Joe Exotic is still wheeling and dealing from behind bars ... TMZ has learned the 'Tiger King' is in talks to become the face of a new fashion line!!!
Odain Watson, the owner of the streetwear brand, Odaingerous, tells TMZ ... he wants to partner with Joe on a limited edition collection, and they're already hammering out details through prison phone calls and letters.
Odain says his company reached out to Joe in late March by letter, pitched him on being the face of its next collection ... and he was super intrigued.
The collection sounds pretty cool ... it's being dubbed "REVENGE" and Joe's line would include graphic T-shirts, hoodies and joggers with his face and, of course, tigers.
We're told it will also feature images related to Joe's plight. Y'know ... backstabbing, betrayal, fake friends, success and such.
And, the pièce de résistance -- an exclusive t-shirt with a 'Tiger King' biker jacket print on it. Complete with tiger-striped lapel. We know ... weird, but click through the gallery. You'll get it.
We're told the contract's close to be signed, but they're still negotiating profit sharing ... kind of a big outstanding deal point.
Problem is, the novel coronavirus is throwing a wrench in the plans ... we're told legal mail and communication are stalled at FMC Fort Worth. Remember, Joe's prison is the second leading hotbed for COVID-19 in the federal prison system.
Sorry, folks ... no word on pink sequin shirts making the 'Revenge' tour. Yet.
Nothing feels better than staying in bed ... and now these famous faces finally have an excuse for lounging around!
With nowhere to go and nobody to see, these stars have been sharing snaps of how they're staying safe from the comfort of their own beds!
From celebs such as Emily Ratajkowski and Colton Underwood, to Rosalia and Stassie Karanikolaou,there are plenty of stars that have been rockin' bed head!
Get a good look at who's staying cozy through quarantine by scrolling through our gallery of stars stuck in bed ... see who else is sinking into their sheets!
A California gym manager says it was a mistake for Governor Gavin Newsom to close all gyms ... so he's taking the matter into his own hands.
Jacob Lewis runs The Gym in San Bernardino County, and says he's decided to defy state shutdown orders because he believes gyms are "'essential' to people’s mental and physical health."
He opened his doors Friday morning at 6 AM, and several of The Gym's members are back inside getting their pump on, and sharing workout posts on social media.
Lewis tells TMZ, he tipped off cops and local officials to his plan to reopen, and received a summons from a code enforcement official. He's blowing that off, and says he doesn't anticipate any serious trouble.
He says equipment is spaced out in order to follow social distancing guidelines, and there's disinfectant everywhere. He says the showers and saunas are closed as a precaution, adding ... "Basically right now it’s a gym with bathrooms."
Lewis says he came to the decision to reopen after a recent conversation with an older man, who confided in him that The Gym is his "home away from home," and helps him stay healthy and battle diabetes. The man told Lewis he's falling apart without the facility.
That's when Lewis had his epiphany ... "I realized I was being a BITCH!! By letting down the people that matter most to our community!! By not providing a service that helps them get through all the bull s**t! And gives them hope, strength, and health."
April Love Geary is ashamed to be from Huntington Beach because of all the "white privilege" punks, as she put it, protesting SoCal beach closures.
Robin Thicke's fiancee went off Friday on the protesters, calling them out for their utter disregard of people's health during this coronavirus pandemic. She said "it's the most white privilege bulls**t" thing she's seen.
Check out the video ... April says it's ridiculous that Black Lives Matter protesters across the country have been met by cops in riot gear, while Huntington Beach protesters -- with much less melanin -- are allowed to exercise their right to free speech. All while cops stand idly by without riot gear.
She urges protesters to keep their asses at home, and adds, "It's not that hard."
The demonstrations started after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the closure of all Orange County beaches, starting this weekend. Some protesters carried signs that read, "Masks don't work. My body, my choice."
As we reported ... heavily-armed protesters stormed Michigan's statehouse after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extended the state's emergency stay-at-home order until the end of May.
No one's armed in the OC, but April's still super pissed.
Well, UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer is here to help -- using that signature adrenaline-inducing voice to smack COVID-19 like the little bitch of a virus that it is!!!!
Buffer offered up his pipes -- and an awesome surprise pizza party -- to his pals at the Manhattan Beach PD ... to help keep morale up during these insane times.
Bruce tells us he wanted to show his support for the cops ... so he and his biz partner Kristen Greulach hit up Grimaldi's Pizzeria and had them whip up 10 pies, cannolis and cheesecake to thank the boys and girls in blue for everything they do.
But, the highlight is the ring call ... Bruce reached deep down in his soul for this one -- just like he was getting ready for a Conor vs. Khabib rematch ... and the cops loved every second of it!
Stay safe everyone ... and remember, WASH YOUR HANDS!
R. Kelly has no shame ... he's making yet another plea to the judge to let him out of jail, but this time he claims he has proof he's vulnerable to COVID-19.
The disgraced singer's lawyer filed docs, obtained by TMZ, asking the judge to release his client pending his trial and claiming the Bureau of Prisons failed to disclose Kelly's medical tests from March showing he is "likely diabetic."
In docs, Kelly's lawyer also claims the singer has high cholesterol and high blood pressure ... further putting him in a vulnerable position if he contracts the deadly coronavirus while penned up at MCC Chicago.
The judge has not yet made a decision on whether to release Kelly. TMZ broke the story ... he swung and missed TWICE last month. During Kelly's first attempt, the judge denied him saying, among other things, the singer is a flight risk. Not long after, his team made a second attempt, but again, the judge said no dice.
The judge had previously expressed concern Kelly might intimidate witnesses if he's allowed out of jail. Kelly addresses that in the new docs, referring to one of his former girlfriends who used to visit him regularly in jail and correspond with him. He says during all those visits he was well aware she is one the Jane Doe victims in his case, and still never attempted to obstruct justice.
He doesn't name her, but our Kelly sources tell us he's talking about Azriel Clary, who's now working with the prosecution. Kelly says if he had tried to intimidate her, she would have reported him to prosecutors by now.
Normally, they say the third time's a charm, but R. Kelly's a different story ... for so many reasons.
This husband will be on the couch for the rest of quarantine -- but this video of him ruining his wife's jigsaw puzzle right before she could add the final piece ... is pretty priceless.
Mr. Prankster (not his gov't name) was recording his wife as she prepared for her one shining moment -- sticking in the last piece after about 3 weeks hard labor on the puzzle.
The guy set it up perfectly, saying ... "and this is the final moment, she gets to put the final piece in ... or does she?" Then, with lightning-quick speed, he slid the whole puzzle off the table in one fell swoop. Even before it all crashed to the floor, his wife was going OFF!!!
He ran for cover in another room ... smart move, but then his wife threatened to get revenge by destroying his fishing rods.
Yep, this is where we are in lockdown life ... couples snapping over puzzles. Buckle up, folks.
Just because Beverly Hills voted to resume nose jobs and facelifts, doesn't mean plastic surgeons want to do them during a pandemic ... according to Dr.Terry Dubrow.
The "Botched" surgeon told us on "TMZ Live" Friday ... the city council's 4-1 vote this week to resume elective surgeries isn't sitting well with many of his fellow surgeons. He says they believe it's too soon, and still too risky.
Terry believes high demand from clientele tired of looking at their imperfect faces on Zoom calls will create some pressure for surgeons to take appointments. However, he says some are actually talking early retirement, rather than risking exposure to COVID-19 for someone to get a boob job.
Dr. Dubrow admits Bev Hills seems to be playing into a stereotype by deeming plastic surgery an essential activity at this point. He has a warning for anyone considering going under the knife right now. Definitely something to think about.
Humans aren't the only ones getting super bored and going stir crazy in coronavirus quarantine ... wildlife expert Jeff Corwin says animals need mental stimulation too.
The famed biologist joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and told us how animals in captivity at zoos and aquariums are being affected by the lack of crowds, and what we can do to keep all our animal friends sane.
Jeff says the captive dolphins who are putting on shows in front of empty stands at a Japanese aquarium definitely know there's no oohing and aahing humans around, as do many of the animals in captivity at zoos and aquariums that have turned into ghost towns due to the pandemic.
It's pretty fascinating ... Jeff says zoos need to make sure their animals are mentally and environmentally stimulated, especially now that they are more alone than ever before with humans sheltering in place.
Jeff's got a few examples that really paint a picture ... gorillas slinging poop and polar bears with ice blocks.
But, it's not just captive animals that need stimulation ... Jeff says it's important to keep your house pets engaged, and he shows us how to play some fun mind games with cats.
Saquon Barkley is stepping up in a huge way for a police officer badly injured in a car accident ... offering Giants tickets and sending a special personal message of support.
Port Authority police officer Peter Siano was hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday after he was hit by a car while securing a crash scene.
Siano -- along with 3 Jersey City PD officers -- were handling traffic control around the crash when a driver sped through warnings and smashed into a JCPD cruiser, which hit Siano.
Officials say Siano suffered "serious" injuries -- and the driver responsible for the collision has been arrested and charged with assault by auto.
When the NY Giants found out about the situation, a bunch of players decided to make get-well videos for Siano ... including Barkley, Sterling Shepard and Grant Haley.
And, get this ... Barkley is even offering Siano a VIP experience with the team once he recovers.
"Thinking about you guys and once everything gets better, I would like to invite you guys to a Giants game," Barkley said.
"And to the police department, appreciate everything you guys are doing for us during this time."
Madonna has revealed -- via her "Quarantine Diary" -- that she's tested positive for coronavirus antibodies, and already has a bizarre plan for using them.
The Material Girl's known for posting some eccentric material on her Instagram, but she's kicked things up a notch during lockdown ... the latest being heading outside to "breathe in the COVID-19 air."
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Yep, Madge says now that she knows she has the antibodies, she's going out for a drive and rolling down the windows. She included the hashtags #staysafe #staysane with her video post.
It's unclear exactly what M hopes to accomplish by sucking in virus air on her drive, but if she truly has antibodies it means she likely already had the coronavirus. Most scientists agree she should have some COVID-19 immunity, but it's unclear for how long.
Madonna's been doing her part in coronavirus relief efforts -- both by donating a million dollars and joining the REFORM Alliance in sending 100,000 surgical masks to jails and prisons.
She's throwing caution to the wind, though, with her own health.
Hey, she's got a pocket full o' antibodies and she's gonna spend 'em!!!
Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion's new track is providing more than listening pleasure -- it's immediately feeding people in need by inspiring others to give.
As we told you ... the 2 women are donating proceeds from Bey's remix of Meg's "Savage" to Bread of Life in Houston, a nonprofit that supplies food for families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The charity tells us the song's release is already paying dividends though -- it received donations from 500 new donors in the first 24 hours after the song's Wednesday debut!
We're told the money continues to come from the 'Savage' attention -- most donors give anywhere from $5 to $50 -- and it's all being used to stock up for the increased demand for food with so many millions out of work.
Bread of Life sets up a drive-thru pick up spot for families to get boxes of groceries loaded right into their trunk. The org makes sure to take coronavirus precautions too ... there's no physical contact between the families and the staff, and masks and gloves are required.
As for how Bread of Life was chosen by Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion -- other than the Houston connection -- we're told Bey and her mom, Tina Knowles, have worked with the nonprofit in the past.
We're told the mother-daughter duo helped build an apartment complex for some folks in need who Bread of Life supports. Plus, Beyonce and the org's founder grew up in the same church.
That's a good connection, and it's all come together for a very good cause.
There probably is a limit to what Pastor Tony Spell can get away with, but for now ... he's still collecting stimulus dough from parishioners while dodging jail.
The infamous leader of the Life Tabernacle Church in Louisiana tells TMZ ... since April 19 when his "stimulus challenge" began, 205 people have given at least a portion of their stimulus checks to his church.
We're told this includes parishioners as well as outsiders who don't belong to Life Tabernacle. Spell would not reveal how much cash he's hauled in from these folks.
We did the math, out of curiosity, though, and if each donor gave the typical tithe of 10% of the max stimulus amount of $1,200 -- that's $24,600 for Tony. Granted, it could be less or a lot more. He seemed to be encouraging donors to give their full checks ... as he claims he did.
As we reported ... Spell's been urging folks to give their stimulus dough away to all evangelists who can't pass the offering plate during the pandemic shutdowns.
Of course, that doesn't really apply to Spell because he's not been abiding by the Governor's stay-at-home order. Not only is he still holding services where he can take offerings, but he's also disobeying a judge's order to home confinement due to his recent arrest.
Tony tells us that's not going to change this Sunday either ... he's planning on leading another church service. He says he had 800 people attend last week (though it looks like he added a zero based on video) and expects a bigger turnout this time.
Spell says he knows he's in direct contempt of the court when he leaves his house to go to his church, but adds ... "The Bible commands us to go."
However, Spell tells us he will not be participating in his church's protest of stay-at-home orders Saturday outside the Governor's mansion. He says, "I do not want federal agents to pick me up when I am off the premises of my property." For the record, it would be local cops, not feds ... but ya get his drift.
Spell's willing to risk it to go to church though, and for now, he's suffered very few consequences.
Great news for Von Miller ... the Denver Broncos superstar is now COVID-19 negative -- this after he battled the virus for over two weeks.
Von tested positive back on April 16 ... saying his symptoms started a few days earlier with trouble breathing and a bad cough.
"My girlfriend she told me when I was asleep she said my cough it didn’t sound normal," Miller said at the time.
Von spent the next couple weeks fighting through the illness ... and you can see in video of him celebrating the Broncos' first-round draft pick on April 21, his cough was pretty gnarly.
But, Miller tweeted Thursday that a new test revealed he had beaten the virus ... saying, "Got my results back. Im 'negative' for Covid-19."
So far, Miller, Saints coach Sean Payton and L.A. Rams center Brian Allen are the only known NFLers to have contracted the virus.
But, all three are doing well now ... providing a glimmer of hope that we'll be able to see them and the rest of the league on football fields whenever the NFL eventually kicks off.
A Texas company claims it has a solution for COVID-19 ... a robot that can kill the virus ... feds, hospitals and universities are already buying in, and pro sports could be next.
Here's the deal ... San Antonio-based Xenex Disinfection Services claims they have perfected a $100,000 robot that can zap the deadly virus to death, and it's already being used by the Department of Defense, Mayo Clinic and prestigious universities, with more deep-pocketed clients waiting in the wings.
The so-called savior is dubbed the Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robot ... and we're told it's already decontaminating workspaces at 10 U.S. military bases, LAPD's Skid Row station plus campuses at Stanford and USC.
Major sports leagues could soon jump on the futuristic bandwagon ... company honchos tell us franchises from the NBA and MLB are both looking to use the robot to kill germs at team facilities.
Here's how it works ... the robot uses a xenon lamp to generate bursts of high intensity, full germicidal spectrum UVC light -- more intense than sunlight -- to deactivate viruses, bacteria and spores. Different pathogens are susceptible to UVC light at different wavelengths.
The robot works alone ... we're told people and pets must be out of the room undergoing disinfection because too much UVC light is dangerous to the eyes -- it's kinda like staring at the sun.
Uncle Sam seems gung ho on the robot ... we're told the DoD is starting to “actively test the robot to decontaminate airplanes and research labs.”
Business is booming for Xenex ... we're told sales are up 600% over the same time last year, and they just sold a robot to someone who wants to disinfect a megayacht. Gyms and fitness centers are starting to make inquires too.
The robots are made in San Antonio, and we're told proud owners are even giving them names ... like Rosie, Ray, Sunny, Duncan, Tiger and Gronk!!!
Baby Yoda, The Hulk and Mickey Mouse are coming to the rescue ... Disney is selling character face masks to protect kids, slow the coronavirus spread and donate to charity.
The Walt Disney Co. just announced the launch of a new line of face coverings for children and adults ... the masks feature some of Disney's most popular characters, and proceeds from sales are going to a medical supplies charity.
The non-medical, reusable cloth masks come in 4-packs for $19.99 ... and the Mouse House says it's going to donate up to $1 million in proceeds to MedShare, a nonprofit that delivers medical equipment and supplies across the globe. Disney will also donate 1 million masks to the charity.
As you know ... the CDC is strongly recommending masks and face coverings to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Disney says the pandemic is a challenging time for families and wearing any type of mask can be daunting, but it hopes the cloth character face masks will comfort folks and ease the transition to the new normal.
Hopefully, the masks do the trick ... children across the world are getting really sick with a rare inflammatory disease that has been linked to COVID-19.
It's a scary time for everyone ... but a Disney character mask might bring some joy to kids and adults.
