The Bounce-Back Stripper My Next Career Move ... Sexy Food Critic!!!

WINGIN' IT
TMZ.com

Genea Sky -- the exotic dancer who came crashing down from a 15-foot stripper pole and kept twerking -- has her eyes on a new life after stripping ... she wants to critique food!!!

As you know, Genea says her stripping days are over after her super-scary plunge at a Texas strip club ... and now she's champing at the bit to become a food critic ... but she's gotta heal up from her injuries first, because her jaw is still wired shut!

Genea tells us she's ready and willing to sample anything edible ... but she says she's a chicken wing connoisseur and she's also got a thing for tacos and sushi.

THE HORRIFIC FALL

The hardest part of being on the mend, Genea says, is being unable to eat her favorite foods ... and she's got another 3 weeks of getting her meals through a straw.

Genea says she's got the appetite of a football player and she's making her pitch to turn her food critic dream into a reality.

Bon appetit!!!

Jetman Dubai Pilot Debuts Insane New Jetpack ... Iron Man, Anyone???

READY FOR TAKEOFF
XDubai

Just when you thought technology couldn't get any crazier, Dubai turns the corner in the jetpack game ... and their latest gizmo's got us thinking superheroes here.

The Crown Prince, Hamdan Mohammed, linked to a video Monday morning showing off a sweet flight path taken by pilot Vince Reffe --- referred to as Jetman Dubai -- who flies around the city with an incredibly advanced jetpack that lets him zip around like Iron Man.

Check it out ... the dude doesn't just hover (which we've seen before). He actually reaches high-level altitudes here -- supposedly, as much as 1,800 meters in the air. And, BTW, this thing is pretty damn fast ... he reached these heights in a matter of seconds.

Not only that, but the pilot even does some light aerobatics up there before eventually using a parachute to come safely back down. There's a GoPro-like camera attached to the wings of the jetpack, so you get an up-close-and-personal look at his journey. It's wild.

So, real question ... are we all just living in a Marvel movie now?

Drew Carey Ex-Fiancee Murdered

Drew Carey's ex-fiancee, Dr. Amie Harwick, has been murdered after cops say an ex-boyfriend attacked her and caused her to fall from a third-story balcony.

Law enforcement sources say they got a call early Saturday morning of a woman screaming in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood. Cops were met in the street by Harwick's roommate, who said she was being assaulted inside her home.

We're told once officers attempted to get inside Harwick's home, they found her unresponsive underneath a third-story balcony, with injuries consistent with a fall. Harwick was taken to a hospital where she later died from her injuries.

Cops say evidence suggested there was forced entry and a struggle inside Harwick's home before she was discovered. Investigators located surveillance footage in the neighborhood and determined the suspect was a white male dressed in black.

Detectives learned Harwick had recently expressed concerns about an ex-boyfriend -- who she once had a restraining order against -- causing her harm. Cops say the restraining order ended just two weeks ago and Harwick had recently seen the ex.

Cops arrested the ex, Gareth Pursehouse, Saturday afternoon and booked him for murder.

Drew and Harwick started dating in 2017 and announced their engagement in early 2018. However, they split less than a year later.

The Beatles LOVE Rope Stunt Goes Terribly Wrong ... Show Ends Early

A super scary moment went down during a Sunday night showing of The Beatles LOVE in Las Vegas ... when one of the stunt performers took a nasty fall.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a member of the Cirque du Soleil team was injured during the show at The Mirage and transported to a hospital. Fortunately, we're told the performer suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Could have been much worse, according to witnesses, who say a male LOVE performer was doing a rope stunt at a very great height when he lost control and fell. Those in the crowd described the incident as "shocking," "just awful" and "traumatizing."

Immediately after the fall, the show was stopped due to the medical situation and the audience was asked to leave. We're told the fall happened near the end of the show.

We don't know which song they were performing at the time, but the show is packed with incredible acrobatics set to Beatles hits. It's been one of the most popular shows on the strip since opening in 2006.

A rep for the show tells us the show stopped "as a precautionary measure and in accordance with our emergency response protocols."

They continue, "As always in the case of an accident, the artist will continue to be monitored by the show's medical and coaching teams to determine when he can return to his activities."

Originally Published -- 7:20 AM PT

Kim and Kanye Courtside for Kobe Tribute ... at NBA All-Star Game

The Kobe Bryant tributes were AMAZING at the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night ... and some of the biggest stars in the world were front and center for all of the emotional moments.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West sat courtside at the United Center in Chicago -- surrounded by stars like Cardi B, Chris Tucker, Ludacris, Offset, Chance The Rapper, Chadwick Boseman and more!

There's more ... a LOT more -- Fat Joe, Bad Bunny, Ninja, Spike Lee, Jeff Ross, Common, Tiffany Haddish and Jon Stewart were all on hand to watch Team LeBron take on Team Giannis.

But, the show started BEFORE tip-off when Chicago-native Jennifer Hudson performed an incredible tribute to Kobe ... with a beautiful video montage in the background.

One of the cooler tributes at the game was a Kobe tribute video with music by Dr. Dre. The video was created by 23-year-old director Gibson Hazard and Jackson Bannon ... and honestly, it's pretty amazing stuff.

MAMBA FOREVER
NBA

As we previously reported, the NBA renamed the All-Star Game MVP award after Kobe ... and Kawhi Leonard became the first person to take home the Mamba-inspired honor.

After the game, Leonard told the crowd, "This one's for him."

Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, Jan. 26 -- along with 7 other people.

A public memorial is scheduled to take place at Staples Center in L.A. on Feb. 24.

Damon Dash My Ex is a Fraud!!! Sues Rachel Roy for Cut of Fashion Biz

Damon Dash says his ex-wife, Rachel Roy, has been hiding stacks of cash that are rightfully his -- the fruits of her fashion company's labors -- so he's suing her for fraud.

Dame is pissed off about the Rachel Roy Brands of clothes -- which include several lines Rachel sells in Bloomingdales and similar department stores. In his suit, he says the company is FLUSH ... earning profits in the millions each year. His issue is his cut of that pie.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Dame claims Rachel conspired with several other companies involved in keeping RRB afloat ... to hide the amount of money that was due to go in Dame's pockets.

He's pretty colorful and complete with his allegations, claiming they "manipulated, diverted, misappropriated, transferred, concealed and embezzled funds."

Rachel and co. allegedly submitted fraudulent accounting, withheld payments, and undervalued Damon's share of RRB. Dame says he was an original member of Rachel's company when she formed it in 2008 -- they were still married then -- and as such he's entitled to royalties.

Far as Dame can tell, the alleged shell game with his money started in 2014 when a royalty payment of $175,000 was withheld. He claims that happened again in 2015 with a $200,000 check.

In the suit, Damon says he had a verbal agreement with Rachel that she would re-purchase his interest in RRB for $1 million -- but she reneged with no explanation.

He's not only suing Rachel, her companies and more than a handful of others -- accountants, lawyers and such -- he claims conspired against him.

As for how much? Dame says they need to open up the books, so he can see exactly what he's owed.

Tyrann Mathieu Joe Burrow Won't Spurn Bengals ... In 2020 NFL Draft

GRIDIRON GAB
TMZSports.com

Breathe easy, Bengals fans ... Tyrann Mathieu says Joe Burrow will NOT spurn Cincy at the 2020 NFL Draft, and will happily play for the team if it picks him No. 1 overall in April!!

"Me just knowing him for the last couple years," the Honey Badger tells TMZ Sports, "He's super competitive ... he knows he can be the guy."

There are A LOT of rumors surrounding Burrow and the Bengals ... with some indicating the Heisman Trophy winner might refuse to play in Cincy if it picks him at the top of the draft.

In fact, ex-Bengals star Carson Palmer seemed to advise Joe to do exactly that in an interview with CBS Sports last month ... saying he doesn't believe Bengals ownership truly wants to win a Super Bowl.

Of course, the move wouldn't be unprecedented ... Eli Manning famously balked when the San Diego Chargers picked him in 2004 -- leading to an eventual trade to the NY Giants.

But, when we got Tyrann -- a former LSU superstar who's become bros with Burrow the past couple years -- at Mr. Chow in L.A. this week ... he told us don't bet on Joe pulling the same trick.

"I think he'll have a great opportunity to kind of help, hopefully, Cincinnati change things around as a franchise," Mathieu says.

There's more ... the Chiefs superstar also spoke with us about who his favorite non-Patrick Mahomes QB is -- and his answer might surprise you.

And, Mathieu even talked about LSU's stacked secondary ... and which Tigers prospect he thinks will be the next big NFL star.

Harriet Tubman Debit Card Spikes Bank Numbers ... What Controversy?!? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The bank under fire for its Harriet Tubman debit card design says its sales are the only thing on fire ... 'cause new and old customers are clamoring for the new debit card.

We're told OneUnited Bank -- claiming to be America's largest black-owned bank -- is seeing exponentially larger volume than usual after debuting the Harriet Tubman card. We're told the bank is seeing 10x their normal volume in terms of bank account sign-ups, account holders requesting to switch to the new debit card design and banking inquiries.

It's only been 72 hours ... but OneUnited knows when they've got a huge winner 'cause they saw similar numbers back in 2016 after partnering with Killer Mike's #BankBlack movement.

The goal back then? Move money to black-owned banks. OneUnited claims more than $50 million in deposits was moved to black-owned banks across the country. This time around, OneUnited feels it's got a hit on its hands based on the early numbers.

As we reported ... OneUnited caught flak for the design but its president, Teri Williams, doubled down and said the bank stood behind its Tubman design. She added the bank is "unapologetically black" ... so expect the card to stick around for a while.

Dudley on 'Diff'rent Strokes' 'Memba Him?!

New York native Shavar Malik Ross was only 8 years old when he landed the role of the adopted best buddy, Dudley Johnson, in the long-running classic '70s and '80s television show, "Diff'rent Strokes."

Shavar Ross was cast alongside some other great actors including Conrad Bain as the millionaire father figure, Philip Drummond, Todd Bridges as the big brother, Willis ... and of course Gary Coleman as hilarious Arnold.

Shavar can also be spotted on "Family Matters" as Weasel, "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" as Noah and "Friday the 13th: A New Beginning" as Reggie.

Guess what he looks like now at 48 years old!

'Recess' Voice Actor Jason Davis Dead at 35

Jason "Gummi Bear" Davis -- who voiced Mikey Blumberg on "Recess" for years -- has reportedly died.

The voice actor -- who's also the grandson of the late Hollywood billionaire mogul Marvin Davis and Barbara Davis -- passed away Sunday in Los Angeles ... according to a family statement provided to THR. The circumstances around his death are unclear for now.

Jason's mother, Nancy Rickel, tells the outlet ... "I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles."

She goes on to add, "Jason had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life. He was such a caring soul to everybody who ever knew him. He loved his friends and his family above all else. We ask for privacy as we take time to grieve this most devastating loss."

Jason had struggled with addiction in the past, appearing on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" in 2010. Since then, however, he was said to have been working on his recovery and even co-founded a charity called Cure Addiction Now. He was heavily involved in running it.

When it comes to acting, Jason had starred in several other shows and movies besides "Recess" -- for which he served as the voice of Mikey since the '90s and in pretty much all the spin-off movies that followed. He also made appearances in "7th Heaven," "Roseanne," "Dave's World," "Beverly Hills Ninja," "Rush Hour," "Mafia!," "The Bathroom Diaries," "The Locusts," "The Crude Oasis" and more.

He's survived by his parents and his four siblings.

Jason was 35.

RIP

Van Jones Dwyane's Brave for Supporting Zaya ... Other Parents Will Follow

LEADING BY EXAMPLE
TMZ.com

Van Jones says Dwyane Wade is setting a good example for other parents when it comes to his kid, Zaya ...  and he's sure more and more families will follow suit.

We got the CNN host out in Chicago this weekend and asked him to weigh-in on Dwyane revealing this child wanted to identify as a female, and change her name from Zion to Zaya. Check it out ... Van says it was a brave thing to do, and it'll have a ripple effect.

He basically explains that someone of D-Wade's stature coming out in support gives other parents a permission structure to do the same with their own kids who might be in a similar situation. So, in other words, Van thinks Dwyane's actions will carry over beyond right now.

And by that, he means less suicides, less self-hatred ... and a lot more love and acceptance.

MEET ZAYA

Nobody seems to have been as well-spoken about the subject than Zaya herself, who said she wants to be a role model to others. Dwyane captured the pep talk, and it's clear ... she's a smart cookie.

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry California Dreamin' Back in Canada ... 1st Pic Together, All Smiles

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have finally surfaced after all the drama from Megxit, and it looks like they couldn't be happier.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were photographed together on Valentine's Day (sans Archie) which is the first time in a long time they've been seen together since the Royal fracas across the pond. Now, they're all smiles in the Great White North ... probably for good reason.

According to reports, Meg and Har were just out here in Cali -- and possibly other states -- for about a week. One stop they made was at Stanford, where they met with professors to discuss a new charity they're starting, presumably in partnership with the university.

If they were in NorCal, you gotta imagine the couple came on down to SoCal as well -- which is where Meghan lived for several years, and where her mom currently stays too.

It would seem the little vacay's got them in a good mood -- good enough to carry off their own luggage to boot. Swing by anytime, PH and MM -- we'd love to have you 😎

Justin Bieber Finally-Time-to-Shave-February Bye Bye, Selleck Stache!!!

I WILL REMEMBER YOU

Justin Bieber is going through changes -- and one of them just happened on his face.

The singer posted video Sunday showing himself taking an electric razor to his mustache, which he's been rocking proudly for a minute now. Unclear why he decided to get rid of the epic stache, but his follicle fans shouldn't panic. JB says it'll be back in due time.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

In the videos, Justin shows off a cool feature on Instagram Stories -- being able to embed snippets of songs and having the lyrics superimpose over your uploaded clip. For the stache shaving, the Biebs went with a few solid "goodbye"-themed tunes. Quite fitting.

He chose the Rolling Stones' "Miss You," Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone," 'NSYNC's "Gone," and of course ... Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack." Good taste in music.

He also showed off his freshly shaven mug, calling himself "Baby face Bieb." Yeah, he does look younger -- facial hair has that kinda magic. BTW, his wife, Hailey, seems to dig it. She responded to his post with a 😍  emoji, so the missus is happy. Good move.

Until we meet again, young Selleck 👋🏽

President Trump Attends Daytona 500 ... Lemme Get In One of These Things!!!

WHEN'S MY TURN?
FOX

President Trump is pretty stoked to be at the Daytona 500 --  so much so, in fact, he might even get behind the wheel himself and zoom off into the night. Settle down, Donnie.

45's down in Florida right now taking in the annual NASCAR race with the First Lady, Melania, and while talking to a FOX Sports reporter, he made it clear he wants to drive again. It's funny and actually kinda interesting ... DT can't really do that anymore, huh?

In a somewhat rambling response, Trump calls Daytona "the great American race," going on to say he stopped by because he sees it as "almost a patriotism kind of thing." Well said!

Trump also gave a shout-out to the drivers, saying it takes great courage to drive in such a beast of a vehicle. Sounds like he wants to take one for a spin, actually -- joking he might hop in one himself and "get in this race." He won't, obviously, but imagine if he did 😅.

Another humorous moment during POTUS's Daytona day out -- he made sure to point out where exactly God is to the people listening to his opening remarks to kick off the event.

He's up in the sky, apparently. Thanks for the reminder, Mr. President.

'Love Island' Host Caroline Flack Dies by Suicide at Age 40 ... Weeks Before Assault Trial

UPDATE

1:10 PM PT -- 2/16 -- Caroline's boyfriend, Lewis Burton, has spoken out in the wake of her death ... and he sounds heartbroken over the loss.

UPDATE

The tennis player took to IG, writing ... "My heart is broken we had something so special," going on to say he knows she always felt safe with him and seemingly showing regret for not being able to be there for her.

UPDATE

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

UPDATE

He finishes by saying, "I will be your voice baby I promise I will ask all the questions you wanted and I will get all the answers nothing will bring you back but I will try make you proud everyday."

UPDATE

Lewis is the one Caroline was accused of attacking.

Former 'Love Island' host and well-known UK personality Caroline Flack died in her home this weekend after taking her own life -- this just weeks before she was set to go to trial.

The longtime reality TV presenter was found dead Saturday in her London apartment -- which her family confirmed in a statement to the British press. A family spokesman says, "We can confirm that our Caroline passed away today on the 15th of February. We would ask that the press both respect the privacy of the family at this difficult time."

Sky News reports Flack had killed herself, citing an attorney for the TV star.

Caroline was set to face a judge on March 4, pertaining to an assault case she was fighting there across the pond. Her tennis star boyfriend, Lewis Burton, had accused her of attacking him with a lamp at their home -- for which she was charged and pled not guilty.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

In December, she had stepped down from her 'Love Island' hosting role and was keeping a low profile, out of the public eye. On Instagram, however, she doubled down on her proclaimed innocence, and vowed not to be silenced and to keep living her life.

Several famous British TV presenters and hosts expressed shock over news of her death. Several people say the British press treated her harshly and unfairly -- criticizing the sympathetic tone several outlets and papers are taking today upon her death.

Besides 'LI,' Caroline had an extensive on-camera resume ... having appeared as a guest, panelist, judge and presenter on shows like 'Big Brother,' 'X Factor,' "Celebrity Juice," "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!," "Britain's Got More Talent," 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,' "Viral Tap," "Loose Women," "Sunday Brunch," "Strictly Come Dancing" and more.

She was 40.

RIP

Originally Published -- 2/15 11:05 AM PT

Ugandan Disney Actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa Dead at 15 Had Brain Tumor in 2016

Nikita Pearl Waligwa -- a young actress who starred in a Ugandan Disney movie about a chess prodigy -- has reportedly died ... this after battling health issues a few years earlier.

According to the Ugandan news outlet, The Daily Monitor, Nikita recently passed away. While they don't say exactly how, the paper seems to link her death to a 2016 diagnosis ... which found she had a tumor in her brain. Unclear if she was fighting full-blown cancer.

Even more tragic ... the Monitor says a funding campaign was started for Nikita to get treatment in India, because local doctors were quoted as not having the proper equipment.

As for her acting career, it appears she only starred in the one Disney flick, "Queen of Katwe," playing a friend of the actual chess prodigy, Phiona Mutesi. It also featured Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo -- the film's got a great Rotten Tomatoes score, critics loved it.

Nikita was only 15 years old.

RIP

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