Kids

Drake Bell is in hot water in Ohio, where he's being charged with attempted endangering children ... but he says he's not guilty.

According to court documents, the "Drake & Josh" star is also facing charges of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

The docs say Cleveland Police arrested Drake ... and as you can see, he's already posed for a smirking mugshot at an Ohio jail.

Drake appeared in Cuyahoga County court Thursday, entering a not guilty plea and posting a $2,500 bond ordering him to have no contact with his alleged victim.

The alleged incident reportedly happened Dec. 1, 2017 ... the same day Drake was scheduled to perform at a club in Cleveland. Drake wasn't indicted until last month and he's due back in court on June 23.

Drake's 3-year-old son got a taste of Lakers playoff basketball, and even though it wasn't very good ... he didn't look like he cared too much.

Billboard's Artist of the Decade brought Adonis to the Staples Center Thursday night to watch L.A. take on the Phoenix Suns and try to avoid elimination.

Dad kept him a little farther away from the action than courtside -- we're guessing it's a safety thing -- but did sit with him for a bit to point out some players on the court ... and probably give some fatherly hoops advice.

Adonis was decked out in a dope LeBron jersey and headphones as he entered the arena with Drake. We don't know if he was listening to hype music for the Lakers, but if so ... it didn't work. They got trounced 113-100.

So, Bron and the Lakers won't be repeating as NBA champs, but this father-son basketball outing's still pretty cool. Best of all ... no tears this time!

Kim Kardashian has a treat for her fans -- the trailer to the movie in which she plays a badass poodle. Yep, it's "Paw Patrol" time!!!

Kim tweeted Thursday she's "so excited for you guys to hear me play Delores in @PawPatrolMovie!" She urged her fans to watch the trailer ... even though her character doesn't get a close-up in the trailer. You can only see her name listed among the long list of featured voices.

Some other stars lending their voices include Jimmy Kimmel, Dax Shepard, Tyler Perry, Marsai Martin, Randall Park, Yara Shahidi and Ron Pardo.

Kim will voice Delores ... a newcomer to the pup crew. The pups' mission -- to save the citizens of Adventure City from Mayor Humdinger ... who BTW is a dog-hating cat lover. Woof.

Interesting nugget ... Marsai, who voices Liberty the dachshund, reportedly had no clue Kim K was her co-star during one of their recording sessions.

The main "Paw Patrol" crew is being voiced by the original TV cast members -- Shayle Simons (Zuma), Callum Shoniker (Rocky), Lilly Bartlam (Skye), Kingsley Marshall (Marshall) and Keegan Hedley (Rubble). Chase is the only pup being voiced by someone else ... "Young Sheldon" star Iain Armitage.

Best practice EVER?!?!

A youth football team in Chicago got the ultimate surprise visit on Tuesday  ... when none other than President Barack Obama came through to give an epic pump-up speech!!!

#44 popped up at Jackson Park to visit the Chicago Southside Wolfpack football team ... and naturally, the kids and coaches lost their minds when they saw the local legend in the flesh.

Barry O gave some solid pointers to players about life on and off the field ... saying, "Sometimes, you’re going to have some doubts. Sometimes, you’re going to make mistakes. Sometimes, you won’t get what you want right away."

"But the key is, can you build that strength in yourself to come back?"

Truly awesome stuff!!

Obama even met with all the kids -- taking pictures and shaking hands.

Now, this is Obama we're talking about ... so you better believe there were some dad jokes thrown in.

FYI, the Wolfpack's practice field is the future site of the incredible $500 million Obama Presidential Center, which will begin construction later this year.

But, don't worry about the Wolfpack -- they're getting a brand new field!!

Lance Bass and his husband Michael Turchin are doubling their family fun -- and perhaps their number of sleepless hours -- they're expecting twins this fall, one boy and one girl!!!

The 'NSYNC singer says the twins are due in early November, and things are finally looking up this time after going through 9 different egg donors and tons of hurdles.

Lance and Michael told PEOPLE the stars finally aligned after a different surrogate suffered a miscarriage in March 2020, sending them back to square one.

The couple's crediting their actor friend Taylor Frey with turning them on to their current surrogate and egg donor, and despite the heartbreak from 2020 ... Lance and Michael felt comfortable telling family about the pregnancy after 9 weeks in.

Remember, Lance and Michael were in the super early baby planning stages back in April 2018, telling us how they were going to decide whose sperm to use.

The competition sounds like it ended in a tie ... Lance and Michael say they each fertilized one of the embryos.

DMX's music is still living on through his daughter ... she took the stage at a show in his honor, and she put her own twist on her father's famous songs.

X's 8-year-old daughter, Sonovah Hillman Jr., grabbed the mic and did her thing Saturday at the Wildcatter Saloon in Katy, TX ... remixing a few classic DMX songs like "Slippin'" and "Ruff Ryders' Anthem."

Check out the video ... Sonovah can flow just like X.

TMZ broke the story ... the late rapper was set to play at the venue in late May, but after X's death, the bar decided to throw a tribute concert instead.

The tribute show developed into a family affair, with DMX's fiancée, Desiree, and their son, Exodus, in attendance ... thanking fans for all their prayers. Sonovah's mother was also there.

Marvel Studios' smash hit series "WandaVision" features a handful of kiddos ... some of whom took home a nice fat paycheck to appear in just one episode.

According to his contract, 12-year-old Gabriel Gurevich -- who played young Pietro -- took home the lion's share among the pint-sized group ... banking $7,673 for a couple weeks of work.

Meanwhile, Wanda Maximoff and Vision's twins -- played by 8-year-old Gavin Borders and 7-year-old Baylen Bielitz -- each earned $3,836 for one week on the job playing the roles of Tommy and Billy at 5 years old.

It looks like Gavin and Baylen had the same weekly rate as Gabriel, but GG's contract guaranteed him 2 weeks of pay. It looks like they each appeared in one episode, though.

Last but not least is 13-year-old Sophia Gaidarova ... she was on set for just one day to play Young Wanda, and got paid $1,105.

The kids' compensation is all laid out in their minors' contracts, which must be filed in court. It's not clear if any of them are coming back for Season 2 ... but if they do, they should expect to see at least a slight pay bump.

Some parents from a ritzy New York City private school are fuming mad after learning first graders were learning about masturbation and also told their parents and grandparents should not touch them without their consent.

A teacher at The Dalton School reportedly showed students a video from the cartoon series, "AMAZE." A little boy in the video asks about erections ... "Hey, how come sometimes my penis gets big sometimes and points in the air." The boy adds, "Sometimes I touch my penis because it feels good." Then a little girl chimes in ... "Sometimes when I'm in my bath or when mom puts me to bed, I like to touch my vulva too."

Some parents were bent out of shape over this, according to the New York Post, but the real anger was triggered over consent. The students reportedly are taught not to let their parents or grandparents touch them without asking for permission first.

A mother told the Post, "I'm paying $50,000 to these a-holes to tell my kid not to let her grandfather hug her when he sees her?" Another mother groused if she fought back she'd get canceled.

The "Rugrats" reboot features an openly gay character and the actor who voiced Tommy Pickles tells us the OG cast always sensed Betty DeVille was lesbian, but it was hush hush.

We got E.G. Daily at SunLife Organics in Malibu and asked her if Betty's sexual orientation was a bit of an open secret back in the show's '90s heyday.

E.G. says the cast and crew didn't really talk openly about Betty being gay, even though many thought the writers were basically implying that. She says everyone could kind of tell back then, but now society's progressed to where a kids' show can have an openly gay character.

In the reboot, Betty owns a café, loves football and jokes about her ex-girlfriends ... and E.G. says the whole cast is embracing the character's newfound freedom to truly be herself.

The OG "Rugrats" ran from 1991 to 2004, and E.G. tells us the reboot is changing with the times in other ways too. Pay attention to Grandpa Lou ... sounds like he knows his way around the internet now.

"Blue's Clues & You" just put out a sing-along for kids that features an animated version of a "RuPaul's Drag Race" star ... who leads a song about Pride Month and inclusivity.

Nickelodeon posted the video Friday -- just days ahead of June 1, which marks the beginning of Pride -- and it features a cartoon rendering of Nina West, who's a fan fave from 'Drag Race,' leading on vocals -- narrating a parade that's passing her in the background.

The song touches on the makeup of different families that fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella ... including households with two dads, two moms, non-binary children and more.

Words like "ace," "queer," "trans," "bi, "pan" and other identifying terms used in the community are sprinkled throughout -- and the song doesn't shy away from them ... noting that they can all be part of a family that loves one another. All the families are made up of different animals -- alligators, sharks, turtles, birds, cats, etc. -- that wave/rock rainbow flags.

Now, the overwhelming reaction to this appears to be positive ... with many taking to social media to praise 'Blue's Clues' for being progressive -- and taking proactive steps to teach kids about different family structures in a fun, catchy way that appeals to young children.

On the other hand, there are some who are clutching their pearls over this ... but they're mostly being drowned out by folks saying this is a great thing that Nick/Nick Jr.'s doing.

Jennifer Lopez is proving once again she's cool with her exes -- grabbing lunch with Marc Anthony in Miami -- but it begs the question, where will things go with Alex Rodriguez?

J Lo and her ex-husband were spotted out at lunch Thursday in Miami, sharing a table outside and talking over a bottle of water. The two have children together and have always maintained a strong friendship, but after her recent reunion with Ben Affleck, A-Rod is the obvious man out.

When Alex and J Lo called off their engagement, the two announced they'd continue to have a working business relationship, and Jennifer seemingly can make things with exes work ... so only time will tell where things go.

As for his part, Alex hasn't said much publicly about Jennifer since the split, but hasn't been so subtle in social media posts, showing empty spots at his dinner table where presumably Jennifer and her kids would sit.

TMZ broke the story ... Bennifer 2.0 were spotted outside a luxurious waterfront estate in Miami Beach after Ben flew into town Sunday and the two later hit the gym together.

Harambe the gorilla has been dead for exactly 5 years, and the interest in his life and death has not subsided a bit.

A photo of the beloved ape is being auctioned off as an NFT as a way of memorializing his passing.

Harambe was killed after a child entered his enclosure and he began dragging the child around. The Cincinnati Zoo's Dangerous Animal Response Team decided there was a life-threatening situation they had to abate and shot him dead.

There was considerable controversy over the decision to shoot Harambe, particularly since Harambe did what apes do ... he was the true victim.

Social media has not forgotten Harambe, who was 17 when he was killed. He had celebrated his birthday the day before his death.

Eric Carle, the artist and author who created one of the best-selling children's books of all time, is dead.

The man behind "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" died Sunday, according to his family. Eric's son, Rolf, told the New York Times the famous author died at his summer studio in Northampton, MA, as a result of kidney failure.

Eric illustrated more than 70 children's books during his career, which amazingly didn't start until he was in his late 30s. He's most famous for 'Hungry Caterpillar,' which was published in 1969 and went on to sell a whopping 55 million plus copies.

All told, Carle's publisher, Penguin Random House, says his books have sold more than 170 million copies.

Carle says 'Caterpillar' is meant to be a story of hope for children as they enter kindergarten ... and it's known for its colorful illustrations and a modest 224 words. The book's been translated into more than 70 different languages.

Eric's also known for his illustrations in the 1967 children's book, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" He did the drawings for his friend, Bill Martin Jr., who authored the book.

Carle was 91.

The teenager who recorded George Floyd's death under Derek Chauvin's knee is reflecting on her year since witnessing the murder ... and says she still bears the weight of that traumatic moment.

18-year-old Darnella Frazier just shared a ton of insight on what her life's been like since seeing Floyd's life taken from him, and she says witnessing his murder changed her forever.

Darnella, who was 17 when she whipped out her phone to record the fatal arrest, says the incident changed how she viewed life ... explaining "it made me realize how dangerous it is to be Black in America."

Darnella says a part of her childhood was taken from her while watching Floyd's death, just like it was for her 9-year old cousin, who was with her during what they thought would be a normal walk to the corner store.

After her video went viral, Darnella says she had to move away from her home because it was no longer safe, and she couldn't sleep for weeks ... often waking up shaking until her mom rocked her to sleep. She also says she still suffers panic and anxiety attacks when she sees police cars.

While some people hail Darnella as a hero for capturing the video which played a huge role in convicting Chauvin ... she doesn't think she's a hero, and says she was just in the right place at the right time.

She says she's still trying to heal, but she's proud of her resilience in the face of such a traumatic, life-changing experience.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave everything she had in her possession to her children and, interestingly enough, one of her trusted longtime employees ... TMZ has learned.

We've obtained a copy of the late Supreme Court Justice's will ... and it lays it out in precise detail who's getting what from her near $6 million estate. According to the docs, RBG is leaving the majority of her personal effects to her 2 kids, Jane and James Ginsburg, who she also made executors of her will.

Per the will, her personal property includes -- but isn't limited to -- any cars, furniture, books, art, sculptures, paintings, photographs, silver, porcelain, jewelry and clothes in her possession ... and all that stuff is lumped together and valued at $250,000.

She has other personal property that's worth about $5.5 million -- but there's no breakdown of what exactly that entails.

As for the third person in her life to receive a cut ... her housekeeper, Elizabeth Salas, to whom Justice Ginsburg left a cool $40,000 in cash. She was incredibly close to RBG, and even sat next to Biden when the Justice lay in state at the Capitol Rotunda last year. She reportedly worked for RBG for 22 years.

Keep in mind -- what's listed here is simply RBG's probate estate ... we don't know if she had other assets in a private trust separately.

She was 87 when she passed.

NFL star Greg Olsen says his 8-year-old son, TJ, is hospitalized in North Carolina with a serious heart condition -- and may need a heart transplant very soon.

The 36-year-old tight end -- who retired following the 2020 season -- revealed the situation Monday on social media ... saying, "This past week has been exceptionally challenging for our family."

"As many of you know, our son TJ has faced serious heart issues since birth. TJ has already undergone 3 open heart surgeries and has survived with a modified heart for his first 8 years of life."

Greg and his wife, Kara, have publicly talked about TJ's condition for years -- explaining he was born with a congenital heart disease.

Olsen continued, "Unfortunately, it seems his heart is reaching its end. We are currently working through the process to determine our next steps, which ultimately could lead to a heart transplant."

Olsen says TJ is currently being treated at Levine Children’s Hospital in North Carolina -- and praised the team for the "world class care" TJ is receiving.

FYI, Greg and Kara donated $2.5 million to the Levine Children's Hospital in 2019 to help fund a pediatric cardiovascular and congenital heart outpatient clinic.

"We don’t know how long we will be within these hospital walls," Olsen added ... "We do know that we are in full control of our attitudes and our outlook."

"TJ has been a fighter since birth. We are going to get through this as a family and be better off as a result of this experience."

The Olsen Family is getting a ton of support on social media from athletes, fans, reporters and even politicians.

Erin Andrews posted, "Thinking of you guys!!"

North Carolina senator Thom Tillis added, "Susan and I are praying for your family."