Stephen Jackson is FURIOUS at Donald Trump for mentioning George Floyd's name at the White House on Friday ... and he's now warning POTUS not to let it happen again!
"Hey, this message is for Donald Trump," Jackson said in a heated video statement ... "Do not speak on my brother's name."
"I'm making you a promise, you will not be in the White House come November. You will not be reelected, I'm telling you now."
Earlier in the day, Trump spoke with the media from the Rose Garden and said he hoped George is looking down right now -- "This is a great thing that's happening for our country. It's a great day for him. It's a great day for everybody ... in terms of equality."
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Enter Jackson ... who knew Floyd for years -- and he's pissed.
"You see how the whole world stood together? Arm to arm, race to race, everybody standing for love? 50 states, 18 countries. That's what me and my brother Floyd did. So we coming to get you out the White House."
Clearly, Jackson feels the next course of action is to mobilize the protesters into voters come November.
Vanessa Bryant is paying tribute to her daughter, Gigi, for her academic accomplishments ... sharing a heartfelt message and a photo of her honorary 8th grade graduation diploma.
"Congratulations on your 8th grade graduation Gigi," Vanessa said on Instagram. "I love you forever and always."
Gigi was a student at Harbor Day School in Corona Del Mar, CA ... and was in the middle of her 8th grade year when she died in the tragic helicopter accident alongside Kobe and 7 others on January 26.
The school honored "Gianna Maria-Onoré Bryant" with a diploma -- and Vanessa was clearly moved by the gesture.
"I’m so proud of you. ❤️, Mommy #classof2020."
Gigi was a standout basketball player with dreams of making it to the WNBA ... and her school retired her #2 jersey at a memorial ceremony in February.
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George Floyd's killing is impacting the world in a way we've never seen before ... and it's also inspiring more people than ever to donate to a cause.
Launched just a little more than a week ago, the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund has already received the highest number of individual donations for a GoFundMe page ... a spokesperson for the site tells TMZ.
With nearly 500k donations and counting, the fundraiser's amassed nearly $13 million. We're told the campaign has gone global, getting donations from 125 countries.
George's brother, Philonise, says the money will cover funeral and burial expenses, provide counseling, pay for lodging and travel for all court proceedings, and assist the family going forward as they seek justice for George. A portion of the funds will also go to George's estate to take care of his kids and provide for their education.
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As we reported ... the first of 4 memorials for George was held Thursday in Minneapolis. There will be another in North Carolina on Saturday, and 2 in Houston next week.
Interestingly, number 2 on the GoFundMe donations list launched in December 2018 to raise money to build the wall at America's southern border. That has 300k donations, but it's raised more than $25 million.
Third place is a coronavirus campaign raising funds for intensive care beds in pandemic-ravaged Italy. That got more than 206k individual donations in less than 3 months.
Kobe Bryant fans in Europe paid homage to the Mamba in a HUGE way this week ... finishing up a 39-foot-high mural of Bean that's now the biggest on the continent.
Locals in Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina began painting the tribute at an elementary school about two weeks ago ... with one of the guys saying it all started because Kobe helped them find a love for hoops.
"Kobe Bryant was one of my role models and when we heard that he tragically lost his life, we came up with the idea to pay tribute to him," a mural initiator told The Srpska Times.
"That is how we made a mural on the wall of the school next to which we spent time on the playground."
The piece is roughly 39 feet tall and 19 feet wide ... and as you can see in the pics, it's pretty amazing.
The image is of Kobe at the free-throw line in his Lakers jersey set to sink a basket ... and it's complete with his Mamba logo in the upper right corner.
The artist who painted the work said it was painstaking, but worth every minute ... and added he hopes it brings similar pieces of art to the country.
As we previously reported ... there have been a TON of Kobe murals in Los Angeles as well -- and they're so beloved, each and every one went untouched amid the chaos in the city last week.
1:11 PM PT -- Al Sharpton just finished giving the eulogy and his words also brought the crowd to their feet. He said, "[George] did not die of common health conditions. He died of a common American criminal justice malfunction." Sharpton also took a shot at President Trump's recent photo-op and urged the Prez -- without ever mentioning his name -- to open the bible instead of using it as a prop. Sharpton said "George Floyd's story has been the story of black folks, because ever since 401 years ago the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed to being is because you kept your knee on our neck. It’s time for us to stand up in George's name and say get your knee off our necks."
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Sharpton also had a message for the flawed criminal justice system: "We don’t have a problem denouncing violence, Mr governor. We don’t have a problem, Mr. Mayor, denouncing looting. But it seems like some in the criminal justice system have a problem looking at a tape and knowing there’s probable cause and it takes a long time for you to go and do what you see that you need to do."
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12:59 PM PT -- Floyd's family remembered George as a magnetic presence regardless of who surrounded him. One said, "When he spoke to people, he made you feel special. They felt like they were the president because that's how he made you feel." They also remembered his big bear hugs. "No matter who you talked to, they all felt special. They never felt left out. He would embrace them. What I'll miss the most about him is his hugs. When he wrapped his arms around you, it felt like your problems would go away." They also talked about how George was a HUUUUGE LeBron James fan.
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The lawyer repping Floyd's family, Ben Crump, also gave an inspiring speech that brought everyone to their feet. He invoked the names of those who fell at the hands of injustice ... from Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor to Eric Garner, Stephon Clark and Trayvon Martin. Crump also had these inspiring words justifying peaceful protests, "What we are doing is helping America be America for all Americans."
The first of four services to honor George Floyd is about to get underway in Minneapolis ... and you can follow it live right here.
Thursday's memorial service will begin at 11 AM PT at the Frank J. Lindquist Sanctuary at North Central University. It's a private event to be attended by family, friends and invitees of the Floyd family only.
On Saturday, a public viewing and a private memorial service will be held in Raeford, North Carolina. George was born nearby in Fayetteville, and his sister said "his family would remember him" in the state.
According to Hoke County Sheriff Hubert Peterkin ... no protesting will be allowed at this service. Peterkin said, "The memorial is about the life that Mr. George Floyd lived, and this is a time to embrace the family with expressions of love and kindness."
Finally, on Monday in Houston, there will be a public viewing at The Fountain of Praise Church, followed by a private service Tuesday. Floyd grew up in Houston but left several years ago when he moved to Minnesota.
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Of course, Floyd was killed while Minneapolis PD arrested him on May 25. The video of his death -- showing ex-cop Derek Chauvin pressing his knee on Floyd's neck as he pled, "I can't breathe" -- set off a firestorm of outrage. Across the country, protests sprung up ... a few of which escalated to riots and violence.
All 4 Minneapolis PD officers involved in the incident were fired within one day, and 4 days later Chauvin was arrested -- initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
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On Wednesday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison added a 2nd-degree murdercharge.
The 3 other ex-cops -- Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Keung and Tou Thao -- were also arrested and charged with felonies ... aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Three of the four former Minneapolis cops charged in George Floyd's alleged murder just went in front of a judge for the first time since their arrest.
J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas K. Lane and Tou Thao appeared Thursday in Hennepin County District Court, and the judge set their bail at $1 million for each.
Attorneys for Kueng and Lane tried to shift the blame to Derek Chauvin, noting the 2 officers were rookies and Chauvin was a 19-year veteran. Lane's attorney said his client asked if they should roll Floyd on his side, but claims Chauvin said no. Instead, he kept his knee on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
The attorney asked the judge, "What was [Lane] supposed to do ... go up to Mr. Chauvin, grab him and throw him off?" He also said that Lane and Kueng had to refer to Chauvin as "sir" ... presumably in deference to his seniority. Lane's attorney also said Lane performed CPR on Floyd inside the ambulance.
The judge said all 3 could post a lower bail amount of $750k each if they agreed to additional bail conditions. A future court date for all three former officers was set for June 29.
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As we reported ... Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison charged Kueng, Lane and Thao Wednesday with one count each of aiding and abetting 2nd-degree murder and aiding and abetting 2nd-degree manslaughter.
Chauvin was arrested last week and initially charged by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office with 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter.
But, the Minnesota AG, who is now heading the investigation and prosecution, filed an additional count of 2nd-degree murder against Chauvin, who is now facing 40 years in prison -- the maximum penalty for 2nd-degree murder.
Chauvin is yet to go before a judge ... and his first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.
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As you know ... Floyd was killed during a Memorial Day arrest, which saw Chauvin press his knee into Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes.
Dodgers Stadium was lit up for 8 minutes and 46 seconds Wednesday night ... and the team says it's all in an effort to pay tribute to George Floyd.
The MLB squad announced they turned on the lights at Chavez Ravine at 9 PM PT to stand in unity with "all Angelenos" who are outraged by Floyd's tragic death.
The 8 minutes and 46 seconds represent the same amount of time a Minneapolis cop had his knee on the neck of Floyd, before the 46-year-old ultimately passed away.
Thousands of others in L.A. joined in the light-up gesture ... with some individuals even stopping to pull out their phone's flashlights on city streets to honor Floyd.
"Tonight, the Dodgers joined families across Los Angeles in shining our Dodger Stadium lights into the sky at 9 pm for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in recognition of George Floyd," the team said in a statement.
"The Dodgers join all Angelenos in this peaceful display of unity to shine a light in the darkness."
The team and its players have consistently denounced racism and condemned police brutality since Floyd's death ... with star third baseman Justin Turner writing, "We will not pretend that we have personally experienced your struggle."
"But we will use our voice to speak out against racism and stand with you all."
The Dodgers also said in a team statement on June 1, "As we stood with Jackie Robinson to overcome the barrier of racism in our sport, we now stand with all Americans who will no longer tolerate the evils of racism and social injustice in our society."
"We must remain dedicated to the pursuit of freedom equality, and justice for all."
George Floyd's funeral will feature a guest who knows all too well the pain of losing a son to racial violence -- because Ahmaud Arbery's mom, Wanda Cooper, will be in attendance.
Wanda's attorney, Lee Merritt, tells TMZ ... she will be among those there in person next week for George's funeral procession in his hometown of Houston. She'll be attending with Lee, although it doesn't sound like she's set to speak at this point in time.
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We're told the program is still being worked out, so it's possible she may share a few words -- but for now ... she's simply attending and paying her respects. Merritt tells us Wanda got connected to George's fam through their own family attorney, Ben Crump.
Of course, Wanda herself is in her own battle for justice over the killing of her 25-year-old son, Ahmaud, who was chased and gunned down by Travis McMichael, with the help of his father, Gregory. Both have been arrested and charged with murder/aggravated assault.
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We already knew Wanda had recently sought to connect with Trayvon Martin's family -- now, it looks like she's connected with a family who's dealing with an even more recent tragedy.
No doubt ... Wanda's appearance Monday should prove to be a powerful moment in what's been an historic past few months on the issue of police brutality against African-Americans.
The full autopsy report for George Floyd has been completed by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner and it reveals he tested positive for COVID-19 in early April ... though he was likely asymptomatic at the time of his death.
The 20-page analysis details most of what we already know, Floyd became unresponsive and died while pinned to the ground by 3 police officers. However, a section of the report says George tested positive for COVID-19 on April 3.
The coroner says, "positivity for 2019-nCoV can persist for weeks after the onset and resolution of clinical disease, the autopsy result most likely reflects asymptomatic but persistent PCR positivity from previous infection." Meaning George was likely walking around without issues or active symptoms, but the virus was still in his body.
As we reported, George's family hired Dr. Michael Baden to complete a private autopsy. Baden's report found Floyd's cause of death to be "death from asphyxia" after the Hennepin County concluded he had a heart attack while being restrained by cops, with underlying medical conditions including hypertension and possible drugs or alcohol.
The final report from Hennepin on Wednesday says Floyd had, “no injuries of anterior muscles of neck or laryngeal structures.”
On Wednesday, ex-cop Derek Chauvin was hit with an additional charge of 2nd-degree murder. The other 3 officers involved, Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao, were all charged with felonies -- aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.
Former Dream Street singer Chris Trousdale has died after contracting coronavirus ... TMZ has confirmed.
The ex-boy band pop star passed away Tuesday night at a hospital in Burbank, CA due to complications from COVID-19 -- this according to a family member.
Chris joined the band in 1999 along with Jesse McCartney, Greg Raposo, Matt Ballinger and Frankie Galasso -- several of whom were scouted from the NYC acting and Broadway scene, including Chris. He was no more than 14 years old at the time he was brought in.
The group lasted only a few years before disbanding in 2002 due to legal issues between the boys' parents and management. Still, in that short amount of time ... they were able to build a fan base and crank out a few hits along the way, accompanied by two albums.
Their biggest single, "It Happens Every Time," peaked at #48 on the charts. Following his Dream Street days, Chris went on to forge a career for himself as a solo artist in the Disney game -- perhaps most memorably, music-wise, were his features on Play's "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" as well as Nikki Cleary's cover of "You're the One That I Want."
He also appeared in a handful of shows too after making a bit of a comeback following his disappearance from the limelight in the 2000s, having starred on stuff like "Days of Our Lives," "Shake It Up," "Austin & Ally" and "Lucifer." Before he broke out on the Hollywood scene, he'd had a successful career on Broadway as a child actor in the Big Apple.
George Floyd's son and the family's attorney are making a powerful call for justice ... from the very site where he was killed.
George's son, Quincy Mason, stood alongside attorney Ben Crump Wednesday on the Minneapolis street where Floyd died. They kneeled to pay their respects, and Quincy spoke to the crowd, saying no man or woman should be without their father ... and he wants justice to be served.
Crump added that justice for the family goes beyond the arrest and now second-degree murder charge for ex-cop Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on George's neck for nearly 9 minutes.
Crump was speaking shortly before the announcement the other 3 ex-officers would also be charged ... but said their arrest and prosecution are also key to the family's pleas for justice.
As we reported ... the Minnesota Attorney general is expected to make an announcement Wednesday afternoon charging Tou Thao, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng in connection to Floyd's death.
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Crump says Floyd was absolutely tortured during his final moments ... and he claims the other officers failed to act when they knew George did not have a pulse.
12:39 PM PT -- Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt released a statement about Majors ... saying, "Not only was he a Hall of Fame player and a legendary football coach, he was a great man, leader and visionary."
Legendary college football coach Johnny Majors -- who led Pittsburgh to a national title in 1976 -- has died at 85, the school announced Wednesday.
Majors was a head coach at the college level from 1968-1996 ... with programs including Pitt, Iowa State and -- most notably -- Tennessee, where he led the Volunteers for 16 seasons.
John's wife, Mary Lynn, released a statement to WNML ... saying, "It's with a sad heart that we make this announcement," she said.
"John passed away this morning. He spent his last hours doing something he dearly loved: looking out over his cherished Tennessee River."
Pitt also addressed Majors' passing, saying, "He led us to our greatest glory and changed Pitt forever. Thank you, Coach. Rest in peace."
Majors was also an incredible single-wing back for the Vols from 1953-56 ... receiving All-American honors and finishing 2nd in Heisman voting in 1956.
He rushed for 549 yards and 7 TDs and passed for 552 yards and 5 TDs that season, leading the Vols to a 10-1 record and winning an SEC title.
Bernice King has a message for the people who aren't protesting in the streets right now -- that's perfectly fine ... there are other ways to help.
The youngest child of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King tells TMZ ... being a protester requires a certain character and discipline -- and not everyone fits the bill -- but EVERYONE can be a part of the movement.
For the George Floyd protests, King says there are many roles to fill ... like donating to help bail out peaceful protesters who were arrested, or helping with research, or simply being vocal about wanting to end racism in this country.
Bernice points out she's not on the front lines with protesters in this case either, because she's focused on achieving the desired results of positive change ... so the protests aren't in vain.
King suggests there's a lot of work to be done, but lucky for us ... her father set a pretty stellar example, and she's striving to follow his lead and get others in line, as well.
Bernice is CEO of The King Center, which helps teach tactics and strategies for advocacy and peaceful protesting ... which the U.S. can use a lot more of.
Fred Willarddied from a heart attack ... according to his death certificate.
According to the doc, obtained by TMZ, the veteran comedic actor's immediate cause of death is a cardiac arrest. The underlying causes are listed as myelodysplastic syndrome and coronary artery disease.
We broke the story ... Fred died May 15, and his daughter Hope told us her father passed away peacefully and made his family "happy until the very end." The doc says he died at his home at 6:45 PM.
The death certificate also notes Fred was a veteran of the United States Armed Forces and had 60 years in the entertainment biz, and it says he was laid to rest at the famous Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
As we reported, at the time of his death, Fred's family said ... "He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much. We will miss him forever."
Fred was famous for his role as Ron Burgundy's news director in the 'Anchorman' movies and he starred in countless cult comedies throughout his career, including ... "American Wedding," "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," "How High," "The Wedding Planner," "WALL-E," "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" and on and on.
The mother of George Floyd's daughter is coming to grips with the fact he's going to miss every milestone in their child's life ... and it's heart wrenching to see.
Roxie Washington had tears streaming down her face Tuesday as she stood alongside 6-year-old Gianna at Minneapolis City Hall. Through her sobs, Roxie hammered home the point ... Gianna's father was taken away from her abruptly and brutally.
Referring to Derek Chauvin, and the 3 other ex-copsas yetuncharged ... Roxie said they all get to go home and be with their families, but Gianna will never again go home to her father.
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Roxie really broke down when she talked about George never getting to see Gianna grow up, graduate and walk down a wedding aisle.
You can see, feel and hear how the loss is taking a toll on George's loved ones ... and Roxie is still wondering why some of the others have not been arrested and charged.
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You'll recall, George's younger brother, Terrence, was in Minneapolis Monday, calling for peace and an end to the riots and looting -- and earlier today, hundreds of Houstonians rallied for George who was from there.
George Floyd's hometown is honoring him, and joining the national cries for justice by staging a large, peaceful march rally and March on the streets of Houston.
H-town rappers Bun Band Trae tha Truth joined throngs of people flooding Downtown Houston Tuesday for a march that ended at City Hall. George spent most of his life in Houston and still has family there. He hailed from the Third Ward and was an active member of the rap scene there.
Ben Crump, attorney for Floyd's family, announced earlier Tuesday the first memorial service will be Thursday from 1 to 3 PM in Minneapolis with another one scheduled in North Carolina Saturday at 3 PM.
Later, there will be a public viewing in Houston from 12 to 6 PM before he's buried there. Presidential candidate Joe Biden's expected to attend the funeral.
Bun B told a local reporter he was marching because George "was a human being and wasn't treated like one." Former classmates of Floyd from nearby Jack Yates HS also held a vigil over the weekend. People attending the vigil wore school colors and shirts that read, "I can't breathe."
Tuesday's protests also included an urban trail riding club dubbed Nonstop Riders. A reporter there got video of them showing up to the protest and they were met with boisterous applause. One of the riders said, “We’re here representing for all our black brothers and sisters.”
The protests in Houston come in the wake of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announcing the launch of a civil rights investigation ... which will not only look at the 4 officers involved in Floyd's fatal arrest, but also examine the department's behavior, in general, over the last decade.
