Rep. Gregory Meeks Congressional Black Caucus Had Fantastic Food ... Thanks to Kamala Harris!!!

GOOD EATIN'
TMZ.com

The 50th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus was off the hook, thanks to the host -- Vice President Kamala Harris -- and her menu did not disappoint ... not by a longshot!!!

We got Congressman Gregory Meeks on the Hill Monday, and he could not be prouder of the event ... an event hosted by a former CBC member at the Naval Observatory, the Vice President's residence. Meeks says it's significant because the Veep understands the issues that top the CBC's agenda.

Now, as for the meal ... well, Meeks says it was amazing -- hors d'oeuvres, fish tacos, lamb, avocado rolls, and on and on.

Our photog is aware Harris is a formidable cook and seems to think she might have thrown the meal together ... which is not the case. Nevertheless, Meeks was aware of Harris's cooking prowess and said, "She's got something goin' on in that garden!"

Packers Star Aaron Jones Finds Pendant Containing Dad's Ashes ... After Frantic Search

UPDATE

11:56 AM PT -- Jones just tweeted pictures of the pendant along with a thank you message to Engel, saying, "Found at 1:45 am Thank you to our trainer Bryan 'Flea' Engel I'm forever grateful."

UPDATE

You can see in Jones' photos, the piece of jewelry is VERY small ... showing just how amazing it was that the pendant was ultimately recovered.

UPDATE

7:35 AM PT -- Amazing news ... Jones just revealed Tuesday morning that his dad's ashes have been found!!

UPDATE

The running back announced on the "Steve Czaban Show" that Green Bay trainer Bryan Engel stayed out on the field well into the night and eventually recovered the jewelry.

UPDATE
THEY FOUND IT!
The Steve Czaban Show - 97.3 The Game
UPDATE

7:35 AM PT -- "[Engel] found it so we're perfect," Jones said. "Thank you, thank you to him. He was out there 'til like 1:45. It shows how much they care about us."

The Packers' big win over the Lions didn't come without a heavy price tag for Aaron Jones, who says he lost a pendant containing his dad's ashes on the field in the victory.

The Green Bay star -- who scored FOUR touchdowns in the Pack's 35-17 drubbing of Detroit -- told reporters after the game he believes he lost the necklace at some point during one of his endzone runs.

DID IT FOR DAD
Green Bay Packers

Jones, though, was far from torn up over losing his dad's ashes ... in fact, he seemed to be at peace with it -- saying if he was going to lose it, he's sure glad it was in a touchdown scamper at Lambeau Field.

"If there was any place to lose it, that's where my dad would have wanted me to lose it," the 26-year-old running back said. "I know he's smiling."

Jones got the pendant -- a small black locket in the shape of a football -- sometime in the past few months ... following the tragic death of his dad, Alvin Jones Sr., who passed away in April at 57 years old from COVID-19 complications.

Aaron and Alvin were VERY close ... and in an emotional press conference back in May, Aaron revealed he was dedicating the rest of his football career to his pops.

5/25/21
"HE KEPT ME GOING"
Green Bay Packers

Aaron said Green Bay's grounds crew was helping him look for the jewelry after the game had ended ... though as of Tuesday morning, it still hadn't been found.

Aaron, though, reiterated to reporters he's sure his father would've been grinning ear-to-ear following his huge game regardless.

"Just go home and tell him, 'I did it, Dad,'" Jones said of what he would've told his father after the game if he were still alive. "Went out there and played at a high level and gave it my all."

Originally Published -- 6:33 AM PT

'Jackass' Star Patty Perez 'Goddess' Dead at 57 ... After Diabetes Battle

Patty Perez -- AKA, "Goddess Patty," who made a memorable cameo in a 'Jackass' film -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The actress and Internet sensation's daughter, Priscilla, tells us ... Patty passed away last Friday at a hospital in Reno, where she lived -- and where she was being treated for complications related to her type 1 diabetes, which she'd been dealing with since birth. BTW, this wasn't COVID-related

Priscilla says her mom's kidneys were failing -- the result of a lifelong struggle with her health and weight that she'd endured for years and years.

Patty lived her life out loud despite her health concerns. She ended up becoming featured in 'Jackass 2' back in 2006, as well as "Jackass 2.5" the following year -- portraying herself in a hilarious skit they filmed with Jason Acuna, AKA Wee Man ... and gaining notoriety from it.

It was a segment of the film that they called "Magic Trick" in which they'd make WM disappear. The means for that, as it turned out, was having Patty jump onto him while lying on a bed ... and her body practically enveloped him. Johnny Knoxville shows up at the end, cracking up and asking where Wee Man went -- it's pretty hilarious.

Patty went on to star in one episode of "My Big Fat Fetish" ... where they showcased her sitting on guys who wanted to pay for that type of pleasure. There are other clips of her on the Internet, in which everyday activities are seen as a struggle for her.

Her family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover funeral and other expenses -- for now, they have a $6,000 goal. Priscilla also tells us, "We want to express our immense gratitude for the love and kindness everyone has shown to our mom." She adds, "Being able to entertain and bring light and happiness to people was the highlight of her life. She was so proud of the work she did in the film industry."

Patty's survived by her four children, her mother and her grandchildren. She was 57.

RIP

Right Said Fred Drake's '2 Sexy' Sample's Too Good ... We Gotta Take Him to Dinner!!!

The guys from Right Said Fred have NO hard feelings about Drake sampling "I'm Too Sexy" -- in fact, they want to thank him for bringing their song back into the limelight.

If ya weren't aware ... Drake's "Way 2 Sexy" from his latest album, "Certified Lover Boy," samples the smash 1991 hit from the English band, which still consists of brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass.

The Right Said Fred bros tell TMZ ... they were well aware of Drake's track -- which also features Future and Young Thug -- and were credited as co-writers, so any fans thinking 'Lover Boy' ripped them off can chill.

They say they heard Drake's song when it was a work in progress and absolutely loved it ... adding they appreciate the rapper's talent, creativity and sense of humor in his videos.

Fred and Richard believe "Way 2 Sexy" will remain popular and replayed for years to come ... much like their OG hit.

The guys say they've already seen a nice spike in their music sales since Drake's album dropped. They haven't spoken to him yet, but tell us they plan to invite him to dinner to celebrate their shared success.

As for what they've been up to lately ... RSF's still making music, but they've also been working on a campaign to support mental health resources and awareness during the pandemic. They'll be revealing more about that next week on TikTok.

Michael K. Williams Family Says Oscar, Emmy Coming Soon ... Despite Emmy Loss

Michael K. Williams' family is convinced a posthumous Oscar and Emmy is in the cards ... based on not-yet-released projects he starred in before his tragic passing.

Dominic Dupont, Michael's nephew, tells TMZ ... while the family's bummed Michael didn't win Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for "Lovecraft Country," they're hopeful a few upcoming projects could clinch him the coveted gold statues.

For starters, Dominic points to two upcoming films Michael starred in ... the Indi thriller "892" and Civil War-era drama "Surrounded." Dominic hasn't screened either film but believes the flicks give Michael a chance for an Oscar. As for why Dominic feels this way ... he says it's because Michael had the unparalleled ability to bring characters to life.

As for a future Emmy ... Dominic says his role in season 2 of the Vice TV docuseries "Black Market" could sway voters. Dominic, who traveled with Michael during the filming of "Black Market," says after 5 Emmy nominations ... everything teed up for an Emmy win next year.

Dominic says everyone at the Emmys was gracious to him and his wife ... and that they felt Michael's energy in the room. Dominic tells us Billy Porter and Jurnee Smollett greeted him and his family and expressed their sympathy ... while also making it clear they wanted Michael's legacy to live on.

HONOR THE LEGACY
TMZ.com

We caught up with Dominic after the Emmys and he told us he was bummed his uncle didn't get an Emmy (it went to Tobias Menzies for his portrayal of Prince Phillip in "The Crown"), but he told us he very much appreciated Kerry Washington's gesture in honoring him onstage.

Maybe soon ... Dominic will accept a statue on Michael's behalf.

U.S.-Mexico Border Agents Use Horse Reins as Whips ... Ward Off Haitian Migrants

Border Patrol agents attempting to push back Haitian migrants trying to cross into the U.S. used what appear to be horse reins as whips to keep them at bay ... and now, the White House says it's looking into the tactic.

The images surfaced this week amid a chaotic situation at various parts of the U.S.-Mexico border, especially in Texas ... where scores of people have been wading across the Rio Grande to the U.S. side -- including thousands of Haitians, many of whom have set up camp under a bridge in the town of Del Rio, which has grown exponentially in recent days.

As a way to deter people ... some border agents on horseback were photographed and taped swinging around what seems to be either reins or lariats attached to the saddle equipment on their steeds. The photos and video here don't appear to show the agents actually make contact with any of the Haitians trying to cross, but still ... it looks bad.

The sheer optics of this -- white border agents apparently trying or threatening to whip predominantly Black Haitian migrants -- has caught the Biden administration's attention.

POTUS's Press Secretary, Jen Psaki, was asked about it repeatedly during Monday's press conference ... and said the staff had seen the footage, but needed more information to make an assessment on what was actually happening before weighing in further.

Still, Psaki did acknowledge that based on what they'd seen thus far ... it didn't seem like anything that'd be appropriate in any scenario, but made a point to say they were trying to gather the full context and more details -- despite reporters pushing back and getting testy.

One journo flat out asked if this is okay under Biden's watch and if it would continue -- but Psaki held the line ... namely, that they were looking into it.

Oscar De La Hoya Calls Out Floyd Mayweather Makes $100 Million Offer!!!

FISHING FOR FLOYD
TMZSports.com

Oscar De La Hoya is gunning for a fight with one of the greatest boxers of all-time, Floyd Mayweather, telling TMZ Sports he's got $100 MILLION for Money if he accepts.

And, he wants to fight this year.

We got 48-year-old De La Hoya leaving Rossoblu in L.A. with girlfriend Holly Sonders ... and we asked the boxing legend how he felt after being hospitalized with COVID.

"5 days of hell" is how ODLH described the virus ... but what he really wanted to talk about was returning to the ring.

"You know who I'm gonna call out for my next fight? Floyd Mayweather."

And, that's when Oscar threw out the crazy lucrative proposal, saying ... "I'll offer Floyd Mayweather $100 million."

Remember, De La Hoya hasn't fought since losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2008 ... but was scheduled to return to the ring against Vitor Belfort earlier this month -- before he came down with COVID.

As for 44-year-old Floyd, he's been far more active. His last pro fight was against Conor McGregor in 2017, but he's had several exhibition fights since, including a June 2021 scrap against Logan Paul.

Of course, boxing fans will know Oscar and Floyd -- who had 10 division titles between them -- fought back in 2007 ... in one of the biggest fights of the decade. Mayweather defeated De La Hoya via a split decision.

Will Floyd take the bait and rematch Oscar over 14 years later? Stay tuned.

Victoria on 'Twilight' 'Memba Her?!

Canadian actress Rachelle Lefevre was in her 20's when she landed the role of the rebel vampire Victoria -- who plots to kill Bella after her coven leader James is destroyed -- in the 2008 fantasy film "Twilight" and the 2009 sequel "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

Lefevre shared the screen with her coven cast including Edi Gathegi as the "vegetarian" vampire, Laurent ... and of course Cam Gigandet as the bloodthirsty leader, James.

In a surprise switch-up, Rachelle Lefevre was replaced in the final film "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" by Bryce Dallas Howard.

Guess what she looks like two decades later!

2021 Emmys COVID-Safe, No Masks Required ... L.A. County Responds to Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen's rant suggesting the Emmys broke COVID safety rules is misguided ... at least according to the L.A. County Department of Health, which is refuting some of his comments.

The Health Dept. tells TMZ ... yes, the current mandate in L.A. requires everyone to wear a mask indoors -- whether vaccinated or unvaccinated -- but it also says exceptions are made for film, TV and music productions.

The county says the Emmy Awards qualify as a TV production, and all the people appearing on the show are considered performers ... so masks were not a must for attendees.

Additionally, the Dept. of Health says there were extra safety modifications in place for the event. Yes, everyone had to be fully vaxxed ... but they also had to have a verified negative COVID test within 48 hours of the show. Crew members were either fully vaccinated or recently tested as well.

Overall, the Public Health office says the Emmys reached out to share its safety protocols and they "exceeded the baseline requirements for television and film productions."

9/19/21
WHAT ARE WE DOING?!
CBS

Still, Rogen's speech during the ceremony was about more than just the optics of all the maskless celebs sitting close to one another. He also claimed Emmy officials promised them the show would be outdoors, and it wasn't.

9/19/21
FELT SAFE TO ME, SETH
TMZ.com

However, several other stars in attendance didn't seem to mind nearly as much as Rogen.

Billie Eilish Droppin' Two New Pair Of Kicks Collabing W/ Jordan Brand!!!

Move over Travis Scott ... there's a new music superstar collabing with the Swoosh, 'cause Billie Eilish and Jordan Brand linked up and are about to drop brand new kicks.

The 19-year-old pop star revealed the retro Js on her feet in her IG post on Monday -- saying she's "SO excited" for the release.

"I’ve always loved @jumpman23 🥰," Eilish says, "and it was such an incredible and surreal experience getting to create these, especially in a sustainable fashion."

The new Eilish-Air Jordan collab is a lime green Air Jordan 1 KO -- that has her signature Blohsh logo on the tongue of the shoe.

There are also the Jordan 15s -- Eilish's favorite -- that will come in a tan shade.

The Grammy award-winning singer -- who's big on climate change and eco-friendly -- also announced that both pairs are "100% vegan with over 20% recycled material."

Of course, Billie isn't the first ultra-famous celeb to team up with Nike ... Scott and the brand have created some of the most coveted kicks in the sneaker game. The Scott Nike's have been sold on the secondary market for over $1k.

How will sneakerheads and music fans react to Eilish's sneakers? We'll soon find out.

The kicks will be released on BI's website on Sept. 27 and hit Nike's SNKRS app on the 30th.

Britney Spears Who's Back on Instagram? It's Britney, Bitch!!!

Britney Spears' getaway with Sam Asghari wasn't just a celebration of their engagement ... it was also the perfect reason for her to get back on Instagram.

The singer posted 2 identical photos -- one color, one black and white -- on Monday and said they were taken during a weekend trip to Palm Springs to celebrate their commitment to get married.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Brit says, "I couldn't stay away from the gram too long so I'm back already 💍😂!!!! Psss I took these in Palm Springs with clip in extensions 💁🏼😉."

As you know, just 2 days after Sam popped the question, Britney deleted her Instagram and said, "Don't worry folks ... just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement 💍😉 !!!!  I'll be back soon 💋🌹✨."

The IG break lasted all of 7 days. As we reported ... sources with direct knowledge had told us she wanted to take a break from social media ahead of her conservatorship hearing later this month.

Long story short ... Britney wanted to keep a low profile ... with our sources saying there was concern in Britney's camp that she was a little too "out there" with some of her posts ... like her topless ones.

In any event, Britney clearly felt it was time to loop her fans back in on her whereabouts. We're still 9 days away from her big day in court, so ... we'll see how this plays out.

Gabby Petito 911 Call from Utah Stop ... Alleges BF Brian Slapped Her

REPORTING A DISTURBANCE
Fox News

Gabby Petito's boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, allegedly slapped and hit her in the run-up to them being pulled over and questioned by a cop in Utah, shortly before she vanished ... this according to a 911 caller, who claimed to have witnessed violence.

FOX obtained the 911 call in question, which was placed on August 12 near Moab, Utah -- not too far from where Gabby and Brian were eventually pulled over later that day by a city cop, whose body camera captured a distraught Gabby ...  and Brian unseemly denying anything had happened between them.

Check out the audio ... you hear a man tell the operator he's calling to report a domestic dispute he says he saw in town, going on to paint a picture of the white van Gabby and Brian had been traveling in, while also providing a license plate number ... and descriptions of both of them.

When the operator asks point blank what he saw them doing ... the guy doesn't hesitate -- he says he saw the man slapping and hitting the female, then both of them running up and down the sidewalk ... and finally jumping into the van and driving off.

8/12/2021
INTERACTION WITH MOAB POLICE
Moab Police Department

Not long after this, Gabby and Brian were, in fact, stopped by a Moab officer and questioned. While neither Gabby nor Brian admitted to any physical confrontation -- it was clear the former was having a hard time and going through some sort of a breakdown, as she started to cry in front of the cop. Brian, for his part, said they'd just been arguing ... nothing more.

Interestingly enough, FOX reports that an official police account of this entire incident claimed "no one reported that the male struck the female" -- which appears to be contradicted here.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

As we reported ... the feds announced Sunday that they believe they found the remains of Gabby's body in a national park in Wyoming, one of the last places she's said to have been with Brian -- who came back to Florida solo, and who has since gone missing himself.

Police have called him a person of interest, but have stopped short of saying he's a suspect -- however, they are searching his parents' home, where he lived, which is being deemed a crime scene.

Drake Airballs Jump Shot ... In 1-On-1 Game With Tory Lanez

Drake's jumper clearly still needs some work ... 'cause cameras have caught him airballin' yet another shot on the court -- this time in a 1-on-1 game with Tory Lanez.

The whiffed shot all went down in Miami (unclear exactly when) ... when Drake was getting in some run with his fellow rapper.

You can see in some footage of the two musicians' workout, Aubrey pulled up from deep against Lanez, shot the rock ... and then hit nothing but court.

To his credit, he didn't seem too downtrodden after the shot -- and Lanez somehow didn't even talk smack!

Of course, missing rim, backboard and net is nothing new for the "Certified Lover Boy" rapper ... 'cause, you'll recall, back in 2014, he famously missed a shot while in a layup line with the Kentucky men's basketball team.

Unclear who ultimately ended up winning the 1v1 match ... but something tells us if Drake didn't lock in the jumper -- Lanez probably made it a long afternoon in the gym for Drake.

AJ McLean We Want Int. Fans At Vegas Residency ... That's Why We Postponed It

we love our fans
TMZ.com

AJ McLean says postponing the Backstreet Boys' upcoming Vegas residency was the right thing to do for 2 good reasons ... the pandemic and their international fans.

The BSB singer joined "TMZ Live" Monday -- along with NSYNC's Joey Fatone -- and explained it was only right to push his group's Vegas residency until 2022, because a lot of fans from outside the U.S. still can't travel here.

The 'Boys were slated to begin their residency in November at Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood. They were also set to simultaneously drop their first-ever Christmas album. AJ says the residency and the album, which is still in the works, go hand in hand ... and it's why the album release was also delayed.

That being said ... AJ, Joey and others are still slated to perform this upcoming weekend in Miami at Fountainbleu for its 90's Pool Party. We had to ask ... why still move forward with that, while delaying the residency? AJ gave us the deets.

He also shared the challenges that come with trying to plan live shows during a pandemic. It's not easy, but AJ says constant communication with fans is key.

George Holliday Man Who Shot Rodney King Beating Video Dead From COVID

George Holliday -- the man who filmed Rodney King's beating at the hands of the LAPD in the '90s, which eventually triggered the L.A. Riot -- has died after contracting COVID-19.

Holliday passed away Sunday while hospitalized in Simi Valley, CA where he'd been since mid-August -- this according to one of his close friends and his business partner. We're told he'd been bedridden with pneumonia, and finally succumbed to the virus after a few weeks. We're told he wasn't vaccinated.

3/3/91
THE BEATING

There's also this ... people close to George tell us that he was on a ventilator the last few days of his life. We're told when he was first admitted, he had an oxygen tube, but his condition worsened and eventually, he was put on the ventilator.

LAST OUTGOING MESSAGE

We're told he was plagued with blood clots and internal bleeding toward the end. His outgoing voicemail referenced he was in the hospital with COVID.

Holliday's claim to fame is the historic and horrific video he captured in 1991 ... which showed 4 LAPD cops swinging batons down on a cowering King, who was trying to protect himself from the blows.

If not for Holliday's quick and decisive move to start recording the madness from his apartment balcony across the way ... it's almost certain no one would've caught wind of what had been done to King that night in March of '91.

The tape ended up as the impetus for bringing charges against 4 officers -- all of whom ended up being acquitted in criminal court ... a decision that sparked the 1992 L.A. riots.

Businesses were destroyed, cars and property were set ablaze ... and people were outright fighting with law enforcement on the streets for nearly a week straight -- resulting in more than a billion dollars in damages.

King did end up winning a civil lawsuit ... and was awarded $4 million.

Holliday put his infamous video camera up for auction just last year -- with a starting bid at nearly a quarter of a million dollars. He said it had come to symbolize more than he could ever imagine, especially in the wake of George Floyd.

He was 61.

RIP

Wrestling Star Daffney Death Ruled Suicide

Ex-WCW star Daffney's death has been ruled a suicide by officials in Georgia ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to the death certificate, released Monday, the former wrestler died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

As we previously reported, Daffney -- real name Shannon Spruill -- was found dead on Sept. 2 ... after she had recorded herself on Instagram Live appearing to be suicidal.

In the videos, Daffney could be heard saying, "Do you guys not understand that I am all alone? Do you not understand that?"

She later said, "Remember, my brain goes to Boston."

Daffney's good friend, fellow wrestler Lexie Fyfe, told TMZ Sports Daffney had been battling mental health issues in the weeks leading up to her death.

Daffney starred in the WCW from 1999 to 2001 ... and after her passing, she was remembered fondly by wrestling legends, including Mick Foley, who said, "She was far ahead if her time in our business. #RIPDaffney."

She was 46 years old.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

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