Speaker Mike Johnson Releases Jan. 6 Tapes ... Protesters Casually Strollin'
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The new Speaker of the House dropped a huge batch of videos recorded inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 -- and some conspiracy theorists will, no doubt, say they prove confirmation bias.
Speaker Mike Johnson just released a massive cache of surveillance footage from inside the Capitol that was shot on that fateful day -- and you can imagine, it shows varying moments of activity as demonstrators broke in and stormed the premises.
Yes, there are instances when rioters are casually strolling through the grounds once they get inside ... and in some cases, they're actually walking right past police officers and other security personnel -- which, obviously, isn't a great look for law enforcement.
You can even see some elected officials shuffling through the halls ... and they're not necessarily sprinting as they're being escorted by armed guards. Par for the course -- a ton of conservative personalities are latching on to this as evidence Jan. 6 wasn't actually an insurrection ... but rather, a peaceful protest that's been blown out of proportion.
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While those conservatives might think their point is made in this video dump -- fact is, there's even more video -- which we've all seen -- depicting the utter chaos and violence that actually unfolded.
There are countless videos of rioters squaring up and fighting cops outside -- with batons being swung, and mace being sprayed. Also not in dispute, Capitol Police officers lost their lives in the line of duty that day ... and one protester, Ashli Babbit, was shot and killed inside. So, this wasn't some kumbaya get-together.
When I ran for Speaker, I promised to make accessible to the American people the 44,000 hours of video from Capitol Hill security taken on January 6, 2021. Truth and transparency are critical. Today, we will begin immediately posting video on a public website and move as quickly…
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) November 17, 2023 @SpeakerJohnson
It's interesting that Rep. Johnson -- who's known to be very Donald Trump-friendly -- was the one who ended up releasing these. Previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy had a lot of pressure on him to do the same before he was ousted, but ultimately never did.
Johnson says he decided to release the footage to let the American people decide for themselves. Something tells us folks are already in their corners on this issue though ... and no one's crossing over.
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Olympics Star Suni Lee I Gained 45 Pounds ... Due To Kidney Illness
Suni Lee -- the Olympics star who won gold in Tokyo in 2020 -- just revealed her kidney issues this year caused her to gain 45 pounds.
The 5-foot gymnast made the revelation in an interview with USA Today this week ... just a few months after she left Auburn to get a handle on the ailment.
"I couldn't fit into any of my clothes," Lee told the outlet. "My eyes were swollen shut. It was just so scary."
Thankfully, Lee says she's doing better now ... and, according to USA Today, she looks "very much like the gymnast" who competed in the Games nearly three years ago.
"I haven't had a really bad day in a while," Lee said. "But in the beginning it was like I was waking up swollen. My fingers were so swollen they wouldn’t fit into my grips and I couldn't hold on to the bar."
She added, "My whole body was swollen because I was retaining water, so I couldn’t do a flip. … So it was really different and I had to learn how to work through it."
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Lee said she's made some changes to her diet -- eliminating a lot of her sodium intake -- which has allowed her to reignite her pursuit of more medals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
"We're still working on trying to figure out how to balance all of it because I do have good days and bad days," Lee said. "But with the good days I just take advantage of what I'm able to do, and on the bad days I just do basics and try and stay as safe as possible."
The Olympic trials begin in June in Minneapolis.
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Rapper Russ Burglars Stole Guns From My Home ... Took My GF's Benz Too!!!
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Russ says he's the victim of a home burglary in Georgia ... telling cops thieves made off with five guns, a pair of designer purses and his girlfriend's Mercedes-Benz.
According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the Roswell Police Department says the rapper called them a little before 1 AM Friday and reported seeing burglars on his home security camera.
Cops say when they got there the front door was open and the place had clearly been ransacked ... though the alleged burglars appeared to be long gone.
Russ, who was not home at the time, got on FaceTime with the officers as they toured the home ... telling them 5 firearms were taken, as well as two purses and his girlfriend's 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG.
Police say the "Losin Control" rapper told them the guns taken included a pair of Glock 19s, a CZ Scorpion and two Walther handguns ... all 9mm firearms.
As for the designer bags ... Russ claims thieves made off with two Chanel purses, a pink one valued at $15k and a black one valued at $9k.
Cops say an initial review of surveillance footage shows at least two people entering the home from the basement patio door around 10:15 PM Thursday ... before walking right out the front door around midnight with backpacks and suitcases.
Police say the individuals were wearing gloves and jackets ... but they couldn't make out many identifying features about them at least for now.
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Jeweler Jean Dousset Natural Diamonds Same As Lab-Grown ... Can't Spot Difference!!!
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News flash ... lab-grown diamonds are REAL diamonds and there's really no difference between man-made rocks and their natural counterparts ... according to a famous jeweler.
Jean Dousset, a descendant of Cartier founder Louis Francois Cartier, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and schooled us on lab-grown diamonds ... explaining why they are indeed a diamond in every sense of the way.
JD says even the most seasoned gemologists cannot tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds ... and they're both graded on the same scales under the same rules and principles.
It's pretty interesting to consider ... seeing as there's controversy surrounding engagement rings these days. Based on what Jean's telling us here, it sounds like a man would be able to safely pass off a lab-grown diamond engagement ring as a natural one and the woman would never know.
Of course, Jean says most couples are shopping together for rings nowadays and he's not advocating for people to get engaged on a lie ... but the window of opportunity is definitely there.
Jean's got his own jewelry store in West Hollywood and this year he started selling only lab-grown diamonds. He's previously designed engagement rings for Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria and Amy Adams and says couples can get more bang for their buck with lab-grown diamonds.
It's an educational conversation ... and Jean points out the ethical concerns regarding natural diamonds and tells us why the fancy tech is putting the natural diamond industry on alert.
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Rosalynn Carter Former First Lady in Hospice Care
Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady and wife of former President Jimmy Carter, is in hospice care at the family's Georgia home.
Rosalynn is 96 years old and earlier this year she was diagnosed with dementia. It's been a rough year for the Carters ... back in January, the 99-year-old former Prez also started receiving hospice care.
In a statement Friday, the Carter Center says Rosalynn and Jimmy "are spending time with each other and their family. The Carter family continues to ask for privacy and remains grateful for the outpouring of love and support."
The Carters live in Plains, Georgia ... where they were both born and raised.
Rosalynn and Jimmy have been married for 77 years, they got hitched way back in 1946 ... and she served as First Lady from 1977 to 1981 during Jimmy's 4 years in the White House.
In September, their grandson Josh Carter told PEOPLE Rosalynn and Jimmy were "in the final chapter" of their lives.
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Bill Cosby Sued by Joan Tarshis for Sexual Assault ... Details 2 Alleged Incidents
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Bill Cosby is facing yet another lawsuit over alleged sexual assault -- only this time, it's from a woman who years ago had an infamously awkward interview with Don Lemon about her claims.
The comedian is named in a new suit that was filed by Joan Tarshis -- who's an actress and former comedy writer -- and she outright accuses Cosby of rape ... this after claiming he drugged her on two different occasions back in the early '70s.
In her docs, obtained by TMZ, Tarshis says she first met Cosby at the age of 19 through a mutual friend ... and got invited to the studio where they filmed the 'Cosby Show' for a one-on-one writing session.
She claims while alone with Cosby in his private bungalow there on the lot, Cosby gave her a drink, which she accepted and consumed ... only to start feeling dizzy shortly thereafter. Tarshis says she quickly passed out, and woke up to Cosby undressing her.
Tarshis says she was disoriented while she tried fighting Cosby off, and claims he overpowered her ... forcing his penis into her mouth without consent.
About a year after this, Tarshis claims Cosby reached out to her again in NYC ... offering to take her to a music fair he was performing at -- which she says she reluctantly agreed to.
Tarshis alleges she was given another drink while traveling with Cosby to the venue and she says she again started to feel weak ... and eventually lost consciousness. Tarshis claims she woke up naked in bed next to Cosby ... and that she felt she'd been penetrated vaginally and anally.
Tarshis is alleging assault, battery, infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment ... and seeking major damages. Cosby's rep had no comment.
It goes without saying ... this is far from his first allegation. He's been sued numerous times over by countless women -- and even went to trial in Pennsylvania a few years ago ... where he was found guilty of assaulting Andrea Costand, only to have his conviction later reversed.
Tarshis had actually come forward with her claims against Cosby years ago -- and did a now-notorious interview with CNN's Don Lemon about this ... during which he seemed to suggest she might've been able to prevent her sexual assault if she had simply not partaken in oral sex with BC, saying "there are ways not to perform oral sex."
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Shaquille O'Neal Refurbishes Court At Boys & Girls Club ... Kids Are Thrilled!!! 🏀
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Shaquille O'Neal continues to give back ... this time the Big Fella refurbished a basketball court at a Boys & Girls Club in Los Angeles, and then spent the afternoon hangin' with the kids, and they were over the moon!
TMZ Sports was there at the BGC of Metro LA when the Hall of Famer, local officials, and Icy Hot (Shaq's longtime partner) reps opened the Comebaq Court ... an initiative launched by the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation which aims to fix courts and fields for kids across the country.
"I came here one time and I saw the court need to be refurbished," O'Neal told us on Thursday, adding, "I asked about the refurbish. They told me 'yes' and this is the result."
"If we can help one, if we can help 100, we can help 'em all"
FYI, this is Shaq's fifth Comebaq Court to date ... he also has fixed up courts in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, in addition to several other places like Atlanta, Miami, and Las Vegas, where he's spent significant time.
And, there's more to come.
O'Neal may get most of the credit from the media, but Shaq is quick to recognize his less-famous partners who made this possible, including Icy Hot and various counselors who helped contribute.
"Those counselors, the one who volunteers every day, they actually should get most of the credit," Shaq said.
"If you need computers, you need laptops, fresh paint -- then you call Uncle Shaq."
The NBA legend made nearly $300 million over his 19-year career in NBA salary money alone. That's not counting all of the endorsements, and lucrative business moves O'Neal has made during and after his basketball playing days.
So, he's got the money, but this is about much more than writing a check. Shaq cares about the kids' well-being ... and that's awesome. At the end of the day, it's things like this that make Shaq one of the most lovable athletes of all time.
With the holidays coming up, we asked the 51-year-old what he was doing for Turkey Day... and in true Shaquille fashion he told us ... "I don't do anything in my house."
"I try to feed homeless families."
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Joe Burrow Out For Season ... After Suffering Wrist Injury
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UPDATE
12:22 PM -- Joe Burrow just met with media members to discuss the injury ... and he said he felt "a pop" while he was throwing the touchdown pass to Joe Mixon.
As for the brace he had on his hand when he landed in Baltimore earlier this week, he told reporters it was simply a compression sleeve to keep some of his other "bumps and bruises" in check.
"This is a completely different thing," he said.
Burrow added that he's planning to still be around the team the rest of the year despite being out for the remainder of the season.
The Cincinnati Bengals will have to try to win a Super Bowl this season without Joe Burrow.
The team just announced its star quarterback suffered a significant wrist injury that will keep him from playing the rest of this year.
According to Cincy head coach Zac Taylor, Burrow appeared to sustain the ailment just before throwing a touchdown pass to Joe Mixon in the second quarter of the team's Thursday Night Football game against the Ravens.
Burrow tried to play through the pain ... but cameras inside of M&T Bank Stadium showed he just simply couldn't grip a football -- and sat out the rest of the contest, which the Bengals lost, 34-20.
Joe Burrow trying to throw pic.twitter.com/04F1zc7HH0
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) November 17, 2023 @cjzero
Taylor said his 26-year-old star will "likely" need surgery to fix the issue.
The team, meanwhile, could find itself in hot water over it all ... as the NFL is reportedly investigating whether or not the Bengals knew about a potential problem with Burrow's wrist leading up to the big "TNF" matchup.
Burrow was seen getting off the team plane in Baltimore wearing some kind of brace on his hand -- yet he was not listed on the team's injury report heading into the game.
Regardless, losing Burrow is obviously a huge blow for Cincinnati ... as the signal-caller is widely considered one of the five best quarterbacks in the game right now.
The Bengals -- now 5-5 -- will turn to Burrow's backup, Jake Browning, to try to save their season.
Originally Published -- 11:45 AM PT
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David Corenswet Getting Jacked for 'Superman: Legacy' Gym'n It Up for the Tights!!!
The guy who's been tapped to play Superman in the new installment has looked a bit gangly and awkward to some since his casting was announced ... but not anymore.
David Corenswet -- who's playing the Man of Steel in James Gunn's forthcoming 'Superman: Legacy' -- got snapped in a gym pic by fitness trainer Paolo Mascitti ... who's apparently working with DC to get him nice and hunky for the titular role.
Based on what we can see here ... their regimen is working, 'cause Dave's looking swoll!
You don't see the guy's face here -- but you can definitely get a sense of how his body's shaping up ... and he certainly looks a bit more Superman-ly now. It's a bit of a 180 from what we saw earlier this summer, when Dave hit the beach and bared his hot dad bod.
There was certainly nothing wrong with what he was working with then -- especially below the equator -- but let's just say ... he wasn't nearly as muscled out as he is right now.
Now that Dave seems to have the Clark Kent physique down ... it would appear he's checking all the boxes fans of the franchise want to see in their Superman. He definitely has the face and hair department on lock -- not to mention height -- and now ... he's ripped too.
Time will tell what he ultimately looks like in the blue and red suit ... but this is a sign things are headed in the right direction. Filming for 'Superman: Legacy' is set to get underway in Spring 2024 ... and the flick's being released in Summer 2025.
Henry Cavill ... eat your heart out!
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50 CENT Avoids Criminal Charge for Throwing Mic
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50 Cent is in the clear, for now, for chucking a microphone into the crowd during his L.A. show back in August ... an incident that left a spectator with multiple lacerations to her head and face.
Power 106 radio host Bryhana Monegain filed a police report following the incident on August 30 ... and cops originally presented the case to the L.A. County D.A. as a felony -- but the D.A.'s Office later kicked it to the L.A. City Attorney's office.
Now, the City Attorney's office tells TMZ no criminal charges have been filed against the 48-year-old rapper, and won't be filed as long as he keeps his nose clean.
We're told the case will remain open for 1 year from the date of the incident ... and it could be re-evaluated for possible criminal charges should there be any further incidents between 50 and Bryhana.
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This all started when 50 Cent performed at L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena, and video showed him angrily throwing his mic into the crowd ... and it smashed Bryhana in the forehead so badly, she needed medical assistance.
There were technical issues during the concert, and 50 was pissed about the mic malfunctioning. His lawyer Scott Leemon told us 50 would "never intentionally strike anyone with a microphone."
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Coach USA Bus Co. Class Action Suit Withdrawn ... After Israel Dust-Up
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update
11/21 -- 10:05 AM PT -- The class action lawsuit against Coach USA has been voluntarily withdrawn.
12:11 PM PT -- Colin Emberson, VP of Commercial for Coach USA tells TMZ ... "We have become aware of an incident that took place on Tuesday, November 14 wherein charter customers from another bus company were left stranded on their way to a rally in Washington, DC. Coach USA was not in any way involved in this incident. In fact, Coach USA successfully carried passengers on 74 charter buses from New Jersey and Maryland to the rally on Tuesday as planned."
A bus company is being taken to court after allegedly failing to deliver on its contract to transport protesters trying to get to the March for Israel rally after its drivers refused to drive them ... and the plaintiff is claiming it's owed damages for religious discrimination.
A guy named Doron Orbach is suing Coach USA in a class action lawsuit, alleging violations of several federal anti-discrimination laws -- including the Civil Rights Act -- that he claims Coach is liable in connection with his attempt to get folks to the D.C. protest in support of Israel.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Orbach -- who's Jewish and Israeli -- says the Israeli American Council had booked buses through Coach to transport upwards of 900 individuals that day to go from various pickup points across the East Coast ... and to pull up for the march in D.C.
But Orbach claims Coach never picked up these folks like they were scheduled to -- and he alleges it was all due to a coordinated effort on the part of its drivers/employees refusing to do the job based on their "discriminatory animus" towards Jewish people.
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The lawsuit says that multiple Coach bus drivers staged a "sick out" that day as a way to avoid picking up these hundreds of people ... a majority of whom, Orbach says, were Jewish or of Israeli origin.
As a result of this alleged discrimination ... Orbach claims his civil and human rights were violated -- as were those of everyone else who missed the rally as a result. Orbach says Coach knew or should have known about the possibility of its drivers backing out and failed to take measures to prevent it ... and it suing for unspecified damages.
Originally Published -- 11/17 10:17 AM PT
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Drake Wassup Now, Pusha T??? Calls Him 'Broke Ass' on New EP!!!
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Drake has a few jabs left to throw Pusha T's way, and didn't hesitate to unleash 'em on his new "Scary Hours" drop ... the deluxe edition of "For All The Dogs."
On "Wick Man," produced by The Alchemist, Drake avenges his longtime friend/producer Noah "OVO 40" Shebib. Remember, back in 2018, Pusha released "The Story of Adidon" on which he dissed 40's multiple sclerosis disorder with no remorse.
Drake ripped into Pusha using the same cadence the Clipse rapper once used to diss him, and added some slander of his bank account -- “Man, I remember n****s was joking ’bout some tick, tick/ And now that rapper broke as f***, that boy a statistic ... empty clips.”
Pusha rapped "tick, tick" to describe the clock that was supposed to spell out 40's demise on 'Adidon' ... his venomous diss that also spilled the beans on Drake having a son.
"Wick Man" marks Drake's 2nd Pusha snipe this year -- he also called him out on Travis Scott's hit "Utopia" album, and invited him to pull up on his 'Blur' Tour ... but Pusha's been noticeably quiet, even when Jim Jones got at him.
Pusha's quietness probably won't last for long though ... that's a lot of sticks and stones in his direction.
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Floyd Mayweather Boxing J. Gotti III Rematch Of June Fight That Ended W/ Brawl!
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Floyd Mayweather's returning to the boxing ring to take care of some unfinished business ... the legendary fighter is taking on John Gotti III in Las Vegas over Super Bowl weekend in February, a rematch of their '23 fight that ended in chaos!
TMZ Sports is told the event will happen around Super Sunday (February 11 in Sin City) and will be headlined by 46-year-old Mayweather vs. 31-year-old Gotti III.
Floyd, 50-0, is one of the greatest fighters to ever put on a pair of gloves. Gotti III, grandson of the legendary Gambino family crime boss, John Gotti, was originally an MMA fighter (5-1), who eventually got into boxing (2-0).
The rest of the card will be anchored by Floyd's Mayweather Promotions fighters.
Of course, Floyd and John have history. Back in June, they boxed at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida ... but the bout was called in the sixth round after a bunch of holding and other shenanigans in the ring.
Although the fight was technically stopped by ref Kenny Bayless, it was just the beginning of the fighting ... as mayhem erupted inside the squared circle, and outside of it, too.
In fact, Joseline Hernandez and Big Lex were seen scrapping.
Order was eventually restored ... and reps for the fighters spoke and peaced things up.
Now, the men are set to battle again ... during what was already one of the biggest weeks in all of sports.
And, to make sure there isn't a repeat of the first fight, we're told there are clauses in the contracts that could trigger a financial fine if anyone gets out of line.
The fight, a pay-per-view event airing on Zeus network, will be promoted by Mayweather Promotions, along with partner Hidden Empire Films!
The exact date, time and location have not yet been announced.
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'Big Brother' Winner Jun Song Son Was Ill w/ Meningitis ... Starts GoFundMe Over Sky-High Bill
Jun Song, the winner of 'Big Brother' Season 4, has been facing every mother's worst nightmare after her son fell seriously ill ... and she's asking the public for help.
The former reality TV star recently revealed that her little boy, Noah, has had a lengthy stay at a hospital lately ... all over a meningitis diagnosis that took its toll and left him in a medical bed for nearly two weeks.
After sharing an image of her 11-year-old hooked up to a hospital ventilator, Song has now sought out financial assistance on GoFundMe ... emotionally reflecting on Noah falling ill with what she thought was the flu -- but which turned out to be mycoplasma pneumoniae that spiraled into the deadly viral infection.
She says the slowest hours of her life were watching him lose consciousness and lay in the children's ICU, where she had no idea if he'd be left with permanent brain damage or whether he'd even wake up.
Song says it took 11 days for Noah to return to everyday tasks, such as going to the bathroom and eating solid food ... and while it sounds like he's been released, their family isn't out of the woods just yet.
As a result of all the work that was done on Noah ... his mom says there's a massive bill she has to deal with -- and her insurance doesn't cover a majority of it. As a single mom, she's now trying to raise money to help with her tab.
Jun explains she always knew life would be hard but didn't expect the avalanches of hardships tossed her way ... and after years of helping others, hopes to be on the receiving end of assistance during this challenging time.
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Kanye West References Sex w/ 'Jewish Bitch' ... In New Saudi Song Snippet
Kanye West seems to think that him hooking up with a Jewish woman absolves him on his antisemitic past -- at least that's what we can glean from this new song snippet that leaked.
There's a clip floating around online right now that appears to show a guy listening to Ye playing a track super loudly in the distance -- this as he continues to work on his new Ty Dolla $ign album out in the Middle East ... where this footage was recorded.
The video and audio were recorded by a content creator who goes by @mansorash on IG -- in a couple different recordings, you can hear a song that features Ye rapping ... "I just f***** a Jewish bitch," which comes right after something to the effect of "How can I be antisemitic?"
So, basically ... Ye's rhetorically asking in this new track of his -- how can I be antisemitic if I just banged this Jewish chick ... which is problematic, and doesn't wash anything away.
Based on what's filmed here ... it appears Ye and co. have rented a giant tent out there in Alula, Saudi Arabia -- where this influencer snapped KW and his not-so-secret campground.
On the face of it, Kanye's working on music for this delayed album, but the fact he's blasting his stuff in the desert is clearly pissing off the locals and others that are visiting the area -- evidenced in this guy playfully telling Ye to pipe down and that they're trying to sleep.
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Of course, the fact he continues to reference Jewish people -- even after last year's debacle where he straight-up praised Hitler -- is astonishing. Sounds like the dude hasn't learned his lesson, and he's doubling down.
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GQ's Men of the Year Crawling with Hot Female Celebs ... This Is a Woman's World!!!
GQ's Men of the Year party is supposed to be a nod to the notable fellas in the industry -- but if you took a quick look at their shindig last night ... you'd swear it was ladies' night!
The men's magazine threw its annual bash Thursday night in L.A. -- marking the U.S. version of their MOTY Awards, following the UK get-together across the pond Wednesday -- and as you can imagine ... the place was crawling with beautiful famous faces.
Yes, there were guys there obviously ... including some of the honorees, like Jacob Elordi, James Marsden, Travis Scott, Dwyane Wade, Tom Ford, John Legend, MGK and more.
They all looked great, getting dressed up and throwing on their best blue steel -- but it was the women who truly stunned inside.
Some of the lovely gals who showed up and showed out included Kim K, Megan Fox, Megan Thee Stallion, Paris Hilton, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde, Winnie Harlow, Chloe Bailey and Dua Lipa ... just to name a few.
Of course, no one is griping about having the ladies attend -- who wouldn't enjoy their company -- but there has been some side-eye this year over the fact that quite a few women are being mixed in as winners, etc.
It goes without saying, though ... there's room for all, and sometimes -- even a woman can be the man. Let's hear it for the ladies and gents of GQ -- they left their mark, big time.