Famous Food

Master P thinks Google confusing him for Luther Vandross is either a case of AI running amok or a grander scheme to bury his Snoop Cereal company!!!

Ok, he's joking about that second part, but the Colonel knows a great marketing opportunity when he sees it. TMZ Hip Hop caught up with Master P in Burbank, CA, outside Walmart -- the soon-to-be retailer of his and Snoop Dogg's breakfast venture -- and he said he'd better understand Google mistaking him for the cereal's mascot, instead of Luther. 😂

The No Limit rapper tells us he understands social media's fascination with the Google gaffe, but thinks the tech giant might be letting their AI bots run too much of the show behind the scenes -- something Questlove of The Roots seems to believe as well.

Google finally corrected its mistake but P says it needs to do more ... like using its algorithm to shine a light on his brand. He notes Google's vaunted search engine did get at least one thing right related to him -- crediting his and Snoop's Broadus Foods as the first Black-owned cereal company.

Britney Spears wasn't the only one inconvenienced during the Victor Wembanyama slap saga in Sin City, because Pauly Shore lost his table at Catch ... and this one really hurts.

Folks who were dining at Catch at the same time as Britney, Wemby and Pauly tell TMZ … after the slapping incident, Britney went to dinner inside the fancy restaurant and her party was seated ... at the same booth where they had seated Pauly.

Turns out Pauly had just gotten seated, he got up to use the restroom, and when he came back, Britney and her group were at his table, where he had left his phone, glasses and fanny pack.

Britney's security, we're told, initially stopped Pauly from getting back to the table ... but they eventually let him through.

We're told Paul greeted Britney and they both kind of laughed off the seating situation, and her manager, Cade Hudson, handed over Pauly's things.

Ultimately, we're told Pauly got seated at a different table ... it's unclear if this was just a mix-up or if Catch deliberately bumped him for BS. ET first reported on Pauly's table mishap.

As we first reported ... video shows Britney approaching Victor on their way into Catch and getting slapped by his security, and eyewitnesses say Britney was in shock and angry during dinner.

Cops investigated the slapping incident and decided against pursuing criminal charges against Wemby's security.

Ariana Madix says she's certainly in a better place now than a few months ago when it comes to Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss ... but that doesn't mean she can totally move on.

We got the "Vanderpump Rules" star leaving her soon-to-open sandwich shop, Something About Her, in West Hollywood Friday -- she admits she's feeling a lot happier now compared to how tense things were for her earlier this year.

As we reported, Ariana's joining the "Dancing with the Stars" cast for its upcoming season, and we chatted with her about that gig, too ... and she tells us she's gettin' her stretches in to prep ahead of the September premiere.

We also bring up a wild hypothetical -- asking her what she'd do if Tom or Ariana get on the competition series as well ... but she's got her doubts the show producers would even think to put her through that kind of ordeal.

Remember, "Vanderpump Rules" started filming its 11th season at the end of last month, with Ariana shooting a scene with her sandwich shop co-owner Katie Maloney.

Britney Spears was extremely agitated after getting slapped by a security guard protecting NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama ... according to an eyewitness and photos obtained by TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney was outside Catch restaurant at the Aria Hotel Wednesday night when she saw Victor and made her way to him for a selfie. She says she tapped him on the back -- he says she grabbed him -- and Victor's security guy backhanded her across the face. Metro police are now conducting a criminal battery investigation.

An eyewitness who was dining at Catch when Britney walked in tells TMZ ... as she walked in she said in a "very animated voice" that the security guard "punched" her in the face, as she pointed at the guy who was sitting at another table.

The eyewitness says Britney's security guy went over to Victor's security and asked the guy to come over to her table and apologize. The eyewitness says the guy walked over and said "I'm sorry," and said something to the effect he didn't know it was her when he made contact.

Britney seemed in shock, according to the eyewitness, and angry. She said she couldn't believe it happened and beelined it for the bathroom.

We've learned so far ... neither Victor nor anyone else from the San Antonio Spurs has reached out to Britney, and she is not pleased.

We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Tom Sandoval says he's officially back in the "Vanderpump Rules" game after shooting his other series -- and while he's assuring fans it's going to be another "interesting" season, he's coy about Raquel Leviss' role in it.

TS confirmed his return to the reality show Thursday, after dropping off some flowers for Lisa Vanderpump at the now-closed restaurant PUMP in WeHo -- a gesture he says was well-timed, considering his boss and biz partner's popularity.

While he admits the cameras are on him for season 11, he dummied up when asked about the status of his relationship with Raquel ... except to note the show will be just as interesting as ever.

TMZ broke the story, Tom was shockingly missing from the 'VPR' gang when cameras started rolling last month ... and we learned it's because he was overseas shooting the latest season of FOX's "Special Forces: World's Toughest Test."

Unclear how well Tom did, but the show focuses on celebs going through brutal challenges and tough living conditions -- basically, a good warm up for what he'll be going through on 'VPR' as the 'Scandoval' fallout continues into the next season.

Ariana Madix is riding the 'Scandoval' wave into another big branding move, but this one's gonna require lots of stretching -- she's officially busting some ballroom moves for "Dancing with the Stars."

Ariana and Derek Hough, one of the judges on the long-running competition series, made the big announcement Friday on "Good Morning America" ... saying the 'DWTS' crew will be "going mad" for Madix on season 32.

DH said she'll be saying "goodbye to the drama and hello to the dance floor" -- before they both broke into a fun little shimmy together in Ariana's new sandwich shop, Something About Her.

Ariana and Derek were spotted hanging out together Wednesday, and it looks like that's when they recorded today's 'DWTS' announcement ... since they're wearing identical outfits.

ICYMI, Derek -- who's taking over for the late Len Goodman -- teased Ariana taking the stage earlier this week, telling folks to guess who is joining the new batch of contestants ... making the mystery message while inside Ariana and Katie Maloney's shop.

Lisa Vanderpump's iconic West Hollywood restaurant PUMP's doors are closed, but that doesn't mean the brand is done, according to Lisa ... who's filling us in on what's next.

Lisa tells TMZ ... she's not shelving the PUMP brand, and fans of the longtime hot spot could see it in a new location at some point in the future.

She says she's taking some of her longtime PUMP staff -- bartenders, the chef, and others -- over to TomTom, which she co-owns with Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz.

LV says she loves her crew and is thrilled to have them move just 3 doors down to TomTom. What's more, we're told some of the popular menu items from PUMP are coming over, too ... although it's unclear which ones will make the final cut.

BTW, Lisa says all of the bougie PUMP furniture will go to a warehouse she uses for personal belongings ... because none of it fits the decor at TomTom.

As we reported, the WeHo landmark restaurant started getting the ol' teardown on Tuesday, the day before its official closing date.

Armie Hammer is now a single man, because the judge just signed off on his divorce settlement with Elizabeth Chambers, and it seems they've resolved all conflicts.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Armie and Elizabeth share joint legal and physical custody of their 2 children.

As for child support, the docs say Armie will pay $1,500 a month in support. The docs go on to say he does not currently have an income, so presumably, that's why the support settlement is modest.

The parties both agreed to waive spousal support.

There was one conflict when it comes to social media. Armie did not want the kids to be included in either his or Elizabeth's social media posts. Elizabeth disagreed. They came to a compromise each parent could post using their discretion, in a "careful, appropriate and discrete manner."

And, there's this ... they agreed on candy! According to the docs, "It's not in the minor children's best interest to consistently have candy," so they agreed to lay off the sweets.

And, the docs say neither Armie nor Elizabeth shall introduce their kids to "a new romantic interest unless he or she has been in a significant and exclusive relationship with that person for at least 6 months."

Ben and Jerry's drew a line in the sand on the 4th of July -- turning the cold shoulder on blind American patriotism, and demanding the U.S. return stolen land dating back centuries.

The famed ice cream company -- which has gotten increasingly political over the years -- threw up a bold statement Tuesday for the holiday ... which, inevitably, pissed off about half the country, especially considering the occasion.

They took to Twitter, writing, "The United States was founded on stolen indigenous land. This Fourth of July, let’s commit to returning it." Pretty straightforward, but also ... polarizing.

B & J's website echoed a similar sentiment but hit the point home even further -- where they argued that Independence Day celebrations could, perhaps, "distract from an essential truth about this nation’s birth." As far as their game plan, they wanna start with Mt. Rushmore.

Here's what they have to say, "What is the meaning of Independence Day for those whose land this country stole, those who were murdered and forced with brutal violence onto reservations, those who were pushed from their holy places and denied their freedom."

Ben and Jerry's continues ... "The faces on Mount Rushmore are the faces of men who actively worked to destroy Indigenous cultures and ways of life, to deny Indigenous people their basic rights."

As you can imagine, their stance here drew the ire of many on social media ... some of whom accused the brand of being a traitor to the country for pushing out what they consider anti-American views on the biggest national holiday meant to celebrate America.

Lisa Vanderpump's self-named restaurant in L.A. is finally shuttering -- and it seems like the work crews are getting a jump on tearing it down before the official close date.

TMZ has obtained photos taken Tuesday which show PUMP pretty damn empty and abandoned ... albeit for some dudes who were busy throwing crap into a moving truck -- including some pieces of a gate that once lined the outside of the establishment.

As you can see, there's a lot being done ahead of Wednesday ... which is the day LV has said PUMP is closing its doors for good. Clearly, no one is dining there on the 4th.

Remember, the place was absolutely packed just a couple days ago ... which seems to have been the last time PUMP would serve anybody. The "Vanderpump Rules" cast and crew were there as well, and yes -- cameras were rolling to capture one last hurrah at the joint.

It's the end of an era for sure -- Lisa opened this place more than a decade ago amid her successful stint on 'Real Housewives' ... which went so well, she got her own show out of it.

When it comes to why PUMP is closing at all -- good old-fashioned cold-blooded capitalism, which Lisa and her husband, Ken Todd, were on the receiving end of year after year. Of course, we're talking about increasing rent prices ... which were tipping into a million bucks.

Lisa and co. have been waving people to their other restaurants in town ... including SUR and TomTom -- which she co-owns with Sandoval and Schwartz. Here's hoping you got your fill while you could ... 'cause PUMP's gone, baby. No more orders here, unfortunately.

11:45 AM PT -- Joey Chestnut easily won the hot dog-eating contest (again) for the 16th time, and while his performance this year was solid ... it still wasn't as good as years past.

JC ate 62 hot dogs in 10 minutes, which secured him the victory and the belt. Like we said, he's eaten more before -- but it's impressive, nonetheless. Congrats, bud!

Chestnut and the rest of the hot dog-eating machines WILL gorge themselves this year after all on a Fourth of July tradition, -- despite Mother Nature trying to torpedo their plans.

Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was almost canceled Tuesday at Coney Island ... all on account of a massive thunderstorm that rolled through, which dumped a ton of rain and lightning onto the area -- and sent patrons running for cover.

Footage taken by journos on the ground shows swarms of people looking to get out of the rain any way they can ... and some got creative, standing on outdoor tables under umbrellas.

It got so bad that the NYPD actually pulled the plug on the rest of the competition -- the men's race, specifically -- out of an abundance of caution. But Nathan's organizers waited it out a bit and decided to proceed once the storm cleared -- which it eventually did.

It's unclear when exactly the contest will get underway, but the legend himself is waiting in the wings and clearly ready. JC was seen walking around mingling with onlookers who stuck around -- and he was hyping himself up as they chanted his name.

Indeed, the guy's back to defend his title ... last year he ate 63 hot dogs and won, but that wasn't anywhere near his record set the previous year at 76 franks -- which he hoped to topple in 2023.

The glizzy champ wants another bite at the apple, er, wiener. At this point, it's looking like he'll get his chance -- and seeing how he's the odds-on favorite to win ... people will be counting the dogs he downs as the true marker of victory.

Go get 'em, kid!

Reality star Lisa Vanderpump's West Hollywood restaurant Pump is closing its doors in 2 days, and LOTS of folks want to bid it farewell!

Lisa's super popular joint is packed to the gills, with people 3 deep at the bar. She wisely used the moment to film a scene with Tom Schwartz for Season 11 of "VPR."

As for why it's closing, as someone once famously said, THE RENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH!

Fear not for Lisa and Ken ... they're opening 2 splashy restaurants soon in Vegas. L&K are true restaurant moguls, with 37 under their belt and counting.

The Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest might not be the toughest competition on Joey Chestnut's radar ... 'cause the greatest eater alive tells TMZ Sports he is down to go head-to-head with the Gronkowski brothers in an epic showdown!!

We spoke with the the 15-time champion ahead of the annual Fourth of July tradition ... and he says he feels healthy and ready to go as he looks to break his own world record of 76 franks.

"The goal is to win, but if the dogs are good, the weather is right, I feel like that record of 76 could definitively go down," Joey tells us.

In fact, Jaws says he's even broken 80 glizzys during preparation for the big event ... but notes that went down in "perfect" conditions, and anything can happen when it all goes down in Coney Island.

The last time we spoke with Chestnut, he said he was interested in taking on a fellow G.O.A.T. -- Tom Brady -- in an eating competition ... and while he didn't hear from the 7-time Super Bowl champ, his former teammate's fam wants to put him to the test.

"The Gronkowski brothers, they reached out," Chestnut tells us. "That might even be better, eating against the Gronk brothers, the Gronk clan. Those guys are beasts and maybe we can make that happen."

When we pitched the idea of Joey going up against Rob, Dan, Gordie, Chris and Glenn all at once ... he seemed 100% in.

"Those are big boys. That would be fun. I think that is gonna happen."

Can you imagine not one, but TWO competitive eaters staying under the same roof after downing dozens of hot dogs in a matter of minutes??

That's power couple Miki Sudo and Nick Wehry's reality when every Fourth of July rolls around ... and they're telling TMZ Sports exactly how they avoid bathroom catastrophe following the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest!!

Of course, the annual tradition is a lot of fun for the fans ... but what they DON'T see is how the world's best eaters deal with the aftermath. Naturally, we had to ask The Hungry Couple how it all plays out.

"We force a lot of water, we stay away from each other," Nick (who has the third-best odds to win the mustard belt on Tuesday) tells us.

"I don't know what's more unpleasant -- our moods toward each other or the G.I. distress, but we do a good job of kind of avoiding both."

Miki -- the 8-time hot dog champ -- added ... "I don't blame anybody for not wanting to be around me after I eat four dozen hot dogs and equally, I don't really feel like being around him after he competes in events."

As for the actual contest, Miki -- the #1-ranked female eater on the planet -- says she's hoping to break her world record of 48.5 glizzys on Independence Day ... and revealed she has a new strategy she's been working on in hopes of making that happen.

Miki tells us she has no plans of slowing down anytime soon ... and sees herself competing for another 10 years.

Cupid's arrow won't hit the Target bullseye any time soon -- the megastore is getting hit with a lawsuit from a guy who claims some missing marshmallows tanked his Valentine's Day.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Donte Cross is comin' after the retailer for false advertising, which he says traces back to a bag of S'mores Bark Crisps -- a $4 online item.

Cross says he picked up the sweet treat for a loved one, but "discovered the absence of visible marshmallows" when the bag was opened -- adding the grub didn't resemble or taste like what was described on the packaging.

He claims his loved one was filled with disappointment and chucked the bag at Cross ... telling him, "This has no marshmallow."

Cross says the sticky situation upended his Valentine's Day celebration, not to mention the embarrassment it caused. He feels deceived by what he says is Target's false advertising.

The unhappy customer says he's suffered emotional distress over the whole ordeal and is coming after Target for unspecified damages.

Lisa Vanderpump's not getting into the middle of the contract negotiations going on between Raquel Leviss and Bravo ... at least not publicly.

We got Lisa at TomTom Restaurant & Bar in West Hollywood, and we asked her where things stand between Raquel and the network ... and the whole conversation played out in front of the TMZ Celebrity Tour!!!

Lisa was very chatty about the final days of her flagship eatery, Pump Restaurant Lounge, but she playfully tried to leave once our photog asked her about Raquel's contract discussions and 'VPR' filming a new season.

TMZ broke the story ... Raquel and Bravo recently started negotiating her new deal, but the clock is ticking because "Vanderpump Rules" is already filming the new season, fresh off her cheating scandal with Tom Sandoval.

While Lisa is mum on dollar demands and contract details, she says a return date is squarely up to Raquel, who we've been told is getting close to leaving the mental health facility she's called home for more than 2 months.

Lisa says it's also going to be up to the other 'VPR' stars on how they welcome Raquel back into the fold after the Scandoval ... pointing out, they clearly all do their own thing already and don't necessarily listen to her.