Benjamin Kickz Strong Arm Robbery Charges For Celeb Sneaker Dealer

Benjamin Kickz, famous for selling rare sneakers to a laundry list of celeb clients, just got arrested in Florida and charged with felony robbery.

Benjamin allegedly swiped an iPhone from another man at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach on New Year’s Eve, walking away with the device as his entourage beat the crap out of the guy ... according to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.

Authorities say Benjamin believed the man had taken a photo of him without his permission, and when the guy denied snapping a pic, BK allegedly grabbed the phone out of his hands.

The alleged beatdown sounds pretty savage ... authorities claim Benjamin's entourage beat, punched and kicked the guy in the head, causing serious injuries and sending him to the hospital.

Benjamin's known for his sneaker hookups ... and he's sold pairs and rubbed elbows with celebs like Drake, Bad Bunny, Lil Pump, Kodak Black and the late Nipsey Hussle.

Benjamin was booked into Dade County Jail Thursday morning and has been charged with one count of felony strong-arm robbery.

It sounds like there's video of the alleged incident because Benjamin's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ it's his understanding there were "significant events" between the 2 sides before what's seen in the video that will impact his defense of the case.

Beverly Hills Armed Robbery Teens Flee Rodeo Drive Heist ... Some Escape, Some Nabbed

STOLEN GOODS

A group of teen suspects in an armed robbery at a high-end fashion store made a break for it to their getaway cars ... but a few of them were left holding the bag.

Beverly Hills police say 10 suspects grabbed handbags and fled from a Fendi store on Rodeo Drive Tuesday night, and video from a passerby caught their escape attempt.

Cops reportedly caught up with one of the 3 getaway vehicles, recovered several stolen Fendi items and took the underage teens into custody. They were later released to their parents, but the other suspects are still at large.

During the robbery, police say one of the suspects pushed a security guard to the ground. The incident is believed to be linked to another robbery in the same area earlier in the week ... at a Saint Laurent store.

Liam Payne Harry Styles Looked Great in a Dress ... So Let Him Be!!!

GET OFF HIS BACK!!!

Harry Styles and Liam Payne may not be together professionally anymore, but on a personal level Liam clearly has Harry's back, applauding him for his fashion choice that triggered some really unfair criticism.

Harry was getting dragged for wearing a dress for a Vogue photoshoot. Candace Owens and some others went after him for his fashion choice ... Owens saying he wasn't manly enough to grace the cover. Yeah, she said that.

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Liam says people need to get off Harry's back, saying, "I thought it was great. I think he's enjoying himself and he's free to do as he wishes."

Payne told Capital FM's Roman Kemp ... 2020 certainly isn't the year for people to get upset over what celebs are wearing -- as he says, there are much bigger things happening. Payne also painted Harry as an authentic guy whose success hasn't changed him.

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As for Candice Owens' judgment .. Styles had an epic clap-back, posting a photo of himself eating a banana in a blue dress with the caption, "bring back manly men."

Donald Trump 'Elitist Snobs' in Fashion Biz Denied Melania Magazine Covers!!!

Donald Trump has too many grievances to count ... the latest being his anger that Melania has not graced a single magazine cover in the 4 years he's been President, and he thinks he knows why.

Trump tweeted his outrage that, as he called her, "the most elegant First Lady" has been blackballed from mag covers by "elite snobs," and without directly saying it, it seems he might be zeroing in on Anna Wintour.

Melania was on the cover of Vogue in 2005, shortly after her marriage to Trump, but that was it.

Michelle Obama, by contrast, was on the cover of Vogue 3 times during her tenure in the White House. The last cover was in November 2016 ... after Trump's victory. As you know, the Obamas popularity drives Trump insane, so no surprise here.

Melania was actually on one cover that we know of ... the February 2017 issue of Vanity Fair Mexico.

Wintour is not a Trump fan, for sure. She's been public about her political preferences, which include Kamala Harris, whom she profiled in April 2018.

How 'bout focusing on that COVID relief bill, please.

Kylie Jenner Denounce Fur and We'll Stop Attacks ... Animal Rights Activists Warn

Kylie Jenner is going to keep getting ear-shattering attacks from animal rights protesters until she declares she won't wear fur anymore.

The SoCal Animal Defense League swarmed Kylie over the weekend in Bev Hills, slamming her and calling her a monster ... and now activist Rob Banks tells us the group targeted Kylie because she wears fur and was shopping at Moncler, which sells fox fur coats.

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FUR FREAKOUT
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Those same activists tell us they will not stop going after Kylie until she swears off fur.

We're told Kylie's a target even if she's not wearing fur when protesters spot her ... animal rights activists are actively trying to hunt Kylie down, wherever she goes.

Meanwhile, honchos at PETA tell us the org would like to see Kylie join other members of her family, like Kim Kardashian, in embracing faux fur. The org says, "there's nothing uglier than stealing someone else's skin."

As you probably know, these poor animals are tortured ... often skinned alive. It's really awful.

PETA tells us they're encouraging Kylie to add Kylie Cosmetics to PETA's database of certified cruelty-free cosmetic companies ... even though Kylie Cosmetics already advertises they don't test products on animals.

The question ... will Kylie cave??? Stay tuned.

NFL's Tajae Sharpe Honors Late Rapper King Von ... Amazing Cleat Tribute

Kansas City Chiefs receiver Tajae Sharpe is paying tribute to King Von with his newest cleats ... repping the late rapper with an incredible custom paint job.

As we previously reported, the 26-year-old rising rap star was shot and killed last month outside an Atlanta nightclub ... a tragedy that shook sports stars from LeBron James to Montrezl Harrell, Stephen Jackson and more.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Sharpe wanted to pay homage to one of his favorite rappers  .. and hit up artist Joe Castro from California to bless him with a pair dedicated to Von.

Castro -- who's worked with huge names like Chase Young and DeSean Jackson -- got to work on the special project ... and delivered an awesome product.

Each cleat has an image of Von on each side ... and features phrases that honor the rapper's background -- from the famous Chicago "O Block," which he repped, and his nickname "Grandson," which is also the name of his first mixtape in 2019.

Castro tells us Sharpe picked the perfect portrait of King Von for the cleats ... and the whole project took him 6 hours to complete.

Sharpe just signed with the Chiefs this week ... and you gotta assume he'll be hoping to wear them on the field in Von's honor.

RIP.

Common Honoring Ahmaud Arbery In Georgia ... Giving Away Sneakers!!!

Common is making sure folks remember Ahmaud Arbery while helping out those in need ... he's in Georgia giving away free running shoes in Ahmaud's memory.

Here's the deal ... Common's at a local community center in Brunswick -- near where Arbery was killed -- and he's teaming up with Ahmaud's family to hand out shoes to those who need it most.

GIVIN' BACK
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As you can see, there are stacks of brand new Adidas shoes in boxes, and a long line's forming.

Remember ... Ahmaud's mother, Wanda, says her son was just out for a jog back in February when he was gunned down in broad daylight in the middle of a street. Ahmaud loved to run, hence the sneaker giveaway.

Common's touring the Peach State, where he's helping drum up votes for the upcoming Senate runoff elections ... which will determine control of the Senate, and therefore, shape the potency of President-elect Biden's administration.

We're told Common didn't want to leave Brunswick without sitting down with Ahmaud's mom, and they did have a private meeting.

During the sit-down, Common told Wanda he wants justice for Ahmaud, wants to keep her son's name alive and he's in it for the long haul ... according to Chris Stewart and Justin Miller, 2 of the attorneys repping Ahmaud's family.

Common, we're told, also stressed how important it is for Wanda to understand he's not pulling a publicity stunt, and made himself available to her at all times if she ever wants to call.

Vancouver Canucks Pressured To Change Logo ... Over Cultural Appropriation Concerns

Washington's NFL team, Cleveland's MLB team ... and now the Vancouver Canucks?

The NHL squad is now feeling pressure to change ... this after an Indigenous Studies expert claims the main logo featured on the team's uniforms is cultural appropriation.

Sean Carleton -- a University of Manitoba history professor -- spelled out his concerns in a lengthy social media thread this week ... explaining why he feels the team's orca logo should be replaced.

Carleton says the whale -- which was created nearly 3 decades ago and has elements of artwork designed by Haida in it -- is hurting indigenous people.

Carleton explains he essentially believes the Canucks took the design and now are making money hand over fist with it -- all while diminishing indigenous people's art.

"How can you continue to develop meaningful relations with Coast Salish nations when you continue to profit from branding that is appropriating their art style," Carleton wrote on Twitter on Monday.

"People will say, but Sean the imagery is a 'a sign of respect.' How respectful is continuing to make piles of money from a business you operate on stolen land all the while branding that business with stolen imagery. That's the logic of colonial capitalism for you."

Carleton says the Canucks should do a better job of working with indigenous people and allowing them to be part of the team's design processes going forward.

"[The Canucks should] work with Indigenous peoples to develop iconography in appropriate ways, giving Indigenous artists a platform and a way to participate and benefit."

We've reached out to the Canucks for comment ... but so far, no word back.

Previously, back in 2019, Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini had said the team isn't considering a logo change ... telling reporters at the time, "It’s indigenous to the region. We’re going to keep it."

It should be noted the Canucks have worn alternate uniforms -- throwback-inspired threads -- over the past few seasons that do NOT have the orca design on them.

Davante Adams Hooks Up Packers With Air Jordans ... Merry Christmas!!!

DAVANTAE CLAUS

Christmas came early in Green Bay ... 'cause Davante Adams just hooked up his Packers teammates with a fresh pair of Air Jordans -- and the dudes lost their minds over the gifts!!

Adams' squadmates posted about the presents on social media on Friday ... and they were all STOKED -- with guys praising and thanking Adams repeatedly.

"You know what it is man," Adams said in a video shot by wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling. "I love ya'll boys, man!"

The kicks are all super clean ... Adams gifted pairs of Mocha AJ1s and also Dark Concord 12s -- which both go for about $300 a pop on StockX.

Of course, Adams is a Jordan athlete AND he's in the middle of a 4-year, $58 MILLION contract ... but still, it's the thought that counts, right?!

"Appreciate you, Tae!" defensive back Kevin King said. "Shout out the GOAT. Yessir!"

Added pass rusher Preston Smith, "Shout out to the big bro, Tae! The boy got the team Jordans! Yessir! You already know what the f*ck going on!"

Top that, Santa.

Bill Belichick Auctioning Game-Worn Sneaks Donates $440k To Athletes In Need

If you ever wanted to walk a mile in Bill Belichick's shoes, now's your chance ... that is, if you got a bunch of cash saved up!!

The Patriots coach is auctioning off his game-worn My Cause, My Cleats sneaks from New England's lopsided 45-0 victory over the L.A. Chargers on Dec. 6 ... with proceeds going toward his foundation’s scholarship and grant programs.

Of course, the custom kicks were part of the NFL's Week 13 campaign which allows players and coaches to rock custom sneakers to raise awareness for a special cause.

BB decided to rep his Bill Belichick Foundation, which provides coaching, mentorship and financial support to football and lacrosse organizations throughout the country.

The legendary coach is also expected to wear the sneaks for the Pats' "Thursday Night Football" showdown with the L.A. Rams.

The auction is part of a huge donation by the BBF during the holiday season -- the org. is also distributing $440k in grants and scholarships to athletes and programs throughout the country.

On top of that, the BBF is hosting a "virtual" toy drive to benefit the Boston Marine Toys for Tots.

Sounds like someone's gonna be on Santa's nice list this year!!

Post Malone Hooks Up His Texas High School With New Custom Crocs!!!

Post Malone's got a new line of custom Crocs, and to test them out ... he put a new pair on the feet of every single kid at his old school FOR FREE.

The Post Malone x Crocs Duet Max Clog II hit the market for the first time Tuesday, and sold out within a few hours -- but one group that was for sure able to snag some before they were swept up was the entire academic body of Grapevine High School in Grapevine, TX.

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CROCS FOR EVERYONE!!!
Grapevine High School

Sources tell us Posty hooked up his alma mater with a new pair of PM Crocs of their own -- and we're talking every single student and every single faculty member. What does that mean numbers-wise??? Well, Grapevine HS has a student body of about 1,900 and with maybe 100 or so teachers ... we're talking somewhere in the 2,000 range.

Grapevine's principal, Alex Fingers, made the announcement to everyone this week ... saying Post had noticed all the good work they'd been doing for the community of late, so he decided to give back a little himself. Principal Fingers even flashed his own set of Crocs.

We're told a Google spreadsheet was distributed throughout the entire school last week, where everyone was told to put down their shoe size ... and then the Principal dropped the news.

He also posted photos of kids on campus opening their bags of PM Crocs -- and as you can see, people seemed pretty pleased. BTW, we're told these were distributed as safely as possible ... clearly, Grapevine's one of the schools in this country that's open right now.

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One last thing -- Post gave away thousands of more pairs of his Crocs all over the world. He partnered with a charity called Musicians on Call -- which brings tunes to hospital bedsides -- and made sure volunteers and frontline workers involved got taken care of too.

Nelly 'DWTS' Shoes Go To The Teen Project Expected to Raise $50k!!!

Nelly's custom-made dance shoes were all the rage on this season of "Dancing with the Stars," and now they're going to a great cause -- helping young women who are survivors of human trafficking.

As we told you ... the rapper wowed 'DWTS' fans and the judges with his slick moves and his hip hop-inspired footwear, but now that the dancing competition's wrapped up, he's sending his shoes to The Teen Project to be auctioned off.

Our sources say Yung Swivel's donating at least 10 pairs to the organization -- which also aids young women who've suffered trauma and homelessness -- and his entire collection is expected to fetch $50,000 ... if not more.

Nelly's been a major advocate of The Teen Project over the last few months, helping the org raise $820k overall in 2020 ... which is about $300k more than last year.

The rapper's been working to raise funds for Vera's Sanctuary, a rehab facility operated by The Teen Project for victims of sex trafficking. Our sources say the money raised by Nelly has already been used to send women who've been through Vera's to college.

Along with the $50k Nelly's 'DWTS' shoes are expected to haul in at the upcoming auction, we're told the organization anticipates an additional $30k in donations to come in this week from Nelly's efforts.

Lori Loughlin Pays Off $150k Fine in Bribery Scandal Mossimo Pays Up, Too

Lori Loughlin and her hubby remain behind bars serving out their sentences in the college admissions bribery scandal but at least they've checked one thing off their to-do list ... paying their fines.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Lori satisfied the $150k fine she was obligated to pay as part of the plea deal she struck back in October. Mossimo also ponied up for the $250k fine levied on him when he pled guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and 1 count of honest services wire and mail fraud.

As we reported ... Lori was sentenced to 2 months in prison after agreeing to plead guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. She also was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and 2 years of supervised release. She started serving her sentence last month.

Mossimo got 5 months behind bars, 250 hours of community service and 2 years of supervised release. He started serving his sentence -- with a new look -- last week.

Jill Biden and Kamala Harris Pick an American Designer For Inaugural Ball ... Michael Costello Says

Jill Biden and Kamala Harris should go America first as they hunt for someone to design their dresses for the inaugural ball ... so says famous fashion designer Michael Costello.

The former "Project Runway" star tells us the First Lady and Vice President-elect should absolutely wear an American designer when the ball rolls around in January, which would only underscore their love of country.

AMERICA FIRST
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The way Michael sees it ... inaugural balls are a huge platform for up-and-coming designers to get a huge career boost, so Jill and Kamala should try and find a diamond in the rough and transform that designer's career.

Remember ... Michelle Obama picked Jason Wu to design her dress way back in 2008, and Jason's career immediately took off thanks to the First Lady's endorsement.

Melania Trump, meanwhile, went with well-known French-American designer Herve Pierre.

While Michael's angling to design a matching dress and face-covering for Joe Biden's wife, he also tells us why Kamala should consider an African-American designer.

Megan Thee Stallion $1.2 Mil in New Fashion Line Sales ... On Very First Day!!!

Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B have more in common than 'WAP' ... they can now both boast massively successful clothing lines with Fashion Nova.

Meg's new 106-piece collection -- which goes heavy on the denim -- raked in $1.2 million in sales in the first 24 hours ... according to sources connected to the retail company.

This is slightly more than Cardi hauled in with her Spring 2019 collection, but we're told it's because Fashion Nova anticipated high demand after Cardi's styles sold out so quickly ... so it had more product on hand for Meg's line.

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MTS announced the launch of her collection -- which she says is for "all the hotties out there" and fits bodies of all shapes and sizes -- with a series of fire photos of herself and other women modeling the various styles of jeans available.

Along with premium denim, Meg's collection includes luxe corset bodysuits and tops with matching dresses and plush outerwear ... with prices of the items ranging from $24.99 to $199.99.

Get 'em while they're smoking hot.

Incoming Rep. Cori Bush Thrift Shopping Is Awesome ... And I'm Here to Spread the Word

NO SHAME IN THE THRIFT GAME
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Cori Bush got elected to represent Missouri's 1st congressional district ... but she's also reppin' working-class folks who can't afford a designer business wardrobe.

We got the Congresswoman-elect out in D.C. Tuesday and asked about the response she's received since revealing she's hitting up thrift shops to get the professional clothes needed for her new job.

Bush tells us her situation has resonated with people who come from regular means like her and helped them feel heard ... and she's happy it's also made them feel like thriftiness is nothing to be ashamed of.

The incoming Missouri Representative isn't the only bargain hunter on Capitol Hill either. All 4 members of "The Squad" have shared tips for dressing on a budget, with AOC suggesting ... "Thrifting, renting, and patience as you get your closet together sis."

Sounds like Bush is already learning on the job ... and she doesn't officially start until January.

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