TMZ Live

A trio of manatees, including 2 former mates named Romeo and Juliet -- are finally being relocated after a viral video showed their isolated conditions, and the guy who helped make it happen is glad something's finally happening.

Phil Demers is the head of a whistleblower org called UrgentSeas, and a video he posted last month blew up on the Internet -- it showed the manatees, specifically Romeo, toiling in despair at the Miami Seaquarium.

Romeo's counterpart, Juliet, was being kept separately and also alone in the Seaquarium ... not to mention a third manatee named Clarity. After Demers published his video though, public backlash forced the company's hand.

Sadly, it doesn't sound like Romeo and Juliet are going to be reunited anytime soon ... and they probably won't even be released into the wild, and Demers tells us why. Still, the fact the manatees are going to better facilities with proper care is a 'W' in his book.

He says the fact this is happening is proof public pressure can, in fact, spur positive change and he's glad the manatees will get a new lease on life.

Henry Winkler is applauding legendary producer Norman Lear for making an enormous impact on America's TV landscape, and even bigger ... on American society.

Being a TV icon himself, "The Fonz" joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," and admitted it's not easy to find the right words to describe someone like Norman, who accomplished so much in life, with "grace, intelligence, and fun."

Henry shared an anecdote about Norman's 101st birthday party, where someone asked how he felt about reaching that age, and he wittily responded ... "Not as good as I'll be at 102!"

His point being, Norman -- who passed away Tuesday -- was always a forward-thinking guy, who used his art to help Americans see the best and worst in themselves ... tackling topics like homosexuality, racism, the Vietnam War and women's rights -- which had never been done before on TV.

As for Henry ... well, his memoir, "Being Henry: The Fonz ... and Beyond," is approaching one month on the New York Times Bestseller list -- and after 50 years in showbiz, he told us why he's just now discovering his true self.

A woman dished all on her father's shocking deathbed confession ... saying her life changed when she discovered he had been a wanted man for most of his life following an old bank heist.

Ashley Randele came on "TMZ Live" Monday to tell her tale -- saying her father, Tom Randele, came clean with an estimated 6 weeks to live following a lung cancer diagnosis ... suddenly off-loading the decades-long secret as they watched NCIS.

The 71-year-old explained to Ashley and her mom that he had to change his real name ... and they ought to finally know in case it came up after his passing ... because authorities "were probably still looking for him."

Ashley says she pressed him for more info the next day after realizing it wasn't a "terrible dad joke" -- adding it was vital for her to know her dad's real name: Ted Conrad.

Ignoring his pleas not to look into it, Ashley later found herself searching his name online ... yielding various "vault teller robs bank" headlines ... and recent articles stating the 50-year hunt was still active.

The revelation left her stunned ... after all, she had just learned the man she always perceived as an average suburban dad stole $215,000 --- the equivalent of $1.8M today -- while working as a vault teller at the Society National Bank in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, July 11, 1969, as a 20-year-old college dropout.

He fled to Washington, D.C., that night ... and when bank bosses discovered the theft on Monday, the FBI was called, and Conrad became a wanted man.

He ended up in Boston ... assuming a new identity and resuming normalcy despite his picture plastered across headlines.

Whether the heist was worth it or not would have been a question for Ted, AKA, Tom ... as Ashley says, most of the stolen money was blown on ritzy digs and at least one bad investment ... reaching the point of her loaning her parents 10K before they filed for bankruptcy in 2014.

Ashley goes in depth about her story on her podcast, "Smoke Screen: My Fugitive Dad."

Rachel Goldberg, whose son is one of the unreleased Israeli hostages, thinks Elon Musk's visit to her country was a sincere effort to better understand what she and so many other families are going through.

Rachel Goldberg joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss the ongoing release of women and children held by Hamas for more than 7 weeks. Dozens have been returned to Israel in recent days, during a temporary ceasefire that's currently set to end this week.

Her own son, Hersch Goldberg-Polin, has yet to see freedom -- and yet, Rachel has continued to be a front-facing unofficial spokesperson on behalf of all the hostage families ... a painstaking reality she says she struggles with daily.

Rachel says that while Hamas still has her own flesh and blood captive, she recognizes the value of serving as a voice for everyone else -- and thinks it's her duty to continue doing so.

As for Elon -- who's been criticized for using Israel in a cold PR move after he was accused of antisemitism -- Rachel tells us she actually believes his heart's in the right place, and, to her, he came across as earnestly interested in learning/sympathizing.

Rachel was among a few family members of hostages who showed them footage from Oct. 7 ... including the horrifying moment Hersch was snatched up by Hamas after his left arm was blown apart during the attack.

She also talked about the ongoing protests in the U.S. and beyond ... namely, pro-Palestine ones, where people have decried Israel's response in Gaza, and its treatment of innocent Palestinians caught in the middle of the war.

Rachel's response might surprise some ... she says she actually feels for the innocent Palestinians -- and even says Palestine does, in fact, have a right to operate as its own state with dignity and freedom.

La madre y el amigo de George Obregón Jr., el fan de Nardo Wick que se encuentra hospitalizado tras un asqueroso ataque llevado a cabo por el séquito de Nardo, dicen que todo el asunto los ha dejado muy mal y casi sin palabras.

Michelle Obregon, madre de George, hizo una actualización sobre la condición de su hijo de 20 años y dijo a TMZ que actualmente está estable, pero los médicos están haciendo un seguimiento completo de su estado para evaluar si habrá algún daño a largo plazo.

El amigo de George, Connor Villa, que también estuvo en el concierto, nos dice que estaba solo unos metros detrás de su amigo cuando se produjo el ataque.

Dice que el equipo de Nardo les dio una mirada peculiar mientras caminaban con sus teléfonos después de salir del club, esto es, justo antes de que se desatara el asalto "de la nada" cuando George les pidió una instantánea juntos.

Connor añade que se quedó atónito cuando otro miembro de la comitiva siguió pegándole a George después de que lo dejaran noqueado con el primer golpe y sin respuesta.

Connor nos dice que recurrir a la violencia física por algo tan simple como pedir una foto es algo totalmente ridículo y nunca debería haber pasado.

Aunque ahora George se encuentra despierto y hablando, Michelle dice que no ha entrado en demasiados detalles sobre el incidente y no recuerda mucho.

La madre añade que se quedó "sin palabras" cuando vio el clip del ataque y que su principal prioridad ahora es la salud de su hijo. Asegura que ningún padre tiene que recibir la devastadora llamada telefónica que ella experimentó.

The mother and friend of George Obregon Jr., the Nardo Wick fan hospitalized following a disgusting attack carried out by Nardo's entourage, saying the whole thing has left them sick and almost speechless.

Michelle Obregon, George's mom, gave an update on her 20-year-old son's condition -- telling TMZ he's currently stable -- but doctors are fully monitoring him to assess if there'll be any long-term damage.

George's pal Connor Villa, who also attended the concert, tells us he was just a few feet behind his buddy when the vicious attack occurred.

He says Nardo's team gave them a peculiar look as they walked over with their phones up after exiting the club ... before unleashing the assault "out of nowhere" when George asked for a snap together.

Connor adds he was stunned when another member of the entourage continued to strike George after the first swing left him knocked out, leaning against the wall and unresponsive.

Connor tells us resorting to physical violence over a simple request for a picture was utterly ridiculous and should never have happened.

While George is now alert and talking ... Michelle says he hasn't gone into too much detail about the incident and doesn't remember much.

The devastated mother adds she had "no words to say" when watching the clip of the attack ... with her main priority being her son's health -- and ensuring that no other parents have to receive the devastating phone call she experienced.

There's a new Harvard course covering all things Taylor Swift -- and yes, that means her relationships, including her Mr. Right Now, Travis Kelce ... so says the professor who's teaching the class.

One of Harvard's English professors, Stephanie Burt, joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss the class she'll be heading up next semester called 'Taylor Swift and Her World' -- which she made very clear will put an emphasis on the literary merit behind T-Swift's art.

It's obvious from the video, but Prof. Burt is a self-professed Swiftie, but says that's not the reason she's teaching this course. As she explains to us, Taylor's work/fandom are very much worthy of study.

In fact, because her personal life is so tied into her songwriting, that means who she dates will get some attention in this class. However, Prof. Burt notes they probably won't spend so much time on Trav ... mostly because she hasn't written a song about him just yet.

If history's any indication ... she might have to break up with him first for that to happen. 😅

Anyway, Harvard ain't the only higher-ed institution that's doing this for TayTay, for what it's worth ... the University of Florida is also introducing a Taylor-centric course of their own very soon -- and Arizona State already has one too. Indeed, academia hearts Taylor!

And, if it wasn't obvious already ... there's a ton of interest in this new Harvard course. As Professor Burt tells us, there are already hundreds of people who've signed up for the Spring.

Un nuevo curso de Harvard cubrirá todas las cosas de Taylor Swift y eso incluye sus relaciones, como la que tiene actualmente con su novio, Travis Kelce. Al menos así lo dice la profesora que va a enseñar la clase.

Una de las profesoras de Inglés de Harvard, Stephanie Burt, se unió a nosotros el martes en "TMZ Live" para hablar de la clase que dirigirá el próximo semestre llamada "Taylor Swift y su mundo", la que pondrá énfasis en el mérito literario detrás del arte de Swift.

Es obvio por el video que la profesora Burt es una Swiftie confesa, pero nos dice que esa no es la razón por la que está enseñando este curso. Como nos explica, la obra y el fanatismo hacia Taylor son dignos de estudio.

De hecho, como su vida personal está tan ligada a la composición de sus canciones, eso significa que en la clase se prestará atención a sus amoríos. Pero cree que probablemente no dedicarán mucho tiempo a Travis, ya que Taylor aún no ha escrito una canción sobre él.

Si nos guiamos por la historia, es posible que tenga que terminar con él primero para que eso suceda. 😅

De todos modos, Harvard no es la única institución de educación superior que está haciendo esto por TayTay, por si sirve de algo. La Universidad de Florida también está introduciendo un curso centrado en Taylor muy pronto, y Arizona State ya tiene otro también. De hecho, ¡el mundo académico ama a Taylor!

Y, si no era obvio ya, hay un montón de interés en este nuevo curso de Harvard. Como la profesora Burt nos dice, ya hay cientos de personas inscritas para la primavera.

La misteriosa enfermedad ha afectado a perros en más de una docena de estados y ha provocado graves enfermedades, puede -- solo puede -- vislumbrar una esperanza de contención.

Un golden retriever de 5 años llamado Ike se enfermó cerca de septiembre durante un espectáculo canino. Los dueños llevaron rápidamente a Ike al veterinario, donde le diagnosticaron la enfermedad que tiene a los dueños de perros en pánico -- un complejo de enfermedades respiratorias infecciosas caninas.

Ike fue llevado a un hospital veterinario y puesto en cuarentena. Con esta enfermedad, los perros pueden pasar rápidamente de tener tos a desarrollar una neumonía potencialmente mortal.

Se le administró a Ike un "antibiótico de último recurso" llamado cloramfenicol, que combate las infecciones bacterianas. La familia del perro le contó a ABC7 que, en cuestión de horas, ya no respiraba con dificultad.

La dueña, Becky Oliver, afirmó: "Es un antibiótico de último recurso muy, muy potente, pero es lo que lo salvó. De lo contrario, ya no estaría aquí".

Hasta ahora, las autoridades no han comentado sobre la eficacia del antibiótico.

La enfermedad se ha estado propagando y se ha encontrado en California, Oregón, Indiana, Illinois, Washington, Idaho, Nevada y en varios estados del noreste.

The mysterious illness that has caused dogs in more than a dozen states to get extremely sick may -- just may -- show promise of containment.

A 5-year-old golden retriever named Ike got sick during a dog road show, and this was way back in September.  The owners rushed Ike to the vet, and he was diagnosed with the disease that has dog owners in a panic -- canine infectious respiratory disease complex.

Ike was taken to a vet hospital and quarantined. Dogs can quickly go from a cough to life-threatening pneumonia with this disease.

The dog was given a "last-resort antibiotic," called chloramphenicol, which fights bacterial infections. The family of the dog told ABC7, within hours his breathing was no longer labored.

The owner, Becky Oliver, said, "It's a very, very strong last-resort antibiotic, but it's what saved him. Otherwise, he would not be here."

So far, officials, officials have not commented on the efficacy of the antibiotic.

The disease has been spreading ... it's been found in California, Oregon, Indiana, Illinois, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and in various states around the Northeast.

Israeli-American rapper Kosha Dillz has urged those determined to take a public stand on the Israel-Palestine conflict to show empathy for those suffering -- namely, Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, and Muslims.

Kosha tells TMZ ... Susan Sarandon and "Scream" star Melissa Barrera losing Hollywood gigs as a consequence of speaking out about the turmoil is nothing compared to those directly affected by the war.

As we reported, Melissa joined Susan as the latest Hollywood casualty ... being 86'd from "Scream VII" after sharing controversial statements, including an IG Story where she seemingly alluded to a longstanding trope about Jews controlling the media.

As per the celeb examples ... Kosha adds: "It goes to show some of the people saying things don't have any skin in the conflict ... because they feel the need to say something, but they're not directly involved."

However, Kosha notes that society has made it acceptable for people to praise the terrorist organization Hamas as "freedom fighters," ... adding he was shocked at the opinions of those he interviewed at both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine rallies.

He met someone who was actually from Gaza ... praising him as the "kindest person" he had encountered.

"We need a voice for the voiceless ... but not all voices are for the voiceless," he says.

There's a mystery illness going around affecting dogs all over the country -- and it can turn deadly if owners aren't careful -- which is why one vet has a lot of good advice to offer.

Dr. Lindsey Ganzer -- a longtime vet and the CEO of North Springs Veterinary Referral Center in Colorado -- explained what people can do for their pooches as this inexplicable disease circulates throughout the U.S. and puts doggos under the weather.

The symptoms for this mystery affliction are similar to what humans might consider a common cold -- but in this case ... they tend to linger a lot longer, and in some rare cases -- have even led to doggy death.

Dr. Ganzer has a good explanation for what this new illness is and what it isn't -- notably, she says while it starts out by resembling kennel cough ... it can end up taking a slightly more sinister turn by plaguing canines with pneumonia, if it goes untreated.

President Biden's lighting up the Internet with his fiery birthday cake poking fun at his age -- but that won't get him over the electoral hump with the young'ns ... so says a seasoned journo.

Technology reporter Taylor Lorenz -- who covers all things digital for the Washington Post -- weighed in on Joe getting a little cheeky this week to celebrate his 81st birthday ... with a jokey post that ended up fueling endless memes online.

Everybody, it seems, made cracks ... some were light-hearted, others were a little more serious -- but according to Taylor, none of it really helps the Prez in the long run for 2024.

As she put it on Tuesday's "TMZ Live," Biden and his staff are missing the mark on how to connect with Gen Z -- mistakenly thinking that viral content and memes alone will be enough to get a full base of potential voters to pull the lever for him come next November.

Lorenz says that's not gonna do it, unfortunately -- and that Joe needs to connect with young people on a more fundamental, serious level ... through policy that helps their lives.

There are a number of issues she thinks JB's out of touch with when it comes to this specific demographic -- everything from the economy to housing and healthcare ... and even the war between Israel and Hamas. On that topic, too, she says Joe's not reflecting their view.

Of course, there are also the Biden stumbles and fumbles that happen all too often -- including recently mixing up Britney Spears and Taylor Swift -- that Lorenz says aren't serving him well.

Bottom line ... TL thinks Joe's gotta sharpen up and engage 20-somethings with substance, if he wants to rely on their support at the polls ... 'cause right now, the gimmicks aren't cutting it.

News flash ... lab-grown diamonds are REAL diamonds and there's really no difference between man-made rocks and their natural counterparts ... according to a famous jeweler.

Jean Dousset, a descendant of Cartier founder Louis Francois Cartier, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and schooled us on lab-grown diamonds ... explaining why they are indeed a diamond in every sense of the way.

JD says even the most seasoned gemologists cannot tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds ... and they're both graded on the same scales under the same rules and principles.

It's pretty interesting to consider ... seeing as there's controversy surrounding engagement rings these days. Based on what Jean's telling us here, it sounds like a man would be able to safely pass off a lab-grown diamond engagement ring as a natural one and the woman would never know.

Of course, Jean says most couples are shopping together for rings nowadays and he's not advocating for people to get engaged on a lie ... but the window of opportunity is definitely there.

Jean's got his own jewelry store in West Hollywood and this year he started selling only lab-grown diamonds. He's previously designed engagement rings for Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria and Amy Adams and says couples can get more bang for their buck with lab-grown diamonds.

Model Erica L. Carrington is getting a lot of heat for her runway walk at her designer pal's funeral, but says she doesn't regret doing it one bit ... claiming it's exactly what her late friend would've wanted.

Erica joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday to talk about her moment at the "Red Carpet Viewing" of her friend and fashion designer, Vernest Moore -- revealing the entire weekend celebration was planned out ahead of time, with early talks coming from Vernest himself.

She says her decision to strut her stuff to his open casket is exactly how Vernest would've wanted to be sent off ... and she says those in attendance were on board with it too.

Erica says she still gets emotional thinking about the loss of Vernest, saying she was with him in some of his final moments, and admits her nerves got the best of her before making her mark at his viewing.

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