Guess Who This Cute Cowboy Turned Into!

Before this buckaroo would grow up to become an All-Star baller in the NBA, he was just a boy growing up in Oklahoma.

He was childhood friends with NFL quarterback Sam Bradford and played basketball at Sam's family gym, along with his brother. This cowboy kid and his bro would go on to play high school hoops together -- coached by their dad -- and win 2 state championships ... and he'd win 2 more without his older sibling.

After following his brother to college -- as one of the university's most decorated recruits ever -- he'd struggle through some knee injuries as a freshman before bouncing back in a big way his sophomore year ... sweeping all 6 of the national player of the year awards.

That led to the NBA draft, where he was taken #1 overall. His rookie season was postponed an entire year after suffering another knee injury, but once again, he bounced back big ... being named an All-Star and winning the Dunk Contest.

He'd lead his team to the playoffs the following year and become one of the league's top stars ... until a few injury-plagued seasons of late. He's still balling, though ... just in a different city than where he started.

Can you guess who he is?

Grace Gummer Meryl's Daughter Files for Divorce

"Mr. Robot" star Grace Gummer is waving the white flag on her marriage -- she's just filed for divorce.

Meryl Streep's daughter filed docs Monday in L.A. Superior Court to end things with her husband, Tay Strathairn ... according to court records.

Grace and Tay, a keyboardist, did not have any children together ... which should make the divorce way less complicated. It's not clear what led to the split.

The estranged couple first met as kids way back in 1993 on the set of their parents' film, "The River Wild." Meryl and David Strathairn starred in the flick as husband and wife.

Grace is best known for playing Dominique DiPierro on "Mr. Robot" ... and also for her roles in "The Newsroom," and "American Horror Story."

Kobe Bryant Guardian Ad Litem Appointed for Daughters

Kobe Bryant's daughters have just been appointed new guardians to represent their interests in their father's trust ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to new legal docs ... Erika Williams has been appointed guardian ad litem for Natalia and Bianka Bryant, and James Summers is repping for Kobe's youngest daughter, Capri.

Vanessa Bryant and Kobe's former agent Rob Pelinka, who are the co-trustees of Kobe's trust, have been instructed to pay any expenses for Erika and James' roles as guardians, using money from the trust ... according to the docs.

As we first reported ... Vanessa filed docs Friday asking a judge to appoint the guardian ad litem for Bianka and Natalia, plus another one for Capri. Vanessa said she wanted to get her legal affairs in order ASAP because of uncertainty surrounding the court system due to coronavirus pandemic and potential government shutdowns.

Remember ... Vanessa also filed other legal docs asking the judge to amend Kobe's trust to include Capri, who was born after Kobe last amended it. A judge will handle that at a later date.

Coronavirus Puzzles and Toys Flying Off Shelves ... Old School Fun!!!

The coronavirus pandemic has folks at home looking to keep their minds sharp and their kids busy ... and now puzzles and toys are becoming all the rage.

Honchos at Hasbro tell TMZ ... the toy-making giant is seeing a huge demand for Play-doh and Nerf, plus games for the entire family to play together ... but it's nothing like the attention being cast on Peppa Pig.

Hasbro's decision to scoop up the rights to Peppa Pig last August is already paying off big time ... PP is now officially the most-watched series on demand in the world, with more than 30 BILLION YouTube views, plus another 84 million downloads on smartphone apps.

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As you know ... folks have A LOT of time on their hands now with "shelter in place" orders becoming commonplace in America and across the globe.

Puzzles are also making a dramatic comeback as a preferred choice for entertainment ... puzzle makers tell us their products are selling like hotcakes.

Serious Puzzles tells TMZ ... they're seeing record sales of jigsaw puzzles since March 13, when schools started closing due to the outbreak. We're told sales are up 300% and most folks are gobbling up 1,000-piece and 500-piece jigsaws. The top themes -- collections and collages, animals and birds, vintage nostalgia.

Puzzle Warehouse, the largest puzzle distributor in North America, tells TMZ ... they're setting new sales records every day, it's busier than Christmas time and half of their inventory has already been cleaned out. PW says sales are up 600% from this time last year and they hired about 20 workers to help out in the warehouse.

Here in Los Angeles, Miracle Mile Toy Hall says they're seeing a mad rush for puzzles, board games, Legos and art kits. They've already sold out of 1,000-piece puzzles, and they are down to their last few jigsaws. The big seller -- the eeBoo Women's March Puzzle.

And, how's this for another blast from the past ... FAO Schwarz tells us they've seen a sales increase for indoor toys across all categories.

Now, if we could just solve the coronavirus vaccine puzzle.

Lisa Vanderpump Coronavirus Pandemic is Double-Edged Sword for Dogs

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Lisa Vanderpump says the coronavirus might create a revolving door for shelter dogs -- on one hand, more people are adopting ... but she fears many are also ditching their dogs.

It's a pretty bittersweet reality from the Bravo star, who runs her own rescue center called The Vanderpump Dog Foundation. Lisa came on "TMZ Live" Monday to share the sad news that while, yes, more people are looking for furry friends during quarantine ... a lot of others are also making the tough decision to give up their dogs to shelters.

The reason behind it is more practical than cruel ... Lisa tells us that a lot of folks are simply losing their jobs right now, and they might foresee an unfixable situation when it comes to caring for their canines. As such, they're getting ahead of it and leaving 'em at the pound -- and that can be very sad news for those that don't get adopted.

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There's also the issue of adopter's remorse, which Lisa says can be dealt with fairly easily -- just foster first, see if it's for you, and then sleep on it long and hard if you truly think you wanna adopt. The idea, obviously, is to keep these pets forever ... not just during statewide shutdowns and quarantine.

That said, LV seems pretty sure once someone does make the decision of becoming a new dog parent ... they won't regret it. As she puts it, the furry people make you happy 😁

'Little Women' Star Christy McGinity Baby Dies After Premature Birth

Christy McGinity is in mourning -- her newborn baby girl died after a premature birth ... TMZ has learned.

The "Little Women: LA" star shared the news Monday, telling TMZ ... "It is with our deepest sorrow that we send our baby girl Violet Eva Carazo to play with the angels." She continues, "We were able to spend two weeks with our sweet baby girl and for that we are forever thankful. Please respect our privacy during this difficult time. Your thoughts and prayers are very much appreciated."

We're told Violet arrived earlier this month, 7 weeks before her due date. She weighed just 3 lbs and 15 oz. and measured 15 inches long at birth. Christy had announced her pregnancy with boyfriend Gonzalo Justo Carazo last year.

Violet Eva was Christy's third child.

RIP

Coronavirus Mormons Ignore Social Distancing ... Huge Gathering to Welcome Back Missionaries

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KUTV

It's not just defiant beachgoers and people in parks drawing the ire of public officials for ignoring coronavirus guidelines -- Mormons are too, by the hundreds.

Utah state leaders -- including Senator Mitt Romney -- are under fire, along with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, after a large crowd of Mormons flooded the parking area of a terminal at Salt Lake City Airport Sunday to welcome back around 1,600 missionaries.

The missionaries were returning early from the Philippines due to the global pandemic, but instead of arriving and going straight to their pickup rides and heading home to self-quarantine -- as advised by The Church -- a huge welcome party gathered to greet them and cheer their return.

As you can see ... no one is maintaining 6 feet of separation, or even 6 inches in many cases.

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STILL PACKIN' THE BEACHES
CNN

We're told those members who gathered ignored The Church's instructions for families to stay in their cars. The Church even tried to coordinate with the airport to lead missionaries to the parking lot, but that's where things went south ... because the greeters just gathered in the parking area.

We're told several of the missionaries' family members did follow guidelines, but clearly ... way too many did not. Romney, who is Mormon, has since rebuked their actions.

The missionaries are now under a 14-day self-quarantine, but so far, none has been tested. It's unclear if the large group of greeters are all quarantining as well.

As we've reported ... it's been a challenge from coast-to-coast, to keep people from ignoring the CDC and state orders to stay home and practice proper social distancing.

California even took down volleyball nets in an attempt to deter groups coming together in the sand, but unfortunately, it seems no matter what the government, health officials or even churches advise ... some Americans still ain't listening.

Drake Shows Off Insane Shoe Closet ... During Quarantine

Today in Drake's self-quarantine adventures ... Drizzy takes us on a walk through his unbelievable shoe collection!!!

And, yeah ... sneakerheads will be drooling by the end of this post.

Of course, Aubrey has plenty of time to kill in his Toronto mansion after he hung out with Kevin Durant in L.A. 2 weeks ago ... with the Brooklyn Nets superstar later testing positive for coronavirus.

SNEAK PEEK

Drake showed off his kicks on IG Monday (probably out of complete boredom) ... and the collection has everything from the $2,000 super rare Air Diors (reportedly only 8,500 pairs made) to an entire section of Kobe Bryant's signature shoes.

On top of that, Drake shows off his Off-White Jordan 5s ... Supreme Air Force 1s and the Jordan 5 Tokyo T23, which currently go for the $3,000 to $4,000 range.

And, don't forget -- Drizzy can wear these expensive-ass shoes on his OVO indoor court from the comfort of his own home ... but we hope he doesn't hoop in these!!

This whole self-isolation thing ain't all that bad for Drake.

Coronavirus Senate Gym Belatedly Closed ... But No One's Talking

Members of Congress don't want to talk about one thing -- at least based on numerous calls we made Monday -- why on Earth they left the Senate gym open for business in the middle of this pandemic.

It appears the gym is finally closed. We called the number for the gym and it's gone to voicemail all day.

We also called a number of Senators' offices, but we didn't get any answers. For example, Speaker McConnell's office directed us to the House Rules Committee and we were told to email a staffer which we did -- so far, no response as to the status of the gym.

As we reported, Senator Rand Paul has tested positive and he exercised in the Senate gym on Sunday. Other members have now self-quarantined because they came in contact with Paul while conducting business. What's unclear ... were the Senators with whom he came in contact with at the gym?

It's pretty remarkable ... virtually everyone knows, gyms around the country have been shut down because they're breeding grounds for the virus. Dozens -- even hundreds -- of people touching the same equipment every day and sweating on it.

This isn't the only dangerous situation on the Hill. TMZ broke the story ... some members of Congress bitterly complained over the last 3 weeks the Capitol should be locked down.  Visitors and lobbyists filled the halls and the Senate offices ... people who have flown in from all over the country.

The leadership from both sides declined to take that drastic measure. Several House members tell us the leaders were afraid of triggering a national panic. But, we need our representatives healthy, and clearly more should have been done.

One of the members we spoke with told us he's tested positive for the coronavirus. It has not yet been reported, but he tells us he's self-quarantining.

Dr. Phil How Dare You Continue Your Affair ... During Coronavirus Pandemic

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Dr. Phil is wagging his finger at those folks who are having affairs but won't stop in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, calling them selfish, immature and reckless.

The good doc joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday with a very important message for cheaters continuing affairs, college kids on spring break, and religious folks cramming into churches despite the looming threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Dr. Phil says it's time for people to start making sacrifices for the greater good because we're all in this together ... and he's sounding the alarm on the bad apples.

Dude's gotta point ... for some reason, some folks are still ignoring information from health officials about the risks of spreading COVID-19 by gathering in large groups or getting too close to others. Dr. Phil says it's because those folks lack empathy, are super entitled and live in denial.

Dr. Phil says it's time to come to grips with our new reality and start making some sacrifices, cutting out routines that are illicit or otherwise ... because if not, things will only get worse for everyone.

Check out the full conversation with Dr. Phil Monday on "TMZ Live." He has good pointers, so check your local listings.

Christian Churches Services, Mass Move to Digital ... Body of Christ Streamed 👏🏽

The Lord has spoken -- he wants his followers to keep coming to church ... through their TV screens, phones and laptops. Coronavirus be damned, doggonit!

Yes, the Christian community (pretty much all denominations) is moving to digital church services and masses during the coronavirus pandemic -- and one company in particular that specializes in broadcasting the word of God says it's seeing a massive spike in the millions.

A rep for Life.Church tells TMZ ... their streaming feature, called the Church Online Platform, has been overloaded with users logging on and accessing different services all over the world. Literally, this company streams sermons from the U.S. of A all to the way to Israel, Korea and beyond. We're told this past weekend, a whopping 6.9 million unique devices were registered as using their platform ... up from 4.7 mil just last weekend.

It's safe to assume there were WAY more people actually watching through these various services, though, as we're told Christian families often tune in together. So, if these unique devices have at least 4 people watching on average -- that's about 27 mil pairs of eyeballs at a time, probably more.

The number of congregations that have signed up to partner with Life.Church is pretty stunning too -- around 40,000 total different churches are on board with the org ... and we're told a staggering 12,000 new congregations alone got signed up just over the past week.

BTW, there are several more companies that stream services outside of just protestant sects of Christianity -- Catholics (who are Christian too) exclusively have EWTN to watch mass throughout the week ... so you can only imagine what sorts of numbers they're raking in.

The cool thing about Life.Church, however, is that they encourage participation -- there's a live chat aspect they incorporate within their broadcast services ... where people can write in and have their specific questions answered. And, perhaps as expected, this is all free to use.

Just goes to show that folks are leaning in on their faith during these trying times -- and with Easter around the corner, more so than ever.

Coronavirus Survival Mode for L.A.'s Homeless ... Means More Grocery Store Thefts

While millions in Los Angeles try to adapt to "safer at home" restrictions, the city is seeing an uptick in thefts -- specifically homeless people trying to survive the coronavirus pandemic.

Several grocery store employees around L.A. tell us they're having a bigger problem than usual with homeless people stealing food. The general belief is with L.A. residents hunkered down at home, the homeless can no longer panhandle for money -- so, they're shoplifting out of desperation to eat.

We're told some Hollywood-area grocery chains have added extra security in an effort to thwart more thefts, and some LAPD officers have given store managers their direct lines to report major issues.

Our sources say the perps are mostly taking fresh produce because that section tends to be closer to the entry and exit ways.

While grocery stores are remaining open as an "essential business" ... we're told most are allowing 50 households in when the store first opens, and then an additional 25 households every 10 mins afterward.

Our sources say the food markets have been able to keep items mostly stocked, but as long lines continue to form, the challenges -- including loss prevention -- aren't going away anytime soon.

We broke the story ... cops in L.A. and NYC have also been instructed to pay extra attention to non-essential stores that are now empty to combat burglaries.

Cleveland Browns Owners Donate $1.5 Million ... To Fight Coronavirus

Jimmy and Dee Haslam -- the owners of the Cleveland Browns -- are joining the fight against the coronavirus pandemic ... by pledging $1.5 MILLION to help Ohioans in need.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire country ... and there have been 351 confirmed cases in Ohio -- with more people infected by the day.

The Haslams announced their contribution on Monday ... saying $1 million will go to the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund ... with the remaining $500k going to the Columbus Foundation's Emergency Response Fund.

"We are humbled by the tremendous work of people around the world in their efforts to help those impacted by COVID-19 and we wanted to try to positively impact those affected in our own communities of Cleveland and Columbus," the Haslams said in a statement.

"We are grateful for the individuals who are putting others before themselves and for the sacrifices they are making."

The Haslams join Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield ... who pledged $50k to the local food bank in Cleveland last week.

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