Controversial S#!T

Washington cutting Dwayne Haskins has ESPN's Booger McFarland in a bad mood, and he's essentially blasting the NFL's young Black stars for throwing away multi-millions ... over TikTok.

Booger dropped this hot take Monday night, claiming the Washington Football Team dropping its former first-round pick before he completed his 2nd season is symptomatic of a bigger issue -- players focusing on brand building instead of the game.

And, he thinks it's a problem plaguing Black players more than white.

Booger said, "They come in saying 'How can I build my brand better? How can I build my social media following better? How can I work out on Instagram and show everybody that I'm ready to go?' But, when I get to the game I don't perform."

It was a not-so-subtle dig at Haskins getting in hot water for video of him partying at a strip club without a face mask or social distancing.

Booger also singled out another former 1st rounder, JaMarcus Russell, whose career went bust after getting a $40 million contract -- but his focus on African-American stars is kinda controversial, because white players bomb too. Johnny Manziel, Jake Locker and Ryan Leaf anyone?

However, as Booger pointed out, Black players make up roughly 70 percent of the league ... so, the fact is there are more Black players getting the financial opportunity. As he put it, "They play a child's game to get paid a king's ransom."

Anwar Hadid insists he's not a hardline anti-vaxxer -- he's had them before -- and now wants to explain what he meant when he told fans he would not get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The 21-year-old model is clarifying his weekend posts where he said of the COVID vaccine ... "Either I just don't get it or I get it and god willing heal from it and get antibodies rather than do that process unnaturally, our bodies are made by the creator to do way more than we think."

On Monday, he said he didn't mean to make such a broad, sweeping generalization -- “I think everyone has to be careful with each vaccine individually looking at positive and possible negative side effects,”

Gigi and Bella's younger bro has been diagnosed with Lyme disease -- just like his mom, Yolanda, and Bella -- and referenced that as part of his hesitation about inoculation.

Anwar added, “As someone who has had a compromised immune system, I want to continue to learn about the many ways I can protect myself and others. never meant to offend with my words.”

Lil Pump will NOT be flying with JetBlue anymore -- at least that's what the airline's saying, because it claims he refused to wear a mask while up in the air.

A rep for JB tells TMZ ... a customer on one of their Saturday flights from Fort Lauderdale to L.A. became verbally abusive with crew members, and also took off his face covering mid-flight ... and then failed to put it back on, even when asked.

We're told JetBlue called in to LAX to tell them to have cops on standby -- apparently he was that unruly -- but it doesn't appear Pump was arrested when they touched down. LAX Airport Police tell us they have no record of an arrest or incident involving the rapper.

TMZ has also obtained correspondence from the flight deck that day -- in which the captain was detailing exactly what LP was doing ... and what needed to happen when they arrived. At first, he says Pump was simply noncompliant with their mask policy, but later said he was sneezing and coughing into a blanket sans mask (perhaps on purpose) ... and that more than just a supervisor needed to meet them, as Pump had to be dealt with "firmly."

The last correspondence sent says Pump finally obliged and put on his mask -- but the dude wasn't finished with JetBlue at that point ... he later took to social media to cuss 'em out.

In a since-deleted video, Lil Pump says "f*** JetBlue," and goes on to say he will NEVER wear a mask in 2021. Seems like his pro-Trump vibes are still going strong post-election.

The parents of a Black teen falsely accused of stealing a white woman's phone say they dreaded the idea of having to tell him his race might've been the trigger ... but they did.

Jazz musician Keyon Harrold and his wife, Kat, joined us Monday on 'TMZ Live' after a disturbing episode at the Arlo Hotel in NYC this weekend ... where Keyon captured what many might consider a "Karen" insisting his 14-year-old had stolen her misplaced phone ... which was NOT true.

After she lunged at the boy and demanded a manager force him to give her his phone ... Keyon says her device was eventually returned by an Uber driver, who'd found it in his car. So, she was wrong after all -- and Keyon, at the time, said nobody offered an apology.

Fast-forward a couple days ... and it's clear the family is still rattled by an incident they say was likely fueled by racism. Keyon says he honestly doesn't know why the woman assumed his son, of all people, had her phone ... explaining he was dumbfounded in the moment.

The boy's mother, Kat, detailed the excruciating conversation she had after the fact when her son asked why he might've been singled out ... and her answering with the fact that his skin color possibly had something to do with it. It's gut-wrenching hearing her break it down.

A bust of Breonna Taylor was vandalized, smashed into pieces, just 2 weeks after it was installed.

The statue graced an area of downtown Oakland, with the inscription, "Say Her Name Breonna Taylor."

The cops are now on the hunt for the vandal/vandals. Since it's in the downtown area there may be surveillance video that helps police find the culprit, but so far no one has been named a suspect.

The sculptor, Leo Carson, said he's starting a GoFundMe page to pay for the repairs.

Carson was furious, saying ..."This vandalism is an act of racist aggression, and it shows why sculpture and art matters," adding, "I made this sculpture to support the Black Lives Matter movement and while I'm overcome with rage and sadness at their cowardly act, their vandalism will make her even more potent."

Denying there's a pandemic is one thing, and then there's this ... actively, and disgustingly, committing a crime by intentionally spitting on someone -- and, stupidly, doing it on camera.

This Trump supporter went face-to-face with Black Lives Matter protesters over the weekend in Swampscott, MA. The guy who posted the video claims the man in shades and a Trump 2020 cap just turned to him, unprovoked, yelled "all lives matter" ... then started hacking and spitting.

The video is pretty graphic ... when ya see this jerk loading up to spit, which he did at least twice, on people standing across from him. As if this video wasn't enough evidence ... a police officer on scene witnessed the crime.

It's called assault and battery or unwanted touching -- and that does include spitting on someone -- and it's a crime. Cops were there observing the protest, and did cite the guy for assault.

This vile individual is clearly ignoring the images of patients packed into hospital ICUs, stressed nurses and doctors ... or the fact more than 330,000 Americans are already dead from COVID-19. But, intentionally doing what's seen here?

Jamar Mackey says the Virginia Beach Police Department's apology for an embarrassing case of mistaken identity rings hollow ... and he wants big changes at the PD.

Jamar, the innocent man who was ripped from his family and handcuffed at a mall because he supposedly matched the description of an alleged credit card fraudster, tells TMZ ... police chief Paul Neudigate is just saying sorry because the incident got national attention.

His fiancée, Shantel Covil, says they want more than an on-camera apology ... they want new rules, laws and police reform ... and they want the officer fired.

The video shows the moment Jamar was yanked from his family while they were eating in a mall food court, with the officer immediately placing him in handcuffs and taking him outside in a humiliating perp walk. Cops finally admitted they had the wrong guy.

The Police Chief apologized a few days after the incident, once it started getting attention ... and while he said he wants to reach out to Jamar to hash things out, Jamar and Shantel tell us no one from the PD has followed through.

An anti-masker pitched a fit at a CVS Saturday ... insisting she doesn't have to wear a mask because she's healthy and shows no symptoms ... and she dared them to call the cops.

It went down in L.A., where COVID is out of control. She approached the counter and got immediate pushback from staff who said she wouldn't get service unless she wore a mask.

The woman blanched at that, firing back it's "nonsensical" to treat healthy people like they're sick. The staff properly asked how she knew she was healthy ... she said she had no symptoms and felt fine. Of course, people with COVID can feel fine in the early stages and, for that matter, even as the disease progresses and still transmit the disease.

She seemed to be saying 2 things ... suggesting she has an underlying condition and can't be refused service, and then saying she's a perfectly healthy person.

A nurse who happened to be in the store tried explaining how bad COVID has ravaged L.A., but she wasn't having it, saying "asymptomatic spread has been shown to be a myth."

She claimed she's entitled to service. Fact is ... they have an absolute right to deny her service. If a store demands someone wear a mask and they won't, they can pitch a fit all they want ... they're not entitled to service.

One of the ritziest, most exclusive celeb joints in L.A. is secretly inviting people to an in-person New Year's Eve party, asking them to keep it on the low ... but to also spread the word.

The restaurant in question La Scala, and it's their Bev Hills location that's doing this "speakeasy" thing. They've apparently been slipping invites in to-go orders for a NYE dine-in event ... and they're being cutesy with it by slugging it as a '20s-era Prohibition blowout.

An invite of theirs was recently posted online, which reads ... "We are considering taking reservations for New Year's Eve Dinner. Inside. If this is something you'd be interested in, please let us know as soon as possible."

The message goes on ... "If enough interest we'll contact you back to secure your reservation. Please keep this discreet, but tell all your friends." So ... not a secret at all.

La Scala's plans are on the radar of Beverly Hills city officials -- who are issuing a harsh rebuke, but not much else at this point in the way of threats to shut this thing down.

The official rep for the City of Beverly Hills says, "We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for all of our businesses, however the County Order does currently prohibit indoor and outdoor dining, including in the City of Beverly Hills." Cool ... but is that it???

Time will tell if La Scala is able to move forward with their shindig -- you'd imagine cops would step in and try to stop it -- but at this point ... it could fall into a grey area, like so many of these lockdown measures we've seen defied this year, including around L.A.

BTW, La Scala is one of these legacy restaurants in Hollywood ... it's been around since forever, and some of the most famous faces in history have stopped by for a meal or two. People like Frank Sinatra, Cher, David Geffen, Khloe Kardashian, Lamar Odom, Barbara Walters and so many more have visited ... until recently, that is.

This kid needs driver's ed, stat. And, while he's at it, a conscience would also be helpful.

The teenager was driving his mom's car and, apparently, sideswiped a car in what looks like a mall parking lot ... we think it's in Alabama.

The kid drives away after being asked for insurance info, then crashes into another car before exiting and jogging off.

The kid tells the lady whose car he struck, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's my mom's car." For the record, not meaning to hit another car is still negligence.

Well, the law requires the kid to exchange info with the other driver. But, when she asks for his insurance card and says she's calling the cops, he gets in his Honda SUV and flees, but not for long. The kid then annihilates a pickup truck.

It's good to know ... Canadians are now as crazy as us folks in the U.S. of A.

A group protesting the COVID vaccines dressed like zombies, kinda ... they had white masks, white hazmat suits ... the works, as they proselytized at the Fairview Mall in Toronto.

With an assist from a loudspeaker, they screamed, “Everyone loves the pharmaceutical companies” ... "Obedience is love ... questioning vaccines is murder ...  you are not essential. Big business is essential. The government is essential. The government is life. ...  questioning masks is murder ... thinking for yourself endangers the common good.”

It was peaceful, as zombies tend to be sometimes. At the end of the protest, for unsafe measure, they hugged and screamed, "Good job, everybody!"

Taylor Swift's status in Nashville just took a hit ... she's been bumped from one of Music City's landmark attractions, and replaced by Brad Paisley.

Taylor's held court for a while now with some of country's biggest superstars on the iconic mural at Legends Corner on Lower Broadway in Nashville. The mural features 14 icons ... including Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton.

But, artist Tim Davis is making some changes ... out with the old and in with the new. The artist reportedly said Taylor's image is being retired and 3 other stars, including Brad, will join the mural. At this point, it's unclear who else will appear on the mural.

The news, of course, did NOT sit well with Swifties. One person tweeted her disgust about the news, saying ... "Nashville really just PAINTED OVER @taylorswift13 in the legends corner mural on Broadway... she is a country music legend and so what if she moved over to different genres?? Confused why they didn't just make the mural bigger."

Wack 100 says good Americans better be ready to throw down at all times ... because ya never know when the bad apples are gonna pop up and try to knock you out.

We got The Game and Blueface's manager leaving Chanel in Los Angeles Wednesday and asked him about his brawl outside a burger joint last Saturday with a couple white men who allegedly set things off with a racial epithet.

Wack is chalking the fight up to the 2 Americas, one good and one bad, and he says folks need to stay ready because the "opposition" is always lurking.

He's also calling on the "good" Americans to band together, no matter their color, race or neighborhood.

As you know ... Wack's no stranger to getting in scraps, even brawling last year with Nipsey Hussle's former bodyguard, J Roc.

Wack says he learned to fight at an early age ... and he tells us how his gang opponents behind bars made him a better brawler.

Several passengers who were on the same United jet where a passenger fell ill and died of COVID now fear they may have COVID themselves, and they're thinking about legal action.

Francois Montinat tells TMZ ... he's suffering from strong nasal and head congestion, and it's freaking him out because he had COVID back in May and those were 2 of the many symptoms he experienced.

Adding to his worries ... he can't get an appointment for a COVID test and he feels like crap and doesn't want to stand in a first-come-first-served line for hours. Montinat says he thinks United's safety protocol is deficient and he's pondering legal action for emotional distress.

Megan Hubbard and Cameron Roberts were also on the flight and they tell us ... Cameron's been experiencing symptoms since landing in L.A. He says he's developed a persistent cough and suspects he's come down with COVID.

Megan's not experiencing symptoms but the anxiety for both has reached a breaking point ... she says she's seeing a shrink to help her deal with it.  Megan feels someone should pay her medical expenses ... and you can guess who.

Former U.S. Congresswoman Katie Hill is taking her ex-husband to court, claiming he's behind the leak of private photos and messages ... which, she says, ultimately sunk her political career.

The ex-Rep. from California filed suit Tuesday against Kenny Heslep -- who she recently divorced -- for what she says was a years-long campaign of making her life miserable ... up to and including the moment she stepped down from her post last year amid scandal.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, she says she'd been with Heslep since she was a teen ... and that, for years, he subjected her to torment, ridicule, physical and sexual abuse, as well as a constant environment of control and monitoring that carried over into their marriage.

Hill claims Heslep -- among other things -- demanded her passwords for devices, forced her to put her calls on speaker so he could listen, demanded to know her whereabouts, dictated her physical appearance, choked her without consent during sex, posted her nudes online ... and told her to kill herself during arguments.

In the suit, she also claims Heslep harmed pets of hers during their relationship -- including allegedly shooting and wounding her goat.

She says things came to a head in 2019 after she won a seat in Congress, and worked up the nerve to leave Heslep. She claims his response was to launch a scorched earth effort to smear her by supplying embarrassing photos and private messages to right-wing sites and other media outlets. Heslep insists he was hacked, but Katie clearly isn't buying that.

The barrage of headlines didn't stop until Hill announced she'd leave Congress ... but even after that -- and even after they'd divorced -- Hill claims reporters continued to badger her. Now, she's had enough ... and wants a judge to step in.

One of the most notorious 'Survivor' contestants of all time is in hot water after a recent arrest ... and it looks like it's a family affair.

Jonny Fairplay was busted for larceny last week in his hometown of Danville, Virginia ... along with his mother, Patsy Hall. Based on their smirking mug shots -- they're not too bent out of shape about it, though.

It's unclear why Jonny and his mom were booked for larceny ... we're working on it. He does tell us though, "I (we) have been unjustly charged by a family member. I welcome the opportunity to vindicate myself (and my mother)."

Fairplay -- real name Jon Dalton -- earned a shady reputation way back in 2003 when he appeared on "Survivor: Pearl Islands" and had his visiting friend lie and tell him his grandma had died ... in order to garner sympathy from the other tribe members and win a reward.

He later revealed to the audience that his grandma was alive and well and at home "watching Jerry Springer." He ended up finishing the season in 3rd place.

Jonny's villain distinction would follow him for years in the reality TV world -- including a brief follow-up appearance on 'Survivor' -- along with a stint in professional wrestling.