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Bill Maher's show Friday night has stirred up a hornet's nest of controversy, after journalist and author Bari Weiss explained why she's "over COVID," and how current restrictions represent a "moral crime."

Weiss and Maher railed on COVID restrictions ... talking about the nonsensical restrictions in restaurants ... you can eat and talk and laugh with others maskless, but when you walk to the bathroom you have to wear a mask.

She also maintained liberals are with her, but are afraid to speak out for fear their critics will label them anti-vaxxers and Trumpers.

Some doctors have lashed out at Weiss, calling her irresponsible and uninformed, noting thousands of people are still dying from COVID.

There are some doctors who have been more sympathetic to Weiss' argument, saying you can follow the science and at the same time weigh the science against the risks of isolation and other restrictions ... especially when it comes to in-class learning.

A Connecticut man got thrown into jail after he lost it at a smoothie store -- where he was recorded going on a racist tirade against the employees ... not to mention getting physical.

48-year-old James Iannazzo was arrested Saturday in Fairfield, CT and got booked on charges of intimidation based on bias, breach of peace and criminal trespass ... this according to local reports.

Iannazzo is said to have purchased a smoothie from a Robeks, only to return 30 minutes later in a rage after claiming his kid had an allergic reaction due to someone putting peanuts in their drink ... and the guy wanted to know which of the workers was responsible.

Part of the interaction was captured on camera. The one employee initially dealing with him says she's not sure how it happened, and then Iannazzo starts to accuse the other workers in the back. As the girl walks away, he throws his drink at them from behind the counter.

A second employee gets in his face (from a distance) and tells him to scram, and that they're calling the police. That's when he calls her an "immigrant," and continues to insult them.

Iannazzo also appears to try and breach the employee-only entrance, and the workers scramble to block the door to prevent him from coming in -- this while he demands to speak to a manager and continues yelling. It's scary ... and in the end, he was busted.

Word is, this guy was a financial advisor for a local Merrill Lynch branch -- and as soon as he was ID'd, the company canned him ... saying they don't tolerate that type of behavior.

It's been three weeks since Antonio Brown's breakup with the Bucs, but he's still clearly not over it -- 'cause he trolled the hell out of his old team after its playoff loss Sunday.

Just minutes after the Rams took down Tom Brady with a last-second field goal at Raymond James Stadium ... AB took to Twitter to rub salt in the wound.

Brown posted an edited picture from his shirtless temper tantrum at MetLife Stadium earlier this month ... showing him holding a sign that said: "Bucs eliminated."

He captioned the pic with a crying emoji, and the words, "ICant."

Brown has had big beef with the Bucs ever since the meltdown during the Jets game ... accusing Bruce Arians and the team of trying to force him to play on a badly injured ankle.

Brown's departure got so messy, he actually shaded Brady following the whole ordeal.

But, it seemed Brown had been moving on -- he told TMZ Sports last week he and Brady had hashed out their issues ... and he also admitted to photogs recently that his shirtless rant was not very professional.

R. Kelly's former manager, James Mason, agreed to stay away from R. Kelly's girlfriend, her dad and their family for good ... as a result, his terroristic threats case was dismissed.

A spokesperson for the Henry County D.A.'s office, tells TMZ ... the case against Mr. Mason was dismissed last month in exchange for him agreeing to a permanent protective order that prohibits him from having any contact with Kelly's girlfriend, her father, and their family.

In addition, the spokesperson tells us the victim also signed a permanent protective order not to contact Mason.

As we reported, Joycelyn Savage's father told us ... Mason called him back in 2018 and threatened him, saying ... "I'm gonna do harm to you and your family, when I see you I'm gonna get you, I'm going to f***ing kill you."

An arrest warrant was issued for felony terroristic threats and Mason eventually turned himself in. He was released on a $10k bond, and now we've learned the case is a thing of the past.

As you know, Kelly's GF Joycelyn has stuck by his side and adamantly denied she's being held against her will, but her parents believe that is not the case. For years, they say she has been brainwashed and have tried to get her to come home.

Conor McGregor's return to the Octagon likely isn't that far away ... according to UFC President Dana White, who tells TMZ Sports he expects the Irish superstar to fight this summer.

We recently asked White ... do you believe Conor will fight this year after healing up from the devastating injury.

"I think so, yeah," Dana told us. "He's doing all the right things with his leg. I'm hoping he can come back this summer."

Of course, 33-year-old McGregor hasn't stepped foot competitively in the cage since snapping his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

Injury aside, The Notorious -- a former UFC double champion -- has lost 3 of his last 4 fights ... including the last 2 to The Diamond.

Conor is currently ranked 9th in the UFC's Lightweight division ... behind fighters like champ Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Tony Ferguson, to name a few.

We also talked to the UFC honcho about the barn-burner of a scrap between Calvin Kattar and Giga Chikadze ... a fight the #5 ranked striker from Boston won by unanimous decision.

So, what's next for Kattar? Dana doesn't know just yet, but makes it clear Calvin is in a prime position.

Thierry Mugler -- an iconic French fashion designer -- has died ... this according to his team.

An Instagram on Mugler's official page went up Sunday with the tragic news. It was a photo of nothing but a blank square, with the caption ... "#RIP We are devastated to announce the passing of Mr Manfred Thierry Mugler on Sunday January 23rd 2022. May his soul Rest In Peace." The same message was repeated in French as well.

No word on a cause of death, but his passing seems sudden and unexpected -- as he didn't appear to be ill or battling any known ailments.

As you can imagine, the tributes started to pour almost instantly ... especially from folks in the fashion world, who knew Mugler well from his decades-long work and influence in the industry.

It goes without saying ... Mugler has dressed some of the biggest names in the game, including Kim Kardashian -- whom he actually graced with an outfit of his during the 2019 Met Gala, this after he'd officially retired -- plus a plethora of other models and stars.

His extravagant designs have been fan-faves among celebs like Lady Gaga, Cardi B, Jerry Hall, Beyonce, Katy Perry, Rihanna, David Bowie, George Michael, Linda Evangelista, Demi Moore, Megan Fox, Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Cindy Crawford, Tyra Banks, Sharon Stone, Diana Ross, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Robin Wright, Bella Hadid ... and many others.

All of them have donned Mugler-designed getups at one point or another, be it on the red carpet, on the runway ... or on stage. The guy's work touched at least 3 different decades of fashion -- and he was absolutely beloved among Hollywood's finest.

In addition to his clothing contributions, Mugler also left his mark in the fragrance biz ... with a diverse line of perfumes that are still best sellers to this day.

He was 73.

O.J. Simpson's post-parole life is starting out in the Sunshine State, it seems, because there's been a Juice sighting in Florida ... and wouldn't you know it, the guy's at a bar!

The disgraced NFL-er caught the Bucs-Rams matchup Sunday at a place called Bo's Pub in Ft. Lauderdale ... where he was taking in the game, and apparently some drinks too. In photos obtained by TMZ, you see O.J. chillin' near a group of folks and having a good time.

We're told O.J. appeared to be with these people -- so he wasn't just randomly there lone-wolfing it. And, per usual, he was getting recognized and approached for photos and the like ... which eyewitnesses say he was happy to accommodate.

It actually looks like a young group of ladies might've been ooh-ing and ah-ing over O.J. as well -- as one pic shows them near his crew, and O.J. not too far with a big grin on his face.

No shock here that O.J.'s keeping up with football -- we know he likes to comment on the state of the game and standout moments during the season ... including Antonio Brown's ungraceful exit from the Buccaneers franchise.

So yea, the fact he's peeping a big game in public might not be too much of a news flash.

What is interesting, however, is the fact that this seems to be one of the first public outings O.J.'s had since being released early from his parole in Nevada -- where he's been confined for the better part of 5  years now ... following his release from prison in 2017.

Before this adorable baby was one of the lead roles in an epic franchise film series, he was just another blonde boy growing up in Melbourne, Australia.

This little cutie may be a big-time actor, but he's not the only one in his famous family who is a sight for sore eyes on the screen ... he is one of three successful brothers in the industry. Even though he is known for a popular trilogy adapted for film, he has also shown off his romantic-comedy skills in the past.

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says Anne Frank had a better shot escaping Nazis than folks do under COVID mandates today -- a comparison that's invoking one name ... Larry David.

Here's the deal ... RFK Jr. made these inflammatory remarks Sunday at the "Defeat the Mandates" rally in D.C., where he suggested Frank and the rest of the Jews fleeing/hiding for their lives during WWII actually had a stronger chance to dodge tyranny/death compared to people subjected to vaccine regulations in 2022.

Yes, seriously. He goes on to describe how American citizens are able to be tracked with ease with modern-day tech -- citing 5G, satellites and a lot of other kooky conspiracies. He says that while Frank and others could theoretically go undetected back in those days ... today's average Joe has no chance at eluding the government or its partners.

Wild stuff, we know -- especially coming from the son of the late Bobby Kennedy -- but RFK Jr.'s been on this far-right wing tip for a good long while now ... so no real surprises there.

What people do seem somewhat shocked by is the little-known fact that Robert's wife is actress Cheryl Hines, to whom he's been married since 2014. She has a big role on LD's HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm," where she plays his TV wife of the same name.

People started tweeting their disbelief that Larry could possibly work with someone who's involved with RFK Jr. on a deep level ... especially in light of today's comments, which many are calling anti-Semitic, or at the very least ... highly insensitive to the Jewish community.

Of course, Larry's a prominent and proud Jewish man ... and he's made his distaste for Republicans and Trumpers well-known over the years, especially through his show.

Demonstrators have descended upon Washington D.C. to protest against COVID mandates -- and, ironically, they’re blasting music from someone who just succumbed to the virus.

Thousands of people flooded into the National Mall Sunday and gathered at the base of both the Washington Monument and even more packed in front of the Lincoln Memorial ... and wouldn’t you know it, they were playing a Meat Loaf song to get themselves fired up.

The tune blaring over the speakers was ML’s “I’d Do Anything for Love” -- which we suppose is sorta in theme with what the anti-mandate crowd was there for. Song’s all about how one guy would do a lot for a woman he loves, but has a line he won’t cross ... which, presumably, applies to their attitudes toward federal and local policies?

Of course, Meat Loaf himself was against mandates -- having been outspoken about Australia’s lockdowns through much of the pandemic. Sadly enough, Meat Loaf literally just died last week after contracting coronavirus. It’s unclear if he was vaccinated or not.

The protests in D.C. today are expected to draw tens of thousands ... this not too long after the annual March for Life rally this weekend. So far, they're talking freedom, MLK, the constitution ... and a lot of other things they believe align with their vision of the country.

It appears to be peaceful thus far -- and there aren't many counter-protesters either ... which might mean these folks will have the day and space to themselves to push their message.

Kim Kardashian has moved on from Kanye, but she's still very much embracing the sense of style he helped influence.

Kim was out on the town Saturday night, hitting up the David Kordansky Gallery for a show.

She was draped in all black, and that includes the sunglasses that make it next to impossible to navigate in the dark. But navigate she did, all the way to dinner.

Kim showed up in WeHo to dine at Craig's. Again, for the uninitiated, Craig's is one of 5 restaurants in L.A. where celebs know there's a bank of paparazzi always at the ready, so you get the drill.

Kim walked in arm-in-arm with Shelli Azoff, wife of music titan Irving Azoff. The Azoff's have known Kim since birth ... Irving's her godfather.

All in all, an enjoyable Saturday night in the City of Angels.

Garrett Hedlund is in custody after being arrested for public intoxication, TMZ has learned, and it's the latest in a series of problems the actor is facing.

The arrest went down in Franklin County in Tennessee Saturday night. Bond has been set at $2,100 for the misdemeanor arrest, and at the time this story went up he had not posted it.

The "Friday Night Lights" and "Troy" star has been going through it. He broke up with Emma Roberts just a few weeks ago. They had a child together back in December 2020 ... a son named Rhodes. The 2 began dating in 2019.

Garrett has had other legal issues as well. He's being sued for allegedly driving so drunk back in January 2020. He passed out and slammed into a Nissan carrying a woman and her 3 kids. He was arrested that same night for DUI and pled no contest to a DUI charge the following month. Garrett was placed on 3 years probation.

Typically one of the conditions of probation is that no laws can be broken, so the latest arrest may be problematic for him.

Kanye West's minivan may not come with little juice box holders -- but it's got swivel seats, custom speakers and TVs big enough for a living room -- all tools to get him in dad mode.

Kanye's been spotted whipping around L.A. lately in a 1-of-1 custom luxury Mercedes-Benz van ... less horsepower than the Lamborghinis we usually see him drive, but it still comes with a hefty price tag of more than $400,000!!!

We're told the vans are sold exclusively by RD Whittington, owner of Wires Only in L.A. and Miami.

Ye's version is called Executive Style, seats 7 and features multiple TV screens, fully reclining and swiveling chairs ... as well as a sound system to rival a recording studio.

We've obtained some photos from inside different versions of the van, Kanye's is almost exactly like the one with red leather seats -- but you can see the insane light and interior options that come with these suped-up minivans.

RD will show off more crazy rides on the Jamie Foxx-produced "Million Dollar Wheels" ... which premieres February 21 on Discovery Plus.

When you think about it, Ye's vehicle makes a lot of sense ... he's got 4 kids to drive around AND a new album on the way. So, the available seating and impressive audio setup are a perfect fit for his needs.

We saw Kanye out to grab some ice cream Thursday in the van -- he had a massive smile on his face when a fan told him he was an "awesome dad."

'SNL' took aim at itself Saturday night, poking fun at Pete Davidson and Colin Jost for sinking several hundred thousand dollars into a boat ... and it was hilarious.

It started with Alex Moffat bellying up to the anchor desk, playing his character, "Guy who Just Bought a Boat." Moffat then turned things by intro'ing Pete Davidson as "Guy Who Just Bought a Ferry."

Pete was funny, telling Colin, "We’re boat people now, Colin. I mean, you always were. You look like you own the yacht they rent out for rap videos."

Then, giving a little clue about how this all went down, Colin responded, "It’s very exciting. We thought the whole thing through."

As we reported, Pete and Colin just bought the John F. Kennedy at auction ... it was part of the Staten Island Ferry fleet. They ponied up $280,000 for the vessel, and plan to rehab it ... then turn it into a club that will be docked somewhere in NYC.

"Teen Mom OG" star Cheyenne Floyd and her fiancé had a rude awakening following a romantic getaway to Mexico ... her man got busted going through customs at LAX.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Zach Davis, who appears on the MTV show with Cheyenne, was taken into custody after customs agents discovered he had outstanding arrest warrants.

We're told Zach violated probation for cases involving theft and DUI ... and our sources say that's what triggered the warrants and ultimately led to his airport arrest.

Our sources say Zach was taken into custody Jan 3 ... he was booked, held briefly and then released.

Cheyenne and Zach share a newborn child together, and she obviously has a child from when she was younger ... remember, she's a "Teen Mom OG" ... and they were all down in Mexico livin' it up before the reality check at LAX.

Rams legend Isaac Bruce is predicting an early exit from the playoffs for Tom Brady ... saying his old team will beat the Buccaneers today -- by one point!

The former wideout -- who's admittedly pretty biased given the fact that he played for the org. for 14 seasons -- made the prognostication to TMZ Sports earlier this week.

"I say it's close," Bruce said. "28-27."

Bruce is confident in his former team given the tattered state of Brady's O-line. The Hall of Famer tells us he expects Aaron Donald and Von Miller to have a big role in the matchup due to the injuries in front of Brady.

Bruce, though, did acknowledge that beating TB12 won't be easy.

"It will be really tough to hold Tom Brady under 25 points," Bruce said, "but I think it will be 27-28 Rams in the end."

Kickoff for the game is slated for 12 PM PT.