Kids

Child star JoJo Siwa just confirmed she's part of the LGBTQ+ community -- but isn't quite ready to label herself with a letter just yet.

The former 'Dance Moms' star published a lengthy video Saturday, which pretty much hit the point home that she had, in fact, come out after much speculation these past few days. She says she's gotten tons of support, and has never been happier in her life to be her true self.

At one point, one of JoJo's fans asks how she identifies in terms of sexual orientation ... and she says she doesn't know yet. That's interesting to note, because everyone assumed she'd come out as gay ... mostly due to her own wardrobe, which literally had the word printed on.

JoJo showed off a shirt she received the other day, which reads ... BEST. GAY. COUSIN. EVER. Many took that as signaling, not to mention her lip-syncing to Gaga's "Born This Way."

It's a big deal, BTW. JoJo -- who's 17 years old -- has a massive audience with kids, so this is gonna reach them in some shape or form. Many think it'll help children be more comfortable with owning their sexuality, since one of their on-screen heroes now has.

Ariel Robinson -- a former winner of 'Worst Cooks in America' -- jokingly discussed raising kids in a brutal manner before she was charged with killing one of her own ... and we've got the video.

We've obtained footage of Ariel performing an impromptu stand-up routine in Spartanburg, SC in 2019, in which she's discussing trying to adopt a daughter ... and a social worker coming to her home to make sure she was a fit parent.

As Ariel recounts the story, she talks about two other children of hers -- an 8-year-old boy and an 11-year-old boy, both of whom wanted a little sister -- and how they were acting wild while the worker was there. She says she should've locked them up in cages as a result.

Nothing too crazy ... but watch what she says next. She jokes that at one point, she turned around and screamed upstairs to the boys, "Shut up before I come in there and punch in your throat!" ... adding that she'd reached her "mommy level" of frustration.

It got a bit of a mixed reaction from the crowd, which Ariel also played up ... saying the social worker looked at her like they all were. Then, she says she got "approved." Unclear if this story relates to the adopted daughter she and her husband are accused of killing.

As we reported ... Ariel and Jerry Robinson were arrested and charged with homicide of a 3-year-old girl -- who has since been identified as Victoria Smith, a toddler who'd spent a majority of her life in foster care. Reports say the Robinsons adopted her at some point.

Authorities list a series of blunt force injuries that led to her death.

Conor McGregor is getting ready to enter the UFC Octagon in what promises to be one of the biggest fights ever ... and he could draw some inspiration from this kid, who clearly drew inspiration from Conor.

Brice Gonzalez is amazing. The 5-year-old, with the help of his dad Randy, mimicked Conor after an earlier, 1st round K.O. against Dustin Poirier. The kid's attitude is spot on, and he's exceptional at memorizing his lines.

Randy has created a hugely successful comedy show with his son, which gets millions of views on social media. Randy, who served time in prison, was having a hard time finding a job. Then he came up with the idea of a comedy show, and it exploded.

Randy and Brice have gained a bunch of celeb followers, including Kevin Hart and Snoop.

The wait is finally over, Gigi Hadid has revealed the name of her daughter with Zayn Malik ... Khai.

Gigi made the not-so-subtle announcement Thursday, updating her Instagram page bio to include "Khai's mom." Fans were quick to notice the change, and went crazy for the news.

A source close to the couple tells us Khai's name is a tribute to Gigi's grandmother -- on her dad, Mohamed's side -- who was named Khairiah. The name Khai also means "crowned" in Arabic whereas Zayn's last name "Malik" means "King" ... so baby Khai's name translates to "crowned king".

Gigi gave birth to Khai in September, and while she's shared a couple faceless photos of her new daughter, the public was left in the dark when it came to the baby's name.

It was just before Thanksgiving when Gigi shared a photo of herself holding Khai in a blanket with the caption, "A whole new kind of busy & tired ... but she’s da bestie so she got Christmas decorations early." Included was a photo of a decorated Christmas tree.

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.

Joe Biden got choked up during a sendoff from his home state of Delaware, and the reason for his emotions -- his late son, Beau, was at the center of his thoughts.

The President-elect got a farewell ceremony Tuesday at the Delaware National Guard Joint Force HQ ... it's named after Beau Biden -- who was a Major with the Delaware National Guard.

During his remarks, Joe teared up thanking the state officials who intro'd him ... plus, his fellow Delawareans whom he's come to know so well over the years as a U.S. Senator. He told anecdotes about the Amtrak train he used to ride from DE to D.C. ... and how he'd wait on a Black conductor to take him to his job each day.

Joe says things have come full circle now that he's got Kamala Harris at his side.

He also quoted Irish novelist James Joyce, who once told a friend that when his time came to pass ... Dublin would be inscribed on his heart. Joe said the same applied to him, except it would be Delaware written on his.

One last thing that was pretty touching ... Joe said he regrets the fact Beau wasn't around, because he felt he could've been President himself.

The daughter who publicly ID'd her own mother as a bloodied participant in the Capitol riots feels some guilt for calling her mom out ... but says she doesn't regret it, for several reasons.

Helena Duke joined "TMZ Live" Monday to add some context to why she decided to out her mother, Therese Duke, in a viral clip where Therese gets punched by a security guard outside the Capitol after the insurrection.

Helena says her mom lied to her about her whereabouts on January 6 -- claiming she was getting a medical procedure -- so she wouldn't have known Therese attended the riots ... if not for the video of her getting punched.

As for why Therese was in D.C. ... Helena believes Donald Trump radicalized her mother about a year into his Presidency. She says it was "unsettling" how her mom flipped from lifelong Democrat to far-right Republican.

If you missed it ... the day after the riots, Helena commented on the vid of her mother getting punched -- "hi mom remember the time you told me I shouldn’t go to BLM protests bc they could get violent...this you?"

Shortly afterward she went a step further by publicly ID'ing her mom, aunt and uncle as attending the riot.

Therese has since been fired from her job at a Massachusetts hospital ... which stated her termination was linked to her being involved in the Capitol violence.

Emma Jablonski was heartbroken when she watched Officer Daniel Hodges doing his job in agony, as he was crushed by a metal door frame during the attack. He was trying to fend off the rioters who had overwhelmed him and other Capitol cops.

Emma couldn't do much from her home in Billings, but she wanted to do something ... so she wrote Hodges a get well card that read ... "I hope you heal from being crushed. I feel bad for you. Those people are really bad hurting you... I saw the video on CNN about people crushing you with a door. I almost cried. Get well."

Emma tweeted her note, and it only took a few hours for the Capitol police to see it. The Dept. responded by telling the girl, "Officer Hodges is recovering and doing well."

Word got to Hodges, and he and Emma connected on video chat. Emma decided she'd send him a card with her note along with a gift or 2.

As the anniversary of Kobe and Gianna Bryant's deaths approaches, Vanessa's sharing her daily battle to cope with such heartbreaking loss ... and offering some advice.

Vanessa says ... "Grief is a messed up cluster of emotions. One day you're in the moment laughing and the next day you don't feel like being alive."

She then speaks directly to people who understand her pain, adding ... "Find your reason to live. I know it's hard. I look at my daughters and I try to push through that feeling for them."

As you know ... Vanessa's husband and 13-year-old daughter were both killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020 along with 7 others, including the pilot.

From time to time, Vanessa's shared her efforts to pick up the pieces and care for her and Kobe's 3 other girls ... but she's never spoken this openly about her struggle with grief.

Joanne Rogers -- widow of legendary children's TV host, Fred Rogers -- has died ... according to the family's production company.

Fred Rogers Productions says it's deeply saddened by Joanne's passing, adding ... "The loving partner of Fred Rogers for more than 50 years, she continued their shared commitment to supporting children and families after his death as chair of the board of Fred Rogers Productions."

The company says ... "Joanne was a brilliant and accomplished musician, a wonderful advocate for the arts, and a dear friend to everyone in our organization."

Joanne was married to Fred for 50 years, as he became famous for "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," and helped carry on his legacy of kindness and caring after he died of stomach cancer in 2003.

During election season, Joanne made headlines for publicly supporting Joe Biden, describing herself as a "very big Biden fan" and saying ... "I think we all need somebody like Biden who can give us little pats on the back."

Like her husband, she's hailed as a hero in their hometown of Pittsburgh, and the city paid tribute to her Thursday, calling her one of its "favorite neighbors" and thanking her for her dedication to its community and its children.

Joanne is survived by her 2 sons, James and John. She was 92.

A Florida substitute teacher who was caught on video telling students Antifa was responsible for the Capitol riot has been fired ... TMZ has learned.

Dr. Damien Moses, principal at Bok Academy in Lake Wales, FL., tells TMZ ... the teacher's conduct was immediately dealt with following the incident from earlier this week. Moses said, "We met with her and she has been dismissed not only from our school, but also from the Lake Wales Charter School System."

A student at the academy started recording the substitute teacher's rant during a middle school language arts class in which she falsely claimed 3 Antifa members were paid to storm the Capitol in last week's failed coup, and were solely responsible for the violence.

Remember ... the FBI has said there is no indication Antifa played a role in the mob that stormed the Capitol.

The substitute teacher was referencing a Washington Times story from last week with the headline "Facial Recognition Claims Antifa Infiltrated Trump Protesters who Stormed Capitol." The story has since been retracted ... after the Singapore-based XRVision tech company refuted the report, adding the company was never in contact with the outlet.

You can hear the student recording the video tell the sub rioters were seen wearing MAGA hats and Trump flags ... but the sub fired back saying, "When they're paid to be there and cause a riot they wanna make it look like Trump supporters so they wear Trump hats and carry Trump flags."

You can sense the discomfort in the room ... and one student asked for permission to leave, while another said, "I don't care about your opinions."

Even kids have an eye now for anti-mask madness 10 months into the pandemic ... so, ya gotta see this mini Dr. Fauci lay down the law as police kick an anti-masker outta Walmart.

Our little hero here hails from North Carolina, where he kept his camera rolling and his mouth running as the anti-masker set a bad example in front of some masked up families at the register.

The little guy says he's just trying to play his video games in peace as the anti-masker argues with his parents, telling the man to shut his trap during a rant about not needing a mask.

The anti-masker claims he doesn't need a face-covering because his sheriff allegedly says so ... and the tense situation ends up with police coming, and telling the guy he's wrong as they show him the door.

It's a pretty intense standoff, complete with claims of reverse racism ... and the kid gives some sage advice, "don't be a jerk all the time, okay?"

East Coast actor George James is best known for playing Jake in the wind-powered boarding house filled with wacky puppets and good vibes on the iconic '80s children's television show "Pinwheel."

While George James shared the small screen with some plush puppets including Aurelia, Plus and Minus, Ebenezer T. Squint, Molly O'Mole, Luigi O'Brien and many more ... he also was cast alongside other actors like Lindanell Rivera and C.C. Loveheart as the mime, Coco ... and of course Dale Engel and Betty Rozek as Smitty and Sal.

James went on to act on "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka."

Miya Ponsetto's arrest for attempted robbery -- after attacking a 14-year-old boy and accusing him of stealing her phone -- isn't nearly enough, according to the child's parents ... who insist racism was involved in the incident.

Keyon Harrold Jr.'s mom and dad -- Kat and Keyon Sr. -- joined us on "TMZ Live," along with their attorney, Ben Crump, to address Ponsetto being taken into custody ... more than 2 weeks after her altercation with the teenager at a SoHo hotel.

But, the so-called SoHo Karen's arrest led to a much bigger discussion about ongoing examples of racial injustice in the country, which Crump says was also highlighted during the historic events in the Capitol this week.

As for the incident with Ponsetto and Harrold Jr. ... Keyon's parents say he's still in therapy to deal with the aftermath. His mom and dad are worried about PTSD, and Kat describes the trauma as something her son doesn't deserve ... same goes for countless people of color before him.

Kat goes on to lay blame on the SoHo hotel for its role in Ponsetto's attack on her son, claiming it enabled her to lay hands on him.

As we reported ... Ponsetto has denied her attack of Harrold had anything to do with race -- instead, her lawyer says it was anxiety-induced -- and our law enforcement sources say she will not be charged for any sort of hate crime.

Tim Tebow is releasing a brand new children's book based on his late beloved dog, Bronco -- and it's really sweet.

Bronco passed away back in Nov. 2019 after spending 9 years with Tim. The two were inseparable and Tebow often referred to Bronco as his "son."

So, to keep his memory alive ... Tim authored a children's book called "Bronco and Friends: A Party to Remember" which features Bronco as the main character.

"Bronco was such an amazing dog and I wanted to honor him," Tim explained Tuesday morning on "GMA."

And, if you're wondering ... yes, the story has a religious theme (it's classified by Amazon as Children's Christian Family Fiction).

The story features Bronco -- who wears glasses because of a vision disability -- teaming up with other animals (including a flightless bird and an allergic goat) and they make their way to a special party.

Amazon describes the book this way ... "This sweet story of animals with different challenges and abilities is core to Tim Tebow's message to fans and friends of any age who have special needs."

Tim has been heavily involved in the special needs community for years -- helping kids and families around the world.

"I wanted to write a children's book for all the young boys and girls out there to encourage them and their worth -- and that they're unique, they're special, they're wonderful."

Tyrese's estranged wife filed for divorce more than 3 months before he announced their split, and she claims he changed the locks at their home ... something Tyrese denies.

Samantha Lee Gibson filed divorce docs back in September, and in the petition she alleges Tyrese had, just a few weeks earlier, cut her off financially, and locked her and their 2-year-old daughter, Soraya, out of the family's Georgia home.

Tyrese is calling BS, though ... in docs he filed, he denies leaving them out in the cold. On the other hand, he admits having major issues with Samantha's demand for $20,000 per month in child support. He calls that number "unreasonably high."

As for what led up to their split -- Tyrese says when he flew home from a movie set in late August, Samantha confronted him ... kicking off a tense, 3-hour conversation where she threatened to call cops.

Tyrese says he left the house in an Uber because he wanted no part of a police interaction due to "multiple public incidents involving police brutality and racially motivated killings of unarmed African American people."