IG Model Gena Tew I'm Blind ... Again Failed Eye Surgery After HIV Diagnosis

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Instagram model Gena Tew, who disclosed she is HIV positive, is facing even more issues following eye surgery ... we're told she's gone completely blind in one eye.

You'll recall -- Gena underwent surgery in August, after losing her vision in her left eye following her HIV diagnosis. There was reason to hope the procedure would restore her vision.

Gena tells TMZ ... she's become completely blind in that eye for a second time -- all she can see is pitch-black darkness. We're told her vision was better for roughly 5 days after surgery, before it reverted.

She says doctors have prescribed new meds, but all the drugs have done is made her sick. Doctors are considering another surgery, but no decision has been made.

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Gena's seen some improvement in other areas. She's been putting some weight back on recently, going from 90 lbs to 105 lbs. She's also regaining her ability to walk, with the help of a walker.

As we reported, Gena started a GoFundMe after her diagnosis so she could be closer to her family ... and she tells us she's raised enough cash to make the move. Gena says being near her fam will help her recovery.

Paula On 'Jersey Shore' 'Memba Her?!

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Reality television fan favorite Paula Pickard -- the sweet and innocent off-and-on girlfriend of Mike Sorrentino -- was just 21 years old when she made her first appearance on season 1 of MTV's "Jersey Shore" back in 2010.

Aside from accompanying 'Mike The Situation,' Paula joined the rest of the Jersey Shore legends including Nicole 'Snooki Polizzi, DJ Pauly D, Jennifer 'JWoww' Farley, Vinny Guadagnino, Angelina Pivarnick and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro.

Although she first appeared on season one of the hit show, Paula and 'The Sitch' did not become a 'situation' until season 6 in 2012.

Guess what she looks like now!

Kim Petras Defends Working with Dr. Luke ... As Kesha Trial Draws Near

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Kim Petras is doubling down on her continued partnership with Dr. Luke -- this as his trial against Kesha is set to get started next year.

The singer got into a number of testy exchanges Sunday with a ton of Twitter users who were dogpiling her over a tweet she sent out that read, "get talented or good at anything then talk to me." One person responded, "stop defending dr luke first then."

Petras's since-deleted response ... "5000000 ppl work with him why y'all only coming at me. I have nothing to say or be ashamed of at all. go away." She continued to fend off bird app users who were furious with her ... slamming her for what they perceived as her defending her longtime producer Dr. Luke, who's been accused of sexually assaulting Kesha.

Luke, of course, has vehemently denied Kesha's allegations time and again, and even sued her for defamation over her repeated claims -- a civil case that's finally going to court in July after years of litigation between the two of them. She first accused him back in 2014.

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YOU DON'T OWN ME

After a lot of back and forth with an army of Kesha supporters, Kim gave up the fight ... deleting most of her tweets from Sunday and suggesting she was sick of arguing.

Her point about other artists working with Luke is worth noting though -- while she does have an extensive professional relationship with him, she's far from the only one. Other big-name stars have collaborated with Dr. Luke ... even after Kesha went public with her claims.

Doja Cat is among some of the celebs who've teamed up with Luke, as has Saweetie, DaBaby, The Kid LAROI, Tyga, Lourdiz and several others who have the guy listed as either a writer or co-writer on tracks of theirs.

And yet, KP is the one who seems to be singled out consistently, which she clearly resents.

Disney's 'Strange World' Hard Flop at Box Office ... LGBTQ Character to Be Scapegoated???

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Disney's newest animated movie -- which features an openly gay character -- got crushed at the box office ... and the LGBTQ crowd is worried this might've been the plan all along.

We're talking about "Strange World," which came out this weekend to abysmal ticket sale numbers -- raking in just $18.6 million over the 5-day weekend, starting Wednesday. That's well behind projections ... where 'SW' was supposed to be coming in between $30-$40 mil.

According to reports, the film is expected to end up in the red long term -- somewhere in the ballpark of at least $100 million, considering the $180M budget and marketing expenses.

It's that same marketing, however, that's got allies upset at the Mouse House ... they feel like there wasn't a peep about this flick pre-release, and that it's no wonder it tanked. In fact, some are going into conspiracy mode -- suggesting Disney was banking on a failure.

Here's the theory ... Disney could use the poor performance as rationale to not include LGBTQ characters going forward -- pointing to this new character, Ethan, as evidence to back the would-be decision. Out there, we know, but that's a legit convo taking place right now.

Of course, there's no evidence to support this ... at least not yet. Still, some are floating it anyway and think Disney was looking for an excuse for less representation on-screen.

Naturally, there's another side of this discussion -- the "Go Woke, Go Broke" faction, who've been thumping their chests about Disney's efforts to include more diversity in its characters of late ... which they think is the real reason for flops like this and 'Lightyear,' among others.

The good news(?) ... Bob Chapek is out as CEO, and Bob Iger's back in ... something that just about everyone seems happy about. Time will tell if the move affects future offerings.

Terrell Owens Punches, Drops Man At CVS ... After Heckler Allegedly Threatens Fan

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SHOPPING BRAWL

Terrell Owens knocked out a man outside a CVS in Los Angeles after the guy allegedly harassed people in the store ... and TMZ Sports has obtained video of the fight captured by a witness.

The incident went down Saturday night around 11:30 PM at the pharmacy in Inglewood, CA.

Owens tells us he intended to quickly stop by the store and grab a few necessities. While inside, T.O. says a 49ers fan approached him and they had a friendly conversation. That's when things took a turn.

Terrell says a second man -- the guy who was ultimately clocked -- started talking crap to the fan Owens was conversing with. The aggressor threatened to beat up the men outside, according to witnesses.

The group eventually made their way outside to the sidewalk in front of the store. Terrell was playing peacemaker, according to a witness.

Unfortunately, the heckler who allegedly started the confrontation just minutes earlier inside the store took an unprovoked swing at Owens.

A mistake ... and the fight was on.

After sizing up the man, the 48-year-old Hall of Famer landed a looping right punch square to the guy's chin, sending him to the pavement.

A few seconds later, the man returned to his feet ... seemingly a lot less willing to fight.

As a player, Terrell was one of the greatest receivers in NFL history. But, even as he approaches 50, he's still in absolutely awesome physical condition.

With the situation under control, Owens walked to his Tesla and drove away. It's unclear if the alleged heckler went inside for an ice pack and Advil.

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CLEANED HIS CLOCK

Police were not called to the scene.

Odell Beckham Jr. Escorted Off Miami Plane Says He Simply Fell Asleep, Was Awoken

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NO CAUSE FOR CONCERN
UPDATE

4:21 PM PT -- OBJ's attorney, Daniel Davilier, is saying this a huge misunderstanding ... on the part of the airline. In a statement, Davilier insists his client wasn't going in and out of consciousness -- like cops said they were told he was -- but rather ... the dude just fell asleep.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Davilier says Odell had dozed off after boarding the flight. Soon enough, DD says Odell was awoken from his slumber by the crew ... telling him he had to get off the plane 'cause he hadn't put his seatbelt on, something that was apparently communicated to him while he was out. Davilier says Odell had no problem complying with the order once he was aware of it, but at that point ... he says an overzealous flight attendant told him it was too late.

UPDATE

Davilier says the attendant wanted to flex his authority and completely blew this out of proportion. Plus, he claims the airline, American, sent his luggage to L.A. without him.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s free agency is off to a rocky start -- the guy was yanked from an airplane this weekend in Florida ... this after cops say he was passing out before takeoff.

The famed wide receiver was escorted off a flight Sunday that was leaving the Miami airport for L.A. ... but it never got off the runway, because law enforcement's saying they had to step in when OBJ was allegedly freaking out the flight crew with his loopy state of mind.

Miami-Dade PD says they were called to respond to an American Airlines flight, where attendants were apparently trying to get Odell to buckle up before they hit the skies. However, according to cops, the crew claims he was in and out of consciousness.

American called first responders, as they were worried for his health ... but when the cavalry arrived, Odell is alleged to have refused to get off the plane -- which forced everyone else to deplane, before OBJ finally walked off on his own with uniformed officers in tow.

Odell was quiet as he made his way through the airport ... with onlookers recognizing him immediately. Cops say he did all this without further incident and was able to make other arrangements in the end. Nothing else came of it ... including arrests/citations and the like.

The dude's supposed to start making visits all over the country in the coming days to see which teams might wanna try swooping him for their roster.

Originally Published -- 12:30 PM PT

Minka Kelly Romantic Dinner with Dan Reynolds ... Imagine That!!!

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Minka Kelly appears to have a new man in her life -- and when you see who it is ... it might just make you a believer in true love again.

The actress hit the town Saturday night in L.A. with none other than Dan Reynolds, the frontman of Imagine Dragons. The two of them rolled up together to dine at a  joint called Cafe Stella in the Silver Lake neighborhood, with MK driving and DR riding shotgun.

There weren't any traditional signs of PDA between them ... aside from the gentle stroke of the hair that Dan delivered to Minka as they were parking to get out.

Eventually, they popped into the restaurant -- where we're told they hung out for upwards of several hours. In other words, it looks like a good old-fashioned date night ... and it's interesting that Minka's out here with Dan, who just recently became single himself.

The singer split up with his wife of 10+ years, Aja Volkman, this past September -- so it seems he's already moving on to greener pastures. Minka, for her part, was recently linked to Trevor Noah for about 2 years, and before that ... "Grey's Anatomy" star Jesse Williams.

Gotta say ... Minka and Dan look good as a couple!

Washington Commanders Outrage Over Sean Taylor Memorial ... What the HELL Is This?!?

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Sean Taylor was honored by his old NFL team with a life-size memorial in his honor at their stadium -- but the big reveal left fans less than impressed ... and actually pretty pissed.

The Washington Commanders unveiled their Sean Taylor tribute Sunday at FedEx Field ... showing off a wire mannequin that was wearing ST's former number and vintage Washington uniform, from when he played with them back in the 2000s before he was tragically killed.

While it might look somewhat cool at first glance ... the more folks took it in, the more angry they became -- because many felt this was a shoddy commemoration of the late free safety, especially when you consider the attention to detail ... or lack thereof.

For starters, the gear's all mismatched -- a Nike jersey, Reebok pants and Adidas cleats (soccer cleats?). The fact the org couldn't even get all the same branding together here speaks volumes in the minds of football fans who were very much looking forward to this.

If you watch the video of the moment the drape was pulled off ... you can actually see Sean's family looking on toward the right side, and in our eyes -- they seem underwhelmed.

There's also the material that the mannequin itself is made of ... hollow wire, which a lot of folks also see as big time disrespect. Plus, there's not even face mask tape on the helmet, which was Sean's signature look. Frankly, many are saying this looks thrown together.

It seems fans were expecting an actual statue of some sort, even though the team never promised that specifically. Still, this isn't sitting well with the fan base ... perhaps rightly so.

Donald Trump Goes Off On Kanye Over Nick Fuentes Dinner... 'You're Just a Lunatic, Ye'!!!!

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Donald Trump is slamming Kanye West -- calling him "seriously troubled" ... for showing up with "white nationalist" Nick Fuentes to their supposed one-on-one meeting.

The 45th President posted a fiery message to his Truth Social platform Saturday night ... saying Ye crossed the line by bringing Fuentes and others to Mar-a-Lago for the dinner.

DT said ... "So I help a seriously troubled man, who just happens to be black, Ye (Kanye West), who has been decimated in his business and virtually everything else, and who has always been good to me, by allowing his request for a meeting at Mar-a-Lago, alone, so that I can give him very much needed "advice."

Trump went on ... "He shows up with 3 people, two of which I didn’t know, the other a political person who I haven’t seen in years. I told him don’t run for office, a total waste of time, can’t win. Fake News went CRAZY!"

As we reported ... Ye and Fuentes were filmed walking together Tuesday at Miami International Airport. Kanye also tweeted he was going to meet with DT ... "First time at Mar-a-Lago. Rain and traffic. Can't believe I kept President Trump waiting. And I had on jeans. Yikes. What you guys think his response was when I asked him to be my running mate in 2024?"

Then, on Thursday, Kanye released a video announcing his 2024 candidacy and mentioning his get-together with Trump and Fuentes. The rapper also claimed Trump made degrading remarks about Kim Kardashian.

As a result, Trump issued an initial statement... "Kanye West very much wanted to visit Mar-a-Lago. Our dinner meeting was intended to be Kanye and me only, but he arrived with a guest whom I had never met and knew nothing about." But, DT curiously left out how Fuentes was able to pass through Mar-a-Lago security.

As for Fuentes, he confirmed the details of the meeting to Axios, saying he was "embarrassed" it had caused such a stir. He has been labeled a white nationalist for his hateful views -- which is something he denies.

Jay Leno Nothin' Buggy About Me!!! Cruisin' L.A., Performing at Comedy Club

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Jay Leno clearly lives by the credo ... if you get injured doing what you love, you gotta get back in the buggy!!!

Jay, who was seriously burned when a fuel leak on a 1907 steamer triggered a fire that burned his face and hands, was back at it again Saturday, taking a spin in a vintage Bentley on the streets of L.A.

Some of the burns are apparent ... you see the scarring on his right hand. Jay suffered both second and third-degree burns.

Jay jumped in his Tesla a few days ago and went back to the Grossman Burn Center in West Hills ... cookies in hand to thank the medical staff for treating him.

The comedian then beelined it to a Chick-fil-A for a sandie.

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JAY'S STILL JOKIN'

It's pretty remarkable ... it seemed impossible Jay would bounce back so quickly, but people we know who are close to him were never in doubt.

We were told he'd be back onstage in a week or 2 and that's exactly what's gonna happen. Jay's scheduled to perform at The Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach in the L.A. area on Sunday. It's a sold-out show.

Can't keep a good man down!

'A CHRISTMAS STORY' HOUSE Owner Flips Out on Actor Outside Home ... 'Get the F*** Out!!!'

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GET OFF MY LAWN!!!

"A Christmas Story" actor Yano Anaya is no longer welcome at the iconic home from the movie ... the homeowner made that more than clear in this video of an expletive-laden tirade.

Yano, who played Grover Dill in the 1983 film, was taking photos with fans on the Cleveland-area home's front steps on November 15 when all of a sudden ... owner, Brian Jones, comes out of nowhere and starts screaming at him to get off his property and never return.

In the video, obtained by TMZ, Brian and Yano get face-to-face ... with the homeowner accusing the actor of being a scammer, loser and "piece of s**t" and claiming Yano has somehow screwed him over.

As we first reported ... the iconic home from the movie recently hit the market and Yano told us he and other 'Christmas Story' cast members were interested in getting money together to buy the famous property.

Yano's business partner Emmanuel Soba tells us they have no idea why the homeowner was so upset. He claims the actor spoke to Brian on the phone the day before the incident and says they had a great conversation.

They also claim Brian told them he would be willing to sell the home to their group, and they were taken off guard by Brian's outburst. Yano did not want to comment.

Brian has a different story though, telling us, "I apologize for the way I expressed myself; however, it was out of concern that fans could be misled into contributing to a GoFundMe campaign that will not result in the purchase of the house."

Brian went on to say, "I have no association with any GoFundMe campaign. I am not selling the house through Go Fund Me, so fans should not contribute to that fund under false pretenses, thinking their money is going toward buying the house. I am entertaining offers only from qualified buyers through my real estate broker."

For background -- there's currently a GoFundMe that's been started to buy the house online. Emmanuel tells us that a volunteer member of their group did make a GoFundMe, but it was never active and doesn't understand why this caused him to lash out. He claims they already had a list of investors that could have purchased the home without it.

Fraudster Nicholas Bryant Anny Delvey's Got Nothin' on Me!!! Posed as Oil Baron Heir to Steal a Fortune

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A 26-year-old man is the new Anna Delvey Sorokin ... because he assumed the role of an oil baron heir and chartered a slew of private jets, rented homes that went for $30k a night and a lot more ... until he was nailed by authorities.

Nicholas Bryant defrauded 50 people and maybe more, stealing around $1.5 million in his criminal scheme.

It was humming along nicely for Nick, until he stiffed one of the jet charter companies to the tune of $76k. The company called authorities and Nick was nailed. He pled guilty earlier this month to wire fraud, which carries a maximum of 20 years behind bars.

Bryant says he feels remorse for what he did, and admitted he never intended to pay his victims.

Bryant told The Daily Beast the allegations "are pretty much true."  He went on to say, "I took private jets and stayed at the most expensive AirBnbs and hotels. Went deep sea fishing and toured everything that was possible. I bought and drove five different high-end cars. By far my most favorite trip was to [Turks] and Caicos. I spent two weeks on the island from fishing to sailing yachts. I stayed in a $30,000-a-night house. It was amazing."

And he makes a pretty stunning confession ... "The serious consequences had zero impression on me."

He's behind bars awaiting sentencing.

Celebs Celebrating Holidays It's a Match!!!

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The weather outside isn't exactly frightful in Hollywood ... nevertheless, a bunch of celebs and their families have bundled up and then snuggled up in matching PJs!!!

Not all are from H-Wood, but you get the point. Steph Curry's fam, LeBron James' squad, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend and a bunch of other broods are coordinating outfits for the season.

Didn't know it was such a thing, but apparently, it is. Gotta say it's pretty cool!

Happy holidays.

John Legend Porsche Intruder Arrested for Grand Theft Auto

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John Legend almost had his Porsche stolen, according to cops, who say a man hopped in the luxury sportscar while the singer was inside a recording studio ... and then got arrested.

The LAPD tells TMZ ... John's Porsche was parked outside a Los Angeles recording studio Monday afternoon when a man walked up to the vehicle, opened the door and hopped in. We're told the guy sat in the car for awhile, looking for the keys or another way of starting the car.

We're told security at the recording studio saw it all go down on surveillance cams, so they called the cops and then went out to confront him. They asked what he was doing, and the guy allegedly claimed it was his Porsche. He then got out and started walking.

When the cops found the guy, he took off running. After a brief foot chase, cops took him into custody.

The suspect was taken to jail and booked for a felony -- attempted grand theft auto. He's being held on $85,000 bail.

We reached out to John's camp ... so far no word back.

Tina Knowles Jay-Z Would Be Great NFL Owner!!!

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COMMANDING COUPLE

Tina Knowles tells TMZ Sports Jay-Z would crush it as an NFL owner ... adding to the ever-growing list of celebs who think the rapper has a real shot at success if Daniel Snyder would sell his Commanders.

We got Beyoncé's mom out at LAX earlier this month just after her son-in-law and Jeff Bezos had a secret meeting to discuss a potential bid for the Washington franchise.

And, while she didn't have any inside information for us regarding the meeting or a possible sale -- she did say she was confident her son-in-law would do a great job if Snyder opted to sell him the team.

"I have no doubt that anything that they put their minds to, they can do it well," she said.

Knowles is now the third celeb to share that opinion with us ... Mark Cuban and Shannon Sharpe both said in November that they, too, believed Jay-Z would be a great NFL honcho.

In fact, Sharpe said he thinks it'd be huge for the league as a whole -- not just the Commanders' org.

No word yet on if and when Snyder will part ways with the team ... but word is it'll cost roughly $7 billion -- a price tag neither Jay nor Bezos seem scared off by.

Bill Nye Good Genes or Good Docs?!

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It's Bill Nye's 67th birthday and his looks over the years will have you questioning the relativity of gravity!

Here is a 50-year-old version of 'The Science Guy' looking spiffy and ready to experiment at The Planetary Society's Gala in Arcadia, California back in 2005 (left). This was more than a decade after he began sharing his quirky and educational personality on his hit show "Bill Nye The Science Guy."

And, 17 years later the TV personality recently fancied up at an environmental media event in Los Angeles (right). He may have ditched the lab coat, but he'll forever rock his signature bow tie look.

'Bill, Bill, Bill!'

The question is ...