Kids

A bill being proposed in California would make it illegal to advertise certain sections of retail stores as just for boys or just for girls ... including clothes and toys.

The bill, AB 1084, was just introduced into the California legislature late last month by Assemblymembers Evan Low of the Bay Area and Cristina Garcia of Los Angeles ... which aims to do away with gendered signage in big department stores of 500+ employees.

In other words, places like Target, Walmart or Kohls that sells childcare items, children's toys/products or children's wardrobe wouldn't be able to steer folks to certain sections based on sex -- it would just be a free-for-all ... where parents and kids could roam freely to what they liked. They'd also be prohibited from dividing the floor space up by gender.

There's more ... any websites these stores operate would have to change their categories too -- so instead of boys/girls (whatever) ... it'd read "kids," "unisex" or "gender-neutral." We should also note, some of these stores have already started designating certain sections of their floor as gender-neutral -- like Target, which apparently made the move in 2015.

As for why they're trying to make this official ... supposedly, for fairness and equity for kids, who might not like what a gendered section has to offer and want something from the other side. For example, low publicly cited an anecdote from a fellow staffer ... whose 9-year-old daughter was confused on why she had to go the boys toy section to get a science kit.

Oh, and if this passes ... it wouldn't just be a slap on the wrist for those who don't comply -- these big-box chains would be fined $1,000 each time they violate the would-be law.

The reactions to the bill -- which could be introduced in committee for discussion/voting as early as March 21 -- are quite mixed ... many are criticizing it as unnecessary and frivolous (especially amid a pandemic) but others support it and say it's a step in the right direction.

On the heels of Dr. Seuss being muzzled for racist depictions in a few books, another beloved childhood memory is also being called problematic ... one Pepe Le Pew.

The Looney Tunes character fell into the crosshairs of NYT columnist Charles M. Blow -- who wrote an op-ed titled "Six Seuss Books Bore a Bias" ... where he argued racism is deeply embedded into American culture (especially pop culture) and fed to kids at a young age.

He brought up cartoons like Speedy Gonzales and Mammy Two Shoes -- the former being another LT character he says pushed racist stereotypes against Mexicans and the latter being a Tom & Jerry character portrayed as a heavyset Black maid who speaks with a caricaturized voice. You usually just see her legs/feet ... but her full figure was depicted too.

Those two examples specifically address his race concern, but he threw in Pepe as well as another 'toon that telegraphed the wrong message ... saying the French skunk normalized and perpetuated rape culture. Of course, a lot of people had very different reactions -- some agreeing, and others lambasting Blow for suggesting a drawing could sway real-life behavior.

To that, Blow responded ... "RW blogs are mad bc I said Pepe Le Pew added to rape culture. Let’s see. 1. He grabs/kisses a girl/stranger, repeatedly, w/o consent and against her will. 2. She struggles mightily to get away from him, but he won’t release her 3. He locks a door to prevent her from escaping." It's true ... Penelope Pussycat was often in Pepe's clutches.

Still, some say he's reaching to make a point ... and that the cartoon was never meant to be interpreted that way, adding it was all in good fun and that no child would absorb Pepe's behavior as something to be mimicked. Fair enough, but the cartoon theory isn't novel.

The great Dave Chappelle once touched on this exact issue in a stand-up special of his, "Killin' Them Softly," where he TOO brought up Pepe Le Pew ... and flat-out called him a rapist. He discussed other kid shows that looked much different through an adult lens -- like "Sesame Street" characters ... which he hilariously compared to troubled adults.

Amanda Nunes and Nina Ansaroff -- the most powerful couple in MMA -- tell TMZ Sports they're LOVING being new parents ... and they're already down to expand their family again!

As you may know, Nina -- the #5 ranked UFC strawweight -- gave birth back to the couple's daughter back in September.

Amanda -- widely considered the greatest female MMA fighter of all time -- says motherhood has been "amazing" so far ... "It's an experience that makes me very happy."

In fact, Amanda says it's been easier to parent their daughter than the 3 dogs they own!

"My 3 dogs worse than having a baby," Amanda said ... "She's a very good baby. She's really a good baby so that helps a lot."

But, the burning question ... when both of your parents are MMA stars, is the kid destined for a career in the octagon?

Nina admits she REALLY hopes their kids find another sport!

"I want her to play soccer or study or whatever she wants and really hoping she doesn't want to fight."

"Of course, will be easier for her because she has us as guidance but I don't wanna see her get punched in the face! Look at this little face! I think we're good with anything other than that."

Nina is slated to return to the octagon in April to fight Mackenzie Dern -- and she's STOKED to get back to work!

Disgraced ex-Team USA Gymnastics coach John Geddert took his own life next to a dumpster at a rest area in Michigan ... minutes before he was scheduled to surrender to authorities.

A family member called 911 on Feb. 25 when Geddert failed to turn himself in to law enforcement officials to face 24 criminal charges stemming from alleged misconduct during his career as a gymnastics coach.

As we previously reported, 63-year-old Geddert was facing 20 counts of human trafficking, 2 counts of sexual assault, 1 count of racketeering and 1 count of lying to a peace officer -- he was facing life in prison.

According to a 911 call released by officials, a woman who claims to be a family member says they started tracking Geddert's phone when he didn't show up at the scheduled surrender site ... and used GPS to locate him at a rest area in Michigan.

When they got to the scene, they found Geddert dead next to a dumpster with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

The woman on the 911 call is in tears as she describes the scene to the dispatcher.

"He's not in a vehicle ... he's on the ground by the dumpster."

Officials had announced the charges against Geddert in a press release earlier in the day -- and he was scheduled to be arraigned in the afternoon. He never made it to court.

As we previously reported, Geddert's death essentially ends the criminal case against him -- because there's really no point in prosecuting a dead person.

Alleged victims will likely take action against Geddert's estate in civil court -- but it's usually more difficult to win a civil case without a criminal conviction.

Paris Hilton's feeling proud and thankful about the passing of a Utah bill she testified to support, calling it a huge step in the right direction for survivors like herself.

As you'll recall ... Paris testified last month about the alleged abuse she suffered while attending Provo Canyon School as a teen in the '90s, and she says Utah's Senate Bill 127 passing makes much of what she went through back then illegal.

SB127 prohibits Utah's youth treatment centers from certain punishments of children, such as denying food or water, spanking, hitting, or other treatments "intended to frighten or humiliate."

Paris says this includes strip-searches, seclusion, use of chemical restraint and peer restraint and gender-based discrimination ... and adds that the bill does so much more to ensure the well-being of thousands of kids in these Utah facilities.

She says back when she was at Provo she dreamed of making a difference like this, adding ... "The teenage version of me would be so incredibly proud to know I accomplished my goal of protecting youth who are experiencing abuse in the name of treatment. Survivors, this is a BIG step towards systemic change!"

Paris also thanked Utah lawmakers for "listening to us survivors, prioritizing this issue, and taking the necessary steps to protect our future generations."

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are giving their children some much-needed stability during their divorce ... Kim may be keeping their 4 kids in the only home they've ever known.

Sources close to the former couple tell TMZ ...  Kim has been staying with their kids in the family home in Hidden Hills ... and that may be permanent as well.

It's an interesting decision for several reasons. Kanye designed the home ... it's pretty spectacular though very austere -- almost museum-like. You might think Kanye would want to keep the home since it's a multi-year passion project of his, but the fact is Kanye doesn't have any real ties to that area. On the other hand, most of Kim's family live within a block of her in the same community, and family is important to the kids in the middle of the divorce.

We're also told Kim really likes the house, so it's not like she wants to pick up stakes and move.

It's unclear where Kanye will take up his permanent residence, but it's no secret Wyoming has pretty much become his home over the last few years ... it's where he's got a massive ranch, and where he moved his Yeezy brand.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim filed to divorce Kanye last month after nearly 7 years of marriage, and we're told the split is amicable.

The Univ. of Tennessee is one step closer to having another Manning on campus ...

Peyton Manning's alma mater just reaffirmed its full-ride scholarship offer to the NFL legend's star quarterback nephew, Arch Manning ... according to 247 Sports.

The Vols had previously offered Arch -- Cooper Manning's son, Eli Manning's nephew, and the top quarterback recruit in the 2023 class -- but the scholarship disappeared when the school cut ties with former head coach Jeremy Pruitt in January.

Now, though, new head man Josh Heupel has reportedly wasted no time getting Tennessee back in the mix for the QB ... re-sending the offer Tuesday.

It's a big deal ... many believe Tennessee could be a top option for Arch throughout his recruitment because of Peyton's family ties -- so getting the offer in a couple years before he has to make his college decision is huge for the Vols.

Of course, Arch is going to be one of the most heavily recruited H.S. players EVER ... the dude -- who just wrapped up his sophomore season -- is considered a QB prodigy and already has a ton of suitors.

In fact, Eli Manning's alma mater -- Ole Miss -- has also reportedly thrown an offer Arch's way.

Dr. Seuss' books should NOT be yanked from shelves -- because all they need is a little context on page 1 ... so says a woman who was raised by the man himself.

Leagrey Dimond -- one of Dr. Seuss' stepdaughters -- tells TMZ she doesn't think his work needs to be censored or stored away from public view ... which is essentially what Dr. Seuss Enterprises did on Monday.

Instead, Dimond suggests adding a disclaimer to the 6 books in question ... something a lot of media companies have been opting for lately for questionable or outdated material with racist depictions. The same thing should happen here, in Dimond's eyes anyway.

She also has this to say about Seuss' work -- yes, some of his earlier publications and illustrations DID feature racist imagery, but his legacy shouldn't hinge on that alone ... as she insists the full breadth of his literature shows he's a good guy and evolved over time.

Dimond says Seuss publicly regretted some of his earlier work -- such as ads, comic strips and political cartoons he helped craft during the WWII era -- which featured blatantly racist drawings of Black people and Asian people.

But, there's a bigger reason the org bearing his name should hold off, per LD ... nobody who runs the place knew him personally.

Dimond says since coming into Seuss' care at age 9, she never once experienced any hatred, hate speech or bigotry of any kind ... which she says was emblematic of his character at large. The fact people are judging him in death, she says, doesn't sit right with her.

You'll recall -- the Enterprise announced it was ceasing further sales of 6 Seuss children's books -- including "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," "Scrambled Eggs Super!" "If I Ran the Zoo," "McElligot’s Pool," "On Beyond Zebra!" and "The Cat’s Quizzer"

Some examples of the problematic imagery -- from 'Mulberry' and 'Zoo' -- feature Asian stereotypes ... like referring to one character as a "Chinaman ... with sticks."

Dr. Seuss books have been beloved by children and adults for generations, but 6 of them will no longer be published because they are racially offensive ... according to the business that preserves the author's legacy.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises says these 6 Seuss books -- including "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street" and "Scrambled Eggs Super!" -- "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong."

The company says it made the decision to cease sales on these books -- which also include "If I Ran the Zoo," "McElligot’s Pool," "On Beyond Zebra!" and "The Cat’s Quizzer" -- after consulting with educators and reviewing its catalog.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, March 2 -- Dr. Seuss's birthday -- though the decision was made last year. The move comes as President Biden also omitted mention of Dr. Seuss on Read Across America Day ... which is held annually on the author's bday.

Dr. Seuss -- born Theodor Seuss Geisel -- has come under increased scrutiny over the years as his history of racist and anti-Semitic work has been uncovered. A study of 50 Seuss books in 2019 found 43 of 45 characters of color had characteristics aligning with "Orientalism" and 2 "African" characters had anti-Black qualities.

The little girl injured in the Britt Reid car wreck likely has permanent brain damage and will be confined to a wheelchair for the foreseeable future, her family lawyer says.

The attorney for the family of 5-year-old Ariel Young appeared on "Good Morning America" with an update on her health ... and it's not great.

Attorney Tom Porto explained she's awake from her coma but has suffered very serious injuries that will affect her for the rest of her life.

"She’s awake, which is a huge development,” Porto said ... "She likely has permanent brain damage that she will endure for the rest of her life. She’s not walking -- it’s a sad, sad, sad story."

Porto also released images of the crash scene to ABC News showing Reid's white truck completely smashed in on the front side of the ride. It appears the truck was moving at a high speed when the collision occurred.

Reid -- an assistant coach for the KC Chiefs at the time -- allegedly slammed his truck into two cars that were parked on the side of the road on Feb. 4, badly injuring Ariel Young.

Young's family had driven to the scene to help another family member who was stranded on the side of the road after running out of gas.

All three of the cars involved in the wreck suffered severe damage -- and it's a miracle no one was killed.

As for Ariel Young, Porto says she had a long road ahead of her when it comes to her recovery.

Porto told ABC News the family wants Reid -- son of KC Chiefs head coach Andy Reid -- prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Porto cites a police report in which Reid allegedly admitted to consuming 2 to 3 alcoholic beverages -- and taking the prescription medication Adderall -- before getting behind the wheel that fateful day.

Porto said the family is hoping prosecutors hit Reid with felony DWI charges.

The woman alleging T.I. put a gun to her head and threatened to kill her is now claiming she's getting harassed because the rapper and his wife are smearing her name.

Sabrina Peterson's suing T.I. and Tiny for defamation, because according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... she says the couple's public statements and social media posts have smeared her good name ever since she made her allegation against T.I.

Peterson claims she got into an altercation with T.I.'s assistant, and T.I. responded by pointing a gun at her head and saying, "Bitch I'll kill you."

According to the docs ... shortly after making her allegation in January, Tiny retaliated by insulting her and posting a photo of Peterson's 8-year-old son to her millions of followers. Peterson says this exposed her son to "vitriol and danger."

T.I. and Tiny subsequently released statements denying a variety of sexual abuse allegations and other claims against them ... including specifically denying the claims made by Peterson.

Peterson claims being singled out -- along with allegedly being referenced in T.I.'s 8-minute video where he denies allegations and talks about "evil at play" -- has led to her receiving harassing and threatening messages on Instagram.

She's suing the couple for defamation and infliction of emotional distress. We reached out to T.I. ... no word back yet.

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.