Famous Food

A new video from the Trey Songz saga shows he had a good excuse to take off his mask at one point during the Chiefs game -- but it won't help his case with cops.

As you can see, Trey's face mask was in chin strap mode as he chowed down on a cup of french fries. While masks were required for all fans, the stadium does allow an exemption for eating and drinking.

However, we're told this was about 10-15 minutes before the KCPD officer came over -- backing up 3 visits from stadium security -- demanding Trey pull up his mask.

The other interesting element to this new video is that you can see there are at least a couple other fans watching the fight who didn't have their masks up.

It does make ya wonder if the singer was being singled out ... whether it be by other fans or security.

Of course, the video police released Tuesday clearly shows Trey throwing the first punch during the interaction with the officer -- so, the french fry excuse only goes so far in explaining what went down.

As we reported, Trey also posed for a masked up pic with a security guard at some point prior to the fight. Worth noting ... he did appear to have the mask down during each of the 3 visits from security.

The winner of season 20 of "Worst Cooks in America" has been arrested for allegedly killing a toddler.

Ariel Robinson and her husband, Jerry Robinson, have been charged with homicide by child abuse in South Carolina, according to police, and are being held at the Greenville County Detention Center without bond.

They're accused of inflicting multiple blunt force injuries on a 3-year-old girl named Victoria Rose Smith, resulting in her death.

Police say they responded to a call about an unresponsive juvenile victim last Thursday, and the child was pronounced dead after being transferred to the hospital.

Cops arrested the couple based on their investigation, which is ongoing.

Taco Bell employee Lonna Wells is out of a job after ticking off a co-worker, who filed a complaint about Lonna's past ... as a porn star, but Taco Bell claims that's not what happened.

Lonna claims the fast-food joint in Newport, Arkansas canned her less than a week after she landed the job. She'd reportedly started working at Taco Bell after she stopped doing porn so she'd avoid catching COVID-19.

Wells was no slouch in her previous job -- she's been featured on PornHub ... and scored two AVN Award nominations.

She told the Daily Beast she was about to clock into work when her manager called to drop the hammer. Wells is pissed because she says she told the hiring manager about her sex work during the interview and even asked if it was going to be a problem.

Taco Bell, however, claims Wells was not fired for her porn creds. Instead, the company says, "This former team member worked for a franchise location and the franchisee has informed us that the accusations made are not accurate and that she was instead terminated for violation of their policies and procedures."

Betty White is one step closer to a major milestone, and with insurrections, viruses and an economy that's tanked, at least we can all unite in this celebration.

Betty turned 99 today, and she waxed philosophical ... "I can stay up as late as I want without asking permission."

Well, maybe no philosophical, but Betty's awesome!!!

Her plans for today ... feeding a couple ducks that hang at her L.A. home.

As for what's on the menu -- a hot dog and french fries, courtesy of her agent, Jeff Witjas.

ICYMI -- as in the last 80 years -- Betty's show biz career began in 1939.

Most actors and actresses are lucky if they get one gigantic hit during their careers, but after Betty got her first she did not rest. Her role as Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" was epic, and the show was one of the biggest hits in TV history.

And, as you know, she followed that up with "The Golden Girls" ... she played the character Rose for 8 years and 204 episodes.

Betty's fame has endured to this day. One of the great show biz stories is the groundswell that led to her hosting "SNL" back in 2010.

As for where it all began ... Oak Park, Illinois in 1922. She wanted to be a forest ranger but women at the time weren't allowed.

Betty was married to Allen Ludden, the OG "Password" host, from 1963 to his death in 1981.

Andrew Zimmern says folks in custody need better food options ... even the bare-chested insurrectionist with animal horns and face paint complaining about a lack of organic grub.

We caught up with the 'Bizarre Foods' host this week and talked Jake Angeli, the Capitol attack suspect who complained about not being able to eat in federal custody because there were no organic options meeting his strict diet.

Andrew says Angeli's beef shines a light on an issue he believes runs deep in America ... the food being served in public hospitals, schools and prisons is in desperate need of an upgrade.

While Andrew says Angeli is an "evil, disgusting, human" who should be served nothing but bread and water, he admits it's not fair to single the guy out of his crusade for better prison food for all.

It's far from a pizza party, but the National Guard troops stationed in the nation's capital to keep the peace ahead of Inauguration Day are being treated to pizza on the reg ... thanks to thoughtful donors.

A cargo van loaded with stacks of pies was delivered to troops throughout D.C. Friday, from the popular local restaurant We, The Pizza.

The pizza joint tells TMZ ... it launched an initiative Tuesday for people to donate money to provide food for the National Guard, D.C. and Capitol Police and the fire department.

We're told on Thursday this resulted in about 1,500 pizzas being delivered, and the number's at 500 and counting Friday. We, The Pizza says it plans on keeping up the pizza drive through the inauguration.

Members of Congress -- such as Reps. Michael Waltz and Vicky Hartzler -- have been personally involved in handing out the pies in the Capitol Building this week ... to show their support for protecting them.

As we've reported ... members of the National Guard have been called in to boost security in wake of the January 6 Capitol riots, which 20,000 expected to be in D.C. for Joe Biden's inauguration.

Would you slam a vat of Italian dressing for $1,000!?!

That's a question Tim Lincecum apparently asked one of his teammates back in 2018 ... and, according to the salad-topping drinker, the answer was YES!!!

Tyler Wagner -- a former Texas Rangers pitcher -- revealed the story on social media late Thursday night ... and it's hilarious, mostly because he provided photographic proof that it all went down!

Wagner says when he and Lincecum were teammates in Texas about three years ago ... the two-time Cy Young winner bet him a grand that he wouldn't drink the leftover dressing that came with the team's salad.

Turns out, Lincecum clearly underestimated Wagner's love of cash ... 'cause the guy threw it back like a shot of tequila!

The pics are laugh out loud funny, especially the post-drink one ... 'cause you can tell, Wagner was bragging to all his clubhouse mates about the gross (and impressive!) feat.

Wagner even provided a pic of the check Lincecum cut him to prove the guy paid up!

And, get this, Wagner says Lincecum threw in an EXTRA $250 on top of the $1,000, because, "he said just because it was rough to watch."

James Harden's new upscale restaurant in Houston isn't even open yet, but the place is getting flooded with bad reviews ... courtesy of a bunch of pissed-off Rockets fans!!

Despite being shipped to the Brooklyn Nets this week, Harden's restaurant -- named "Thirteen" after his jersey number -- is set to open its doors later this month.

A number of passionate fans used the restaurant's review section as an opportunity to troll the hell out of their new nemesis ... leaving a bunch of angry 1-star reviews of the place.

Here are a few examples of the reviews:

"Literal trash just like James harden"

"Owner doesn’t know how to cook it up in the court."

"Doesn't quite have that championship taste."

"toxic owner, food just never comes out finished. definitely a choking hazard. owner walked out on the chefs he brought in himself. wouldn’t touch this place with a 4 mile long pole."

One fan even used the same words from Harden's final post-game presser with the Rockets ... saying, "I literally have done everything that I can. I mean, this situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed"

There are a LOT more we could share ... but you get the point.

Some fans, however, are taking the higher road by trying to combat the bad reviews with 5 stars and kindness, like this guy who said, "The owner carried my team for 8 years and made us relevant."

The new spot will offer fine wine, cocktails and steaks ... so folks can at least enjoy that even if Harden is gone.

Add The Miz to the list of WWE Superstars battling in the Royal Rumble ... 'cause Mr. Money In The Bank tells TMZ Sports he's wrestling, and is ready to kick everyone's ass!!

The Royal Rumble is one of WWE's biggest events of the year ... and is set to go down January 31st at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL.

WWE has announced Daniel Bryan, Bobby Lashley, A.J. Styles, Randy Orton, and Otis will wrestle in the 30-man match.

But, when The Miz and Asuka Zoom-bombed the "TMZ Sports" TV show (totally catching us off-guard!!) ... The Miz threw his hat in the squared circle.

"I'm gonna give you some breaking news here on TMZ Sports. I, the Miz, the must-see Superstar of all-time, Mr. Money In The Bank, is entering the Royal Rumble this year!"

The 19x WWE champ continued ... "Now, what does that mean? That means I have to basically throw 29 other Superstars over the top row in order to win. Once you win that match, you get to main event WrestleMania. I've main event-ed WrestleMania before and I wanna do it again."

All the wrestling talk ... makes ya hungry.

Good thing Asuka's a spokesperson for Cup Noodles Stir Fry -- who along with The Miz -- introduced Nissin's new Hot Garlic Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken flavors.

Remember, the Raw Women's Champ is so passionate about the product ... she once dressed up like the packaging (see below).

It's a new take on takeout with soupless, microwaveable meals that only takes a few minutes to cook up ... and The Miz says that's ideal for 2 super busy professional wrestlers -- and everyone else who's crazy busy.

"I’m normally a pesto on my pasta type of guy, but today I went with Alfredo sauce."

You heard right ... the sauce is what caused Brooklyn Nets' Jarrett Allen to GO OFF on the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

The 6'11" Allen usually comes off the bench behind DeAndre Jordan -- but the 22-year-old center got the starting nod on Tuesday and went FULL beast mode!

Final stat line -- 19 points, 18 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks!

Allen even put Rudy Gobert on a poster TWICE --- with the Nets dominating the Jazz in a 130 to 96 victory.

So, what fueled his amazing performance?? Allen says it was all about the pre-game meal!

"Before the games, I’m normally a pesto on my pasta type of guy, but today, I went with alfredo sauce," Allen said post-game.

"So, I really think that was the thing that turned my game on tonight."

A Nashville musician whose home was decimated by the Nashville blast is starting 2021 off with his cat who was missing for 6 days, and a new guitar to boot, thanks to Brad Paisley.

Buck McCoy was in his downtown Nashville apartment when the blast hit Christmas Day. The place was destroyed, and his beloved cat Molly must have freaked out and escaped.

Authorities who were conducting the investigation at the scene of the blast found the cat roaming the streets Thursday and reunited her with Buck.

Buck was ecstatic, saying, "I know she's just a little orange cutie thing, but she was everything to me ... The last 5 years she's always been there for me."

Buck lost everything in the bombing ... he shot this video immediately after the blast and it shows the devastation inside his apartment. As for why he didn't leave, Buck tells TMZ he heard gunshots -- something others heard as well but authorities say they found no evidence of it -- and then heard something coming from a loudspeaker but he couldn't understand it so he went back to sleep and was awakened by the blast.

Buck got some help from a famous Nashville resident who saw him on TV getting reunited with his feline friend. Brad called Buck and said he was sending him one of his brand new guitars so Buck could get back to work at Legend's Corner, where he plays with his band.

Buck's gonna put the guitar to immediate use when he performs Saturday at Legend's Corner.

Brad also offered Buck unlimited groceries at Brad's place, The Store, which offers food to all the people in town who are struggling.

Buddy Valastro built a hospital this week ... out of cake batter.

The "Cake Boss" wanted to show his appreciation to the doctors who saved his right hand after it was mangled in a bowling accident, so he baked them a cake in the form of the hospital where he was treated.

Buddy posted a pic of his handiwork, with the caption, "Check out the super special cake I made for Dr. Michelle Carlson, the nurses and staff at @hspecialsurgery as a token of my immense appreciation!" adding, "It replicates the main hospital there in #NYC. 🌃 I could never thank them enough for all they have done to help me on this journey to a full recovery ♥️"

As we reported, Buddy was bowling back in September when he tried releasing a bowling pin from the cage mechanism. His right hand got lodged and compressed in the unit, which was lodged in the mechanism for 5 minutes. His sons rushed into a garage and got a saw to cut through the metal rod to free Buddy's hand.

Buddy was rushed to the hospital where doctors removed a rod and treated a ghastly wound. A second surgery was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson, whom he gave a special shout-out when he delivered the cake.

Beverly Hills' La Scala restaurant is backtracking after word got out about their not-so-secret invites to an NYE shindig -- saying the invitation text was screwed up, and it was only happening IF the state and county gave the green light.

La Scala's IG account posted a new statement addressing the backlash they've received since photos of their invitations were posted online ... and they're apologizing for the misunderstanding, while also telling people who are outraged to kinda shove it.

Here's what the invite SHOULD HAVE said ... "With the dining ban set to expire on Dec. 28th we are hopeful of resuming some sort of table service and we are considering taking reservations for New Year's Eve. If this is something you would be interested in, please let us know. If allowed, and if there's enough interest, we'll contact you to secure a reservation."

That's much different from what made it on paper in the end. Remember, the invite played like a '20s-era Prohibition thing ... which included the word "speakeasy," suggesting their plans were on the DL. La Scala says that was a mistake, and the writer was just trying to have some fun. They insist they weren't planning on doing anything illegal.

With their intention cleared up, La Scala also says ... "If you can find fault in that, there is nothing more we can say. No harm was meant." They also say that while they're a famous establishment ... they're also just a local business trying to make ends meet in hard times.

The only problem with La Scala's thinking is they might've been too hopeful things would be getting back to normal anytime soon.

One of the ritziest, most exclusive celeb joints in L.A. is secretly inviting people to an in-person New Year's Eve party, asking them to keep it on the low ... but to also spread the word.

The restaurant in question La Scala, and it's their Bev Hills location that's doing this "speakeasy" thing. They've apparently been slipping invites in to-go orders for a NYE dine-in event ... and they're being cutesy with it by slugging it as a '20s-era Prohibition blowout.

An invite of theirs was recently posted online, which reads ... "We are considering taking reservations for New Year's Eve Dinner. Inside. If this is something you'd be interested in, please let us know as soon as possible."

The message goes on ... "If enough interest we'll contact you back to secure your reservation. Please keep this discreet, but tell all your friends." So ... not a secret at all.

La Scala's plans are on the radar of Beverly Hills city officials -- who are issuing a harsh rebuke, but not much else at this point in the way of threats to shut this thing down.

The official rep for the City of Beverly Hills says, "We understand this is an incredibly difficult time for all of our businesses, however the County Order does currently prohibit indoor and outdoor dining, including in the City of Beverly Hills." Cool ... but is that it???

Time will tell if La Scala is able to move forward with their shindig -- you'd imagine cops would step in and try to stop it -- but at this point ... it could fall into a grey area, like so many of these lockdown measures we've seen defied this year, including around L.A.

BTW, La Scala is one of these legacy restaurants in Hollywood ... it's been around since forever, and some of the most famous faces in history have stopped by for a meal or two. People like Frank Sinatra, Cher, David Geffen, Khloe Kardashian, Lamar Odom, Barbara Walters and so many more have visited ... until recently, that is.

The equivalent of a snack bar -- or perhaps even a food truck -- has surfaced in the ancient city of Pompeii ... and by the looks of it, those Romans sure liked their chicken and duck.

Archaeologists publicly unveiled a discovery Saturday in the ruins of the one-time flourishing Italian city -- which was buried under volcanic ash in an historic eruption nearly 2,000 years ago -- and it amounted to a street food vendor set-up that's incredibly well-preserved.

The technical term for it is "termopolium" -- Latin for hot drinks counter -- but it would appear the Romans served more than just beverages out of this thing ... diggers uncovered traces of really old animal parts in the counter wells you see here ... fish, pork, snails, beef and other protein that were apparently dished out to paying customers once upon a time.

Not just that, but check out the fresco paintings on the front and sides of this bygone eatery -- the Romans depicted chickens, mallards, dogs (supposedly as a warning, they say) and even an angel-looking figure. So yeah, they knew how to advertise their goods/services.

Some other related items that archaeologists found ... a bronze drinking bowl, ceramic jars for soups and stews, wine flasks and amphora (a long jar/vase used for transporting a variety of crops and/or food). It just goes to show once more -- the Romans were pretty damn advanced before things came crumbling down, but most of us already knew that.

Lori Loughlin and Joe Exotic are in for a bittersweet Christmas ... it's their first Xmas in federal prison, but at least they get to feast on fancy fowl.

TMZ's obtained prison menus from across the country, and some of America's most notorious inmates are being served some pretty decent Christmas fare ... with individual Cornish game hens for both Lori and Joe.

Mossimo and guys like Suge Knight, Mark David Chapman and C-Murder are getting more run-of-the-mill birds. Scott Peterson's not so lucky, but he's still filling up on meat, potatoes and dessert. Here's a breakdown of their spreads:

Lori at California's FCI Dublin:

• Cornish game hen with pan gravy, roasted jerk roast beef with horseradish sauce, au-gratin potato or baked potato, herb rice pilaf, dinner roll with honey apple butter, Brussels sprouts with brown butter, pumpkin cheesecake, fresh fruit
• If Lori doesn't want to avoid the bird and the cow, she can choose the no-flesh entrée ... stuffed winter squash and stuffed bell peppers with beans

Exotic at FMC Fort Worth:

• Baked Cornish hen or spinach quiche, cornbread dressing, macaroni and cheese, sweet peas, pumpkin pie

Mossimo at California's USP Lompoc:

• 1/2 Chicken, 4 oz roast beef, baked mac and cheese, yams, green beans, 2 rolls, pecan pie
• If Mossimo wants to go vegetarian ... there's a 4 oz soy chicken patty and 4 oz soy beef patty

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

• Turkey, turkey ham, sliced beef, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, green salad and dressing, mixed vegetables, cornbread, chicken patties, American cheese slices, fruit pie
• Knight can enjoy dinner and a superhero movie ... the institution's movie channel is playing a Marvel movie festival during the holidays.

Mark at New York's Wende Correctional Facility:

• Baked chicken breast, seasoned chicken gravy, whipped potatoes, seasoned zucchini with sauce, dinner rolls and margarine, ice cream sundae

C-Murder at Louisiana's Elayn Hunt Correctional Center:

• Roasted turkey, roast beef, rice dressing with gravy, sweet peas, cranberry sauce, fruit salad, roll, sweet potato pie

Scott at California's San Quentin State Prison: