U.S. Olympic bobsledder Pavle Jovanovic died last week after taking his own life ... Team USA announced. He was 43 years old.
"The winter sports community has suffered a tragic loss," USA Bobsled/Skeleton CEO -- and Jovanovic's teammate -- Aron McGuire said in a statement.
"Pavle’s passion and commitment towards bobsled was seen and felt by his teammates, coaches, competitors, and fans of the sport."
Team USA says Jovanovic committed suicide on May 3.
Jovanovic began training as a bobsledder in 1997 and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2004. He also competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics, finishing 7th in the 2-man and 4-man events.
Jovanovic was praised as being one of the best brakemen in the sport ... with coach Greg Sand calling him a "one-of-a-kind original."
"If there was ever a bobsledder born to push heavy objects, man it was Pavle."
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts and needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
12:28 PM PT -- 5/11 -- Officials have shut down the cafe after violating public health orders issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. It's been ordered to remain closed "until such time as the Tri-County Health Dept. determines the establishment is in compliance."
UPDATE
The cafe's being reminded, once again, to limit its business to pick-up service and delivery only. The cafe's being warned again ... if it refuses to follow the order, "further legal action will be taken that could include revocation of the restaurant's license."
Mother's Day in one Colorado cafe looks more like a sold-out Led Zeppelin concert than your regular breakfast joint -- a troubling sign as one key model projects thousands of more deaths due to a rise in movement.
Happy Mother’s Day from C& C in Castle Rock, where the owner said this is almost double a normal Mother’s Day. pic.twitter.com/cPSzjmAfAg
This scene was captured Sunday by a local reporter at a place C&C in Castle Rock -- where the guys say their traffic was practically doubled compared to regular times. Looks like a lot of families packed the place to celebrate the holiday ... and to get outta the house.
The influx of customers comes on the heels of several communities throughout the state there relaxing some of their stay-at-home orders and allowing certain retailers to reopen with strict restrictions in place. Doesn't look like that memo got through to the folks at C&C.
BTW, that's not the only place that's seeing increased traffic -- look at this photo of a TJ Maxx out in Arkansas, where droves of people went in this weekend in search of bargain buys. It's just another testament that as more businesses open up, more people will come.
That's not a good thing either -- considering a key model used by health experts forecasts at least 137,000 more deaths in the coming months because of increased mobility across the U.S. The director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation told CBS's 'Face the Nation' his findings show a lot more people leaving their homes ... this in the wake of several states starting to relax quarantine protocols.
NEWS: @IHME_UW's Director Christopher Murray thinks there will be a big increase in #coronavirus cases over the next ten days in places like Georgia where restrictions have been loosened and residents have become more mobile. pic.twitter.com/r0H0MER1Dz
Two men refusing to wear masks inside a Target are now under arrest after triggering a crazy brawl caught on video.
The incident went down May 1 but the video -- first obtained by FOX11 -- is just surfacing ... showing 2 men who were apparently transients entering a Target in the San Fernando Valley without face coverings. The men were confronted by store employees. When the customers refused to wear masks, they were reportedly escorted out of the store.
That's when, out of nowhere, one of the customers assaulted an employee ... triggering a full-on brawl, that included another customer trying to help the employees. The melee led to one of the store employees suffering a broken arm. The alleged suspects got away but were located and arrested over the weekend. They face felony battery charges.
The incident prompted the L.A. County Sheriff's Department to tweet, "Please don’t take it out on businesses and their employees when it comes to wearing face coverings. They are trying to uphold the regulations governing their business being allowed to be open. They are having a rough time too."
Carole Baskin is on a whole new level of pop culture success ... one even Joe Exotic hasn't gotten his paws on yet -- good old-fashioned trading cards!!!
The 'Tiger King' star -- as well as her loyal (and living) husband, Howard -- now have their mugs plastered across official Leaf collectible trading cards ... and they're certainly dressed for the occasion. CB and HB's cover pic has them rocking matching big cat costumes.
Now, while Carole's been reluctant to give interviews, and seems to have beef with how Netflix portrayed her -- namely, suggesting she possibly had something to do with the disappearance of her previous hubby, Don -- she's actually cool with this merch rolling out.
Leaf says this is a mutual partnership with the Baskins -- and you can tell everyone involved is on the same page from their description on the card. Not coincidentally, we think, there is NO mention whatsoever of Don.
The card says, "Howard and Carole Baskin are leading big cats rights advocates. The couple operates Big Cat Rescue near Tampa, Florida. The debate over exotic animals in private zoos hit a fever pitch with the 2020 Netflix documentary, Tiger King."
It goes on to note the huge ratings it pulled, and how it launched the Baskins into the limelight. They also take a dig at Joe, writing ... "'Joe Exotic' was sentenced to 22 years in 2019, when convicted of 17 federal charges including 'murder for hire' targeting Carole Baskin."
Any of you cool cats and kittens interested in copping one of the cards -- it'll cost ya $8, while a pack of 50 runs $200.
10:20 AM PT -- The judge just granted the temporary restraining order. Rousseau must stay 200-yards away from Billie and her parents and cease all contact. The next hearing is June 1.
Billie Eilish is scared for herself and her family because an obsessed fan keeps showing up at her home this week, and he never practiced social distancing and most of the time, never wore a mask.
Billie filed legal docs, with the help of the law firm McPherson LLP, claiming Prenell Rousseau began showing up over and over again at her home.
Billie says the 24-year-old trespasser started showing up last Monday, ringing the doorbell, and through the Ring camera, her father asked Rousseau if he could help him. Rousseau responded, "I think I might have the wrong house, but does Billie Eilish live here?"
Billie's dad told the guy he had the wrong house, but that didn't stop him.
Billie says he returned at 9 PM and exhibited "erratic behavior." She says, "While we waited for security, Mr. Rousseau remained on our porch, sat down and began to read a book, while also continuing to engage in a periodic monologue. My father repeatedly asked him to leave, but he refused ..."
Security shooed him away, but he returned a little while later and laid down behind a wall, ready to spend the night.
Rousseau reappeared on Tuesday and began trying the door handle to gain entrance.
He returned again and again and was not deterred by anyone. Billie says Rousseau showed up a total of 7 times, 5 of which he was not wearing a face mask ... and the 2 times he did wear a mask, he pulled it down while talking to security. He was also not wearing gloves as touched the doorbell and doorknob multiple times.
Rousseau was actually taken into custody twice this week, but cops told Billie there was really nothing they could do because trespassing is a non-violent offense and they're trying to keep non-violent offenders out of jail due to the spread of COVID-19.
Billie says Rousseau was put on a bus to go back to NY, where he lives, but she fears he will return.
She's asking for a restraining order for herself and her parents.
Now, the question is ... when can we get this 3rd fight going -- and how much money his at stake?!
We know Tyson has been getting multimillion-dollar offers from multiple organizations and promoters ... but ya gotta think the biggest payday could come by way of a Tyson vs. Holyfield III.
For the record, Holyfield won BOTH of their previous fights -- but the way Tyson looks now ... yeesh!!!
A couple dozen people in Florida are pushing back on gym closures by pushing up ... and squatting ... with the scene outside of a courthouse Monday looking like a workout class!
About 30 fed-up fit people took over a sidewalk outside of a Clearwater, FL court to protest COVID-19 gym closures ... and an overhead chopper captured the crazy scene.
Check out the footage ... people screamed for local authorities to reconsider their ban on in-gym workouts -- all while they hit the deck for some push-ups and squats!!
Some of the protesters also held American flags and signs ... but, it should be noted, there weren't face coverings or adherence to 6-feet apart social distancing guidelines for most of the group.
Of course, Florida has allowed several businesses -- including restaurants, retail stores, salons and barbershops -- to open up as lockdown restrictions have eased in the state ... but gyms are still on the banned list.
Florida officials say workout centers will be allowed to re-open in some capacity when they kick off Phase Two ... but no date for that has been set yet.
Sooo ... enjoy the sidewalk sweat seshes in the meantime -- BUT PLEASE DO IT SAFELY!!!
Dana White says his phone has been blowing up from the heads of other sports leagues looking to get back in action after the success of UFC 249 ... and he's willing to share his battle plan!
"The leagues have reached out," White said Monday on "TMZ Live" ... "Different states have reached out to us. And, we're going to share this information with everybody."
UFC 249 was AWESOME on Saturday night -- featuring some legendary fights despite not having a live crowd at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
White says everyone in attendance -- fighters, staffers, production crew -- was repeatedly tested and screened before the fights.
As we previously reported, one fighter -- Jacare Souza -- tested positive for COVID-19 (along with two of his cornermen) one day before the fight. Souza was pulled from the event.
White has said they expected someone to test positive and the fact they caught it is a testament to the UFC's testing process.
Now, White says he's proven major sports can continue in America if done safely -- and he's willing to work with state leaders and major sports organizations to help get pro sports back.
For now, White says he plans on hosting his next few events in Florida -- since they were so great to him there -- but he's hoping to return to Nevada soon, Where UFC is headquartered.
"I have a 30-page document that we submitted to the Governor of Nevada and the Governor of Florida on how to pull this off safely. Now we've got one under our belt we're willing to share our information with anybody."
IKEA is NOT the place to get your rocks off ... that's the company's friendly reminder after a woman pleasured herself on camera inside a store in China.
The Swedish furniture company is kindly reminding folks not to masturbate while shopping after footage of a woman doing just that went viral on Chinese social media.
In the raunchy clip, you see a half-dressed woman touching herself while sitting on sofas, chairs and beds displayed throughout the store -- at one point, other shoppers walk by and seemingly get a peep show. The woman even twerks for the camera.
IKEA is very concerned this could become a trend. The Swedish homeware group says ... “We resolutely oppose and condemn this kind of behavior, and immediately reported it to the police in the city of the suspected store."
IKEA's reminding shoppers to visit stores in an "orderly and civilized way." Translation ... hands to yourselves (social distancing and all), but NOT on yourselves, please!
The woman's horny hands are even forcing IKEA's hand -- the company says it's beefing up security in stores.
It's unclear when the video, which has since been scrubbed from Chinese social media was shot ... no one is wearing a face mask in the footage, which makes it seem like the masturbating muse hit up an IKEA before the coronavirus outbreak.
No word if the woman got the idea from "A Night at The Roxbury."
Bottom line for IKEA ... they want you to do it yourself, but that means furniture.
9:22 AM PT -- Jerry's TV son and daughter have just paid tribute to him. Jason Alexander tells TMZ ... "As a kid, I delighted to every occasion I got to see Jerry Stiller and his wife/partner Anne Meara. I watched Jerry on TV, on stage and in clubs. He was always perfection as a comic and a truly gifted actor."
UPDATE
Jason added, "Getting to work with him and know him has been one of the great honors and joys of my life. He was as much a second father to me as any friend could be, the most loving, gentle, kind, humble and generous man. I cherish every moment in his company. Stiller and Meara are together again and heaven is funnier for it. My condolences to Ben and Amy and their families. And finally to my TV dad and dear, dear friend -- serenity now.”
UPDATE
Such sad news that my beloved friend, Jerry Stiller, has passed. He was perhaps the kindest man I ever had the honor to work beside. He made me laugh when I was a child and every day I was with him. A great actor, a great man, a lovely friend. #RIPJerryStiller I Love you.
Leah Remini, who played Jerry's TV daughter in the hit show, "King of Queens," said she'll be forever grateful for the memories they created in nearly a decade of working together.
UPDATE
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Jerry Stiller -- the actor/comedian who famously played George Costanza's dad on "Seinfeld" -- has died.
Jerry was one of the most accomplished comedians of his time. Jerry and Anne Meara teamed up together to produce an incredibly popular husband/wife comedy duo, appearing on tons of TV shows. They also produced son Ben Stiller, who said his dad died from natural causes.
As they say ... yada, yada, yada, and then Jerry got a call from the folks over at "Seinfeld" to see if he wanted to play George Costanza's pop, Frank, and thankfully, Jerry said yes.
He was hysterical ... he hated that Jews couldn't really partake in XMAS festivities, so he invented Festivus, which he called "a holiday for the rest of us where you gather your family around and you tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year."
He actually didn't even appear in a "Seinfeld" episode until Season 5 -- the show went 9 seasons -- and was only on 30 of the 180 shows, but he made an indelible impression, inventing products like bras for men.
Jerry did not sit back and revel in his success after "Seinfeld" wrapped in 1998. A few months later he was back on TV, this time playing a slightly more subdued version of Frank on "The King of Queens," where he took on the fatherly role of Arthur Spooner.
The show was a huge hit and Jerry was there for all 9 seasons and appeared in nearly 200 episodes. The show's run ended in 2007.
Jerry's acting career spanned more 50 years ... his first TV appearance was way back in 1956, when he played Hugh in "Studio One in Hollywood."
Jerry, of course, also appeared in several movies with Ben ... including "Zoolander," "The Heartbreak Kid," "Heavy Weights" and "Hot Pursuit."
The representative of the pilot who was flying the helicopter that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, along with 6 other passengers, claims the people on board were responsible for the fatal crash.
It's pretty shocking ... the relative of pilot Ara George Zobayan, who also died in the crash, has answered Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against Ara and the helicopter company, Island Express, saying, "Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent, including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility."
It's shocking because the LAPD and other law enforcement agencies grounded their fleet the morning of the crash due to fog and poor visibility. The pilot had to circle around the Griffith Park area for 15 minutes before being cleared to fly to the Mamba Academy up north.
The pilot was going 184 MPH in blinding fog when he crashed into a hill, killing everyone on board.
The answer to the lawsuit doesn't address how the passengers might have been negligent or assumed a risk. As for negligence ... presumably, they were just sitting in their seats. As for assuming a risk ... it's unclear what risk falls on passengers of an aircraft when the pilot is in control.
The man who recorded the video of Ahmaud Arbery's slaying says he had zero involvement in what went down and is now in fear for his life.
William "Roddie" Bryan and his fiancee spoke to Action News in Jacksonville, and he says he and his family have been receiving death threats since the video leaked online last week.
Bryan, who was speaking out for the first time, doesn't explain why he was recording the vid ... which shows Travis McMichael -- with his father Gregory in tow -- shoot Ahmaud during a struggle back in February. Bryan says he's in "complete shock" because he's "never been involved in anything like that before."
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Bryan and his video are under investigation. He was initially named in the police report as trying to block Ahmaud during the controversial chase but Bryan claims he had no involvement. As we've reported ... Georgia's Attorney General is asking the Justice Department to step in and help get to the bottom of all of this.
Bryan told Action News, “I had nothing to do with it. I'm trying to get my life back to normal, and it’s been smeared for the last week. I was told I was a witness and I’m not sure what I am, other than receiving a bunch of threats.”
Bryan added he's not feeling safe at all and as a result, he's been forced to live out of his car. He said, "I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t scared. If that’s what they wanted to do was scare me, they’ve scared me."
TMZ Sports has obtained the police report from the Alberto Del Rio arrest ... and it's very disturbing.
The accuser told police Del Rio exploded on her on May 3 in San Antonio, Texas -- accusing her of cheating on him with other men.
The accuser -- who cops say only speaks Spanish -- says Del Rio smashed her cell phone, her laptop and attempted to burn her passport in an attack that started at around 10 p.m. on May 3 and lasted until around 2:30 p.m. on May 4.
The woman also claims Del Rio attacked her, causing multiple injuries and left her, "feeling woozy and dizzy from the hits to her head."
There's more ... the accuser also claims Del Rio choked her and at one point "shoved a sock into her mouth, to keep [her] quiet."
The woman says, "When the sock was in her mouth, she could not breathe."
During the incident, the woman claims Del Rio also sexually assaulted her with his penis and other body parts. The woman is adamant she did NOT consent to sexual activity with Del Rio.
The woman told police that she is afraid of Del Rio and had planned on leaving the city as soon as possible.
The responding officer says he saw "multiple bruises" on the accuser's face, arms, legs and neck.
Del Rio -- real name Jose Rodriguez Chucuan -- was arrested for domestic violence and aggravated sexual assault. According to his booking sheet, the 42-year-old is listed at 6'4", 240 pounds. The accuser is 5'5", 132 pounds.
Del Rio was a WWE superstar from 2009 until 2016, winning the WWE championship, the 2011 Royal Rumble, and more. He's also an MMA fighter, who recently lost to Tito Ortiz in December 2019.
Eddie Murphy has a brand new character to add to his comedic arsenal -- a singer he rolled out for big laughs, and to raise money for charity.
If you tuned in for the Feeding America Comedy Festival Sunday night, you saw Eddie's debut as Murray Murray -- a '60s and '70s singer who taught Ray Charles and Little Richard a few things ... but who also took out a hit on Berry Gordy's cat.
Eddie was in classic form as Murray Murray who, BTW, banged Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Tina Turner. The skit was one of the hilarious highlights for the event which raised money for Feeding America.
Fans have been anticipating Eddie's rumored return to standup comedy ever since he hosted 'SNL' back in December. So, the new skit's only gonna have Eddie fans champing at the bit even more.
His Murray Murray skit was obviously written and recorded before Saturday ... when Little Richard died. Eddie closed it with a tribute to the rock 'n' roll legend.
Classy and classic Eddie comedy for a great cause.
A modest Pennsylvania town's citizenry had a hankerin' for some unextraordinary shellfish for Mother's Day, so they flocked to their local Red Lobster ... which wasn't up to the task.
UPDATE: @redlobster on McKnight RD has closed for the evening. People that we’re waiting to pick up their food are furious and where told that they could get a refund online. @RossPolice were called in to make sure people remained calm. #wpxihttps://t.co/CSF7XGwyM8
The chain location in Ross Township, PA was met with literally dozens (and quite possibly more) of would-be customers on Sunday, all of whom were there to pick up takeout orders they'd placed online -- either through the official company website or through a 3rd-party app.
Obviously, the restaurant wasn't seating people inside -- but it doesn't look like they were anticipating the virtual influx of business ... local reports say people waited hours in line just to get their Cheddar Bay Biscuits and lobster shell bibs. In fact, perhaps even more of them left empty-handed ... because the place closed before they could fill everyone's orders.
One reporter says many in the crowd were irate, and cops were called to settle everyone down. Fortunately, no arrests were made ... but still, crazy to think it got that out of hand.
As for RL -- the company says they're sorry some people decided to leave before being able to receive their food, and anyone who ordered through their channel will get a refund.
Everyone else has to kick rocks and take it up with Grubhub, or whatever else they used.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are still looking for a place to call home in L.A., because they can't stay at Tyler Perry's mansion forever, and they will have lots of options.
As we reported ... Harry and Meghan have budgeted $12 million to $18 million, and our real estate sources say they are the brass ring of potential clients. We know a bunch of them are already angling to rep the former royals.
We're told Harry and Meghan are looking on the westside of L.A., and the consensus is the following cribs are the big contenders.
This $15 million Bel-Air modern is an architectural gem, tucked away behind gates. Seven bedrooms should do the trick, and with 10,000 square feet, there's room to expand.
The atrium's amazing, with a curved staircase and ceilings that touch the skies. The floor plan is great because it seamlessly ties in the inside with the outside. The master bedroom is fit for a prince, with glass walls and a spa-like bathroom.
Oh, and there's a 10-seat movie theater, billiard table, 200 bottle wine cellar, plus an exercise and steam room. The grounds have an infinity pool and computerized rain bar. We're in.
Mauricio Umansky, the founder and CEO of The Agency, has the listing.
Next up, check out this $17,995,000 brand-new modern, Hollywood Hills estate with 5 bedrooms and 8,776 square feet, plus a 1,240-square-foot, multi-car garage.