Joe Exotic Zoo Sees New Life After 'Tiger King' ... Huge Crowd For Reopening

Joe Exotic woulda loved to see this ... his beloved zoo is packed to the gills, as hundreds flocked to his old stomping grounds for the first time since 'Tiger King' dropped.

A huge crowd was on hand this weekend at the zoo once owned by Joe ... it's now called Tiger King Park, and it's finally cashing in on Joe's Netflix notoriety and recent injection of fame.

There was a long line to get inside the zoo in Wynnewood, OK after it reopened under new CDC social distancing and sanitation protocols. The zoo had been shuttered by coronavirus restrictions and seems like people were ready to pounce when it opened back up.

Folks who were there tell us people and families came from all over the country to see what the hype was about ... and there were hundreds of new visitors.

Once inside the zoo, formerly known as G.W. Exotic Animal Park, most folks seemed to cast social distancing rules to the wayside ... face coverings were few and far between, and people crammed together to see the big attractions -- lions and tigers.

KINGDOM GROWS
TMZ.com

As you can see ... Tiger cub petting was in full effect, and people sat shoulder-to-shoulder as they patiently waited for a chance to play with the cubs and meet zookeeper Erik Cowie.

While Joe's no doubt the reason the zoo is buzzing again coming off his 'Tiger King' fame ... the long lines and crowds lined the pockets of the new owner and Joe's former business partner, Jeff Lowe.

Jeff and his wife, Lauren, greeted people as they walked around, and fans also got a chance to meet alleged hitman Allen Glover, the star witness at Joe's trial.

Sorry, Carol Baskin ... people still wanna see Joe's tigers.

Danny Trejo Slams Adam Jones Over Ketchup Tacos ... 'Nothing Worse!!!'

TACO TREACHERY
TMZSports.com

Taco expert Danny Trejo is going OFF on Adam Jones for slathering his Cinco De Mayo treats in ketchup ... telling TMZ Sports that's THE WORST condiment a person can add to a taco!!

"You can do taco-anything," Trejo says, "but not ketchup!"

Jones -- a 5-time MLB All-Star -- posted a pic of his ground beef-ketchup delight on Tuesday ... celebrating the fifth of May while defending his choices for taco toppings.

"It’s my plate," Jones said. "I eat them how I want to. Ain’t a specific way. So gracias."

But, the owner of Trejo's Tacos -- a SUPER-popular taco joint in L.A. -- tells us Jones is dead wrong for putting Heinz anywhere near the tortillas!!

"The reality is that you can put anything on a taco," Trejo says, "but ketchup goes on a hot dog!"

In fact, Trejo says he's so appalled by the move ... if he saw the food crime go down in real life -- he'd buy the person's dinner just to make sure no ketchup touched the tacos!!

So, sorry, Adam. Machete has spoken.

LAPD Video Shows Violent Arrest ... Officer Throwing Punches

Video of a Los Angeles police officer throwing haymakers, repeatedly hitting a man in the head and body is sparking backlash and launching an internal investigation.

The brutal footage is from an arrest last month in the Boyle Heights neighborhood in L.A., and you can see the officer landing at least 9 punches to the back of the suspect's head while shouting expletives. The suspect cowers and asks, "What is wrong with you?"

The video, shot on April 27, starts with 2 officers detaining the man on a sidewalk outside a church. The male officer ordered the suspect to stop fighting, the suspect says he's not fighting -- and doesn't appear to be in the video.

Then the male officer unloaded the barrage of punches and profanities. Eventually, the female officer appears to put her hand on her partner's arm, seemingly urging him to stop.

The LAPD says officers were responding to a trespassing call.

In a statement, the LAPD says it's aware of "disturbing video" capturing the incident, which it describes as a "physical altercation" between the suspect and arresting officer. Cops say the suspect suffered cuts to his head and face, but refused medical attention, while the male officer sustained a hand injury.

The suspect and officer have not been identified, and cops say the man was released from custody pending further investigation.

The LAPD says after reviewing this video -- which they got on the day of the arrest -- and the officers' body cam footage ... Internal Affairs launched an investigation.

DaBaby Allegedly Attacked Driver in Vegas

UPDATE

3:03 PM PT -- DaBaby's attorney, Drew Findling, tells TMZ, "A 100% false accusation which suspiciously pops up in February regarding an alleged incident in November. We can smell another attempted money grab."

DaBaby can't keep his hands to himself ... IF you believe a driver who claims the rapper attacked him when an argument quickly turned physical.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the driver got a call to pick up DaBaby in Vegas back in November, and the rapper and some friends hopped into his Mercedes Sprinter van. We're told after a few stops, DB and his friends sparked a joint and the driver told them that's a no-no.

Cops say the rapper and his friends started cursing out the driver and threatened him. When they got to the Hard Rock Hotel, the driver told his passengers it was time to pay up. The driver claims DB punched him in the back of the head and said, "You ain't the boss."

Our law enforcement sources say one of the suspects said, "You're lucky you're not in my city because I would have killed you cracker motherf***er." We're told DB and co. got their bags, but not before someone allegedly said they "would have left him (the driver) dead on the road."

We're told there's now an active arrest warrant to bring in DaBaby for misdemeanor battery.

12/19/19
NEVER ASK ME AGAIN!
TMZ.com

As we've reported ... DaBaby's had his share of trouble recently. Back in December, he was caught on video assaulting a hotel worker in Beverly Hills. DB defended his actions saying the worker was harassing him while he was in the company of his young daughter.

There was also a woman he allegedly slapped during a concert in Tampa. He apologized ... but for her, it rang hollow.

We've reached out to DaBaby for comment, so far ... no word back.

Originally Published -- 11:47 AM PT

Kim Jong-un Body Double Theory Likely BS Side-by-Side is Fake

Kim Jong-un might not be alive after all and instead has a convincing body double -- so says one former member of parliament ... who appears to be pushing actual fake news.

Louise Mensch -- who used to serve in the UK government as a conservative a while back -- sent the body double theories into hyper-drive on Friday after she posted a would-be, side-by-side comparison that she claimed proved the guy who took that factory tour in Pyongyang last week wasn't actually KJU -- but another person entirely posing as him.

She pointed out the different brow, and other facial features ... but much of her claim was on the teeth themselves. In her photo, they certainly do look different. The problem ... her photo of Kim at the fertilizer plant isn't authentic and is almost certainly a doctored image.

We know this because we downloaded the high-res image itself and zoomed in with our own gear -- and it does NOT show what this woman's pic depicts ... namely, mangled and mashed up teeth that are vastly different from Kim's famous Bugs Bunny-like chompers.

As you can tell in an actually zoomed-in photo, those two long incisors are the same here ... it definitely looks like Kim -- and not whoever that other guy is up there in Louise's comparison.

That said, we still don't know when these photos were actually taken -- and it's hard to take government-run media there at their word that he's a perfect picture of health ... especially after international reports pegged him as either dead, brain dead or on his death bed.

We'll keep an eye out for Kim ... real or otherwise.

'Star Wars' Day Stormtrooper Taken Down By Cops Over Plastic Toy Blaster

Canadian Cops strike back
@DeibyCorleoni
UPDATE

3:00 PM PT -- The Lethbridge Police Service tells TMZ ... a service investigation into the actions of the officers who responded to the firearm call Monday has been launched.

UPDATE

We're told the female in the Stormtrooper costume dropped her "weapon" as soon as cops arrived, but "did not initially comply with further police directions to get down on the ground."

UPDATE

Cops say she sustained a minor injury during the incident but didn't need medical attention. The firearm was confirmed to be fake and she wasn't charged.

UPDATE

Nonetheless, Chief Scott Woods has initiated an investigation after reviewing additional information -- including social media video -- to determine whether the officers acted appropriately.

May the 4th be with you quickly turned into may the Lethbridge, Alberta police force have mercy on you ... when cops took down a Stormtrooper for including a toy blaster in her cosplay.

The crazy scene went down Monday in the Canadian province where a bar employee -- at the Coco Vanilla Galactic Cantina, no less -- was roughed up by cops. Someone reported seeing her with a firearm, and things quickly went south when officers surrounded her.

The video starts out calmly enough, with a man recording the bar employee -- who was out in costume for a company parking lot shindig in honor of 'Star Wars' day -- and joking around with her and asking her to do some Stormtrooper moves. She's half into it ... whatevs.

The crazy part happened moments later, when Lethbridge PD swarmed the scene with guns drawn ... shouting at the Stormtrooper and demanding she drop her weapon. She did, almost immediately.

What happened next is up for debate. Cops say the woman didn't follow their orders by getting down to the ground right away, but she and her boss argue she couldn't because of the damn suit (hard to bend in that thing) -- which she apparently tried relaying to the police on the spot. Eventually, she was able to get down.

The woman claims cops roughed her up as they put cuffs on her, allegedly shoving her face into the ground and making her nose bleed. Once all the commotion settled down, the cops eventually realized there was no threat -- and cut the gal loose without charging her.

She and her co-workers are pissed -- but cops say they were just responding to reports of someone with a firearm and were only doing their jobs.

Originally Published -- 8:37 AM PT

MLB's Adam Jones I Put Ketchup On My Cinco De Mayo Tacos ... So What?!?!

Ketchup on tacos ... psycho move or delicious topping?!?!

Former MLB star Adam Jones is clearly all for it ... 'cause the dude loaded up his Cinco De Mayo tacos with the red stuff -- and had no shame about it!!!

Jones posted the pic Tuesday ... showing off some soft shell delight smothered in Heinz magic.

The problem??? Some people think that's a borderline criminal offense ... and the 34-year-old even got hate in the comments over it!!

"I know that’s not ketchup on your taco...." one fan wrote. "Your SD card’s gonna get pulled if so...."

But Jones, a San Diego native, was having none of the ketchup slanders ... firing back at the haters, saying, "you can’t ever pull my SD card. It’s my plate. I eat them how I want to. Ain’t a specific way. So gracias."

It all begs the question ... is ketchup on a taco fair or foul!?

The facts: There's ground beef, lettuce and cheese on a taco -- coincidentally, all the same ingredients on a burger that no one would have an issue putting ketchup on!!

So, do your thing AJ!! We know Patrick Mahomes is somewhere proud.

Kristin Cavallari Advises Engaged Couple ... Just 'Don't Do It!!!'

LIFE HACK
TMZ.com

"Ask a silly question" ... is what Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler are clearly thinking in this video, which proves the writing was on the wall a couple months before they announced their divorce.

TMZ obtained this clip of the now-estranged couple at an event back in February, where they were doing a meet and greet with fans in Chicago at Kristin's Uncommon James store.

At one point, a woman who said she was newly engaged asked for advice about being newlyweds and marriage. Kristin quickly blurted out a very telling answer ... "Don't do it."

Everyone had a laugh about it -- including Jay who seems very uncomfortable sitting right next to Kristin -- but it sure seems like she was being honest, based on what we now know.

Not too long after this she and Jay officially called it quits, with him filing for divorce -- but Kristin's since said in her divorce papers ... they were close to pulling the plug late last year. They made one last-ditch effort that went south in March. The split has been anything but civil.

As we reported ... Kristin accused Jay of "marital misconduct," which we found out pertained to them not agreeing on child custody. They're also at odds about a living situation right now, as Kristin wants money freed up to buy a new place of her own.

Her fans can't say she's not honest.

'Real-Life Barbie' You Better Not Pout ... 'Cause These Lips Got Ya Beat!!!

Cosmetic surgery is back in full swing wherever this woman -- who, shocker, goes by "Real-Life Barbie" -- got a serious balloon job done on her lips!!!

The patient is 22-year-old Andrea Ivanova from Bulgaria, and just try to look at her kisser. Painful, right? That's because she just got her 20th round of lip filler injections, and despite the fact they look like they're about to pop ... Andrea wants her lips even bigger.

Clearly, she's digging the work docs did for her ... as you can see in a video she posted of the aftermath. BTW, she's become a mouth breather ... the center of Andrea's lips can't even touch anymore

LIP SERVICE
Jam Press

Of any future lip injections, Andrea says ... "My doctor said he will do more injections for me, but said I have to wait for at least two months," going on to explain that she while she loves her permanent duck face -- she admits it's been difficult to eat properly. You don't say!

She goes on to say, "I think my lips are lovely, I love them. I am not sure if they are the biggest lips in the world but they are one of the biggest, I think."

What's even crazier about this is what Andrea used to look like before all the work. Completely different person, and pretty normal ... relatively speaking.

There's probably a lesson here ... and whatever it is, we're thinking Andrea hasn't learned it yet.

Elon Musk Imagine There's No Real Estate ... It's Easy If You Try

Elon Musk seems super serious about selling off almost all of his physical possessions and not owning a home ... because he just put a pair of mansions on the market.

The Tesla honcho listed two of his Bel-Air estates for sale Sunday, this only days after telling the world he would shed most of his possessions and own no home.

Elon's seeking a combined $39.5 million for the properties -- listing a massive 16,251-square-foot estate for $30 mil and a home previously owned by the late Gene Wilder for $9.5 million.

And, get this ... Elon's selling without a realtor. The homes are both for sale by owner.

Gene's former haunt is a quirky, unique and charming ranch-style property overlooking the stream, trees and white sand traps of the 13th green and 14th fairway on the Bel-Air County Club Golf Course. The 5-bedroom, 2,756-square-foot home comes with an oval pool and private guest cottage.

Elon says there's one stipulation for buying Willy Wonka's old house ... "It cannot be torn down or lose any of its soul."

Elon's other listing sits on a private knoll overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club, with sweeping views of the city and Pacific ocean. It's a sprawling property with 6-bedrooms, including a master suite with separate dual closets and baths.

The crib is decked out with a family wing, 2-story library, 2-room guest suite, theater, wine cellar, gym, lighted championship tennis court, pool and a fruit orchard!

Plenty of room to park those Teslas in the motor court with a 5-car garage.

Elon ignited the selling spree Friday with a Twitter storm ... announcing, "I am selling almost all physical possessions. Will own no house." Elon says "freedom" is behind the sale.

Musk bought the two properties for about $24 million combined back in 2012 and 2013 ... and the homes are part of a six-house collection Elon owns outside Bel-Air Country Club.

BTW ... Forbes estimates Elon's net worth at $37.9 billion.

Motorcycle-Riding Monkey Tries Kidnapping Small Child ... In Indonesian Alley

MONKEY BUSINESS
Jasa Supanji via Storyful

Thank God these grownups got the monkey off this toddler's back -- because a fierce primate was about to make off with them in a wild, would-be kidnapping getaway.

Check out this video that was supposedly taken in an alleyway in Indonesia, where it shows a circus-like, small simian rolling up to a group of kids on a mini motorbike ... which it jumps off of right in front of them, and then attempts to take the runt of the litter.

It's a wild scene -- something out of a damn movie, but this rogue little bastard does his own stunts! -- and it only gets scarier the more you watch. The monkey, at first, loses its grip on the child (who's screaming) but then goes back and starts dragging them by the hand.

The monkey decides yanking the kid by the hair would make for a better escape and tries that -- and it even gets pretty damn far with the child too ... before some reasonable adults FINALLY step in and scare it off. You can hear it shrieking in the distance as it runs off.

Now, for a little context ... the guy who shot this video spoke to a local media outlet, and said owning monkeys is actually illegal out there -- but people still do keep 'em as pets and use them for entertainment 'cause the consequences are so minimal.

If anything, hopefully, this serves as a wake-up call to Indonesian officials -- these hominids don't just play nice and play accordions ... they're literally capable of taking your children.

Monkey see ... monkey abduct!!!

Carole Baskin Responds to Prank Interview ... She's Actually a Good Sport

UPDATE

8:41 AM PT -- 5/4 -- Carole Baskin has responded to the fake interview she was duped into giving by a couple of YouTubers -- and she's actually taking the whole thing in stride with a good attitude.

UPDATE

She tells TMZ ... "I was suspicious as we were doing it because the questions appeared taped. But had no idea it would turn out to be such a fun prank." Carole goes on to say, "It gave us a very welcome good laugh. I appreciate their cleverness and that they created their video in a way that I don't feel was in any way mean spirited."

UPDATE

If anything, this sounds like she's totally cool with chatting ... just so long as ya don't bring up her disappeared husband, Don. That's the apparent rule. Duly noted, CB.

Carole Baskin has been impossible to get a hold of for an interview in the wake of 'Tiger King' -- but two clever Brits got her to open her yap ... under incredibly false pretenses.

The two dudes are Archie Manners and Josh Pieters, who are two YouTube pranksters who go around tricking celebs into giving phony interviews with what the duped believe to be late-night talk show hosts. They've had a lot of success ... now, they wanted Carole.

Check out their in-depth video of how they pulled it off -- it's pretty freakin' elaborate (and hilarious). Long story very short ... they posed as producers for "The Late Show with Jimmy Fallon" and reached out to Carole via email for a possible Skype/Zoom interview.

At first, she shot them down ... citing the blanket policy Carole and her current hubby, Howard, have been giving just about everyone these days -- no interview, no dice. They also regurgitated the line that they believe Netflix falsely suggested and/or implied she had something to do with her first husband, Don's disappearance and presumed death.

The dudes kept at it though, insisting they would NOT talk about anything 'Tiger King'-related with Jimmy, and promised to keep the topic strictly on cats and her sanctuary.

You gotta watch the rest, 'cause the lady bought it and agreed to do it under those terms. As for how they got JF's voice on there, that's a thing of beauty too -- they pulled old audio clips of him interviewing other celebs and tossed 'em to her live during the interview.

It's literally the oldest trick in the book -- and kinda reminiscent of that famous "True Lies" scene -- but the greatest part ... CAROLE BASKIN FELL FOR IT!!! Hook, line and sinker.

Check out what she had to say about how she and Howard are dealing in quarantine, and how they're handling all her big cats. Oh yeah, they also got her to put on her flower crown.

Bow down to these viral geniuses ... we are not worthy!!!

Originally Published -- 5/3 2:41 PM PT

DJ Khaled Shuts Down Twerker on IG Live All Love, But I Got a Fam!!!

DJ Khaled is NOT a single man -- which he had to remind one lovely lady who tried ambushing him with a live twerking session on Instagram ... which he quickly shut down.

The guy went live on Instagram over the weekend, and like several of his contemporaries have been doing lately -- especially Tory Lanez -- DJK invited some folks in the comments to hop on and join his sesh for a one-on-one chat. Things quickly turned risque, though.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

After accepting one woman's request to chat, he almost immediately regretted it ... 'cause the chick was half-naked and VERY prepared to twerk for Khaled on camera. You gotta feel for the guy, 'cause he was desperately trying to tell her to chill, that he's got a family, that he loves his fans ... but to please STOP 'cause she was clearly embarrassing him.

That didn't deter the determined dancer -- she kept at it, and even started pouring water on herself. Khaled had had enough ... he ended the chat. He wrote of the interaction, "I have love for everyone please take it easy when I’m on fan luv ig luv. Again I have love for everyone please lets be respectful nothing but love BLESS UP!"

He must've thought it was pretty funny to post individually, 'cause that's exactly what he did. Hopefully, the wife finds it just as amusing -- good luck, big dog!

Tom Hardy Latest Makeup Still Proves He Ain't No Capone

Tom Hardy is trying his best to look like the late Chicago kingpin, Al Capone -- but it's becoming clearer with every new shot and still photo that comes out ... they're not a match.

You might've heard about the new movie Tom's starring in called 'Capone,' in which he plays the titular character ... mostly portraying him in his twilight years when he was in failing health and supposedly losing his mind before he kicked the bucket. It's supposed to come out this year -- promotional material's been released and all. Looks decent enough.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

The only problem ... Tom doesn't look much like Scarface himself, despite how much makeup they put on him, and how much hair they make him lose up top. The latest example of that is this test shot that was released -- showing Tom as really, really old AC.

He's made to appear like an elderly man -- and whether Capone might've looked anything like this in his final days or not (there aren't too many photos of him in the 1940s, when he died at age 48) ... it still feels a little hokey, assuming Tom appears like this in the film.

The pic also seems to further prove TH simply doesn't bear much of a resemblance to Capone at all -- which was made clear in the newest trailer for the flick. Some have pointed out that Hardy's Capone comes off as more of a monster movie character than a mobster. The face isn't round enough, the balding isn't quite right ... it's just not a great fit.

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That's not to say Tom doesn't do a kick-ass job playing him -- which we're sure he does. And hey, not every biopic gets it down to a tee with the look ... it's usually more about the spirit of the person an actor is tasked with capturing, and Tom may very well do that here.

In any case ... here's hoping Tom makes Neville Brand, Rod Steiger, Paul Muni, Jason Robards, Stephen Graham, Robert De Niro and all the other guys who took a stab at it proud.

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