Amazon Yanks Children's Doll Racist description of Braided Hair
12:38 PM PT -- Amazon tells TMZ ... they've removed the product in question from their site.
Amazon's at it again ... peddling a product with a blatantly racist description that somehow slipped through the cracks -- this time taking aim at a doll's braided hair.
Check out this children's doll that's being sold on Amazon's digital marketplace right now -- it's a 14-inch figurine meant to depict a Black little girl with braids. However, the way the description points that out is more than just eyebrow-raising, to say the least.
It reads, "Doli Yearning 14-inch Adorable Black Doll with Casual Red Skirt and Colored Dirty Braid Fashion Gorgeous Doll for Ages 3+ Interactive Playtime BPA Free Safety Product Well-Designed Collectable Box." In case you missed that ... "colored dirty braid fashion."
What the hell does that mean, you may ask? Welp, apparently this company -- Doli Yearning -- thinks braided hair is dirty, and they feel the need to qualify it as "colored." BTW ... Doli Yearning is a Chinese company -- looks like they've been on Amazon less than a year.
Doli Yearning's also got other dolls just like this one -- except several of the others depict white girls, and there's no mention of their skin color or their hair at all. Take, for instance, this doll that's got blonde hair rolled up in buns.
The description here reads ... "Doli Yearning 14-inch Adorable Doll with Denim Suit and Colored Headbands Fashion Gorgeous Doll for Ages 3+ Interactive Playtime BPA Free Safety Product Well-Designed Collectable Box." Same deal for their other "white" dolls.
So what do we make of all this??? It's the same issue we've seen time and again with Amazon and their filtering process for product descriptions -- or a lack thereof. There just doesn't seem to be great oversight on this.
Granted, Amazon partners with virtually millions of merchandisers and retailers, and might argue they can't comb through every single one to weed out these awful descriptions -- but the counterpoint to that is ... Jeff Bezos is insanely rich, and he absolutely can.
Let's get it together, yeah?
Originally Published -- 11:17 AM PT
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Mobile County Sheriff 'Thugshots' Tree Ornaments Spark Outrage
Nothing like a Christmas tree to get the office in the spirit, but an Alabama Sheriff's Office is decorating its tree with mug shots ... and lots of people aren't merry about it.
The Mobile County Sheriff's Office has hung what it calls "Thugshots" -- mug shots of all the people it arrested this past year. The office posted a photo Thursday of the tree -- which also appears to have jail-issued sandals as the star.
The FB post starts with "HAPPY THUG THURSDAY MOBILE," adding ... "We have decorated our Tree with THUGSHOTS to show how many Thugs we have taken off the streets of Mobile this year!"
Right off the bat, the liberal use of the word "thug" rubbed some people the wrong way.
The post goes on to offer a Christmas special for "ALL MOBILE COUNTY THUGS" ... they can come to the property room, pick out some stolen goods ... then get hauled off to jail. They also joked about free COVID tests for all prisoners, along with a "custom fitting" for a holiday jumpsuit.
Of course, in a year in which police brutality has been a lightning rod issue and the relationship between cops and citizens is more strained than ever ... critics called the Sheriff's post insensitive, unprofessional and as one person put it, "pretty trashy."
BTW -- the controversial post comes about a year after 2 cops in the same county posted a separate Christmas-themed photo of a "homeless quilt" made out of panhandler signs.
In that case, the Mobile police chief publicly apologized. No word yet if another apology will be coming for the "Thugshots" tree.
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Noah Cyrus Sorry, I Was Racially Insensitive While Backing Harry Styles
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Noah Cyrus is taking back a racist remark she fired off, presumably at Candace Owens, when she stepped in the middle of her feud with Harry Styles.
Miley's little sis threw her support behind Styles after his Vogue spread last month -- wearing a dress -- prompted Owens to verbally attack Harry for not being "manly."
Problem is, Noah's choice of words were racially charged -- her IG story post said Styles wears a dress "better than any of u nappy ass heauxz."
If you didn't know, Owens is Black ... something Noah certainly knew, so it's clear she needs a history lesson about the racist undertones of the word "nappy." It sounds like someone gave it to her, because she got a ton of backlash on social media ... and is now apologizing.
She says, "I am mortified that I used a term without knowing the context and history, but I know now and I am horrified and truly sorry. I will never use it again. Thank you for educating me."
Lesson learned ... however, it's not like Harry needed the help, anyway.
He'd already responded to Owens' dig, by sharing a new photo of himself in a powder blue suit eating a banana, captioning it with Candace's own words ... "Bring back manly men."
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Owens claimed Styles' clapback is proof she inspires global conversation, tweeting ... "When people try to tell me I don’t have influence, and then [Styles] dedicates an entire post to my tweet."
Whether that's true or not, the controversy has certainly had an influence on Noah Cyrus.
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Cris Collinsworth Sorry For Comment About Female Fans ... 'I'm Sick'
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Cris Collinsworth says he's "sick" that a comment he made about female NFL fans on-air Wednesday offended so many ... and now, the long-time announcer is apologizing.
During the Steelers vs. Ravens game, Collinsworth was praising Pittsburgh fans ... when he made a remark about some women he had run into during the lead-up to the game.
"They had really specific questions about the game," Collinsworth said of the women. "And I'm like, 'Wow.' You're just blown away about how strong the fans are here in this town."
Chris Collinsworth issued an apology for this.
— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) December 3, 2020 @colin_dunlap
So.....did this offend you?
pic.twitter.com/KuSl1cYyIL
The comment was immediately met with backlash ... as many perceived it to be sexist -- with Collinsworth implying he was surprised that females had intricate questions about football.
Collinsworth clearly saw the criticism, because not long after the game ended ... he issued a lengthy apology.
"Today on our broadcast I made reference to a couple of women that I met in Pittsburgh who so impressed me with their football knowledge that I wanted to tell their story on the air," Cris said. "I know the way I phrased it insulted many. I'm so sorry."
"What I intended as a compliment to the fans of Pittsburgh, became an insult. I'm sick about insulting any fan, but especially female fans and journalists."
Cris added, "I know first hand how much harder they have to work than any of us in this industry. I was wrong and I deeply apologize."
The 61-year-old -- who played wide receiver in the NFL in the 1980s -- has been announcing and analyzing NFL games for several networks for decades.
It's unclear if NBC is planning any discipline over Wednesday's comments.
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When Snakes Attack Puppy Pounced on by Aussie Python ... Saved by Heroic Owner!!!
Pet ownership in Australia is freakin' wild -- snakes and other scary critters will try to eat your dog whole ... like this one almost did.
Check out this scary footage of a carpet python latching on to a 9-week-old puppy named Jasper, trying to squeeze the life out of the pup in a backyard near Brisbane.
It happens in a matter of seconds -- Jasper's casually sniffing around when the python strikes from out of a bush. Jasper tries to squirm away, but the snake's grasp is secure.
Thankfully, the owners realized what was happening and hurried out to free their baby canine from the serpent, but it wasn't easy. You see them smack it in hopes of forcing the snake to let go, and even lift it up and swing it around while it's still got a grip on Jasper.
The owner eventually manages to toss the python aside, and we're here to tell you this story has a happy ending ... for both animals. Jasper ended up being okay -- aside from a bite in his ear, which his owners treated, he's back to his usual self.
And, if you care, the python was said to be fine too. Reptiles, man -- they're something else.
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Swingers Convention Super Spreader ... of COVID-19!!! More Than 40 Infected
A few dozen swingers are battling an outbreak ... of COVID-19 after couples passed around the virus, along with their partners, at a New Orleans convention.
The 5-day Naughty in N'awlins romp last month turned into a super spreader event, with at least 41 swingers testing positive for the coronavirus ... according to one of the organizers.
Naughty Events honcho Bob Hannaford says the swingers convention did everything it could to try and stay COVID safe -- touchless check-ins, temperature checks, extra sanitizing, wristbands denoting who previously tested negative or had antibodies. It wasn't enough to stop the positive tests in the aftermath of all the raunchy fun.
The first positive test came back the day after the swingers convention ended and 40 more followed. Out of the 300 swingers who attended, 41 have tested positive. That's a positivity rate above 13 percent.
While at least one swinger was hospitalized, the majority of the positive cases showed minor symptoms or were asymptomatic. The organizer's having second thoughts about the whole event ... saying he wouldn't swing there again, in hindsight.
Not sure ya need hindsight to know swapping bodily fluids with strangers in a pandemic is dangerous, but whatever. 🤷🏽♂️
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Mysterious Monoliths New One in Romania Vanishes ... On Heels of Utah Discovery
9:01 AM PT -- 12/1 -- It might feel like we're talking in concentric circles here, but we kid you not ... the monolith recently discovered in Romania has followed in the footsteps of its State-side brethren ... and also disappeared.
According to local reports, the metallic structure -- which was buried into the ground on a hill overlooking the city of Piatra Neamt -- was removed overnight by an unidentified party. Pretty similar to the one found in the middle of nowhere in Utah.
There are some new developments on its potential origin though -- apparently, the townsfolk there believe it was a prank by a "metal-worker" ... or a welder, perhaps? Unclear if that person was the one who got it out of there.
The saga continues ...
Now you see it, now you don't ... and now you do again, because a new monolith is upon us -- in Europe -- right after one vanished into thin air here in the States.
Another metallic structure was spotted late last week in Romania ... standing tall on a hill called Boatca Doamnei, just outside the city of Piatra Neamt. This new monolith looks almost exactly like the one found out in the middle of nowhere in Utah last week ... which disappeared just as mysteriously as it arrived.
This one also appears to be made of metal -- the main difference here is that it's got a bunch of squiggles on the back, and it's sorta slanted up top.
Just like their Utah counterparts, Romanian officials don't know how the monolith got there ... or who dug it into the ground.
Authorities say it's actually on private property that covers an archeological site, which requires official permission before anything can go up there. Unclear if/when they'll remove it.
Now, this could just be another prankster doing amateur art installation ... OR, it could be an alien invasion on the cusp of breaking out -- a la, "2001: A Space Odyssey."
We're all voting for art installation, right?
Originally Published 11/30 12:53 PM PT
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Coronavirus Lockdown Karen Goes on Homophobic Rant During L.A. Protest
9:44 AM PT -- The woman, Gina Michelle Bisignano, took to her Facebook page to announce, "I was attacked online."
Here's Exhibit A of lockdown fatigue meeting plain old bigotry -- and the end result is, you guessed it ... a hate-spewing "Karen."
This woman, not wearing a mask, went on a homophobic rant while protesting outside the home of L.A. County Department of Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. The video starts with the woman firing off a homophobic slur at the person recording her. She added Nazi and brainwashing accusations too ... just for good measure.
There were about 50 people marching Sunday, most of whom seemed to merely be protesting the economic impact of California's latest round of coronavirus restrictions -- but this woman's hate speech made her stand out from the crowd. In the worst way possible.
Believe it or not, the video got even worse when the woman made an outlandish accusation about abortions. Also worth noting is her wardrobe choice for the occasion.
Unfortunately, she comes off like a big ball of 2020.
Originally Published -- 7:14 AM PT
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Mike Tyson Overzealous Fan Tried Fighting Him ... AFTER Roy Jones Jr.
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Mike Tyson almost got into a second fight after stepping into the ring with Roy Jones Jr. -- because some wacko swung on him trying to prove something ... TMZ Sports has learned.
Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... Mike was leaving Staples Center Saturday night after his bout with Roy -- which was called as a draw -- and on the way out, he came across a small group of fans looking for autographs.
When he walked over to do some signing, we're told a man in the crowd yelled out to Mike ... asking why he wouldn't let the guy fight him. Our sources say Mike jokingly responded, joking with the dude that it probably wouldn't end well for him.
Snoop Dogg really described Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. as “Two of my uncles fighting at the barbecue.” 😂 pic.twitter.com/XgJuHnQW7r
— Mikh (@MHailgh) November 29, 2020 @MHailgh
Next thing you know, we're told the dude swung at Mike ... and then proceeded to reach into his waistband, as if trying to pull out a weapon. Our sources say Mike's team jumped in right away before things got ugly.
We're told the guy took off -- and our sources also say some folks on Mike's team recognized him from a previous signing, where they say he also tried starting trouble.
#TysonJones is scored a draw! 👀
— Boxing on BT Sport 🥊 (@BTSportBoxing) November 29, 2020 @BTSportBoxing
Mike Tyson agrees.
Roy Jones Jr not so much... 😂 pic.twitter.com/XgwOyyQx3W
Law enforcement sources tell us cops got a call about a possible battery involving Mike Tyson around 11 PM PT (well after Mike tussled with Roy) ... but when they responded to the scene, all parties had left and no report was taken.
While we're glad Mike is okay, the dude who tried him should really consider himself lucky -- and NOT pull this stupid stunt again if he knows what's good for him.
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Russian TV Obama Skit In Blackface
TV is something else in Russia, where they're running bits with actors dressed in blackface portraying Barack Obama.
The skit aired as part of a satirical show on Russia's NTV channel ... and it's roughly 90 seconds of pure racism. The actor playing Obama is in blackface, wearing a red bandana and a bunch of bling, plus black gloves and an oversized t-shirt.
It's pretty much stereotype bingo.
The skit's entirely in Russian, but 3 English words come across clearly -- Black Lives Matter. As for what they said about it ... the host begins: "We now go live to the dark side of America's history, Barack Obama."
After the Obama character's BLM chant, the host says ... "Can you please stop shouting? We don't have racism. You could be taken for a gypsy."
There's also a reference to Obama's recently released memoir, with the blackface actor calling the book an achievement because "none of my relatives that came before me could write."
It's the sort of thing that gets folks canceled these days ... in America, anyway.
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Tekashi 6ix9ine Hits the Strip Club w/ GF COVID Worried Me in Prison, But Now ...
Tekashi 6ix9ine had deep concerns about COVID when he was in prison, which is why he got out early ... but those concerns have evaporated in a big way, 'cause dude hit a packed strip club ... and didn't seem too concerned anymore about catching the 'rona.
The New York rapper celebrated his girlfriend Jade's birthday Sunday by walking into a gentleman's club with two human-size sacks full of cash ... which he and the crew dragged over to a VIP section and started unloading singles on dancers.
Based on what we can see ... it looks like they might've rolled in there with upwards of $200k on hand -- at least that's what Jade's claiming.
Speaking of her, 69's GF documented much of their good time on IG -- where she was seen wearing a body-hugging, green bodysuit ... while Tekashi was decked out in all black with a ton of bling and a new mustache. One thing they weren't seen wearing at all ... face masks. Nobody in the video seems to be rockin' one.
We should note that it looks like they were somewhere in Florida here -- just the night prior, there were reports that 6ix9ine and co. had been spotted in Miami.
It's perfectly legal there to be up in the club right now -- even without face coverings, although it'd be wise to wear one. That said ... it's funny how Tekashi's urgent fears of catching COVID-19 just earlier this year have vanished.
You'll recall ... part of the reason why Tekashi was even allowed to finish his sentence from home was because he cited asthma and other underlying conditions he claimed made him susceptible to contracting the disease from inside prison walls -- and a judge believed it and let him out early.
And, just like that ... the fear went away, much like this virus will (or so they say).
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Santa-For-Hire Ed Taylor COVID Has Screwed Some St. Nicks ... Tech Pivot's a Tough-y!!!
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One of the most famous Santa impersonators says COVID-19 has run lots of his jolly-bearded pals back to the North Pole ... 'cause they couldn't make the virtual pivot.
TMZ spoke to Santa-for-hire Ed Taylor -- founder of the Worldwide Santa Claus Network, with more than 3,000 members -- and he described for us just how he and his red-suited comrades have had to make do this COVID-riddled year.
Lots of folks are hesitant to bring their kids to malls for some face time with Santy -- despite plexiglass ideas we've seen rolled out -- while many others still don't have the option of going to a mall at all ... 'cause they ain't open.
Ed gets into all of that with us -- detailing how difficult it's been -- but he also talks about how Santas-for-hire have had to get creative just to get by ... meaning personal Zoom-like bookings through sites like Jingle Ring and others.
Fortunately for Ed, he was able to hop on the technology train early and adjust well enough in time. BUT, not every Saint Nick was able to catch that sleigh ride this year ... Ed says a lot of 'em couldn't hang (perhaps because of age, or 'cause their elf IT department sucked) and decided to skip Xmas 2020 entirely 😢.
Not to worry though!!! It sounds like there's hope for 2021. Just don't expect as many presents next month ... a few Santas have apparently called out sick for Christmas.
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George Clooney I Cut My Own Hair ... Been Using Flowbee for Years!!!
George Clooney's been on the DIY-haircut hype long before the pandemic hit -- but he's resorted to what many consider a gimmick product to do it ... and he's been doing it for decades!!!
Actor/director George Clooney tells @thattracysmith that he's been cutting his own hair for years - by using the Flowbee haircutting machine https://t.co/SWYT8pFC8h pic.twitter.com/bKepm5LQCM
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) November 29, 2020 @CBSSunday
The actor made the revelation on CBS Sunday Morning -- he told Tracy Smith he's been using Flowbee for quite a while now. So all those dreamy Clooney 'dos you've seen of late ... all Flowbee.
If you're unfamiliar with what the hell that is ... it's a hair cutting device that's been getting hawked on infomercials since the late '80s. Flowbee is part hair clippers and part vacuum -- all you do is run it along your head, and presto!
It might look pretty damn goofy, but hey ... it works, according to George, anyway. And, the best part -- it's only 4 easy payments of $9.99 (prices subject to inflation).
In all seriousness, folks are shocked that George's great looks -- much of which can be attributed to his haircuts -- are the result of a device like Flowbee. You'd think the guy would be spending $200 to $300 per cut at some exclusive stylist in Italy, but no ... he does it himself and gets the job done in 2 minutes.
Funny enough, the Twitter account for George's new movie -- "The Midnight Sky" -- got in on the joke and dropped some Flowbee insight of their own ... writing they could neither confirm nor deny the use of Flowbee on the set.
We can neither confirm nor deny the use of a Flowbee on the set of #TheMidnightSky. pic.twitter.com/op7gt5rLyH
— The Midnight Sky (@midnightskymov) November 29, 2020 @midnightskymov
Considering George says he's still got his trusty Flowbee lying around the house, we wouldn't put it past him to have brought it into the hair and makeup trailer every now and then.
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YouTuber Saa Fomba I Jumped Off Bridge Over Troubled Water ... And Broke My Skull
This is INSANE ... a YouTuber decided it was a good idea to scale a bridge and then jump from the very top ... and it did NOT go well.
Saa Fomba told his fans his goal was to chase his dreams and "leave a mark." Well, leave a mark is what he did, as he hit the water with thunderous force.
He climbed the Pennybacker Bridge ... high above the Colorado River. You see him, on the top of the bridge, throwing his fists up in the air as he waited for a boat with rescuers to show. Once it did, he made the leap and got fully submerged. A few seconds later, he reappears.
Apparently, the rescuers realized Fomba was hurt and called EMT's. Fomba says he suffered a fractured skull and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Fomba's video caption reads, "You might see it as jumping for views, but I see more. I wasn't built for just normal, I’m a dream chaser, I don’t settle for less, I will leave my mark on this planet we call earth our home. chase yours and leave your mark."
Hope it was worth it.
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Hermosa Beach MAGA Caravan 2 Trumper Vehicles Involved in Crash ... Civilian Car Flips Over!!!
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A road rage incident that involved two vehicles decked out in MAGA gear and a third civilian car sent the latter toppling over after it lost control and crashed ... and the video is insane.
TMZ has obtained footage of the scary wreck that went down late Saturday afternoon in Hermosa Beach, CA -- which is thought of to be a pretty liberal part of town. Welp, for some reason ... there were two drivers who wanted to put on a mini caravan down the narrow beachside streets ... with Trump flags waving high and proud.
Eyewitnesses tell us while they were stopped at an intersection -- with both cars taking up the two lanes on the one-way road -- a third car (possibly a Mustang) pulled up behind them and that driver started jawboning at the MAGA convertible.
You even see the guy get out of his car for a bit and cuss out the MAGA convertible driver. He eventually got back in his car ... and drivers of the three cars gunned it, almost like they were racing each other.
The convertible went up ahead, and it was just the Mustang and the MAGA Jeep next to each other for a second -- all of a sudden, you see the Mustang lose control and clip a long row of parked cars on its left-hand side ... and then completely flip over. It's terrifying -- and you can tell in how bystanders reacted.
Cops responded quickly -- but even before that, eyewitnesses claim people standing by and watching jumped into action ... because there was supposedly a baby onboard. We're told one of the MAGA vehicles -- the convertible -- appeared to have fled the scene, while the Jeep stayed behind ... because it too was damaged.
We got a call in to Hermosa Beach PD to see how the crash victims are doing, and if there's any truth to the other vehicle fleeing or not ... so far, no word back.
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Lil Wayne Out of Tyson/Jones Performance Snoop Dogg Tapped Instead
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4:18 PM PT -- It's been confirmed -- sources tell us Snoop D-O-G-G is officially IN to perform at the Tyson/Jones Jr. fight, which will be a huge assist after Weezy stepped out so suddenly. Talk about eleventh hour drama, huh?!?
4:00 PM PT -- Lil Wayne has spoken out on his absence from the Tyson/Jones Jr. fight -- but hasn't explained exactly what caused him to bail other than to say it was unavoidable.
He writes, "Due to unforeseeable circumstances I won’t be performing tonight at the Tyson/Jones fight. Hope the event is still a success and much love to Triller. Love"
Lil Wayne will NOT be performing at the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. fight after all -- even though he signed a contract saying he would ... TMZ has learned.
Sources tell us ... organizers for the mega event this weekend had a flight booked for Weezy so he could take the stage Saturday ahead of the fight set to go down at Staples Center in L.A. in just a few hours. We're told LW simply never got on the plane.
Sounds like it was a last-minute cancelation -- we're working on getting more info about why that happened, but in any case ... it's a no-show for Wayne, and our sources say folks at Triller are working on adding another big name to the lineup.
So far, rapper SAINt JHN has stepped in and signed on to perform at the fight. We're told there's a real possibility Snoop Dogg could get on the mic, too. He's an investor at Triller, so it's feasible he'd do that.
NOVEMBER 2020
Even with Weezy out, there's a stellar entertainment lineup -- featuring performances from stars like Ne-Yo, Wiz Khalifa, French Montana and YG.
Plus, THE FIGHTS! Both Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. have said they're gunning for knockouts -- and they looked in incredible shape during Friday's weigh-in.
Plus, the undercard features Jake Paul vs. ex-NBA star Nate Robinson -- and those dudes HATE each other. Should be a good scrap.
As for Wayne, it's strange that he wouldn't follow through if it wasn't an emergency -- the dude was literally plugging his involvement in the fight just on Friday night (on the heels of him dropping his 'No Ceilings 3' mixtape, to much fanfare).
Can’t wait to be a part of history tomorrow night!!! Order now to see me live on Pay-Per-View starting
— Lil Wayne WEEZY F (@LilTunechi) November 27, 2020 @LilTunechi
at 9pm ET 🤙🏾 #TysonJones @Triller @MikeTyson @Royjonesjrofficial @NateRobinson @JakePaul pic.twitter.com/HHVSoAzvgG
We've reached out to Wayne's camp as well for an explanation and to make sure everything's okay ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 2:48 PM PT