Morgan Wallen I've Met With Black Orgs, Been Sober ... Since N-Word Video
Morgan Wallen says he's gained an understanding of the hate his words carry and he's a sober and changed man since video of him casually using the n-word was published.
Wallen posted a lengthy apology video Wednesday, saying he's taken the last week to gather his thoughts and get an education. Wallen revealed he's met with leaders of several Black groups and listened to personal accounts from members that shook him to his core and made him realize the true meaning of the n-word.
Morgan claims he was given "hardly any time" to respond to our video of him using the n-word and that only a portion of the words he wrote for an apology were used. For the record ... we held off on publishing the video for nearly 4 hours so that Morgan's apology could be included, and we used the apology his team provided to us in full.
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Wallen says the video was shot on "hour 72 of a 72-hour bender" -- which he's not proud of -- and he's been sober in the 9 days since it was taken.
Morgan addresses his supporters too, saying while he's appreciated them standing up for him, he accepts the backlash and penalties he's received. As we reported, radio stations, merchandise websites and even award shows banned the singer.
JANUARY 2021
TMZ broke the story ... Wallen was recorded by a neighbor after a rowdy night out in Nashville calling a friend the n-word.
Wallen says the timeline for his return to music is unclear, but promises to be a better person moving forward. He ends the video with a bible verse that says, "When I was a child I spoke like a child, thought like a child and reasoned like a child. When I became a man I gave up childish ways."
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'Star Wars' Studio Condemns 'Mandalorian' Star Gina Carano ... for 'Abhorrent' IG Post
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Gina Carano -- ex-MMA fighter turned "Mandalorian" star -- has seemingly Instagrammed her way out of the 'Star Wars' universe after posting offensive content about Jewish people on social media.
The 38-year-old -- who's previously posted anti-liberal and anti-COVID mask content on social media -- shared a post comparing her perceived mistreatment of conservatives in the U.S. to the millions of Jews who were slaughtered in the Holocaust. Seriously.
Hey @ginacarano I know I’m blocked, but let me just ask, as a Jew: What the actual hell????? pic.twitter.com/yr4qPI9tKe
— Mollie 🌙 (@DarthMaullie) February 10, 2021 @DarthMaullie
"Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors ... even by children. Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views," the post read.
The wildly offensive post breathed new life into the #FireGinaCarano movement (which began in 2020 due to other insensitive posts she had made) ... and ultimately caught the attention of her bosses at Lucasfilm.
"Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future," the company said in a statement.
"Nevertheless, her social media posts denigrating people based on their cultural and religious identities are abhorrent and unacceptable."
Carano played former Rebel shock trooper Cara Dune in the Disney+ series -- the latest in a series of high-profile action roles for the actress.
She previously had key roles playing tough-guy characters in "Deadpool" and "Kickboxer: Vengeance."
Before storming Hollywood, Carano fought her way to the top of the women's MMA world -- racking up a 7-0 record before getting smashed by Cris Cyborg in 2009.
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Aunt Jemima Families of Models ... Want More Than Just a Brand Change
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Aunt Jemima's name and face are now scrubbed from the breakfast products she's fronted for more than a century -- a move in the right direction, but far from enough to do justice to the women who served as her model ... so say their descendants.
Lillian Richard and Anna Short Harrington both served as models for Aunt Jemima at different points in the early 20th century, well before the most recent version with the woman in pearls.
Vera Richard Harris -- Lillian's great-niece -- tells us she wants to see her relative's name (plus the names of all the other models who portrayed Jemima) inscribed on the new Pearl Milling Company packaging, to honor their contributions. She doesn't want cash, just recognition.
Richard Harris says she doesn't want her great-aunt, or any of the other models, to be forgotten ... which is essentially what she thinks has happened with the hard erasure PepsiCo/Quaker have opted for.
Ditto for Wanetta Cowan -- great-granddaughter of Anna -- who says these conglomerates have made a fortune off their family members' images for decades ... and now just wanna act like they never existed. The remedy, in her mind, is simple ... payment for their descendants, in the form of royalties.
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One of Wanetta's cousins actually pursued legal action to that end some years ago, but lost. She elaborated on her thoughts back when the brand change was announced, and it sounds like she thinks they can still do right by them ... by shelling out some cash.
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Morgan Wallen Album Sales Surge After N-Word ... But It's Benefitting NAACP
Morgan Wallen's album sales are still rising -- despite the industry largely canceling him for using the n-word -- but that boost is actually helping the NAACP, financially.
The country music star's second album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," is still topping the Billboard charts and selling like hotcakes. That means more money in the pockets of Morgan and his songwriters ... one of whom, Jason Isbell, is handing over his share to the NAACP's Nashville chapter.
Jason wrote the song, "Cover Me Up," on the album ... and the 4-time Grammy winner says he's donating everything he's made from the track.
Morgan's been shelved by SiriusXM, iHeart Radio, County Music Television, Big Loud Records, Cox Media Group, Emmis Communications and the Academy of Country Music, among others ... but Jason wants fans to keep buying the album so he can keep paying it forward.
JANUARY 2021
The President of the Nashville NAACP will likely appreciate Jason's gesture. As we reported, the org's already extended an olive branch to Morgan ... hoping to make this controversy a teachable moment for him.
No word yet if he's taking them up on the offer.
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G-Eazy Gets Restraining Order Against Doorbell Ringer
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G-Eazy just got some protection from a woman he claims keeps lurking outside his home ... but he was not able to get his ex, Ashley Benson, that same protection.
According to new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- the rapper's been dealing with a woman he believes has had a "celebrity-fixation" on him for several months.
G-Eazy claims Monika Andrody has shown up at his Hollywood Hills home on several occasions, she rings the doorbell at his gate and paces in front of it. He says he always calls the cops, but she leaves before they arrive.
But, things got really bad in November 2020 when he says she started showing up at all hours of the night and ringing the doorbell ... and he claims she did it again as recently as January 15.
The rapper says he's afraid Andrody will show up at a public event and try to make physical contact, and insists her constant doorbell interruptions have wrecked his peace of mind while he's at home.
G-Eazy filed for the temporary restraining order last week, and at the time he asked the judge to extend the protection to his girlfriend, Ashley. However, at least until there's a hearing, the judge has only granted it for him.
As you may know, G-Eazy and Ashley reportedly broke up earlier this week ... and the court apparently didn't think there was enough evidence to extend the restraining order to her yet.
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Rebecca Black on 'Friday' We've (Hopefully) Come a Long Way ... In That Spirit, Remix Time!!!
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FEBRUARY 2021
Rebecca Black has passed hundreds of Fridays since the release of her viral hit song, and as releases a remix ... she's hopeful and thankful for the 10-year ride.
The "Friday" singer came on "TMZ Live" Wednesday -- 10 years to the day since the OG's release -- to discuss a new spin on her classic tune, which now features Dorian Electra, Big Freedia and 3OH!3.
RB herself's rocking a wild outfit in the video ... way different from the first version when she was just 13.
Of course, "Friday" blew up in 2011 ... but not for all the right reasons. It was mocked and ridiculed at the time -- as was Rebecca, but even in light of all that, Rebecca tells us she's happy to have gone through it and come out the other side.
She says while she's glad some folks have embraced the song as their end-of-week ritual -- Rebecca also believes those who put her through the wringer all those years ago have learned a lesson in humanity.
We'll let Rebecca explain for herself -- but long story short, the bullying she went through in the early 2010s simply wouldn't be tolerated today. It's just unfortunate it took damn near a decade for everyone to realize that.
All good, though ... Rebecca's keeping her chin up. Check out the remix too -- much of the same lyrics and beat, but it's a whole other vibe.
And, yes ... it's Wednesday -- but you're only 2 days away from bliss 👏🏽
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Hoobastank's Doug Robb Yeah, We Wanna Ride the TikTok Wave ... But Gracefully, You Know???
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Hoobastank's "The Reason" is all the rage with kids today ... is something you haven't heard since 2004, but the band wants to capitalize on its newfound 2021 fame.
We spoke to lead singer Doug Robb about the surge in popularity for one of his group's most famous tunes on TikTok -- which is the theme for a new challenge, where people list things they've screwed up ... using "The Reason" to wash away their shame.
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The track has been used hundreds of millions of times in recent months as people post their own versions -- and of course, that's got Doug and co. thinking about how best to ride the wave ... without being cringe-y.
Check out what he says about the prospect of cranking out new tunes now that he and the band's back in the spotlight -- Doug's feeling inspired, but also explained why they won't pander to new OR old fans.
All this viral success creates a conundrum ... Doug says he doesn't wanna be the guy that milks this opportunity to the point of exhaustion, but he still wants to make the most of it.
So far, they've made a few of their own #NotAPerfctPerson renditions on TikTok -- all of which have been funny and original -- but Doug's apprehension on diving in is a phenomenon a lot of older artists are experiencing due to TikTok.
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Fact is, a whole new generation is being introduced to their music for the first time -- kinda like what Fleetwood Mac went through recently with the viral skateboarder -- and it puts pressure on the OGs themselves ... to either cash in, or enjoy it for what it's worth.
In Doug's case, here's hoping they do come out with new material -- their last album was in 2018, so the world's overdue for more stank!
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Kim Kardashian North's 'Bob Ross' Painting is All Her Don't Play with My Kids!!!
Kim Kardashian is FUMING at folks questioning the authenticity of a painting she says her daughter made herself ... insisting it's the real deal, and people doubting it have way too much time on their hands.
KK is blasting critics of North's oil painting -- depicting a mountain, a river and a surrounding valley ... which drew comparisons of Bob Ross' artwork (and lots of jokes). But, there were also those who straight-up said North couldn't have done it on her own.
You can tell Kim's pissed from the get-go ... "DON’T PLAY WITH ME WHEN IT COMES TO MY CHILDREN!!!" Kim goes on to say North and her BFF have been taking high-skill oil painting classes lately, and just wrapped their art projects after weeks of hard work.
North's pal is Ryan Romulus, the daughter of Kim's good friend, Tracy Romulus. Tracy posted a photo of Ryan with her own oil painting of a wolf. Fans had zeroed in on Ryan's painting as well ... she also completed a nature landscape in the same class.
Anyway, Kim goes on to say this about "grown adults" who are taking shots at her daughter's ability ... "How dare you see children doing awesome things and then try to accuse them of NOT being awesome!?!?! Please stop embarrassing yourselves with the negativity and allow every child to be GREAT!!!"
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Kim ends her scolding with much emphasis, again doubling down that, "NORTH WEST PAINTED THAT PERDIOTDDDDDABCDEFGZFDT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Okay, Kim, we got it!
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Mmmm, Ribeye First Edible 3D Printed Steak ... Looks Kinda Tasty-ish???
Meat lovers and animal rights activists can finally rejoice together (we think) -- because there's now a slaughter-free steak you can eat right off the dish ... a petri dish.
A group of Israeli scientists and a restaurant group unveiled what they say is the first slab of beef cooked up in a lab, using a freakin' 3D printer!!! It's not the technology you see on Pinterest, however ... this is bioprinting, the same idea -- but with cells.
It's kinda complicated to explain, but basically they take the "natural building blocks of meat" -- tissue from a cow -- incubate it, and then build it out under a microscope. Eventually, you get what you see here ... a ribeye steak, free of genetic engineering or Frankenstein DNA.
The scientific breakthrough comes 2 years after biomedical engineers at the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology (same guys who did this ribeye) cultivated a thin cut steak, sans bioprinting.
Now that they've got the technique down, they say they're on to other cuts.
Goes without saying, this could revolutionize the meat production industry if widely adopted. So many outstanding questions, but the first and foremost being ... is it any good???
The folks at AF insist it's super tasty ... but we'll believe it when we try it 😝
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Paris Hilton Calls on Biden, Harris to Join Fight Against Student Abuse
2/8/21
Paris Hilton called on none other than President Biden to denounce child abuse in schools ... this as she testified about alleged torment she went through as a kid.
The heiress spoke publicly Monday to a state congressional committee in Utah in support of a bill that would enact stricter regulations on private institutions like Provo Canyon School -- where Paris says she endured years of abuse as a teen by the facility's staff.
In her opening statement, Paris appealed directly to the top of the food chain of politics ... calling on not just Utah leaders to do the right thing, but also Sen. Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, VP Harris and even 46 himself to jump on this issue.
PH choked up at certain points in her testimony, saying that since her documentary -- 'This is Paris' -- premiered in September, survivors from all over have been coming forward to share their stories with her.
She urged the Utah senators to pass the bill, SB127, in hopes of reining in the alleged bad behavior and instituting more oversight.
Pretty surreal to see her up there if we do say so ourselves -- and powerful too. As we've seen, sometimes celebs can make the biggest impacts.
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Offset Sued Dude, Where's Our (Expensive) Car?!?
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Offset seems to have misplaced not just the keys to a new car, but the whole damn ride itself -- at least that's what a car company's claiming in court.
Platinum Transportation Group -- an L.A.-based luxury rental service -- is suing the Migos rapper over what it says is the shady disappearance of one of their new Bentleys he rented in the Spring of 2020 ... which they say somehow went missing when it was time to turn it back in.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, PTG claims it drew up a contract with Offset in May, recognizing him as a repeat customer of theirs. At first, Platinum says the deal was to rent their new 2020 Bentley Bentayga for a couple days at a rate of just less than $600 a day.
They claim that initial rental period kept on getting pushed out by Offset ... and a new deal was allegedly made to have him hold onto the whip 'til late July.
Anyway, right after the 4th ... Platinum claims Offset told them he didn't have the car in his possession, didn't know who had the car last, or where the hell it was. It had vanished -- or at least that's what Platinum is claiming he told them, with no rational explanation.
They also claim Offset stopped making payments on the car after his lease was up on July 25, despite the fact he had failed to return the car. Platinum says he's refused to pay a penny more.
In the lawsuit, Platinum says it filed a police report, but we haven't been able to track down that report.
The company's looking for major damages -- claiming it's out more than $100k in missed revenue from not being able to rent the Bentley.
We reached out to Offset ... no word back yet.
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GORILLA GLUE HAIRDO I Still Can't Get This Glue Out After ER!!! Might Be Time to Sue
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12:44 PM PT -- Gorilla Glue says Tessica's saga is a unique situation and the product she used "is not indicated for use in or on hair as it is considered permanent."
GG says the spray adhesive is intended for mounting things to surfaces such as paper, cardboard, wood, laminate and fabric.
We are very sorry to hear about the unfortunate incident that Miss Brown experienced using our Spray Adhesive on her hair. We are glad to see in her recent video that Miss Brown has received medical treatment from her local medical facility and wish her the best. pic.twitter.com/SoCvwxdrGc
— Gorilla Glue (@GorillaGlue) February 8, 2021 @GorillaGlue
The company says it's sorry to hear about her incident, and is glad she's getting treatment while wishing her the best.
The TikToker who put Gorilla Glue in her hair is still living with her nightmarish mistake, the glue brand's remedies aren't working ... and now she's lawyering up.
Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Tessica Brown's weekend trip to the ER was another disaster, and Gorilla Glue's tip to use rubbing alcohol to remove the product was a colossal failure.
Our sources say Tessica spent 22 hours in the ER and the staff was dumbfounded. We're told healthcare workers put acetone on the back of her head, but it burned her scalp and only made the glue gooey before hardening back up.
Tessica, we're told, was instructed to keep trying the potential remedy back home, but rubbing alcohol still hasn't proved to be the cure.
2/5/21
Remember ... Tessica says her hair's been rock solid for about a month after substituting Gorilla Glue Spray Adhesive for her normal hair spray. GG told us the quickest possible remedy was rubbing alcohol.
Our sources say Tessica's hired an attorney and is weighing her legal options against Gorilla Glue. We're told the label on the product she used says do not use on eyes, skin or clothing ... with no mention of hair, which Tessica feels is misleading.
GG says all of its products are considered permanent and the packaging states it too ... but we're told Tessica felt it was okay because the product said multi-use.
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Tessica's already crowdfunding for her medical bills ... a GoFundMe has raised $9,000 and counting.
Originally Published -- 10:59 AM PT
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Byron Leftwich to Reporter Wrong Black Guy!!! I'm Not Todd Bowles ...
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"I think you got the wrong guy!"
That was Byron Leftwich's response to a reporter who confused the Tampa Bay Bucs assistant coach with another guy from the Bucs coaching staff, Todd Bowles.
(Take palm. Place directly on forehead).
See, this is Byron Leftwich on the left -- a former star NFL quarterback who is now the offensive coordinator for the Bucs.
On the right is Todd Bowles -- the defensive coordinator for the Bucs. He was previously the head coach of the New York Jets.
The reporter was clearly confused -- and asked Byron a question about how the Bucs defense managed to shut down Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes.
Byron immediately realized what was happening ... and chuckled to himself as he corrected the reporter.
"Shut Pat Mahomes down? I think you got the wrong guy," Leftwich said ... "I didn’t have anything to do with that, that was Todd!!
So, how did the reporter mix these guys up??? Byron seems to have an idea ... and all he could do is laugh it off.
And, to make things worse ... even the person running the news conference messed up Byron's name when introducing him to the media. Byron -- NOT BRYAN -- handled that like a champ too.
Funny, "Saturday Night Live" just did a sketch this weekend about how Bucs coach Bruce Arians looks exactly like Chiefs coach Andy Reid ... but at least those two sorta look alike!!!
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Utah Avalanche Barrels Down on Snowmobilers ... Caught on Wild Video!!!
The same day an avalanche in Utah killed four skiers in Salt Lake Valley, another one about 200 miles east swallowed up a pack of snowmobilers ... who lived to tell the tale.
Check out this video that was captured and shared Saturday somewhere in the Uinta Mountains in northeast Utah ... where four to five guys in snowmobiles were riding around on the side of a mountain, when all of a sudden they felt the ground below them rumble.
The guy who posted this, Miles Penrose, says he then saw a wave of snow barreling down at him and his friends and got swept up in the debris -- this after his avalanche backpack chute (almost like an airbag to keep people safe) failed to deploy.
BTW, you can see the avalanche coming ... and it's absolutely terrifying. Incredible that the cameraman was able to hold on and not lose his phone.
Luckily, Miles says he was only taken out about 20 yards, and was able to keep himself on top of the massive snow pile. Next thing he knew, he was searching for his little brother and pals ... the former ended up being buried about five feet deep, but was alive.
So were his other friends, who were scattered about ... but again, seemed relatively unscathed. The same sadly can't be said for a group of four skiers who were killed in a separate avalanche the same day out in Mill Creek Canyon -- while 4 others were badly injured.
It's the third fatal avalanche in Utah this year alone, and there've been others across the U.S., including in Colorado. Yeah ... count us out for the next snow trip -- think we'll pass.
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Comedian Ted Alexandro Great Zillow Joke, 'SNL' ... Too Bad You Stole it from me!!!
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'SNL' has a new sketch about how sexy Zillow listings really are -- but now ... they're being accused of ripping off the joke from a comedian.
Ted Alexandro has been railing on the writers from "Saturday Night Live" all day Sunday, claiming their now-viral skit -- which was all the rage Saturday -- is actually his own material ... which he performed live at the Comedy Cellar in none other than New York City.
Dear @SNL, since you stole my Zillow joke last night please Venmo me the sum of 1 million dollars. My full special Cut/Up is on youtube if you need more ideas. pic.twitter.com/lC3yBpcs1h
— Ted Alexandro (@tedalexandro) February 7, 2021 @tedalexandro
He writes, "Dear @SNL, since you stole my Zillow joke last night please Venmo me the sum of 1 million dollars. My full special Cut/Up is on youtube if you need more ideas." Ted added a mash-up of his original joke and the 'SNL' parody, which have familiar themes and beats.
The gist of the gag is that the older you get, the more certain aspects of adulthood start to appeal to you -- maybe even in a sexual sense. 'SNL' played up the whole "yeah sex is great" angle ... and turned Zillow browsing into a softcore fantasy porn ad of sorts.
Ted's original performance of the Zillow phenomenon ain't all that different -- but he makes it more about how he and his wife "sext" each other ... sending each other Zillow listings that are out of their price range to make one another hot and bothered. They're both funny ... but Ted's insisting he did it first, and seems to want either money and/or credit.
It's unclear when Ted first performed his Zillow joke, but it appeared in a compilation video he released with a bunch of his stand-up shows called "Ted Alexandro: CUT/UP" ... which got posted on YouTube in September. Looks like it might have surfaced well before that though.
You have until kickoff. Venmo: @Ted-Alexandro
— Ted Alexandro (@tedalexandro) February 7, 2021 @tedalexandro
Hard to tell just how upset Ted actually is -- he gave 'SNL' brass 'til kickoff to pay him his mil, and attached his Venmo handle for good measure. "Saturday Night Live" hasn't responded.
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Casanova TikTok Dance Challenge Behind Bars .. It Gets You Disciplined
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12:48 PM PT -- Casanova’s attorney, James Kousouros, tells TMZ ... "I am unaware of the specific allegations however, this does appear to be a harmless infraction under the circumstances. These fellas are in prison, with no visits or meaningful contact with their loved ones. It is unimaginably difficult to keep your spirits and faith under such circumstances."
Rapper Casanova is in even more trouble after busting a move behind bars.
The 34-year-old rapper is in Westchester County Jail in New York in connection with a gang-related racketeering case.
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A woman recorded him accepting the "Junebug Challenge" during a video visit. Gotta say, the TikTok challenge is to do a dance in strange locations, so Casanova clearly checked that box.
Jail officials didn't see it that way, and now he's facing discipline. Westchester County Correction Commissioner Joseph Spano says Casanova's video visitation privileges have been yanked ... turns out recording videos and taking pics during a visit are prohibited.
That's not Casanova's only problem ... he faces another disciplinary charge for not wearing a mask during the video visit.
Casanova has pled not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and firearms possession.
Originally published -- 8:19 AM PT