Kids

New parents across the U.S. are honoring Kobe and Gianna Bryant in a BIG way ... experts say babies with the names Kobe and Gianna have risen dramatically in 2020.

According to BabyCenter, there's been a huge increase in newborns with the names since the NBA legend and his daughter tragically died in a helicopter crash in January.

Per the site -- which gets its data from over 500,000 new babies that were registered to the site this year -- Kobe vaulted from #595 on the list in 2019 to #216 in 2020.

The site claims that's "far and away the biggest riser on the list for boys in 2020."

As for Gianna, her name among newborns rose from #76 to #24 (seriously, #24).

In case you were wondering, the top 10 for the year for boys included Liam, Noah, Jackson, Aiden, Elijah, Grayson, Lucas, Oliver, Caden and Mateo.

For girls, the top 10 went Sophia, Olivia, Riley, Emma, Ava, Isabella, Aria, Aaliyah, Amelia and Mia.

A small group of angry adults destroyed "Black Lives Matter" artwork made by kids outside a Portland school, but the children are undeterred.

The 3 women tore down the BLM art hanging in front of The Cottonwood School on Sunday, while one of them -- appearing to be wearing a bulletproof vest -- expressed her disdain for the messaging on the signs.

According to the school ... the woman recording the incident is a community member, and despite her pleas for the 3 women to stop -- or at the very least not steal the kids' signs -- they ripped it all down and took off ... but not before the woman in sunglasses had a freak-out.

The good news -- the video's making the rounds, and members of the Portland community gathered Tuesday to support the students at the K-8 school with brand new signs ... while the students are working on making more of their own.

Cottonwood says that it "stands in solidarity with our Black families. Our goal is to nurture compassionate and confident students who possess the skills needed to confront racism in our community and beyond."

It continues ... "We are committed to fighting systemic racism, especially within our schools and neighborhoods, and we strive to model humility and non-violence for our children."

By the way ... the original artwork hung by the students went up in June. The school says the Oregon State Board of Education recently passed a resolution encouraging districts to support Black students, educators, and community members ... including renewing their commitment to anti-racism.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's old criminal case -- in which he pled guilty to use of a child in a sexual performance -- has come back to haunt him ... because he is now being sued by the person who claims she's the one in the video.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the woman, identified as Jane Doe, is suing the rapper for allegedly sexually abusing her at a party in 2015 ... when she was just 13 years old.

Jane Doe claims, on top of being underage at the time, she was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and was unable to consent as 6ix9ine and another adult, Tay Milly, made 3 sexually explicit videos which she says they later posted online.

According to the docs ... the first video featured Doe performing oral sex on Tay Milly while Tekashi did pelvic thrusts behind her -- without engaging in sex -- and he slapped her butt. The second vid allegedly featured the girl sitting on 6ix9ine's lap in a bra and underwear, and in the third ... she claims she was laying naked across their laps while Milly groped her.

Jane Doe is suing 6ix9ine and Tay Milly for child sexual assault, child sexual abuse and infliction of emotional distress.

As you may recall ... Tekashi took a plea deal in the criminal case in October 2018 -- in which he admitted to partaking in the making and disseminating of a music video featuring a sexual video of a 13-year-old -- and was sentenced to 4 years probation.

In a recent interview with the NY Times, the rapper said he atoned for his actions, but also claimed he was caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He seemed to downplay his crime as well, adding ... "I was 18 at the time. Am I this 40-year-old Jeffrey Epstein type?"

We reached out to 6ix9ine about the lawsuit ... no word back so far.

Cops are on the hunt for the person who opened fire at a youth football game in Jacksonville -- killing a 27-year-old man and wounding his 7-year-old son.

Video shows the moment the shooting took place Sunday at the football fields next to Arlington Heights Elementary School.

The footage does NOT show either of the victims.

You can see dozens of children playing football while their families watch -- and then all of the sudden, 4 gunshots ring out.

Cops describe the shooter as a man wearing a hoodie and a mask -- who jumped out of a grey SUV and fired the shots, before jumping back in the vehicle and driving away.

Officials believe it was NOT a random shooting -- they believe the 27-year-old victim was targeted.

During the shooting, most of the football players dropped to the ground to avoid being hit. Moments later, everyone on the field took off running, trying desperately to leave the area.

When the dust settled cops say the 27-year-old victim was killed in the attack -- and a 7-year-old boy (believed to be his son) was also shot, but he's expected to recover.

Jenelle Evans and her baby daddy, Nathan Griffith, finally have a plan to share custody of their son -- and it's gonna require a third adult ... Nate's ma.

A judge has signed off on the custody arrangement between the exes to parent their son, Kaiser ... and it includes a detailed schedule. According to the docs, Jenelle retains primary physical custody of the 6-year-old, while Nathan gets him every other weekend.

Grandma Doris will care for the boy every 5th weekend, and when Nate can't do it, his mom can fill in on his behalf.

Kaiser will also be jumping around between households on holidays -- on even years, he'll be with his mom for Thanksgiving and with his dad for odd. Come Christmas, Kaiser is set to celebrate with Jenelle on Christmas morning, and then with his dad later that day ... and until the 27th.

Nathan was granted a significant amount of time to be with Kaiser for the summer -- 6 weeks straight once school's out. For Mother's and Father's Day -- well, that one's easy.

Both parents will share legal custody of the kid, and have to figure out exchange points among themselves. Kaiser also can't be more than 2 hours away from Jenelle when he's visiting dad. And, per the judge, neither parent can trash talk each other in front of him.

You'll recall ... Nathan vowed to get custody of Kaiser last year, claiming Jenelle was an unfit mom and was turning his son against him. Looks like they were able to work out their differences after all that time ... good deal.

An 8-year-old kid named Harry may have figured out a way to save Halloween!!!

Harry lives with his fam in Washington, D.C. and was apparently noodling on how he and his pals could trick-or-treat in COVID times. He -- and we're guessing his family helped -- made a candy chute ... something that's catching fire as a way to safely dole out candy.

So, according to the family, Harry played a big part in designing the prototype. It certainly does the trick, although it's only gonna work on an incline. Nevertheless, the design is solid, so the family's now producing and selling chutes ... for a good cause.

Harry said, "I decided to sell them, exactly how much price they should cost -- which is exactly $25 and zero cents -- and how to decorate it," in an interview with NBC.

Proceeds will go to D.C. charities that offer Thanksgiving dinners to folks in need.

Jerry Harris will remain in custody until he stands trial in his child pornography case.

A federal judge just denied bond for the star of Netflix's popular docuseries, "Cheer." As we reported, Harris had a bond hearing Wednesday in Texas, where the judge heard arguments for and against cutting him loose before his trial. The judge finally ruled Friday, agreeing with the prosecution's wishes to keep him behind bars.

Prosecutors said they believe Harris could prey on minors if released on bond. They claimed he has multiple underage victims already, and would likely revert back to the same alleged behavior. Remember ... the feds claim he continued targeting minors despite being tipped off about the federal investigation.

The judge cited that allegation in Friday's ruling ... saying Harris was consistent in his pursuit of the alleged victims and demonstrated uncontrollable behavior.

Harris' defense team told the court he wouldn't pose a threat or hurt people if he was released pending trial, because he wouldn't have access to the Internet, and would have regular check-ins with a psychiatrist. The judge was unswayed and said community support and a lack of criminal history were not enough to prove Harris doesn't pose a threat to the community.

Instead, the judge said a lack of criminal history actually shows how easy it is for this kind of alleged behavior to go undetected.

Lil Tay could be returning to the limelight soon, but her future career hinges on a custody battle between her parents that's about to come to a head.

Sources close to Lil Tay tell TMZ ... the foul-mouthed kid rapper is home in Vancouver where her parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope, are locked in a court battle for custody of Lil Tay and full control over her life and career.

We're told Lil Tay's parents have been duking it out in court since late 2018, and they're expecting the judge to make some big custody rulings in the coming weeks. We're told they currently share custody.

Lil Tay's future will be heavily impacted by the judge's decision ... our sources say her parents both want her in entertainment, but they have very different plans for her to stay relevant.

We're told Lil Tay's mom wants to let her do whatever she wants to do -- even if that means dropping lots of trash-talking videos on social media.

Perhaps not surprising ... remember, Mom used her boss' Mercedes as a prop in one of Lil Tay's infamous trash-talking videos, and quit her job when her boss caught on and got pissed.

On the other hand, we're told Lil Tay's father prefers the more traditional career path of acting and singing.

In the past, Lil Tay's father has expressed concern about her social media antics and felt others were taking advantage of her just to profit for themselves.

As you know ... Lil Tay has been absent from social media since way back in June 2018, after her father got a court order requiring her to return to Vancouver and stop posting on her Instagram account, which has 1.8 million followers.

Sounds like she could be coming back soon ... so stay tuned.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are returning to the daily grind, slowly but surely ... venturing out together and running some errands, two weeks after their family tragedy.

The couple went on a grocery run Thursday at a Bristol Farms in L.A., the latest indication they are getting back to some semblance of a normal life.

As you know, Chrissy and John's son, Jack, passed away moments after his premature birth, due to complications with the pregnancy ... including severe bleeding from the placenta.

John poured his heart out Wednesday night during the Billboard Music Awards with a moving performance of his song "Never Break" ... which he dedicated to Chrissy.

Great to see the couple's feeling well enough to head out for groceries. They were both wearing face masks, as required in stores.

Here's a pretty solid reason to root for the 49ers -- kicker Robbie Gould has pledged to donate $500 to charity for each field goal he makes this season!

And, not just any charity, Gould says the money will go toward Cal's Angels ... which "has a mission of granting wishes, raising awareness, and funding research to help kids fighting cancer."

The organization was founded by the family of Cal Sutter, who was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia when he was only 12.

Cal passed away in 2006, but the foundation (started in 2007) has raised more than $13 MILLION ever since!

Gould (who played for the Chicago Bears for years) says he's excited to help out -- explaining, "In the past 13 years, they have granted over 2,000 wishes to kids fighting cancer in the Chicagoland area so all the money donated during September will go to their wish-granting program."

"These kids are faced with a challenge they shouldn't have - to live!"

"I am challenging you all to help me in supporting Cal's Angels. Join team GOULD and help me kick cancer with a one-time donation."

Barron Trump came down with coronavirus when his mom and dad did ... so says the First Lady.

Melania Trump posted an essay Wednesday on the WH site about her personal experience with battling COVID-19, which both she and her husband, Donald, contracted a couple weeks ago. She revealed that their 14-year-old, Barron, actually became infected as well.

She says that as soon as she was diagnosed as positive, her mind immediately went to Barron -- who, to her relief, tested negative at first. However, he came back with a positive shortly thereafter, but since then ... Melania says he too, like his folks, are now COVID-free.

The First Lady writes, "Luckily he is a strong teenager and exhibited no symptoms. In one way I was glad the three of us went through this at the same time so we could take care of one another and spend time together. He has since tested negative."

The White House confirmed Barron's negative test, but appear to have kept any further testing/diagnoses on the low publicly ... until now, that is.

Melania doesn't get into Barron's specific treatment regimen, but she does touch on her own ... which was apparently vastly different than that of POTUS himself, who was admitted to the hospital for a bit and put on a number of medications, some of which are experimental.

Jerry Harris wouldn't be able to hurt people or pose a threat if he was released pending trial in his child porn case ... at least according to his defense team, which says he'd be cut off from the digital world.

The disgraced star of Netflix's cheerleading docuseries, "Cheer," had a bond hearing Wednesday in Texas, where a judge heard arguments for and against cutting him loose before he stands trial. Currently, he's in custody at MCC Chicago.

Prosecutors have already made it clear they believe Jerry could prey on minors if he bonds out of jail -- they claim he has multiple underage victims thus far, and will likely fall into the same alleged behavior. As we reported, the feds claim he continued targeting minors even after he'd been tipped off about their investigation.

His defense team had a different perspective ... telling the court Jerry wouldn't have access to a phone or the Internet, if released, and he'd have regular check-ins with a psychiatrist.

On that last part ... Jerry's team says he does not possess the mental development of an average 20-year-old but understands the severity of the charges he's facing.

The judge postponed a decision on bond, and, for now, he'll remain in custody.

As we reported ... Harris was arrested last month in Illinois. The feds claim he admitted to many of the allegations against him ... including sexually assaulting at least one minor boy in an unlocked public bathroom during a cheer event.

Two of his alleged victims have also sued him.

The New Jersey Devils just made a dream come true for one of their biggest fans ... by selecting a 13-year-old with an honorary draft pick!!

Reilly Hoagland was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis -- a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system -- at age 4 ... but has remained active on his local hockey team.

The team got wind of Reilly's love for the Devils ... and partnered with Make-A-Wish New Jersey to hook him up with an all-out party for his honorary introduction to the team.

Reilly got his own custom jersey ... and former players Bruce Driver and Grant Marshall and even the mascot all dropped by to visit!!

"On behalf of the New Jersey Devils organization, I would like to welcome you and your family to our family," Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said in a video message.

"I've heard a lot of amazing things about you, from your speed, your shot, your passion, your commitment — all the characteristics we value as a New Jersey Devil."

"I look forward to seeing you at the rink soon."

Current Devils star Travis Zajac added, "It’s great to have the addition of another New Jersey guy on the team."

"Congrats on your big day and see you at the Rock real soon.”

That's not all -- the team says it will host Reilly at a home game next season!!

Go, Reilly!!

Vanessa Bryant added another Kobe Bryant tattoo tribute on her body -- inking his name on her foot, along with the rest of their family.

Vanessa went public with the body art on her IG page on Tuesday -- showing the names Kobe, Vanessa, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri tatted along the outside of her right foot.

The artwork lists their children in the order of their birth.

Vanessa shouted out the artist, Mr. Cartoon (the same guy who tatted a Kobe tribute on Snoop this week) ... thanking him for the work.

"First tatt in @misterctoons new Santa Monica shop. Thank you! #throwback l.a. love #tattooplacement check #KobeVanessaNataliaGiannaBiankaCapri Together Forever."

Vanessa had some Kobe tributes tatted on her body back in February -- but she didn't reveal the specifics of that work.

All she would say is that the work on her wrist was a special message from Gianna -- and there was also a "sweet message" from Kobe on her neck.

She thanked another tattoo artist, Nikki Hurtado, for doing that work.

This may go down as the most rim-shakin' gender reveal of all time!!!

NBA guard Austin Rivers and his model girlfriend, Audreyana Michelle, got extra creative when revealing the gender of their baby ... by lobbing a ball to daddy -- and it poofed into a cloud of blue!!

The stunning Audreyana announced the baby on the way just days ago ... with a mirror selfie captioned, "social distancing failed."

Austin got in on the fun, too, saying, "Pretty much lol. Love you baby❤️"

Now, we know the newcomer is a baby boy ... with the couple posting the highlight of a reveal on Tuesday.

"It broke in the hand lol🤷‍♂️but yea it’s a boy. 😍 Blessed," Rivers said.

Austin and Audreyana went public earlier this year ... and have been as inseparable as you can be (considering dude was in the NBA bubble for a bit) ever since.

This is Austin's second child ... his baby boy, Kayden, was born in 2018.

Congrats to the couple!!