President Trump is speaking out about the killing of George Floyd, saying federal law enforcement is on the case ... and promising there will be justice.
POTUS tweeted Wednesday about George's death, saying ... "At my request, the FBI and the Department of Justice are already well into an investigation as to the very sad and tragic death in Minnesota of George Floyd."
He went on to say, "I have asked for this investigation to be expedited and greatly appreciate all of the work done by local law enforcement. My heart goes out to George’s family and friends. Justice will be served!"
It's interesting ... we already knew the FBI was involved, but the fact the DOJ is jumping in right away as well is pretty telling. Seems the President is aware of how angry and fed up millions of Americans are after seeing the video of George's killing.
It's a more emphatic reaction than he had several days after the video surfacedof Ahmaud Arbery getting shot to death -- saying it was a horrible thing, and he was awaiting the results of several investigations.
In any case, it's good to see the case has caught the attention of the most powerful person in the country ... who can actually do something about this at the highest level.
Some more consistency would be nice, but we'll take it.
John Boyega sees what's happening to black people here in the U.S. -- specifically, the killing of George Floyd -- and he has a message to racist white Americans who might also be his fans.
The 'Star Wars' actor went on an epic tirade Wednesday, going IN on "racist white people" who in any way, shape or form tolerate and/or downplay what's happening in our streets ... namely, the killing of unarmed, innocent African-Americans.
You gotta see this for yourself, John's very heated as he calls George Floyd's death part of a continuous cycle that he sees here in the States -- black men being killed by either cops or vigilantes trying to play cops. He says that's enough for him to stay away -- presumably in England, his home country.
John goes on to lay into ANYONE who's a fan -- and who's also a racist -- telling 'em to get off his page, off his timeline and out of his circle ... 'cause he ain't having it.
Interestingly, he also makes it clear that he doesn't care what this rant of his might mean for his career. There's a good reason for that though ... JB says he's "not Hollywood."
We'll let John explain for himself, but it's certainly a refreshing approach to the watered-down, polished statements we typically see from public figures.
8:33 AM PT -- 6/1 The Resnicows have responded to Theroux's allegations, and while both admit Norman verbally threatened his wife ... Mrs. Resnicow denies any physical abuse.
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Norman says, "I deeply regret the words I used in the recording. There is no excuse or justification to verbally threaten violence again anyone ever, regardless of context or intent. I apologize to my wife, family, and friends for the pain I have caused."
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Mrs. Resnicow says Norman "has never been physically aggressive." She adds ... "Our verbal dispute, which was recorded without our consent, had nothing to do with Justin Theroux or with the lawsuit he has filed against both of us. He is using the pain of public humiliation as a weapon to destroy us. I feel threatened by Justin, not my husband."
Justin Theroux's ongoing war with his neighbor is getting uglier ... because he claims the guy's been making threats of domestic abuse against his elderly wife.
The actor's filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- seeking civil or criminal punishment for his NYC neighbor, Norman Resnicow, because he alleges Resnicow's rage-filled outbursts violate a restraining order put in place as part of their ongoing litigation.
Justin asserts Resnicow's prohibited from harassing or intimidating potential witnesses in the case, including other residents of the building ... which includes his 71-year-old wife.
Theroux claims he's heard Resnicow threatening her with violence multiple times since Governor Cuomo issued a stay-at-home order in March. He says 2 days after the order ... Resnicow locked his wife out of their home because he was mad she wasn't wearing a mask, and angrily screamed at her to leave.
Justin recorded the incident, as well as the second incident later that night, when he says he heard Resnicow "erupting in rage" at his wife back at their home. Resnicow's heard calling her a "stupid woman" and "f***ing moron" on the recordings ... and Justin says he feared for her safety and police were called.
About a month later on April 30, there was another alleged incident which prompted Theroux to call the cops ... but he says Resnicow pretended to not be home when they arrived.
Then, on the evening of May 3, Justin claims he heard a loud verbal attack by Resnicow on his wife and began recording. According to the audio, Resnicow's angry that his wife wants to go out, and says to her ... "No you don’t, because I’ll break your teeth. No, you sit down in your f***ing seat. Sit down in your fucking seat and watch the show."
Resnicow accuses her of "going out deaf" because she listens to podcasts, and adds ... "Sit down and shut up. You’re not going anywhere. You’re not going anywhere. You’re not—you’re gonna watch. Wanna get it? You want broken teeth? I’ll break your f***ing teeth."
Theroux says he called 911 again and police arrived, but he does not know the outcome of their encounter with the Resnicows.
Justin claims other residents in the building have filed affidavits saying these incidents can be traumatic, and Justin says the outbursts caused him "anxiety that continues long after the incidents themselves have ended."
He's asking the court to hold Resnicow in contempt and potentially impose a fine or imprisonment on him. As we've reported ... the nasty fight between the 2 neighbors has gone on for 3 years -- but this is another level.
A 103-year-old Red Sox superfan beat the hell out of coronavirus ... and then celebrated like she had just won the World Series -- cracking open and chugging a Bud Light!!
The badass great grandma is Jennie Stejna ... and just a few weeks ago, her family didn't think there was any chance the beer celly would ever go down.
Stejna's grandson-in-law, Adam Gunn, tells TMZ Sports ... the die-hard Boston fan was diagnosed with COVID-19 in early May and became seriously ill.
Gunn says Stejna was the first to test positive in her Wilbraham, Mass. nursing home ... and was forced to be moved into a different part of the facility after coming down with a fever.
In fact, Gunn says things got so dire ... his family members called to say what they thought would be their final goodbyes ... and Gunn says he even asked Jennie straight up if she was ready to go to heaven.
(Gunn says she responded, "Hell, yes!" .. adding "she's a feisty Polish woman!" GANGSTER!!!)
But, fortunately for everybody ... Jennie pulled through -- and was rewarded with an ice-cold beer by her nursing home staff for beating it.
And, check out the video of her sippin' on the Bud Light ... she clearly loved the suds!!!
The Red Sox might not be able to tally wins yet this season ... but go ahead and chalk this one up as W #1 for Boston this summer anyway!
3:10 PM PT -- The two NASA astronauts, Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, have finally disembarked the Dragon capsule ... and they're already looking forward to Saturday's rescheduled launch.
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1:23 PM PT -- Elon is going to have to wait a little longer for his company to make history ... SpaceX says Wednesday's launch is OFF due to "unfavorable weather in the flight path."
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SpaceX pulled the plug minutes before the rocket carrying astronauts to the ISS was about to blastoff from Florida ... and the next launch is tentatively scheduled for Saturday at 3:22 PM ET.
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10:59 AM PT -- The astronauts are already loaded into the capsule and are going through safety protocols. As of now, all systems are go!
Elon Muskis looking to make more space history ... SpaceX is attempting to launch 2 NASA astronauts to the International Space Station ... and TMZ will be live streaming the mission.
Dubbed Demo-2, the mission marks the first time ever a commercial aerospace company is sending humans into Earth's orbit. The milestone is a decade in the making, as human spaceflight finally returns to American soil.
The launch of SpaceX's Crew Dragon is set for 4:33 PM ET from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida ... and the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the capsule is taking off from the historic Pad 39A, which famously launched Apollo 11 way back in 1969, the first moon landing.
SpaceX and NASA are streaming the launch from takeoff all the way until Crew Dragon docks with the ISS, and it should take the capsule about 19 hours to travel from Florida to the space station.
The two veteran astronauts aboard the Dragon spacecraft are 49-year-old Robert Behnken and 53-year-old Douglas Hurley.
NASA says it wants to keep the astronauts on the ISS until another Crew Dragon capsule is ready to send more humans on SpaceX's next mission. Robert and Douglas say they're expecting to spend 1 to 3 months in space before returning home in Crew Dragon, which will land in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Crew Dragon into Earth's upper atmosphere, where the capsule will separate and use its own thrusters to make its way to the ISS. The capsule is fully autonomous, so the astronauts won't have much to do, unless something crazy happens. The rocket, meanwhile, should land on a drone ship after launch.
SpaceX has a $2.6 BILLION contract with NASA ... and the launch marks the first time the United States is sending its own astronauts into space since 2011, when the Space Shuttle Program ended.
Oh, and the capsule has a toilet, which could come in handy during the 19-hour ride.
George Floyd's family wants the 4 officers involved in his death arrested, charged and tried for murder -- as their attorney says America needs a state of emergency ... to protect black people.
George's brother, Philonise Floyd, and cousin, Tera Brown, spoke with us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and reacted to the surveillance video showing the initial moment George was put in handcuffs.
They were, understandably, distraught over what we've all seen in the footage -- George peacefully responding as an officer arrested him ... never physically resisting arrest.
Philonise told us his brother was beloved by everyone who knew him, and said he wasn't shocked to see George was NOT resisting ... as the Minneapolis police first suggested in a statement about the incident.
His brother and cousin got emotional explaining what it was like watching the original video showing George slowly get killed on camera. When we asked what Philonise and Tera would like to see happen now, they didn't hesitate -- both want all the officers there on the scene, especially the one kneeling on George, to be arrested for murder.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey echoed the family's words during a news conference Wednesday afternoon, where he called for the Hennepin County District Attorney to charge the officer whose knee cut off George's airway.
We also spoke to the family's attorney, Ben Crump -- and he told us he is now demanding an executive order be issued announcing a state of emergency for protection of all African-Americans.
It might sound like a big ask, but watch -- Crump is deadly serious about his plea, and says in light of George's case, Ahmaud Arbery's and so many others ... it's very necessary.
Everyone wants to shake their booty when they hear Megan Thee Stallion ... especially in the animal kingdom!!!
Yes, even wild bears are classy, bougie and ratchet when they hear some MTS ... and this pole dancing bear is a straight up SAVAGE!!!
Check out this wild video straight outta the mean streets of Bear Country USA in South Dakota ... where the bears are sassy, moody, nasty, and acting stupid by grinding their bear-y big badunkadunks on any pole in sight.
This furry MTS fan got off all fours to grind all up and down this pole in the middle of the drive-thru wildlife park, deep in the heart of the Black Hills.
The bear is giving Megan a run for her money in the twerking department ... and the best part is the arms moving and grooving to MTS' "Savage" beat.
2:43 PM PT -- The Hennepin County D.A. just responded to the Mayor's call for charges to be brought against the officer who kneeled on Floyd, saying ... "In order to bring charges and obtain a guilty verdict, there are very specific parts of the law which must be met in prosecuting any crime of violence."
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The statement continues ... "The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is working as quickly as possible to gather the necessary evidence and we will expeditiously review the case when we receive the case file and make our decision."
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12:02 PM PT -- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is calling for charges to be brought against the still-unnamed officer who kneeled on George Floyd, eventually suffocating him.
UPDATE
Frey said, "if you had done it, or I had done it, we would be behind bars right now." He wants the Hennepin County D.A. to bring the officer to justice.
Before George Floyd was pinned to the ground by a cop's knee -- and ultimately killed -- he was cuffed by a different officer and seemed to be cooperating ... according to new surveillance footage.
A nearby restaurant, Dragon Wok, captured the initial moments of George's run-in with Minneapolis police on a camera set up outside. Based on the video, this started as a traffic stop of some sort, which ended with George being led away in cuffs.
The video shows 2 vehicles parked curbside, and eventually, 2 officers approach one of the cars and ask everyone to step out. A man and a woman emerge from the passenger side, while George is taken out by another officer on the driver's side ... seemingly struggling at first.
The cops get George to stand up and lead him over to the sidewalk where they sit him down. He isn't doing a whole lot of resisting the rest of the way.
Another police officer eventually arrived, and George was walked across the street and off camera. He was not being led by the officer who was eventually seen with his knee on George's neck.
Remember, police say they were responding to a call for a possible forgery. We're told an employee at a nearby business says George had attempted to pay with a $10 bill they suspected was counterfeit and, as is company policy, had reported it to police.
The surveillance video was released by Dragon Wok's owner Rashad West, who says he wanted to put it out for his community.
It's important to note the video does not show what happened immediately before the officer put the full force of his knee on George's neck ... despite pleas from George of not being able to breathe.
As you know, George's killing sparked violent protestsTuesday evening in Minneapolis. The 4 officers involved have been fired, and the Mayor has called George's death a failure on the part of the police.
Tom Bradyis parting ways with his tricked out Cadillac Escalade -- which is so luxurious, the inside looks like a private jet!
The whip is a super modified 2017 Cadillac Escalade ESV Edition -- which was customized by the folks at Becker Automotive Design in Oxnard, CA.
According to TB12 himself, he picked out "all the customizations of the ESV; from the trim of the seats to the color of the rug."
The big changes he made have to do with the size of the SUV -- it was stretched by 20 inches and the roof was raised by 5 inches.
And, just to make sure everything looks proportionally correct, the rear doors were also expanded by 10 inches.
Why make it bigger? Tom says he needed the room for his custom VIP reclining seats, private jet-like folding tables and a 32-inch HD LCD screen ... plus a 12-inch screen in the back!
Tom says all of the changes were made with one thing in mind -- giving him more time to focus on football.
"With such limited time in my busy schedule the ESV gave me those extra minutes to study my play book, make phone calls and be with my family," Tom says in the listing.
"Immediately my productivity went up and my stress came down."
According to the listing, the SUV is also equipped with "a high end mobile Internet router that allows for multiple service providers, ensuring the very best connectivity on the road."
B.A.D. says the price of the car when new is $350k -- but Tom will let it go for $300k or the best offer ... noting that it's a "collector's car."
Could it actually go for more? Maybe! TB12 memorabilia is hot these days!
"I hope the next owner will take great care of her; she will always be a part of the Brady family," Tom adds.
11:46 AM PT -- Centene spokeswoman Marcela Hawn said in a statement, "Centurion and its board of directors are proud of the company’s history of providing outstanding and innovative health-care solutions to this vulnerable population. We look forward to sharing more about our role in the delivery of health-care to these individuals during legal proceedings.”
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That clearly didn't sit well with Spiro, who tells us, "Over forty inmates dying in the last few months at Mississippi DOC alone is neither outstanding nor innovative. And it's definitely nothing to be proud of."
Jay-Z's legal eagle is keeping the pressure on Mississippi's infamous Parchman Penitentiary by filing a new lawsuit that calls out the prison's healthcare provider.
As we've reported, Jay's company, Roc Nation, backed a group of Parchman inmates suing Mississippi's Dept. of Corrections over filthy, violent, unhealthy and deadly conditions ... and all of that was before COVID-19 made things worse.
Now, attorney Alex Spiro -- who Roc Nation hired to rep the inmates -- has filed a new lawsuit against Centene ... the parent company of Centurion, which provides healthcare at Parchman. This time, Spiro's client is a Centene shareholder who's seen the brutal news about 40 inmates dying in Mississippi prisons, including Parchman, since December.
The shareholder suspects Centurion's alleged poor care is exposing the company to lawsuits and potentially tanking its stock. In docs, obtained by TMZ, the shareholder calls out Centurion for poor inmate mental health treatment, and a lack of testing in for illnesses -- a glaring issue for prisons amid the pandemic. In short, the suit alleges an "entire breakdown in [Mississippi prisons'] healthcare system."
Parchman, in particular, has been plagued by riots, fires and suicides -- videos from inside the prison showed the dire conditions allegedly exacerbated by the prison being woefully understaffed.
According to the suit, Centurion is actually losing money on its deal with the state of Mississippi -- which the shareholder suspects might be why the company's allegedly bailing on providing proper healthcare at the prisons.
The shareholder wants a judge to force Centurion to open its books to provide a full picture of where money is, or isn't, going when it comes to inmate healthcare.
Obviously, that information could also be crucial for the Parchman inmates' lawsuit. Fair to say, it's no coincidence Spiro is repping the shareholder as well as the prisoners suing Mississippi's DOC.
Jay-Z and Yo Gotti have both vowed they're in this for the long haul ... until the prison conditions vastly improve, and this could go a long way toward that goal.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at the intersection where George Floyd was killed after a forceful encounter with police ... and things got pretty tense.
The protest began Tuesday night in Minneapolis, with people lining the streets carrying banners reading "KKKops" "Again?" "Black Lives Matter" and "Justice for George."
Similar chants of "I can't breathe" and "No Justice, No Peace" broke out among the demonstrators, who eventually marched more than 2 miles to a city police precinct ... with some causing damage along the way.
Things escalated to a point where protesters were met by cops in riot gear, who fired tear gas canisters and projectiles into the crowd. Some kicked the canisters back toward police, and made a makeshift barricade of shopping carts at a Target across the street from the station.
Though steady rain lessened the crowd, skirmishes lasted late into the night.
As we reported ... Floyd died shortly after officers arrested him for an alleged forgery in progress. Footage of the incident shows one cop pressing his knee down on George's neck for several minutes -- ignoring his pleas that he couldn't breathe -- while witnesses shouted that he was being killed.
Floyd's family lawyer, Ben Crump, told us the violent incident -- along with other similar stories recently -- has black people believing it's "open season" on them in America right now.
Clearly, the protesters in Minneapolis want to put a stop to it.
The Missouri bar, where a gaggle of pool partiers packed in like sardines over the holiday, says it's NOT going to stop hosting aqua ragers ... no matter how much heat they take for it.
Andy Prewitt's a manager at Backwater Jack's -- where dozens of people gathered for a massive pool party in Lake of the Ozarks -- and he tells TMZ the good times must roll on into summer ... meaning they're not planning to ax any future get-togethers like this.
We're told the reason Backwater Jack's is pressing forward is because, well, it's a matter of financial survival. Prewitt says while the staff is concerned about public health, they're equally worried about making ends meet and keeping the business afloat. So, they'll do what they must.
Memorial Day Pool Party in the Ozarks! https://t.co/TcuOqim8Df via @YouTube#COVIDIDIOTS Anyone who didn’t practice CDC, DHSS, and KCMO Health Department social distancing guidance should self quarantine for 14 days if they have any compassion for others.
ICYMI ... upwards of 1,500 heads flocked into BJ's on Saturday for a daytime shindig in their shallow pool -- and funny enough, we're told management never considered shutting it down ... despite the fact the event got a tsk-tsk scolding from Missouri officials.
One other thing ... Prewitt goes on to tell us he feels like Backwater is being unfairly singled out -- as he claims other bars in the immediate area were equally as busy. And, besides, the manager says they tried their best to be quarantine-friendly, checking temps when folks walked in and giving them hand sanitizer to use on themselves. Uh ... thanks?
Keisha Lance Bottoms is disappointed some folks are still playing with fire in an untamed pandemic, like this wild house party in her city ... but she's encouraged by people taking it seriously.
Here's the deal ... someone decided it was a good idea to host a massive rager in Atlanta over Memorial Day Weekend, and the shindig was billed as a private, topless mansion party, with over 800 people attending before police shut it down.
Videos from inside the bash show revelers packed inside the mansion like sardines, topless dancers twerking in front of a huge circle of people, as money rained down.
The party is drawing a stern response from the Mayor of Atlanta ... a spokesperson for Bottoms tells TMZ, "While the Mayor is extremely disappointed to see these isolated events, she is encouraged by the vast majority of Atlantans who value their lives and the lives of others enough to practice social distancing and use some common sense.”
Translation ... a few bad apples won't overshadow the rest of you.
Flo Rida's teaming up with his personal doctor -- and dropping his own cash -- to get COVID-19 testing ramped up at Florida companies trying to reopen safely.
The rapper -- along with his doc and business partner, Dr. George Tabi -- have launched a $1.5 million healthcare venture together called the Asktabs Mobile Wellness Center ... with the goal of getting healthy people back to work on the heels of the state reopening its economy.
That requires a lot of coronavirus testing, and Flo's mobile site boasts the ability to test up to 1,500 patients per day with a staff of up to 14 people.
The Asktabs mobile center had its first round of tests last week for The Metro Wrapz company in Miami, where we're told 30 employees got tested.
Flo Rida's mobile site is available for anyone, but we're told the main focus is providing testing for businesses so workers can get their jobs back as quickly and safely as possible. The rapper and his doctor hope to travel to other cities around the Sunshine State, as well.
This isn't the duo's first healthcare project either -- they previously launched an immune-boosting daily vitamin gummy that's CBD infused, called Jet Setter. As you can see, they're repurposing their vitamin van to transport testing supplies.
J.J. Wattsays he's not sure whether the 2020 NFL season will take place as originally planned -- but he's training his ass off anyway because it's better to "stay ready."
"I don't know what's going to happen," Watt tells TMZ Sports ... "I'm just like everybody else. We're all kind of just waiting and seeing."
"The uncertainty is the worst part of it all. We don't know what's going to happen. But, I'm training like it's gonna happen on time. And, I'm looking forward to playing -- fans, no fans -- whatever it is. I'm just looking forward to competing and just doing what we do."
The Houston Texans superstar -- who's also hosting "Ultimate Tag" on FOX -- believes the return of football is super important ... but not at the expense of American lives.
"We love the game. We love the competition ... as long as it's safe for everybody," Watt explained.
"You have to remember we have coaches who are older. We have people helping out on the sidelines and staff members. So, as long it's safe for everybody and as long as everybody is comfortable and confident, I'm all for it because I think it does help return some normalcy and it gives people something to be excited about, to cheer for again."
"And, we're looking forward to that opportunity if it's safe."
Watt says he's been staying in touch with his teammates via Zoom meetings -- but jokes about some players not wanting to show off their homes to the rest of the team!
"One guy just points his [camera] at his ceiling fan for 2 hours straight during the meeting! Give us a little something. I mean geez, what are you hiding!?"
Besides training, we also talked to Watt about "Ultimate Tag" -- airs Wednesday night on FOX -- and says the athletes he's got on the show are FREAKS!
In fact, Watt says he doesn't think half the players in the League could keep up with the crazy athletes on "Ultimate Tag" ... which sounds like a challenge to us!!!
As for the NFL stars who would do the best on the show???
Here's a shocker -- Watt loves Lamar Jackson and Tyreek Hill ... some of the most talented players EVER!
But seriously, JJ -- pull some strings and get 'em on the show!!!
Dimitri Diatchenko -- best known for his famous role in "Chernobyl Diaries" -- died from an accidental fentanyl and valium overdose.
According to the Office of the Medical Examiner in Daytona Beach, Florida ... Dimitri's official cause of death is listed as a combination of fentanyl and diazepam toxicity. He also suffered from cardiomegaly ... an enlarged heart -- and had moderate coronary artery disease.
The report also lists the cause of death as an accident following "illicit drug abuse with prescription drug use." It's interesting ... the report also says Dimitri "sustained injury by electrocution [at 220 volts] while at work several days prior to being found dead at his home" but the medical examiner ultimately excluded a delayed arrhythmia from the electrical shock as a cause of death.
The report also stated Dimitri had long-standing prescriptions for hydrocodone and diazepam, but could not confirm a prescription for fentanyl.
TMZ broke the story ... Dimitri died back in April and it came as a complete shock to his family. Dimitri's family was worried after not hearing from him for several days. Dimitri, who played Uri in "Chernobyl Diaries," also had roles in "Get Smart" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
