Bezos/Sanchez Chowin' Down in St. Barts

Published

Jeff Bezos and GF Lauren Sanchez live a fancy-schmancy life ... nevertheless, they like circulating in public, which is exactly what they did when they grabbed some grub in St. Barts.

Don't get us wrong -- St. Barts ain't exactly Venice beach, where all are welcome. It's a super-exclusive Caribbean island where lots of rich people go during the Xmas holidays and compare the size of their yachts (FYI, that's not code).

So, that's where J&L landed, and these pics are from a local restaurant called Gyp Sea Beach. Jeff and Lauren broke bread during lunch with about 8 others at the table.  There are 2 kids in the party -- unclear whose they are.

With all the crap going on in the world, you'd think Jeff might be otherwise occupied, but he casually spent around 2 hours relaxing, eating, drinking and conversing.

No PDA during the lunch ... a stark contrast to their romantic hike earlier in the week.

BTW ... if you're interested, check out the restaurant's website. The food looks delish.

NBA Star Enes Kanter Freedom Officially Dating Emily Sears!!!

Published

Enes Kanter Freedom is no longer a free man in the dating world... because TMZ has learned that he has made things official with Carl's Jr. model Emily Sears!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Emily and the Boston Celtics player have been dating for a couple of months. It's unclear how they met ... but meet they clearly did.

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Emily recently raised suspicions that the two were an item after she posted a pic from Boston with the hooper on IG, writing, "Bravest person I know" and tagging the NBA star.

We're told Emily's still living in LA and Enes is currently in Boston... that's always a struggle, but so far we're told it's not a real issue.

She's recently been spotted supporting him front and center at some of his games ... and of course, cheering on her bae.

Kim K & Pete Davidson From Late Nights to the Early Morn ... Breakfast in L.A., Post-NY

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Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian are officially a bi-coastal couple -- doing date nights in New York and breakfasts in California ... as evidenced in new photos.

We've obtained pics of Kim and Pete taken Tuesday morning at the Fountain Coffee Room in the Beverly Hills Hotel and looking like they just rolled out of bed. We're told the pics were taken around 7:30 AM PT, so it would seem they're both early risers.

Even more interesting, Pete's in town with Christmas only a few days away. It's unclear what his holiday plans are exactly -- we've been told Kim is going to be with her kids -- but his presence suggests ... maybe he'll stick around for Santa???

Of course, he could fly back to the East Coast in a flash if he wanted, but the fact he dropped in, even if it ends up being brief, just goes to show -- these two are quite serious.

The breakfast outing follows their very public date on Staten Island over the weekend ... where Kim and Pete rented out a private theater all for themselves, but not before being spotted by a ton of other moviegoers, who were snapping pics of them like crazy.

We'll see what the holidays hold for the new couple.

Antonio Brown No More Beef With Ex-Cook ... Chef Claims NFL Star Has Settled Debt

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The chef who accused Antonio Brown of stiffing him out $10K will no longer be pursuing a lawsuit against the NFL star ... 'cause he says AB has settled the debt.

A rep for Steven Ruiz, who owns TasteThatLA in Los Angeles, tells TMZ Sports ... the two parties reached an agreement recently and both sides are now moving on.

"Both parties were satisfied," the rep said. "After two months of being slandered in the press, Mr. Ruiz felt it was in his best interest to move forward and attend to his clients' needs for their Christmas parties this week. He wished the best to AB and the Bucs as they head toward the playoffs."

It's unclear if Brown was required to pay more than $10K to settle the dispute.

We've reached out to Brown's attorney for comment, but so far, no word back yet.

As we previously reported, Ruiz -- who cooked for Brown in the months leading up to the 2021 season kickoff -- was so scorned after his interactions with the football player, he went public with his accusations that AB had submitted a fake COVID vaccine card to the NFL.

The league investigated the claims and said after it wrapped the probe that it had found validity to Ruiz's story -- and suspended Brown three games.

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THIS DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN

Ruiz told us after the ban was announced that he was preparing to sue Brown.

Seems it's all water under the bridge now, though ... and Brown is eligible to return to the Buccaneers for their game against the Panthers this weekend.

Caitlyn Jenner Bev Hills Hotel Denied Me Service Over Ripped Jeans ... So Screw Them

Published

Caitlyn Jenner got denied service at the Beverly Hills Hotel because of her ripped jeans, and she just ripped the hotel a new one over the diss.

Caitlyn went on the attack Monday, writing, "f*** your horrible service for not letting me have lunch with this tiny rip in my jeans. Shame on you. Disgusting. I have been a patron for decades. No longer."

It seems she tried to eat at the famed Polo Lounge, which is sort of a combo now of old school (as in dress codes) and new school. The P.L. was kind of a dour joint for a long time ... until the last few years, when it experienced a resurgence with young Hollywood. It's actually become a hot spot for both lunch and dinner.

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A source close to Caitlyn tells us she was really caught off guard, especially because she was dressed in full hair and makeup. Caitlyn's jeans were more distressed denim than ripped jeans, making it that much more surprising to her.

What's more ... our source says staffers weren't enforcing the "no photos" policy -- as Caitlyn took many with fans -- yet they decided to enforce the dress code against her.

Caitlyn for sure has been going there for years, but it looks like that ship has now sailed. She tagged the hotel's parent company, The Dorchester Collection, to express her displeasure.

There have been issues with Dorchester hotels in the past, with LGBTQ orgs calling for a boycott ... our Caitlyn source wonders if those previous problems might really be true.

A rep for the Polo Lounge tells TMZ, "Please see our dress code policy which is stated on our website and provided to every guest when they make a reservation with us." The dress code says, "At the Polo Lounge, we encourage you to dress for the occasion, so we ask that you refrain from wearing casual hats, ripped denim, crop tops, nightwear, swimwear, and men's sleeveless shirts." Interesting it says "we encourage" ... so it doesn't say it's a mandatory dress code.

Popeyes Philly Franchise Bans Homeless from Restaurant ... Mgr Says Just Following Regulations

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UPDATE

11:19 AM PT -- 12/13 -- A spokesperson for Popeyes corporate tells us the sign has been taken down, adding, "At Popeyes, we are committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect. All guests who follow government health and safety mandates, including wearing masks, are always welcome to dine in our restaurants. We are working with the franchise owner of this restaurant to further understand the situation.”

UPDATE

9:17 AM PT -- A manager at Popeyes tells us the sign was only put up after getting approval from higher-ups, and it's an attempt to address some issues they've had with homeless patrons.

UPDATE

Dayshon Aaron Sields says the restaurant staff does let homeless people come in to sit and warm up, and will even sometimes give them food, but he says they often come in without face masks ... which they can't allow, per Philly's mandate for all restaurants. Of course, one could say that's a problem with all customers ... regardless of their living situation.

UPDATE

Sields also tells us another reason for the sign is they don't want to have to call cops on homeless people who "come in and trash the store." He adds ... they "understand there is a problem with people being homeless, and do not want to add to the problem, but also have a business to run and rules and regulations they have to follow."

A Popeyes franchise in Philly has a pretty awful solution to the homeless crisis ... ban them from the store.

The sign is front and center inside the fast-food joint, which reads in big block letters, "NO HOMELESS PEOPLE ALLOWED INSIDE THE STORE."

There are a bunch of problems with this, aside from the absence of humanity. First, if someone is homeless that doesn't mean they don't spend money on food. The sign doesn't say homeless people are not allowed to loiter inside ... it's a flat prohibition, even if a homeless person simply wants to buy a chicken sandwich.

Second, it's kind of ridiculous to think someone can automatically be identified as homeless. And that leads to the third point ... if someone "looks homeless," are Popeyes' employees supposed to boot them from the restaurant?

Not the way to solve the prob, Popeyes.

Originally Published -- 12/12 6:34 AM PT

Travis Scott Cacti Seltzer Put on Hold ... Future Return Possible

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UPDATE

10:13 AM PT -- 12/11 -- A source tells us the brand isn't technically "discontinued," but it's more of a temporary hold with hopes of bringing the beverage back in the future.

UPDATE

5:39 PM PT -- A rep for Travis Scott tells TMZ, "Travis was clear in his interview that he is not focused on business right now and his priority is helping his community and fans heal. CACTI asked AB InBev to inform their wholesalers there will not be product at this time."

Travis Scott's Cacti hard seltzer will have to find a new home if it hopes to continue, because Anheuser-Busch has made the decision to discontinue the beverage.

In an announcement Friday, AB said, "After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer. We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision.”

According to a report from AdAge, the company would not specify if the decision came because of what happened at Astroworld.

A source close to Travis, however, tells us the two sides had an agreement that was to end November 30, saying, "this is not a cancelation or creasing of an ongoing agreement." We're told the Nov. 30 decision was a mutual one.

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BRAVING THE SWARM

Cacti seemed to be a marketing hit, selling out in stores and even causing a frenzy when TS hit a local grocer in Los Angeles to promote the product.

It's currently unclear if Travis will attempt to repurpose the brand elsewhere.

Originally Published -- 4:37 PM PT

Joey Chestnut Eats 17 Pounds Of Shrimp Cocktail ... In 8 Minutes!!!

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CHAMPIONS WEAR COCKTAIL SAUCE

Turns out, Joey Chestnut can inhale shrimp just as fast as he can hot dogs ... 'cause the eating legend went beast mode on shrimp cocktail this weekend, guzzling 17 pounds of the appetizer in 8 minutes!

The 38-year-old accomplished the wild feat in the eighth annual World Famous St. Elmo Shrimp Cocktail Eating Championship in Indianapolis on Saturday -- and the gross/amazing scene was all captured on video.

In footage of the event, you can see hundreds pulled up to the contest to watch Chestnut eat -- and "Jaws" did not disappoint.

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After a countdown, Chestnut -- who holds 40-plus eating contest world records -- grabbed a handful of shrimp and chomped down so quickly, the announcer said he had put away pounds of the dish in a matter of seconds.

Chestnut eventually destroyed the competition ... eating 17 pounds and 1.6 ounces of the seafood. And, according to the official event results, he beat second place by almost three full pounds!!

The most staggering part about it all? Chestnut has actually beaten this mark before -- in 2018, he chomped down 18 pounds and 9.6 ounces of the shrimp at the competition.

#EatingGOAT

Antonio Brown's Chef I'm Going To Sue AB ... He Still Owes Me $10K!!!

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THIS DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN

The chef who told the NFL that Antonio Brown faked his COVID vaccine card is now planning to sue the Buccaneers star ... saying the wide receiver still owes him $10,000.

Steven Ruiz spelled it all out to TMZ Sports this week ... saying after the NFL ruled he wasn't lying about Brown's bogus vaccine card --- he's planning to move forward with a lawsuit against AB.

"The game plan now is to file a lawsuit and take it from there," Ruiz said. "People provide a service and you've got to pay for it. That's it."

As we previously reported, Ruiz said he cooked for Brown regularly this past year ... but when it came time to pay a bill for it all, AB balked.

Ruiz said Brown owed him $10K, but he couldn't get the cash from the football player -- even after talking with Brown's attorney.

So, Ruiz ended up going public with his claims that Brown had sought and obtained a fake vaccine card and then later submitted it to the NFL.

The league investigated the claims ... and said it found Brown did misrepresent his vaccine status, and then suspended him three games without pay, costing him over $100K in lost salary.

Ruiz tells us if Brown had just paid up, he probably would've stayed quiet.

"If he had just probably paid me, you know what? He probably would still be getting paid in the NFL right now," Ruiz said. "He'd probably be playing the games that he could be playing and none of this would have even happened."

As for Brown, he's claimed through his attorney, Sean Burstyn, that he is vaccinated ... although the NFL says Brown will not appeal his suspension.

J Lo & Ben Affleck Food Drive with the Kiddos ... All Hands on Deck!!!

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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are helping their kids give back ... working hand in hand with their daughters to help fight hunger in the community, and doing the grunt work.

It was a joint effort over the Thanksgiving weekend at Ben's home in Pacific Palisades, where they hosted a food drive for Rise Against Hunger.

As you can see, Ben and Jen were tasked with unloading a huge truck and hauling 50-pound sacks of rice and goods into the house ... and he flexed his muscles, even slinging 2 bags over his shoulders at a time.

J Lo was pretty impressive too, doing it all in high heels!!!

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FULL FAMILY EFFORT

Ben's oldest daughter, Violet, appeared to be leading the effort ... and his other daughter, Seraphina, was doing her part too along with Jen's daughter, Emme.

Food insecurity and hunger is a huge issue nationwide ... and Rise helps provide food and support to local communities.

Ben and Jen haven't officially merged their broods yet -- they're not married or even engaged -- but they sure are acting like one big happy modern fam.

Oh, Canada Quebec Set to Tap Syrup Reserves ... No Pancake Left Un-drizzled

Published

If your short stack has been feeling a little dry lately due to a lack of (affordable) syrup -- that's all about to change ... because Canada is tapping its stockpile of sweet nectar.

Quebec Maple Syrup Producers -- a quasi-government-sanction agency accounting for over 70% of the world's maple syrup production -- just announced they're going to start draining upwards of 50 million pounds of syrup from barrels they have in their strategic reserve.

Yes, strategic reserve ... just like the ones we're about to tap to help lower gas prices here in the States. Apparently, Canada has a sea of this condiment at the ready for emergencies.

Welp, that emergency is here ... as the global economy deals with a supply crisis -- due, in part, to the pandemic among other factors -- QMSP says it's time to dip into what they have on hand to make sure countries around the world, especially its #1 customer in the U.S., can keep on drizzling their waffles and pancakes with ease and within reasonable price ranges.

Word is ... this harvest season made for a bad batch of syrup, meaning not nearly enough was produced due to a warmer/shorter spring season ... the ideal conditions for which are needed to see a solid yield. Add in the fact more people are cooking from home right now -- and you have a lopsided supply/demand equation ... hence them going to the reserves.

This will be the most syrup they've tapped since 2008. A rep for the org says, "The reserve is there to make sure that we are always able to sell and offer this product."

In anticipation for next year ... a reported 7 million additional syrup taps have been OK'd.

Channing Tatum Who Wants My Kid's Lemonade ... Zooey Deschanel Does!!!

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BUSINESS IS BOOMING

Channing Tatum is logging some quality time with his daughter ... selling lemonade by the side of the road and serving a very famous customer in Zooey Deschanel!!!

The "Magic Mike" star helped his little girl, Everly, open a lemonade stand Friday in Los Angeles ... wrangling in customers with some homemade signs and balloons.

Channing and Everly, who he shares with estranged wife Jenna Dewan, are calling the pop-up stand Evie's Lemies ... and daddy was dancing around and twirling their painted yellow and purple sign.

The dude's got skills ... Channing's sign-twirling looks like it caught Zooey's eye ... the actress stopped by for some fresh lemonade with her boyfriend, "Property Brothers" star Jonathan Scott.

TMZ broke the story ... Channing and Jenna finally worked out a parenting schedule in February 2020, putting an end to one of the nastier parts of their divorce, and they alternate holidays.

Jenna had Everly on Thanksgiving, and now Channing's getting his turn for some family fun.

'WHERE WE BOUT TO EAT AT' Kid Mom Wants To Honor Him With Restaurant!!!

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Antwain Fowler -- the viral kiddo who famously asked "where we bout to eat at?" -- could soon have a restaurant opened in his honor ... that's the big plan from the late kid's mother.

Christina Burns, Antwain's mother, tells TMZ ... his GoFundMe was created in March during one of his many stays in the hospital and it's now raised $72,000, with $22k being donated since he passed away on Sunday. She wants to put the money towards keeping his legacy alive, in the form of a restaurant called, "Where We Bout To Eat At."

Antwain's mom says the $22k raised in the past few days will be put towards kickstarting the business, with the other $50k helping pay off Antwain's hospital bills and other family expenses. Christina says she will help create the menu, but needs help managing the other aspects of a restaurant. The menu will be versatile with seafood, chicken and other grub -- so you won't have to look much further when you're asked "where we bout to eat at?"

The viral sensation had a ton of catchphrases, which will be reflected on the menu ... for example, Antwain's mom is already planning some "You Have Cheese Like Me" mozzarella sticks.

After Antwain went viral, his mom says she tried starting a seafood truck biz ... but after mapping things out, she just didn't have the time to commit to getting the biz up and running because she was busy taking care of him and her other 3 children.

As we reported ... Antwain died Nov. 21 after fighting a rare autoimmune deficiency his mother says caused him to be consistently in and out of the hospital ever since he was 4 months old. He was only 6.

His mom is shedding more light on his death ... she says Antwain was home when she heard his ventilator sounding off an alarm. Typically, Antwain alerts his family when he's experiencing pain or has trouble breathing, but this time he was silent.

Antwain's mom says police and an ambulance responded to their home and attempted to resuscitate him, but had no luck ... he was taken to a hospital where doctors fought to keep him alive, but were ultimately unable to.

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A week before he passed, Christina says Antwain was having the time of his life at a local ice cream shop in Miami. COVID made it difficult for Antwain to socialize, but the shop made special accommodations for him and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Tiffany Haddish Serves Up Turkey for Thanksgiving ... A Few XMAS Suggestions, Too!!!

Published

Tiffany Haddish spent ThanksGIVING ... GIVING.

Tiffany served up some turkey dinners for some of the folks who were struggling this holiday at The Laugh Factory in WeHo. She knows their situation all too well ... Tiffany has been homeless and she's never forgotten people in her past situation.

Our photog wanted to know how the supply shortage is affecting her XMAS, and she has an interesting take. Tiff doesn't give traditional presents, because she thinks it misses the point.

When you listen ... it's clear her focus is on the less fortunate, and the things she gives are necessary and clearly appreciated.

Well, there's one present that's homegrown that may be for everyone in her life ... supply chain crisis be damned!

BTW ... lots of other comedians joined Tiffany at The Laugh Factory -- Dane Cook, Paul Rodriguez, Tom Dreesen, Thom Tran and Frazer Smith.

The Laugh Factory has made this an annual event for decades, and it's an awesome place to get a meal and share a laugh.

Bobby Shmurda 1st Turkey Day Since Prison Handing Out Birds!!!

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SHMURDA AT YOUR SERVICE

Bobby Shmurda is celebrating Thanksgiving outside prison walls for the first time since 2014 ... and doing so by giving back to those less fortunate.

The rapper was in Brooklyn Wednesday night to help distribute 300 turkeys at the Marlboro Houses, an area with residents in desperate need of assistance. We're told Bobby spent several hours there, chatting it up and taking pics with volunteers and those who came through for groceries.

Following the bird giveaway, Bobby made his way to an outreach program in Ridgewood in Queens to talk with troubled teens. Bobby, joined by Rowdy Rebel, talked to the kids about their experiences in prison and just how important it is to stay out of trouble.

As for how the whole night came to be, we're told Bobby and his team first reached out to Maurice Ballard, who runs a nonprofit called Game of Life.

Bobby was first taken into custody in December 2014, but copped a plea deal in 2016 to conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon. He got credit for around 2 years of time served before the sentence.

Shmurda was released in February of 2021, but will be under parole supervision for the next 5 years until Feb. 23, 2026.

R. Kelly, Mack, Lucci & Suge Thanksgiving Prison Feasts ... The Stuffing They Want

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YFN Lucci and Allison Mack are spending their first Thanksgiving behind bars and they're about to get a crash course in what R. Kelly, YNW Melly, Suge Knight and Harvey Weinstein learned the hard way ... the turkey tastes better on the outside.

TMZ's obtained prison and jail menus from across the country, where locked-up stars are being treated to your typical Turkey Day faire ... turkey, stuffing, gravy and pie.

Here's a breakdown of their Thanksgiving feasts:

Kelly at MDC Brooklyn:

-- Roast turkey or roast eggplant, turkey gravy, cornbread stuffing, cranberry sauce, biscuit and pie

Mack at California's FCI Dublin

-- Roasted turkey with pan gravy, country ham, mashed potatoes or baked potato, candied sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, steamed green beans, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, dinner roll and pie

Lucci at Georgia's Fulton County Jail:

-- Sliced turkey, cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, dinner roll and dessert

Suge at San Diego's Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility:

-- Roast turkey, green salad with dressing, cranberry sauce, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, dinner roll or biscuit and pumpkin pie

Melly at Florida's Broward County Jail:

-- Turkey breast, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, breadsticks and bread pudding

Weinstein at Los Angeles County Jail:

-- Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, cranberry sauce, green beans, tossed salad with dressing, dinner roll and pumpkin muffin

Is it just us, or is Melly getting the shorter wishbone?