Weird News

KFC is cleaning up its image ... the fried chicken chain is ditching its famous slogan due to the raging pandemic.

Colonel Sanders will no longer be hawking his secret recipe for fried chicken as "finger lickin' good" ... KFC says it's suspending the slogan after 64 years.

The move came Monday, nearly 6 months after the novel coronavirus started sweeping the globe and health officials started urging people to stop touching their faces to slow the spread. Better late than never?!?

KFC says finger-licking "doesn't feel quite right" in today's environment and it's dropping the slogan in many countries.

Across the pond in the United Kingdom and Ireland, KFC is simply blurring out the "finger lickin'" part of the slogan on buckets of chicken ... as opposed to scrubbing the phase entirely.

The good ole', finger-licking days will come back eventually -- KFC says its famous phrase will return when the timing is right.

Let's go, scientists ... hurry up with that vaccine!!!

A young woman who was declared dead after 30 minutes of CPR from paramedics was actually found to be very much alive ... she started breathing again at a Detroit funeral home!!!

This eerie incident went down Sunday, when paramedics found a 20-year-old woman unresponsive in a home. The Southfield Fire Department says first responders tried to revive her, but after half an hour she was pronounced dead.

The fire chief says the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office also concurred the woman was dead, and her body was released to her family and ended up in the James H. Cole funeral home, where things took a strange turn.

Hours later, funeral home staffers made a strange discovery -- the woman was alive and breathing!!!

The woman was reportedly taken to a hospital, but her current condition remains unclear.

"Knight Rider" star Rebecca Holden and her record producer husband, Joel Diamond, got a rude awakening in the dead of night ... an oak tree came crashing down onto their property, and cost 'em a car in the process.

Joel tells TMZ ... he and Rebecca were awoken late at night Friday by a loud noise literally tearing through their Calabasas home. It turned out to be part of a nearby 6-ton oak tree that had toppled over for some reason. We're told the tree burst through their bedroom window ... and also crushed three vehicles down below.

Unfortunately, one of those cars happened to be Joel's prized classic Jaguar -- the back end of which was absolutely demolished by the fallen timber. A total loss, no doubt. What sucks is Joel tells us he'd just gotten the whip back from an auto body shop 2 days prior.

Nobody was harmed, thankfully, but it sounds like a few of Joel's friends were pretty impressed with the freak phenomenon. Singer Tony Orlando -- known for his #1 hit, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" -- made a crack ... saying out of all the trees he'd ribbon'd over the years, Joel and Rebecca's was by and far the most outstanding.

BE HONEST -- would you try to get your ball back if a giant alligator tried to steal it off a golf course?!!?

HELL NO, RIGHT!?

That's the question some golfers in Louisiana had to ask themselves after a 'gator tried to join their foursome this week ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

Lane Rodrigue tells us he was playing with friends at the Idlewild Golf Course in Patterson, Louisiana on Monday when  the monster walked right on to the course and snatched up his ball.

The guys were shocked -- and jokingly debated "playing it where it lies" ... but ultimately decided to let the gator keep it as a souvenir. No one got hurt. The gator is fine.

The whole thing harkens back to "Happy Gilmore's" mentor Chubbs Peterson who famously griped that a "damned alligator BIT my hand off" ... "cut me down in my prime!"

RIP Chubbs.

Michael Jackson's Funko POP! dolls might belong on a shelf somewhere, but they had no business being on the company's site for years now ... and his estate just put an end to it.

Sources tell TMZ ... attorneys for the MJ estate recently noticed Funko POP! was still using images of the rare Michael Jackson collection that hit the market nearly a decade ago on their website in what the estate considered a way to keep fans engaged.

Fact is ... we're told the estate did do a 2-year licensing deal with Funko in 2011, but that expired in 2013. However, Funko collectors could still access images of the dolls in the website catalogues ... a no-no for Mike's Estate.

As for the dolls, the original collection featured 5 -- one for Bad, Smooth Criminal, Beat It, Billie Jean and one in a sequined jacket -- and they still do pretty well on the resale market. In fact, there's a Smooth Criminal doll on Amazon for nearly $300.

In any case, Funko got the message, and agreed to pull the images of the MJ dolls ... so the MJ Estate was satisfied.

A feisty "Karen" went crazy on a group of skateboarders, got soaked by them and even got into a brutal fight with them ... all before cops showed up to detain her.

The truly bizarre scene went down Tuesday night in an Austin skate park, and the video starts with the woman -- who's barefoot for some reason -- getting aggressive with one of the skaters, saying ... "Who says I need help? It looks like you need help!"

Then she shoved a young skater, who kept trying to back away, before another dumped a jug of water on her. That's when an MMA fight broke out ... the woman started attacking with her bare feet, unloading kick after kick on young dudes and then a female skater jumped into the fray and kicked the crap outta the Karen!!!

Cops showing up didn't really calm things ... the Karen persisted -- they always do -- arguing with officers and busting out her phone to record the teens and accusing one of them of stealing her purse.

In the end, cops put her in handcuffs ... to the delight of everyone at the park. It's unclear if she was arrested. We've got a call in to law enforcement.

Someone tell Yogi that Boo Boo's all grown up and quite the athletic bear -- he's out here doing his own amazing flying stunts! Those picnic baskets paid off, eh?

A family in Maggie Valley, NC captured this incredible scene of a black bear cub yanking itself up onto their deck -- which appears to be pretty high off the ground -- balancing itself on the narrow wooden beam ... and making a clean getaway when he notices he's been spotted.

Melissa Howell says as soon as the bear -- whom she and her hubby have come to know as Boo Boo -- realized it was on camera, it immediately leaped from the deck to a tree several feet away! Literally, a flying bear ... for a second, anyway.

Boo Boo quickly scurried down the tree without skipping a beat, and gave us all a quick refresher on how skilled bears are at climbing. And, apparently, jumping too.

This also proves bears are super curious creatures, and can be pretty brazen in dealing with humans. Just check out this brown bear in SoCal that recently wandered into someone's backyard to cool off in their pool. The fam tried shooing it away, but it took its sweet time ... probably because it knows no one was gonna come out and mess with it.

President Trump has revealed whom he's going to pardon this week -- and no, it's not Joe Exotic ... strangely, it's Susan B. Anthony.

DT made the announcement Tuesday after hyping up the fact the day prior he was going to pardon someone major, saying Anthony shouldn't have been found guilty for casting a vote in the presidential election of 1872 ... which was illegal for women to do back then.

It's a bizarre choice and comes off as a desperate appeal to women before the November election -- especially on the 100-year anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment. We get it ... but fact is, there's plenty of still-living people that could've used the pardon now.

Still, since we're talking SBA -- here's the story on her conviction ... which was issued under sketchy circumstances and probably didn't need official rectifying all these years later.

Susan broke the voting law in protest that year when Ulysses S. Grant was facing off against Horace Greeley. Like we said, only men were allowed to cast ballots in those times -- but the women's suffrage movement was in full swing ... and Susan was leading the charge. She and about a dozen other women were given access to the booths.

She was one of many arrested and tried for voting -- but the judge presiding over her case actually directed the jury to hand down a guilty verdict, which they did. All she had to do was pay a $100 fine, but she resisted ... standing on principle she'd done nothing wrong.

The Missouri home doubling as a mini jailhouse is rocking on the open market and whoever snaps it up seems primed to it turn it into a big money-making venture.

Justin Radel -- one of the listing agents trying to sell the unique crib -- tells TMZ he and his partner's phones are blowing up for the $375k Fayette, MO listing.

He says they fielded a couple dozen calls in just 24 hours, with many folks being from out of state ... and they've already scheduled several showings. One of the most frequent questions Justin says they've been getting has to do with the 9-cell, semi-operational jail out back. What exactly can the new owner do with it?

Well, Mike Diamond -- the current property owner -- says the pad has mostly been run as an Airbnb and an event center lately. He also thinks it'd make a great escape room, craft brew center or restaurant.

However, Fayette Mayor Kevin Oeth has other ideas -- telling us it'd make for a killer Halloween haunted house. Speaking of eerie, he told us he's not worried some creep will get it and use it for, well ... bad stuff. Mr. Mayor trusts the one-of-a-kind home will remain in good hands.

Jesse James' monkey is hot and bothered by his neighbors -- breaking into their house and flaunting an erection!!! Teenagers.

Here's the deal ... Jesse's pet monkey, Tobi James, got loose, slipped into a neighbor's pad this week, and then things got super wild. Tobi ran around the house, knocking over cups of coffee, climbing up and down the stairs -- and, obviously, REALLY excited about it.

Yep, adolescent monkeys get boners too, and Tobi was sporting it his during his hijinks ... as you can see in this video.

Jesse's neighbor, Carrie, tells us Tobi barged in Tuesday around 8:30 AM, when she heard what sounded like someone trying to break in. She says she saw the door handle jiggling and got the creeps -- but still decided to slowly open the door.

When she did, the little critter dashed inside and started monkeying around. Yes, that's a euphemism for playing with himself ... all over the house!!!

Carrie smartly consulted a Facebook page for her town of Dripping Springs, TX -- and folks there told her Tobi belonged to Jesse, who came over to pick him up.

Carrie says Jesse was apologetic and explained Tobi is about 4 years old, which is like a teen in human years, and y'know what that means -- puberty and hormones. Jesse thinks that's why Tobi bolted from his house.

We're seeing a lot of cold showers in this monkey's future.

This is either straight out of your worst nightmare or wildest dream -- a beautiful Victorian home with a dark secret in the basement ... AKA, a fully operational jail with cells intact.

A realty company called House of Brokers has a listing for a 2-bed, 2-bath, single-family brick home in Fayette, MO ... going for $350k. It's described as a historic site -- but that history is steeped in inmate lockups, 'cause the place used to double as an actual jail site.

Unclear what law enforcement agency operated out of here once upon a time, but it's clear they were using it to house prisoners ... 'cause the basement was literally reconstructed to accommodate just that. It features a full booking room and 9 cells, steel bunk beds and all.

The listing agent, Jeffrey Radel, had a cheeky description of the place, which raised eyebrows. He writes, "WAIT until you get to picture #30!! 1875 Howard County Sheriff's House and Jail. Extremely unique opportunity!!" Pic 30 is where the vibe changes drastically.

After describing the main house -- which looks nice with the renovations -- he adds, "AND THE BEST PART, connected to the home is a 2500 sq ft legitimate jail with 9 cells, booking room and 1/2 bath. The cell door lock throws appear to be operational. Full basement under the home with lighting throughout. Possibilities are amazing with this property."

We asked what his intention behind that last line might be -- and Jeffrey assured us he wasn't trying to offend or invite others to still use it as a jail. He says he meant it more like an opportunity to rework the space -- for wine tasting, for example -- and insists he was just trying to capture potential buyers' attention, since that's his job. He simply wants it sold.

A young New Yorker drew outrage for taking a dip in the infamous Hudson River -- but as it turns out, she might've had the last laugh ... 'cause it's actually safer than you might think.

TikTok user Donna P -- a 20-year-old food blogger from the Big Apple -- posted some videos of herself jumping off a boat into the murky waters right near the Statue of Liberty, which put a whole lot of Twitter truthers into a tizzy ... with a lot of them calling her out.

Folks were making fun of her, saying she was foolish and generally deriding the fact she thought this could possibly be safe ... not to mention she did it with so much verve and free-spirited passion. Basically, people thought this was downright dumb, putting her health at risk just for a TikTok video. There were also plenty of jokes and memes to go around.

BUT, it looks like Donna mostly walks away with the W in this sitch, 'cause she did her homework. When she caught wind of the "backlash," she decided to do a bit of research and took people to school with the facts -- per the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation.

If you go to their page about the Hudson River, it dishes out a lot of info as to whether it's safe or not to swim in. Long story short ... yes and no. The Dept. notes, generally speaking, it probably won't do much harm to take a swim or a dive. Fact is, the river's not quite as toxic or polluted as it was in the old days -- even though people are under the impression that it very much is. BTW, Donna tells us she knew this going in ... and that she's fine.

Now, we don't recommend taking to New York's river waters regularly -- good for the back as it might be. Frankly, it's probably not the best habit, 'cause there can still be some gnarly stuff in there that could be harmful. Different parts of the Hudson are certainly worse than others, and rain runoff can mix in with the city sewage and can seep in, even today.

A prison inmate in Connecticut hanged himself behind bars, and officials say he did it with the very face mask they provided him to fight off COVID-19.

32-year-old Daniel Ocasio was found dead Wednesday at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in Montville, with a ligature tied around his neck. That ligature was from the cloth mask issued to every inmate to prevent the spread of coronavirus from inside.

The Connecticut DOC says he was discovered in his cell around 5 AM, after which life-saving measures were administered ... before he was transferred to a hospital and later pronounced dead. The Medical Examiner's Office there ruled his death to be a suicide by hanging.

Ocasio had been at the prison since August 5 on a 3rd-degree burglary charge ... held on a $10,000 bond. Usually, paying 10% of that amount up front will get someone sprung.

Kanye West's team of petitioners working hard to get him on the presidential ballot in Montana got rewarded for their efforts ... with a trip on a private jet.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... as the filing deadline approached earlier this week, the group Kanye hired to get his petitions signed -- Let the Voters Decide -- utilized a private jet to make it happen in the nick of time.

We're told the group already had members on the ground in Montana racking up signatures, but due to the state's vast rural landscape ... they needed backup. Fire up the jet.

Our sources say Kanye simultaneously had petitioners working in Utah for next week's deadline there, but to get over the hump in Montana ... a small group was flown over to Big Sky Country to hit up the more populated areas.

Even better for Ye ... the plan worked. We're told the group ended up submitting about 9,000 signatures across multiple counties -- way more than the 5k required -- before Wednesday's deadline.

He's not across the finish line yet though. Candidates file petitions with county officials, who have 7 days to verify signatures before sending a final count to the Secretary of State's Office.

If Kanye still makes the 5,000-count requirement ... he'll be on the presidential ballot as an independent, and be eligible to receive Montana's 3 electoral votes. That's right -- lotta work for 3 votes.

As we've reported ... Kanye is facing opposition to get on the ballot in Wisconsin, and he's been booted from the ballot in his home state of Illinois. The issues in both states are over the validity of the signatures.

The world's last remaining Blockbuster store is getting an extreme makeover ... it's converting into a rental property for an epic end-of-summer sleepover!!!

Here's the deal ... Sandi Harding, the manager of the only surviving Blockbuster in Bend, OR, is converting the store into an Airbnb for 3 nights only ... and the once-in-a-lifetime experience sounds pretty freaking cool.

The 3 lucky folks who snag one of the reservations are in for a sleepover unlike ever before ... they get the keys to the store -- literally -- and can watch movies to their heart's content in a makeshift living room complete with a pull-out couch, bean bags, lamps and pillows.

Movies aren't any fun without snacks ... and this Blockbuster sleepover includes free pizza, Pepsi, candy and popcorn, plus whatever else you wanna bring.

The store's entire movie collection is up for grabs, plus video games too. Oh, and there's a VHS player, as long as you remember how to work it!!!

Reservations are available starting Monday at 1 PM PT, but ya gotta be a resident of Deschutes County to book the Blockbuster for one night only. The overnight sleepovers are set for Sept. 18-20 and the place accommodates up to 4 people.

Sandi says she wants to thank the local community for supporting the world's only surviving Blockbuster, which is why it's only being rented to locals and costs a measly $4.

Ryan Reynolds or Sir Paul McCartney could become the next chief of a First Nation in Canada ... the native community has spoken, and the famous non-natives are up for election.

Ryan and Paul have been nominated as Chief for Walpole Island First Nation, a reservation nestled on an island bordering Michigan and Canada ... according to the indigenous community's director of operations, James Jenkins.

He tells TMZ ... the actor and rock icon were nominated by 2 eligible electors this weekend, which instantly qualifies the celebs as official nominees for Chief.

It's pretty interesting ... we're told Ryan and Paul don't technically have to be part of the native community to be nominated or even rise to the top as Chief. There's a loophole from way back in 1868, when Walpole Island First Nation elected a non-member as chief, forging a precedent allowing nonmembers to run for Chief.

Now, Ryan and Sir Paul just have to get on the ballot. Actually, they're already on, but we're told they have until Thursday to contact the Walpole Island membership office to have their names removed. If the deadline passes without a peep from either, we're told they'll both remain legit candidates for Chief when the election is held Sept. 19.

If one of them wins, the First Nation would contact them, and Chief Ryan or Chief Paul would have to assume office or resign.

The intentions behind the nominations remain unclear, and we're told there are mixed emotions about it. Some members believe either has the stuff to be an effective leader because of their wildly successful entertainment careers.

What else would ya think after seeing 'Van Wilder' ... right? And, that's why others think their nominations are an inappropriate joke.

The Chief, we're told, is similar to being mayor ... they're the head of the council and the voice of the community, tasked with overseeing programs and services run by administrators. Naturally, we're told Chief is the most respected position in Walpole Island First Nation, which has about 5,000 members.

Walpole Island is no stranger to celebs ... we're told Cher and Kid Rock have spent a great deal of time in the area, going fishing and duck hunting.

One last caveat ... we're told Ryan or Paul would likely have to move close to the reservation if elected Chief. Sorry, you can't attend tribe meetings on Zoom.

Ryan's at least Canadian, so that gives him a leg up, but ... Paul's a Beatle.