Kids

Grace VanderWaal isn't seeing stars, she's seeing dollar signs ... because we've learned she's getting paid a nice chunk of change for her lead role in "Stargirl."

The 17-year-old singer is off to a pretty strong start financially in her acting career after securing top billing in the Disney+ movie, "Stargirl." According to her minor's contract, obtained by TMZ, Grace took home a base salary of $125,000 for the first film, and it looks like she's got a bigger payday on the horizon for the upcoming sequel.

Grace is in line to double her earnings for the second 'Stargirl' movie ... the contract says she'll get paid a cool $250,000 to reprise her role as Stargirl Caraway, and Disney says the sequel is already in development.

We'll do the math for ya ... Grace will earn at least $375,000 just in base pay for both films. And, if there's a third film, she'll rake in $500,000. Yes, it pays well to be a Disney star.

John Geddert -- the coach of the legendary 2012 Team USA gymnastics team -- has been charged with multiple counts of human trafficking and sexual assault and faces up to life in prison.

... and there's a connection to disgraced Team USA doctor and convicted sexual predator Larry Nassar.

63-year-old Geddert was the head man in charge when the Fierce Five squad won gold at the 2012 Games in London. The team was comprised of superstars Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber.

But, law enforcement officials say Geddert shouldn't be celebrated as some great coach -- claiming he's a scumbag who sexually assaulted an unidentified person in 2012 who was between the age of 13 and 16.

The specifics of the allegations are still unclear -- but the charges he's facing are horrifying.

In total, Geddert is facing 20 counts of human trafficking, 2 counts of sexual assault, 1 count of racketeering and 1 count of lying to a peace officer.

As for the Larry Nassar connection ... Nassar was the team doctor for the 2012 gymnastics team. Nassar also treated gymnasts at the Michigan gym, Twistars, which was owned by Geddert and his wife until they sold it just a few weeks ago.

It's relevant because prosecutors say Geddert lied to investigators in 2016 when they were looking into Nassar's criminal conduct -- and Geddert allegedly said he never heard anyone complain about the doctor.

Geddert probably saw the criminal charges coming ... Michigan State Police raided his home in early 2020.

Team USA suspended Geddert when the Larry Nassar story broke several years back. Geddert told people in 2018 he was retiring from coaching.

Mr. Potato Head is catching up with the times, he's now just Potato Head ... and it's all about getting rid of traditional gender norms.

Hasbro is dropping the "Mr." and rebranding its iconic spud toys this fall, giving children a blank canvas to create a potato family however they see fit.

The toy giant says it wants to move away from the nuclear family and give kids a chance to go with what feels natural to them ... build whatever kinda potato fam ya want, and those spuds can wear whatever they want.

It's a huge shift for Hasbro ... the company launched the OG Mr. Potato Head way back in 1952, and followed it up the next year with a Mrs. Potato Head complete with her own set of accessories. Plus, it was only 8 years ago that Hasbro celebrated the original potato couple's 60th anniversary with a special box set.

Now, Hasbro says the new toy sets won't present kids with the same family structure you played with as a tyke.

Here's what band practice looks like now at a recently reopened high school in Washington state -- still making music, but in COVID-safe bubbles.

The bright green tents are the new norm now for the Wenatchee High School band ... and it looks like some instruments are better suited to this than others.

Check out this student stuffing his sousaphone into the bubble tent for Tuesday's band practice ... looks pretty snug. Guess the school went with a one size fits all approach. Can you say, public school budget issues?

The scene here is the complete opposite of The Flaming Lips concert last month in Oklahoma City, where it was the crowd in space bubbles instead of the actual band.

NBA superstar Russell Westbrook is following LeBron's lead ... opening a state-of-the-art school for underprivileged youth in his home city!!

The 32-year-old SoCal native has partnered with the L.A. Promise Fund to launch the "Russell Westbrook Why Not? Academy" ... which will cater to students in South Los Angeles from grades 6 through 12.

Brodie announced the decision in a touching video on Wednesday ... while he was being interviewed by one of his future students!

"My plan is making sure you guys and the future kids coming in have access to all the resources you need to be successful," the former NBA MVP said.

The schools will focus on providing access to "high-quality athletic programs while balancing a strong education and leadership development," according to a statement from the Foundation.

Westbrook says he will be actively involved with the school -- and will serve as a board member to oversee the progress.

Of course, LeBron's "I Promise" School in Akron has been a huge success -- with student program's test scores exceeding expectations since it opened in 2018.

The first episode of HBO's new documentary detailing Dylan Farrow's allegations of sexual abuse against Woody Allen is out -- and the famed director has choice words for it.

He and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn, blasted the doc in a joint statement ... calling 'Allen v. Farrow' a "hatchet job" that they believe had no interest in pursuing the facts.

Allen and Previn -- through his sister, Letty Aronson -- say the filmmakers "spent years surreptitiously collaborating with the Farrows and their enablers to put together a hatchet job riddled with falsehoods. Woody and Soon-Yi were approached less than two months ago and given only a matter of days 'to respond.' Of course, they declined."

The statement notes Dylan's allegations -- and at the time when she was a child, her mother Mia Farrow's as well -- have been known about and investigated several times for years now ... with no wrongdoing found on the part of Allen, or charges brought against him.

It unequivocally asserts no abuse ever took place, while adding ... "It is sadly unsurprising that the network to air this is HBO -- which has a standing production deal and business relationship with Ronan Farrow. While this shoddy hit piece may gain attention, it does not change the facts."

The first episode in the 4-part series chronicled how Mia met Woody and got involved with him -- eventually introducing and incorporating him into the lives of her many children (some biological, others adopted). Obviously, it also focused on Dylan -- one of Mia's adopted children -- and what the filmmakers, and others, deemed Woody's fixation with her.

The episode has a major cliffhanger, where it's alleged Mia found nude photos of her adult adopted daughter, Soon-Yi, at Woody's place ... and discovered a love affair between them.

The final scene shows current-day Dylan reflecting to the camera, "Oh, I'm not the only one," implying Allen had taken nude photos of her too.

A teenage football player says he's truly sorry for trash-talking Cam Newton at a camp over the weekend ... explaining, "I never meant to humiliate & let anyone down."

If you missed it, the young footballer and the former NFL MVP really got into it at a 7-on-7 event in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Cameras caught the player calling Cam "ass" and ribbing the 31-year-old for being an upcoming free agent.

Cam -- who helped sponsor teams at the event -- responded by telling the kid he was "rich" and asking to see his parents.

The clip quickly went viral ... with several current and former NFL players chastising the player for going after Cam.

Leonard Fournette -- a newly crowned Super Bowl champion -- wrote on Twitter, "Any young athlete watching this video please don’t be this kid."

"Don’t miss your chance to learn something from someone who has been their at the highest level in this sport.... STAY HUMBLE."

Cam himself later commented on the drama ... explaining his role in the situation and adding he does everything he can to help kids at events like these.

Late Sunday night, the player -- identified as Perkiomen Valley HS's Jseth Owens -- issued a statement apologizing for the way everything went down.

"I did not intend for it to get as far as it did!" said Owens, a junior linebacker and wide receiver. "As a football player, I let my competitive side get the best of me & it was a huge miscommunication."

"It was in the midst of the moment & I realize now how a lot of you took it as disrespect."

Owens continued, "I apologize & hope I can be forgiven."

Sen. Ted Cruz is back in Texas after his quick getaway to Cancun was seemingly shortened by the outrage over his timing -- amid the statewide emergency -- and now he has police protection.

Officers escorted Cruz as he deplaned in Houston to head to customs. Sounds like he's in a pretty chipper mood for a guy who pissed off millions of people in a matter of hours.

As we reported ... Cancun Cruz and his family boarded a United flight Wednesday night to begin a tropical getaway as millions of his fellow Texans are literally freezing and dying due to the winter storm-induced power outages.

The Senator quickly hopped on a flight back to Houston Thursday afternoon, hours after the backlash. He was reportedly trying to get an upgrade to business class, but as you can see he rode back in economy -- and passengers weren't shy about chatting him up.

Cruz says he only took the trip to be a "good dad" and chaperone his daughters to Cancun. He claims he had always planned to return today, but that seems suspect ... considering his wife was on the trip, and could've handled babysitting duty on her own.

Oh, and he had a pretty big roll-on bag too for a 24-hour trip. 🤔

This is absolutely awesome!!!!

WWE legend The Undertaker is offering up one of the coolest WWE experiences EVER -- and it's all to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The long story short ... Taker has agreed to personally host the winner of an Omaze fundraising sweepstakes at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando where he will personally customize a RING ENTRANCE for the lucky fan!!

"We're gonna sit down and we're gonna create their own personal ring entrance," Taker tells TMZ Sports ... "So, they're gonna tell me 'Well I wanna do this, I like this, I like this.' So they're gonna get to pick my mind, pick my brain, ya know -- I know a little about entrances!"

"We'll sit there and formulate their own personal WWE ring entrance and then they'll get to do that entrance."

The lucky winner will also stay at a 4-star hotel, meet other WWE superstars and get all sorts of cool WWE merch.

The Undertaker -- real name Mark Calaway -- says he's happy to donate his time and energy since it's to raise money for Make-A-Wish, one of his favorite organizations on the planet.

"When you get to interact with these children and you know what they're going through -- and man, to see the smiles on their faces!? Not to sound cliché but I tell you what, it will put you on point because it makes you realize how blessed you are and it's just a thrill."

"It really has been one of the highlights in my career working with Make-A-Wish."

Taker has done more than 40 Make-A-Wish events over the years -- though he would have happily done more "if it hadn't been for the character."

It's a good point!!

A high school in Wisconsin is following the Washington Football Team's lead and ditching its racist nickname ... with officials announcing the "Red Raiders" will now be known as the "RiverHawks."

La Crosse Central HS made the move during a school board meeting Monday night ... officially making the switch due to the old nickname's historically derogatory meaning towards Indigenous people.

FYI -- the school previously used a Native American in its logo until it switched to a knight on horseback in 1994 ... while maintaining the "Red Raider" name.

Now, Central is getting a fresh start altogether -- with the school revealing the new non-racist name and logo that was voted on by students and staff.

Central principal Troy McDonald spoke about the decision to rebrand ... saying, "The previous logo and nickname is one that all the previous alumni, I believe, should feel pride in, but I'm hoping they continue to support our move forward as we try and make Central a safe place for all students," according to the La Crosse Tribune.

The situation is similar to the controversy in pro sports and shouldn't come as a surprise -- the Washington Football team, the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos and the MLB’s Cleveland Indians all have recently decided to change their nicknames due to their racist and offensive nature.

Central is wasting no time ditching the old mascot ... with the plan to have the "RiverHawks" brand ready to go in time for spring sports.

"Ariel is awake."

That's the GREAT news everyone has been waiting for regarding the little girl who was badly injured in a car accident involving KC Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid.

5-year-old Ariel Young suffered serious brain injuries when Britt Reid -- the son of head coach Andy Reid -- allegedly slammed his car into the vehicle she was in, the Thursday before the Super Bowl.

Young was hospitalized in critical condition and remained in a coma for more than a week, according to the GundFundMe page created by her aunt.

The family had been asking for prayers -- and it seems they were finally answered, because they announced Ariel awoke from the coma on Monday.

The family did not expand on her medical condition -- but the assumption is that it's a move in the right direction.

Ariel's 4-year-old cousin, Julianna, was also injured in the Feb. 4 crash -- suffering a broken nose and a concussion, according to the family. She's at home recovering.

35-year-old Britt -- who was a linebacker coach with the Chiefs -- was initially placed on leave the crash. But, he is no longer employed by the team.

As we previously reported, cops say Reid admitted to drinking alcohol and taking Adderall before smashing into 2 parked cars that were pulled over on the side of a highway on-ramp. The crash occurred just minutes from Arrowhead Stadium in KC.

Cops announced they were investigating the crash but so far no formal charges have been brought against Reid.

FYI, Ariel's GoFundMe page has already raised more than $488,000 to help cover medical expenses ... an incredible show of support.

Here's a video that'll brighten up your Monday ...

Dallas Cowboys superstar Amari Cooper surprised some kids with an impromptu game of catch while he was out house hunting ... and the adorable gesture will hit you right in the feels!!

The 26-year-old WR was looking at some investment properties recently when he noticed some kids in the neighborhood were playing some ball in the street.

According to a witness, Cooper had said out loud after seeing the front-yard games, "This is the future right there."

So, Cooper's friend went over to one of the boys and asked if he watched the Dallas Cowboys.

When the boy said yes, she asked if he wanted to meet Amari -- and, of course, the kid said yes!

What happened next was super sweet ... Cooper, despite still limping after having ankle surgery in early January, decided to play some catch with the kids!!

Check out the footage, Cooper chatted it up with the oldest boy while tossing around the pigskin ... and they even traded a little smack talk!!

At one point, you can hear the boy was so excited, he told his siblings to "go get mom!"

North West's oil painting -- which some call Bob Ross-esque -- actually caught the eyes of the folks keeping his legacy alive, and they wanna work with the young artiste.

Sarah Strohl from Bob Ross Inc. tells TMZ ... they were thrilled to discover North's painting -- despite all the online haters it drew -- and they're looking to nurture her talent by inviting her to visit the Bob Ross Experience in Muncie, Indiana.

Sarah says everyone at the late and iconic American painter's company is thrilled about Bob's apparent influence on a new generation ... represented by North.

If North accepts the invitation, we're told she'll get to check out Bob's paintings, up close and in-person. She'll also get a class in Bob's wet-on-wet technique with a certified Ross instructor -- that is, if she hasn't mastered it already.

The venue itself is pretty legendary ... it's the refurbished studio where Bob filmed his beloved series "The Joy of Painting" from 1983 to 1994.

The visit would be pretty cool for any young artist, but especially for North ... after all the bitter reaction to Kim Kardashian posting North's work of art.

As we reported ... Kim was pissed when haters came after North and questioned the authenticity of a piece she said North painted herself.

President Biden got out of town this weekend, opting for a happy virtual drive on Rainbow Road instead of a motorcade drive through D.C.

Joe was at Camp David this weekend -- where some of his family members met him to hang out for some QT with grandpa, including his granddaughter, Naomi ... who says she went head-to-head with 46 in a round of Mario Kart -- with both of them in the driver's seat.

Apparently, there are arcade games at Camp David -- and Mario Kart's one of them. Sounds like Naomi's granddad got the best of her. She says, "Secret Service made an exception and let him drive himself!!!!" Naomi adds, "A little rusty but he still won (barely)."

She also posted a boomerang video of herself rolling around in a human-size inflatable ball in what appears to be a gymnasium.

Camp David's got stuff like this for POTUS getaways -- there are stories and photos of presidents past shooting pool, bowling and watching movies in a full theater there on the grounds. So, it's not surprising that they've got neat attractions like this these days.

Kim Kardashian is FUMING at folks questioning the authenticity of a painting she says her daughter made herself ... insisting it's the real deal, and people doubting it have way too much time on their hands.

KK is blasting critics of North's oil painting -- depicting a mountain, a river and a surrounding valley ... which drew comparisons of Bob Ross' artwork (and lots of jokes). But, there were also those who straight-up said North couldn't have done it on her own.

You can tell Kim's pissed from the get-go ... "DON’T PLAY WITH ME WHEN IT COMES TO MY CHILDREN!!!" Kim goes on to say North and her BFF have been taking high-skill oil painting classes lately, and just wrapped their art projects after weeks of hard work.

North's pal is Ryan Romulus, the daughter of Kim's good friend, Tracy Romulus. Tracy posted a photo of Ryan with her own oil painting of a wolf. Fans had zeroed in on Ryan's painting as well ... she also completed a nature landscape in the same class.

Anyway, Kim goes on to say this about "grown adults" who are taking shots at her daughter's ability ... "How dare you see children doing awesome things and then try to accuse them of NOT being awesome!?!?! Please stop embarrassing yourselves with the negativity and allow every child to be GREAT!!!"

Paris Hilton called on none other than President Biden to denounce child abuse in schools ... this as she testified about alleged torment she went through as a kid.

The heiress spoke publicly Monday to a state congressional committee in Utah in support of a bill that would enact stricter regulations on private institutions like Provo Canyon School -- where Paris says she endured years of abuse as a teen by the facility's staff.

In her opening statement, Paris appealed directly to the top of the food chain of politics ... calling on not just Utah leaders to do the right thing, but also Sen. Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, VP Harris and even 46 himself to jump on this issue.

PH choked up at certain points in her testimony, saying that since her documentary -- 'This is Paris' -- premiered in September, survivors from all over have been coming forward to share their stories with her.

She urged the Utah senators to pass the bill, SB127, in hopes of reining in the alleged bad behavior and instituting more oversight.