Weird News

Phil Mickelson nearly missed his tee time due to his hotel catching on fire from a lightning strike -- but hey, at least he lived to tweet about it.

The golf legend documented the scary incident on Twitter Sunday morning, saying he and a bunch of other guests were evacuated near Medinah, IL -- where Phil's participating in the BMW Championship as part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs -- after their hotel got hit by a lightning bolt ... which apparently sent part of the facility up in flames.

Phil wrote, "How’s this for crazy? My hotel was struck by lighting, I was on top floor,we were evacuated and the place is on fire(only thing of mine on fire this week.) I can’t get back into my room and may miss my tee time because I am without clubs and clothes."

His fourth-round tee time (with Brooks Koepka and Dylan Frittelli) was scheduled for 11:52 AM ET, and he was being shuffled out of his hotel a little more than an hour before that.

Luckily for him, Phil reportedly made it to the tee just in the nick of time -- and was later escorted back to his room and was able to retrieve his gear. Phil shouted out the EMTs who helped, writing ... "EMT's were awesome! I'm going to make it. Turns out my clubs acted as a fire retardant. Lucky me."

Now, the bummer ... Phil isn't doing too hot in the tournament right now -- he's in 47th place as of this writing ... and it'll be an uphill climb to break into the top 30 he needs to be in to move on.

Also important ... it doesn't sound like Phil notified his family of the emergency, including his ma -- which his sister, Tina, made him well aware of on Twitter.

Art really does imitate life -- the "Empire" crew is firing up its cameras pretty much exactly where their former star, Jussie Smollett, insists he fell victim to a racist and homophobic attack.

FOX had a bunch of crew members from the show setting up a shot Tuesday in Chicago ... literally within a stone's throw from where Jussie says the Osundairo brothers gave him a clobbering, poured bleach on him and left a rope around his neck.

The set is literally in the shadow of Jussie's apartment building ... it's the high-rise with the reflective windows.

There are only stand-ins in these pics, but it's clear "Empire" is getting ready to shoot something. No word whether they're incorporating elements of Smollett's real-life drama into the show -- but this can't be a coincidence ... they've gotta know the significance of the location.

You'll recall ... Jussie said he got jumped around 2 AM on his way home from grabbing a sandwich, just near his apartment building on the 300 block of East North Water Street.

That's where the "Empire" team had set up camp. To give you a visualization ... here's a side-by-side of the block where the attack allegedly happened, and where production trucks are now parked.

Of course, Jussie was eventually accused of lying and making the whole thing up, and got indicted by a grand jury too. He was cleared of all criminal charges though in a tit for tat with Cook County State Attorney's Office -- but he's not out of the woods yet.

The City of Chicago is suing him for the cost of the investigation and then some, and Jussie's currently in the middle of trying to fight it.

Paris Hilton body art is a thing of the past for her ex-fiance, who replaced a tattoo of her name with something more primal ... or at least, primate.

Chris Zylka -- who was engaged to Paris for about 10 months or so last year -- popped into Chronic Ink Tattoo Shop in Markham, Ontario Sunday for a big project ... covering up his Disney-themed "Paris" tat that was spread across the bulk of his left forearm.

We're told Chris -- who's up north shooting a new Netflix show -- explained to the tattoo artist, Winson Tsai, that he wanted to cover up his "Paris" ink before he finishes his shoot by the end of the week ... while also admitting it was time for him to ditch the tat.

Welp, they definitely got the job done -- and in record time too, it seems. Chris' arm, which also featured a lion tat, now has a full-blown gorilla on it ... with leaves, for added effect.

Our sources say the work took about 6 hours total to complete, and that for this type of detailed tat ... it can run folks upwards of $1,300. It's unclear if Chris paid that though.

As for why he opted for an ape -- we're told it's because Chris felt it's a nice, peaceful animal, and his favorite one as well. RIP to that lion (and Disney "Paris" for that matter ) ... those tats are long gone from his arm now.

The Empire is striking back again, but not in a galaxy far, far away ... Darth Vader's in action high above the Clifton Suspension Bridge in the UK.

The hot air balloon is repping the Dark Side on the first day of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta in Bristol, England. The event is Europe's largest annual gathering of the big-ass gasbags, attracting more than 130 hot air balloons from around the world.

Clearly, Vader stands out among the pack ... and has us clamoring for many more 'Star Wars'-themed balloons to battle it out in the sky.

It looks like that's not going to happen, though ... so we'll settle for the other cool hot air balloons in the shape of bears, owls, and koalas.

But, we all know who their father is ... and Mark Hamill agrees.

Prisoners near El Paso are holding a bake sale for the victims of the mass shooting this weekend -- and by bake ... we actually mean baked potato.

The Otero County Prison Facility -- which is in Chaparral, New Mexico, about 30 minutes North of the Texas town -- is putting on an event Friday on its grounds, where inmates will be selling loaded baked potatoes to prison staff ... in an effort to raise money.

Nissi Jimenez, an Otero County Prison official, says the facility wanted to help their neighbors in any way possible ... figuring it would be a great way to help the grieving community with an in-house effort. All proceeds will be given to the El Paso Community Foundation, which is facilitating donations for the victims and their families.

As for how it'll work ... we're told the prison bought around 150 potatoes for the event, and plan to have 15 inmates working the kitchen to hand out the stuffed snack at $6 a pop, plus charging extra for add-ons.

Their goal is to raise $1,000 in baked potato sales ... but the facility is also taking straight-up check and cash donations in addition to potato profits. It'll all go down in the front lobby, where hundreds of prison employees are expected to attend.

There are more ways the prison plans to contribute -- Jimenez says there are extracurricular clubs in which prisoners participate, and 4 of them have committed to donating money toward the event ... upwards of $1,000 has been pledged so far.

Might sound like small potatoes, but at a time like this ... every penny counts for hospital bills, medical procedures, and other costs.

If you looked up over the English Channel Sunday you might have seen what looked like a flying skateboard, and the dude who was riding it just broke a record!

French inventor Franky Zapata traveled nearly 22 miles, 60 feet in the air, to become the first person ever to use a flyboard to traverse the English Channel.

Zapata dissolved into tears after he landed, immodestly saying he didn't know how big a deal it was and whether it would go in the history books.

He failed last week to cross the Channel, but second time was a charm.

The story arc of the famous oak tree from "The Shawshank Redemption" is complete ... it's now being used to honor the actors for the 25th anniversary of the 1994 classic.

TMZ's learned some of what's left of the movie tree -- which as we've told you, was cut down in 2016 after falling victim to severe storm damage -- has been turned into gift plaques to present to the stars of the film ... including Tim Robbins, who played Andy, Morgan Freeman, who played Red, and director Frank Darabont.

The plaques feature a photo of the actor's character engraved into the wood along with a notable quote. For instance, here's a closeup of Warden Norton actor Bob Gunton's plaque ... with the line, "Put your trust in the Lord, your ass belongs to me!"

The actors will get their gifts later this month as they all reunite at the 25th anniversary event in Ohio, which includes the Shawshank Hustle 7k on August 17 at the Ohio State Reformatory, where the movie was filmed.

Along with the big stars, 'Shawshank' alums Mark Rolston, Gil Bellows, Neil Giuntoli, Frank Medrano, Alfonso Freeman, Renee Blaine, Scott Mann and Claire Slemmer will be in attendance.

We broke the story ... the tree's been transformed into several different collector's items and 25th anniversary souvenirs already, along with being made into a bougie table for one superfan.

For those who are at least 24 years late ... the tree is where Andy left his note for Red before hightailing it South of the border. Good stuff.

The home where Sharon Tate and 4 others were murdered is attracting gawkers at all hours of the day and night ... and it's all because of Quentin Tarantino's new flick.

Folks have been flocking to Cielo Drive in West L.A. in the wake of the release of "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," pulling up in the middle of the night and hanging out near the location where a very pregnant Sharon was brutally murdered in 1969 by Manson Family members ... this according to one of the neighbors, David Oman.

Most Cielo Drive homeowners aren't eager talk about anything Manson, but David has a particular interest. He claims there's lots of paranormal activity at his home and it's all because of the savagery that took place up the block. His house has even been featured on shows like "Ghost Hunters" and "Haunted History."

Ever since David moved to the neighborhood 20 years ago ... he says a bunch of weird stuff has been going on -- items knocked off shelves, spirits speaking to him and even physical contact. He's known to hold seances in his home.

David's been talking to the sightseers and they all say Tarantino's film piqued their interest.

It's pretty crazy ... sometimes there's a caravan of cars lined up to catch a glimpse of the home, which ironically isn't even there anymore. It was torn down in 1994, and a new McMansion has taken it's place.

Kevin Spacey is returning to the arts -- a couple of 'em, actually -- with a pop-up performance at a Rome museum where he's reciting some poetry ... that apparently speaks to him.

The actor threw on a brown suit Friday and waltzed into Palazzo Massimo. He set up shop in front of the famous sculpture of the "Boxer at Rest" and read the Italian poem, "The Boxer."

A crowd gathered as Kevin recited the elegant words of Italian poet Gabriele Tinti -- in English, though -- and it seems like his Massachusetts criminal case, and other sexual misconduct allegations, might have influenced his poetry choice.

The poem's about a beaten and tired boxer who is determined not to give in or give up. One passage reads ... "The more you're wounded, the greater you are. And the more empty you are."

As we first reported ... Kevin scored a huge victory a couple weeks ago when prosecutors dropped the case where a then-18-year-old male accused Spacey of groping him in a Nantucket bar.

We've seen this kind of display from Spacey before ... when the groping accusations first surfaced on Christmas Eve, he posted a bizarre video urging people not to rush to judgment, hopping into character as his old "House of Cards" character, Frank Underwood, to deliver the message.

Joe Biden's big-time fumble at the end of the debate is now Pete Buttigieg's victory -- and it kinda shows youth has an edge over experience ... at least when it comes to the Internet.

The former Vice President was THIS close to the finish line at Wednesday night's Democratic Presidential debate when he not-so-confidentially shared a fumbling message to millions of viewers, "If you agree with me, go to Joe 3-0-3-3-0 and help me in this fight."

Seems uncle Joe actually meant to say "text" ... not "go to" -- but since he made it sound like a website, people assumed he meant to reference the election year 2020 ... and just royally screwed it up.

Enter Mayor Pete's team -- because now if you put joe3030.com in your browser, it takes you to Pete's website!

Yes, the presidential candidate scooped up the domain, and possibly some of Biden's supporters.

Looks like a brilliant move by Pete's team, but one of his campaign officials tells us it was one of their supporters who actually did it. Naturally, Biden got dragged on social media for his gaffe. Some joked Biden had just given out his PIN number while others said Joe should sit out this race and try again in the year 3030.

For what it's worth ... Biden wanted to say, text JOE to 30330.

George R.R. Martin ain't in Westeros anymore -- and with Winter officially having come and gone, it looks like the famed author hopped a dragon to SoCal ... emphasis on LOOKS like.

The "Game of Thrones" scribe was spotted at a beach in sunny Oceanside -- at least that's what we first thought when we saw this photo. Turns out -- this is George's freakin' doppelganger IN THE FLESH!!! Seriously, the resemblance is uncanny.

We reached out to George's rep to make sure it was in fact him, and we were told no dice!!! The rep says George was actually in a completely different state. The dude's got a crib in Santa Fe, NM -- so he very likely might've been there with his wife, Parris.

When we pressed the rep for George's location he rep told us ... "I know exactly where he is. Not California. Holed up writing."

As for his impostor here, the guy was only slightly less dressed down than the real McCoy -- rockin' a short-sleeve button-down shirt, matching pants and brighter version of GRRM's signature charcoal cap.

Something else to keep in mind ... Comic-Con just wrapped the weekend before in nearby San Diego. So, maybe this guy's still cosplayin'.

Doesn't appear the fake George was flocked by fans -- especially those disgruntled ones who've been bitching about a botched final 'GoT' season.

The good news for real George is if he ever does need someone to help him dodge angry mobs ... he can find him on King's Beach Landing!!!

Someone's really screwed the pooch this time -- at least that's how the owner of a reigning dog surfing champ feels after getting blocked from defending the crown.

Sources connected to the World Dog Surfing Championships, going down in San Fran this weekend, tell TMZ ... the reason Gidget The Pug was not invited back to compete this year -- after winning 2 categories last year, including the Goughnuts Top Dogs Award -- is Gidget's owner's fault.

We're told Gidget's owner was pissed that despite her pooch's victories, she was not featured in press materials or social media campaigns. Instead, WDSC hyped another doggo named Derby ... who's bigger and rocked shades while hanging 20.

Our Dog Surfing sources say the owner was constantly blowing up event staff and organizers demanding Gidget get more promotional face time. Not only that, but we're told the owner was riling up folks in the pug community to crap on the event.

We're told WDSC's top dogs made a call to cut loose Gidget and her owner.

Now, as for what the owner has to say about this ... she feels strongly Gidget was snubbed, but doesn't understand why. The owner claims that after making a simple request to get Gidget's photo in a WDSC press release, the event staff got argumentative and demanded the medals and accolades back.

The owner says she didn't budge on that. She says Gidget also won a bunch of categories in 2017 and claims the pup was slighted then too. Her biggest complaint is the lack of recognition is sabotaging Gidget's shot at a book deal. No joke.

Grant Thompson -- the creator and star of the viral YouTube series "King of Random" -- died this week after a paragliding accident in Utah ... according to his family.

Grant's brother, Mark, tells TMZ ... the YouTuber went paragliding Monday evening, but never returned home. Mark says Grant's body was discovered by authorities Tuesday, and that the family is still being briefed on what exactly happened.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office says a report came in Monday of an overdue paraglider, who'd gone off the radar near the Sand Hollow State Park. They say the caller reported the paraglider should have returned an hour earlier, and he couldn't be reached on his cellphone. The call triggered a massive search.

Grant's coordinates were pulled from GPS data, and a helicopter located his body that night. WCSO says detectives found paragliding equipment at the crash site, as well as a video recording device ... which they're reviewing to determine cause.

Mark tells us that Grant got into paragliding around 5 months ago. He had an affinity for skydiving, flying and other airborne activities.

Grant started his YouTube channel in 2010, documenting experiments, life hacks and random weekend projects. King of Random amassed more than 11 million subscribers and nearly 2.5 billion views total. His was the 321st most subscribed to channel on YouTube.

It appears Grant took something of a backseat on his series as of late. Two new hosts have been fronting the video experiments for a while.

YouTube commented on Grant's death as well, saying ... "We're deeply saddened to learn of the tragic loss of Grant Thompson, a gifted, passionate and endlessly curious creator. We send our deepest condolences to his loving family, The King of Random team and fans."

If you thought Tom Brady kissing his son on the mouth was weird, wait 'til you get a load of Armie Hammer and his toe-sucking kiddo. Blows the Brady bunch out of the water.

The actor posted a video to his Instagram story Saturday that showed a pretty gnarly sight -- his 2-year-old son, Ford, sucking his dad's toes, big one included.

In the since-expired clip, Armie is being recorded -- presumably by his wife, Elizabeth Chambers -- lying down on a coach with his boy on the other end, and the kid's mouth on two of his pop's toes. Looks like Ford's really trying to get more in there too.

At the time, Armie captioned the clip, "This happened for a solid 7 minutes... #footfetishonfleek" And, the woman on the video jokingly notes, "This is not normal."

Uh, yeah ... we might have to agree with ya there.

Lots of people have had lots to say about the toe-sucking -- but, truthfully, there's really not much to add other than ... to each their own. Bottom line ... Armie and his son are close, just like TB is with his kid.

You'll recall, Tom was filmed giving his 10-year-old son a peck on the lips during a segment from his Facebook series, "Tom vs Time," which tons of folks were weirded out by.

Can't say for sure which one caused more of a stir, but they're both up there.

'Spider-Man' star Tony Revolori channeled his movie character at Comic-Con, becoming the life of the party by climbing a tree with flash to spare ... and then getting booted right after.

Tony was at Entertainment Weekly's Comic-Con bash Saturday at the Hard Rock Hotel rooftop bar, Float, in San Diego -- this following an epic day of Marvel revelations, including casting announcements for "The Eternals," "Blade" and other projects. Big superhero day.

Eyewitnesses tell us he was hanging out with some actors from Amazon's new web series "The Boys" ... when a little game of truth-or-dare got underway.

We're told somebody dared Tony to climb a tree that was nearby, and without hesitation ... he hopped right up there and made his way across some branches. Classic Flash Thompson, right?

In video of the climb, obtained by TMZ, you can see a security guard rush over and tell him to get down. He wasn't very high up, but the guy looked kinda pissy about it.

Tony made his way down as more guards showed up -- and he got quite the ovation from onlookers, who told him the stunt was worth it. Tony seemed to agree.

It appears he was escorted off the property, because we're told Tony wasn't seen at the event afterward. Cops weren't called, so no harm, no foul. Flash left without incident.

Something tells us Peter Parker would be overjoyed about this.

Pablo Escobar's bro wants to squash his "flamethrower" beef with Elon Musk ... by proposing they go into business together, but only if Elon can convince Prez Trump to issue a pardon.

Yeah, things just got weird.

The Colombian kingpin's bro, Roberto, fired off a letter to Elon -- or as Roberto calls him, "smart gringo" -- to offer several ways they can put their bad blood behind them. As we first reported ... Roberto claims Elon's The Boring Company committed intellectual property theft when one of its engineers jacked the idea of making a toy flamethrower.

Roberto starts the letter -- obtained by TMZ -- by giving Elon a nickname ... La Mosca (The Fly). Read the letter ... Roberto explains why he gave him the nickname. What's more ... one of Roberto's proposed solutions is to get Elon to speak to Trump and pardon him ... so they can build the company "Escobar Musk Enterprises." No joke.

Roberto's second solution ... roll up their sleeves and start a weed biz!!! Seriously ... Roberto's even got a company name picked. Roberto also offers a third solution ... if ya wanna call it that.