Joe Biden Electoral College Seals Presidential Victory
-
Breaking News
- 72.5K shares
5:07 PM PT -- President-elect Biden is preaching unity and a peaceful transition of power, which finally looks like it's going to happen.
Biden addressed the nation Monday after the Electoral College sealed his election victory over Trump, calling on America to set an example for the rest of the world with the peaceful transition.
JB says the road ahead won't be easy because of the virus, but he says the only way to get through the pandemic is by working together.
Joe Biden officially has big plans on Jan. 20, 2021 -- now that all 50 states have officially cast their Electoral College votes to make him the 46th President of the United States.
Electors cast their votes Monday across the country, confirming the winning total for President-elect Biden ... 306 for him, and 232 for now-outgoing President Trump.
Nevada -- one of the battleground states -- cast theirs first Monday morning, and all the other states followed shortly thereafter ... including Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona -- all states that Trump lost and has fought, unsuccessfully, to overturn the results in court.
Trump and his legal team filed several lawsuits all throughout the country, claiming election fraud, unfair vote counting and invalid ballots ... but failed to present any hard-hitting evidence. Pennsylvania was the one place they had a little bit of steam, but that was sucked away quickly when the Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
11/19/2020
Of course, it's been a long and rancorous road getting here -- Trump has refused to formally concede ... and he's sent Rudy Giuliani to do a lot of his bidding on this issue, only to see him come up short and contract COVID in the process.
“Why did the Swing States stop counting in the middle of the night?” @MariaBartiromo Because they waited to find out how many ballots they had to produce in order to steal the Rigged Election. They were so far behind that they needed time, & a fake “water main break”, to recover!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2020 @realDonaldTrump
Trump has said, on camera, that if the Electoral College did its thing, he'd bow out. That might be true, but absolutely no one's expecting him to deliver a concession speech.
Originally published -- 3:08 PM PT
related articles
Rachael Leigh Cook I'm Still All That ... Joining Reboot!!!
-
Exclusive
- 3.5K shares
Rachael Leigh Cook is coming back for more of that ... the "She's All That" star is jumping onboard the second coming of her '90s teen classic.
Production sources tell TMZ ... Rachael is being added to the cast for "He's All That" and she's playing the mom of Addison Rae's character, Padget. Rachael tells us it's nice to be reunited with some familiar faces and that the new film has a nice spin that she thinks fans of the original will like.
As you know ... Rachael starred in the original movie way back in 1999 alongside Freddie Prinze Jr. The OG version also featured Paul Walker and Gabrielle Union. Ah, the '90s.
Fast-forward 21 years and Rachael will be the vet on set for the gender-swapped reboot ... Addison wasn't even born when Rachael, Freddie, Paul and Gabrielle got this whole thing rolling.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
"He's All That" is already a few weeks into production ... and it looks like Addison, Tanner Buchanan, Andrew Matarazzo, Myra Molloy, Peyton Meyer, Madison Pettis, Annie Jacob and Dominic Goodman are having a blast.
The rom-com reboot is in the perspective of a teenage girl, who happens to be a social media influencer. Yeah, a lot's changed since Rachael transformed from nerd to prom queen.
related articles
'RHOBH' Star Erika Jayne Estranged Husband's Assets Frozen ... Possible Criminal Investigation
'RHOBH' star Erika Jayne's estranged husband has had his assets frozen and a judge now wants prosecutors to have a look at what he allegedly did.
A federal judge said Tom Girardi conducted himself in an "unconscionable" manner ... finding that he misappropriated at least $2 million in client money. Even more ominous ... the judge is referring the matter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible criminal investigation.
The money was intended to compensate the families of victims of the Boing 737 Max, Lion Air crash. Lawyers for Girardi said their client didn't currently have the $2 mil he owes his clients ... shockingly announcing Girardi's firm has a measly $15k in the bank.
And, get this ... Girardi's lawyers said they had concerns about his mental competency, adding they were unsure if he understood the seriousness of the case. One of his lawyers told the judge she wanted Girardi to undergo a mental evaluation ... this according to the L.A. Times, which first reported the news.
As if the legal fallout couldn't get any worse ... Girardi's facing TWO more lawsuits -- one from Robert Keese, the other named partner in Girardi's firm, who claims Girardi owes him $506k for using his name per a deal they struck. Keese says Girardi made some payments but then stopped.
In the second lawsuit ... Girardi's partners in a venture called 1126 Wilshire filed legal docs to dissolve the partnership ... claiming Girardi fraudulently encumbered property the partnership owns worth around $7.5 million.
As we reported ... Girardi and his estranged wife, Erika, are being sued for allegedly hiding money ... claiming the break up of their marriage is actually just a sham divorce to hide assets.
related articles
Anti-Masker Wild Rant at Costco ... Fist Bumps and Boos!!!
The COVID vaccines aren't convincing this guy to put on a face covering and ride out the storm -- instead, he climbed a Costco clothing rack armed with a megaphone and let 'er rip.
This rant heard round the wholesaler went down Sunday in Tustin, CA ... and the guy taking the stand against face masks was greeted with a mix of fist bumps and haters.
COVID-denier in California uses a megaphone in Costco to go on a crazy rant. This is the modern Republican party. pic.twitter.com/snt7VOSqex
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) December 14, 2020 @davenewworld_2
During his moment in the spotlight, he spewed dubious claims about the CDC, masks and the virus ... all while standing in the middle of a display full of clothing. Call it his Kirkland Signature pulpit.
Some Costco shoppers showed support, apparently picking and choosing when to listen to science ... since they opted for fist bumps instead of handshakes. Others tried to stop the madness, but most remained focused on their shopping lists.
Seems Costco is a popular place for anti-makers to give their 2 cents -- we've seen similar scenes play out across the country, like this wise guy in Colorado.
Yet another reason a return to "normalcy" can't come fast enough.
related articles
Dr. Phil on Pandemic Health Addiction Support Groups Screwed ... For Most Part, Anyway
-
Exclusive
- 701 shares
People battling addiction or other health issues in need of a strong support system are mostly getting the short end of the stick during the pandemic ... so says Dr. Phil.
We spoke to the good doc Monday on "TMZ Live" and revisited a topic we'd discussed with him and others during the early stages of lockdowns -- the well-being of folks in AA, NA and other support groups as they have to navigate quarantining solo.
Phil was worried about this early on and tells us a lot of those fears have manifested as relapse rates and drug/substance usage is noticeably up throughout the U.S. Basically, Phil says virtual meetings lack a lot of factors that make in-person meetings so effective.
While he does note some upsides to being able to partake in support groups online -- like a greater degree of anonymity, and more options of where to drop in for a meeting -- he says the list of cons outweigh the pros.
Dr. Phil adds ... one of the issues for virtual support groups is Zoom-bombing -- essentially, hackers dropping in on chats they have no place being. That makes many people apprehensive because they can't see everyone in the room.
Bottom line ... Phil says the battle's just beginning. He worries once the pandemic is over, we'll be playing a lot of catch-up to help heal these folks who are going down the rabbit hole now.
related articles
Machine Gun Kelly Stolen Aston Martin Recovered ... Whip's in Good Shape!!!
-
Exclusive
- 467 shares
Machine Gun Kelly will soon be reunited with his stolen purple Aston Martin ... TMZ's learned cops found it almost a week after it had been reported stolen.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... LAPD officers were out on patrol late Sunday night when they spotted the whip -- someone drove it past their patrol car. The officers weren't in position to immediately go after it, but did later search the area and spotted the British sports car.
Our sources say cops found it abandoned in the driveway of a house with the engine running. We're told the suspect, or suspects, were gone by the time cops got there. Good news for MGK ... cops impounded the Aston Martin and say it's still in good shape.
As of Monday, the car's still at the impound lot, but we're sure MGK's anxious for a reunion. This is the same Aston Martin he was seen riding around in with Megan Fox back in May -- so yeah ... good memories!
"Flipping Out" star Jeff Lewis was the one who let it out of the bag last week that MGK's car had been stolen ... claiming on his "Jeff Lewis Live" show on SiriusXM that he got a call from the new owner of his L.A. crib, who is now MGK's neighbor.
Jeff says the new owner of his house wanted to know if the security cameras there might have captured the theft. No dice ... he says MGK's driveway is out of camera view. Luckily, cops tracked it down the old fashioned way.
related articles
Cleveland Indians No Native American Based Name Going Forward ... Owner Says
-
Breaking News
- 3.4K shares
11:18 AM PT -- 12/14 -- The Cleveland Indians' new name will NOT have Native American ties ... team owner Paul Dolan said Monday.
"While Indians will always be a part of our history," Dolan said, "it is time to move forward and work to unify our stakeholders and fans through a new name."
Dolan told the Associated Press, however, the team will continue with its "Indians" moniker through the 2021 season ... and perhaps even longer as it tries to find a new, permanent nickname.
"We don’t want to be the Cleveland Baseball Team or some other interim name," he said. "We will continue to be the Indians until we have identified the next name that will hopefully take us through multiple centuries."
The Cleveland Indians are reportedly going the way of the Washington Football Team -- they're finally changing their team name, although it's unclear what it will be.
The NYT reports an announcement from the team is expected sometime this week, and the news is they're dropping the "Indians" name -- which they've had since 1915 -- and will start a process of adopting something new.
Breaking News: The Cleveland Indians are said to be dropping their team name after years of protests from baseball fans and Native American groups. https://t.co/LmXl78ngTx
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 14, 2020 @nytimes
Thing is ... the report says they'll probably keep their current name for the 2021 season, and officially lose it for 2022 -- all while engaging the public about an appropriate alternative. In the interim, the team is reportedly considering going by the Cleveland Baseball Team.
As for the famous logo of a Native American -- known as Chief Wahoo -- that image was retired a couple years back, and the team adopted a letter "C" as their new official symbol.
We’re seein’ red in 2019! 🔴
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) November 19, 2018 @Indians
Introducing our 2019 home alternates and home caps …https://t.co/yrP8hpV538#RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/uMK63eeT5f
The move to drop "Indians" is a long time coming -- similar to how Washington dropped "Redskins" not too long ago. There's been mounting pressure for years from the Native American community, as many found the caricatures/nicknames downright degrading.
Some Cleveland fans love the original name -- but it's clear the team's management and ownership feel it's time to get with the times, and stop exploiting indigenous groups.
Originally Published -- 12/13 6:05 PM PT
related articles
COVID Vaccine Black Woman First to Get it in NY State ... Black Doctor Led Research
-
Breaking News
- 6.4K shares
12:09 PM PT -- There's nothing for African-Americans to fear about the vaccination effort, because it wasn't rushed and a Black doctor was at the forefront of research ... so says Dr. Louito Edje.
The good doc joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and offered an easy-to-understand analogy about the vaccine process ... telling us why it's like a cake that's been carefully baked for 20 years and just needed the right icing.
Dr. Edje also points out Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, an African-American scientist, led the team behind the COVID-19 vaccine and even got the shot herself.
The first vaccine in New York was administered Monday -- and the person they chose to give it to speaks volumes about very real concerns regarding safety and mistrust of the government.
The recipient was intensive-care nurse Sandra Lindsay, a Black woman working in healthcare, and she got the shot at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. Before the deed was done, Sandra was hailed for her bravery ... for getting vaccinated in public, and for months of work treating COVID patients on the front lines.
As the doctor, also a woman of color, injected the needle ... Sandra didn't even flinch, and got a big round of applause.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on standby, watching the inoculation virtually. He noted Sandra didn't make a fuss about it and that the doc who did it -- Dr. Chester --- must have a good touch. Sandra responded that it felt like any other shot or vaccine she's gotten before.
The fact New York decided to publicize the first Pfizer vaccination with 2 women of color shouldn't be lost on folks.
As we've mentioned, and as the federal government has noted too, African-Americans are highly suspicious of this vaccination effort, and many say they won't take it or don't trust it.
There's a myriad of reasons why, but we got an up-close and personal look at that mindset this weekend with none other than Offset ... who told us straight-up he wasn't planning to get the shot.
Originally published -- 8:29 AM PT
related articles
Will Smith Plays Santa Claus for Teen w/ Cancer Jason Derulo & PS5?!?!
-
Exclusive
- 6.4K shares
Will Smith's not playing games when it comes to bringing smiles this holiday season ... and he's pulling out all the stops with help from his celeb pals and Gamestop.
Will Smith's season 2 of his Snapchat series "Will From Home" premiered Monday ... and this holiday season he's inviting viewers to watch him surprise the hell out of people across the country to celebrate their selflessness and bravery.
For the season 2 premiere, Will brought along Jason Derulo to shock 14-year-old Aiden, who was diagnosed with cancer in April. Aiden's father, Chuck, has been doing his best to comfort him during weekly chemo treatments -- but due to COVID-19, he usually can only stand outside Aiden's room ... dancing to make him laugh.
Well, Dad got a big helping hand from Jason, Will and Gamestop.
Derulo kicked things off by teaching Chuck and Aiden some new dance moves. The big surprise, though, came when Will had Chuck and Aiden open a box delivered to them. And, viola!!! It's a PS5, which at the time weren't available to the public yet.
The look on Aiden's face was priceless, and in addition to the dance moves and PS5 surprise from Gamestop ... a $10k donation was also made to the Cook Children's Medical Center, with Will and Gamestop each kicking in $5k.
The 10-episode series will have other special guests, including Alicia Keys, DJ Khaled, Lil Nas X, and Ludacris. It's a good bet there won't be a dry eye after each episode celebrates real-life heroes.
related articles
Boxer Victor Ortiz Sexual Assault Charges Dropped 'Relieved to Put This Behind Me'
-
Exclusive
- 572 shares
Boxing star Victor Ortiz is officially off the hook in his sexual assault case stemming from an alleged rape in 2018 -- all of the criminal charges have been dropped, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
As we previously reported, 33-year-old Ortiz was hit 3 felony charges after a woman claimed she was raped by the boxer at a residence in Oxnard, CA.
Ortiz was arrested and booked for forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and forcible digital penetration -- and was facing serious prison time if convicted. Ortiz has long denied the allegations and spent the past 2 years fighting the case in court.
But, the case was formally dismissed at a court hearing on Monday -- and according to court records obtained by TMZ Sports, prosecutors say they simply could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Ortiz was pleased with the decision, posing for a picture in front of the courthouse with his attorney, Sam Spira, and others.
Ortiz also issued a statement, saying, "Although I was confident this would be the result, this still has been a terrible and unimaginable ordeal that I am relieved to put behind me."
"With this case no longer my focus, I look forward to picking up and advancing my boxing and entertainment careers."
"I can’t wait to get back in the gym. I also look forward to spending my time with my two young children, my family and loyal friends without the weight of these charges hanging over me and my loved ones."
Ortiz -- who competed on "Dancing With the Stars" in 2013 -- was dropped from his Sept. 2018 bout with John Molina Jr. after his arrest. The 33-year-old has not fought since.
Ortiz was also a budding actor before the allegations - starring in movies like "The Expendables 3" and "South Paw."
As a boxer, he's 32-6-3 -- and gave Floyd Mayweather a run for his money back in 2011.
related articles
NYC Cathedral Shooting Captured on Video ... Gunman Taken Out by cops on steps
-
Exclusive Details
- 1.7K shares
11:37 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the gunman's name is Luis Vasquez Gomez, and he has a prior conviction for attempted murder.
The moment a crazed gunman was shot to death on the steps of an NYC church was captured on camera -- and the video is absolutely intense.
NYPD officers rushed to St. John the Divine Cathedral Sunday in Harlem, responding to reports of a guy opening fire into the air at an outdoor concert. Fortunately, nobody was hurt and folks were able to either escape outright or take cover inside the cathedral -- but it quickly led to a tense standoff right out front.
A man across the street recorded the fatal moment the gunman was struck by a bullet, which took him down. Prior to that though, he repeatedly dodged several shots from cops by taking cover behind a pillar at the cathedral's front doors.
You can hear cops demanding he drop his gun and surrender ... and at one point the guy screams "kill me" multiple times. NYPD says he was hit in the head, and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The gunman was the only reported casualty or injury.
A ton of folks who'd taken shelter inside were safely evacuated -- and you can tell they're all rattled. So far, there's no suspected motive for the attempted shooting ... the only thing cops are saying is he came armed with multiple firearms -- including semi-automatic weapons -- some knives, rope, gasoline, wire and a bible in his backpack.
Originally Published -- 6:55 AM PT
related articles
A.B. Quintanilla Selena's Bro Backs Netflix Portrayal ... Haters Gonna Hate!!!
-
Exclusive
- 11.1K shares
Selena's brother says the actress playing her on the Netflix series does an incredible job capturing her essence ... even though critics are giving her a hard time.
A.B. Quintanilla's giving his stamp of approval to Christian Serratos for her portrayal of The Queen of Tejano music in the bio-drama "Selena: The Series," telling us she's so good ... he finds himself feeling like he's watching his younger sister again.
Some viewers of the show aren't nearly as supportive, but A.B. feels they're either nitpicking or their criticism is misguided. For example, Serratos has been getting flak for lip-syncing poorly on 'The Series' ... but A.B. says that's actually an accurate representation of his sis.
He tells us Selena struggled with that early in her career, and there was a learning process before she improved ... which A.B. says Serratos demonstrates in later episodes.
As for the haters who don't think Christian looks enough like Selena -- A.B. points out that some people felt the same way about Jennifer Lopez when she played the Mexican singer in the 1997 "Selena" film ... especially because she's not Mexican.
A.B. dismisses all that as petty, and says it's ultimately up to the actor to make the viewer believe they are who they are playing on the screen ... and Serratos nails it.
He tells us his family is very pleased with the project, and he's excited about a project of his own coming up -- a new single in February with his band, Kumbia Kings.
related articles
Kate Moss' Sister Apologizes for Vid w/ Pals 'We're, Like, Super-Spreading COVID'
Lottie Moss' joke she and her friends are super-spreading COVID-19 -- which they illustrated on camera -- didn't score any laughs, and now she's apologizing.
The model, Kate Moss' younger sister, posted an apology Monday, saying she screwed up by partaking in what she thought was care-free goofing with some of her girlfriends in London. Lottie and co. pretended to make out and openly called themselves super-spreaders.
Naturally, that pissed of a lot of people, who called her out for taking the pandemic lightly.
In her mea culpa post, Lottie said ... "I just wanted to come on here and say I am so sorry for saying I was a super spreader." She explains someone on the live feed made the comment and that she repeated it without thinking, but emphasizes she's not a super-spreader and does not condone anyone spreading a virus as deadly as this one as haphazardly as she did on camera.
She continues, "I was out for dinner with 4 friends 3 of which are in the same household and under the government guidelines - as I live alone - I am allowed a support bubble of 4."
Lottie goes on to sincerely apologize for the insensitive joke, while mentioning that she sometimes forgets she's a public figure who's gotta watch her actions. The 22-year-old model adds, "I am still young and dumb and learning."
Of course, the issue is real -- there have, in fact, been real-life super-spreading people who blatantly disregard health protocols and go out and try to infect people on purpose.
related articles
Meghan Markle Thank You, COVID-19 Heroes!!! Makes Surprise Appearance
Meghan Markle's so inspired by stories of compassion she's witnessing through the pandemic, she decided to make a surprise appearance to honor those very heroes.
The Duchess of Sussex made an unscheduled appearance on CNN's 'Heroes' special Sunday night to thank "individuals (who) stood up and made sure the most basic needs of our communities were met. They made sure those around them did not have to suffer in isolation."
It's the first time Meghan has made a public statement since her op-ed in the New York Times last month, revealing she'd suffered a miscarriage in the summer. She and Prince Harry -- who left their royal roles in March -- have kept a low profile since moving to California, but still found ways to help here.
TMZ broke the story ... the couple quietly delivered quality food to needy folks back in April. Then, at the start of the school year, they dished out school supplies to students in need.
Meghan seems especially thankful to those who fed kids in need of a meal in the absence of a school lunch meal. During Sunday night's telecast she said, "When kids’ lunch programs came to a halt, we saw our neighbors make sure that those children received the nutrition they need."
related articles
JoJo Siwa Grants Sweet 5-Year-Old Girl's Wish ... With a Santa Assist!!!
-
Exclusive
- 398 shares
JoJo Siwa made a holiday wish come true for a very special little fan ... and Santa Claus couldn't help but pop in to spread even more cheer.
The YouTube star teamed up with Make-A-Wish and Macy's for a virtual hangout with 5-year-old Ainarah from Virginia, who has a neuromuscular disorder. Ainarah’s wish was to chat with JoJo, but the singer did her one better -- they're now forever linked as friends with matching bracelets.
We're told the adorable little girl and JoJo also chatted about music, fashion and what they want for Christmas ... before the big guy from the North Pole dropped in.
Like JoJo and St. Nick tell Ainarah ... it's been a very different year than we're used to, but nothing can change how awesome and amazing she is.
related articles
UFC's Chito Vera Sean O'Malley's a Little Bitch ... 'Fake' Conor McGregor
-
Exclusive
- 187 shares
"[Sean O'Malley] is a cry baby. He's a little bitch! He's a bitch once, you're gonna be a bitch forever! I don't care about the guy! He can talk whatever he want."
That's 28-year-old UFC fighter Marlon "Chito" Vera opening up a verbal can of whoop-ass on Suga Sean ... 4 months after handing O'Malley the 1st loss of his career.
Remember, Vera won by TKO in the first round after O'Malley suffered an apparent ankle injury early in the fight.
After the loss, O'Malley wasn't exactly complimentary of his opponent -- saying, "I lost to a guy I feel like is not that good."
Chito Vera finished "Suga" Sean O'Malley in Round 1 😳
— ESPN (@espn) August 16, 2020 @espn
▶️ https://t.co/tymR31MfXr pic.twitter.com/Oa4yTcC3nv
O'Malley also recently posted a photo of him punching Vera with the caption ... "Unbeaten."
These guys hate each other's guts ... so, rematch??
Very unlikely, according to Vera, who tells TMZ Sports he's got bigger fish to fry.
"Let's be real. There's not big money in the rematch because first thing, he's not Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz, that's money," Vera says.
"Whoever fights Conor McGregor, it's money! O'Malley is just like a lower version of Conor McGregor. He's like the China version of him -- he's made in China. He's fake!"
Despite the trash talk, Vera says if UFC honcho Dana White offered him the fight, he wouldn't turn it down.
"Don't get me wrong, Dana White told me, 'You never refuse a fight.' They know I never refuse a fight, so if they call me one day to fight him or somebody else, I'd take it!"
Music to the ears of fans who want to see these dudes back in a locked cage together. But first, Vera has his hands full next weekend at UFC Fight Night 183 with MMA legend Jose Aldo.
"[Aldo's] definitely a killer. He's definitely a tough fighter, but of course, I definitely believe his time has passed."
Vera added, "I'm the guy that is coming, I'm the newcomer, so this is my time to prove."