3:07 PM PT -- Two major sponsors have just cut ties with Larson ... with McDonald's and Credit One Bank blasting the driver for his actions while terminating their deals with him.
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"We were extremely disappointed and appalled to hear about this incident," McDonald's announced Monday. "The comments made by Kyle Larson are insensitive, offensive and not reflective of our inclusive values and will not be tolerated. McDonald’s is taking immediate action to terminate the relationship with Larson."
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Added Credit One, "Credit One Bank denounces the highly offensive language used by Kyle Larson during Sunday’s iRacing event. In addition to the quick actions taken by NASCAR and Chip Ganassi Racing, Credit One Bank is terminating its sponsorship of Kyle Larson."
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9:26 AM PT -- Larson just issued a video apology -- saying, "I just want to say I'm sorry."
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"Last night I made a mistake and said the word that should never ever be said and there's no excuse for that."
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"I wasn't raised that way and it's just an awful thing to say. I feel very sorry for my family, my friends, my partners, the NASCAR community and especially the African-American community."
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"I understand the damage is probably unrepairable and I own up to that. I just want to let you all know how sorry I am and I hope everybody is staying safe during these crazy times."
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8:05 AM PT -- Larson's team, Chip Ganassi Racing, just suspended the driver without pay while it investigates the situation.
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“We are extremely disappointed by what Kyle said last night during an iRacing Event," the team said in a statement ... calling Larson's comments "offensive and unacceptable."
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"As of this moment we are suspending Kyle without pay while we work through this situation with all appropriate parties.”
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7:25 AM PT -- A rep for NASCAR tells TMZ Sports ... "NASCAR is aware of insensitive language used by a driver during an iRacing event on Sunday, and is currently gathering more information."
Justin Botelho: “Oh, damn! He did not just say that.”
Yeah, BAD.
By the way, Larson is half Japanese and has talked about how the NASCAR "Driver for Diversity" program helped him get to the big show.
He is the only active NASCAR driver of Japanese descent.
FYI, the race itself was called Monza Madness -- at the famous Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy -- and featured top drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA and the eSports world.
Donnell Rawlings doesn't believe cracking jokes about the coronavirus is off-limits, but the pandemic definitely has him thinking bigger picture.
The "Chappelle's Show" star tells TMZ ... it doesn't matter what the source material is -- in the comedy world, it's never inappropriate or too soon for a funny observation.
Donnell admits he's been making light of the COVID-19 crisis himself and got called out for it, but he says he's simply accepting the reality of the situation ... and trying to make people laugh.
To his bigger point ... Donnell says the coronavirus and resulting fear of death are waking people up to what's truly important in life.
Listen to him explain it, though. Words to live by ... no joke.
Tracy Morgan's Easter is off to a hopping mad start ... after an alleged run-in between one of his exotic sports cars and an NYC pedestrian.
TMZ obtained this video of Tracy -- next to his red Lamborghini -- and a man yelling at each other near Times Square ... on the corner of 42nd and Broadway. Eyewitnesses tell us Tracy had a green light and started to make a right turn when he nearly hit the dude on foot.
You can hear the guy explain to Tracy where he was walking to and from, while Tracy vehemently disagrees. Seems the debate is about whether he was jaywalking and who had the right of way.
Police drove by, but didn't get involved ... we're told they basically gestured to both men to keep it moving. Tracy checked his Lambo for damage, and the pedestrian walked off, slightly limping.
For what it's worth, they appeared to be nearly 6 feet apart during the dispute. We've reached out to Tracy's reps for comment ... so far, no word back.
Even though NYC's streets are nearly empty during the quarantine ... Tracy's got pretty bad luck in the Big Apple. Last summer, he got into a fender bender on an NYC street in a new Bugatti he'd literally just driven off the lot.
He was ultimately not found at fault in that case.
Be careful out there Trace -- people are WALKING HERE!!! Ah, 'Midnight Cowboy' ... anyone? No??
Kentucky State Police were circling the parking lot of a church that's packed for Easter service -- defying state orders -- and issuing warnings, if not citations.
Maryville Baptist Church in Hillview, Kentucky drew what seemed to be nearly a full house Sunday morning. Reporter Sarah Ladd with Louisville's Courier-Journal captured images in the parking lot ... where you could hear the pastor leading the congregation in song.
Shortly before the service began, volunteers were clearing the parking lot of nails, apparently left there by someone who wanted to discourage the service ... which is violating Kentucky's safer-at-home order. Gatherings of more than 10 people are illegal.
I’m at Maryville Baptist Church, which continues to hold in-person services despite orders to cease . This morning, piles of nails have been scattered at every entrance. pic.twitter.com/WcxkqtVZQw
So far, the cops aren't shutting down the service or arresting churchgoers. Instead, they're leaving notifications on the cars in the lot ... informing the owners they are potentially spreading COVID-19.
The notifications also say the health department will contact the car owner, and his or her family members, and require them to quarantine for 14 days.
Unclear, if they're issuing tickets, but the notice does warn the churchgoers they may be committing a misdemeanor by violating the state's emergency order.
6:32 AM PT -- 4/12 - Governor Kelly wins. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled the Legislature lacked the authority to override Kelly's resolution. The Court's decision was based solely on the language of the resolution. The Justices did NOT address the Legislature's claims Gov. Kelly had infringed on religious freedom.
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Bottom line: Easter services -- and all church services during the state's safer-at-home order -- must, legally, have 10 or fewer people.
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Kentucky had a similar ruling, upholding the Governor's plan to ban mass gatherings for church with one exception ... a drive-in Easter service being held in Louisville
The Kansas Supreme Court will decide today whether Kansans can flock to church for Easter, and they're deliberating on webcam ... just like the rest of us.
The surreal scene went down Saturday morning as all 6 state Justices hopped on a Zoom conference from their homes to hear oral arguments in a case that will have major ramifications in the state -- and perhaps in others too.
The case is between Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas State Legislature -- the latter overturned Kelly's executive order banning religious gatherings of 10 or more people.
Gov. Kelly didn't take that sitting down -- she sued the state body and now the matter's being discussed by the highest court in the Sunflower State. Gov. Kelly wanted this figured out before Easter, and she'll get it too. A decision is expected later today.
It's just the latest installment in pastors vs. coronavirus. As you know, several church leaders -- including Tony Spell in Baton Rouge -- insist they can and will continue holding services that violate social distancing. Spell told us his parishioners would behappy to die from the virus if it means they can go to church.
Of course, all the other people they could infect outside his church don't get a say in the matter.
Anyway, point is ... a lot of eyes are on Gov. Kelly and the Kansas Supreme Court.
WWE is confirming someone in its ranks is infected with the coronavirus -- the first known case -- but the wrestlers will push forward with scheduled events.
The league confirmed Saturday an employee had come down with the 'rona -- after ProWrestlingSheet broke the news an on-camera talent (but not a wrestler) had contracted COVID-19 in recent weeks.
PWS says the person -- whose ID was not disclosed -- started showing symptoms in late March after the WWE's last batch of tapings, including WrestleMania 36. Apparently, the person went to dinner with some hospital worker friends, and got tested soon after.
When the test same back positive, the employee immediately went into quarantine and remained there ... according to PWS.
WWE says, "We believe this matter is low risk to WWE talent and staff, as the individual and a roommate became symptomatic in the days following exposure to two people working in acute health care on the evening of March 26, after WWE’s TV production on a closed set was already complete."
It adds, "The employee had no contact with anyone from WWE since being exposed to those two individuals, is doing well, and made a complete recovery."
In other words, the league will carry on with regularly scheduled wrestling events on closed sets, with essential personnel only.
That's what the WWE's been doing for several weeks now ... to some criticism.
Interestingly, the WWE's news the show will go on, comes on the heels of the UFC pulling the plug on UFC 249. Remember, Dana White told TMZ Sports that was only done at the behest of ESPN and Disney ... which airs UFC events.
The Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are not being told to shelter at home, at least not in Montana, where the governor is telling kids the magical entities are free to roam around.
Montana Governor Steve Bullock just sent a super-cute letter to all the kids and families in his state ... telling them their Easter Sunday won't be ruined by COVID-19, because hiding eggs and swiping teeth are now essential services.
The way Steve sees it ... the Easter Bunny is essential because it hides Easter eggs, supports the chocolate-egg industry and brings springtime joy to Montanans.
As for the Tooth Fairy, the governor says it's an essential time for lost tooth collection and payments, with all the little ones chowing down on chocolate, Peeps and other treats.
Elves, unicorns and friendly dragons are also being deemed essential in Montana ... as long as they maintain their social distancing during essential travel. Six feet means six feet!!!
But, there's a catch ... the governor says the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy must do their jobs, which means they gotta leave behind eggs, chocolates and fair market value for teeth.
Montana's under a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of COVID-19 ... and now the magical creatures are exempt from the mandate, as they should be.
Louis Tomlinson's baby mama's giving the opposite of fire safety lessons ... so watch what she does, and do the exact opposite.
Briana Jungwirth -- mother of the One Direction singer's 4-year-old son, Freddie -- went on Instagram Live Thursday night with one of her friends to goof around and let off some quarantine steam.
The problem is that steam turned into smoke when Briana's sweatshirt caught fire from a candle. Instead of putting it out right away, she decided to show off the blaze to her friend and their viewers ... and it escalated quickly.
Jungwirth casually said, "You guys, I'm on fire," as the flames begin to spread and her friend freaks out. Fortunately, Briana was able to shake it out after a couple seconds of panic and her friend extinguished sparks on the floor.
Some people who were watching online said Freddie was sleeping in a room nearby -- we haven't confirmed that -- but fans were concerned because Briana kept messing with the candle afterward.
At the very least, she's a cautionary tale -- don't do stupid things in isolation.
The infamous pics Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli took of their daughters on rowing machines -- allegedly to get them into USC through a side door -- have finally been revealed.
Federal prosecutors dropped the photos Thursday in their response to Lori and Mossimo's motion to dismiss the case. Olivia Jade and her sister, Bella, are seen doing their best rowing on ERG machines. Prosecutors blurred their faces in the pics -- which we've heard about since the college admissions scandal broke more than a year ago -- but the documents make it clear it's them.
According to prosecutors, on Sept. 7, 2016 ... Mossimo sent Rick Singer -- the college admissions scandal mastermind -- an email with Olivia's rowing pic attached. The feds say that email and pic were in response to Singer requesting the pic in an August email, saying ... "It would probably help to get a picture with her on an ERG in workout clothes like a real athlete too."
Bella's rowing photo was attached to an email Mossimo sent to Singer on July 28, 2017, and Lori is cc'd on that email.
Prosecutors have pointed out neither of the Giannulli sisters were really on crew teams ... and the rowing pics were just part of the scheme to get them into USC -- along with checks of $50k to USC's athletic program and $200k to Singer's foundation.
Mossimo and Lori have said the checks were merely donations, and not bribes to get their daughters into the school.
In their response, prosecutors acknowledge they should've turned over Singer's notes earlier, but say it was "simply a mistake," and not a bad faith attempt to sandbag Lori and Mossimo. The feds also say the notes don't exonerate the couple because their alleged criminal intent started long before Singer turned into an informant for the government.
As we reported, Singer's notes included details of his communications with defendants in the college admissions scandal -- including Mossimo and Lori -- and also his complaints that feds were pressuring him to call the payments bribes.
YBN Almighty Jayis not taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously, and his approach to quarantine life ... is exactly what the doctor did NOT order.
The rapper told us he IS staying home, adhering to California's safer-at-home order ... but while he's there, he's still got women pulling up at the crib. That is aggressively NOT adhering to the order.
Almighty Jay is playing with fire, but clearly doesn't think so. He says things are way too boring at home, so he's not about to stop his usual parade of hookups. Forget social distancing too ... he admits that ain't happening. His only precautionary measure -- "I pick wisely."
Remember, Jay used to date Blac Chyna, but she dumped him because she claimed he was sliding into other girls' DMs, and had a side piece.
Look, we know he's 20-years-old, and probably thinks he's invincible -- but as scientists, politicians, and even celebrities have drilled into our heads ... it ain't just about you, YBN Almighty Jay.
It's about protecting everyone else from the spread of the virus.
He did tell us about another, much safer pastime, he has while in "quarantine." We'd like to hope he puts more time into that, but based on the irresponsible joke he cracked at the end ... that seems unlikely.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's potential website for their new foundation is now owned by an Internet troll, who's using a Kanye West hit to send a pretty nasty message.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced Tuesday they were planning a new nonprofit called Archewell Foundation, but apparently they didn't lock down at least one potential URL for a website. Instead, a cybersquatter scooped up archewellfoundation.com -- but there's nothing charitable about it now.
The anonymous owner linked it to Kanye's "Gold Digger" music video on YouTube. The troll's intent seems pretty clear ... passing judgment on Meghan's intent in marrying Harry.
It's a low blow ... especially considering Harry and Meghan plan to make their foundation a one-stop-shop educational and support site for a variety of charitable groups.
They still have other URL options -- such as a dot org -- so it's not a total lost cause -- but it's a hard lesson for the couple to learn as they venture out on their own without support from the Palace.
The Sussexes will have to step up their media game, especially if they come to Hollywood ... as many expect. You're swimming with sharks now, Harry!!!
Small businesses are folding left and right due to COVID-19 -- and now a bunch of 'em are suing the pants off China ... for TRILLIONS.
A group of small businesses in California -- including Cardiff Prestige Property, Little Saigon Chamber of Commerce, First Premier X and others -- just filed the lawsuit against the People's Republic of China, the City of Wuhan and that country's Health Commission.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the small biz squad claims the Chinese government knew as early as mid-November that they were dealing with a "new" and potentially deadly virus, but kept quiet about it and even tried covering it up.
The lawsuit -- which this coalition is aiming to make a class-action by inviting similarly affected businesses across the U.S. -- also alleges it's possible a bio-weapons lab near Wuhan could be responsible for the infected bat that ended up in a wet market ... ultimately starting the pandemic.
It's pretty simple ... the suit claims since China was well aware of the simmering pandemic WAY earlier than February ... it had a responsibility to give a heads up to the World Health Organization and neighboring nations, but didn't.
As a result, this group of businesses says China has cost entrepreneurs dearly. The group is asking for a whopping $8 TRILLION in damages they say they and other small businesses have either already suffered, or will down the line due to government-ordered closures.
It's interesting ... President Trump has parroted similar accusations himself about China, claiming it should've been more vocal about the scale of the problem.
Former U.S. Congressman Paul Broun is turning to pandemic fear-mongering and a gun giveaway in an effort to return to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The GOP politician from Georgia's latest ad leans in hard on the 2nd Amendment, and includes what sounds like a racist dog whistle. In the spot, Broun says warns you might have to defend against "looting hordes from Atlanta" during these "uncertain times."
Broun, who served as the Rep. for GA's 10th congressional district from 2007 to 2015, also touts AR-15s as the ultimate "liberty machine" for fighting off a tyrannical government and the ever-looming threat of socialism.
Not only does Broun vow to never give up his guns ... he's also giving away a semi-automatic rifle to "one lucky person" who signs up for his email updates.
Fear, guns, and propaganda -- that's one approach to getting out the vote. God bless America.
Yes, a now-infamous Louisiana pastor got all "Rocky IV" on us ... saying, if any of his church members die from the virus, they'll have done so in the name of God and freedom.
Tony Spell, leader of Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, tells TMZ ... he thinks true Christians do not mind dying from COVID-19. He insists that what they fear instead is living in fear. As he puts it, "People that can prefer tyranny over freedom do not deserve freedom."
He's also not flinching at medical experts suggesting most of the nation will eventually contract the virus, even if only mildly. Spell's reaction is, "Let's get on with life."
As you've probably heard ... Spell's been defiant of Louisiana's shelter-at-home order. He opened his church last week for Palm Sunday where over 1,000 members attended. He had previously been arrested and charged for violating the state mandate.
Watch the video, Spell is sticking to his guns for Easter Sunday too. He was totally unswayed by our producer suggesting a different approach.
We've all heard that a Chinese bat got the coronavirus ball rolling, but that doesn't mean our domestic bats are a problem -- and if anything, we're a bigger threat to them.
U.S. federal wildlife workers have been talking amongst themselves about a so-called bat fear that's spreading due to the pandemic -- and they're saying it's misguided. They're also warning bat catchers to lay off for a while.
TMZ obtained an email sent by Dr. Michelle Verant -- a wildlife veterinarian with the National Parks Service -- to her colleagues, warning them humans could potentially infect bat colonies here at home with a strain of COVID-19.
The email reads in part, "The actual outcomes of this scenario are unknown, but the concern is that it could result in sustained transmission of the virus among wild bat populations in North America, which could have consequences for the health of bats as well as humans." It goes on to instruct her colleagues who might be partaking in any bat-catching studies right now to refrain, or at the very least ... take great precautions.
Dr. Verant confirmed she sent the email and expanded by telling us there needs to be a clear distinction between the horseshoe bat (the species blamed for transmitting the virus in Wuhan) and North American bats. She says they're much different and there's NO evidence the virus lives in the American species.
To sum up Verant's concerns: Bats here are virus-free right now, but if they catch it from humans -- then there might be potential for them to pass it back to livestock or humans. Talk about vicious cycles!
Bottom line ... stay away from catching bats. Not that many of you were rushing out to do so. We hope.
24 Hour Fitness has some nerve ... it's still charging members even though the coronavirus pandemic is forcing all of its gyms to remain closed.
Here's the deal ... 24 Hour Fitness has been shut down nationwide since March 16, but it's still making workout fiends pay their monthly statements. In fact, the gym says any payments made between March 17 and April 15 will NOT be refunded.
24 Hour Fitness says it's gonna tack on a free month to the end of membership plans for anyone who paid for a month of a closed gym -- but that's kind of a raw deal. People need money now to deal with the pandemic, and they're paying for a service that's unavailable.
The gym says it will stop billing members on April 16, when it plans to reevaluate if it can reopen -- but that doesn't seem likely.
