Dog the Bounty Hunter TV Show Offers Rolling In ... As He Hunts for Brian Laundrie

Dog the Bounty Hunter's return to TV is imminent ... or so it seems based on the interest he's garnering since joining the manhunt for Brian Laundrie.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Dog's been contacted by multiple networks over the past several days that have expressed a desire in resurrecting a television show with him as the star.

We're told Dog caught these TV folks' attention when he joined the search for Gabby Petito's fiance and instantly began trending ... so now they're shooting their shot to get him back on the small screen doing what he's known for.

Our sources say since Dog has been on the manhunt for Laundrie, there's been no filming involved other than his wife, Francie, documenting some of it on her cell phone.

We're told if a new Dog show gets launched, Francie's footage may be used ... and she'll be involved in the series with him.

CLOSING IN
TMZ.com

Dog tells TMZ ... when he joined the Laundrie manhunt, he didn't have an ulterior motive trying to land a TV show. He says he was in the middle of his honeymoon when news broke Brian was missing, and he only got involved "because of my unique skill set and the fact I was only an hour away from where he was last seen."

He adds that he's gotten close to the Petito family and truly wants to help them get closure. That said, if his recent actions spark interest in a new TV gig ... he tells us he'll consider it, because he still enjoys that.

BTW ... we just spoke to Dog on "TMZ Live," and he's adamant Laundrie is alive -- but probably not well -- and using his survival skills to evade capture in the Florida Everglades.

10/3/21
DOG DOWN IN THE SWAMPS
@duanedogchapman / Instagram

And, we know Dog's not afraid to get dirty while trying to find the guy ... but so far, he's come up just as empty as everyone else.

U.S. Supreme Court Cops Arrest Man Who Triggered Lockdown ... No Weapons Found

UPDATE

9:32 AM PT -- According to Capitol Police ... The man has been placed under arrest and no weapons were found on him. Cops say after they and crisis negotiators approached him the man refused to talk to them except to say, "Time for talking is done."

UPDATE

The incident started at 9:30 AM after the man pulled up in his SUV and illegally parked near the Supreme Court building.

UPDATE

8:04 AM PT -- According to the U.S. Capitol Police ... one of its teams moved in and extracted the man from the SUV. He's now in custody ... and cops say everyone is safe. That being said ... cops say they're still talking to the man and advise people to avoid the area. The man has been identified as Dale Paul Melvin from Kimball, MI.

UPDATE

The Supreme Court Justices just returned to work -- beginning work on cases related to Roe v. Wade -- and the court is on lockdown, surrounded by cops investigating a security threat.

U.S Capitol Police say a suspicious vehicle is parked near the Supreme Court Building, and they have officers all over neighboring blocks ... shutting off all traffic in the area. Tensions are running high -- Monday was the Court's first day back in session, and with Roe v. Wade on the Justices' front burner for the current term, there are immense security concerns.

There are reports the vehicle is an SUV parked at the front of the building, and that the driver refused to move when cops told him to do so.

The Justices are scheduled to hear arguments regarding Mississippi's abortion law later during this term ... and it could ultimately lead to Roe v. Wade being overturned.

It's unclear if the Justices were already in the building when police locked down the building.

Story developing ...

Originally Published -- 7:05 AM PT

Brian Laundrie's Sister I Don't Know if Parents are Involved In Brian's Disappearance

THEY WON'T SPEAK TO US
Your Content (@nikthehat)

Brian Laundrie's sister says she doesn't have the slightest clue where he is ... and she says she simply doesn't know if her parents are in on his mysterious disappearance.

Brian's sister, Cassie, confronted a group of protestors outside her Florida home Monday ... telling them she hasn't seen Brian since he went missing and she's been cooperative with law enforcement.

Cassie says she's just as frustrated as everyone else with the case, and wants answers.

As you know, Brian fell off the grid last month ... and his parents are the last ones who saw him before he disappeared.

Dog the Bounty Hunter is searching high and low for Brian, even venturing to a remote island off the Florida coast, but so far he's struck out.

There's been a few alleged Brian sightings ... most recently a hiker claims to have seen Brian on the Appalachian Trail ... but nothing concrete.

9/23/21
NOTHING TO SAY
Splashnews.com / momandpaparazzi.com

Brian's sister says she is being kept in the dark ... and she's also got some words for Gabby Petito's family.

Grimes Communist Party Thanks Her ... You're Helping Us Go Mainstream!!!

Grimes boning up on some Karl Marx has America's Communist Party applauding the singer ... because they say she's advancing their cause.

A spokesperson for Communist Party USA tells TMZ that even though the singer has said she doesn't identify as a communist, the fact she was spotted reading "The Communist Manifesto" is a massive win for them.

As we reported ... Grimes was seen with the book over the weekend, following her recent split from billionaire baby daddy Elon Musk.

The CP Rep tells us even if the Grimes pics were just a publicity stunt, it's a textbook case of all publicity being good publicity.

The way the party sees things ... the first step to getting people to join the Communist Party is by making them reconsider our current political system. Through Grimes, folks will be inspired to read Marx and ultimately begin to question capitalism and the billionaires calling the shots ... like Elon Musk.

Fact is, celebrities have played a major role in changing American politics in the past decade. Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic-Socialist, entered the 2016 presidential race, and despite running as a Democrat, he was hardly supported by any Dems in Congress. Endorsements from stars like Sarah Silverman, Killer Mike and many more propelled Bernie into the mainstream ... and as Bernie grew, so did Democratic-Socialism.

Case and point, Communist Party USA are looking for something similar with Grimes and believe the visibility she's bringing to Party, through Marx, will help them in the long term.

NBA's Andrew Wiggins I Felt 'Forced' To Get Vaccine 'You Don't Own Your Body'

Andrew Wiggins is making it clear -- he did NOT want to take the COVID vaccine ... telling media members Monday he felt like the NBA and the government "forced" him into getting the shots.

"The only options were to get vaccinated or not play in the NBA," Wiggins said. "It was a tough decision. Hopefully, it works out in the long run and in 10 years I'm still healthy."

The Golden State Warriors forward had fought tooth and nail to avoid getting the jab ... even at one point applying for a religious exemption with the NBA.

But, that was denied ... and with health officials in the Bay Area requiring anyone 12 or older to be fully vaxxed to attend indoor events -- Wiggins said he felt like he had no other choice but to take the vaccine.

"It's not something I wanted to do," Wiggins said after Golden State's preseason game Monday night. "But I was kind of forced to."

He added, "I guess to do certain stuff -- to work and all that -- I guess you don't own your body. That's what it comes down to. You want to work in society today, then I guess they make the rules on what goes in your body and what you do."

Despite getting the vax ... Wiggins told reporters he's hopeful others don't feel as much pressure as he did to take the shots.

"Hopefully there's a lot of people out there that are stronger than me and keep fighting and stand for what they believe," Wiggins said, "and hopefully it works out for them."

Doctors, medical experts and health officials, meanwhile, have continuously said the vaccine is safe ... and will protect people from severe side effects from COVID-19.

Smash Mouth's Steve Harwell On Hiatus Due to Heart Issues ... He'll Be Back Soon!!!

Fear not, Smash Mouth fans ... Steve Harwell's recent absence is due to health conditions, but he's on the mend and will soon hit the stage again.

A rep for the American rock band tells TMZ ... Steve had not been feeling well due to issues with cardiomyopathy and heart failure, which forced him to miss a few performances. Steve's had cardiomyopathy -- a form of heart disease where the heart muscle becomes enlarged and weak, making it difficult to pump blood -- since 2015.

Fans were speculating Smash Mouth fired Steve. Someone recently tweeted the band asking, "Hey @smashmouth did y'all replace your singer & not say anything?" Someone else wrote, "ok a couple things 1) @smashmouth did you really fire your singer and B) can I be your new singer."

The answer's an unequivocal "No" to all those questions. We're told Steve manages his heart condition with meds, but recently some issues came up and things needed to be adjusted. You'll recall he was rushed to the hospital in 2017 due to his heart condition.

The band's current singer is someone the band knows and was substituting for a few shows, but it's NOT a permanent move.

The good news? Steve feels good now and will be back beginning Thursday at the Jackson Mississippi State Fair.

Britney Spears & Madonna 2003 VMAs Kiss Can be Yours!!! NFT Up for Auction

The famous shot of Madonna kissing Britney Spears on stage at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards will soon have a new owner in the digital world ... it's being auctioned off as an NFT.

The actual photo of the iconic kiss was taken by Hollywood photographer, John Shearer, who's entering the NFT space with Cryptograph to sell his one-of-a-kind moment ... while raising money for a good cause.

A portion of the proceeds from the auction -- which begins the morning of October 7 and runs for 72 hours -- will benefit GLAAD.

As you recall ... the 2003 VMAs opened with Britney popping out of a wedding cake dressed as a sexy bride before being joined on stage by Christina Aguilera, also in a wedding dress, and finally ... the Material Girl.

At the end of their performance of "Like a Virgin" and "Hollywood," Madonna locked lips with Spears AND Aguilera ... though the kiss with Britney got more pub.

Now, someone can own the piece of music history via NFT ... but it won't come cheap. The only question is -- how much is this kiss truly worth???

Cleveland Guardians Will Continue To Sell Indians Merch Donate Proceeds To Charity

Cleveland fans looking to honor the team's history will be able to get their hands on old merchandise AND help out a good cause at the same time -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the Guardians will continue to roll out Indians merch ... with proceeds going to charity.

Cleveland played its last game as the Indians on Sunday ... with the organization officially rolling out its new branding as the "Guardians" at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

We're told the Indians brand will not vanish forever, however -- fans will be able to get as many t-shirts, jerseys and other memorabilia sporting the old nickname as they please ... and our sources tell us the team plans to donate those items' proceeds to charity.

FYI -- Cleveland elected to do this in the past after retiring "Chief Wahoo" in 2018 ... by keeping items with the mascot on shelves and writing a check to Native American organizations.

CHANGE IS COMING
Cleveland Indians

Our sources say the team is hoping to help a similar cause this time around with Indians gear ... but nothing is set in stone just yet.

As for the Guardians, the team introduced the new look with a video narrated by Tom Hanks back in July ... showing off new jerseys, logos and font stylization.

The merch news is great for Tribe fans holding on so dearly to the old name ... but also, maybe give the Guardians a try?!?

'Darrin's Dance Grooves' 'Memba Him?!

Bronx-based choreographer Darrin Henson was in his mid-30s when he switched roles ... from the guy behind the camera credited with creating some of the best moves in the music industry ... to the instructor on the wildly popular how-to dance DVD's "Darrin's Dance Grooves" back in 2001.

Before his grooves were printed on his signature dance series, Darrin was responsible for the choreography for some of the biggest names in pop including Britney Spears, The Spice Girls and NSYNC.

Darrin can still be spotted on-screen with roles on television shows like "The Family Business" and "Double Cross."

Guess what he looks like now at 55 years old!

'Free Britney' Movement Brit Gives Thanks ... I'm Almost Free Because of You!!!

Britney Spears is addressing her #FreeBritney crusaders for the first time since her monumental court hearing ... letting them know she knows what they've done for her.

Britney just went on Twitter -- Instagram's been down, if ya haven't heard -- and thanked all of her fans and supporters for helping her take a huge step closer to getting out of her conservatorship.

She wrote ... "#Free Britney movement … I have no words … because of you guys and your constant resilience in freeing me from my conservatorship … my life is now in that direction !!!!!"

Brit added she cried last night for 2 hours thinking about how her fans are the best.

Interestingly ... she also let everyone know she just got back from a trip to French Polynesia, which is apparently how she celebrated last week's victory in court. Well, that and posting some nudes.

As we've reported ... members of the "Free Britney" movement have been pivotal in drawing attention to her case, rallying public support against her father, Jamie, and pushing to end her conservatorship.

Finally, after last Wednesday's hearing, things appear to be headed in that direction very soon ... as Jamie was suspended as conservator and steps have been activated to end Britney's conservatorship once and for all.

And, after that, the movement will move on to Amanda Bynes ... or so we're told.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren FB Whistleblower's a Hero ... She Wants to Save Democracy!!!

PEOPLE OVER PROFITS
TMZ.com

Elizabeth Warren says the Facebook employee who blew the lid on how they allegedly put profits over accuracy says she shouldn't be called a whistleblower ... but a patriot.

The U.S. Senator was on Capitol Hill Monday, where we got a chance to ask what she made of Frances Haugen's appearance on '60 Minutes' ... on which she made some bombshell claims against her former employer, for whom she worked up until earlier this year.

ICYMI ... Haugen alleged FB honchos have opted, of late, to highlight divisive -- and oftentimes erroneous -- posts and/or content on the platform ... killing their news filtering process in place for the election, and helping fuel the Jan. 6 insurrection with inaction.

Like we said, heavy-hitting stuff ... to which Sen. Warren says, good for her -- and also, THANK YOU.

Check out how she characterizes Haugen coming forward ... she uses the word "democracy" and says the woman is actually working to preserve our system of government by getting the word out on how this mega social media company is allegedly operating behind the scenes.

A lot of people are singing Haugen's praises right about now -- especially as she's set to testify on this exact issue in front of Congress in the not too distant future.

Of course, we also had to ask the Senator about this weird mass outage that unfolded Monday -- literally on the heels of Haugen speaking out ... which had FB, Instagram, What's App and a ton of other services down. People were slowly able to access their accounts after 6 hours.

Like many of us ... the Senator was just as confused, and hits our photog with a verbal 🤷🏽‍♂️.

Dog the Bounty Hunter Believes Laundrie's Alive But Not Well

CLOSING IN
TMZ.com

Dog the Bounty Hunter believes Brian Laundrie is alive because his profile does not meet someone who is suicidal.

Dog appeared Monday on "TMZ Live" ... and he's convinced Laundrie has been hiding in the Florida Everglades where he's been searching.  Dog was quick to add Laundrie may have hightailed it out of there in the last few days, but he's adamant ... Laundrie's been there.

The famous bounty hunter does not think Laundrie's escaped to Mexico or South America ... he'd be a marked man, especially in Mexico.  Dog believes Laundrie is comfortable in the marshland ... noting he's a survivalist who has traversed the Appalachian trails for months at a time.

10/3/21
DOG DOWN IN THE SWAMPS
@duanedogchapman / Instagram

That said, Dog doesn't think Laundrie is doing well now because of the conditions and the amount of time that has elapsed since his disappearance.

Harvey & the gang talked about Dog's manhunt for Brian Laundrie in the latest TMZ Podcast.

As we reported ... the reality TV star searched high and low for Laundrie over the weekend. He arrived by boat with the help of some local tour guides. You see him in video going into the thick brush and floating vegetation as he tries to zero in on America's most wanted.

Britney Spears Caretaker Robin Greenhill Mum on Secret Bedroom Bugging

10/4/21
STAYIN' SILENT
BACKGRID

Britney Spears' bedroom was secretly bugged, and a former security employee claims the idea was hatched by a woman named Robin Greenhill, but Robin had no interest in answering the allegation.

Greenhill said nothing to a photog at LAX Monday, where she was asked about the claim in the latest New York Times documentary, in which Alex Vlasov claimed Robin, who was a member of Britney's management team, came up with the idea of mirroring Britney's iPhone to monitor her messages and calls.

Robin works for the Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group, which denied the allegation.

Sources with direct knowledge of the conservatorship tell TMZ ... Robin was the key person who managed Britney day-to-day, and often allegedly blocked Britney from spending her money, even for relatively inexpensive items.  Some people involved in Britney's life/business say Robin had an iron grip on Britney, making onerous decisions that blocked her from vacations and various purchases.

Robin worked for Lou Taylor, who is a honcho at Tri Star whom Jamie Spears would often call "the smartest person in any room." We're told Jamie delegated a lot of day-to-day decisions to Taylor, who then delegated to Greenhill. We're told Jamie wouldn't hear criticism of the way Taylor or Greenhill were managing Britney ... what they said goes.

Tri Star no longer handles Britney's affairs, and her lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, has vowed to get to the bottom of allegations involving secret recordings and monitoring.

Shaquille O'Neal Hits The Stage with Snoop ... While Raising Millions for Charity

OCTOBER 2021
NUTHIN' BUT A SHAQ THANG
Shaquille O'Neal Foundation

Shaq's no stranger to taking the stage, but audience members at his inaugural charity event got a never-before-seen performance when the NBA legend collabed with Snoop Dogg on a hip-hop classic.

The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation held their first-ever "'The Event' Presented by Pepsi Stronger Together" Saturday night in Vegas. Jimmy Kimmel took over hosting duties, but Justin Bieber, Kelly Clarkson and Snoop were among the performers to grab the mic.

At one point during Snoop's set, Shaq jumped on stage to perform "Nuthin' But A G Thang" ... and as expected, the crowd went wild.

The event raised $2.7 million to benefit The Boys and Girls Club and Communities in Schools throughout Las Vegas and Atlanta ... including ticket sales and a live auction.

Speaking of the auction, Shaq wowed the crowd when he bid $90k of his own cash for a walk-on role in an upcoming Adam Sandler movie.

The world needs more people like Shaq.

George Floyd's Brother Open To Meeting With NYC Statue Vandal ... So We Can Start Healing

HEALING OVER HATE
TMZ.com

George Floyd's brother says he's open to meeting the man who threw paint onto a bust of George in NYC ... so they can leave the hate behind, heal, and move forward.

Terrence Floyd tells TMZ ... seeing George's statue vandalized tells him there's still people out there with hate in their hearts, and it's holding back society.

George's brother says he wants the vandal to get what he deserves ... but he also wants a chance to sit down with the guy and hash things out.

OCTOBER 2021
SECURITY FOOTAGE
NYPD

As we reported ... NYPD released surveillance video they say shows the suspect throwing paint onto the bust in NYC's Union Square, and the perp is in the hate crime unit's crosshairs.

Terrence tells us his team did some reflecting on why George's statue, unveiled over the weekend by his We are Floyd org in partnership with Confront Art, was the only one vandalized ... and says the only way to move forward is through love, unity and healing, not more hate.

Bottom line for Terrance ... if he can express himself to George's killer, he can have a meaningful conversation with the vandal.

Shannen Doherty Wins Lawsuit Against State Farm Jury Finds $6.3M Damages

Shannen Doherty has prevailed in the lawsuit against her insurance company, which she claimed didn't want shell out money to build her a new home after a wildfire ... but it looks like they'll have to pay up now.

The '90210' actress just won her civil lawsuit against State Farm, which she filed last year ... saying the insurance giant refused to pay out enough money under her policy to restore her Malibu home from the ground up after it was damaged in the wildfires.

State Farm said her home had only suffered from residual smoke and simply needed a cleaning -- but Shannon begged to differ ... and after a trial, a jury agreed with her.

As for damages, her attorney, Devin McRae, tells us he'll be filing a proposed judgment consistent with the jury's verdict in the amount of around $6.3 million ... covering everything from the house rebuild itself to personal belongings she lost, as well as emotional distress and attorneys fees.

It's been a rancorous battle ... with mud-slinging back and forth, but especially toward Shannen, who said State Farm was trying to shame her for smoking in the past -- something she says she stopped after her cancer diagnosis.

That's another pivotal fact that was at the forefront of this lawsuit -- State Farm alleged SD was trying to gain sympathy points with the court (and the media) by playing up her stage 4 breast cancer, which was revealed publicly amid all this legal back and forth.

Old news is old news!
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