Equinox Shuts Out New Members On Jan. 1 ... Snub to Short-Term Clients
Fitness company Equinox is catchin' heat online after launching a day-long campaign to lock out newcomers, blasting that all too common New Year's resolution -- hit the gym, and then quickly give up.
Those looking to start 2023 off with a bang would've been met with a message to stop you in your tracks ... that is, if you tried getting an Equinox membership -- because the company's "We Don't Speak January" campaign was plastered all over its site.
Equinox said it wasn't signing up new clients on January 1, calling the month a "fantasy delivered to your door in a pastel-colored box."
The company says life doesn't start at beginning of the year -- and neither does Equinox, apparently.
An interesting concept ... but one that was met with negativity online. One potential client called the campaign "super cringe and pointless," and another said, "I hate equinox for many reasons, but this is definitely a new low."
The campaign we developed with our friends at Equinox aims to snub short-term New Year resolutions and encourage dedication, instead. To drive the message home, the entire chain is preventing new customers from attaining Equinox memberships on New Year‘s Day. (So try tomorrow.🧡) pic.twitter.com/9xvLXs7MDQ
— Brian Collins (@briancollins1) January 1, 2023 @briancollins1
The point of the campaign was to drive dedication to the brand, according to Brian Collins -- who worked on the concept ... as a way to "snub short-term resolutions."
Clearly a polarizing ad campaign, but hey -- it ain't Jan. 1 anymore, so get that sweat on!
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Lamar Odom I Didn't Use Drugs At Nevada Brothel ... Owner Tried To Kill Me!!!
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Lamar Odom is adamant he didn't use illicit drugs the night he overdosed at a Nevada brothel ... claiming the owner wanted him dead and plied him with drugs ... he says just that on a Fox primetime special Monday at 9 PM where he also talks about doing Khloe Kardashian dirty.
Lamar says he doesn't know why Dennis Hof, the late owner of the Love Ranch South in Pahrump, Nevada, would want to kill him ... nor does he know how drugs wound up in his system when he OD'd and nearly died.
The way Lamar recalls his infamous trip in 2015 to the brothel ... he had one drink when he arrived and woke up 3 days later in a hospital with tubes coming out of his body, unable to speak or walk.
Lamar says in the show Khloe was the love of his life and has lots of regrets, and would like to spend some time with her again to make things right. He opens up in vivid detail about how their marriage collapsed.
TMZ Presents: Lamar Odom: Sex, Drugs & Kardashians airs tonight on FOX at 9 PM ET.
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Idaho Murder Suspect Cops Stopped Kohberger Twice During Road Trip ... Prior to His Arrest
Bryan Kohberger, the man arrested for the murder of 4 University of Idaho students, was pulled over by cops 2 times during a cross-country road trip with his dad ... and soon before Moscow PD named him as the alleged killer.
Kohberger's extradition lawyer, Jason LaBar, filled in NBC about the traffic stops ... saying the 28-year-old and his father drove from Seattle to Pennsylvania over the holidays -- but got pulled over twice in Indiana.
LaBar isn't sure if a ticket was issued ... but adds, "I just know they were pulled over in Indiana almost back to back. I believe once for speeding and once for following too closely to a car in front of them."
He says Kohberger's getting updates regarding his allegations ... and claims he's still planning on waiving his extradition rights, and pleading not guilty.
As we reported, Moscow Police Chief James Fry says they're confident Kohberger is the killer of the Idaho students ... believing he will be extradited from PA, where he was arrested, to Idaho.
12/30/22
Chief Fry said Kohberger acted alone, and believes the community is now safe ... admitting the department was holding some of its cards close to the vest in their investigation. Moscow police came under scrutiny for not revealing any progress, but the chief says they were hot on the trail.
Kohberger's extradition hearing is set to go down Tuesday.
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Earth, Wind & Fire Drummer Fred White Dead at 67
Fred White, the drummer for Earth, Wind & Fire, is dead.
Fred died Sunday, according to his brother and bandmate, Verdine. The cause of death is unclear.
The fourth of the White brothers to perform in Earth, Wind & Fire, Fred was one of the famous band's early members ... joining EWF way back in 1974 when he was just 19 years old.
Fred played drums on 8 different Earth, Wind & Fire albums ... plus some of their biggest hit songs like "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "Saturday Night" and "Shining Star" ... and he's one of the 9 band members inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
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Verdine is remembering his late brother as an "amazing and talented family member" and a "child protégé." He added ... Fred's now with their other brother, and EWF founder, Maurice White in heaven.
Off stage, Verdine says Fred was "the wonderful bro that was always entertaining and delightfully mischievous! And we could always count on him to make a seemingly bad situation more light hearted!"
Fred was 67.
RIP
Britney Spears Out With the New, Back Into The Old ... Selling $11.8M Home in '23
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Britney Spears wanted to start fresh in a brand-spankin' new home to celebrate her freedom from the conservatorship ... but turns out, the grass ain't always greener, and she's planning on unloading the pricey pad.
TMZ broke the story back in June ... Britney and her hubby, Sam Asghari, plunked down $11.8 million back in June for a massive 11,650 sq. foot home on 1.6 acres in Calabasas. In fact, the home was located in the same neighborhood as Brit's ex, Kevin Federline.
However, sources close to Britney tell us she just hasn't fallen in love with the new home, and is planning on selling it in 2023.
But, don't worry, Britney won't be homeless, she still owns the Thousand Oaks mansion she bought back in 2015 for $7.5 million -- the same place that boasts one of the most iconic living room backdrops on social media ... thanks to Britney's Instagram videos.
Unclear if Britney will decide to start searching for another new home, or if she'll just stay in the OG crib ... but she'll have plenty of money free up once she unloads the new crib.
TMZ broke the story, Britney's fans started freaking out, concerned something was wrong with the singer earlier this month after they believed she'd lost control of her Instagram account. Turns out, Spears was totally fine -- vacationing in Mexico and getting some rest before the holidays.
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Jeremy Renner Critically Injured in Snowplowing Accident
Jeremy Renner was seriously injured during a snowplowing accident at a Nevada ski resort -- and had to be airlifted to a hospital.
The two-time Oscar-nominated actor was in "critical but stable condition with injuries suffered after experiencing a weather-related accident while plowing snow earlier [Sunday],” a rep told Deadline.
The rep says Jeremy's receiving excellent care, but would not disclose details about the accident or the injuries.
Renner has a house in the Mount Rose Ski Tahoe resort near Reno, which got slammed by a snowstorm on New Year's Eve. Thousands of homes in the area apparently lost power ... it's not clear if Jeremy's house was also impacted.
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As you probably know, Renner was nominated for an Academy Award in 2010 for his performance in the film, "The Hurt Locker." The following year ... he got another Oscar nom for his role in "The Town." He has also starred in countless other movies, including "The Avengers" and "Captain America: Civil War."
The injury was described as "traumatic."
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Pele Fans Flood Streets In Brazil ... Mourn Soccer Legend At Funeral
Thousands of fans poured into Brazilian streets on Monday morning to pay their respects to Pele -- as the funeral for the late soccer legend got underway at a famed football stadium in Santos.
People decked out in #10 jerseys and clad in yellow and green attire lined up to get a glimpse of the former footballer's coffin at Urbano Caldeira Stadium ... and some camped out for hours to be the first allowed into the ceremony.
For the services, Pele's body was placed under a tent on the field at the venue -- the same place where he scored hundreds of goals for Santos FC for nearly two decades.
Early on, Pele's family members were seen standing by his casket -- hugging and kissing him.
Many soccer stars from across the globe are expected to attend the funeral later on.
The whole ceremony is being live streamed ... and is expected to last several hours before Pele is laid to rest at the Memorial Necrópole Ecumênica cemetery.
As we reported, Pele died at a hospital in Sao Paolo on Thursday ... after a lengthy battle with cancer.
He was 82 years old.
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Prince Harry I Want My Dad and Brother Back ... Pleas For Unity Amid Drama
Prince Harry is hoping to mend the deep rift with his family ... and now says he's pleading for harmony with them, even as he and Meghan Markle very publicly air their grievances with the royals.
Harry is opening up about the ongoing feud while promoting his upcoming memoir, "Spare" ... telling the UK's ITV he wants his father and brother back in his life, and saying he doesn't believe things had to go down the way they did.
Harry claims his family's been to blame for the big issues -- saying they continue to paint Meghan and him as the villains. He also claims King Charles and Prince William have given him zero sign they want to reconcile.
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The Duke of Sussex also chatted with Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes," saying he's tried to deal with internal issues privately -- but claims it would end up leaking regardless, making him look like the bad guy.
He's repeating his allegations Buckingham Palace fed info to media outlets behind the scenes, then played the "no comment" card publicly.
As you know, Harry and Meghan's recent Netflix doc unleashed a LOT of their side of all the royal drama -- including nasty infighting and online death threats. Harry also said his brother William broke his promise about refusing to leak stories about him.
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Mekhi Phifer They'll Never Be an '8 Mile' Sequel ... Leave Classics Alone!!!
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Mekhi Phifer has some bad news for "8 Mile" fans, on the heels of the flick's platinum anniversary -- don't waste time looking for a sequel, ''cause it ain't happening!!!
We caught up with the "8 Mile" star shortly after the classic film marked its 20th anniversary ... and we had to ask if there was anything in the works for a new story related to the OG characters.
Mekhi tells TMZ Hip Hop ... there will never be a follow-up to the film, as far as he's concerned. He says, sometimes it's best to leave the classics alone ... adding there's never been any convo about making one happen.
Now, he does acknowledge a sequel could be interesting -- just story-wise -- but he says he wouldn't want to be in it, and he doubts his costar Eminem would be a part of it either.
As far as their relationship goes ... he says they're still pals and they keep in touch. He adds, Em is focusing more on his music right now, so that's another reason they won't be returning to 8 Mile Road.
Since the film dropped in November 2002, Eminem's music career's had its ups and downs, but he's still widely recognized as a hip hop icon ... and he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.
As for getting back into movies -- well, he's already got an Oscar, which he won for the "8 Mile" anthem, "Lose Yourself."
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Bodybuilder Big Boy I'm Gonna Knock Tito Ortiz Out!!! ... 'Retire His Ass'
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Bodybuilding star Big Boy -- who has millions of followers on social media -- is dead serious about boxing Tito Ortiz ... telling TMZ Sports he's gonna knock the ex-UFC legend into retirement!!!
The two sides have been jawing back-and-forth on the Internet recently ... with Ortiz claiming last month he didn't start the beef, but he's willing to settle their differences in the ring.
As for Big Boy, he insists it's Ortiz who started running his mouth ... and he tells us he actually has a lot of appreciation for what he's done throughout his career -- but that doesn't mean he doesn't wanna knock the dude's block off.
"I respect all fighters, 100%," Big Boy tells us. "He's a world champion, I've looked up to him and I respect him. But I think he's past his prime."
"I think I'm more explosive. I'm stronger. I got more game than him. Everything all in one. I just think it's his time, man. I'm gonna really retire his ass."
In fact, Big Boy says he's gonna make quick work of Tito ... guaranteeing a first-round knockout.
While Big Boy is mostly known for his iron-pumping, he says he's been hitting the mitts with huge names in fighting like former heavyweight champ Andy Ruiz in hopes of landing a fight ... and now, it sounds like he'll get his wish in 2023, 'cause Ortiz is on board.
"This guy wants smoke, let's light this s*** up, let's find a promoter, let's get it done," Tito says. "I'll get back in the gym. I'll start boxing. I know I could do some work and make it look easy."
Big Boy is so confident he'll come away with his hand raised ... he tells us he's already got his next opponent in mind -- Jake Paul.
Dude's gonna have to get in line!!!
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Judge Judy Happy For Justin Bieber's Growth ... He's Not Foolish Anymore!!!
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Judge Judy might not have been a fan of Justin Bieber in the past, but now she's singing his praises ... saying she couldn't be happier he's gotten his life on the right track.
We caught up with the famous judge in Bev Hills, and asked about her former neighbor JB, after she recently opened up about their tense relationship over the years ... which she chalks up to him being young and reckless.
Judy tells us, she hasn't spoken to the pop star recently but she's seen him and he looks better than ever ... and seeing him doing so well makes her really happy.
ICYMI, JJ recently put the pop star on blast for his behavior back in the day ... saying Justin was once "scared to death" of her after she called him out, following his DUI bust in 2014.
She told "Access Hollywood" ... "There was a period of time before he grew up, when he was foolish and doing foolish things."
But, now that's all water under the bridge and she seems really impressed with his maturity.
Of course, our photog had to ask if she had a hand in putting him on a straight and narrow -- as she tends to do in her TV courtroom -- but Judy's taking no credit, saying Justin made all the right changes all by himself.
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Guess Who This Blonde Boy Turned Into!
Before this cute guy in his helmet was putting on his boxing mitts and influencing on social media, he was just skateboarding around the neighborhood with his bro in Cleveland, Ohio and rockin' the heck out of his bleach blonde buzz cut!
After going viral on Vine in the early 2010s, he made his way to television and appeared on Disney's show "Bizaardvark" alongside Madison Hu and Olivia Rodrigo. He also ventured into the music industry, and he was definitely looking Fresh Out Of London!
Need one more clue? Stay away from this "Problem Child!"
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Three 6 Mafia's Gangsta Boo Dead at 43 ... Possible OD
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4:53 PM PT -- Sources connected to Gangsta Boo tell TMZ ... the rapper's death appears to be drug-related. We're told Gangsta was with her brother last night at a local concert in Memphis, and that her sibling started to overdose sometime in the night ... requiring hospitalization.
While he ended up being okay, our sources tell us that people familiar with Gangsta Boo's death scene insist narcotics were found on her person and that a fentanyl-laced substance is believed to be at play. We're told the police are launching an official investigation.
An autopsy obviously needs to be done as well to see what the cause of death is.
Lola Mitchell, AKA Gangsta Boo -- a former member of Three 6 Mafia and a pioneer of female rap -- has died.
The hip hop star's passing was confirmed by her former labelmate DJ Paul -- who threw up a photo of her on IG ... seemingly as a tribute. Several prominent artists commented with messages of condolences. The exact circumstances surrounding her death are unknown.
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Gangsta Boo's career officially started in the '90s, when she linked up with Paul, Juicy J and other founding members of the rap group -- which included the likes of Lord Infamous, Crunchy Black, Koopsta Knicca and more. Gangsta Boo was one of the only female rappers with the crew, but she held her own and paved her own lane for years as part of T6M.
In addition to her own solo albums that she was cranking out at the time -- to much acclaim -- Gangsta was also featured on Three 6 Mafia's first 5 studio albums ... including their debut record in '95's "Mystic Stylez" ... as well as other notable projects like 'Chapter 1,' 'When the Smoke Clears' and even the 'Choices' album that served as the soundtrack to the movie.
Gangsta Boo left Three 6 in the early 2000s, but went on to have a notable career thereafter -- cranking out another solo studio album, and several mixtapes through the rest of the aughts and 2010s. This, of course, doesn't include the countless features she's been a part of -- working with rap titans like Gucci Mane, Lil Jon, OutKast, E-40, T.I., The Game and more.
She continued rapping into the 2020s as well ... often collaborating with Killer Mike and El-P in their hip hop duo Run The Jewels. Gangsta Boo was also continuing to partner up with different media outlets to put out music, such as UPROXX and others.
Gangsta Boo was a staple in the Memphis community and music scene -- and seems to have been beloved by the people there. She was active on social media quite recently.
She was 43.
RIP
Originally Published -- 3:01 PM PT
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Brody Jenner I'm Gonna Be a Dad!!! ... With GF Tia Blanco
Brody Jenner is about to venture into fatherhood -- announcing that he's got a bundle of joy on the way with his pro surfer girlfriend, Tia Blanco.
The couple shared the news together Sunday, taking to IG with a joint post that shows off an ultrasound being conducted on Tia ... which reveals there's a little baby growing in her belly. You can hear both Brody and Tia, with BJ noting there's a heart that's forming.
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The clip then jumps to the actual sounds of the heartbeat, and it's going pretty strong. It appears the procedure was done earlier in December -- on the 9th -- so it sounds like Tia's been pregnant for a little bit now.
Brody and Tia's caption reads, "To start off this new year, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish all of our friends, family and followers health, happiness & an abundance of love. We truly appreciate & love you all. We are excited to share with you the blessing of a new life in the new year…Our little angel is on their way 💙 Happy new year!"
It's major news, as this would be both Brody and Tia's first child together ... and first child for either of them, period. Plus, they're a relatively new pair in general -- Brody and Tia went public this past June, this after rumblings that they were dating surfaced in April.
Less than a year later ... and they're expecting. No word on whether the kid's a boy or a girl, but it seems like things are moving along nicely for the parents-to-be. Also, this means a new Jenner is being welcomed to the family -- which is always welcome.
Worth noting ... Brody has broached the topic of kids in his past relationships -- including with Kaitlynn Carter -- but never seemed to be able to land on the same page with anyone.
Now, he's there. Congrats!!!
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'Emily in Paris' Star Lucien Laviscount in Play as Next Bond ... So Says New Report
From Mr. Paris to Mr. Bond -- that seems to be the trajectory Lucien Laviscount might be on ... if you believe the reports that he's in the running as the next 007.
The British actor -- famous for his recurring role on Netflix's 'Emily in Paris' -- is said to have captured the attention of movie producer Barbara Broccoli ... who also holds the rights to the James Bond franchise, and who's in search of a new agent to replace Daniel Craig.
James Bond executives 'eye up Lancashire-born hunk Lucien Laviscount as the next 007' https://t.co/3qKa6CtY2h
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) January 1, 2023 @DailyMailCeleb
According to the Daily Mail ... his work in 'EIP' -- where he plays the main character's love interest, Alfie -- is what landed him as a frontrunner for the job. He's been on for 2 seasons.
DM cites one purported insider as saying, "Lucien ticks all of the boxes. He is a super talented actor, is extremely handsome and in the past 18 months has won lots of new fans since he joined Emily In Paris. Bond bosses are already saying how you can see him in the 007 tuxedo, how dapper and fitting to the role he will look."
The thing that might hurt him, apparently ... his time on 'Celebrity Big Brother,' on which he competed in 2011. According to this source, the Bond producers think it's low brow stuff not fitting of a Bond actor, even though they're supposedly still pretty high on him in general.
The other interesting tidbit coming out of this report ... Broccoli is said to have greenlit stunt work testing over at Pinewood Studios, where they've shot a lot of Bond content. If true, that would mean they're ramping up to start the next chapter post-Craig/'No Time to Die.'
There'd been rumblings that Idris Elba was being considered to play the next Bond, but frankly ... he's too old, and Lucien fits the bill for what Broccoli and co. have recently said they want in their next iteration of the character. A young whippersnapper, that is.
We'll say this ... Lucien's definitely got the look down. Handsome, fit and natural elegance. All the right stuff that makes Bond an international heartthrob.
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Here's hoping the Bond honchos figure it out sooner than later. The gap between Pierce Brosnan and Craig (4 years) was longer than any period from previous actors -- meaning, when one guy left ... the other slid in rather seamlessly in a matter of a year or two.
'No Time to Die' came out over a year ago, and we're already on to 2023. Let's move it!
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Idaho Murder Suspect Family Speaks ... As 'Black Sheep' Background Surfaces
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The Idaho murder suspect's family is urging the public to refrain from judgment, and to presume he's innocent -- this as more info about his background starts to surface, including the notion he was a black sheep in his field of study ... understanding the criminal mind.
A statement by the Kohberger family was just released -- and obtained by TMZ -- which both addresses the charges against Bryan Kohberger and the murders that happened in Idaho.
It reads, "First and foremost, we care deeply for the four families who have lost their precious children. There are no words that can adequately express the sadness we feel, and we pray each day for them. We will continue to let the legal process unfold and as a family we will love and support our son and brother."
The Kohberger family adds, "We have fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies in an attempt to seek the truth and promote his presumption of innocence rather than judge unknown facts and make erroneous assumptions. We respect privacy in this matter as our family and the families suffering loss can move forward through the legal process."
In other words, they're standing by Bryan for now ... and, like everyone else, want to see what exactly prosecutors have against him that makes them believe he's the killer. The timing of this comes on the heels of a troubling profile that's emerging ... one of an outsider who was obsessive over dissecting the mind of a murderer, to a T.
The New York Times spoke to a handful of Bryan Kohberger's former classmates and colleagues while he attended DeSales University and Washington State University, pursuing degrees in criminology. By most accounts, he was deeply entrenched in his major, but to a point that it was off-putting and combative ... which reportedly led to conflict in his life.
There are two specific anecdotes that paint a picture of the type of person Kohberger was in academia -- both of which happened at WSU. In one instance, a former classmate of his tells the Times that Kohberger once got into a heated discussion with another fellow Ph.D. student about a criminology concept ... and was accused of mansplaining to the woman. She got so upset over the conversation that she left the class, leaving behind personal items.
Kohberger was also a T.A. at WSU, but a student who was in one the classes he helped teach says he avoided eye contact with them all ... and was supposedly a harsh grader, leaving extensive notes on their papers. It got so bad, the students complained en masse.
This same student also claims that later in the fall -- around the time of the Idaho killings -- Kohberger loosened up on grading, and stopped leaving notes on their papers altogether.
There are other accounts of Bryan being highly engaged in discussions about criminology -- and the NYT piece also notes he was under the tutelage of professors who focused on serial killers and gruesome crimes. The story points out that many at DeSales and WSU viewed him as quiet, awkward and on his own ... while also overly intrigued with the curriculum.
MAY 2022
We've already heard other stories about Bryan that make him out to be aggressive and quick to anger -- but clearly, his loved ones want everyone not to jump to conclusions based on any of that.
Kohberger is expected to waive his right to an extradition hearing, and will presumably answer for the first-degree murder charges against him in Idaho as early as Tuesday.