currently owns the Mets -- are looking to sell in a big way.
If A-Rod and J Lo DID get the sale, it would be VERY interesting considering Alex played for the rival NY Yankees for years and Lopez brags about being from the Bronx, typically Yankees country.
