Vivica A. Fox I Ride with Jussie Smollett!!!

DECEMBER 2021
HE'LL BE BACK
TMZ.com

Vivica A. Fox is a ride or die friend, because she made it clear Tuesday night ... she stands by Jussie Smollett in bad times as well as good.

Vivica was at the TCL Chinese Theatre for the premiere of her movie, "True to the Game 3." Our photog asked about her ties with Jussie, and Vivica showed Smollett mad love.

What's interesting ... she never said if she believed he was actually attacked on the streets of Chicago back in 2019. Clearly, prosecutors don't believe him, because he's currently on trial for allegedly staging the incident. He's charged with 6 felonies and could be sent to prison for years if convicted.

11/29/21
WALKING INTO COURT
WGN News

A jury has been selected and testimony has begun. It's unclear if Jussie will take the stand in his own defense. Typically, defendants in criminal cases stay mum, but this case almost demands Jussie tell the jury his version of what happened.

It seems the jury's verdict will be irrelevant to Vivica. She not only supports her former "Empire" co-star -- she wants to do a project with him in the future.

'Home Alone' Mansion Hits Airbnb For One Night Only ... Set The Booby Traps!!!

The iconic house from 'Home Alone' is ready to play host to some lucky guests ... and while folks spending the night won't have to ward off bandits, they can still set the booby traps!!!

In celebration of the upcoming release of "Home Sweet Home Alone," Buzz McCallister is hosting a super rare overnight stay at the family's Chicago home, while the McCallisters are once again away for the holidays.

The famous home from the OG movie is being converted into an Airbnb for one night only ... and 4 guests can relive their favorite moments from the Christmas classic for only $25!!!

If you're lucky enough to snag the spot, a night inside the 'Home Alone' crib will have you feeling like Macaulay Culkin.

The place will be decked out with holiday decorations, including twinkling lights and a perfectly trimmed Christmas tree ... one of little Kevin McCallister's favorites.

Don't worry about the Sticky Bandits, but have fun setting up the booby traps ... and laugh because you're not the one sidestepping them!

Of course, a night in the McCallister house wouldn't be complete without splashing aftershave and screaming in the bathroom mirror.

Pig out with all the '90s junk food you can stomach, plus plenty of Chicago's finest pizza and a candlelit dinner with Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Buzz is hosting, so naturally, there's a meet and greet with a real-life tarantula ... which probably won't crawl on your face. No crowbars needed.

The movie inside the movie, "Angels With Filthy Souls," isn't long enough to really make your night ... instead, enjoy a viewing of the film franchise's newest offering, "Home Sweet Home Alone."

If LEGO is your thing ... the place comes with a 'Home Alone' kit to bring home.

It's the first time the mansion's opening up its doors for fans looking to recreate the movie magic, and bookings start December 7 for the Dec. 12 stay. Airbnb will also make a donation to Chicago's La Rabida Children's Hospital to celebrate the rare event. Folks trying to book have to follow the strict COVID-19 guidelines in Illinois.

Tupac Bodyguard's Hard Drive Up for Grabs ... Music, Photos & More

Tupac Shakur's right-hand man/bodyguard has a treasure trove of Pac-related gems that are seeing the light of day for the first time ... and are expected to fetch a pretty penny.

The late rapper's ex-bodyguard, Frank Alexander -- who has also since died -- once had a computer hard drive in his possession that's said to contain an unspoken amount of content covering all things Tupac ... including unseen photos, unheard music and legal docs giving new insight into his life.

The 83 GB drive -- which is being auctioned off by GottaHaveRockandRoll.com starting Wednesday -- will have an opening bid of $10,000 ... but we're told by people in the know that auction heads think someone will throw down way more for it -- about $600k or beyond.

Why's this thing so dang valuable, you may ask??? It's pretty simple actually ... especially when you get a gander at what's inside.

Among the digital files ... a sea of pics showing Pac and his pals behind the scenes, either hanging out and/or working on music and other projects.

Not just that, but we're told there's also a plethora of legal docs that pertained to Tupac that Frank owned ... such as depositions he gave, lawsuits he was named in, among other paperwork. Bottom line ... it's a very valuable collector's item for any hardcore fan.

10% of the proceeds are going toward an official org tied to Pac -- the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation.

Cowboys' Damontae Kazee Name-Dropped Dak, Zeke During Arrest ... Video Shows

UNDER ARREST

Dallas Cowboys safety Damontae Kazee told a cop he had been with Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott hours before his DWI arrest ... saying he had partied with the two just before getting behind the wheel.

It's all in new police video, obtained by TMZ Sports, which reveals Kazee name-dropped his two superstar teammates after he was pulled over in the Dallas area back on Oct. 19 at around 3 a.m.

In the footage, a cop can be heard telling Kazee he had stopped him due to his failure to use a turn signal as well as some erratic driving.

Kazee -- who seemed to be slurring his words -- said "my bad" ... and then explained he had been with the Cowboys' quarterback and running back earlier in the evening.

"I was just with Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott and we were just having fun -- went out," Kazee told the cop.

The 28-year-old, who just signed with the Cowboys this offseason, told the officer he had "probably like three shots" while out -- adding that he, Prescott, Elliott and others were at a restaurant in downtown Dallas.

"Today we was just going out to eat," Kazee said, "because it's rookie night."

The cop then put Kazee through some field sobriety tests -- and you can see in the video, Kazee didn't appear to ace any of them.

Kazee seemed to struggle to count backwards and didn't walk cleanly in a straight line -- and he was eventually arrested and booked on a misdemeanor DWI charge.

Kazee addressed the situation with Dallas reporters a few days following the incident ... saying, "I apologized to my family, my teammates, my coaches and to the owner, who gave me a job."

"I'm happy the Lord helped me get out," he said, adding that he'd "deal with" any punishment the NFL levied on him over it all. "I didn't hit nobody, I didn’t hurt myself. Just thankful I’m here now."

Kazee has started nine games for Dallas this season, recording 27 tackles and one interception.

Guess Who This Little Piano Player Turned Into!

Before this little piano player was belting out her beautiful voice to millions, she was just another mini musician getting a feel for the keys in New York, New York.

This overall cutie's talent was hard to ignore for music producers when they discovered her at the young age of 15 years old. She was launched into stardom and has been thriving ever since ... especially by becoming one of the most successful female artists with 15 Grammy Awards (5 which she won in the same year).

With all that success, this girl really is on fire!

Can you guess who she is?

LAX Dead Dog Found in Trash Bin

Cops at LAX are working a sad and gruesome case -- a dead dog was found there, and someone seems to have dumped the poor pup's lifeless body in a trash can ... TMZ has learned.

The horrific scene unfolded Tuesday afternoon when airport janitorial staff were alerted by a citizen who had discovered the animal's corpse in a bin -- and then the janitors alerted airport police.

We're told the dog -- apparently a French bulldog -- was stuffed inside a duffel-type bag that might have been the animal's carrier. Worth noting there was also a ripped luggage tag nearby.

Cops are trying to figure out what happened to the dog, and who placed it in the trash bin. Luckily, it's LAX and that means there are cameras almost everywhere -- we're told officers are checking all available surveillance footage.

Sadly, we've reported on way too many pets dying on airplanes -- usually in cargo holds, overhead bins or occasionally on the tarmac -- but this is the first time we've seen a dead dog turn up this way at an airport.

Story developing ...

LeBron James Tests Positive For COVID-19 ... Will Miss Several Games

UPDATE

4:10 PM PT -- TMZ Sports has learned ... LeBron James tested positive for COVID-19 this afternoon using a lateral flow test. James was given a follow-up PCR test to confirm the diagnosis. However, that test came back negative. LeBron was then given a third tie-breaker test ... which came back positive.

UPDATE

We're told the team has chartered a private jet so Bron can fly back to Los Angeles in a safe manner.

UPDATE

We're also told James is currently asymptomatic. LeBron is fully vaccinated.

LeBron James has been placed in the NBA's health and safety protocols and will miss tonight's game against the Sacramento Kings, the league announced Tuesday.

The news comes just hours before the Lakers are set to go up against the Kings.

It's unclear if 36-year-old James is COVID-19 positive, if he was a close contact or had a false positive.

Per the league's rules, if James is positive, he will be away from the team either for the next 10 days or until he submits at least two negative PCR tests before returning.

9/28/21
NOT MY JOB
Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron is fully vaccinated but has previously shied away from encouraging others to get the jab.

"We're talking about individuals' bodies," LeBron said back in September. "We're not talking about something that's political, or racism, or police brutality. Things of that nature. We're talking about people's bodies and well being."

"So, I don't feel like, for me personally, that I should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and their livelihoods."

LBJ is averaging 25.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the 11-11 Lakers ... and previously missed several games this season due to an ab strain.

Originally Published -- 3:49 PM PT

Britney Spears Gas Station Bathroom Break ... When Nature Calls

Britney Spears made a pit stop during a cruise around Los Angeles ... stopping at a gas station and using the restroom.

Britney was tooling around town in her white Mercedes-Benz when, apparently, nature called ... and she went inside the Shell station to grab the bathroom key.

As you can see, Britney's not wearing her engagement ring from fiance Sam Asghari ... instead, there appears to be a different band on her ring finger.

Britney also seemed to take her iPhone with her into the bathroom ... who among us can't help but scroll around while sitting on the toilet.

It feels like Britney's been driving more and more ever since her conservatorship ended after 13 years ... and she's definitely going out in public more than before.

As you know, back in the day, Britney was known to stop for bathroom breaks at various gas stations.

Chris Cuomo CNN Suspends Him Indefinitely ... For Helping Bro, Andrew

Chris Cuomo will be off the air for the foreseeable future on CNN's airwaves -- the cable news network just suspended the guy ... all over his efforts to protect his brother.  The question ... does Chris survive this at CNN?

CNN just announced they're benching Chris indefinitely over newly released evidence put out by the New York Attorney General's Office, which shows purported texts Chris sent to people on Andrew Cuomo's team in the middle of his sexual harassment scandal.

They say the new transcripts and exhibits that were dumped Monday "shed new light on Chris Cuomo's involvement in his brother's defense. The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions."

CNN goes on to add Chris told them he admitted he'd offered advice to his brother's staff, breaking their rules ... which the network acknowledged publicly some time ago.

A network rep says they understood where he was coming from at the time, but in light of this -- they say, "[T]hese documents point to a greater level of involvement ... than we previously knew." As a result, he's suspended pending further evaluation.

ICYMI ... Chris was revealed to have texted about specific accusers, including Anna Ruch -- who accused Andrew of kissing her at a wedding. CC allegedly wrote to a staffer of Andrew's ... "I have a lead on the wedding girl," which implies he was looking into her.

MY TIME TO GO
NY.gov

The NY AG docs also suggest Chris was reaching out to his media industry sources to get recon on who else might be coming forward with allegations against his bro.

As you know ... Gov. Cuomo ultimately resigned from his post, maintaining he never purposely did anything inappropriate. However, he has since been embroiled legally as well ... now facing criminal charges over some of the claims against him.

Cuomo's ratings have tanked over the last few months, and the fact CNN is characterizing his suspension as "indefinite" opens the door to the question ... will CC ever return to the CNN anchor seat?

Stay tuned

'Rust' Movie Shooting Cops Looking Into Ammo Supplier ... Get New Search Warrant

UPDATE

5:11 PM PT -- Hannah's attorney, Jason Bowles, tells TMZ ... sheriffs took a huge step towards finding who put live ammo on the movie set by executing the search warrant, and the expectation is for the FBI to compare and analyze the live rounds from the set with the live rounds seized at PDQ Arm & Prop to determine where they came from.

The big mystery in the fatal shooting on the set of Alec Baldwin's movie "Rust" remains ... how live rounds ended up in the weapon, and now investigators are taking a closer look at the film's ammo supplier.

According to a new search warrant, obtained by TMZ, detectives in New Mexico have interviewed a guy named Seth Kenney, one of the suppliers of the ammunition head armorer Hannah Reed used on set.

Cops also spoke to Hannah's father, Thell Reed, who himself is an experienced armorer who has worked with Seth. In the docs, cops say Thell told them he and Seth crossed paths on a different production ... a month or 2 before the "Rust" tragedy.

What's interesting about that is ... Thell claims Seth brought live ammo -- a can with about 200 to 300 rounds -- to that set for the purpose of weapons training. When the training was completed, Thell says Seth took back the remaining bullets, and claims that included some live Colt .45 ammo.

The gun Baldwin fired was a long barrel Colt .45. You see where Thell is going with this -- he told cops the leftover ammo from his production might match that which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

That's his theory, anyway, and cops are willing to check it out -- the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Dept. got the warrant to search Seth's company, PDQ Arm & Prop.

Presumably, they want to see if the fatal round matches those in the can of live ammo from a couple months ago. The judge signed off, giving detectives the greenlight to scoop up the potential evidence.

And, there's this ... according to the docs, cops also spoke to "Rust" prop master, Sarah Zachry, who said she checked the ammo box -- after Halyna was shot -- and found some bullets that rattled, indicating they're dummy rounds, and others that didn't. That led her to believe there were even more live rounds in the ammo box.

11/3/21
WE NEED ANSWERS
TMZ.com

Remember, Hannah's attorneys floated a theory that someone, perhaps a disgruntled crew member, intentionally brought live bullets on set to sabotage the production -- but D.A. Mary Carmack-Altwies has said she isn't buying that.

Originally Published -- 3:14 PM PT

Ex-UCF Star Otis Anderson Jr. Allegedly Shot And Killed By His Dad ... After Fight Over Dog Bite

Ex-UCF star football player Otis Anderson Jr. was allegedly shot and killed by his dad on Monday night ... after the two had gotten into an argument over a dog bite.

It's all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which cops say Otis Jr.'s mom, Denise Anderson, told them the whole, violent altercation started after her son's girlfriend's dog had bitten Otis Anderson Sr.

Cops say Denise told them Otis Sr. was so enraged over the bloody wound caused by the dog -- he and Otis Jr. proceeded to get into a verbal altercation.

Denise claimed the two were eventually separated when she told Otis Jr. to go upstairs ... but cops say she then got into an argument with Otis Sr., one in which Otis Sr. flipped over a recliner, causing Otis Jr. to come back downstairs to check on his mom.

When Otis Jr. made it back downstairs, cops say Denise told them the father and son "got into another verbal altercation and it appeared like they were going to fight."

It's unclear exactly what happened next -- the report was heavily redacted by police -- but in the docs, cops note when they arrived on the scene, they found Otis Jr. suffering from "at least one gunshot wound to the chest."

The cops also noted in the docs Denise was "suffering from multiple graze wounds."

Officers say Otis. Jr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while Denise was treated for her wounds at the facility and later released.

In the docs, cops say they eventually arrested Anderson Sr. and booked him on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Jail records show he's still currently in custody.

As we reported, the NFL community is mourning the loss of Otis Jr. -- who signed with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this season before getting cut in September -- with stars like Jalen Ramsey and Micah Parsons expressing sadness over the situation.

UCF has also commented on the tragedy, saying in a statement, "He was revered by his teammates, our fans, and everyone within Knight Nation."

"Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who loved Otis. He was taken too soon and will truly be missed."

The L.A. Rams added, "[Anderson Jr.] was a promising young man with a bright future. Our sincere condolences are with his family during this very difficult time."

Aaron Carter My Fam Wants Me In Conservatorship ... Went Behind My Back W/ Ex

Aaron Carter thinks his family is actively working to place him under a conservatorship ... and he claims they've been going behind his back and talking to his now-ex to do so.

Aaron tells TMZ ... he was FaceTiming with his friend Monday and was told his fiancee Melanie Martin regularly communicates with his twin sister, Angel Conrad, a revelation that felt like betrayal.

Remember, Aaron is estranged from his family -- in 2019 Angel got a restraining order against him after claiming he threatened to send hitmen to her door -- and he tells us Melanie knew he did not want her talking to his fam.

Aaron and Melanie have an on-again-off-again relationship, and every time they broke up he claims his family would reach out to her and see if she was OK ... but he thinks they weren't being nice, there were ulterior motives.

The way Aaron sees it ... his family is trying to gain an ally in Melanie as part of a plan to get a conservatorship over him, using her to gather information for the case.

However, Melanie tells TMZ .. she doesn’t believe his family is trying to get a conservatorship and they never grilled her on info.

Aaron says he confronted Melanie after Monday's FaceTime and claims she denied talking to his family initially, but then admitted it was true and copped to communicating with them.

Sources close to Aaron's brother, Nick Carter, tell TMZ … Nick and his wife, Lauren, have no part in wanting to put Aaron under a conservatorship, and they haven't talked to Melanie because they have no relationship with Aaron or Melanie.

We're told people close to Nick see this as another way of Aaron trying to bring Nick and his family down.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

As we reported ... Aaron and Melanie split early Tuesday morning, only one week after the birth of their son.

Aaron says Melanie wouldn't tell him what she's been talking to his family about ... and that's why he decided to end their relationship. With a newborn baby, Aaron says the timing of the split is unfortunate ... but he says it's his life and he feels like he's being taken advantage of.

We reached out to Angel ... so far, no word back.

Virgil Abloh Honored with Own Day in Hometown

Virgil Abloh is getting a nod from his hometown, with nothing less than his own day to be recognized going forward ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the City of Rockford, IL tells TMZ ... city officials are dubbing Wednesday, Dec. 1, as Virgil Abloh Day. There's no real significance in the day itself, we're told, other than them wanting to pay tribute to the Louis Vuitton artistic director as soon as possible.

The rep says Mayor McNamara will make the official announcement tomorrow, where he'll read the proclamation drafted for Virgil Abloh Day.

As for why they're even doing this in the first place ... we're told Rockford brass feel like it's warranted considering VA's impact on the community, especially the youth. The guy set a great example for citizens there, and they want to celebrate his contributions with something legit.

We're told Virgil's family was notified and thrilled with the news, but it's unclear if they'll be in attendance for Wednesday's ceremony.

Like we told you ... Virgil died over the weekend after succumbing to cancer -- a disease he was battling privately for years. His passing sent shockwaves all over the entertainment industry, as the man had lots of friends and influence in high places.

He was 41.

RIP

Dr. Oz Official Candidate for U.S. Senate

PUTTING AMERICA FIRST
UPDATE

11:53 AM PT -- Dr. Oz just made the announcement official, posting a video to reveal he's running for Senate. He talks his TV accomplishments, how he believes leaders in Washington D.C. got handling COVID wrong and vows to be a candidate who will "tell it like it is."

Matthew McConaughey may have chickened out in running for Texas Governor, but we've learned Dr. Mehmet Oz is going full bore in Pennsylvania ... because our sources say he has decided to run for a U.S. Senate seat.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Dr. Oz has just made a multi-million dollar media buy in the state ... a media buy to push his impending candidacy.

Oz appeared on TMZ Live recently and was coy about running, but he sounded like he was leaning in that direction. Since then, we've learned he now has a full campaign staff, including Chris Hansen -- not the Chris Hansen from "To Catch a Predator" -- to manage the campaign. Hansen ran the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Dr. Oz will run as a Republican for Pat Toomey's seat ... Toomey is retiring.

As for his show, we haven't gotten official word, but it's likely Dr. Oz will step back from the talk show -- at least, over the next few months.

We're told Oz may make the announcement Tuesday night on FNC's "Hannity."

Report: Otis Anderson Jr. Ex-UCF Star Shot And Killed ... At 23 Years Old

Former UCF football star Otis Anderson Jr. reportedly died on Monday night ... after he was shot during an altercation in Florida.

He was just 23 years old.

According to News4JAX, Anderson Jr. was shot during a domestic dispute that went down at around 9:30 p.m. in Jacksonville -- and he later died at a nearby hospital.

Cops said, according to News4JAX, that a woman was also shot in the altercation, but survived.

Details surrounding the incident are unclear -- but cops did say, according to News4JAX, that it appears all of the people involved were related.

Anderson Jr. -- who's not related to ex-New York Giants star Ottis Anderson -- was an outstanding football player for the Knights from 2017 to 2020.

Playing both wideout and running back, Otis piled up 2,182 rushing yards, 1,025 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns. He did not get picked in the 2021 NFL Draft, but did sign with the Rams in the offseason.

He remained with L.A. until he was cut in September.

Reports of his death have hit the NFL community hard, with Rams star Jalen Ramsey saying on his Twitter page Tuesday, "Rest in Heaven Otis. We gotta do better on this earth smh. Big prayers up."

Added Dallas Cowboys star rookie Micah Parsons, "S*** sad!! Sending prayers to all."

Story developing ...

El Chapo Wife Gets 3 Years in Prison ... For Drug Trafficking

El Chapo's wife will see time behind bars -- but it'll be way less than her hubby's life sentence.

Emma Coronel Aispuro was sentenced to 3 years in prison Tuesday for her role in Chapo's drug empire -- significantly less time than what many people expected she'd get, which was somewhere in the ballpark of around 10 years, if not more.

Of course, she had prosecutors pushing for a fairly lenient sentence on account of her cooperation and plea deal -- but it was unclear if the judge would still go easy on her. Seems the court felt her crimes she pled guilty to weren't worth more than a few years in prison.

She'll also have 4 years of supervised release and a forfeiture judgment of $1,499,970 representing proceeds of and property gained by Aispuro as a result of the crimes.

As we reported ... Coronel Aispuro copped a plea deal earlier this year after getting busted for drug trafficking at the Dulles International Airport in Virginia. She pled guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana.

Her attorneys argued (apparently with some success) that El Chapo's spouse was not a ring leader of any sort, nor was she intricately involved in her husband's operation at a key level. They also claimed she only participated because she had no other choice.

Meanwhile, Chapo is living out the rest of his days behind bars ... hopefully sans any more escapes.

Old news is old news!
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