Family

The Great One now owes a great deal of gratitude toward cops in Canada ... 'cause police in Ontario say they've recovered a bunch of Wayne Gretzky's memorabilia after it was stolen from his dad's home in the summer.

Cops say back in August 2020 ... Gretzky family members reported a bunch of Wayne's game-worn items and awards had been jacked from the home of his 82-year-old father, Walter Gretzky.

Police say memorabilia that was taken included game-used sticks, jerseys, gloves, pants and even a Player of the Year award.

But, good news ... cops say after a 3-month investigation -- they were able to recover a bunch of the items AND arrest some suspects.

The Brantford Police Service announced Tuesday they executed search warrants this month and recovered Gretzky gear that was estimated to be worth over $500,000.

The BPS also revealed it arrested and charged two 58-year-old suspects, one female and one male, in connection with the theft.

"On behalf of our family, I would like to thank the Brantford Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for everything they have done regarding this investigation," Glen Gretzky, Wayne's brother, said in a statement.

"I would like to sincerely thank every member of the team; the professionalism, dedication and support they have shown has been greatly appreciated."

Chase Young's mom was THRILLED to see her son ball the hell out for the Washington Football Team on Sunday ... and we know this -- 'cause the rookie brought her to his postgame press conference!!!

Just minutes after Young tore apart the San Francisco 49ers in a 23-15 win ... the 21-year-old stepped to the podium to talk about his monster game.

That's when a reporter asked for his mom's opinion of his afternoon ... and, fortunately for all of us, she just happened to be on the phone with him!!!

Chase introduced her to the media ... and she then showered her baby boy with nothing but praise!

"Oh my gosh, I’m just so worn out," Young's mom, Carla, said. "This game was just outstanding I couldn’t even believe it. I was in shock."

The moment was super cool and super sweet ... especially because Carla has been one of Chase's biggest critics this season.

If you're unfamiliar, she famously gave him just a C+ grade for his first few games this year because his sack totals weren't up to her liking.

But, after Chase piled up 6 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery for a TD ... there were absolutely no complaints from Mama!

"He knows how to pick that ball up and not fall on it!" Carla said. "And, he got it and kept trucking!"

Selena's brother says the actress playing her on the Netflix series does an incredible job capturing her essence ... even though critics are giving her a hard time.

A.B. Quintanilla's giving his stamp of approval to Christian Serratos for her portrayal of The Queen of Tejano music in the bio-drama "Selena: The Series," telling us she's so good ... he finds himself feeling like he's watching his younger sister again.

Some viewers of the show aren't nearly as supportive, but A.B. feels they're either nitpicking or their criticism is misguided. For example, Serratos has been getting flak for lip-syncing poorly on 'The Series' ... but A.B. says that's actually an accurate representation of his sis.

He tells us Selena struggled with that early in her career, and there was a learning process before she improved ... which A.B. says Serratos demonstrates in later episodes.

As for the haters who don't think Christian looks enough like Selena -- A.B. points out that some people felt the same way about Jennifer Lopez when she played the Mexican singer in the 1997 "Selena" film ... especially because she's not Mexican.

A.B. dismisses all that as petty, and says it's ultimately up to the actor to make the viewer believe they are who they are playing on the screen ... and Serratos nails it.

Being in a pandemic sucks for everyone, but foster kids across the country are finding it especially tough ... and it's heartbreaking.

Julie Brown, the Executive Director of Holy Family Services -- the oldest adoption agency in Southern California -- tells TMZ there's a 50 percent decline in the number of people volunteering to foster kids from the same time last year.

She says surging COVID cases have scared potential foster parents ... for obvious reasons.

And, it gets worse ... COVID is keeping some foster kids from visiting their biological families. As you may know, some of these kids are from loving families that just don't have the resources to care for them. The fact these kids can't visit their birth families during the holidays has created anxiety and depression.

Janice Goldwater, founder and CEO of Adoptions Together in the Washington metro area, tells us they try really hard to get children into adoptive homes by the holidays, but travel restrictions and work-from-home difficulties have derailed their placement process. Sadly, this means more kids will be stuck in foster care or group homes this year ... and spend another holiday without a family of their own.

Foster kids are also being left out in the cold when it comes to Xmas festivities. Houston's Ascension Child and Family Services rely on donations to throw Christmas celebrations for the kids, but funds are way down this year. We're told the kids in their care are really struggling emotionally.

Kim Kardashian is exhausted -- having to collect four different Elf on a Shelf dolls every day until Christmas -- so she waved her wand and gave 'em "COVID," and then put the toys on a healthy timeout.

The reality star posted a hilarious video on Instagram Sunday, showing her four children's own elves in glass jars -- where she says they'll remain until at least the 23rd so they can quarantine ... this because she just needs a break from all the EOAS household fun.

It's freaking funny ... Kim wrote up a note for her little ones -- North, Saint, Chicago and Psalm -- which makes it seem like it's from the elves themselves. It says, "We are on a 10 Day Quarantine! We still have our magic and will be back to flying around in 10 days."

Sounds like this will do the trick and give Kim and co. some peace of mind -- she says she's tired of having to remember to collect all 4 of these things from all over the house, so she took things into her own hands and deemed them to be riddled with COVID. Don't worry, kiddies ... something tells us they'll make a full recovery -- even if it's less than 14 days.

If you're unfamiliar, Elf on a Shelf is a popular holiday tradition. It's based on a book of the same name and entails you putting your own elf in secretive places throughout your home to "spy" on people for Santa, to make sure they're nice throughout December.

There's been a new twist to the meme/game, and celebs have gone to town on it this Christmas season. Instead of an elf, they're putting other celebs and/or movies and characters that rhyme with their own name, and photoshopping them onto their shoulders.

For example ... Elizabeth Banks plopped Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump onto her shoulder, and dubbed it Hanks-on-Banks. Reese Witherspoon got in on the fun too, and did "Grease"-on-Reese. Ryan Seacrest did Luke Bryan-on-a-Ryan, and Mariah Carey did Jim Carrey-on-Carey ... and J Lo's actually had a few ideas that she loved. She compiled her favorites in a post.

Eddie Van Halen now has a final resting place, TMZ has learned ... the beautiful Pacific Ocean off the coast of Malibu.

The late rock star's body was cremated 22 days after he died ... this according to Eddie's death certificate obtained by TMZ. The ashes went to Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen.

Sources tell us, one of Eddie's final wishes was for the ashes to be strewn off the coast of his beloved town, and Wolfgang will almost certainly honor his dad's wishes.

TMZ broke the story ... Eddie died October 6 at Providence St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica following a long battle with cancer.

The death cert also reveals the immediate cause of death was stroke. He also suffered from other health ailments, including skin cancer on his head and neck.

The doc lists music as his occupation -- having been in the biz for 42 years, he certainly qualifies.

Dylan Scott was fatally shot in his car by a Florida police officer who tried for several minutes to get him to cooperate, but Scott's mother thinks the cop could have done more to save her son.

Pennie Kendrick tells TMZ ... even though Dylan refused to comply with the officer's orders, she believes other tactics -- such as tasing him -- should have been used instead of a gun.

Kendrick says they didn't have to kill him, and she's especially upset because she claims the cops knew her son was suicidal so they should have handled the situation differently.

As we reported ... Scott's mother called the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in July when he was wanted for burglary, saying her son left a note that he wanted to die by suicide by cop. She says at the time she urged cops not to shoot him given the circumstances ... and they were able to peacefully arrest him back then for outstanding warrants.

Kendrick claims his time behind bars left him traumatized -- she says he was beaten by other inmates and didn't complete his addiction treatment.

She tells us all this led to more problems, and ultimately he became broke and was living in his car. Scott's mother believes the reason he didn't comply with the officer is that he was scared to death ... but she thinks he would have peacefully surrendered.

UFC star Mackenzie Dern says she's a better fight NOW than ever before -- and it's all because she's a mom.

The 27-year-old jiu-jitsu specialist -- who gave birth to her daughter back in June 2019 -- won 2 of her last 3 fights after returning to the Octagon.

Now, she's gearing up to fight Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 and feels more dangerous than ever.

She's also right on schedule to EASILY make weight on Friday -- something she struggled mightily with in the past.

In fact, Dern famously came in 7 pounds overweight for her May 2018 fight against Amanda Cooper and was docked 30% of her fight purse.

So, what's changed? Dern says having a child and getting married forced her to grow up.

Dern tells TMZ Sports she's more focused, more mature and more professional since starting a family. She's married to pro surfer Wesley Santos.

"Before my daughter was born, I thought I was focused at the time, [but] now I see how [I was] kind of a little more rebellious [when I was younger]."

Dern admits she lived a more carefree lifestyle before her daughter was born -- partying, traveling, etc. -- "I was single, I didn't have this support family to keep you grounded."

But now, Dern says she's laser-focused and is gunning for a title shot -- which is more realistic now than ever before.

"I really see the potential to be the champion," Dern says ... "I see the title. I can see it. Now it's in my vision."

Kim Kardashian West needs to stop trying to save convicted killer Brandon Bernard from being executed because she's not considering the pain of the family he destroyed  ... so says a member of that family.

Dana Ladd, the stepsister of one of Bernard's victims, Stacie Bagley, tells TMZ ... Bernard deserves to be executed by lethal injection Thursday at a penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana despite Kim's desperate pleas to the White House to spare his life.

Ladd says, "I want her to think about if it was one of her children that Bernard did that to -- would she feel differently? It's easy for people to say things when they don't have similar experiences."

A source close to Kim tells us her heart breaks for both sides and in no way has she meant for her efforts to diminish the loss of Stacie. Kim says she knows what Brandon did was wrong, but taking his life won't make things right.

Bernard was 18 in 1999 when he was involved in the brutal kidnapping and killing of Todd and Stacie Bagley. While Bernard was not the trigger man, he put the victim's bodies in the trunk of a car and set it on fire.

Dana says during his trial, Bernard never showed remorse. Our Kim sources say she's spoken directly to Brandon, who has repeatedly said he's sorry for his role in Stacie's murder ... his remorse and his young family are major reasons why she got involved in his case.

Another defendant in that case, Christopher Vialva, who shot the couple in the head, was executed back in September. There were 3 other teenagers involved and they received long prison sentences ... while Vialva and Bernard got the death penalty.

As you might know ... Kim's been tweeting constantly since bringing Bernard's case to light last month. She had tweeted Bernard has only seen his kids through a glass, a tweet that really got to Dana.

Dana says, "Bernard was able to see his family through glass, but we'll never be able to see Stacie anymore. He has a daughter -- what would he think if someone did that to his daughter?" Dana says ... Bernard's getting what he deserves and nothing more.

She added, "A sin is a sin -- consequences of those sins will play out and that's what's happening today."

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul are goin' full Mickey Mouse -- with the NBA superstars getting Disney movies based on their lives!!

The entertainment company made the big reveal during its Investor Day live stream minutes ago ... saying "Greek Freak" will begin production in 2021.

The flick will follow the inspiring story of the Antetokounmpo family's rise from poverty as undocumented immigrants in Greece to helping Giannis reach the NBA, according to Sean Bailey, the Mouse's president of motion picture production.

Disney also announced the CP3 project is officially in development for Disney+ ... which will focus on the All-Star's "deeply moving story on family, legacy, and destiny that helped make him who he is today."

The Kardashians won't be without a medium for their reality tv content for long, because they're headed to Hulu ... just months after announcing 'KUWTK' was kaput.

The announcement was made Thursday during Disney's Investor Day in Santa Monica. We're told Kim, Kris, Kylie, Khloe, Kendall and Kourtney will all join the streaming service to create new global content that is expected to debut late 2021. Their content will air exclusively on Hulu domestically and on Star internationally.

As we reported, it was back in September when the family announced that after 20 seasons on E! "Keeping Up with The Kardashians" was coming to an end next year. At the time, Kim said, "This show made us who we are and I will be forever in debt to everyone who played a role in shaping our careers and changing our lives forever."

At the time, we were told the family was able to promote their own personal brands and products on their own social media pages, and needed to step away from TV for a bit.

The house featured in "A Christmas Story" is normally a tourist hot spot during the holidays, but this year business is hurting as much as getting your tongue stuck to a frozen flagpole.

Folks running A Christmas Story House & Museum -- the Cleveland residence used for exterior shots of Ralphie's home in the 1983 classic -- tell TMZ ... they're projected to have about 50,000 less visitors compared to 2019.

On top of that, the home -- which guests can reserve for an overnight stay and sleep in Ralphie and Randy's beds -- is still available on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day ... which we're told is unprecedented.

Since the place began allowing overnight reservations in 2008, it's usually booked for November and December 6 months in advance ... even though it costs nearly $3k per night!!!

But, with COVID-19 cases surging, stay-at-home orders and financial struggles for families across the country ... 2020's put the 'Christmas Story' business in a difficult spot too.

The good news is ... the museum's online gift shop is helping make up for some of the losses in tour and lodging revenue this year.

We're told the shop's sold around 14,000 different variations of the movie's famous leg lamp, 1,000 pink bunny suits, and a couple hundred Red Ryder BB Guns ... and there are plenty more in stock.

Evander Holyfield's son -- a rising star in boxing -- says his dad is ready to kick Mike Tyson's ass for the 3rd time ... and when it happens, he wants to fight on the undercard!

23-year-old Evan Holyfield -- who's 4-0 as a pro -- says he LOVES the idea of his father running it back with Tyson, especially after Iron Mike's performance against Roy Jones Jr.

As we previously reported, 58-year-old Evander has been training for a comeback ... in hopes of a 3rd crack at his former rival.

Evan -- aka "Yung Holy" -- tells TMZ Sports his Dad looks ready to scrap!

"My dad's lookin' pretty swole right now," Evan says ... "I know he's been training this whole time, even before the whole thing, so I'm pretty excited to see what happens!"

"I don't expect him to lose! The first 2 [fights] went a certain way and I feel like the 3rd -- I know it's all for good sport and for charity and stuff at the end of the day -- but I don't plan on seeing my dad getting beat up."

Evan wasn't born yet when his pops fought Tyson in '96 and '97 -- so the chance to see those guys get in the ring again in 2021 would be special for him.

And, by the way, Evan's a pretty solid fighter himself -- he's got his 5th pro fight coming up on December 12 against Donnis Reed.

After that, Evan says he really hopes Mike and Evander can work out a deal ... because he really wants to fight on the undercard to create memories he can share with his own children.

Taylor Swift is lending a much-needed hand to a couple of mothers struggling financially due to the coronavirus pandemic ... just in time for the holidays.

The singer donated $13,000 apiece to 2 moms who have fallen on hard times, and whose stories were featured in a recent article about the millions of Americans who are unemployed, or behind on their rent and utilities.

The women -- Nikki Cornwell from Nashville and Shelbie Selewski from Michigan -- both received a generous donation from Taylor on their GoFundMe pages ... along with a personal note of encouragement.

Taylor wrote to Nikki ... "I read about you in the Washington Post and thought it was really brave of you to share your story. I'm so sorry for everything you've had to go through this year and wanted to send you this gift, from one Nashville girl to another."

Shelbie's message says ... "I'm sending you this gift after reading about you in the Washington Post. No one should have to feel the kind of stress that's been put on you. I hope you and your beautiful family have a great holiday season."

Both women have suffered both medical and financial hardships this year and say they are in danger of being kicked out of their homes if they don't catch up on bills.

Sadly, there are millions more in the U.S. who are also in dire straits, and without another government stimulus for support ... are feeling helpless.

Olivia Jade's breaking her silence on the college admissions scandal in which she and her parents became the poster family for white privilege ... and it ultimately landed her mom and dad in prison.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli's youngest daughter joined Jada Pinkett Smith's crew on "Red Table Talk" to address the elephant in the room -- her family's involvement in the massive college bribery ring that became national news last year.

At one point during Olivia's sit-down -- which included Willow Smith and Jada's mom, Adrienne Banfield-Jones -- Adrienne confronted Olivia, asking if she could understand why so many people were upset with her family.

Olivia says she gets it, and it's helpful for her to hear so she can better understand the problem. She also seemingly admits her family used their means to gain an advantage ... which, of course, is the heart of the issue for many people.

The popular YouTube influencer's full interview will drop Tuesday. Olivia said she felt comfortable discussing the scandal at the 'Red Table' because "it feels really safe," adding ... "but it also feels honest and it feels like we’re gonna all lay it out here and it’s gonna be an open conversation." Jada platform's becoming a go-to place for celebs in crisis.

As we reported ... Olivia's parents both took plea deals for their roles in the admissions scandal, which included paying fixer Rick Singer $500,000 to help her and her older sister, Isabella, get accepted into USC.

Part of the scheme included creating a bogus resume for Olivia ... making it look like she was a member of a rowing team so she could get a spot on USC's crew team. There were even action shots taken of both Olivia and Bella practicing their "rowing."

Remember, Olivia posted back in 2018 that she didn't even want to go to college ... other than for game days and partying. Olivia hasn't spoken about the scandal ... until now.

As we reported ... Lori was sentenced to 2 months in prison after pleading guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Mossimo pled guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and 1 count of honest services wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to 5 months behind bars.

The mother of Daisy Coleman -- who was one of the teenage girls featured in "Audrie & Daisy," the Netflix documentary about her rape as a teenager -- has taken her own life just months after Daisy's suicide.

Melinda Coleman was found dead Sunday night ... according to SafeBAE, the sexual assault prevention and recovery organization co-founded by Daisy following her rape case.

The group says it's in "shock and disbelief" over her suicide, adding ... "The bottomless grief of losing her husband, Tristan and Daisy was more than she could face most days."

SafeBAE called Melinda a "gifted veterinarian, devoted mother and wife, and talented body builder," adding ... "More than anything, she loved and believed in her children."

We broke the story ... Daisy took her own life in August, which was discovered after her mom called the police to do a welfare check. Melinda wrote at the time, "She was my best friend and amazing daughter. I think she had to make it seem like I could live without her. I can’t. I wish I could have taken the pain from her!"

Daisy was 14 years old in January 2012 when she was allegedly raped at a Missouri house party after being plied with alcohol. Nobody was ever convicted for it, and the 2016 Netflix doc followed Daisy and her family as they dealt with the trauma of her alleged assault, and the hostile reaction of their community.

"Audrie & Daisy" also focused on the sexual assault of Audrie Pott in September 2012 in California and her subsequent suicide.

Melinda is survived by her 2 sons, Logan and Charlie.

She was 58.