You Might Want to Rethink

Crazy story in Australia ... cops say a man used a fishing rod FOR HOURS to steal a Versace necklace from a store last month -- and they say the whole thing was caught on video.

Detectives in Melbourne say on Feb. 24 ... a man rolled up to a storefront with a rod and reel at around 2 AM and began to work on trying to nab a pricey piece of jewelry off a mannequin.

Cops say for nearly 3 hours ... the guy was caught on video sticking the rod through a crack in the store window.

You can see in some footage of the alleged crime released by cops this week, the guy has some SERIOUS patience -- and it all begs the question ... WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE?!?!?!

Eventually ... authorities say the dude was able to land his catch and flee the scene -- and now, they're asking for help to identify him.

When we got comedian Brad Williams out in L.A. on Wednesday night and asked him about the burglary ... he says cops can't even be mad at the guy -- telling us the crime is ingenious.

But, Williams says the guy screwed up in one big way ... and his thievery advice for the dude going forward is pretty hilarious!!

Tottenham star Eric Dier nearly went full-on Ron Artest in a game Wednesday -- charging at a fan in the stands who was allegedly talking trash about the player and his family.

The wild scene all went down during the Tottenham vs. Norwich City game in England ... where Hotspur star Dier had allegedly heard about some insults hurled his brother's way in the stands.

You can see in footage of the altercation ... 26-year-old Dier jogged along the sideline, jumped over the railing and beelined over more than a dozen rows of chairs to get to the fan to police everything himself.

Fortunately for all parties ... Dier was intercepted by security and other spectators before he could get his hands on his target.

After Dier and the altercation had calmed down ... Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho told reporters he didn't necessarily blame Dier for his actions.

"I cannot run away from the question and I think Eric Dier did something that we professionals cannot but, in these circumstances, something that every one of us would do."

Mourinhio added, "When someone insults you and your family is there, and your family gets involved with the person that is insulting you, in this case your younger brother, I think Eric did what we professionals cannot but, I repeat, did what we professionals cannot do, but did something that probably we would do."

International soccer superstar Ronaldinho -- one of the most recognizable athletes in the world -- is under investigation in Paraguay after officials say he tried to use a fake passport.

We know what you're thinking -- why the hell would he do that?!

The 39-year-old had reportedly had his Brazilian and Spanish passports confiscated in July 2019 over unpaid taxes -- but he still wants to travel.

And while the former FIFA World Cup All-Star was in Paraguay with his brother to promote a new book, officials became suspicious of the passport he used to enter the country and searched the hotel where he was staying.

Paraguay's interior minister told ESPN Brazil Ronaldinho has NOT been arrested at this point -- but he is being investigated by police while investigators look into the matter.

The minister told the Associated Free Press the soccer star's case will go in front of the prosecutor's office early Thursday morning.

"I respect his sporting popularity but the law must also be respected. No matter who you are, the law still applies," Euclides Acevedo told the media.

It seemed impossible ... but Nik Wallenda did the improbable ... walking all the way across a very active volcano and balancing the entire way on a tightrope.

The view looking down on the scorching-hot lava lake was incredible, and it was broadcast live on ABC from the Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua.

Nik somehow managed the 1,800-foot trek across the mouth of the volcano, tightrope walking 2,000 feet above the deadly lava and through strong winds.

You'll recall ... Nik told us last week about his logistical concerns for the volcano, explaining why the acidic volcanic gasses could pose a very real threat to the wire. Walking over a volcano is obviously super-hot too, but Nik was oddly less concerned about the heat.

As it turns out ... the gasses rusted out the tightrope wire in the two weeks leading up to Wednesday's stunt, but it actually benefited Nik by giving him more traction. He also wore a gas mask.

Remember ... Nik told us on "TMZ Live" Monday he was worried about getting in the zone for the volcano stunt because his wife, Erendira, was also putting her life on the line with her own deadly stunt above the same volcano.

Erendira did an aerial ballet suspended above the lava lake, wearing a mask to protect her from the toxic fumes swirling below, with Nik keeping a close eye on her at all times.

Nik said his wife actually gave him a scouting report after her stunt, and assured him he would be fine.

It took just over 31 minutes for Nik to cross the volcano and make history ... pretty incredible.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez believes in her heart of hearts Bernie Sanders is the guy to beat Trump -- that said ... she'll support Joe Biden if he's the one who takes on Trump.

We got the Congresswoman in D.C. Wednesday -- after Biden cleaned up on Super Tuesday -- and asked her straight-up ... will she support the guy if he wins the Democratic nomination come July, despite being a Sanders supporter and seemingly immovable.

Watch ... AOC says she would, but might need to hold her nose a little. Fact is ... she says she'll always support the party, but notes JB is a thing of the past -- and Bernie is the future.

For her it's pretty simple -- AOC says Bernie's message and platform is very clear and resonates with working-class people. Meanwhile, Biden's platform seems to just be ... beat Trump? That's not good enough for her, and she thinks many feel the same.

A famous pro wrestler FLIPPED OFF off a 7-year-old kid at a meet and greet in Chicago this weekend -- devastating the kid -- but it begs the question ... should the dad have known better?

Here's the deal ... Tom Gilmartin brought his son to meet AEW star MJF (AKA Maxwell Jacob Friedman) at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo.

MJF is famous for being a heel (that's wrestling speak for "bad guy") and part of his gimmick is being a jerk to kids. It's no secret. Everyone knows.

So, when Tom and his son came face to face with MJF, the wrestler busted out the single barrel salute right in the little guy's face ... par for the course for MJF.

You can see in the video the kid looks stunned -- and afterward, Tom raised the issue with AEW vice president Cody Rhodes.

"I tried to laugh it off knowing he’s just in character," Tom said ... "but it really upset him. I know that’s his gimmick but he’s only 7 & doesn’t understand."

Tom says his son is now being mocked online -- and wants AEW to keep talent in check when meeting kids at fan events.

Cody responded to Tom -- essentially saying he should have known what he was getting himself into.

"DISCLAIMER: If you have a meet/greet or inquire media wise for MJF, you'll get MJF," Rhodes said on Twitter.

"Talent have freedom of expression so please don't think anybody is going to act any different than they do on TV."

Rhodes then invited Tom to a future event and promised he'd give the family VIP treatment. Great move on Cody's part.

We reached out to MJF for comment and got back this 3-word statement -- "F**k them kids."

Robert Pattinson's Dark Knight is a fan of classic American muscle cars, it seems, 'cause his Batmobile looks like it rolled straight out of a 1960's Detroit factory ... with custom touches, of course.

Director Matt Reeves just posted a few photos from the set of his forthcoming "The Batman" -- with RP in the suit, but more importantly ... showing off his sweet new ride. From a bird's-eye view, it kinda looks like a souped-up Chevy Camaro or maybe a Dodge from the late 60s.

You can see the top of it, and there are also shots from the rear and side ... putting the full body on display. Don't get us wrong, it looks cool and all -- but at the same time feels not-so-Batman-y???

It's like Bruce Wayne became a gearhead all of a sudden.

Reeves' flick is supposed to chronicle Batsy in his early years -- so it's reasonable to assume he's a young dude who likes sweet rides like this now but will eventually get a little more sophisticated in B'mobile taste.

It's certainly a different take than any previous iterations of the iconic whip, and hey ... it might just work out on the big screen.

Hillary Clinton is at our doorstep once again -- but she's still sitting on a fence politically ... not quite ready to endorse Joe Biden, and per usual, taking shots at Bernie Sanders.

The former Secretary of State walked into the ABC Studios Tuesday in NYC, where she was set to plug the new Hulu doc about her life, "Hillary," while also talking shop on a day folks in 14 states are voting in their respective Democratic primaries. No endorsements, though.

HC was asked why she hadn't gotten behind Biden yet, as so many others did on Monday night -- including several ex-candidates like Buttigieg, Klobuchar and O'Rourke.

She says it's still early in the game, and it sounds like she's waiting to see who the country ultimately picks before offering her support. FWIW, Barack hasn't endorsed anyone either.

As for her old friend Senator Sanders ... still no love lost there. Hillary says she thinks it's BS he wants to tweak the convention rules about super delegates and give the nomination to the candidate who walks in with the most votes day of. He settled for the opposite in 2016.

In her doc, she says Bernie got nothing done in Congress and that nobody liked him or wanted to work with him.

Bill O'Brien probably ain't gonna love this ...

Here's Houston Texans linebacker Barkevious Mingo firing a cannon in Hungary ... and it's terrifying and awesome all at the same time!!

The former No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft is overseas this month to help bring football to underprivileged communities ... and while he was in Hungary on Monday, he decided to take a crack at firing a massive weapon.

We're told the action all went down at Eger Castle in Eger ... and the video of Mingo and the heavy artillery is nuts.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound NFL player -- who's instructed by a man with a sword -- puts his face right up to the cannon ... and as it fires, it kicks back at him like a BEAST!!

You can see in the footage ... Mingo looks pretty surprised by the explosion -- but once he realizes he's fine, he seems to love it!!

FYI, we're all pretty glad Mingo survived the blast ... 'cause he's still in talks to re-sign with the Texans before free agency kicks off later this month!!!

By the way, the American Football Without Barriers program that Mingo is a part of is a really cool experience for NFLers ... and stars like Austin Hooper, Alex Mack and Todd Gurley are all over there with Barkevious for the trip.

Famed tightrope walker Nik Wallenda has one glaring concern for his upcoming volcano stunt ... and it's all thanks to his better half.

Nik joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday ahead of Wednesday's daredevil walk over the very active Masaya Volcano in Nicaragua. He tells us he won't be able to fully prepare for the most difficult stunt of his life because his wife is attempting her own dangerous feat over the same volcano!!!

With wife Erendira putting her life on the line above the lava, Nik says he won't be able to get in the same zone that's helped him pull off tons of dangerous stunts in the past, like tightrope walking over Niagra Falls and Times Square.

Instead of getting his mind right for his volcano walk -- 2,000 feet up and 1,800 feet across -- Nik tells us he'll be worried sick for his wife's safety. As for his safety, Nik says he'll be wearing a gas mask and goggles to protect himself from poisonous gasses. What it won't protect him from -- the heat.

While Nik's mum on Erendira's exact stunt -- it's going down Wednesday at 8 PM ET on ABC -- he says it's her most dangerous attempt ever and would set a world record!

Nik also explains where he got the idea for his volcano stunt, and why he's lucky he chose a window seat.

Judge Judy is stepping away from her longtime television show and calling it quits with CBS -- and TMZ has learned a big reason has to do with a war with the network.

Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Judy and CBS have been feuding for quite some time, and it largely has to do with the former head honcho of the network, Les Moonves, no longer working there. A new regime has taken over ... and we're told they and Judy just haven't been seeing eye-to-eye on a lot of things she and Les were square on.

Specifically, we're told Judy was being shut down left and right on possible new shows she developed ... something we're told was she'd be able to do under her latest contract with them, but hasn't been realized after Moonves was ousted in 2018.

Remember, Judy had just struck a monumental deal with them the previous year -- selling her "Judge Judy" library for a reported $95 million, with an end date of 2020-2021. She was already producing the show "Hot Bench," and was said to be developing other projects as well under CBS, like the court drama "Her Honor" which woulda been based on her life.

It's unclear if that show ever took off -- there've been no new developments on it since 2016 when it was reported to be in the works. Probably just one example of why we're hearing Judy was fed up with CBS and the relationship just fell apart.

As such, she's hanging it up and CBS and will ride out this last season, which marks 25 years on the air. She's already working on another show, "Judy Justice," which will NOT air on CBS.

While Judy's been gracious in public about the split -- including a pleasant appearance on 'Ellen' -- we're told there's no love lost between her and the network. You could probably tell us as much with the statement she issued upon the news breaking.

Judy said, "I am looking forward to a banner 25th anniversary season. CBS has been a fine partner for 20 plus years. They have decided to monetize their 'Judge Judy' library of reruns." Then came the parting shot ... "I wish them good luck with their experiment."

District Attorney Jackie Lacey's husband was not a happy camper when protesters showed up on their doorstep -- wielding a gun and threatening to shoot if they didn't scram.

The Los Angeles County D.A.'s hubby was pissed off Monday morning, and aimed what appears to be a handgun at Black Lives Matter organizer Melina Abdullah. He angrily ordered her and whoever else was outside to get off their Granada Hills property ... or he'd fire.

Abdullah kept her cool during the confrontation, asking Lacey's husband, David, if Jackie could come to the door -- or if he could relay the BLM camp was there to see her.

He wasn't having any of that, though, telling her he didn't care who she was or what org. she was with ... once again demanding they scram before slamming the door shut. Apparently, Lacey had agreed to meet with BLM L.A. that morning ... but didn't show up.

It appears BLM went to Lacey's crib to protest in an effort to coax her out. Abdullah says she was simply there to "invite" Lacey, almost as a reminder that she'd agreed to meet with them. That said ... it's unclear what more, if anything, led up to this moment.

Law enforcement sources tell us the LAPD is aware of the video and spoke with the person the gun was aimed at (Abdullah, in this case). We're told she refused to cooperate, and for now ... the department is investigating the circumstances further. No arrests were made.

If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?!

NFL prospect Trey Adams says he wants a "bigger d**k!"

And, why do we know that?! Because the former Washington Huskies lineman said it ON CAMERA at the NFL Combine!!

The 6'8", 327-pound offensive tackle was doing the usual Q&A stuff with Combine staffers (not a specific team) when he got the layup question ... and thought he'd give a jokey answer.

Of course, these Q&A sessions are SUPPOSED to remain private, but someone leaked the footage ... and yeah, it's super-viral now!

Ya gotta wonder if Trey's stupid answer will affect his draft stock -- would you hire a guy who made a penis joke in his job interview?

Not everyone is laughing about the situation ... especially former NFL exec (and current NFL analyst) Gil Brandt who's pretty furious about the fact the footage was leaked in the first place.

"I hope the person who leaked the Trey Adams video is found out and punished to the fullest extent," Brandt said.

"These are supposed to be confidential meetings. Not fair to Adams or the process. Both players and teams rely on this confidentiality to have honest discussions.”

'90 Day Fiance' star Alex Brovarnik leaped into action and became a real-life superhero while vacationing with his wife, Loren, in the Bahamas ... saving a man from drowning.

The former reality TV star -- whose journey from Israel to the States was documented during season 3 of the show -- was out in Nassau over the weekend when he spotted a clearly intoxicated young man make his way out to the water and begin to go under.

What happened next was nothing short of incredible ... he literally pulled the guy's limp body back to shore and began trying to help him regain consciousness as a crowd formed. In video of the heroic moment, you can hear the cameraman cheer him on. Rightly so!

Loren wrote of the situation, "My husband was watching a guy who was beyond intoxicated, who was with his 'friends' who just stood there and watched! The man went into the water and about drowned!"

She continued, "We are meant to be in a place in time for a reason! Alex and his friend Sean were meant to be at this beach, at this exact time because if not, who knows what could have happened!" Sounds like the dude eventually came to -- Loren says his life was saved.

Loren and Alex are one of the few success stories from the show. They're married, obviously, and are currently expecting their first child together. Alex also finally got his citizenship all these years later.