Emirates Leukemia Patient's 2 Dogs Die on Flight ... Both in Cargo Hold

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UPDATE

8:46 AM PT -- An Emirates spokesperson tells TMZ, "We can confirm that two French bulldogs were transported to Washington, DC through Dubai on flight EK 231 on 21 August 2020. The dogs were flown following all standard procedures and mandatory checks and inspections in conformance with regulations concerning the transport of live animals. On arrival at Washington DC, the dogs were unfortunately found to have passed away. Emirates SkyCargo expresses its sincere regrets and is extending all possible support to the family at this difficult time."

A woman battling Leukemia says her 2 French bulldogs -- one of which was her emotional support animal -- are dead after they were placed in an Emirates flight's cargo hold.

The passenger's name is Hannah and we're told she was flying from Dubai to Washington, DC for a cancer treatment -- but upon landing at Dulles International Airport she got the devastating news her comfort dog Panda, and Panda's companion Beluga, had died.

The incident went down on August 21 aboard Flight EK 231. We're told Hannah paid $2,600 to ship her pooches when she was told she couldn't bring them into the cabin because they weighed more than 8 pounds.

That means the dogs should be transported below the cabin in a hold designed for live animals ... separate from the luggage. Apparently, Panda and Beluga ended up in the luggage hold, and a necropsy shows they died from oxygen deprivation. Panda was also bloody, for some reason.

Hannah's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the family wants justice for the dogs. He says, "Dogs are not luggage they are living breathing family members and in this case, provided tremendous emotional support for a cancer patient."

We're told Hannah had a doctor's letter from June 2018 classifying Panda as an emotional support animal -- and therefore, Panda should have been allowed in the cabin with Hannah ... Oshan believes.

He adds, "Emirates charged for the dogs' passage even though medical documentation was provided by this cancer patient. This is wrong!"

Oshan says other animals aboard the flight, presumably placed in the proper cargo hold, all survived the journey unscathed.

Originally published -- 1:00 AM PT

Reggae Singer Toots Hibbert Dead at 77

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Toots Hibbert, the singer who helped popularize the name "reggae" with his 1968 hit song, "Do the Reggay," has died.

Toots was a pioneer of the music back in the '60s and beyond. He was a founding member of the band, the Maytals.

Hibbert was very close to Bob Marley. There was a time when the Maytals would perform on the same bill with Marley's group, The Wailers. They would alternate who would open and who would headline.

Hibbert and Marley were so close, they would record the same songs and both have great success. In particular, they both recorded "Redemption Song."

Toots also had a presence in film. He appeared in "The Harder They Come" back in '72. One of his songs, "Pressure Drop" was part of the film's soundtrack. When the song was covered by The Clash in '78 and became a hit, Toots scored legions of new, young fans.

He was a staple on the road, even appearing on stage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform "Louie Louie" during a wild, 2011 New Year's Eve bash in St. Barts.

Toots was also featured on Willie Nelson's album, "Countryman."

Toots was injured in 2013 when someone in the audience threw a bottle at his head. The man was arrested, and when it came time for sentencing, Toots asked for leniency, saying, "He is a young man, and I have heard what happens to young men in jail." The guy got 6 months in jail.

His family broke the sad news, saying, "It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica."

The cause of death was not revealed.

Toots is survived by his wife, Miss D ... they were married 39 years. He's also survived by 7 children.

Toots was 77. RIP

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

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Donald Trump inexplicably spent hours jawboning with Bob Woodward, and he flat out admitted he was lying about the dangers of COVID. And, speaking of COVID, some cities are canceling trick or treating. So, we gotta ask ...

Tyron Woodley Nick Diaz Belongs in the UFC HOF ... Here's Why

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Nick Diaz belongs in the UFC Hall of Fame, despite the fact he's never won a UFC title ... so says Tyron Woodley.

"He's done enough in his career, in my opinion, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame," Tyron said on this week's "Hollywood Beatdown."

Diaz famously began his UFC career back in 2003 with an armbar submission victory over Jeremy Jackson.

He beat guys like Robbie Lawler before a showdown with Diego Sanchez on "The Ultimate Fighter 2" finale (Diaz lost that fight).

Nick jumped to Strikeforce, where he DOMINATED -- winning all 7 of his fights between 2009 and 2011, winning the welterweight title and defending it 4 times.

Eventually, the UFC bought Strikeforce and brought Diaz back to the UFC roster where he beat BJ Penn and lost some epic battles to guys like Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

Now, 37-year-old Diaz is rumored to be making a comeback ... but Tyron thinks he's already got a Hall of Fame resume.

There's a lot more in the episode ... including Tyron explaining why he's FINALLY ready to fight Colby Covington on Sept. 19th, a fight that's been talked about for roughly 2 years.

Shout out to our sponsor KFC, which is FINALLY adding Secret Recipe Fries to its menu — click here for contactless delivery.

Check out more "Hollywood Beatdown" on the TMZ Sports YouTube page.

What's The Big Frigin' Difference?

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Don't let these two almost identical images of Kaia Gerber and Jacob Elordi have you all tripped up ... just be sure to keep a good lookout for any sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!

The model and actor were seen out and about in New York City, earlier this week ... and we have made a few changes to this photo! Get a close look around and see if you have what it takes to find the differences between these two super similar snaps!

**HINT -- There are THREE differences in the above photographs!**

Netflix's 'Outer Banks' Wearing Our Damn Masks ... Filming Season 2!!!

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Rob Gronkowski is gonna like this ... Netflix's hit show "Outer Banks" is already filming season 2, and that means coronavirus precautions for the cast and crew.

Here's the scene on the 'Outer Banks' set this week, as filming gets rolling on James Island in South Carolina ... the main characters are all in masks, what with the pandemic and all.

You can still make out who everyone is behind their face covering ... Madelyn Cline, who plays Sarah Cameron, and Chase Stokes, who plays John B, are masked up in the car.

And, here's Madison Bailey (Kiara), Jonathan Daviss (Pope) and Rudy Pankow (JJ) walking through a field and keeping their social distance. This is how it's done!

As we reported ... Rob says he's all about that POGUE LIFE, as 'Outer Banks' season 1 became his obsession during the NFL offseason, binge-watching the show in 2 days with his S.I. Swim model girlfriend Camille Kostek.

The ending pissed a lot of folks off, kooks and pogues alike, but maybe people will be happier with the end of season 2.

At least they're filming!!!

Michael Jordan Sparked Kenny Lattimore Sales Boom ... After 'Last Dance' Scene

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R&B star Kenny Lattimore says his music sales SKYROCKETED thanks to that memorable scene from "The Last Dance" featuring Michael Jordan rocking out to his songs more than 20 years ago!

In other words, THE MJ EFFECT IS REAL, YO!

You remember the scene ... MJ was on the Chicago Bulls team bus, on the way to Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, when someone asked what he was listening to on his headphones.

Jordan bragged he had some unreleased Kenny Lattimore tracks -- and seemed to really dig it.

So, when we saw Lattimore at LAX the other day, we had to ask if the cameo in the docu-series spiked a surge in music sales.

And, man ... THEY DID.

"The Michael Jordan effect is definitely real!!!" Kenny said.

"There's so many people from around the world that started following me, sending me messages [because of 'The Last Dance]."

"People were like, 'This is Jordan's guy' or 'I'm gonna listen to this 'cause this is what Jordan listens to.'"

Lattimore says his music sales went "to another level" thanks to the doc -- noting streams of his songs were up big, too.

If you're not familiar with Lattimore's music ... GET ON YOUTUBE ALREADY AND CHECK IT OUT!

Dude was huge in the '90s and even got a Grammy nod for his smash hit "For You."

As for Jordan, Lattimore ended with this -- "Blessings to Michael Jordan forever. I am so grateful of him being a fan."

Celebrity Motion Capture Happy Video Game Day!

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VFX are no joke and these stars are here to prove it ... these celebrities got to suit up for virtual roles, and we're sharing the behind-the-scenes pics with you in honor of National Video Game Day!

Celebs such as Josh Duhamel, Shaquille O'Neal, and Beau Smart are just a few stars to name that have posted photos of themselves bringing animation to life!

Take a look at all the pre visual effects pics by scrolling through our gallery of celebrity motion capture .. See who else has snapped their fair share of on set selfies!

Talk about getting your head in the game!

50 Cent 'For Life' Shut Down Over COVID Fears

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50 Cent's show "For Life," he's an executive producer, is shutting down production after issues with coronavirus testing on set ... TMZ has learned.

Reps for Sony Pictures, the studio behind the show, tell TMZ ... production paused Friday as a result of "some inconsistent test results, and out of an abundance of caution."

It's unclear if there are a number of positive results or false positives among the cast and crew, but the inconsistency was enough for execs to pull the plug for now.

"For Life" was shooting in Queens, NY. Our sources say 50 Cent has not been on set, though.

As you know ... productions across the country are slowly returning -- for movies, TV shows and advertisements -- with precautions and COVID-19 testing in place.

Obviously, there are still risks and potential hiccups in the systems.

Story developing ...

NFL's Demaryius Thomas Pit Bulls Accused of Violent Attack ... On Woman and Dog

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Two pit bulls allegedly belonging to NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas attacked a woman and her pet dog this week causing major injuries ... and now officials have launched an investigation.

Jennifer Savage told WSB-TV in Atlanta she was hanging out on her front lawn with her own dog Thursday when out of nowhere, 2 pits went after her pooch.

"I look up, not even paying attention, and I see two pit bulls charging at me, showing their teeth and growing at me," Savage said.

The woman says she tumbled down a hill trying to protect her dog from the pit bulls -- but couldn't stop the animals from taking "huge chunks" out of her dog.

Savage says she suffered bite wounds to her arms and legs -- and needed stitches.

Her dog, Berkley, was so badly injured he needed emergency surgery.

"They shaved his entire body and there's punctures and tubes all in him," she told WSB-TV.

The news outlet says a police report identifies Thomas as the owner of the 2 pit bulls.

We're out to law enforcement but haven't heard back.

Savage told WSB-TV she's obviously very upset and wants to pursue charges against Thomas over the incident.

We reached out to DT's rep for comment but haven't heard back.

Thomas was a star WR for the Denver Broncos, Patriots, Texans and NY Jets -- but he's currently a free agent.

Thomas is a proud pit bull owner -- and even has an IG page for his dogs.

Danuel House Booted from NBA Bubble Over Unauthorized Guest in Hotel Room

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Danuel House ... is being sent home.

The Houston Rockets player has officially been kicked out of the NBA bubble environment in Orlando, Florida after league officials say he broke COVID protocol by having an unauthorized guest in his hotel room.

House reportedly invited a female COVID tester to his room on Sept. 8th -- despite the fact she is not allowed to hang with players when she's off the clock.

Players are only allowed to have authorized guests in their hotel room -- people who have been approved by the league.

The NBA investigated the allegations and while they didn't identify the unauthorized guest by name, the league clearly states House broke the rules.

"The NBA has concluded its investigation of a recent violation of campus health and safety protocols."

"The findings are that: Houston Rockets forward Danuel House had a guest in his hotel room over multiple hours on September 8 who was not authorized to be on campus."

The league says there was "no evidence" that other players or staff had contact with the guest or were involved in this incident.

"Mr. House is leaving the NBA campus and will not participate with the Rockets team in additional games this season."

It's a big blow to the Rockets -- the team is down 3-1 in their playoff series with the Lakers and House has been a significant contributor on the court ... averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

Tamar Braxton She Punched Me, Threatened to Kill ... Ex-Boyfriend Gets Restraining Order

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UPDATE

6:39 PM PT -- David has been granted a temporary restraining order against Tamar, according to new docs obtained by TMZ. The order requires Tamar to stay at least 100 yards away from David, his car and his job.

Tamar Braxton beat the crap out of her ex-boyfriend and threatened to kill him ... at least that's what he claimed while seeking court-ordered protection from her.

The singer's ex, David Adefeso, filed for the restraining order, alleging Tamar attacked him while he was driving his car, and threatened to have him killed.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, David claims Tamar started punching him during an argument while he was driving his Rolls-Royce. David claims Tamar violently socked him in the jugular, disorienting him and nearly causing him to crash.

According to the docs, David claims he parked the car and Tamar started trashing it -- allegedly smashing the camera and rearview mirror. He claims he suffered bruising to his neck and shoulder area along with the damage to his Rolls.

Since the alleged attack, which he says led to their breakup, David's ex claims she's been threatening to kill him. In docs, he says Tamar told him her ex-husband wanted to "send goons" to kill him 6 months ago, but she stopped it. He claims she's now threatening to let those "goons" loose.

David beelined it to court, filing for a temporary restraining order.

If true, the allegations are another sign of the turmoil in Tamar's life. As we reported, David called 911 recently saying she'd attempted suicide ... and he claimed it was all over beef with WeTV.

Remember ... family sources connected to Tamar have told us they think she changed while dating David, and we'd also been told he seemed controlling in her upcoming WeTV spinoff reality show.

Originally Published -- 2:24 PM PT

Pet Abuse CEO Apologizes For Roughing Up Dog ... Finds Pup a New Home

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THE HORRIBLE ABUSE

The dog owner caught on camera dragging, choking and slapping his dog is fessing up and apologizing ... and the abused pup is getting a new home.

Jeffrey Previte, CEO of an environmental consulting firm in L.A., tells TMZ ... he truly regrets the way he attempted to discipline his dog, Bici, and he's sorry and heartbroken over the incident.

Jeffrey tells us he lost his temper and "took unreasonable and unjustifiable action" ... and he's owning up to the video while also saying it doesn't represent the time he spent with Bici.

Previte says he's sorry to Bici and anyone disturbed by the video ... he also tells us he loves the dog and they've had "an exceptional life full of nature and affection."

As we reported ... surveillance footage from Jeffrey's Santa Monica apartment building showed him snapping on the dog last month, and his employer launched an investigation when the disturbing video surfaced.

Jeffrey tells us he's accepting responsibility by taking a leave of absence from his job, enrolling in an anger management program and spending time and money helping animal rights orgs. He also says he's placed Bici with a loving family.

Jeff says he's "an imperfect person" and hopes for some level of forgiveness in time as he tries to become a better human and grow as a man.

Ex-'Top Chef' Contestant Aaron Grissom Dead at 34 ... Crashed Motorcycle In Roundabout

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UPDATE

2:58 PM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Aaron seems to have lost control of his motorcycle after striking a curb in a roundabout.

UPDATE

Our sources say witnesses told cops they saw Aaron's 2018 Suzuki GSX-R750 traveling at a high rate of speed through the roundabout before the crash. We're told Aaron was wearing a helmet and no other vehicles or people were involved in the crash.

UPDATE

We're also told medics performed CPR on Aaron after other motorists had attempted chest compressions before first responders arrived.

Aaron Grissom -- best known for competing on Season 12 of 'Top Chef' -- is dead after an apparent motorcycle crash in Washington state.

Grissom died Tuesday after suffering "multiple blunt force injuries" in a traffic accident, according to the Pierce County medical examiner ... who ruled his death an accident.

According to a friend and former coworker, the wreck happened in the area of Chambers Bay.

Grissom was one of 16 contestants on "Top Chef: Boston" in 2014, though he wasn't much of a fan favorite, and got eliminated pretty early. While appearing on the show, he was actually a resident of L.A. and worked as a chef at North Hollywood's Bow & Truss.

091120_aaron_grissom_kal
COOKIN' WITH GUY

Before that, he appeared in an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" when the show covered Dirty Oscar's Annex in Tacoma ... where Aaron made a name for himself.

According to reports, he had been working as a restaurant chef in the Tacoma area recently again, and was also cooking for touring singers, including Billie Eilish, before the pandemic shut things down.

Aaron was 34.

Originally Published -- 1:17 PM PT

Trevor Noah & Minka Kelly We've Got Baggage First Pics of New Couple

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Trevor Noah and Minka Kelly haven't said anything publicly about their romance ... but these pics show they're at the stage where they're comfortable traveling together.

The late-night host and actress seem to confirm the reports they're in a serious relationship ... as they were out in NYC Friday with luggage. Hard to tell if they were returning or going on a trip ... but either way, they were very much together.

Trevor, Minka ... and her dog ... were all heading into his apartment building. Ya know it's a thing when pets get introduced to the other person. Hey, neither of them has kids, so the dog's a big deal.

They've reportedly been spending a lot of time together and things are supposedly "very serious" but neither has said a peep, officially, about their relationship status.

The "Friday Night Lights" star last dated "Grey's Anatomy" star Jesse Williams before their January 2018 split. Trevor was previously linked to singer Jordyn Taylor back in 2017 though it's unclear when they called it quits.

As for Minka and Trevor together ... as good looking a couple as everyone was thinking when we first heard the dating rumors.