Miya Ponsetto 'SoHo Karen' Charged with Hate Crime ... Family Attorney Reacts

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Keyon's mother, Katty Rodriguez, reacted to the news moments after the indictment. She was flanked by Rev. Al Sharpton and family attorney Ben Crump, who said thank goodness Keyon's father was there at the time of the incident ... because god knows what would have happened.

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NO REMORSE WHATSOEVER

Miya Ponsetto, who's been labeled "SoHo Karen," has just been indicted on a slew of charges -- including 2 hate crimes -- over the infamous iPhone incident in a hotel lobby.

According to court records, a grand jury indicted Ponsetto Wednesday, hitting her with 2 felony counts of unlawful imprisonment in the 2nd degree as a hate crime ... and 2 misdemeanor counts of aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child.

Ponsetto's attorney, Paul D'Emilia, pled not guilty on her behalf. D'Emilia railed on Manhattan D.A. Cy Vance, telling TMZ that "instead of helping to foster a civil and enlightened resolution to an unfortunate incident between two young people, DA Vance chose a craven and opportunistic path in indicting, with felony hate crime charges."

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ATTACKING A 14-YEAR-OLD

D'Emilia believes the charges are an overreach, calling it absurd and shameful.

Remember, the family wanted Miya to be charged with a hate crime ... and now she has been. She's due back in court in October.

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HOTEL RAMPAGE

As we reported ... the indictment stems from a December 2020 incident when Miya's seen on video attacking 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr. at the Arlo Hotel in SoHo after falsely claiming he stole her iPhone.

She denied racially profiling Keyon.

Originally published -- 2:06 PM PT

British Influencer Oli London I'm Getting Death Threats ... After Identifying as Korean

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ATTACKED BY THE LEFT

The British influencer who elected to undergo 18 surgeries to look like BTS singer Park Jimin says they're facing tons of backlash ... including threats against their life.

Oli London, who identifies as non-binary and changed their name to Jimin, tells TMZ ... they're getting flooded with death threats and they're scared for their life.

Jimin -- the influencer, not the singer -- tells us they're also getting hateful comments from folks telling them to commit suicide, and claims others are threatening to gun them down.

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THIS IS WHO I AM

As you know, Jimin is identifying as Korean after going under the knife 18 times for a variety of plastic surgeries including extensive work on their eyes and a brow lift.

It's interesting ... the influencer claims most of the attacks are coming from liberal white people, while Republicans and people struggling with identity issues have been largely supportive.

Tour de France Riders Protest For Safer Conditions ... After Crashes

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Wild scene from the Tour de France on Tuesday ... when all the riders staged a 1-minute protest to demand safer racing conditions.

The event has been laden with gnarly crashes over the past 3 days ... including a massive pileup caused by a spectator's cardboard sign on Saturday.

Yet another crash went down during Stage 3 on Monday ... and riders believe it could have been avoided if race organizers would have listened to their concerns regarding the curvy and narrow finale.

The riders decided to show just how pissed they are about the dangerous racing conditions with the strike ... coming to a complete stop 1 kilometer into Stage 4 in hopes of bringing changes to the event.

The riders then resumed the race at a slow pace for the next 10 kilometers.

The Cyclistes Professionnels Associés released a statement in response to the crashes on Monday ... saying the riders want their concerns to be taken seriously.

"Their frustration about foreseeable and preventable action is enormous," the CPA said.

"The riders wish to stress their respect for their sponsors, their sports groups, the organizer, their international institution," the statement added. "Supporters are very important to them -- and this is why they will be riding today."

"In return, the riders of the Tour de France ask for the same respect – respect for their safety."

The riders are asking organizers to implement a "3-kilometer rule" ... which means times would be taken 3 kilometers from the finish in case of future crashes or other issues similar to what went down on Monday.

Now, the question is ... will the protest work?!?

Ariana Grande Crushes 'Little Shop' Karaoke Duet

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Ariana Grande singing karaoke in any capacity might seem unfair -- but that's especially true when she gets a number that lets her show off her pipes as this famous duet did.

AG was filmed hanging out with friends and crooning along to "Suddenly Seymour" from "Little Shop of Horrors" ... in which she took up singing duties for Audrey (Ellen Greene) while a pal handled Seymour's lines (performed by Rick Moranis in the movie version).

Ellen was always the more impressive of the pair from the iconic scene -- and that proved to be true here as well. Not to say her friend singing for Rick was bad or anything ... but Ari just shined through for some weird reason. It's almost like she's a pro.

BTW, her hubby, Dalton Gomez, was by her side for the impromptu show ... cheering her on after she hit that final note on "SEYMOUR IS YOUR MAN."

And, don't worry, no kiss here between Ari and the friend like they do in the play/flick. Although, we're sure the actual mister and missus smooched at some point in the night.

British Influencer 'I'm Finally Korean' ... Had 18 Surgeries to Look Like BTS Singer!!!

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THIS IS WHO I AM

A British influencer elected to undergo surgery after surgery after surgery so they could look like BTS singer Park Jimin -- and says they no longer feel trapped, and identifies as Korean.

Lots to unpack here, but Oli London -- who identifies as non-binary -- said Monday they've been trapped in the wrong body for 8 years, but can now "be myself" because "I'm finally Korean."

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London's changed their name to Jimin, and says some of the 18 surgeries included extensive work on their eyes, and a brow lift.

They even spoke in Korean in parts of the video, and added ... "I know it's a little confusing, nobody has ever come out as Jimin or Korean, but this is something you guys know ... I've really struggled with identity issues with who I am."

Jimin -- the wannabe, not the singer -- said Korean is their culture, their home country and now they're happy to look Korean ... after at least $150k worth of surgeries over 8 years.

The racial transition, as Jimin puts it, is drawing lots of criticism -- to which they say ... "Being Transexual is the same as being TRANSRACIAL because you are born in the wrong body."

No word yet on how Jimin, the BTS frontman, feels about all of this.

Richard Hutchins Homeless Artist's Success Goes Viral Now Hollywood's Calling!!!

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MY LIFE'S CHANGED FOREVER

In a matter of weeks, Richard Hutchins went from homeless to hosting his own art gallery show/auction in Beverly Hills ... and, pretty soon, he'll be coming to a theater near you.

Richard -- an artist who spent years living on the streets in L.A. after his art studio burned down -- joined "TMZ Live" on Monday alongside Charlie Rocket ... 2 Chainz's ex-manager who met Richard by chance on Easter Sunday in a grocery store parking lot.

The story's a rags-to-riches tale akin to the Golden Voice or "The Soloist" -- Charlie discovered Richard's an uber-talented artist, who in his heyday had been commissioned to do work for Muhammad Ali, Richard Pryor and Marvin Gaye, among others.

Richard had been down on his luck for years, but fast forward to last week ... when he was lauded as he strolled into his own gallery/auction featuring his work at the Sofitel. Around 500 people attended the shindig, including Damon Dash.

After Charlie got to know Richard, and his artistic skill, he helped set up Richard's art website so he can sell prints ... and Richard tells us he's hauled in more than $200k.

In fact, 2 Chainz was one of the first customers, and Steve Harvey also bought a painting for a cool $3,000.

So, what's next? Richard says he's already gotten an acting offer for a role as an artist. He also wants to give back now that he has the resources ... and tackle Skid Row.

It's a wild, interesting and inspiring story.

Lil Nas X Defends Kissing Dancer at BET Awards ... Diddy Calls it 'Fearless'

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Lil Nas X delivered a memorable performance at the BET Awards, but at least one person on Twitter hated it ... so the rapper put them in their place.

The "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" singer crushed it on stage Sunday night, not only with his hit track but also with a tribute to Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time."

The stage appearance ended with Lil Nas planting an intense kiss on one of his male backup dancers.

Clearly, a major moment -- especially as Pride Month wraps up -- but one Twitter user was outraged, tweeting ... "DONT USE AFRICAN CULTURE FOR S***S LIKE THIS!!!!!!! RESPECT OUR ANCESTORS."

Never one to ignore criticism, Lil Nas X defended his decision while making a historical point, saying ... "y'all really like to pretend homosexuality didn’t exist in african culture."

Other than the one hater, the rapper received widespread praise for his bold move, including from Diddy ... who applauded him for being fearless.

Fans of Lil Nas X -- who came out on the last day of Pride Month in 2019 -- were initially disappointed when the 2021 BET Awards nominees were announced and he didn't make the list, and some accused the show of being homophobic.

Still, he was there to perform, and certainly made the most of it.

A$AP Rocky Sweeping Rihanna Off Her Feet in NYC ... No, Literally!!!

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RIHANNA'S ROCKY RIDE

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna are riding off into the sunset -- or the sunrise, rather ... and we mean it in every sense of the word, 'cause a late-night date night turned into just that.

The A-list couple kept their love fest going Saturday night into the wee hours of Sunday morning ... where we're told they popped up in the lower east side of NYC after a night out, walking hand-in-hand -- and, before long, body-in-arms thanks to A$AP swooping her up.

Check out the video we got of that exact moment ... it's like straight out of a movie, and RiRi seemed to be digging every minute of it. Eventually, they drove away in a waiting SUV.

BTW, we're told this was shot around 5:30/6 AM Sunday -- so yeah, it was definitely a marathon date they were on. Eyewitnesses also say they came across a dude who seemed drunk and sprawled out over the floor ... to which A$AP/RiRi said ... yo, help him out!

Unfortunately for him, his buddies seemed to be starstruck with this sighting ... and for good reason. It's not every day you might spot this -- but then again, maybe that's changing.

Frankly, A$AP and Rihanna have been spotted out and about all over town lately ... and are NOT shy to show off their PDA, this weekend included, it seems. They're clearly gaga for one another -- and apparently want the whole wide world to know it.

We hear ya, guys ... and we see you too. 💖

JFK Jr. Back (in the flesh???) at DT rally QAnon'ers Actually Buy It!!!

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John F. Kennedy Jr. was incognito among a MAGA crowd this weekend and happily posed with Trump fans at his first public rally in a while ... that is, if you buy what QAnon's selling.

Different photos have sprung up from Saturday's gathering in Wellington, OH -- where DT held his first MAGA party in an official capacity and spewed falsehood after falsehood about the 2020 election ... while also teasing his inevitable return to politics in the near future.

It was a lot of the same stuff he's regurgitated in his speeches of late -- but one of the quirky headlines to emerge from the red hat forum was photo-ops with a fella Q'ers apparently believe is the REAL JFK Jr. ... who, of course, is long dead and buried (at sea).

The dude's name is Vincent Fusca, and he's definitely a Trump supporter from what we can see on his social media. However, somehow, he's also been labeled as John John in disguise ... and is a bit of a celeb among the QAnon crowd whenever they get together.

Folks seem more than happy to snap selfies with Vince if they spot him out -- and he's kind of hard to miss ... as he always seems to be rocking the black hat and matching outfit, not to mention his signature shaggy 'do and beard. It doesn't appear Vincent has openly embraced the wild story, but based on his Twitter feed ... he ain't batting it down either.

While we will acknowledge there might be *some* sort of a resemblance to JFK Jr. (barely one, really) ... it doesn't take a genius to know, this is obviously NOT the real McCoy.

Like we said, John died in a plane crash in 1999 (along with his wife, Carolyn, and her sister) ... and was laid to rest by the Kennedy family. It's an absolutely absurd conspiracy theory -- one which we've detailed in the past -- but Q'ers, for some reason, think he'll re-emerge after faking his death, and "re-take the country" alongside Donald Trump.

That narrative has debunked time and again after missed dates and, you know, real life ... but the Q crowd are holding out hope that their savior will return. For now, VF will do. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Bow Wow Celebrates 'Verzuz' Win Against Soulja Contribution Solidified???

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BOW WOW'S BIG WIN

The people have spoken, and they say Bow Wow beat Soulja Boy in a "Verzuz" -- which begs the question ... can Shad get a little respect on his name now??? Sheesh!

That's exactly what we asked BW Saturday in WeHo as he was leaving Catch ... this after his highly-anticipated showdown with his 2000s contemporary, which was put on in front of an audience at the Hollywood Palladium (where "Verzuz" battles have gone down lately).

Check out what Mr. Moss had to say when we asked if him (unofficially) winning the faceoff solidifies his contribution to music and culture ... something that's actually been in question in recent years, as Bow Wow's often been the butt of many online jokes/challenges.

Bow Wow had possibly the best answer to the question of relevance ... all you gotta do is punch his name into a search bar, and you'll quickly learn who he is. Well said, sir.

BTW, Lil Romeo came out as a surprise guest during the jam-packed "Verzuz" and gave both Bow Wow and Soulja their respective props ... which many say were long overdue considering their legacy and impact as it pertains to pretty much everything hip-hop.

It made for a sweet moment ... but it was just one of many highlights. At one point, Bow Wow busted out the Harlem shake -- which he made famous as a little tyke -- right around the time he was blowing up from his "Like Mike" role. We gotta say ... he hasn't lost a step!

The show ended up being an awesome walk down memory lane for pretty much anyone who was born in the '90s and grew up on Soulja and Bow Wow's music.

One last thing from our interview with BW ... he really wants people to go see 'F9' (the newest 'Fast & Furious' movie). Y'know -- 'cause he's in it and everything. Vroom, vroom.

Car-Shaped Boat Cruisin' the Waters of Egypt!!!

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God help the poor soul high on weed who sees this thing cruising the waters.

Check out the powerboat designed to look like a sports car ... and guess what? There's a plan to make it amphibious.

A dude name Karim Amin and 2 of his buddies were tooling around the ocean in Alexandria, Egypt in cars that were, well, sort of James Bond-y.

The "boats" can hit speeds of up to 40 MPH. They even have Bluetooth and a GPS. They say it rides more like a jet ski than a traditional boat. There are only 12 of its kind, but it seems there are plans to expand. They're working on a 2.0 which would function on land and on the sea.

As for the price ... they start at $19,000 (no power windows) and go up to $44k.

Pretty awesome, and fun.

Tour de France Authorities on the Hunt for Woman Who Caused Massive Crash

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It seems that massive crash Saturday during the Tour de France might have been downright criminal ... because French authorities are now on the case.

As we reported, a spectator with a cardboard sign was apparently mugging for the TV cameras when she got way too close to the racers ... striking German rider Tony Martin who was at the front of the pack.

She stepped in front of the racing pack holding the sign, appearing to display a message for the television cameras.

The sign hit Martin who was cycling near the head of the pack. Martin tumbled to the ground, setting off a chain reaction as nearly 2 dozen other cyclists ate it.

So now, law enforcement is on the hunt for the woman they say caused "unintentional injuries by manifestly deliberate violation of an obligation of safety or prudence." Translation, recklessness.

Authorities are asking witnesses to come forward who can ID the woman -- who quickly left the scene before investigators arrived.

Three riders had to drop out of the race after the crash.

Courtney Love to Olivia Rodrigo Your Prom Cover Art Looks Familiar Send Me Flowers/TY Note!!!

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Olivia Rodrigo's latest cover art looks an awful lot like something Courtney Love put out years ago -- and the latter isn't afraid to point that out ... not to mention demand credit.

The 18-year-old singer -- who's blowing up right now from her "drivers license" hit, plus her debut album "SOUR" from earlier this year -- teased a new visual project tied to her record, which will apparently be all about prom ... and OR never being able to attend her own.

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She posed for a shoot in which she's in a prom dress, a tiara and mascara running down her face ... with a bouquet of flowers in tow. If that looks familiar, it's 'cause it is ... Courtney's band, Hole, released "Live Through This" in the '90s, and it's got a very similar aesthetic.

CL poked fun at this ... reposting Olivia's photo, and captioning it with, "Spot the difference! #twinning! 🥸@oliviarodrigo 😉👸👸." Seems like it was all in good fun, but it would appear Courtney is legit upset about this ... and perhaps rightly so.

Olivia eventually responded in Courtney's comments, writing ... "Love u and live through this sooooo much." Not really an apology or acknowledgment of inspiration (in our minds) ... and it looks like Courtney thought so too, because she told Olivia to send her flowers and a thank you note, while making sure to note her favorite florist. Indeed, it's deliciously petty.

Some are saying Courtney's expecting too much here -- as there's an argument that artists (especially ones from vastly different generations) are ripping each other's style all the time, consciously or unconsciously. It's also unclear if Olivia was aware of Courtney's work when she/her team were putting this whole concept together. Either way, Court doesn't care.

She dug in, writing ... "Does Disney teach kids reading and writing? God knows. Let's see. Yes this is rude. Rage inducing? Honey if I had a dollar for everyone this happens? I'd be real rich!"

Tell us how you really feel!

Yungblud 1st Concert Since COVID ... Jam-Packed & Mostly Maskless

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Yungblud took to the stage this week for a momentous event since the pandemic began -- welcoming back concertgoers (in-person) ... who came flocking in, mostly without masks.

The rocker held his first public show at WeHo's Whisky a Go Go, which was packed to the gills with folks dying to get out and catch some tunes up close and in the flesh. It's all kosher, obviously -- the state of California is open again, and masks are largely optional.

However, it's interesting to see that the majority of people here chose not to wear a face covering ... especially because we've heard it was all basically on an honor system in terms of vaccination. We've heard from people who went that there were no vaxx card checks ... so it's a little dicey. Some may have been vaccinated, others easily might not have been.

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COME RIGHT IN!

That might make you squirm a bit when you see just how huddled and close people got during the performance -- especially when Yungblud got down low to the ground level.

At this point, it appears enough people are getting vaccinated that these people felt comfortable enough to take the chance ... to which we say, rage at your own risk. Word around town is that a lot of these smaller venues aren't checking vaccine status, so ... 🤷🏽‍♂️

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SHOWIN' FANS SOME LOVE

BTW, Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox were in attendance for this shindig -- they're pals with Yungblud -- and of course, they were doing their thing up in the upper deck ... making out and stuff.

Check out the scene after the concert ... it's just as crazy as what was going down indoors. Sure feels (and looks) like the virus is well behind us, don't it???

Liam Neeson At Age 69 I'm Still Acting in Action Flicks??? Very Charles Bronson-Like

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Liam Neeson is still saving the day onscreen -- even at the ripe age of 69 -- which is something he can't believe ... but might need a history lesson on, 'cause it's been done before.

The legendary actor -- whose legend only continues to grow with each new action flick he's cast in, including his latest for Netflix, "The Ice Road" -- did an interview with EW, in which he dissected the phenomenon of him getting tapped to play the hero time and time again.

He says, in part ... "I just turned 69 years of age, and the conversations I have with my agent now are, 'Liam, have you read this script? It's an action script,' and I say, 'Chris, let me ask you this, they do know what age I am, right?' 'Yes, they do.' 'Okay, that's all I want to know, thank you.'" So, yeah ... everyone seems to be in on the secret -- he's a senior citizen!

Liam adds, "That being said, I keep reasonably fit, and you just have to for some of these films. If you're playing the lead in any film, you have the responsibility; you're in practically every scene, it behooves you to be fit. You don't have to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger at the age of 35, but you have to have stamina."

Of course, Liam as the modern-day Stallone/Willis/Schwarzenegger can largely be attributed to his standout action film, "Taken," which became a cultural hit ... and apparently led to Hollywood honchos thinking LN would be THE perfect guy to whoop on baddies going forward.

And, hey ... the dude's not complaining either. Seems like he's taking this bizarro typecasting in stride -- but he'd be far from the first mainstream actor to be playing an older gun blazer.

Yes, we're aware Harrison Ford is once again donning the brown fedora for "Indiana Jones 5" -- and he's 78, so he might be the king in this convo -- but the one and only Charles Bronson seems to have been one of the early few to pave the way for both HF and Liam.

The man was acting in action flicks -- including a fifth installment of 'Death Wish' in 1994 at age 72/73 -- until he was in his late 70s, before passing in the early 2000s at age 81.

Luckily, Liam and Harrison are still kicking (ass) ... and we love to see it. Take it away, boys!

Hot-air Balloon Tragedy Basket Gondola Detaches in Air ... Kills 4, Injures 1

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A hot-air balloon ride in New Mexico quickly turned into a deadly nightmare -- as the gondola that was carrying the riders snapped clean off ... and plummeted to the ground below, killing several.

This tragedy happened Saturday morning in Albuquerque, where at least 5 people were riding in a hot-air balloon above the city ... when, according to preliminary investigations, their basket carrier somehow detached from the balloon -- leaving them in a free fall descent.

The balloon itself floated down after them -- crumpling under its own weight in the air -- which was captured on video by several different bystanders. Important to note -- the people are not seen falling in these clips ... presumably, they'd already hit the ground by this point.

Reports say the basket crashed into some power lines ... which sent the carrier up in flames, and caused an electrical outage in the area, not to mention a crazy crash scene in the road.

Four people are said to have died from the fall -- reportedly in the ages of 40-60 -- but one was transported to the hospital in critical condition ... and docs are working on saving them. Unclear, for now, what exactly went wrong up there for something like this to happen, but it's terrifying nonetheless.

There's also no word yet on whether this was a privately-owned hot-air balloon, or one that was owned by a company of some sort. Authorities are looking into all of that, we're sure.