TMZ.com Home

The disappearance of this monolith won't appear in "Unsolved Mysteries" ... 'cause a hawk-eyed photographer solved the case after catching 4 Earth dwellers in the act.

You'll recall this monolith appeared in the Utah desert back on November 18 and it was mysteriously removed a mere 10 days later. Well, photographer Ross Bernards has the receipts to prove 4 men showed up on the same evening he had been there with his boys to pay the monolith a visit.

Ross says a group of 4 men arrived after his group and, as if on a mission, toppled over the monolith and dismantled it ... in less than 10 minutes!!! No tools required, apparently.

Ross says he had been sitting there taking a break when the group came up out of nowhere and told them, "You better have got your pictures" ... as if the group was there specifically to remove the shiny structure that captivated the entire globe.

The photog added, "They quickly broke it apart and as they were carrying it to the wheelbarrow that they had brought, one of them looked back at us all and said 'Leave no trace.'"

Ross says he didn't stop the group from taking down the monolith, explaining ... "they were right to take it out" because the next day it drew massive crowds roughing up a delicate desert.

"Juno" and "Umbrella Academy" star Elliot Page is coming out as trans ... he shared his truth Tuesday morning, saying he's finally loving himself enough to pursue his "authentic self."

Elliot says folks in the trans community inspired him to come out, and he's pledging to support them and try and make our society more loving and equal.

While Elliot, formerly known as Ellen, says he's happy to come out as trans, he says he's also scared ... because of the invasiveness, hate, jokes and violence that too often happen to the trans community.

Elliot addresses the threats facing the trans community head-on, saying he will do everything he can to take on the "harassment, self-loathing, abuse and threat of violence every day." He takes a pointed shot at "political leaders" who've attacked the trans community. Although Elliot doesn't name names ... in the past, he's been vocally critical of Vice President Mike Pence.

A woman trying to leave a condo complex got ambushed by a man in a pickup truck, who opened fire on her ... and all signs point to a hit job.

The video footage from a home security cam shows the horrifying scene played out Saturday ... in Michigan.

The woman leaves the residence and gets in her SUV, but as she backs up ... suddenly a truck across the street drives behind the SUV and blocks her.

The driver of the truck jumps out and begins firing. You hear at least 8 shots ring out, as her friend screams from outside the condo.

The SUV driver flees the scene and the shooter follows her. Around 30 seconds later the victim returns to the condo and runs inside, yelling to her friend, "I'm shot!"

The victim's condition is unknown. Police are searching for the shooter.

Now you see it, now you don't ... and now you do again, because a new monolith is upon us -- in Europe -- right after one vanished into thin air here in the States.

Another metallic structure was spotted late last week in Romania ... standing tall on a hill called Boatca Doamnei, just outside the city of Piatra Neamt. This new monolith looks almost exactly like the one found out in the middle of nowhere in Utah last week ... which disappeared just as mysteriously as it arrived.

This one also appears to be made of metal -- the main difference here is that it's got a bunch of squiggles on the back, and it's sorta slanted up top.

Just like their Utah counterparts, Romanian officials don't know how the monolith got there ... or who dug it into the ground.

Authorities say it's actually on private property that covers an archeological site, which requires official permission before anything can go up there. Unclear if/when they'll remove it.

Now, this could just be another prankster doing amateur art installation ... OR, it could be an alien invasion on the cusp of breaking out -- a la, "2001: A Space Odyssey."

We're all voting for art installation, right?

Here's Exhibit A of lockdown fatigue meeting plain old bigotry -- and the end result is, you guessed it ... a hate-spewing "Karen."

This woman, not wearing a mask, went on a homophobic rant while protesting outside the home of L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. The video starts with the woman firing off a homophobic slur at the person recording her. She added Nazi and brainwashing accusations too ... just for good measure.

There were about 50 people marching Sunday, most of whom seemed to merely be protesting the economic impact of California's latest round of coronavirus restrictions -- but this woman's hate speech made her stand out from the crowd. In the worst way possible.

Believe it or not, the video got even worse when the woman made an outlandish accusation about abortions. Also worth noting is her wardrobe choice for the occasion.

Unfortunately, she comes off like a big ball of 2020.

BTS is so big, they just forced their government to give 'em a longer leash on when they'll have to drop everything and enlist in the military ... which is unprecedented.

South Korea has long had a law called the Military Service Act -- which requires every able-bodied male in the country to serve at least 20 months before they turn 28 ... and K-Pop boy band members were no exception.

On Tuesday, however, the parliament tweaked that -- allowing top K-Pop artists (who receive government accolades) a 2-year deferment, which they specifically did to appease the oldest BTS member, Kim Seok-jin, who turns 28 this week.

S. Korea's justification for bending the rules ... BTS brings so much cultural and economic prosperity to the country -- especially now that they've broken through with international audiences -- it'd be a shame to rip a key member away when he's about to be in the prime of his musical career.

Mind you, K-Pop singers will NOT be completely exempt from serving -- they'll have to put down the mic and pick up a gun by at least 30 under this rule change ... but the fact S. Korea bent over backward for their biggest boy band is astounding.

Strangely, the nation does allow certain exemptions to their conscription policy -- Korean Olympic athletes who get medals, and Korean musicians who get awards don't have to serve at all, so long as they're internationally recognized as such.

Cardi B's getting inspiration today from a little girl named Lyric ... whose story, Cardi says, should remind all of us to be kind and appreciate everything we have.

As Cardi says ... Lyric is a "very strong girl" from Houston who is fighting brain cancer and has undergone 4 surgeries, but she's still smiling and spreading joy.

That's evident by the fact the rapper says so many people have DM'd her about Lyric ... and obviously, love her and want her to get better.

Funny thing is, Lyric seems to be making other people better by being such a shining light despite her ordeal, and putting a smile on their faces. Cardi's so moved, she poured out her heart about Lyric ... saying she feels like she has it tough sometimes, but now realizes it's nothing compared to what Lyric is going through, and that's truly inspiring.

Mike Tyson almost got into a second fight after stepping into the ring with Roy Jones Jr. -- because some wacko swung on him trying to prove something ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Mike was leaving Staples Center Saturday night after his bout with Roy -- which was called as a draw -- and on the way out, he came across a small group of fans looking for autographs.

When he walked over to do some signing, we're told a man in the crowd yelled out to Mike ... asking why he wouldn't let the guy fight him. Our sources say Mike jokingly responded, joking with the dude that it probably wouldn't end well for him.

Next thing you know, we're told the dude swung at Mike ... and then proceeded to reach into his waistband, as if trying to pull out a weapon. Our sources say Mike's team jumped in right away before things got ugly.

We're told the guy took off -- and our sources also say some folks on Mike's team recognized him from a previous signing, where they say he also tried starting trouble.

Law enforcement sources tell us cops got a call about a possible battery involving Mike Tyson around 11 PM PT (well after Mike tussled with Roy) ... but when they responded to the scene, all parties had left and no report was taken.

Barack Obama got the lowdown as Prez on UFOs -- or the lack thereof -- and although he won't say if space aliens are a thing, his facial reactions are more than interesting.

Obama appeared on 'The Late Show' Monday night and Stephen Colbert asked the burning question ... whether 44 was briefed on UFOs. He was quick to answer -- yes. After all, the Roswell mystery has survived for decades, so presidents are all looped in.

So SC asked the obvious followup ... what do ya know?  For that, you just gotta watch his reaction. Colbert thinks it's a giveaway ... that there's something in the air.

Then again, Obama could be clowning everyone ... after all, he's played his share of poker, but Colbert thinks the Prez betrayed his poker face and gave an answer loud and clear.

Kim Jong-Un is more like Donald Trump than we think, in that he's reportedly willing to take experimental coronavirus treatments ... including an unproven vaccine.

A new report citing Japanese intelligence officials claims the North Korean dictator and his inner circle within the government have all gotten a 'rona vaccine from China within the last 2 to 3 weeks.

Unclear which pharmaceutical company developed the vaccine for Kim and co., but there are apparently 3 main players out there that have been working on some ... none of which have launched final-stage clinical trials.

So, in other words ... right up DT's alley. You'll recall -- POTUS received a few drugs during his bout with 'rona (some of which were experimental) ... such as dexamethasone, remdesivir and Regeneron's antibody therapy.

Kim getting vaccinated is interesting because N. Korea as a whole's been in denial about the pandemic -- the country's officially denied tracing even one confirmed case of COVID-19 ... which no one believes, of course.

They've also reportedly closed off the border with China ... beefing up security to keep people from crossing in either direction.

Pitbull is climbing on board the fitness equipment train just like Jay-Z ... he's investing in the same startup and hooking up students in the process.

Here's the deal ... Pitbull is the latest celeb to invest and partner with CLMBR, and he's helping some charter school students gain access to one of the startup's flagship products, a vertical climbing machine.

Pitbull's collab with CLMBR calls for one climbing machine to be donated to each of the 11 Sports Leadership and Management public charter schools around the country.

There's about 1,000 kids in each SLAM charter school, and they're getting unlimited access to the on-demand, instructor-led fitness content available on the climbing machines. It's like Peloton, but instead of using a bike, you simulate climbing.

Pitbull's got a special connection to SLAM ... he helped start the first school, which serves K-12 students seeking careers in sports leadership and management, back in 2013 in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, where he grew up.

Times are tough for "90 Day Fiancé" star Jon Walters ... so he's making extra Christmas cash as Santa Claus.

Check out Jon's brand-new look for his Santa side hustle ... as you can see, he dyed his beard white and he's hawking video messages from jolly old Saint Nick ... for a price.

Jon's selling his Santa videos on Direct Me, a social media platform connecting celebs with fans ... it's kinda like Cameo. He's marketing video calls for $75, but if you don't wanna stick around for a chat he'll personalize a message for only $35.

And, here's a big plot twist -- this particular Santa isn't just a giver, he's happy to take too. He's seeking cash gifts of $12, $25, $50 and $100. Christmas 2020 ... kinda figures.

Erik Menendez is off the hook for the package of marijuana that arrived for him at his California prison ... because prison officials say he had nothing to do with it.

We broke the story ... the Menendez brother was placed in isolation at the R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego in October after he received some weed in the mail. The shipment triggered an investigation behind prison walls.

Our sources told us the pot package was intercepted by prison staff and the big question ... was it something Erik solicited? They wanted to know if he planned on distributing or trading the drugs or keeping them for personal use.

Turns out -- it was none of the above. A rep for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation tells us ... "The investigation is complete and the allegations against him were unfounded."

We're told Erik was transferred out of isolation in the Administrative Segregation Unit and back to his regular housing unit.

Child actor, Justin Scheller, was only 5 years old when he took on the life-changing role of the annoying little Stilwell -- who tormented the bus driver and Rockford Peaches squad -- in the classic 1992 baseball comedy, "A League Of Their Own."

Scheller was cast alongside a major league lineup of actors including Madonna as the fast-paced centerfielder, "All The Way" Mae, Rosie O'Donnell as the 3rd base boss, Doris Murphy, Geena Davis as the catching captain, Dottie Hinson ... and of course Tom Hanks as the callus coach, Jimmy Dugan.

Justin left the biz after his iconic role and now lives a relaxed life in the Midwest.

Famous Dex's home became the site of a SWAT standoff when cops suspected he might have hurt his ex, and possibly barricaded himself inside with weapons.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police were called Monday morning in regards to a potential domestic disturbance at Dex's crib. The caller claimed an argument between Dex and his ex-GF turned violent ... and he allegedly had at least one gun in the house

We're told when cops arrived to the scene, they found the woman had cuts consistent on her, and -- believing Dex was still there -- called for backup from SWAT.

Aside from the tipster's claim, Dex was armed, we're told police were also aware of a troubling video he'd posted on social media, showing him with a firearm.

The clip in question depicts Dex holding what appears to be a TEC-9 semi-automatic weapon, complete with a magazine of ammo, and he's incoherently addressing his fans while waving around the gun.

We're told when the cops got inside the house, Dex was nowhere to be found. For now, we're told he's just listed as a suspect in a felony domestic violence report ... and cops are investigating.

Selena Gomez is no longer the butt of a couple jokes from the new "Saved By The Bell" cast -- after tons of backlash, the show's removing the kidney jokes.

The new Peacock series scrubbed all references to Selena's kidney transplant after the outrage started pouring in Saturday ... but an edited version is already streaming. So, a pretty quick about-face.

As we reported ... eagle-eyed Selena fans noticed 2 references in the reboot to the pop star's 2017 surgery, and they started raising hell on social media over the weekend and even got "RESPECT SELENA GOMEZ" to trend online.

The first reference was cavalier ... 2 high school classmates loudly discussing Selena's kidney transplant in the middle of a hallway.

The second Selena dig was more subtle, but just as offensive to some folks. A wall in the background of a scene had graffiti or paint that read in big bold lettering, "DOES SELENA GOMEZ EVEN HAVE KIDNEYS?"

Lots of folks called the jokes disgusting and said Selena's life-or-death transplant was nothing to joke about.