TMZ.com Home

Jeff Lowe's animals at the 'Tiger King' zoo have not been getting proper veterinary care for years ... according to the feds who've suspended his license to run the zoo.

As we reported ... the U.S. Department of Agriculture yanked Jeff's exhibitor's license for Joe Exotic's old GW Exotic Animal Park for 21 days, and now we know why the USDA finally made the call to punish him.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ ... the USDA cites Lowe for numerous failures in providing vet care for his animals dating back to November 2017.

The USDA points out that the number of animals at Lowe's zoo has exploded from 29 in 2017 up to 212 in 2020, and alleges he's simply incapable of taking care of all the lions, tigers, lemurs, monkeys and other animals he's accumulated.

Jeff's also accused of submitting false documents related to veterinary care and records. Specifically, the USDA claims he submitted reports from its attending vet in 2019 and 2020 ... even though that vet claims she resigned from the zoo in June 2018.

According to the docs ... Jeff and his wife, Lauren, have also violated regulations in exhibiting animals without sufficient distance and barriers between them and the public.

And of course, the USDA cites countless examples of allegedly mistreated animals from its recent investigation -- as we first told you -- like the 16-week-old lion cub that was too weak to stand, geriatric wolves in pain and a 17-year-old dead tigon that was not properly cared for or disposed of.

Finally, the USDA claims Lowe does not possess the required paperwork -- acquisition records and disposition records -- for a bunch of the zoo animals.

Lowe tells us the allegations of improper veterinary care have never been an issue until the most recent USDA inspection, which he previously dismissed as the government being "overzealous."

Megan Thee Stallion isn't dancing around it anymore ... she just came flat out and accused Tory Lanez, by name, of shooting her.

It's the first time she's actually used his name and she blasted him late Thursday, saying ... "Yes, this n***a Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to these blogs lying and s**t, stop lying!"

Megan also denied rumors she had hit Tory during an argument inside the SUV last month in the Hollywood Hills -- but admits there was an argument between everyone in the vehicle, and that's why she tried to walk away. She alleges that's when Tory opened fire.

As you know, up to this point, she'd insisted she was shot -- and certainly hinted Tory pulled the trigger -- but never said his name. During the IG Live post, she said she was afraid to call out Tory to the LAPD because she "didn't want to die" -- clearly insinuating she feared the police during the heated interaction.

She also addressed rumors the argument had something to do with Kylie Jenner. They'd all been partying together a home in the Hills prior to the shooting.

TMZ broke the story ... Tory, Megan and one of her friends left the party after 4 AM in a chauffeur-driven SUV, and police responded to calls of shots fired.

When they pulled over the vehicle, Megan was bleeding from her feet as police instructed her to slowly walk backward. Tory got arrested for possession of a concealed weapon -- a handgun was under his seat -- and Megan was taken to a hospital for treatment.

As we reported, the L.A. County D.A. is now considering charging Tory with felony assault with a firearm.

Megan's bold move to publicly accuse Tory comes the day after she posted pics of her injuries, and continued to insist she'd been shot ... no matter what haters were saying online. However, she still refused to say Tory's name, and even went so far as to say her back was turned when she got shot ... hinting she never saw who did it.

Since then, something definitely pissed her off, because shortly before she went live on IG ... she went tweeted a thinly-veiled threat to call out Tory if he kept lying.

We've reached out to Tory's camp, but no word back yet.

Tyra Sanchez -- the retired drag queen who won season 2 of "RuPaul's Drag Race" -- got busted for spray-painting graffiti in ATL.

Tyra was arrested Thursday and is facing one count of criminal damage to property. According to Atlanta PD ... officers responded to a vandalism call around 10:30 AM at an apartment complex.

The security guard there told cops someone spray-painted "Don't Move Here Ever" on the side of the building, and another witness said they saw the suspect in the act of tagging the wall.

The cops were able to locate and ID the suspect -- who turned out to be Sanchez -- and hauled him off to the Fulton County Jail.

Sources close to the situation tell us ... Tyra, whose government name is James William Ross, lives at the complex he allegedly tagged. We're told he hasn't paid rent in months and is considered a squatter at this point.

Along with winning season 2 of 'Drag Race,' Tyra was well-known for being a drag impersonator of Beyonce ... but retired from the game back in March.

Maluma and CNCO will attempt to pull off what few entertainers have been able to do this year -- perform for a live audience -- but to do so, they're setting some strict rules for the fans who want to risk it.

We've learned the pair is currently casting "super fans" to be a part of a special outdoor performance at next week's MTV VMA's ... with some very specific requirements.

According to the casting call, fans who want to attend must live near NYC, bring a guest (but only if they live together), get a COVID-19 test on August 23 and then self-isolate with the guest until the August 30 show.

It certainly sounds like a lot of work, but considering Maluma's got 52 million followers on Instagram and boy band CNCO has 3.5 million ... they should be able to wrangle up enough willing participants.

"Some black people are going to be upset with me ..."

UFC star Tyron Woodley does NOT believe Donald Trump is a racist -- insisting the only color he REALLY cares about is green.

Tyron -- who's been EXTREMELY critical of Trump in the past -- explained his position on 'The Hollywood Beatdown' ... saying he's convinced cash matters more than color to POTUS.

"If you have green on your face to him, he's gonna f**k with you. I think it's about green to him."

Trump came up during a conversation about Tyron's highly anticipated clash with Colby Covington on Sept. 19 ... a fight that's taken years to come together.

Colby is a hardcore Trump guy who was invited to meet the President at the White House in August 2018 following a victory over Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 earlier that year.

Trump's sons have also supported Colby -- they were both in attendance when Covington defeated Robbie Lawler in 2019. POTUS called Colby to personally congratulate him after the fight.

So, we asked Tyron how he felt knowing the Trump family will likely be watching when he takes on MAGA Covington ... and that's when Tyron told us how he really feels about the Commander in Chief.

Woodley also says he's focused and training his ass off for the Covington fight -- and predicts a violent finish.

He also weighs in on Jon Jones -- explaining why he thinks Bones should get an immediate shot at the UFC heavyweight title ... and why he's more than capable of beating monsters like Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic.

Before this posing pipsqueak was heating up the music charts with his charm and talent, he was just another cute kid growing up in Harlan, Kentucky.

This little lad is best known for being the lead singer of a hot boy band in the late '90s which launched his career and eventually led to a famous reality show that deep dove into the relationship with his now ex-wife.

Now, you can find this smiling sweetie as a beloved and humorous television personality hosting many shows such as Netflix's new dating program, "Love Is Blind."

Kanye West will not be playing Presidential spoiler in Wisconsin ... election officials just booted him off the ballot in that crucial swing state.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission gave Kanye the heave-ho Thursday, voting by a 5-to-1 margin to exclude him from the state's ballot because he did not file signatures and paperwork before the state's August 5 deadline for independent candidates.

We'd say it's another crushing blow for Kanye's campaign if he really had a shot at winning ... which he doesn't. However, Wisconsin, and its 10 electoral votes, is a crucial battleground state in the Presidential race.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye accused the Wisconsin Democratic Party of spying on his presidential campaign after an official complaint was filed asking the Elections Commission to check his paperwork for fake signatures.

You'll recall, Badger State Democratic officials came right out and accused Trump operatives of supporting Ye's campaign in Wisconsin purely to draw votes from Joe Biden.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are about to become a family of 5 ... so they need a new and possibly bigger house to reflect that.

The famous couple just listed their Beverly Hills crib -- once featured in Architectural Digest, btw -- for a cool $23.95 million. The entrance to this house is stunning ... as you're immediately greeted by 33-foot ceilings and a sculptural staircase.

The 7 bedroom, 8 bathroom crib sits on an almost 38,000-square-foot lot size. It's got all the bells and whistles -- hey, it's freakin' John Legend and Chrissy Teigen -- that features a state-of-the-art chef's kitchen and incredible detail ... like the mandala-patterned ceilings from Thailand. There's a balcony and en-suite baths in all 7 bedrooms ... but there's only one "Glam Room," and that's in the master bedroom.

Once outside, there are sweeping canyon views, a pool, jacuzzi and a wood-burning oven and chef's grill. Wanna really get away for a quick minute? The Beverly Hills Hotel and Rodeo Drive are just minutes away.

As we reported ... John and Chrissy are expecting their third child, so maybe it's time for more crawling space.

The newest season of "Temptation Island" will test more than the strength of the couples' relationships ... it's going to test them for coronavirus, and frequently.

The risque reality show is making its way to Hawaii this weekend, as the cast and crew's preparing to film for the next 2 months at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort in the midst of the pandemic. Maui's Mayor, Michael Victorino, made the announcement, but he's far from thrilled.

The mayor says he's not keen on about 100 people setting up shop on his island for a TV production, but it was approved by the State Filming Commission, and he's hopeful all the necessary COVID-19 protocols set by Gov. David Ige will be followed.

Victorino says the cast and crew will operate in a bubble-like atmosphere at the Andaz resort and be constantly monitored by medical professionals, but he's still not happy, and adds ... "If anything does go wrong, we will shut it down as quickly as possible."

The mayor says the only reason he's not pushing harder to put the kibosh on the show is because it's providing employment to the hotel workers who've been out of a job for 4 or 5 months.

This will be the 6th season of "Temptation Island" if it makes it through filming ... the third of the revamped version on USA Network.

Chi Chi DeVayne -- a fan favorite on "RuPaul's Drag Race" who competed on 'All-Stars' as well -- has died after recently being admitted to the hospital for pneumonia.

According to Chi Chi's family, the famed drag queen died Thursday morning at a hospital. Just days ago, Chi Chi shared a video from a hospital room saying they were "currently battling pneumonia" and asking for prayers.

DeVayne was also hospitalized in mid-July for apparent kidney failure related to scleroderma, an autoimmune disease the 'Drag Race' star was diagnosed with in 2018.

While undergoing dialysis treatment, Chi Chi wrote ... "I let it go too long without going to the doctor and these are the consequences."

Chi Chi, whose real name was Zavion Davenport, was a standout on season 8 of 'Drag Race' in 2016 and went on to finish in fourth place. Chi Chi later returned for the third season of RuPaul's 'All Stars' competition in early 2018 and placed eighth.

RuPaul says he's heartbroken over Chi Chi's passing, but "grateful that we got to experience her kind and beautiful soul." He adds ... "She will be dearly missed, but never forgotten. May her generous and loving spirit shine down on us all."

Chi Chi was 34.

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman says he's "ashamed" that he used a homophobic slur on air ... and says he's now dedicating himself to working with the LGBTQ community to grow from this experience.

"As many of you know, I said something hateful on the air Wednesday night," Brennaman said in a long op-ed posted on Cincinnati.com ... "something no one should ever say."

Brennaman says he didn't realize the homophobic f-word was "so rooted in hate and violence" -- and says he vows to never use it again.

"I cannot erase what I have done," Thom said. "The only thing I can do is humbly apologize, accept the consequences of my actions and resolve to be better and behave differently from now on."

Brennaman directly addresses the LGBTQ+ community ... saying, "I am truly and deeply sorry. You should never be denigrated with crude and hateful language. I failed you, and I cannot say enough how sorry I am."

Brennaman also says he has already spoken with MLB exec Billy Bean -- who's openly gay -- and Bean has agreed to work with him on how to "become a more informed person."

"I immediately plan to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training and have reached out to PFLAG for resources and guidance," Thom said.

Brennaman -- who's been suspended by the Reds and pulled from the "NFL on FOX" schedule -- says he doesn't know if he'll ever work in broadcasting again ... but says this incident has forced him to "reflect on who I am and how I am want to be seen and thought of."

Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri says RACE was the main reason he was disrespected and assaulted by a cop at the 2019 NBA Finals -- stating, "It's because I am Black."

50-year-old Ujiri has finally broken his silence about that bombshell body cam video which shows him clearly being shoved TWICE by an aggressive white deputy in the final moments of Game 6, as the Raptors were winning the title.

The video clearly proves the deputy was LYING when he claimed Ujiri instigated the altercation that night. Ujiri was calmly trying to present his security badge to the deputy when the guy flipped out, cussed him out and shoved Masai twice in the chest.

"The video sadly demonstrates how horribly I was treated by a law enforcement officer last year in the midst of my team, the Toronto Raptors, winning its first world championship," Ujiri said in a statement.

Ujiri says the moment should gave been one of the greatest of his life -- a reward after years of grinding -- but it was spoiled by that horrible deputy.

"I was reminded in that moment that despite all of my hard work and success, there are some people, including those who are supposed to protect us, who will always and only see me as something that is unworthy of respectful engagement. And, there’s only one indisputable reason why that is the case - because I am Black."

Ujiiri says he understands that he was ultimately vindicated because he had the resources to take on law enforcement -- and he fears for those who don't.

"The only reason why I am getting the justice I deserve in this moment is because of my success. Because I’m the President of a NBA team, I had access to resources that ensured I could demand and fight for my justice. So many of my brothers and sisters haven’t had, don’t have, and won’t have the same access to resources that assured my justice. And that’s why Black Lives Matter."

Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey met up for what could be dubbed a Multi-Millionaire Man March ... but it looks more like a casual stroll.

The entertainment mogul and the Twitter co-founder were out for a walk together Thursday morning in the Hamptons with a few other dudes in tow. Based on their chill attire ... a passerby wouldn't know they're a couple of the most rich and powerful men in the world.

Jay was rocking some Puma athletic gear while Jack sported a St. Louis Cardinals cap to go with his shaggy beard. Like we said ... super cazh.

It's unclear why they're hanging out, but it might have something to do with Dorsey's $10 million donation, back in May, to the Reform Alliance ... which Jay co-founded with Meek Mill and Michael Rubin.

Of course, both guys have also been huge donors the past several months to 2 uber important causes -- battling the coronavirus and racism.

Luann de Lesseps admits staying sober is a challenge -- especially under pandemic lockdowns -- but she says it's put her in a better headspace to cope during trying times.

"The Real Housewives of New York City" star joined "TMZ Live" Thursday to chat about her ongoing sobriety and what she's been doing to help her along ... including yoga, meditation, and making "diva" music.

Luann understands why studies show alcohol use is way up since the pandemic began in March -- people turn to booze to ease pain -- but she says, for her, it only raised her anxiety level ... something no one needs more of these days.

In fact, the 'RHONY' star says sobriety has her feeling like she has control of her life again, and she's expressing that with a new song ... "Viva La Diva."

Luann shared a preview of her latest single which drops Friday -- which makes it clear she's proud to let her diva flag fly.

Karen is going Hollywood ... with an upcoming suspense thriller starring Taryn Manning!!!

The "Orange Is The New Black" star just signed on to play a "Karen" on the big screen ... in a story about a racist, entitled white woman in the South who terrorizes her new African-American neighbors. Sound familiar?

The movie, from writer and director Coke Daniels, seems like a mixture of all the "Karens" who have become Internet famous. Taryn's playing a Karen who believes people should stick to their own kind. Yeah, that's a Karen hallmark.

Taryn's character, Karen White, makes it her mission to oust the new kids on her block, a black family, by any means necessary. It's a very 2020 movie -- the neighbors are staunch Black Lives Matter supporters.

Taryn makes a lotta sense for the title character ... if you've seen her work in 'OITNB' you know she was Karen-ing way before it, unfortunately, became so prevalent in real life, it's a bonafide part of pop culture.

Cincinnati Reds announcer Thom Brennaman uttered an offensive, homophobic slur while calling the Reds game Wednesday ... apparently not realizing his microphone was on.

Brennaman -- who was announcing a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals -- was heard referring to a city as "one of the f** capitals of the world."

Seconds later he snapped back into announcer mode and read a promo for the Reds Live Pregame Show ... as if nothing had happened.

But, viewers were SHOCKED ... and the clip went viral on social media in a matter of minutes.

56-year-old Brennaman has been calling MLB games since the '90s and has been the featured play-by-play broadcaster for major events like the BCS National Championship Game, the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, the 2008 Sugar Bowl ... even the 2011 Pro Bowl.

He's been working with the Reds since 2006.