Disney

A Disney accessory depicting a noose is now in slightly less circulation after a collectibles site took action -- but the question remains ... how did this ever get made in the first place???

Back in 2006, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was released, the Mouse House also dropped a limited couture jewelry line as part of the promotional rollout. It featured rings shaped out of swords, pendants made to look like locks and keys ... basically, gimmicky 'Pirates'-themed bling that sold like hot cakes.

Now, one of those items was a 14k gold-plated 20" necklace with a noose pendant attached ... and it couldn't be any clearer as to what it is if you look at it for yourself.

Most of these 'Pirates' items sold out while being hawked at stores like Disney's online shop, Kitson and Nordstrom -- but some of the pieces are still floating out there ... including this noose necklace, which was recently spotted on the collectibles site, WorthPoint.

You can't buy anything from there -- it's a company that mines for old collectibles and antiques, providing stats, prices, and photos about any particular item -- including this noose.

When we reached out to WorthPoint to see why they were featuring the offensive and racist item, they told us they'd take it down immediately ... which they did. A rep went on to tell us it probably never should've been up, but might've slipped through their algorithm cracks.

Now, back to the real issue ... how something so racially charged could've ever found its way to the marketplace? We reached out to Disney ... radio silence.

The answer's probably in the movies themselves. If you've seen any of them, you know there are several scenes where people -- including Johnny Depp's character, Captain Jack Sparrow --  are set to be put to death by hanging. It's a recurring theme throughout the franchise.

Another Washington Wizards player has backed out of the NBA's restart in Orlando ... this time, All-Star guard Bradley Beal has officially opted out of the bubble due to a shoulder injury.

As we previously reported, Wizards breakout star Davis Bertans recently elected to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on free agency ... with an expected big payday on the horizon.

The team will have to move forward without the league's 2nd-leading scorer ... with Washington making the call to pull Beal from the restart later this month.

"This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team," Beal said in a statement. "I wanted to help my teammates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term."

The Wizards say Beal had been dealing with a nagging right rotator cuff injury all season ... and it only got worse during the hiatus.

Many believe the news puts the final nail in the coffin for Washington's chances at a playoff run. The team is currently 9th in the Eastern Conference -- 5.5 games behind the Orlando Magic -- with 8 games left to jump into postseason contention.

With Beal and Bertans out of the restart, the Wizards' next-leading scorer is 22-year-old Rui Hachimura ... who averages 13.4 points a game.

LET'S DO THE IMPOSSIBLE, RUI!!! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!!!!

Beal was originally intending to join the team in Orlando ... but will now stay home to focus on rehab.

FC Dallas has just been kicked out of the MLS' restart tournament ... citing a major coronavirus outbreak within the organization.

The league is hosting its MLS Is Back tournament at ESPN's Wide World Of Sports Complex in Orlando starting this week ... as a way to pick back up where things left off in March.

But, the bad news for FCD -- the team had 11 cases (10 players and 1 coach) test positive while in Orlando ... forcing the MLS to step in and stop the team from participating.

FCD head coach Luchi Gonzalez addressed the move ... saying, "As we continue to focus on the well-being of our players, coaches and staff who are in isolation in Orlando, we understand it is not in their best interests to compete at this time."

"While we’re disappointed, the health and safety of our traveling delegation as well as our league partners is our highest priority."

So, FCD is out of the restart tourney ... but the team can still re-join the rest of the season once everyone is healthy again.

Colin Kaepernick is now in business with Disney -- the Mouse House just signed the QB to an overall first-look deal ... and there's already a docuseries in the works.

Disney says the docuseries will feature "extensive new interviews and a vast never-before-seen archive that documents his last five years."

"Kaepernick will tell his story from his perspective."

And, get this ... Jemele Hill -- who used to work for ESPN -- will be involved in the project as well.

As for the overall deal, Disney says "the partnership will focus on telling scripted and unscripted stories that explore race, social injustice and the quest for equity, and will provide a new platform to showcase the work of Black and Brown directors and producers."

Kaepernick issued a statement -- saying, "I am excited to announce this historic partnership with Disney across all of its platforms to elevate Black and Brown directors, creators, storytellers, and producers, and to inspire the youth with compelling and authentic perspectives."

"I look forward to sharing the docuseries on my life story, in addition to many other culturally impactful projects we are developing."

Disney says the Kaepernick projects will be featured on several platforms including Walt Disney Television, ESPN, Hulu, Pixar, and The Undefeated.

Shaun Weiss -- famous for playing Goldberg in "The Mighty Ducks" -- is doing well on his road to recovery following his most recent meth bust ... but he could still use a little help in one area.

Shaun's at a sober living facility in Woodland Hills, where he's staying clean and going to outpatient meetings 5 days a week ... but he could use some new pearly whites, because they're all gone.

His good friend, Drew Gallagher, set up a GoFundMe to help get Shaun a full set of teeth ... and he's trying to raise $25,000 for some much-needed dental work and his ongoing sober-living.

As you can see in this latest pic of Shaun ... he's looking much better and happier. He was having breakfast this week with Drew when the picture was taken ... a meal celebrating 170 days sober.

It's another milestone for Shaun, who finally went to rehab in March after getting out of jail and completed a 90-day program at Quest 2 Recovery in Lancaster.

As we first reported ... Shaun's buddies were desperate to get the troubled child star help before it was too late -- he was dealing with a slew of life-threatening issues and was at one point, living on the streets before January's meth and burglary arrest.

Shaun keeps looking better and better ... so hopefully, he keeps getting the help he needs, including some new teeth.

Lucas Grabeel, who played Ryan in "High School Musical," says he would steer clear from the gay character role nowadays ... so as not to take a job away from a gay actor.

Lucas tells TMZ ... the last thing he would want to do is take an opportunity away from another actor, and as a straight, white man he feels he's already taken plenty of opportunities away from others without even trying. Guy owns his white privilege.

As you know ... the director behind 'HSM' recently revealed Ryan was gay all along, but he says Ryan wasn't openly gay in the movies, because back in 2006 he didn't think Disney was ready for such a character.

Lots have changed since Lucas played Ryan in the Disney Channel Movie 14 years ago ... and he thinks a gay actor would be cast for the role if the movie was being made today, and he hopes the character would not have to hide his identity.

Lucas' thinking is similar to that of Mike Henry, the white actor who voiced Cleveland on "Family Guy" for 20 years. Mike recently stepped down from the role, saying the black character should be voiced by a black actor.

As for gay characters like Ryan, Lucas says it's finally time for Disney and others in the industry to start educating children about gay people at the youngest age possible.

Major League Soccer says its players are NOT getting the Fyre Festival treatment inside the Disney bubble -- claiming the players who posted sad sandwich pics are NOT inside the restricted area.

Toronto FC defender Omar Gonzalez posted a pic Tuesday showing an "MLS Is Back" In-Room dining menu which describes some delicious-looking, expensive food options ($65 for lunch!) ... cut next to an unimpressive sando in a brown box.

He tweeted out, "Yummm" ... leading people to believe the widely-touted Disney bubble was looking more like a sham than a glamorous experience.

Omar's teammate Eriq Zavaleta added fuel to the fire by posting another unappetizing sandwich pic. Not a great look.

But, our MLS sources tell us ... those two players are not yet in Orlando -- they're still in Toronto.

The league is unsure who shot the photos -- but reps say the food was served at a quarantine site OUTSIDE the official bubble where players are required to stay for 10 to 12 hours until they are cleared to enter.

There is basic food service at the quarantine site -- like sandwiches, etc -- but since it's essentially a layover spot, the food service isn't as robust.

Once players are allowed into the Walt Disney World bubble environment, it's a completely different story.

We're told players will get "banquet meal" service served in their club meal rooms -- and so far, the feedback on the food has been super positive.

Also, all players will have access to 4 restaurants in the bubble -- including Shula’s Steak House, Todd English Bluezoo, Il Mulino, and Kimonos sushi restaurant.

We're also told, "Players do not pay for meals."

So, yeah ... the travel meal might not be the fanciest food in the world, but MLS insists they're not pulling a Billy McFarland.

The NBA will paint the words, "Black Lives Matter" on all 3 of the courts it will use in the Disney World bubble when the season restarts, according to ESPN.

The words will appear inside both sidelines -- and ESPN says both the NBA and the NBA Players Association are down with the plan.

As we previously reported, several players have publicly expressed concern with joining the NBA bubble instead of focusing their full time and energy on continuing the Black Lives Matter movement.

In fact, Stephen Jackson -- who was close friends with George Floyd -- has called for NBA players to skip the season to keep the momentum going.

But, in the last week, people from both the NBA and NBAPA have been brainstorming ways to use the NBA's platform to continue to spotlight social justice issues ... and the BLM message on the court seems to be addressing those concerns,

Over in the WNBA, the league is also considering using Black Lives Matter on the court when it kicks off at the IMG Academy in Florida, according to ESPN.

There are also rumblings WNBA players could use warm-up shirts with the words, "Say Her Name" written on them as a way to spotlight victims of police brutality including Breonna Taylor.

Disney's making waves after announcing its iconic Splash Mountain ride will be re-themed after the studio's first Black princess in "The Princess and the Frog."

The Mouse House announced Thursday its Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort parks will overhaul Splash Mountain -- which opened in 1989 -- and tell the story of the studio's first Black princess from the 2009 animated film.

Disney said, "We pick-up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure -- featuring some of the powerful music from the film -- as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance."

Disney says this has been in the plans since last year and maybe even longer. So, why the change? It has everything to do with Splash Mountain's connection to a racist 1946 film, "Song of the South," which has been criticized for years for its depictions of Southern Black men and how it nostalgically views the antebellum South.

In fact, Disney executive chairman Bob Iger has said in the past the film "is not appropriate in today's world." The film has also never been made available on VHS, DVD nor on the streaming platform Disney+.

Disney has not given a timeline on when these changes will take place.

Barbra Streisand just gave George Floyd's young daughter a gift that's worth its weight in gold -- especially long term -- in the form of stock to a behemoth of a company ... Disney.

6-year-old Gianna Floyd posted about the nice gesture on her personal IG account, saying ... "Thank You @barbrastreisand for my package, I am now a Disney Stockholder thanks to you 🥰🥰🥰." She also threw in a few photos of the official Disney stock certificate(s).

Now, it's unclear how many shares Barbra gave the kid -- but considering she's loaded and went out of her way to get this for Gigi ... something tells us she might've been generous.

Disney shares go for about $115 a pop right now -- and while the Mouse House has been put on ice in the wake of the pandemic ... Wall Street history shows that it's a fairly solid company to invest in over time, people usually make their money back with Mickey and co.

This kindness is just the latest amid an outpouring of love and support for Gianna and the rest of George's family. She's already been offered a full-ride scholarship to Texas Southern University in Houston -- and of course, we know Kanye has set up a college fund for her.

The NBA may be without one of its biggest names when the season resumes in July -- Portland Trail Blazers star Carmelo Anthony says he's on the fence.

Melo's Blazers are 3.5 games out of a playoff spot -- and would need a strong run to make the playoffs.

But, Anthony says he has yet to commit to join the team at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida ... simply because he needs more info about the event before he can make up his mind.

"I'm still up in the air a little bit because I really don't, we don't have all the details," Melo told Ernie Johnson his Twitter show, "#NBATogether."

"We don't know a lot of information, so until we have that, it's hard to just commit to that 100%."

The NBA is planning on bringing the top 22 teams to Orlando to live and play in a bubble-style environment with rigorous testing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some players -- like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo -- are stoked about getting back to work, there are reports of a rift between other stars, who aren't fully on board.

MLS is taking a page from the NBA -- returning to play in July with a tournament at Disney World in Orlando ... and all 26 teams will participate.

Major League Soccer announced the plan Wednesday morning -- the Welcome Back Tournament -- a World Cup-style competition consisting of a group stage followed by knockout rounds.

After the tourney, the teams will play the rest of the 2020 MLS regular season ... but tourney games WILL count toward regular-season standings.

And, get this ... the winning team will earn a spot in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League tournament!

FYI, the CCL tourney is made up of the top teams in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

The Welcome Back tourney kicks off on July 8 -- with the Final set for August 11.

All games will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber issued a statement saying, "The opportunity to have all 26 clubs in a controlled environment enables us to help protect the health of our players, coaches and staff as we return to play."

"We also recognize that the death of George Floyd and others has focused our country on issues of racial injustice, inequality and violence against black men and women."

Texas child actor Ike Eisenmann was only 13 years old when he shot to stardom after taking on the role of the harmonica playing orphan alien, Tony -- who uses his psychic abilities and cunning kid smarts to find his way home -- in Disney's 1975 fantasy film, "Escape to Witch Mountain."

Ike Eisenmann was cast alongside Eddie Albert as the helpful dude with an R.V., Jason O'Day ... and of course, Kim Richards (yes, the one from "The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills") as the telepathic sister sidekick, Tia.

Ike went on to act in the 1978 sequel, "Return from Witch Mountain," and can even be spotted in the 2009 remake, "Race to Witch Mountain," featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Disney is taking its first steps to reopen their parks in none other than China next week -- and the takeaway/possible road map for what's to come is simple ... lots of slower lines.

New China TV documented an in-depth tour given by the VP of Operations, Andrew Bolstein, which showed how the park plans to safely operate Monday -- when they'll reopen their doors to the public. Bottom line ... social distancing will be key, literally everywhere.

Right from the get-go, ticketholders will have to wait in line with markers on the ground of where NOT to stand, which automatically creates a distance between people of about a meter or so. Going in, they gotta be wearing face masks, have their temperature checked ... and also present updated medical records essentially proving they're coronavirus-free.

But wait, there's more ... waiting. Once inside, there are a lot more markers on the ground, where people are supposed to stay as they navigate the park. The rides are kinda the same deal -- everyone is spaced out, and they'll even load people onto cars via every other row.

What that means ... each ride will have less people on it than it can normally carry (in order to maintain the appropriate social distancing), so to go on Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney fans might have to wait a lifetime and a half going forward ... more so than usual.

It's unclear if Disneyland (Anaheim) and Disney World (Orlando) will adopt similar measures if/when they decide to restart the breakers, but it's likely their plan will be similar.

Might not be a better time to get on that Fast Pass plan. Yipeee!!!