Kids

Rev. Jesse Jackson is getting involved in the Sesame Place racial discrimination controversy ... coming to the table with solutions for making the theme park better for Black folks.

Jesse says SeaWorld, which owns Sesame Place Philadelphia, should bring in African-Americans to their board of directors, spend money on Black-owned businesses and hire an African-American firm to handle cultural sensitivity training for staff.

Jackson outlines his plan in a letter, obtained by TMZ, fired off to SeaWorld CEO Marc Swanson ... saying SeaWorld has a chance to turn a negative into a positive and rise to the occasion in a situation where most companies come up short.

Jesse's action plan is in response to the viral video showing the alleged discrimination against 2 Black children who were shunned.

As we reported ... there's now a class action lawsuit claiming the theme park and its employees insulted and damaged Black patrons, especially Black kids, and it comes on the heels of that viral video showing Sesame Place character Rosita shaking her head "no" at 2 young Black girls who wanted to interact with her at a parade and refusing to hug them.

80-year-old Jesse says he's seen this incident with Sesame Place play out too many times to remember over the years in his fight for freedom and equality ... and he says discriminatory acts will always return without sincere actions from corporations.

But, what irks Jesse the most, he says, is seeing discrimination against innocent children ... a line he says cannot be crossed.

Before this 2nd grader turned into an influencer and a TV personality, she was just your average student getting ready for school pictures and growing up in Atlanta, Georgia.

This Instagram queen never shies away from a good Instagram selfie, and she never fails to share her extravagant trips and parties. And speaking of parties, this socialite takes after her famous momma, because they are both never 'Tardy For The Party.'

Need one more hint on who this cute kid is? She made her television debut back in 2008, when her mom became a 'Real Housewife' of Atlanta.

Grab a tissue ... you may need it!

Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett literally brought a young boy to tears (happy ones!) when he signed a football for the kid, and the sweet moment was caught on video!

It all went down at Saint Vincent College in Pennsylvania on Wednesday ... where the Steelers are holding training camp.

The clip starts with 24-year-old Pickett -- a first-round draft pick out of the University of Pittsburgh -- meeting a bunch of Steelers fans and signing autographs. One of the fans was a young boy named Phillip ... who couldn't contain his emotions.

"I appreciate you," Pickett said while tapping the kid's head ... and that's when the young boy broke down in tears.

"He's crying 'cause he was scared to even meet you," the woman said.

Phillip tried to keep it together, but couldn't ... so Pickett consoled him while signing his football.

"You alright, man?" the 24-year-old signal-caller asked, "Happy times! Happy times!"

Then, Pickett and Phillip dapped each other up ... as nearby fans cheered for the boy.

It's dope to see Pickett get this level of love before playing a single snap for the black and gold ... but he's a familiar face in Pennsylvania.

You could see this one coming ... Sesame Place Philadelphia has been hit with a $25 million class action lawsuit ... claiming the park and its employees have insulted and damaged black patrons, especially the youngsters.

The lawsuit lists a man named Quinton Burns, who says he and his family visited Sesame Place on June 18, 2022. Burns says he purchased tickets to the park for himself and his young daughter with the expectation they'd experience "Meet and Greets" with Sesame Street characters.

However, according to the docs, Burns says when he and his kid attended a "Meet and Greet" with costumed performers of Elmo, Ernie, Telly Monster and Abby Cadabby -- the characters refused to engage with them and other black guests as well.

Burns says the performers were more than happy to engage with white customers at the same event.

Of course, the lawsuit comes directly on the heels of the video that surfaced from the park showing character Rosita, not only refusing to hug, but shaking her head "no" at two young black girls who wanted to interact with her at a parade.

We've spoken with the mother of the girls and the family attorney, who says they've been in talks with Sesame Place to make their situation right, and have even floated the possibility of legal action.

Formula One superstar Sebastian Vettel just announced the 2022 season will be his last ... saying it's time for him to retire and be with his loved ones.

The 35-year-old German driver shared the news in a poetic video on Instagram ... saying, "At the end of the year, I want to take some more time to reflect on what I will focus on next. It is very clear to me that, being a father, I want to spend more time with my family."

"But, today is not about saying goodbye. Rather, it is about saying thank you -- to everyone -- not least to the fans, without whose passionate support Formula 1 could not exist."

Vettel won four-straight championships with Red Bull from 2010-13 ... and has also suited up for Toro Rosso, Ferrari, and most recently Aston Martin -- securing 53 career wins over 15 seasons.

There had been much speculation about the driver's future, as his contract is up at the end of 2022. Now, the talk can be put to rest.

"Committing to my passion the way I did and the way I think it is right, does no longer go side by side with my wish to be a great father and husband," Vettel added. "The energy it takes to become one with the car and the team, to chase perfection takes focus and commitment."

"My goals have shifted from winning races and fighting for championships to seeing my children grow, passing on my values, helping them up when they fall, listening to them when they need me."

The announcement was Vettel's first-ever social media post ... and the whole thing is powerful.

Before this handsome guy turned into a professional basketball player, he was just a typical preteen with exceptional athletic abilities, playing basketball in his backyard and growing up near Seattle, Washington.

After having a successful high school career, this dedicated kid more than earned his spot on the UCLA college basketball team but only played for one season before making his way to the NBA. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and currently plays for the Chicago Bulls.

Need one more clue? He won the "Slam Dunk Contest" back in 2015, making him the youngest champion since Kobe Bryant's 1997 win.

Sean Avery and his model wife, Hilary Rhoda, are headed toward splitsville ... she just filed for divorce from the ex-NHL player, TMZ Sports has learned.

Rhoda, who's made multiple appearances in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues, filed the court docs in Los Angeles this week ... citing "irreconcilable differences."

The two -- who got married back in 2015 -- officially separated just days ago on July 17, according to the court docs.

Rhoda -- who has one 2-year-old child with Avery -- wants physical custody of their son but checked the box to share legal custody with Sean.

She also indicated the couple signed a prenuptial agreement.

42-year-old Avery -- who played 10 seasons in the NHL before retiring in 2012 -- had shown no signs of trouble brewing in his relationship with Rhoda ... in fact, back in April, he penned a sweet birthday message to her on his social media page.

"Happy Birthday to the most beautiful woman in the world who continues to evolve as a creative and, more importantly, an incredible mother," he wrote.

Former Los Angeles Lakers F Slava Medvedenko is selling his two NBA championship rings from '01 and '02 ... and it's all to raise money for his home country, Ukraine, as the war continues to rage on in the country.

The rings, on the block at SCP Auctions through August 5, are expected to sell for at least $100K total, and 100% of the money from the sale will go to Slava's Fly High Foundation.

The foundation aims to support Ukrainian children by repairing sports in schools in areas that have been hit the hardest by the war, According to the Associated Press.

Medvedenko says he plans to use the money from the sale of the rings, which he earned playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, to repair or rebuild fitness centers destroyed by missiles, bombs, and artillery fired by Vladimir Putin's military.

“We want to restore gyms because the Russian army bombed more than a hundred schools,” Medvedenko told The AP during a phone interview.

“Our country, they need a lot of money to fix the schools. Sports gyms are going to be last in the line to fix it. In Ukraine, we have winter, and kids need to play inside.”

Slava -- who spent 7 seasons in the NBA -- says he felt compelled to help after witnessing firsthand Russian rockets flying through the night sky as the former Laker watched from a Kyiv rooftop.

“In this moment, I just decided, ‘Why do I need these rings if they’re just sitting in my safe?’” Medvedenko said. “I just recognize I can die."

"After that, I just say I have to sell them to show people leadership, to help my Ukrainian people to live better, to help kids."

Despite having no military background, the 43-year-old, 6'10" ex-hooper -- equipped with his binoculars and AK-47 -- has served in Ukraine's territorial defense during the war.

As Medvedenko continues to help Ukraine during the war with Russia, he's already plotting how he can use sports to restore some normalcy and return prosperity to his war-torn country.

Chucky might be real after all — that is, if you take a passing glance at these photos … which certainly make it seem like he’s alive and on the move.

A 5-year-old boy named Jackson has been freaking people out in Pinson, Alabama this month … roaming the streets for a “neighborhood watch” that he apparently likes to do in costume — this according to his mom, who spoke to a local TV station.

That getup, as it turns out, is his Halloween costume from last year — Chucky the Killer Doll, from the “Child’s Play” franchise … and it might be a little too lifelike, ‘cause it’s been scaring the crap out of some residents!

These photos of Jackson walking around as Chucky were posted on Facebook — with someone asking the parent(s) of this kid to come and wrangle him in … because he’s startling the neighbors.

It’s all in good fun, of course — and now that everyone knows who it is, the family is supposedly a little famous … with some party appearance requests even coming in for Chucky/Jackson.

Chess is supposed to be a non-contact game, but a boy in Russia find out differently when a competing robot crushed his finger during a tournament.

The boy was matched up against a bionic arm in the Moscow Chess Open when he moved one of his pieces, but didn't wait for the robot to respond. As he tried to make another move, the contraption simultaneously reacted and grabbed the boy's finger, squeezing it until the bone shattered.

Surveillance video captured the scary moment as people rushed to the boy's aid, managing to release him from the machine's grip and escorting him away.

Moscow Chess Federation President Sergey Lazarev told Tass media the boy's finger was broken and put in a cast, but he got back in the game the next day!

Lazarev added, “The robot was rented by us, it has been exhibited in many places by specialists for a long time. Apparently, the operators overlooked some flaws."

Before this little one was spitting beats and rapping her way to the Grammy's stage, she was just a cool, little girl break dancing her socks off and bouncing between New York and Los Angeles, California.

This cute kid knows how to entertain a crowd and keep her fans ... AKA her 'Kittens' on their feet. After dropping out of high school in 11th grade, she took up music and began posting her tracks on SoundCloud. It is safe to say her music career really took off after her songs went viral on TikTok.

'Yeah-yeah, oh-whoa-whoa!'

Xzibit is lying to the court about his financial situation simply to avoid writing some big checks to his estranged wife for spousal support ... at least according to her.

The former "Pimp My Ride" star's estranged wife, Krista Joiner, claims in new legal docs Xzibit is making it seem like he's fallen on tough times when in reality he's got millions in cash.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Krista claims Xzibit's brother told her he takes home over $1 million a month from cannabis companies and stores the cash in multiple locations using bank-sized vaults. She says the bro also told her he personally stored $20 million for Xzibit in various vaults and brings X cash on demand.

In the docs, she paints a much different financial picture of Xzibit than he has. As we first reported, the rapper claims he isn't making any money from his weed ventures and is struggling to make ends meet.

Krista, who filed for divorce in February 2021, also says X is lying about her going behind his back to get a new lease on a 2021 Bentley, dragging her feet on the sale of the family home and living in the mansion with her new boyfriend.

She claims Xzibit is full of baloney ... and she's accusing him of trying to sway the court's opinion so he doesn't have to cut her huge monthly checks.

His estranged wife says she's the one having a tough time financially ... claiming she recently lost her job and has no earnings to support herself or their son.

And, get this ... Krista claims Xzibit has been ignoring her requests for gas money, food and haircuts for their son, and says she had to go through attorneys to beg X to pay for their kid's inhalers.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez certainly aren't slowing down on their PDA, especially after tying the knot ... and their kids got a front-row seat to the love fest.

Ben and Jen grubbed at Le Matignon Thursday with 13-year-old Seraphina, 16-year-old Violet, and 14-year-old Emme as the combined families spent some time in Paris. The newlyweds couldn't stop themselves from locking lips, and the kiddos seemingly looked away.

Ben and Jen hit the Gardens Elysée early Friday, where that PDA sure didn't slow down ... Ben even snapped some pics of his new wife as they walked around.

As we reported, the pair might be using this trip as a mini-honeymoon in the city of love after their recent Vegas wedding.

The two soaked in the sights from their luxury hotel room before venturing out into the city.

TMZ broke the story ... Ben and Jen tied the knot in Las Vegas early Saturday morning in a tiny chapel ceremony that included their children, and they're planning to throw a massive wedding party with close friends and family at the actor's Georgia estate in the coming weeks.

The Black family whose children were snubbed by a Sesame Place character says new footage pokes holes in the theme park's initial explanation for the humiliating incident.

Remember, in response to the initial viral video ... Sesame Place put out a statement saying its Rosita character "confirmed that the 'no' hand gesture seen several times in the video was not directed to any specific person, rather it was a response to multiple requests from someone in the crowd who asked Rosita to hold their child for a photo which is not permitted."

The potential problem for Sesame Place is this new, wider angle -- from the other side of the parade route -- doesn't support that ... at least according to attorney B'Ivory LaMarr.

LaMarr is representing the family of Jodi Brown -- her daughter and niece are the girls who tried to interact with Rosita -- and he believes the new video obtained by his law firm undermines the park's claim.

He doesn't see anyone offering up a child for Rosita to hold ... not anywhere near the girls, anyway. In fairness to Sesame Place, the video is shot from across the street, so you can't hear any potential conversation between parents and whoever's in the Rosita costume.

Additionally, LaMarr thinks the new video shows Rosita's rejection gesture was made solely to the Black girls.

If true, that would be important because Sesame Place claimed, "The Rosita performer did not intentionally ignore the girls and is devastated about the misunderstanding."

As we've reported ... more videos have surfaced of similar incidents at the park, and Sesame Place is promising to tighten things up with bias training and a thorough review of how park workers engage with guests.

LaMarr says he's been flooded with calls from other folks who were at the same Sesame Place parade as Jodi and the girls.

LaMarr says community activists, such as Tamika Mallory, are organizing events to galvanize people outraged by the viral video.

As for the Brown family, he says their end goals are getting whoever was in the Rosita costume fired, and getting a sincere apology from Sesame Place ... something they feel hasn't happened yet.

Sesame Place tells TMZ ... they are in contact with LaMarr, and have offered to meet with him and the family to personally deliver an apology and acknowledgment that they hold themselves accountable for what happened. It also says, "We want to listen to them to understand how the experience impacted their family and to understand what we can do better for them and all guests who visit our parks."

Bo Jackson's heart is clearly as big as his muscles ... the two-sport legend just revealed he donated to Uvalde shortly after May's horrific shooting, helping pay for the victims' funerals.

The former NFL and MLB player told The Associated Press on Wednesday he felt the need to lend a helping hand after having been to the city multiple times throughout his years of traveling through west Texas.

"It’s just not right for parents to bury their kids. It’s just not right," said Jackson, whose donation had previously been made anonymously.

"I know every family there probably works their butts off just to do what they do. ... The last thing they needed was to shell out thousands of dollars for something that never should have happened."

Jackson told the AP he and a close friend quietly flew to Uvalde three days after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary ... and gave a $170,000 check to Gov. Greg Abbott, and offered then to pay for the funeral expenses.

"In a truly selfless act," Abbott said. "Bo covered all funeral expenses for the victims’ families so they would have one less thing to worry about as they grieved."

Added Jackson, "Uvalde is a town that sticks in your mind. Just the name."

Deion Sanders' son, Shedeur, has a fashion line called SS2 ... and now, TMZ Sports has learned he's copped a MASSIVE diamond pendant to commemorate the brand!!

Shedeur -- who quarterbacks Deion's Jackson State football team -- turned to Saki Diamonds to create the piece ... and, as you can see, it turned out amazing.

Saki tells us the new pendant features 28.2 carats of VVS diamonds -- and looks just like Shedeur's SS2 trademark.

The Bussdown Cuban link chain also comes heavy, boasting a whopping 43.5 carats of VVS diamonds.

"It's a HUGE piece!" Saki said. "Most pro athletes or people in the music industry don't have a piece like this."

The sophomore signal-caller got it all delivered to him Wednesday night ... just in time for Thursday's SWAC Media Day.

No word on what Shedeur paid for the piece ... but the QB -- who balled out in 2021 with 3,231 passing yards and 30 touchdowns -- signed a NIL deal with Gatorade recently (becoming the first-ever HBCU student-athlete to do so), and we're sure it came with enough coin to spend freely on the bling.