Viral

Taylor Lewan is clearing the air ... admitting he asked the Titans to drop off his football equipment/belongings at his home, telling everyone to "stop overreacting."

On Tuesday, the former star left tackle posted a photo of two trash bags (and a pair of shoulder pads) on his porch, along with the comment, "Shout out to the Titans dropping my stuff off today. They even let me keep the shoulder pads."

Most fans interpreted the message as sarcastic, assuming Lewan was shading his former team for just dropping his crap off outside.

But, Lewan -- who was recently cut by Tennessee -- says that's not the case ... he actually asked the team to drop everything off outside.

"Yeah it's in trash bags, who cares," Taylor said. "What does it need to be in a horse-drawn chariot, a gold chariot that they ride up in and say, 'Hey, thanks for the last nine years.'"

The 31-year-old spent nine seasons with the franchise ... but despite being cut, the 3x Pro Bowler says he has nothing but love for the org. and their relationship is fine.

"Let's stop overreacting."

When you gotta go, ya gotta go ... and that's exactly what one adorable pooch did while performing during the halftime performance at a college basketball game!!

The whole bathroom break was caught on camera by one of the hoop fans in the stands -- showing the cute canine doing tricks with a frisbee for the Virginia Tech-Louisville game on Tuesday.

But the show eventually started to stink -- literally -- when the dog walked up to its trainer near the baseline to do another move ... when out of nowhere, it pops a squat and lets it all out!!

The trainer quickly reacted and grabbed the dog, but the doo doo still remained ... and the crowd's reaction was priceless.

To add to the crappy night, the Cardinals lost again, making it their third consecutive loss. They currently hold a 4-26 record under new head coach Kenny Payne.

FYI, this ain't the first time a dog has dropped a deuce at a sporting event ... Klay Thompson's dog did it at Dodger Stadium in 2016, and a Philadelphia Police Department K-9 handled its business right on the Flyers' center-ice logo in 2021.

Mike Perry says Jake Paul's trainer was livid he posted a fake "script" purporting to break down what'd happen during each round of Paul vs. Fury ... telling TMZ Sports he received an angry message in his DMs.

Once Perry shared the document titled "Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Script - Revision #4 - Final" with his hundreds of thousands of followers, it went viral. The script indicated Jake would beat Tommy Fury by TKO in the 8th round of their fight.

Obviously, that's not what happened (Fury beat Paul via split decision). Still, the script played into the conspiracy theorists' narrative that Jake's fights aren't real, and that clearly ticked off his team. The timing didn't help, either. It was released just hours before the fight and caused a headache for all involved.

"It was an Instagram post I think my buddy sent me," Perry said, explaining how he wound up with the script.

"I tweeted it and it's probably my best tweet of all time, probably. It got a lot of attention. People talked a lot of trash on me for it. Whatever."

But, Mike says it wasn't just Jake's fans that were angry, but also people close to the Problem Child.

"Jake's coach wrote me and was upset about his reputation," Perry says, explaining how Paul's coach made the case they always treated the former UFC star with respect.

But, Mike doesn't see the situation the same way.

"Ya know I was thinking, well, Jake never cared about my reputation when he posted a video of what I said to him at practice, trying to coach him up and be a part of the team, and give him that work. And he put that [training footage] out there," Perry countered, referencing Jake's decision to post training footage where Paul got the best of Perry while sparring.

We asked Mike how he responded to Jake's trainer BJ Flores -- whom Perry implies was the coach who sent the message.

"I didn't really respond to his coach's messages. I didn't respond to it. I just kind of looked past it. It's part of the game."

FYI, Flores is Jake's head coach and was a respected boxer in his own right. In fact, BJ fought for a cruiserweight world title in 2016.

Despite the drama, MP says ... "I like BJ Flores," but clearly he has no regrets about posting the script.

"The script was hilarious, it was funny, I guess just a joke."

We also talked to Mike about his thoughts on the actual fight (he says he wasn't very impressed with either boxer), and whether he has any interest in fighting Jake and/or Tommy.

"I could beat either one of those guys. Maybe they're not ready for me, and someone of my experience," while making it clear he's open if fans want to see either bout.

The Montana hunter who killed and skinned a husky -- apparently thinking it was a wolf -- is getting off easy after copping a plea.

Amber Rose Barnes just pled no contest to misdemeanor animal cruelty ... and the judge gave her a 6-month deferred sentence, meaning the whole case will go away if she meets a few requirements.

Part of her checklist to get this wiped from her record -- Barnes will have to take an online hunter safety class, and she's not allowed to use her hunting rifles for half a year.

As it turns out, that's not much of a punishment when you consider hunting season doesn't come until the fall ... so, it's not like she's missing out.

Remember, Barnes was hit with the animal cruelty charge back in October after the horrific September incident. At the time, she bragged on social media she'd taken down a wild wolf ... but it was just a domesticated husky that was out in the woods.

Not only did she shoot and kill it, but Barnes also took the dog's hide as a trophy ... which she also posted on social media, drawing the ire of the public. Barnes insisted the animal was acting aggressively when she encountered it and claimed self-defense.

A massive brawl broke out at an Oklahoma high school basketball game, where players, spectators, and even cheerleaders were goin' at it -- and the insane melee was caught on video!

The fight happened after Star Spencer H.S. girl's team lost to Tulsa Central High at Regionals last Friday in Morris, Oklahoma.

What started the fight is unknown, but someone sitting in the bleachers had their camera rollin' when it began ... showing two female players on the ground pulling each other's hair while several people tried to stop them.

However, their efforts were futile, and actually started a larger altercation ... as people started pushing, shoving, and fighting. Players. Fans. Cheerleaders. Everyone.

In fact, you can see a man viciously throw a player during the brawl.

Morris Police Department officers were able to break up the fight, according to KFOR, and no one was injured or arrested.

Oklahoma Public School's spokesperson tells us they're investigating the incident and "students involved have been disciplined according to our Student Code of Conduct."

"This was an unfortunate incident and does not reflect the values or sportsmanship that OKCPS expects of our students and fans," the spokesperson said. "OKCPS officials worked with Tulsa Public Schools and the OSSAA to investigate the incident."

Several adults have also been banned from Tulsa Public Schools athletic events for the rest of the year.

Despite the incident, the Central Lady Braves played the following day against Millwood and won ... making them the Regional Consolation Champs.

No rock, but Ben Affleck was recently caught between a couple of REALLY hard places ... doing his best to get his fancy car out and on its way in a hilariously relatable video.

Ben and his Mercedes-Benz were subject to a super tight squeeze Monday in Brentwood, CA ... crammed between 2 other parked cars along a curb. You can see him smoking a cig with his Dunkin' on the top of the car before working on his escape.

We've all been there, and you gotta admit it's pretty infuriating ... and, as Ben goes back and forth in this spot, he hits the car up front a few times before pulling away -- whoops.

As we reported, this isn't the actor's first bout of trouble behind the wheel ... he and Jen were pulling into a Starbucks in West. L.A. last year as a sign got stuck in his back rim. Luckily, a couple of paps jumped in to save the day.

Ben's son, Samuel also go into a fender bender last year -- hopping into the driver's seat of a Lambo and accidentally reversing it into a white BMW.

More alligators have been removed from the Florida retirement community where an elderly was attacked and killed ... with additional searches underway.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rep tells TMZ ... two additional gators have been yanked from water at Spanish Lakes Fairways in Fort Pierce since last week's deadly incident ... and not just that, but we're told they'll probably be killed.

The FFWCC rep notes there've been a total of 5 gator complaints that a licensed nuisance alligator trapper (NAT) is currently working at the community.

The way they gauge which ones they'll go after and which ones they'll leave be is based on the public safety risk these animals might pose ... and, for now, only three of them have been taken out.

Remember, we'd been told by a neighbor at Spanish Lakes that ALL of the gators were being fished out of the surrounding lakes and ponds there ... and it certainly sounds like they're on the hunt for more.

Not only is "The Last of Us" drawing big TV ratings and buzz, it's now getting praise from menstrual cup companies for promoting the product and boosting sales.

No big spoiler's here, but if you missed last week's episode ... you didn't see the main character, Ellie, getting gifted a menstrual cup. At first, Ellie, who was born in a post-apocalyptical world seems a bit confused, but then she gets excited once she realizes what it is ... saying "gross" with a smile on her face.

While the scene was quick, fans hopped online to celebrate the significance of bringing women's health to the forefront and showing off a reusable alternative to tampons and pads.

A rep for The Flex Co., which makes menstrual cups, tells TMZ they saw a 400% increase in sales in the 2 days after the episode aired on HBO, a testament to media's "unparalleled power to destigmatize periods."

Over at Cora Life, another menstrual cup producer, a rep says they're thrilled to see a sustainable menstrual care product make it on such a high-profile show ... and they've also seen a slight uptick in orders.

Worth noting, 'Last of Us' didn't depict a specific brand, but obviously, it's prompted consumers to research them.

Lena Cup is also getting more hits -- a rep says the market was "energized" by the HBO shoutout, and they're all hoping the scene normalizes gifting menstrual cups.

Jamie Lee Curtis is among the many celebs lately who've caught flak for being a "nepo baby" -- but she said to hell with that after her big win ... one selected by actors for actors.

The legendary star got picked for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the SAG Awards Sunday ... which clearly took her by surprise, but which she handled with gusto and grace in her acceptance speech, coming straight from the heart and chock-full of emotion.

Check out the moment from start to finish, because it was something else. Jamie plants a kiss on her "Everything Everywhere All at Once" costar, Michelle Yeoh, and trotted onstage to a huge standing O.

Her speech itself was also pretty memorable ... with JLC invoking her parents' immigrant heritage and their rise in the Hollywood ranks as actors themselves -- which eventually led her to say, "I know you look at me and think 'Nepo baby,' and I totally get it!"

But she finished with a heartfelt sentiment, adding ... "But I'm 64 years old and this is just amazing." In other words, she's happy to be working as an actor and loves the job -- regardless of how she got there ... that seems to be her takeaway message here.

Say what you want about advantages, but Jamie is totally deserving in her own right. Yes, she's a Nepo Baby ... and no, we don't care. If it means more Jamie Lee -- so be it!

Bryan Kohberger -- the alleged quadruple Idaho murderer -- could die by bullet if he's convicted ... that is, assuming a local lawmaker there can get a new bill passed into law.

Rep. Bruce Skaug, a Republican state congressman, introduced legislation last week in Idaho's House -- calling on firing squads to be reinstated as a means of execution ... but only on the condition that lethal injection chemicals are unattainable in a timely manner. In other words, if you can't shoot 'em up ... shoot 'em. That's literally the essence of the bill.

Indeed, the language spells it out clear as day -- lethal injection should be the #1 option if it's on the table, but if it's determined by Idaho's DOC that the drugs needed to put someone to death intravenously aren't within reach in a matter of 5 days after a death sentence is issued ... there should be no delay in opting for a firing squad to do the job.

Apparently, the reason this is being floated at all is because it's actually quite difficult to get a hold of the lethal injection cocktail -- in Idaho, anyway. Skaug says there've been too many people sitting on death row avoiding their due justice 'cause there's no viable way to off them under the current parameters/available resources. His solution ... do it old school.

Skaug's bill says the director of the IDOC can figure out the logistics behind how to deploy a firing squad, what kind of weapons to use and whatnot -- but he's saying they oughta be brought back. BTW, fun fact ... firing squads were technically legal in Idaho until 2009, although they weren't used there in the state in recent history. Other states have though.

The last guy to die by firing squad in the U.S. was Ronnie Lee Gardner back in 2010 out in Utah. Utah also used them in 1977, for murderer Gary Gilmore. It's rare, but it happens sometimes.

Now, as for whether this bill actually has a chance at passing ... well, we'll see. It still needs a public hearing in the Ways and Means committee before even being considered to be sent to the full House for a vote. Only then will we know if other lawmakers are into the idea.

Those who speculated COVID-19 might've arisen from a lab in China -- meaning it was created by scientists and accidentally escaped -- appear to have been right all along.

Per the Wall Street Journal -- which says it's reviewed an internal report by the U.S. Energy Dept. that was apparently shared with the White House and Congress recently -- the lab leak theory seems to hold true, at least based on their own investigation and findings.

The DoE's classified intelligence report concludes COVID likely slipped out into the public via a "mishap" at a lab in China -- unclear which one though, or under which exact circumstances -- and that they've reached this new determination with fresh intel. However, the report also notes their confidence is "low" in terms of being absolutely sure here.

Here's the thing ... the FBI arrived at a similar assessment in '21 on the origin of the virus -- through their own investigation -- but not every government agency agrees. In fact, there are 4 other (unidentified) agencies, as well as a national intelligence panel, that still feel it may have emerged through natural transmission ... but their confidence in that is also "low," according to WSJ. In other words, no one really knows -- but everyone has a good guess.

So, while this Energy report is far from a definitive say on how COVID came about -- it does open the door for debate ... which was widely shut down as conspiratorial 2-3 years ago, when regular folks were suggesting it might have been something man-made/man-spread.

In fact, some claimed they were being outright censored on social media for spreading this type of theory ... which was being written off at the time as misinformation, and some even went so far as to say it was racist and xenophobic in nature to even suggest the lab leak.

The old "Crying Indian" commercial that used to play in the '70s -- which was meant to be a PSA against pollution -- is never going to be aired again ... now thanks to its new owner.

Nonprofit Keep America Beautiful is the OG creator of the ad, several variations of which they shot and ran with the help of actor Iron Eyes Cody ... who was the face of the campaign and who'd often be depicted in Native American regalia/crying at the sight of litter.

While their intentions might've been in the right place at the time, the PSA hasn't aged well ... with many Native American groups having since said it pushes hurtful tropes and stereotypes.

As a result, KAB has given up its claim to the PSA at large and transferred ownership to the National Congress of American Indians, which says it's retiring all of the promos and will monitor to make sure it's never played without historical context. In other words, this won't ever be played unironically as a real anti-littering message ... like it once was for years.

A rep for the Congress says, "NCAI is proud to assume the role of monitoring the use of this advertisement and ensure it is only used for historical context; this advertisement was inappropriate then and remains inappropriate today. NCAI looks forward to putting this advertisement to bed for good." It also seems like this is partially due to Cody's legacy.

At the time, he was all in on this campaign ... but his work in Hollywood -- where he starred in upwards of 200 films, often portraying a caricature of a Native American character -- has many in the community feeling like he's not the best representation of actual environmental work that real Native American people are involved in today ... especially all these years later. One activist says the "Crying Indian" appears to have no agency in the problem.

Another Norfolk Southern train has derailed in North Carolina, but the company says there were no hazardous materials aboard ... and that there's no danger to the public this time.

One of the freight train's 132 cars fell off the tracks Saturday morning near Lexington, which affected a few Amtrak trains' paths near Greensboro/surrounding areas. The announcement from one Amtrak train went out around 9:20 AM, but the path was partially clear again about an hour later ... so it sounds like a cleanup crew was able to get out there quickly.

Norfolk Southern confirmed it was, in fact, one of their freights that had toppled over, telling FOX News ... "There are no reports of a hazmat situation or danger to the public. Our crew is safe and additional personnel are on their way to begin cleanup. We appreciate the public’s patience and care near this area during the cleanup work."

Still no word on what might've caused this, but it's certainly not a good look for NS -- which is still dealing with the fallout from another more serious derailment in East Palestine, OH.

As you know, the EPA ordered Norfolk to cover the costs for all cleanup efforts in Ohio ... and has vowed they'll pay triple if they cut corners and don't do the job right the first time.

Meanwhile, Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg went down to East Palestine Thursday for the first time -- blasting Norfolk Southern for pushing back on safety regulations that could've possibly avoided this in the first place. He and the Biden administration continue to face criticism for the seemingly slow response to the ongoing environmental disaster unfolding.

The creator of the classic comic strip, 'Dilbert,' may have just lined up the final nail in his coffin when it comes to newspapers running his stuff ... via a racist rant about Black people.

Scott Adams posted a new episode to his podcast Wednesday, where he discussed a poll he says was put out by Rasmussen ... which cites 53% of Black Americans agreeing with the phrase "It's okay to be white," meaning almost half of the respondents surveyed didn't necessarily agree, sending Adams into a tirade about the ramifications of that, from his POV.

Check out what he said ... because it's truly something. SA launches into a tirade about how white people should simply stop trying to help African-Americans in this country, because it always backfires and only festers hate from Black people's side. That's his takeaway.

He also goes so far as to say that Black people, at large, are a hate group ... with his rationale being -- if they're not okay with the phrase, they're trafficking in racial bigotry.

Adams went on to distinguish the differences between white and Black neighborhoods -- invoking Don Lemon, no less -- and ended with the cherry on top ... namely, his suggestion that white citizens steer clear of Black people ... 'cause it's just more trouble than it's worth.

As hostile and antagonistic as that sounds, Adams insists he's tried being an ally to Black folks throughout his life ... so much so, he apparently started *identifying* as Black too. 🤔

Welp, that was enough for some major flagship news operations to kick him and 'Dilbert' to the curb -- including Gannett, which runs and publishes USA Today ... which now says it's done with him and will no longer continue to print 'Dilbert' comics in any of its papers.

The Plain Dealer -- a Cleveland publication -- announced the same shortly thereafter ... but it's actually late to the game. Several other newspapers in recent years have already dropped Adams/'Dilbert' ... upwards of 77 under Lee Enterprises and the SF Chronicle too.

A buck-naked man gave drivers a free peep show on a Texas highway ... and the bizarre incident was partly caught on video.

Check out this footage, obtained by TMZ, showing the mystery man -- in the buff -- running along the shoulder of Central Expressway in Dallas on Friday afternoon.

We're told another man dressed in a suit was chasing after him, but you can't see the second guy in the clip. That man apparently turned around at some point and went back the other way.

We don't know what happened to the streaker ... witnesses tell us they lost track of him as they drove down the highway.

TMZ reached out to a rep for Dallas PD, but she said cops never received a 911 call so they didn't respond.

Ricky Gervais has opinions about 86'ing the words "fat" and "ugly" from children's books, and he concedes it's child's play compared to what he says onstage.

Ricky is clearly appalled by the move to cut the 2 words from Roald Dahl's books for kids, mocking the "fragile" and "easily offended."

Ricky says he's been noodling over words he uses onstage ... words like f**k, fat, ugly, greedy, pathetic little stupid f**king c*** -- "Stuff like that."

Ricky followed up with a tweet where he displayed a pic of himself making a wonky face and exposing his belly, saying, "I've changed my mind. I think we should ban the words 'fat' and 'ugly. No reason."

Someone on Twitter took him seriously and said the comedian's standup is different, because it's not aimed at kids.

Ricky's reply -- “Yeah I know ... It was a joke.”

As you probably know, Dahl's books, notably "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," have been re-issued where "fat" will no longer be used.