Viral

Don't count Jeff Ross among the people -- Jewish or otherwise -- outraged over Michael Che's joke about Israel on last week's 'SNL' ... he thinks Che should keep it up.

We got the "Roastmaster General" out in Bev Hills and asked for his take on the joke ... which many decried as anti-Semitic, but Jeff had another word for it -- "hilarious."

The comedian says people need to have thicker skin and just enjoy comedy ... which he describes as "essential business" after nearly a year of COVID lockdowns.

As for those who were offended by Che's joke, Jeff says Israel jokes aren't off-limits ... neither are jokes about our camera guy.

Ross also weighed in on the recent Mr. Potato Head news, and in classic Roastmaster fashion ... he used it to poke fun at a late comedy legend.

Mr. Potato Head is catching up with the times, he's now just Potato Head ... and it's all about getting rid of traditional gender norms.

Hasbro is dropping the "Mr." and rebranding its iconic spud toys this fall, giving children a blank canvas to create a potato family however they see fit.

The toy giant says it wants to move away from the nuclear family and give kids a chance to go with what feels natural to them ... build whatever kinda potato fam ya want, and those spuds can wear whatever they want.

It's a huge shift for Hasbro ... the company launched the OG Mr. Potato Head way back in 1952, and followed it up the next year with a Mrs. Potato Head complete with her own set of accessories. Plus, it was only 8 years ago that Hasbro celebrated the original potato couple's 60th anniversary with a special box set.

Now, Hasbro says the new toy sets won't present kids with the same family structure you played with as a tyke.

An American Airlines pilot sounded pretty flummoxed by a "long, cylindrical object" zooming over his plane in New Mexico airspace -- ya know, not far from Roswell -- and now it's on FBI's plate.

The plane was traveling from Cincinnati to Phoenix Sunday afternoon when the flight crew spotted a strange, fast-moving object flying above them. The pilot called it in, first asking ... "Do you have any targets up here?"

He added ... "I hate to say this, but it looked like a long cylindrical object that almost looked like a cruise-missile type of thing. Moving really fast and went right over the top of us."

So, what the heck was it? If the FBI knows, it's not telling. FBI Spokesperson Frank Fisher tells TMZ ... the agency's "aware of the reported incident."

The reason the pilot asked about targets isn't necessarily a Roswell thing. They were flying near the Army's White Sands Missile Range ... however, the military's denied the object was one of theirs.

Fisher adds, "While our policy is to neither confirm nor deny investigations, the FBI works continuously with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to share intelligence and protect the public."

Hmm ... the truth is out there. 🤔

AMAZING VIDEO!!!!

Check out this rugby team from Fiji -- singing a BEAUTIFUL song from their hotel balconies to thank the staff for taking care of them during a mandatory COVID quarantine.

The team is the Kaiviti Silktails -- the guys are currently in Australia to participate in the Ron Massey Cup, a big rugby tournament in New South Wales.

But, since Australia doesn't mess around when it comes to COVID, all players were ordered to quarantine at a hotel for 2 weeks before they're allowed to head into public.

The guys have been holed up at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel in central Sydney -- and wanted to show their appreciation to the staff ... so they got on their balconies and broke out in song AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!

We're not sure which song they're singing (if you know, feel free to write in and let us know!) ... but it's an incredible sight and these dudes can SANG!!!

Travis Scott's flash mob-type gathering on the streets of West Hollywood might cost him -- because city officials are taking a closer look to see if he broke pandemic regulations.

L.A.'s Dept. of Public Works tells TMZ ... the city did not issue a permit for Travis' Cactus Jack newsstand Tuesday in WeHo, as we're told the city's been frowning on dishing 'em out lately due to COVID-19 -- especially for non-essential gatherings like this.

In light of that, we're told Public Works plans to consult with the City Attorney's office on any possible actions they might wanna take -- including potential fines. Public Works did note to us that even though they do issue citations for permitting violations ... it wasn't certain that would be done in this case.

As we reported ... Travis assembled dozens of bodies at a newsstand, which he emblazoned with his Cactus Jack signage -- all as a way to announce the 1st issue of his "Utopia Issue" of i-D Magazine. Limited editions were being distributed to the masses.

You'll recall ... Travis got dinged for something very similar not too long ago in the SoCal city of Downey, which only ended up costing a couple hundred bucks -- and McDonald's covered the tab for him.

Nobody's above bending over to pick up after their dog ... just ask Stassie Karanikolaou who says her billionaire pal Kylie Jenner even gets down and dirty.

We got Stassie leaving the trendy eatery Croft Alley Wednesday afternoon in L.A. and wondered if her BFF has handlers to handle all deuces ... especially because KJ's got a new pup, Kevin.

Well, we asked and Stassie gave us the straight poop on ... who's doing Kev clean-up duty. Hehe. Anyway, her answer is a good lesson for dog owners everywhere, and says a lot about Kylie.

As for the mad pooper ... sorry we meant to say Kevin -- his fur mom introduced him to the world a few days ago, and if stupid amounts of cute are your thing, he's got ya covered.

He's got plenty of siblings, besides Stormi, to keep him occupied too -- Kylie reportedly has chickens, bunnies and 8 more dogs!!!

Josh Richards is as happy as can be to go from in front of the camera to behind-the-scenes with his new production company ... something Mark Wahlberg is making a reality.

We got the TikTok star Tuesday on the streets of West Hollywood where we asked about his new joint venture with Mark's Unrealistic Ideas -- which is going to help create programming and content that Josh and co. come up with via their new project, CrossCheck Studios.

As for what exactly may end up on camera ... check out what Josh has to say. Sounds like he and the team will focus on unscripted content at first -- but he eventually wants to dive into full-blown scripted stuff ... movies and shows.

Of course, we had to ask about the prospect of filming with Marky Mark one-on-one -- and while it might be a ways away, Josh doesn't hide his enthusiasm at the idea. He'd love a shot to co-star in something.

Elijah McClain was dealt with in a severely uncalled-for manner by Aurora, CO cops and paramedics -- so says an independent panel investigating the 23-year-old Black man's death ... and now his family wants the officers criminally charged.

Elijah's father, Lawayne Mosley, and the family's attorney, Mari Newman, joined us Tuesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss the findings of a commission gathered by the Aurora City Council.

Newman says the commission determined cops did everything wrong during the 2019 incident ... starting with having no legal reason to stop and frisk Elijah, not to mention later detaining him in a chokehold.

As for the paramedics, the commission found they gave Elijah way too much ketamine to sedate him, and ended up putting him in a coma ... before he later died.

Newman says Aurora PD tried covering up their mess after the fact -- another finding she says the panel discovered and made clear in its 157-page report.

Elijah's dad says the commission's findings are just the start, because his family wants justice. They'd like to see the officers criminally charged for Elijah's death -- plus, they've already filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city and the police department.

There's another update for this case ... the fact that the firing of three Aurora PD officers last year was upheld a just couple weeks ago by the city's Civil Service Commission. When the Chief of Police spoke about their actions at a presser, it was clear she was sickened ... they photographed each other mockingly reenacting a chokehold during a memorial for Elijah.

The pesky murder hornets that made it to North America last year are NOT all dead and gone -- in fact, a battle's being waged to contain the danger.

We spoke to renowned Washington state beekeeper Ted McFall Tuesday on "TMZ Live" about the new Discovery Channel documentary, "Attack of the Murder Hornets." He says enough have made it over here now to the point that different nests have developed.

Pros like Ted are addressing the crisis now ... however, he fears if they don't get it under control quickly, the U.S. honeybee population could be in serious jeopardy -- which eventually impacts our food supply too.

You might not realize it, but honeybees are a HUGE part of what keeps a lot of our crops growing at the rate they do. Murder hornets can easily wipe out colonies of bees, and that's why they're such a menace.

You'll recall, scientists in Washington state set out on a weeks-long mission late last year to snatch up as many murder hornets as they could find in one woodsy section of Washington, right on the Canadian border.

They thought they'd gotten them all in that one fell swoop, but had to go back later to retrieve a lot more of these hornets ... including hundreds of queens!

Turns out, those weren't the only ones out there -- and now, a black (and yellow) cloud hangs over the area.

Ahmaud Arbery's mother just filed a bombshell federal lawsuit, alleging the men charged in her son's death were in cahoots with local law enforcement.

Wanda Cooper is suing Greg and Travis McMichael and William Bryan -- the 3 who've been charged in connection with Ahmaud's killing one year ago Tuesday  ... as well as a number of police officials in Glynn County, and the county itself ... all of whom she says violated Ahmaud's civil rights.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Wanda recounts the events of Feb. 23, 2020 ... claiming Ahmaud went out for a jog that day, only to be targeted by the McMichaels and Bryan, who she alleges were deputized by Glynn County PD, and says Greg McMichael even had a police-issued revolver.

With those firearms -- including the revolver and a 12-gauge shotgun carried by Travis McMichael -- Wanda claims the men chased Ahmaud down on a "gut feeling" that he might be involved with recent break-ins in their neighborhood ... and then murdered him in cold blood.

Once Travis McMichael shot at Ahmaud point-blank range with his shotgun, Wanda alleges he uttered the words, "f***ing N***er." The aftermath, she alleges, is just as disturbing.

Wanda claims there were efforts by Glynn County and Brunswick County prosecutors -- as well as other officials involved in the initial investigation -- to sweep the incident under the rug, as she says Gregory McMichael had once been employed by the local police force as well as by the D.A.'s office. She says if it wasn't for the video of Ahmuad's death being leaked, it's possible nobody would've ever known or believed what happened to her son.

Ahmaud's mom alleges multiple causes of action ... including excessive force, conspiracy to violate Ahmaud's civil rights, conspiracy to obstruct justice, a failure to properly train officers, and several others.

UCLA has dismissed runner Chris Weiland from its track and cross country teams over video and text messages featuring racist and homophobic slurs.

Unclear exactly when the video was shot -- but it's bad. During the footage, which has gone viral, Weiland can be seen and heard griping to a woman about a girl he believes cheated on him.

During the conversation, which takes place at night inside of a car, Weiland bashes his lover's other man ... calling him the n-word and the homophobic f-word.

When complaining to the woman on the call, Weiland says his lover "wants to be with this f**king f****t who has no future. She's going to be with a stupid n****r who's going to be in community college all his life."

When the woman on the call urges Weiland to calm down and control his emotions, Weiland threatens to "beat the f**k" out of the other guy.

Video of the conversation was posted on Instagram this week and it BLEW UP quick -- with star UCLA athletes including gymnast Margzetta Frazier calling for the University to take swift action.

Weiland allegedly sent text messages to his ex-lover using similar offensive language. Those text messages were also posted to social media.

UCLA track coach Avery Anderson issued a statement Monday saying Weiland has been dismissed from the program.

But, Avery also confirms he was aware of the video months ago -- and suspended him -- before eventually allowing Weiland back on the track and cross country teams.

"When first learning of this a few months ago, I was disgusted and immediately suspended him indefinitely from the team," Anderson said.

So, why was he reinstated? Anderson says he wanted to give Weiland an opportunity to learn and grow from his mistakes.

"Even in my disgust, as a coach, my intentions are always to lead and educate and make the change happen that I want to see in this world. I can talk about changing the world, or I can put in the work to do so. And that is what I have done over the last few months with this individual. In January, I decided to reinstate him to the team."

Now, Anderson says he's had a change of heart.

"After team members and the athletic community expressed concern, it became clear that his continued involvement with the team is incompatible with the culture of mutual support and respect we’re fostering. I now realize that the decision to reinstate him was not the right decision, and that the action today is best for the well-being of our team."

Here's a verrrry good girl with a little extra pep in her steps ... she was born with 6 legs but veterinarians say the pooch is miraculously beating the odds.

This newborn Aussie-border collie mix named Miracle but who also goes by Skipper was born in Oklahoma City and taken to a vet after she was rejected by her mom. Vets at Neel Veterinary Hospital say she's nothing short of a miracle because she's survived longer than expected. The pup was 4 days old at the time the pic was taken.

And get this ... the vets say Skipper has duplicate organs basically from her waist down, and they're all functioning. There's no published research showing another dog with this condition born alive.

Skipper has congenital conjoining disorders called ... monocephalus dipygus and monocephalus rachipagus dibrachius tetrapus ... that's science talk for 1 head and chest cavity but 2 pelvic regions, 2 lower urinary tracts, 2 reproductive systems, 2 tails and 6 legs, among other things.

All things considered ... Skipper does have some positive signs going for her. The vets say her organs appear to be in great condition and she's peeing and pooping like a normal doggy, She's also very strong and growing appropriately so far.

The mariachi band that made Ted Cruz's stoop a stage performed at a discount, saying the Senator's actions were so despicable, they would've played it for free if they could.

TMZ spoke to Jose Antonio Solis of Mariachi Mi Mexico -- the group that brought their song and dance to Cruz's front door Sunday -- and he says they took nearly $100 less than normal for the gig in Ted's well-to-do Houston neighborhood.

Normally, Solis says their hourly rate runs $475, but they agreed to $400 flat. Solis says he understands Ted and the fam wanting to get away from the cold, but not when the people Ted represents are dying.

Solis says they would've played the gig for free, but lost out on recent money because of the storm.

Mariachi Mi Mexico was hired by a fella named Bryan Hlavinka ... whom Solis says told them there was a GoFundMe account set up specifically to pay them to play.

'Jeopardy!' was short on guest hosts after Ken Jennings' stint expired -- so a chief showrunner had to lace up himself and get on the field ... which turned out to be a beaut of a decision.

Executive producer Mike Richards stepped in Monday to serve as host of the quiz program -- kicking off the broadcast by introducing himself and explaining to viewers at home why there wasn't a more well-known face on their TV sets ... like a celeb, or a 'Jeopardy!' alum.

Long story short ... the team behind the scenes had a hard time booking someone -- which he explains was, in part, due to COVID fears -- so he decided to take up the mantle himself and present answers to this week's contestants. He says it best ... the show must go on.

As the rest of the half-hour played out ... it became clear Richards was a natural, and the reviews online were stellar. People loved him -- his style, his wit and humor ... all very reminiscent of the late, great Alex Trebek.

The show went off without a hitch -- and Richards says he'll be doing hosting duty for the next 2 weeks.

As we reported, the show's already announced a slew of celeb guest hosts in coming months, but folks seem to really like Mike!

If Sen. Ted Cruz swung by his crib at any point Sunday, he would've seen the brigade of standing musicians in sombreros ... reminding him what he was missing in Mexico.

Somebody hired a mariachi band to swing by Ted's Houston home yesterday, where the fellas were cranking out Mexican tunes from the sidewalk, quite loudly -- with a crowd of neighbors and spectators forming around them and enjoying the vibes.

Unclear if Ted was around to take in the show himself -- we know he'd been out and about, helping distribute supplies to Texans devastated by the winter storm ... albeit, several days after first going to Cancun with his family.

As we reported, Cruz did a quick U-turn after touching down last week -- and, at first, tried blaming the whole thing on the will of his daughters, and his desire to be a good dad. He eventually just copped to it ... calling the whole thing a mistake in hindsight.

Janet Jackson was so impressed with a UCLA gymnastics star who busted out a floor routine inspired by her music, JANET FACETIMED HER!!

The athlete behind the routine is Margzetta Frazier -- who busted out some of Ms. Jackson's legendary dance moves to songs like "Nasty" and "If" during a competition against BYU earlier this month.

Footage of the routine went viral -- because it's awesome -- and got all the way to Janet, who DEMANDED she talk to Frazier face-to-face (virtually, of course).

The two connected on Friday -- and Jackson gushed about Frazier's routine, talent and raw athleticism.

"I just want too say thank you," Janet said to Margzetta ... "Thank you for sharing your talent. It's so beautiful to see you tumble. Really inspiring."

"It just inspired me to want to do more, and do better and be stronger. I loved it. Absolutely loved it."

Frazier was so touched, she choked back tears and told her idol how much Janet and her music meant to her.