'Friday' Star Anthony Johnson New Tombstone For 56th Birthday

"Friday" star Anthony Johnson is getting a fancy tombstone on his grave ... designed by the guy who honored Eazy-E and Nate Dogg with awesome grave markers.

Cemetery Tim, the man behind the cool celeb gravestones, tells TMZ ...  he got in touch with Anthony's family after the actor/comedian died back in September. The goal was to create and install the headstone for what would have been Anthony's 56th birthday.

The gravestone chronicles Anthony's career with images ... showing him as Ezal on "Friday," and another image of Anthony as E.Z.E. in "House Party." The inscription reads, "Don't cry for me, I lived and made your ass laugh ... tell me I'm lying!"

Cemetery Tim says Anthony's widow, Lexis Jones Mason, worked with him on the design ... which also includes the late actor's signature.

TMZ broke the story ... Anthony was found lifeless in an L.A. store and his family was scrambling to pay for his funeral before a bunch of celebs picked up the tab.

Cemetery Tim says all of his work on Anthony's gravestone was done free of charge.

Fitting tribute.

Maluma Bday Bash At $25 Million Mansion ... Complete With $10K Cake!!!

Maluma celebrated another trip around the sun in style ... because he got surprised with a birthday party at a massive mansion, and a five-figure dessert was the icing on the cake!!!

A rep for Maluma tells TMZ ... Hennessy V.S.O.P surprised Maluma Sunday with a birthday bash at a $25 million mansion outside Vegas.

Maluma's collabing with the alcohol brand on designing a new bottle ... and we're told his surprise party included a chocolate cake designed as an exact replica of his Hennessey bottle, and it cost $10,000.

We're told the cake's designer, Flora Aghababyan, has also made cakes for celebs like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Will Smith and Celine Dion, just to name a few.

Maluma didn't spend the night at the mansion, but the place is incredible ... the 4-bedroom estate is decked out with 2 infinity saltwater pools and a spa!!!

The 28th birthday celebration also included a boozy brunch with Maluma's closest family and friends, with a DJ and mariachi band performing some of his favorite classic Spanish songs.

And, the best part for Maluma ... we're told Hennessy picked up the tab.

Doris The Waitress in 'Groundhog Day' 'Memba Her?!

Canadian actor Robin Duke is known for her standout role as the quirky waitress Doris -- who serves coffee and deals with Phil's dining disasters -- in the classic 1993 film "Groundhog Day."

Robin shared the iconic redundant role with Andie MacDowell as the news-driven darling, Rita Hanson ... and of course Bill Murray as the french-speaking, piano-playing, Ned Ryerson-punching news anchor Phil Connors.

Other big roles under Duke's acting belt include her stint as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" in the early '80s and the shop owner Wendy on "Schitt's Creek."

Guess what she looks like now!

'13 Reasons Why' Tommy Dorfman Husband Files For Divorce

Tommy Dorfman's husband apparently has some reasons why they should end their marriage ... because the "13 Reasons Why" star's spouse just filed for divorce.

Peter Zurkuhlen beelined it to a Los Angeles courtroom Tuesday and filed divorce docs after more than 5 years of marriage to Tommy ... according to online court records.

Tommy and Peter were first introduced through a mutual friend way back in 2005, and they eventually got engaged in April 2015 before walking down the aisle in November 2016 up in Portland, Maine.

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As you know ... Tommy, who played Ryan Shaver on '13 Reasons,' came out as a transgender woman back in July, and also announced she had "redefined" her relationship with Peter, explaining they would become friends rather than romantic partners.

Now, Peter has made the first move towards splitting up in the eyes of the law.

Sharon Stone Joe Rogan is an 'A**hole' ... Claims Podcast Affecting 'Lives and Deaths'

HE'S KILLING PEOPLE
TMZ.com

Sharon Stone says Joe Rogan's new approach to discussing COVID-19 is empty lip-service if he continues spreading misinformation, and adds there's only one thing he needs to disclaim.

The actress and activist held nothing back when we saw her Tuesday in Bev Hills, and brought up Rogan's podcast.

We pointed out several celebs had come out in support of Joe, but Sharon's not buying his and Spotify's new policy -- namely, adding a disclaimer at the beginning of episodes, and offsetting controversial COVID viewpoints with a "mainstream" take as well.

FINDING MIDDLE GROUND

Sharon tells us the only "disclaimer" she wants from Joe is for him being an "a**hole." Watch the clip (pardon the soft focus due to equipment snafu) ... but, in a nutshell ... she says it's too late for Rogan's new balanced approach.

In her mind, his interviews and COVID theories have already cost people their lives. Might sound harsh, but that's her POV, which she says it's based on doing significant work in the field of infections diseases.

SS lays out her creds, particularly on HIV ... seeing the horrors of deadly viruses while working with leading doctors and scientists, including Dr. Anthony Fauci.

And when it comes to COVID, it's personal for Sharon. You'll recall, the virus killed her grandmother and godmother ... and her sister and sister's husband were both hospitalized because of it.

Armed with that painful experience, Sharon believes Joe's "opinions" about COVID have real-world consequences -- the life and death kind.

Simon Cowell E Gads!!! Crashes Another E-Bike Lands in Hospital with Broken Bones

Simon Cowell did it again ... he crashed his e-bike and landed in the hospital with broken bones.

Sources tell TMZ ... Simon was tooling around on the bike in London last Thursday when he turned a sharp corner ... or at least he tried to turn. The road was wet and the tires went out from under him and he crashed to the ground.

We're told Simon broke his left arm and badly bruised his cheek. He may have also have suffered a concussion.

Simon went to the hospital where he was treated and released the same day, sporting a bright yellow cast.

As we reported, this was not Simon's first crash ... in August, 2020, he got a brand-spankin' new e-bike and literally got on it in his driveway and it lunged forward, crashing and as a result, Simon broke his back in 3 places.

Now, if Simon happens to read this ... wear a helmet, dude!!! He wasn't wearing one in either crash, and but for the grace of God, he could have suffered way more severe injuries.

When you fall off a horse you get back on ... maybe the same should NOT be true with an e-bike.

Brian Flores Sues NFL, Giants Claims Coaching Search Was Racist & Belichick's Texts Prove It

UPDATE

2:35 PM PT -- The NFL also addressed the claims inside the suit ... calling them "without merit."

UPDATE

​"The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations. Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time. We will defend against these claims, which are without merit."

UPDATE

2:33 PM PT -- The New York Giants have responded to Flores' lawsuit ... and they're standing by the hiring process.

UPDATE

"We are please and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll. We interviewed an impressive and diverse group of candidates. The fact of the matter is, Brian Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour.  Ultimately, we hired the individual we felt was most qualified to be our next head coach."

Brian Flores is going scorched earth on the NFL and New York Giants ... filing an explosive lawsuit where the former Dolphins head coach alleges the team's hiring practices were rooted in racism, and he claims a text from Bill Belichick proves it.

The 40-year-old coach filed the class action lawsuit through attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor, Michael J. Willemin, David E. Gottlieb in district court in New York on Tuesday ... and it's shocking.

Flores says he received a text from his former boss and Patriots head coach days before he interviewed with the Giants. During the conversation, Flores says BB congratulated him on landing the new gig.

BF was confused by the comment because he had yet to go in for his scheduled interview, and asked Bill if he had an inside track to their decision.

Belichick eventually admits he misread the information he received ... and tells Flores it was actually a different Brian -- Brian Daboll -- who landed the Giants job.

Flores insists this is proof he was only brought in for an interview to satisfy the Rooney Rule -- which requires teams to interview a minority candidate when a head coaching job opens up.

FYI, Flores and Daboll both worked together under Belichick in New England.

BF claims he was then "forced to sit through a dinner" with new Giants GM Joe Schoen despite "knowing that the Giants had already selected Mr. Daboll."

And Flores says this wasn't the first time he's been subjected to a "sham interview that was held only in an effort to comply with the Rooney Rule."

The fired coach says he interviewed with then-Broncos general manager John Elway and other Denver execs in 2019 ... however, Brian says "it was clear from the substance of the interview that Mr. Flores was interviewed only because of the Rooney Rule."

Flores also claims Elway and the other Broncos execs showed up an hour late for the interview and "looked completely disheveled, and it was obvious that they had drinking heavily the night before."

Brian -- who points out there's only 1 Black head coach (Mike Tomlin) and 6 GMs -- is suing on the behalf of all prospective Black coaches and front office employees.

Flores is asking the court to fix the NFL's alleged discriminatory hiring practices, in addition to damages.

There's more ... Flores also accuses Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of offering to pay him $100K per loss -- in an effort to tank the season and get a better draft pick.

Flores says when he refused to play ball, he was labeled as being difficult to work with, and ultimately fired.

"This is reflective of an all too familiar 'angry Black man' stigma that is often casted upon Black men who are strong in their morals and convictions while white men are coined as passionate for those very same attributes," the lawsuit reads.

Flores -- who is currently without a coaching gig -- understands the lawsuit could possibly prevent him from landing a job in the future.

"God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the
need for change is bigger than my personal goals," Flores said in a statement released by his lawyers.

Brian continued ... "In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come."

Golden Corral What's the F***ing Beef ... Chair-Tossing Brawl Over Steak!!!

BRAWL YOU CAN EAT

No one takes steak more seriously than these pissed-off Golden Corral customers -- who got way more heated than the food, sparking an all-out brawl, and beef might be behind the beef ... TMZ has learned.

It all went down Friday night at a Golden Corral in Bensalem, PA, where things got totally outta hand -- punches, booster seats, chairs ... pretty much anything that wasn't bolted down was tossed. The video shows lots of people getting nailed and taken down too.

The reason for all this violence? Well, a rep for the restaurant tells us things escalated when someone cut the buffet line, and grabbed someone else's steak.

Police don't dispute steak playing a role, but they say they're still investigating the motive.

A Bensalem Police Department Spokesperson tells TMZ ...  there were approximately 40 people involved, and most of 'em had cleared out by the time officers arrived.

Surprisingly, police say there were no serious, or even minor, injuries suffered. They also so say GC staffers stayed out of the chaos.

We're told Golden Corral has been very cooperative and no arrests have been made, but police are still trying to ID people involved ... so that could change.

Beef brawling -- way to butcher a perfectly good night on the town, folks. 🥩

MSNBC's Steve Kornacki Shocked by COVID 'Is Over' Poll Results ... Hard to Get Consensus!!!

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN
TMZ.com

Steve Kornacki certainly knows his way around stats, but says a poll asking if we should get back to normal -- as it pertains to COVID -- isn't as clear as the numbers make it seem.

We talked to NBC's go-to data journalist at LAX about a recent Monmouth University poll which posed the question: "Time to Accept Covid and Move On?" The responses were somewhat surprising.

The overall consensus seems to be yes, we oughta just learn to live with COVID and start getting back to normal, but as SK points out to us here ... that means different things for different people.

While Monmouth's poll indicates a majority of Americans agree with that general sentiment about the virus, Steve notes it's a bit ill-defined as to what folks might consider "normal" these days. He even suggests a more precise poll question would net further splintered results.

I'M DONE!!!
HBO

As you might know, there's a growing chorus of opinions that we should do away with all 'rona-related mandates -- masks, vaccines, etc. -- and literally go back to how we lived our lives pre-2020 ... which has been echoed by the likes of Bill Maher and his guests.

Of course, there are just as many people who continue to be wary and insist we're still very much in the midst of a deadly pandemic.

While numbers don't lie, Steve's point here is they're not always 100% clear either.

Soccer Star Ivan Torres Says Wife Shot & Killed At A Concert ... Dead At 29

Tragic news ... Paraguayan soccer star Ivan Torres says his wife Cristina Vita Aranda was killed after being shot in the head while the two attended a concert.

She was only 29 years old.

Aranda's death was confirmed by Itaugua Nacional Hospital director Yolanda Gonzalez, in a statement via the Sun.

"She was intubated when she arrived and attempts were made to resuscitate her for at least 25 minutes after she went into cardiac arrest," Gonzalez said. "She died after the lengthy attempts to save her life."

Torres and Aranda were reportedly at a concert at the Jose Asuncion Flores Amphitheatre ... when gunfire erupted, according to the outlet.

The shooting is still under investigation by authorities, but preliminary reports say there were 4 other victims -- between the ages of 23 and 40 -- who were also wounded during the incident.

Torres, however, did not sustain any physical injuries, according to the reports.

Police chief Benicio Ramirez said law enforcement officials do not believe she was the intended target, but rather a "collateral victim" in the incident.

“This is how I will remember you my love, with that beautiful smile and that big heart," Torres wrote on social media.

He continued ... "I promise that I will miss you very much, nothing will be the same without you, just to thank you for these 11 years by my side, for teaching me to recognize my mistakes, to forgive, to believe, to be better, to love unconditionally, that Despite the difficulties we had to be prepared for the next opportunity, you told me that you wanted to reach the heart of each woman and impact them."

“I know that God granted it to you and will continue to do so, and THANK YOU for those three children you gave me, I will honor your name by giving my best so that they look like you. LOVE YOU.”

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Aranda posted last December she and Torres were getting a divorce after being married for 10 years ... but the two were reportedly working on reconciling even in the last moments of her life.

Cristina is survived by her husband, Ivan, and their 3 children.

Rihanna's Dad I'm Team Granddaughter!!! Says She'll Have a Few More

2/1/22
MORE TO COME
BACKGRID

As ecstatic as the Internet's been about Rihanna revealing she's expecting her first baby ... her Dad is even more excited, and sharing his hopes for the new grandchild.

Granddad-to-be Ronald Fenty opened up about Rihanna's bun in the oven, saying she gave him the heads up the day before the pics of her and A$AP Rocky went public. He says he's met A$AP a few times, and is totally confident he and RiRi will be great parents.

As for the baby... Ronald says he's hoping his daughter has a girl, since he already has 2 grandsons. If it doesn't happen this time around, he could possibly get more chances ... cause he tells us that Rihanna's told him she wants to have 3 children.

Ronald also says he's looking forward to a wedding in the near future, because he wants them to make things really official.

It's nice to see Ronald singing Rih's praises -- as you might remember, they haven't had the best father-daughter relationship in the past.

Back in 2019, Rihanna sued her dad for allegedly using her Fenty brand and his relationship with her to launch his own entertainment company. They eventually squashed the dispute and she dropped the case a few weeks before it was scheduled to go to court.

Now, Ronald is gearing up to be a girl-grandad, and hoping Rihanna and her new family come home to Barbados for a visit really soon.

Tom Brady Officially Retires ... Doesn't Mention Patriots In Goodbye Note

The confusion surrounding Tom Brady's future is finally over ... the quarterback just said he is officially retiring -- though he made one glaring omission in his goodbye note.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB announced on his Instagram page early Tuesday morning that he's done ... saying, "My teammates, coaches, fellow competitors, and fans deserve 100% of me, but right now, it's best I leave the field of play to the next generation of dedicated and committed athletes."

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Brady then thanked his family, friends, teammates, coaches and Buccaneers execs in the post ... but he notably made no mention whatsoever of the New England Patriots.

There's no note to Bill Belichick or Robert Kraft -- two guys he spent 20 years of his career with before he bolted for Tampa Bay following the 2019 season.

It's unclear if the omission signals some sort of rift between the QB and the org. -- or if he felt he had already said his appropriate goodbyes to them when he left two years ago.

Either way, Brady's announcement officially ends arguably the greatest sports career ever. Tom played in the NFL for 22 seasons and won seven Super Bowls. He also won three MVP awards and was selected to 15 Pro Bowls.

In his career, he logged 84,520 passing yards and 624 passing touchdowns. He's considered the greatest football player of all time.

As for what's next, Brady has his hands all over several business projects -- but he mentioned in his post he has no real idea what he'll do from here.

"I'm fortunate to have cofounded incredible companies like @autograph.io @bradybrand @tb12sports that I am excited to continue to help build and grow," Brady said, "but exactly what my days will look like will be a work-in-progress. As I said earlier, I am going to take it day by day."

"I know for sure I want to spend a lot of time giving others and trying to enrich other people's lives, just as so many done for me."

He finished by writing, "With much love, appreciation, and gratitude, Tom."

Joe Rogan The Rock Gives Props for Apology But Another Singer Pulls the Plug on Spotify

Joe Rogan is getting support after saying he can do better on his podcast ... but some celebs still aren't buying it.

The Rock was more than good with Joe's mea culpa, saying, "Great stuff here brother. Perfectly articulated. Look forward to coming on one day and breaking out the tequila with you."

Kelly Slater echoed the sentiment ... "Love to see you offer to bring on Neil Young and/or Joni Mitchell on with whoever they want by their side to refute whatever it is they're so pissed about. If they're for truth it should be an easy convo. I'll be looking forward to their replies if so."

Jewel said, "You're doing a great job. Keep it up."

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Jamie Kennedy said, "Tell me 1 person in mainstream media that is this transparent and this open. Go ahead, I'll wait."

And, former Presidential candidate Marianne Williamson said, "I'm triple vaxxed, but (unless they're standing for hate or calling for violence) banning someone's podcast is too much like burning a book to me," adding, "Joe Rogan should talk on his podcast about whatever he damn well pleases."

And, human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali tripled down ... "this is exactly why Joe Rogan's podcast is so popular. He is open to different perspectives and listsens to people without judgment."

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R&B singer India Arie, was unmoved by Rogan's apology, declaring she will follow in Neil Young's footsteps and take her music off Spotify, saying her decision is not based on just COVID misinformation ... it's based on race.

Last week philosopher Jordan Peterson jumped on Joe's podcast and the 2 had a talk about what it means to be Black. They're both white, and they made a bizarre point ... that Rogan understands because he's Italian.

Short story ... Joe's controversial. Some people love it, and some hate it.

Kanye West I'm Happy as a Clam, Chatting Up Women ... Lotsa Laughs in Malibu!!!

Kanye West has lots of drama with Kim Kardashian at the moment ... but he looks like a man without a care in the world, at least while he's surrounded by hot chicks at the beach.

Ye was all laughs and smiles as he chatted up some sexy women Sunday, soaking up golden hour on an oceanfront balcony at Soho's Little Beach House Malibu.

Kanye looks happy as a clam here ... just check out the gallery and the videos ... and it's worth noting the ladies he's talking to are NOT girlfriend Julia Fox, but they are strikingly similar. Guess Ye's got a type.

YE YUKS IT UP
BACKGRID

There are lots of reasons for Kanye to be stressing about Kim ... the kids, the divorce, Pete Davidson -- but those all seem, at least temporarily, forgotten in the right seaside setting ... with the right company.

Outside the restaurant, Kanye was dressed in his traditional all-black Balenciaga look ... complete with a mask covering his entire head -- but his personality on the balcony was pretty damn bright and cheery.

It's not often we get to see him this ecstatic. Soak it up!

Ellen DeGeneres Gorilla Campus in Her Name Opens ... Visitors Now Welcome

Ellen DeGeneres is following in Dian Fossey’s footsteps ... especially now that her section of a gorilla sanctuary is open to the masses.

The talk show host has her own campus in Fossey’s Gorilla Fund in Rwanda -- a massive area dedicated to the protection of gorillas there — and on Tuesday, Ellen’s wing of the sprawling grounds got an official grand opening that’s been years in the making.

Portia de Rossi gifted Ellen with a gorilla fund in her name -- which was incorporated into Fossey’s larger org -- 4 years ago to celebrate her wife’s 60th birthday, and after a lot of work and construction ... the place is finally available to guests.

The whole purpose of the fund is to help gorillas survive poachers and other deforestation activities that might otherwise wipe out their species entirely, and lo and behold ... it’s been doing its job by keeping these apes going strong for decades now, with hundreds of gorillas thriving thanks, in large part, to Fossey’s conservationist efforts.

Ellen’s too, for that matter -- her campus is said to be a game-changer with cutting-edge tech and resources.

Covering several acres, the campus has state-of-the-art lab facilities and hundreds of thousands of native plants. There’s also custom-designed furniture the gorillas can use as they spread out and make use of the new environment. Gorillas like lounging too, bro!

Ellen seems stoked about her campus seeing the light of day, saying ... “To see my name alongside hers on the walls of this beautiful campus, and to know I'm doing my part to protect endangered gorillas and continue Dian's legacy, is simply amazing.”

The news comes as Ellen’s time on the small screen winds down -- her long-running talk show is ending this year, which she announced in 2021.

Peyton Manning Peyton In Paris?!? ... QB Predicting 'Big Part' On 'Emily In Paris' After 'SNL' Hit

PEYTON IN PARIS
NBC

Hall of Fame QB now ... Emily Cooper's new love interest next?!?

Peyton Manning says that might just be his path ... telling "The Tonight Show" on Monday that after his hilarious "Emily In Paris" skit over the weekend, he could be getting a huge role in the next season of the hit show.

The NFL legend broke it all down for Jimmy Fallon ... explaining the reaction to his "Saturday Night Live" appearance has been so great -- it could lead to him rubbin' elbows with Emily on Netflix in France soon.

"I think I'm going to be asked to be in Season 3," Manning said. "Like, a big part."

Manning wasn't being entirely serious with the prediction -- but it certainly wouldn't be farfetched given the response to his "Emily In Paris" jokes on Saturday.

If you missed it ... Manning hilariously told Colin Jost that he missed NFL playoff games because he was binge-watching Season 2 of the Netflix show instead.

Manning fired off punchline after punchline about the show -- and even broke out a telestrator to explain it all. It was laugh-out-loud funny.

The wildest part about it all, though? Manning told Fallon on Monday he's actually never watched an episode of it!

Season 3 reportedly begins filming later this year -- so there's still time to brush up on it all before a potential big call.

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