Tracy Morgan Honored By Friars Club ... Jokes About Near-Death Accident
Tracy Morgan got a rare, high honor Friday night ... a coveted Friars Club award, and he did not miss an opportunity to tell a couple of hilarious jokes about his near-death experience.
Tracy received the Icon Award in NYC, where 500 people showed up to honor the comedian. Among them ... Sherri Shepherd, JB Smoove, Chris Kattan, Allan Houston, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Paul Shaffer, Ben Vereen, Bill Boggs, Carol Alt, Joe Piscopo, Geraldo Rivera, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Vincent Pastore, Brian Quinn, Joe Gatto, Rudy Giuliani and Anthony Weiner.
NYC Mayor Adams presented TM with a framed document declaring May 26, 2022, as Tracy Morgan Day. Friars Club President, Arthur Aidala, honored Tracy with an Icon Award trophy.
His speech was great! As you know, Tracy was in a limo that was hit by a truck and it was touch-and-go for a while ... Tracy's rehab was arduous and long, but he bounced back, clearly NOT losing his sense of humor.
6/7/14
He explained when you fall down, you have to get right back up, unless you're hit by a truck and then you just lay there and wait for a lawyer!!!
The gala event was held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Midtown on Thursday night.
Not many celebs have received the award ... among them -- Sinatra, Cary Grant, Robert De Niro and Tom Cruise. The award's only been bestowed 9 times in the history of Friars.
The event also honored Betty White and Bob Saget.
Proceeds from the splashy event go to a good cause ... Stand Up to Cancer.
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Billy McFarland Living in Halfway House ... Special Conditions to Meet Before Freedom
Billy McFarland -- co-founder of the notorious Fyre Festival -- may be out of his cell, but he's got a lot to complete before he's a totally free man, including a mental health program and some bills he's gotta pay.
Billy's attorney, Jason Russo, tells us the disgraced festival organizer is currently living in a prison halfway house. According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Billy's required to follow a strict set of terms for the next 3 years while on supervised release.
As part of the conditions, Billy has to participate in an outpatient mental health treatment program, continue taking any prescribed medications, and pay outstanding costs for services.
On top of that, any of his belongings can be searched at any time his probation officer has suspicion of any violation.
As we've reported, Billy was transferred back in March from federal prison to a halfway house. Of course, this comes after he was sentenced to 6 years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to 2 counts of wire fraud over the disastrous festival.
We're told, his focus now is paying off the whopping $26 million he owes to the victims of the festival. And, he's apparently already brainstorming ideas -- like a book or film -- now that he's out of prison.
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Stars and Scars You Be the Judge
Johnny vs. Amber has become more than a trial ... it's an American sport, and the horrific massacre in Texas is almost impossible to process. So, we gotta ask ...
Chet Holmgren Not Sweating NBA Draft ... 'I Want To Land In Best Fit'
Former Gonzaga basketball superstar Chet Holmgren clearly ain't stressin' about next month's NBA draft ... telling TMZ Sports his goal is to find the best "fit" for him, not necessarily to be the top pick.
We got the 7-footer out shopping in L.A. this week ... and asked if he was hoping to be taken by the Orlando Magic at No. 1 overall on June 23.
While it's obvious the guy wouldn't mind it (who would?!?) -- he stressed to us being in the best spot for his growth as a hooper is what's most important to him ... not what slot he'll be picked in.
"Man," the 19-year-old said. "I want to land in the best fit for my career, and the best possible situation."
Of course, many experts believe that very well could be in Orlando -- with most mock drafts having him slated to be taken by the Magic just minutes after Adam Silver kicks off the event.
As for if Holmgren thinks it will happen ... he wasn't ready to reveal any inside secrets if he had them -- saying, "We'll see!"
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May Hot Shots 2022 Hollywood Is Cookin'!
The 'Gram was on fire all month long with celebs serving up some curves, muscles and lots of sexy selfies up on the grill -- clearly not shying away from showing off some skin and catching some rays for you to sink your teeth into!
The sun was bright and these celebs of course found the right light ... Kim Kardashian, Vinny Guadagnino and Christina Milian did not hold back from capturing a sultry snap. Gabrielle Union, Nicole Scherzinger and Bebe Rexha joined in on the fun and showed off some toasty buns to feast your eyes on.
You can't resist but to scroll through our gallery of celebs lookin' tasty this month!
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Brian Austin Green Sharna Sells Her Home ... Movin' in with Him!!!
"Dancing with the Stars" pro Sharna Burgess just sold her place in the Hollywood Hills ... because she's moved in with BF Brian Austin Green, as they expect their first child together.
Real estate records show Sharna recently sold her two-bedroom home in Beachwood Canyon for $1,555,000 ... less than three months after putting it on the market.
Sharna bought the place back in 2017, and it's 1,157 square feet with hardwood floors, beamed ceilings and breathtaking views of the Hollywood Hills from every room.
The main level features a fireplace in the living room and an updated kitchen with high-end stainless appliances, plus an eat-in island and an outdoor deck. The bedrooms are on the lower level, and the primary suite has a custom walk-in closet and a private patio.
As we reported ... Sharna is pregnant, making the announcement back in February with a photoshoot with Brian. They began dating shortly after Brian's divorce from his ex-wife Megan Fox. Our sources say Sharna is now living with BAG ... so she's saying goodbye to the bachelorette pad and plans to reinvest that money into another property.
Sharna bought the place in 2017 for $1.1 million, listed it in March for $1,395,000 with Linda Ferrari of Keller Williams Realty ... and sold it fast and for more than asking.
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'Alaskan Bush People' Bear Brown Play By The Rules ... Assault Charges Could Disappear
"Alaskan Bush People" star Bear Brown could have a clean slate when it comes to the assault charge he's facing, but he's gonna have to put some serious work in over the next 6 months to make it happen.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Bear has agreed to satisfy a bunch of conditions before his next hearing in November -- and if he's successful, the charge will be dismissed.
As for the conditions -- he's gotta let the court know if he changes his address, pay a total of $270 in fees, and ditch all of his firearms. Of course, he also can't get arrested, violate any criminal laws, or commit any acts of violence/harassment to another person.
If he can check all those boxes, his domestic violence assault charge will be thrown out.
TMZ broke the story ... Bear was arrested and booked for 4th-degree domestic violence last month, after an argument with his wife Raiven Adams. Raiven claims things escalated and he pushed and pinned her down on a bed ... though Bear insisted he just tried to grab her phone and never got physical.
Cops claimed the only injury they observed on Adams was a scratch ... but it was enough to make an arrest.
The two tied the knot in January after getting engaged in 2019, the relationship has been rocky at times, but the couple ultimately decided to stay together.
Prior to his agreement, Bear was looking at the possibility of up to a year in jail and a $5k fine.
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What's The Big Frigin' Difference?!
Don't get too desperate attempting to sort out the differences in these two snapshots of Eva Longoria. The actress was looking devious as ever wearing a neon green cutout dress while recently struttin' her stuff in Cannes, France.
There's absolutely no question that the L'Oreal maven was looking fresh as a daisy and has definitely made some changes to her style since her Gabrielle Solis days ... but your mission here is to see if you have what it takes to spot the changes within these two shots.
**HINT: There are THREE differences in the above Eva Longoria photos!*
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SF Giants Manager Gabe Kapler No More National Anthems For Me ... Until Our Country Changes
San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler is very upset about the direction of our country after the latest mass shooting ... and now he's protesting the national anthem.
Gabe says he's breaking from baseball tradition and plans to no longer join players and coaches on the field before games for the playing of the national anthem.
“I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country” – Gabe Kapler pic.twitter.com/J1MdlVL3XI
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 27, 2022 @NBCSGiants
The Giants manager told reporters Friday in Cincinnati before his club played the Reds, "I don’t plan on coming out for the anthem going forward until I feel better about the direction of our country."
In a post on his personal blog earlier Friday, Gabe reflected on the Uvalde school shooting and the response across the sporting world.
Gabe wrote ... "The day 19 children and 2 teachers were murdered, we held a moment of silence at sporting events around the country, then we played the national anthem, and we went on with our lives."
The all-too-familiar response is not sitting well with GK, who adds ... "We didn’t stop to reflect on whether we are actually free and brave after this horrific event, we just stood at attention."
Gabe says his father taught him a lesson early on in life, and he's applying it to his anthem protest.
"When I was the same age as the children in Uvalde, my father taught me to stand for the pledge of allegiance when I believed my country was representing its people well or to protest and stay seated when it wasn't," Kapler writes. "I don't believe it is representing us well right now."
Gabe says he tried to protest the anthem earlier this week, but it didn't materialize.
"My brain said drop to a knee; my body didn’t listen," he wrote. "I wanted to walk back inside; instead I froze. I felt like a coward. I didn’t want to call attention to myself. I didn’t want to take away from the victims or their families. There was a baseball game, a rock band, the lights, the pageantry. I knew that thousands of people were using this game to escape the horrors of the world for just a little bit. I knew that thousands more wouldn’t understand the gesture and would take it as an offense to the military, to veterans, to themselves."
Gabe says after a few days of reflection, he decided on his anthem protest.
Bottom line for Kapler ... "I am not okay with the state of this country ... The home of the brave should encourage this."
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NRA Benefit Concert The Show Will Not Go On ... Country Music Star Says
The National Rifle Association is scrapping its benefit concert in Texas ... with performers dropping out left and right, the show will NOT go on.
Country music star Jacob Bryant was the only remaining act for the NRA concert in Houston, which was scheduled for the organization's annual conference, and he announced Friday the show has been axed.
The show has been cancelled since yesterday.
— Jacob Bryant Music (@Jacobbryant1) May 27, 2022 @Jacobbryant1
Jacob made the announcement on Twitter as he was being pressured on social media to join the ranks of other performers who dropped out in the wake of this week's tragic mass shooting at a Texas elementary school.
As we reported ... the first domino was "American Pie" singer Don McLean, who decided the day after the Uvalde school shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 students and 2 teachers, he would not perform on the NRA stage. Don said it would be disrespectful to perform.
Next, "Broken Lady" singer Larry Gatlin pulled out Thursday, saying he could not perform at an NRA event in good conscious, saying he supports the 2nd amendment but wants background checks for gun purchases.
Jacob was the last man standing after T. Graham Brown, Lee Greenwood and Larry Stewart followed suit ... and it appears the hammer came down Thursday, though there has yet to be official word from the NRA.
The Uvalde shooting happened about 280 miles away from the NRA's convention, which is now also the site of mass protests.
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Depp vs. Heard Fiery Closing Arguments ... Jury Begins Deliberations
UPDATE
12:06 PM PT -- The rebuttals from Johnny and Amber's legal teams were intense ... with Depp's attorney calling Amber a liar and Heard's lawyer saying the allegation is all a hoax on Amber's end and is "vicious and vile."
UPDATE
UPDATE
Johnny's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, went first in her rebuttal ... calling Amber a liar and saying Heard's story was constantly shifting throughout the trial, with the accusations of abuse never the same.
UPDATE
Depp's team claimed Amber gave the performance of her life on the witness stand, but they say she was caught in lie after lie. Camille says Johnny had to sue because it was the only way to defend himself and expose Amber as an alleged liar.
UPDATE
Amber's attorney, Ben Rottenborn, fired back when it was his turn to address the jury ... bristling at Depp's lawyers calling Heard untruthful.
UPDATE
Rottenborn doubled down on his argument that Depp abused Amber in different ways outside of physical abuse, including emotional and verbal abuse. BR also ripped Depp's lawyers for trying to box in abuse as something that is only physical or sexual.
UPDATE
UPDATE
After the rebuttals, the judge read the jury instructions and sent them off to deliberate ... and there was applause in the courtroom.
UPDATE
10:18 AM PT -- Amber's other attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, promised to be quick with her part of closing ... and she certainly fulfilled it. EB raced through her arguments with the jury -- which were all about JD's ex-attorney's statements that AH countersued over -- and Elaine went through examples of why she believes his remarks were defamatory ... mostly arguing, the abuse happened.
UPDATE
She also touched on how his statements have affected her career -- and said Walter Hamada himself -- the WB exec -- testified that Jason Momoa and James Wan emailed him insisting if they were going to work on the second film together, Amber also had to be included.
UPDATE
UPDATE
The takeaway on this issue was ... why would those key guys from the movie say that unless there was some feeling that WB wanted her out. Elaine argues it's clear Amber's star was shot down as a result of this -- and asked the jury to award her reasonable damages.
UPDATE
Court is in recess and will come back for rebuttals, which the judge said would be much shorter. Amber's team has much less time than JD's to make their case upon return.
UPDATE
8:59 AM PT -- Rottenborn just made an interesting argument in closing -- he says not only did JD physically abuse Amber, but suggests that even the stuff he did outside of alleged hitting constitutes abuse ... including the notorious video of him slamming cabinets in their kitchen.
UPDATE
BR was emphatic that what the jury saw there was horrific for Amber to experience, saying that abuse does not necessarily need to manifest in the physical form to be valid.
UPDATE
UPDATE
It's an interesting point ... as many know, DV doesn't just have to be beatings -- it certainly can take shape in other ways, including emotional, verbal, etc. That's kind of what Rottenborn is saying here -- she might not have the smoking gun documented, but what she does have on tape still supports her claims of abuse ... and backs her account as a victim.
UPDATE
8:33 AM PT -- Amber's attorney, Ben Rottenborn, came out swinging in closing arguments with a powerful sentiment -- namely, asking the jury to think about what Johnny and his team are suggesting with their premise ... that if you didn't document abuse, it didn't happen.
UPDATE
UPDATE
Rottenborn went on to list other implications he believes JD is outlining -- including ... if you did tell people, it's a lie; if you did document injuries, they're fake; if you tried to help your spouse, you were actually sabotaging them. BR says these are dangerous ideas to try and cement with a verdict and that they have a broader negative impact on DV victims.
UPDATE
He also said the jury is not here to decide if JD actually abused Amber, but more specifically -- if her op-ed piece and the alleged defamatory statements are protected speech under the First Amendment. He said the two statements in the actual body copy are true on their face, and that she didn't actually write the headline about "sexual violence" in question.
UPDATE
7:47 AM PT -- Chew went through the jury instructions with the actual jury themselves, going through each question one by one and explaining why he feels he and his team have made the case for each -- including the notion that they've proven Johnny did not abuse Amber. He also noted that on the issue of damages, JD doesn't care about money or punishing Amber ... he just wants to be vindicated and to finally get his reputation back in a court of law.
UPDATE
UPDATE
7:25 AM PT -- Chew is touching on what Amber's claims did to Depp's reputation. He invoked his most famous role, Captain Jack Sparrow, and said that JD will go to his grave knowing some people who used to look up to him now believe he beat a woman as a result of what AH has done ... regardless of the outcome of this trial. He also says this is NOT a #MeToo moment ... because no one has come out of the woodwork to say "Me Too."
UPDATE
7:13 AM PT -- Camille just wrapped her portion of closing, and she was effective in detailing each allegation of abuse from Amber and picking it apart in front of the jury. Her takeaway message ... you either believe all of her claims or none. She insisted she and the team have proven, through evidence and testimony, that Amber is lying ... and Johnny is telling the truth -- namely, that she allegedly abused him, not the other way around. Ben Chew is up.
UPDATE
UPDATE
6:32 AM PT -- The attorney addressed Johnny's amputated finger, and said the injury was caused by a broken vodka bottle thrown at him by Amber. She also said Amber's allegation of sexual assault with a liquor bottle was a bald-faced lie ... saying someone who would have undergone such trauma would not simply go to bed and fall asleep.
UPDATE
Vasquez told the jury ... with all the photos and videos of Amber over the years of their relationship, there were no visual signs of abuse.
UPDATE
Vasquez played a damning video where Amber said she donated her $7 million settlement to charity. She says she gave the $7 mil. to the ACLU and Children's Hospital -- she did not.
UPDATE
UPDATE
Vasquez brought up the feces in the bed, saying it was all orchestrated by Amber who was enraged that Johnny showed up late for her 30th birthday party and struck him before he left. Vasquez says Amber wanted more than a divorce -- she wanted to ruin Johnny.
UPDATE
Johnny's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, came out of the gate swinging, saying Amber Heard went to an L.A. courthouse in 2016, filed a claim of abuse and ruined his life. Vasquez also says the mark on her face that was apparent as she left the courthouse, captured by photogs, was fake ... appearing 6 days after she last saw Johnny. She said there is an abuser in the courtroom, but it's not Johnny -- it's Amber.
UPDATE
Vasquez went on ... Amber was desperate for attention and suffered from a personality disorder laced with anger. She said it was Amber who emotionally and physically abused Johnny.
UPDATE
One of the most powerful moments -- Vasquez played an audiotape of Amber admitting she hit Johnny, but somehow distinguished a hit from a punch and called him a "baby" for complaining about it.
The trial of Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard is in its final stages with closing arguments set for today, and the jury will then begin the Herculean task of trying to figure out who's telling the truth and who's lying.
Gervonta 'Tank' Davis Pushes Rolly Romero Off Stage ... Nearly Come To Blows At Weigh-In
Tank Davis couldn't wait to put his hands on Rolando Romero ... the undefeated fighter shoved Rolly off the stage moments after they faced off before their highly anticipated boxing match, nearly sparking a brawl between the fighters and their camps.
TMZ Sports was just feet away, outside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, when the incident kicked off ... in what was supposed to be weigh-ins and the final face-off for the undefeated boxers before they scrap Saturday night in NYC.
After squaring off, 26-year-old Rolly (14-0, 12 KOs) took a half-step forward and flexed, with his right arm appearing to come close to 27-year-old Tank's (26-0, 24 KOs) head.
Gervonta clearly didn't like that, and gave a one-armed push to the back of Romero, who was forced to jump down from the stage ... an elevated platform a few feet high.
Rolly immediately made a beeline for Tank, but was held back by people on stage. Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions (Davis is splitting with the promotion after the Romero fight), was in the mix, keeping the fighters away from one another.
While the scene was chaotic, peace was ultimately restored, and no one was injured.
It's not a surprise the men tried to hurt each other ... there's A LOT of bad blood between them. And, on the surface it doesn't seem to be manufactured beef to sell a fight -- these guys flat out don't like each other.
Good thing for Tank and Rolly, the fighters get to beat the hell out of each other in about 30 hours.
We were excited before ... now, can't wait!
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Def Leppard Surprise Show at Whisky a Go Go!!!
A legendary rock band played a surprise set at a legendary Los Angeles music venue ... with Def Leppard jamming out at the famous Whisky a Go Go.
The English rock band, which has been going strong for over four decades, took the stage Thursday at the historic nightclub in West Hollywood, playing their hits to a packed house who went absolutely bonkers.
Def Leppard's setlist included all the classics ... "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Hysteria," "Animal," "Foolin'," "Love Bites," "Rocket," "Excitable," "Bringin' on the Heartbreak," "Rock of Ages" and "Photograph" ... just to name a few.
The surprise show -- part of the SiriusXM Small Stage Series -- coincides with Def Leppard releasing a new album Friday, "Diamond Star Halos," and they naturally played some of the new tracks ... like "Take What You Want" and "Kiss."
The band's been hanging around Hollywood for a few days at least ... performing this week on Jimmy Kimmel's talk show.
Def Leppard's new album is their first in 7 years ... and next month they're embarking on a stadium tour with Motley Crue, Poison and Joan Jett.
Rock on!!!
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RAY LIOTTA Smiling and Vibrant ... Selfie with Fan Days Before Death
Ray Liotta was as polite and courteous as ever when he posed with a fan in the Dominican Republic just days before he passed away -- but more importantly ... he looked fine.
TMZ has obtained a photo of Ray on Sunday, May 22 -- a mere 4 days before he suddenly died in the island nation -- and this woman who was fortunate enough to snap a selfie of the two of them says he was as kind and receptive as could be.
Alba tells us she was strolling through BlueMall in Santo Domingo when she caught a glance of Ray walking alongside a couple of handlers as he was headed into a pharmacy.
While RL was inside, Alba walked up to his associates and asked if she could approach ... and they gave her the thumbs up. Alba says Ray embraced her, and was super gracious ... even praising her on how well she spoke English, given she was a DR native.
Alba would go on to pop the question -- asking for a selfie, not his hand in marriage -- and Ray didn't hesitate to say yes! Once Alba was satisfied with her photo, Ray said farewell.
As we reported, Ray died in his sleep Thursday, as he was accompanied by his fiancée in the Dominican Republic filming a movie called "Dangerous Waters." Sources close to the situation tell us Ray was in good spirits and happy to be working ... and that there were no signs of health issues leading up to his death. That's backed by this photo -- he looks fairly vibrant.
Ray's former castmates, colleagues and fans have taken to social media to show an outpouring of support for the beloved actor ... and while this selfie may be a drop in the bucket, it's an exclamation mark for the type of person he was. He was just 67.
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KANYE WEST Revives Custody War With Kim ... In New XXXTentacion Song
Kanye West's back at it again, airing grievances about how his four children with Kim Kardashian are being raised ... this time in a brand new single with the late XXXTentacion.
Ye and X's "True Love" was released on Thursday night, and while the song as a whole explores the struggles of being in a relationship and keeping love alive ... Ye laments in his opening verse about how he doesn't spend as much time with his children as he wants to.
His verse opens with, "Wait, when you see the kids? I'll see y'all tomorrow // Wait, when the sunset? I see y'all tomorrow"
There's more. Ye almost makes it sound like the kids couldn't see him even if they wanted to, saying ... "And you know all the nannies said, "Daddy in Nebraska" / Let the kids dig a tunnel to my house like Chapo."
As we reported ... Kim apologized to her family on the most recent episode of "The Kardashians" for attacks Kanye had made towards them of late, via music -- specifically, in his track "Eazy," where he invoked Pete Davidson.
Kanye has obviously never been one to bite his tongue, especially when it comes to how his kids are being raised. You'll recall ... he and Kim beefed a few months back over 8-year-old North West's use of social media, among other things.
Mind you, Ye hasn't been cut off from the kids, as he just enjoyed a daddy-daughter date with North at Nobu. So, he's certainly seeing them -- but it sounds like he doesn't like the nature of sharing custody in general ... or at least that's the sense we get from his new single here.
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Uvalde Teacher's Husband Placing Flowers Before Heart Attack
The husband Irma Garcia, of one of the teachers who was murdered at Robb Elementary School, was videotaped placing flowers on a cross bearing his wife's name just hours before he died.
This is Joe Garcia. Today, journalists recorded him placing flowers at a cross that had his wife’s name on it. His wife, Irma, was a teacher who was killed in the Uvalde, Texas massacre. Not long after placing flowers, Joe died of a heart attack. pic.twitter.com/6nrRNHdqvs
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) May 27, 2022 @DavidBegnaud
Joe Garcia was seen carrying the bouquet, riddled with grief, as he walked to the cross, placed the flowers next to it and walked away.
As Joe left, he looks stoic ... although he was clearly anything but.
He died later that night of a heart attack. A relative said the family believes he died of a broken heart. His nephew, John Martinez, posted, "EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma's husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief, I truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling, PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn't easy."
Joe and Irma were married for 24 years and had 4 kids.
It's just beyond heartbreaking.
