Justin Rohrwasser has delivered on his promise ... the Patriots kicker has removed a controversial tattoo from his arm after a public outcry, TMZ Sports has learned.
The tattoo in question is the logo for the "Three Percenters" -- a group some experts have described as a dangerous right-wing militia. Some chapters reportedly associate with "extreme racist groups."
The 23-year-old kicker claimed he got the tat when he was 18 because he thought it was a patriotic tribute to the military -- not knowing the group has been associated with some pretty bad stuff.
After the Patriots selected Rohrwasser with the 159th pick of the 2020 NFL Draft back in April, he received some major blowback online ... and later vowed to remove it from his body,.
"It's shameful that I had it on there ignorantly," Rohrwasser told WBZ-TV ... "That's not who I am."
Now, multiple sources confirm ... the tat is gone for good.
We're told the former Marshall kicker began the removal process almost immediately after the NFL Draft ... and described the process as physically painful.
Rohrwasser has apologized for the tattoo multiple times -- and told WBZ-TV, "I’m sorry for all my family that have to defend me. Putting them in that compromising position is one of the biggest regrets I’ll ever have, so to them, I’m sorry.
40 Gloccis finally on the path to putting his prostitution ring bust behind him, and the first step is checking into jail to serve his sentence ... nearly 3 years after his arrest.
The rapper turned himself in to Blue Earth County Jail on June 30 in Minnesota where he'll do one year behind bars after pleading guilty to 1 felony count of promoting prostitution of an individual ... according to court docs.
Once he's done his time in jail, 40 Glocc will be on 10 years of supervised release ... and if he messes up during that period, the rapper could get locked up again. As part his supervised release conditions ... he can't use or possess firearms, has to get a GED, and submit to random alcohol and drug testing.
You'll recall the rapper struck a sweet plea deal with prosecutors back in October ... more than 2 years after he was arrested in July 2017. Prosecutors agreed to drop 2 other felony charges -- fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle and engaging in the sex trafficking of an individual.
4:18 PM PT -- 7/3 -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Torrance PD found Lena Hernandez in the city of San Pedro where she was arrested and brought to a station, and will bail out soon.
UPDATE
She was arrested for misdemeanor battery.
The "Karen" who spewed multiple racist tirades in Southern California has just been charged with battery ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the notorious SoCal "Karen" is 56-year-old Lena Hernandez from Long Beach, and on Friday the Torrance City Attorney's Office charged her with misdemeanor battery.
Our sources also tell us a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has issued an arrest warrant for Hernandez, who has not been apprehended yet.
The battery charges are related to an incident that occurred Oct. 11 at a mall in Torrance, and was reported to police later that day.
There's no video of that incident, but as we reported ... Hernandez was recorded during a racist rant in a Torrance park last month. She was yelling at a young woman who was trying to work out in the park.
It's finally happening ... it looks like one of the big holdouts in the movement to 86 offensive names and imagery from our lexicon is about to go down, because it looks like the Washington Redskins may be FINALLY changing their name.
The team's owner, Dan Snyder, said his org will “undergo a thorough review of the team’s name” ... this as the Redskins have encountered a tidal wave of criticism.
Snyder said, “This process allows the team to take into account not only the proud tradition and history of the franchise but also input from our alumni, the organization, sponsors, the National Football League and the local community it is proud to represent on and off the field."
And there's more ... Ron Rivera, the head coach, added this ... “This issue is of personal importance to me and I look forward to working closely with Dan Snyder to make sure we continue the mission of honoring and supporting Native Americans and our Military.”
This all feels like things are now teed up for a name change, and not a minute too soon. FedEx -- whose name is on the stadium -- asked the team to change the name. Ditto Nike, that removed all Redskins merch.
The Mystic Quality Inn in Stonington, Connecticut was the site of a brutal attack against a black woman, and she's lawyered up for justice.
Chrystal Caldwell was working the front desk when a guest reportedly called, complaining there was no hot water in his room. He also allegedly threatened Chrystal, warning her his girlfriend would "kick her ass." She says she offered to send someone to fix the problem or alternatively, to switch their room, but they were outraged ... calling her names, including "monkey."
The man and his girlfriend reportedly barreled down to the lobby area and attacked her with multiple punches to the head and kicks to the back. She says he used racial slurs as he pummeled her.
Chrystal, who has worked at the hotel for 7 years, says her injuries include a concussion.
The couple who attacked Chrystal left the hotel and no arrests were made.
A child was booted from her daycare because she wore a shirt promoting the Black Lives Matter movement.
6-year-old Journei Brockman had been enrolled in daycare at Arkansas' His Kids Preschool for 6 months. The little girl wore a shirt to the school with the words, "Black Lives Matter" emblazoned on it.
Her mom, Deval Brockman, told Fox16 she was contacted by an employee from the school who had issues with the shirt, saying she didn't like it. Brockman says she was told her daughter should not wear the shirt to school again.
Journei came to school a week ago, wearing a shirt with an image of a raised fist. Brockman says when she returned to pick up her daughter, she was told, Journei could not come back. Brockman says someone from the staff told her the shirt encouraged racism.
She also says the school's director schooled her, by saying, "I am not going to tell you how to raise your child, but you need to reevaluate how you're parenting her."
Brockman has filed a complaint with the state. As for the school Director, Patricia Brown told Fox16 ... "We feel a childcare environment is not a place for a parent's political views to be addressed or played out, regardless of race."
Brockman fires back ... “If I’m supporting something, I’m going to wear it, my child is going to wear it, to help say that our voice needs to be heard."
This is what a coronavirus spread looks like in its preliminary stages ... chairs crammed into the same area together, inches apart, and that's exactly what's in store for the folks who will be celebrating Friday night with Donald Trump.
The site is Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, where the Governor has proudly proclaimed there will be NO social distancing at tonight's event.
There are enough tickets for 7,500 people. Fact is ... on a typical day, as many as 32,000 folks come to see the 4 famous figures carved into the mountain. That number shrunk to around 20,000 a day during the pandemic. Tonight's event is obviously different because of the close proximity among guests.
Masks will be optional. Trump said Thursday he's not against wearing a mask in public, but it would be shocking if he actually puts one on for the event.
BTW ... a hundred students have just tested positive for COVID-19 in Washington State, as if we need more evidence that a lack of social distancing can spread the virus like crazy.
President Trump's highly touted Fourth of July fireworks extravaganza at Mount Rushmore isn't coming cheap -- it will cost the country well over half a million bucks ... and could cause a spike in coronavirus cases to boot.
The July 3 celebration with be the first at the South Dakota landmark since 2009 due to environmental issues, and Trump's really hyping it up ... while ignoring the COVID-19 related risks of gathering thousands for a fireworks display.
Nevertheless, POTUS and the First Lady Melania will travel to Rushmore Friday to take in the celebration ... which TMZ's learned has a price tag of nearly $600k, if not more.
According to federal procurement docs ... an environmental consulting service called Ero Resources Corporation was paid $138,800 to work on the event. Another consulting company got over $30k for permit review and display inspection, while a protective services business landed nearly $33k to provide security and screening.
But, that's not all ... the docs show nearly $30k spent on National Fire Protection Association code consultation ... and about $3,500 on portable toilets.
Add it all up and that's $234,247, and THEN tack on the $350k paid to a California company called Pyro Spectaculars for the actual fireworks show ... and the total is $584,247.
And, keep in mind ... this doesn't even factor in the scheduled flyover!!!
Also, if you aren't aware ... social distancing won't be enforced at the large gathering -- according to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who worked with Trump to make it happen -- despite the fact COVID cases are on the rise across the U.S.
Gov. Noem says free face masks will be given out to those who want them, but "we won't be social distancing. We're asking them to come, be ready to celebrate, to enjoy the freedoms and the liberties that we have in this country."
1:33 PM PT -- 7/3 -- Nike is finally breaking its silence on the issue — saying, “We have been talking to the NFL and sharing our concerns regarding the name of the Washington team.”
UPDATE
Nike added, “We are pleased to see the team taking a first step towards change.”
UPDATE
6:45 PM PT -- Another shoe is dropping -- a Nike shoe -- the retailer has apparently removed ALL Washington Redskins merchandise from its online store.
UPDATE
See for yourself ... if you go to Nike.com and you try to search by an NFL team, the Washington Redskins is no longer an option (H/T ProFootballTalk).
UPDATE
It appears the Swoosh is the latest company to pressure the Washington organization to change the team name.
UPDATE
We're out to Nike for comment ... stay tuned.
Another HUGE development in the movement to change the name of the NFL's Washington team ... with a major business partner pushing to drop the moniker.
FedEx -- which has spent MILLIONS for the naming rights to FedExField in Maryland over the years -- is joining major leaders and asking Redskins ownerDan Snyder to swap out the team name.
"We have communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name," the company said in a statement.
For years, Washington said Native Americans didn't have a problem with the name so they refused to make a change.
But, just this week, the National Congress of American Indians (which represents more than 500 tribal nations) called out the team ... saying the name is deeply offensive and needs to be changed immediately.
"It’s time for the players to rip down that name like it was a statue of a Confederate general in their locker room," NCAI president Fawn Sharp said.
NFL legend Tony Dungy has also said he won't say the team name during TV broadcasts moving forward -- plus, D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser is also demanding a rebrand.
So far, no official word from the powers that be in D.C. -- but money talks and the FedEx statement is a big deal.
Dr. Charles Sophy -- one of the leading psychiatrists in the country - has a scary outlook on the direction America's heading -- downright terrifying -- but on the bright side ... he thinks we can turn it around.
The famous shrink joined "TMZ Live" Friday, and we wanted to know ... why all the craziness right now?! It seems even the smallest thing sends people into a rage.
Unfortunately, Dr. Sophy thinks it's gonna get worse ... because we're in a perfect storm of chaos.
The way the doc describes it, people are lashing out because they feel contained, caged, and they don't have control of their lives ... due largely in part to COVID-19, but also because of the ever-pronounced divisions in this country.
The question no one can answer -- what will the next 6 months hold? Scary to even ponder.
The Atlas Restaurant Group says there was nothing racist about refusing service to a black mother and her child for violating their dress code -- and it's offering what it calls "proof" ... but it's pretty thin.
As TMZ reported, Marcia Grant is taking legal action against the group for an incident last month at Ouzo Bay restaurant in Baltimore. Marcia and her 9-year-old son, Dallas, were turned away because of his athletic shorts, but Marcia spotted a white child who was dressed nearly identically enjoying a meal.
In response to Grant's accusations, Atlas -- the parent company of Ouzo Bay -- claims Dallas' shorts were, in fact, different from the white kid's.
Its explanation is the white kid was wearing "J. Crew 'khaki'” type shorts, with front and back pockets, a zipper, and button closure in front."
Beyond breaking down zippers and pockets ... Atlas is also playing what can best be described as the "I have Black friends" card.
Its released screen grabs from Ouzo's surveillance video showing other Black customers in the restaurant around the time Marcia and Dallas were denied.
As Atlas puts it, "Restaurant surveillance video throughout that same day at Ouzo Bay demonstrates that the customers of Ouzo Bay look exactly like the population of Baltimore City – diverse. Countless African-American patrons were welcomed into the restaurant that day to enjoy its food, atmosphere, and drinks."
That statement, of course, avoids the heart of Marcia's complaint ... that her son was treated differently from a white child in very similar clothing. Her only issue is with the manager's allegedly uneven application of the dress code.
Atlas claims her video of the encounter doesn't tell the whole story of what happened that day.
You'll remember ... Atlas immediately fired 2 employees following the incident, but claims the firings weren't because they discriminated against the family, but instead, "Atlas was not satisfied with the level of sensitivity, discretion, and judgment demonstrated by management on-duty at the time."
We had Marcia, Dallas and their attorney Donte Mills, on 'TMZ Live' this week to explain how Dallas has been affected, and how they're trying to make him understand ... he did nothing wrong.
Atlas says it made multiple attempts to make things right with Marcia but she refused to listen ... they say instead, she was busy interviewing attorneys, hiring a publicist and setting up a GoFundMe -- which has now been taken down -- for Dallas.
Barstool Sports honcho Dave Portnoy is apologizing for his past on-camera usage of the n-word ... and he's now vowing to do better going forward.
"I should have had [my employees'] back from the beginning and been like, 'Yup, I wish I didn't f**king say that sh*t,'" Portnoy said in a video Thursday. "I'm sorry I said it. I'm sorry it offended people."
Clips from around four years ago surfaced of Portnoy this past week ... showing the Barstool Sports founder saying and rapping the n-word on company-produced content videos.
In another one of the resurfaced clips, Portnoy also made insensitive comments about Colin Kaepernick ... saying the 49ers QB looked like an "ISIS guy," and adding, "throw a head wrap on this guy and he's a terrorist."
The unearthed footage was immediately met with backlash ... with critics calling for sponsors to drop partnerships with Barstool ASAP.
Initially, Portnoy defended the remarks ... saying he was "uncancellable." But after he says he spoke with his employees, the 43-year-old decided to issue a mea culpa.
"I can't apologize for my existence, but I can be better," Portnoy said. "And, I'm going to be better for [my employees]."
Portnoy says he'll lean on the diversity of his staff to make sure situations don't arise like this again in the future ... adding, "To all the guys that work for me, I want you to know I have your back."
"And, I want this to be a place that you f**king can be proud of and if you're not this second, we'll get there. We'll f**king get there."
Univ. of Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown says he's DONE with Longhorns football ... until officials at the school start meeting some of his team's social justice demands.
Overshown was one of many UT players involved in a statement last month that urged school officials to make changes to help right perceived racial inequalities at the university.
In their statement, the players asked for, among other things, donations to the Black Lives Matter movement, the renaming of several parts of campus, and the removal of the school song, "The Eyes of Texas."
At the time, university officials said they would look into all the demands ... but as of Thursday, no changes had been made -- and Overshown says he's pissed about that.
The junior says he's now boycotting all team activities until the school starts taking some real steps toward change.
"We are constantly preached urgency throughout the program and I feel that the university should be held to the same standard," Overshown said.
"I watched WNBA All-Star Maya Moore sit out a whole year because of something that meant so much to her. With that being said, until real action is taken and changes are made I will be sitting out of all team activities."
Overshown continued, "I will support my team in whatever they do but this is something I'm very passionate about and I can not continue to perform for a program that doesn't show me the same love and support I do for them."
Teammates have already responded to Overshown's boycott ... with Longhorns star receiver Brennan Eagles writing he stands with DeMarvion "10 toes."
Jay-Z and his social justice team are going all out to get a Wisconsin cop fired and charged in the killings of 3 men of color -- they've posted a full-page ad demanding it.
Jay's Team ROC took out the ad Thursday in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, calling for the immediate prosecution and termination of police officer Joseph Mensah ... who has recently come to light for reportedly shooting and killing 3 men of color during police stops in Wauwatosa, WI within a 5-year span.
The ad -- an open letter to Milwaukee County DA John Chisholm -- starts with a simple question ... "how many more people must die at the hands of Officer Joseph Mensah?"
The letter goes on to name the men of color reportedly killed by Mensah -- Alvin Cole, Antonio Gonzales and Jay Anderson -- while describing his actions as "utter disregard" for their lives.
According to reports ... Mensah fired 8 times to kill Gonzales in 2015, unloaded 6 shots to kill Anderson in 2016 and shot Cole 5 times in February after he shouted “no gun.” He allegedly failed to administer CPR to the victims in each case, as well, and failed to engage his dash camera in 2 of the incidents.
There is dash cam footage of the most recent incident -- which resulted in the death of Cole, who was just 17 years old -- but it doesn't clearly reveal what happened.
Team ROC's letter goes on to question the Wauwatosa PD's reported failure to mandate body cams and preserve video evidence, before calling for the prosecution of Mensah "to ensure that he never kills anyone again."
The letter states there have been no other fatal shootings by the police dept. since Mensah joined the force in 2015, and asks ... "Doesn't that tell you something?"
Team ROC's demanding justice -- along with mandatory body cams for all cops -- and closes by stating ... "Nineteen shots and three deaths in five years are not a pattern of accidents."
We've reached out to the D.A.'s office ... so far no word back.
10:36 AM PT -- Vanilla Ice just canceled his performance in Austin ... saying he didn't know the numbers were so crazy in Austin. The rapper said the concert had been booked a long time ago, but with cases spiking in Texas and across the nation, Vanilla Ice says the best thing to do right now is cancel it and keep everyone safe. Good call.
Vanilla Ice is offering fans a warning -- come see my concert at your own risk, cuz it could cost you your life, but the local health department's going even further ... saying stay away from his show.
The "Ice Ice Baby" rapper is set to perform Friday night at Emerald Point Bar & Grill in the popular tourist spot of Lake Travis ... 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin. The concert's being dubbed The Independence Day Throwback Beach Party at a multi-tier outdoor venue that can host as many as 5,000 fans -- but due to social distancing, they're only selling 2,500 tickets.
Fans wanting to buy tix are hit with a warning: “Important notice re COVID-19: Please note any interaction with the general public poses an elevated risk of being exposed to COVID-19 and we cannot guarantee that you will not be exposed while in attendance at the event. The event organizer is solely responsible for the health and safety of this event. We encourage you to follow the organizer’s safety policies, as well as local laws and restrictions.”
That warning isn't cutting it with the Travis County Health Dept. ... whose spokesperson, Jen Samp, tells TMZ ... "This is not wise regardless of who is performing at any gathering right now. The best way to be nostalgic is by protecting your parents and grandparents and staying home."
The "nostalgic line" is a clear shot at Ice's IG post promoting the concert.
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The rapper posted this video over the weekend showing packed concertgoers. He captioned the video, "I can’t wait to get back to this. The 90s were the best. We didn’t have coronavirus, or cell phones, or computers. We had 5.0‘s, blockbuster, Beavis and Butthead, Wayne’s world, Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan. And Mortal Kombat is still better than fortnight but we got out of the house, We danced, we invented house parties in the 90s. The last of the great decades."
Samp isn't getting sucked in by all that '90s talk. She's flat-out saying, "Don't go to this concert. If you do go to the concert or anywhere else publicly, wear a mask and socially distance, have sanitizer in your pocket and wash your hands every time you arrive at a new place."
She added the fact people will be drinking booze, means they'll be less aware of their actions ... like touching their faces and forgetting to wash hands.
Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott's recently ordered all bars closed and capped restaurant capacity to 50 percent. The order comes on the heels of the state hitting a new record of cases ... with 8,076 reported Wednesday. Hospitalizations have also reached dangerous levels.
Emerald Point Bar & Grill -- which, BTW, is hosting other music acts the entire weekend -- remains open because technically it's considered a restaurant.
WNBA superstar Maya Moore -- who paused her hoops career to help free a wrongfully convicted man serving a 50-year prison sentence -- was able to watch him walk free on Wednesday ... and the video is powerful.
31-year-old Moore -- one of the greatest WNBA players EVER -- stepped away from the league in 2019 and 2020 to focus on social justice issues ... starting with freeing Jonathan Irons.
FYI, 40-year-old Irons was only 16 years old when he was convicted of burglary and assault in Missouri in 1998, despite no real evidence proving his guilt.
Moore has longed believed Irons is innocent -- and has spent the past 2 years providing tons of support in the hopes of bringing him home.
And, on Wednesday -- after his conviction was overturned and prosecutors said there would not be a retrial -- her dream became a reality.
Moore -- alongside Irons' family members -- watched Jonathan walk free from the Jefferson City Correctional Center in an emotional moment captured on video and posted to Instagram.
"I feel like I can live life now," said Irons -- who had served 22 years of his 50-year sentence. "I'm free, I'm blessed, I just want to live my life worthy of God's help and influence."
Moore spoke about Irons' release on "Good Morning America" on Thursday ... saying, "In that moment, I really felt like I could rest."
"I'd been standing, and we'd been standing, for so long .... and it was an unplanned moment where I just felt relief. It was kind of a worshipful moment, just dropping to my knees and just being so thankful that we made it."
Moore -- the #1 overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft -- is a 4-time WNBA champ and was named MVP in 2014.
Some consider her to the greatest WNBA player of all time ... but it's clear, this is her proudest accomplishment.
