"It's not the easiest place to play but it gets you right."
That's Rob Gronkowskibeing brutally honest about his 9 years with the New England Patriots -- admitting it was tough, but worth it.
"I'm very thankful for the 9 years I had with the New England Patriots," Gronk said during a call with reporters on Wednesday ... "I've learned so much under that organization."
Gronk shouted out both Bill Belichick and owner Robert Kraft -- saying he will ALWAYS have respect for those guys for drafting him and growing him into the NFL champion he is today.
But he was honest about the experience in New England -- saying, "I'm not going to sit here and say its an easy organization to play for."
"I've also never played for another organization. I haven't even been down to Tampa yet."
"I know that the NE Patriots, hands down, it is not the easiest place to play but it gets you right. It gets you mentally right, it gets you physically right ... but I'm definitely going to take what I've learned ... and apply it to my daily life, big time."
Gronk didn't get into details about why it was a tough place to play but it seems obvious -- it was an all work, no play kind of a job.
During Wednesday's call, Gronk also explained how influential Tom Brady has been in his decision to come back to the NFL.
"Tom is like the appetizer of the whole meal. He got me hooked when he went down to Tampa."
"Playing with Tom is special," Gronk said ... "We have a great chemistry out there and every time we get together, its just like the old days. It doesnt matter if we take a month off or 6 months apart, we just go out there and we're throwing the ball just like its a normal practice."
After Tom selected Tampa Bay, Gronk says he started looking into the Bucs roster and was impressed with what he saw.
"I saw what was down there. Just the opportunity to go down there and play with that type of offense. I mean they got some special wide receivers out there, they got other great tight end and let me tell you, I love working with tight ends too so I'm definitely looking forward to that, working with [OJ Howard and Cameron Brate]. That's definitely going to be a special opportunity. Just blessed to be in this situation."
Gronk says his decision to retire from football in 2019 was motivated by real injury concerns -- saying his body felt beat up and he needed a break.
"I was in a very painful situation. Even my very last game, I couldn't for four weeks. I couldn't walk that well after the last Super Bowl game we won from my quad contusion."
Rob continued ... "That's what I did the last year. I took care of myself. I let my body heal, I let my body rest, I let my body get the treatments that it needed. I feel like I broke up all the scar tissue that's in my body. Got rid the inflammation in my body that was holding me back my last year, I feel like. It feels good."
Gronk also admits, "I had no fire last year" -- but as time rolled by, "my body started feeling good."
As far as his role on the team goes, Gronk says he's down for ANYTHING -- "If they need me to block, I'll block. Want me to split out, I'll split out. No matter the plays 60%, 100%, I'm down for whatever. Whatever helps the team."
Keisha Lance Bottoms says she's "dumbfounded" by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp's decision to reopen the state's economy despite red flags everywhere ... so she's using her voice to try to keep people safe during the pandemic instead.
The Mayor of Atlanta tells us she understands people are going stir-crazy and want to get out, but she believes everyone still needs to be responsible and stay home for now ... otherwise coronavirus problems are only going to get worse.
Bottoms points out the businesses set to reopen this week -- hair & nail salons, barbershops, massage parlors -- practically make it impossible to social distance and pose a huge problem in ATL's black community ... which has already been hit hard by COVID-19.
So, the mayor's encouraging Georgians to listen to reason coming from health experts and hospital workers bearing the brunt of the crisis ... instead of what Gov. Kemp and President Trump are pushing. We know some celeb hair & makeup stylists in Atlanta have her back.
Bottoms knows it's a challenge, though, because she's dealing with it in her own house -- especially with her 18-year-old son. Listen to what Bottoms tells us about how that's playing out ... it's clear who's boss!
BTW ... remember this clip, because the Mayor's gonna be a national star. Just our opinion.
Dennis Rodman tells TMZ Sports he is praying for his friend Kim Jong-Un to make a full recovery after reports say the North Korean leader is on his deathbed.
Of course, Rodman and Jong-Un go back years -- he famously kicked with KJU in 2013 and brought a bunch of NBA stars for an exhibition game in 2014.
Dennis has been fond of Jong-Un ever since -- and now with reports of the 36-year-old being in "grave danger" following a cardiovascular procedure, Rodman is concerned.
"I hope it's just a rumor that Marshal Kim Jong-Un is sick," Rodman says ... "Hopefully I will find out more soon."
"There is still so much work we have to do between both the USA and DPRK. If he is not feeling well, I am praying for his speedy recovery, so that both my friends [President Trump & Marshal Kim] can continue towards a peaceful success."
A co-creator of 'The Walking Dead' claims folks at a video game company are stiffing him on a deal -- and now, he wants a judge to pry the money out of their lifeless corpses.
Famed comic book writer Robert Kirkman's company, RK LLC, just filed suit against Disruptor Beam Inc., which he says developed and released 'Walking Dead: March to War' in 2017 ... after he struck a 2014 deal with the company.
RK says he's owed upwards of $690,000 off that deal, but alleges Disruptor stopped making payments.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Kirkman's company says the OG terms they came to with DBI were annual payments of $500k, which would run for four years after the release of the game. It came out in August 2017.
Kirkman and co. claim the video game company made payments -- sometimes late, but they came -- until this month, when the company allegedly told him it was stopping payments "until further notice."
Kirkman claims this left a $190k balance for the rest of this year plus another $500K for next year.
Kirkman's company now wants a judge to step in and force 'em to pay up at least $690K in damages.
Unclear why the video game company allegedly put their payments on hold, but something tells us the coronavirus might have something to do with it. Zombie Apocalypse ... now!
Post Malone is paying tribute to Kurt Cobain's iconic band with a special concert from home, featuring Nirvana songs ... and it's all for coronavirus relief charities.
The singer put up a somewhat cryptic video Wednesday, showing himself sitting on a stool onstage, with an acoustic guitar in hand ... while an unseen crowd cheers in the background. It's very reminiscent of Kurt's famous ''MTV: Unplugged'' show from back in the '90s.
After the footage plays, a title card reading "Post Malone Nirvana Tribute Livestream" flashes on the screen teasing a Friday YouTube special.
Our sources say Post wanted to honor the Nirvana frontman this month, which marks the 26th anniversary of his death. In the same breath, he also wants to help out in the COVID-19 fight.
Post will have a donate button on his YouTube page on the day of the at-home special -- which we're told will be shot at his living room bar -- and the cash will go toward the United Nations Foundation’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization -- a newly-created org that uses funds to help train and equip communities to detect and fend off the virus on the ground. YouTube's matching all of PM's donations.
It sounds like the music will be strictly Nirvana, although it's possible he might sprinkle a few other songs in there too.
FYI ... he's got a tattoo on his face that reads "Stay Away," after the Nirvana song of the same name. So yeah, better than average chance you'll hear that one come Friday.
Leslie Jordan is fast becoming a social media darling, but it's what he's NOT doing with his sudden IG fame that sets him apart ... especially in Hollywood.
The viral sensation joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and we asked Leslie how he's been able to skyrocket from about 80,000 Insta followers to a whopping 3.5 million in only a matter of weeks.
Leslie says the recipe for success is pretty simple ... he's not looking to monetize his videos, he's just being himself -- a silly, funny, goofy, happy-go-lucky senior citizen. You can tell he's genuine, just listen to him talk about learning new IG terminology.
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If you aren't among the millions of folks to recently discover Leslie's page in quarantine, you're missing out on his hilarious videos ... like his back scratch workout, which he breaks down for us in his own special way.
Prior to sheltering in place, Leslie was best known for his work on "Will and Grace" and "American Horror Story" ... but he tells us why he's not watching scripted shows or movies while he's in quarantine.
Besides, who needs scripted content when you've got hundreds of Leslie videos for free!!!
Pepa doesn't want to talk about sex right now ... she's furious at Uber and a bunch of drivers who she claims wrecked her earnings potential.
Sandra Denton -- aka Pepa from Salt-N-Pepa -- is suing the ride-share service along with one of its drivers and the drivers of 3 other vehicles, claiming a 2018 chain-reaction car crash left her with injuries, pain, and loss of wages.
In docs, obtained by TMZ, Pepa claims the crash on L.A.'s 101 freeway was triggered after the Uber driver and other drivers "operated their vehicle negligently and carelessly."
Pep's suing for damages including loss of wages. Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the rapper was in an Uber that was involved in an accident. Cops say another Uber driver was following too closely behind, couldn't stop in time ... and hit another ride, causing a chain reaction.
We're told Pepa complained of neck and knee pain, for which she later needed medical attention. As a result of the accident, sources say the Grammy winner still suffers intense pain that interferes with her performances and travel, often making herself sick during and after stage performances.
Cutting ties with Carole Baskin didn't necessarily work out for her ex-husband or Joe Exotic -- but a Baskin-Robbins shop is cashing in by doing exactly that.
Peggy Heldstab, owner of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop in Junction City, Kansas, tells TMZ ... it was her son's idea to slap the "No Relation to Carole Baskin" sign on her store's marquee sign. She says her son and his wife saw the popular Netflix documentary 'Tiger King' and are huge fans ... hence the suggestion for the sign.
She says her son swore the sign would be especially appreciated right now with the popularity of the doc ... coupled with the thousands of memes, songs and dances that have sprung up, with most of them taking shots at Carole Baskin.
But get this ... Peggy says she had never heard of 'Tiger King,' but took her son's word for it because he insisted the sign would cheer people up. He wasn't lying. The sign's exploded all over social media, and that's translated extremely well for the cash register.
We're told Peggy put up the sign Sunday and that very same day sales doubled compared to the day before. What's more ... the shop drew tons of attention from fans driving by waving and honking in approval of the sign. Her son was right, and business (carry-out/DoorDash only) has been great ever since.
As most small business owners can relate, Peggy says she was worried about her business with stay-at-home orders, and business doesn't get any easier when it's trying to make up for any stalled business during the cold months. And, that's why the Carole Baskin sign couldn't have come at a better time.
As for corporate reaching out to her shop to give her its 2 cents ... Peggy says not a peep. She says she's able to make sign decisions independently. And, in case you're wondering ... Peggy says she's now a few episodes into 'Tiger King.'
Peggy says if Carole Baskin walked into her shop, she'd serve her ice cream. Maybe Peggy hasn't gotten to the end of 'Tiger King' yet. Give her time.
Several Washington Redskins players were spotted at the team facility in Virginia on Wednesday ... and while it's not the best social distancing look, the team insists they did nothing wrong.
Star running back Derrius Guice-- along with other players and team staffers -- were putting in some work at the Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park ... with Guice noting, "Grind never stops."
So, with the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing -- and the NFL taking drastic quarantine measures for the NFL Draft on Thursday -- we hit up the team to find out what was going on!
"All players at the facility today were rehabbing injuries and fall under allowed exception to be in the building," a team spokesperson tells TMZ Sports."
"We were not conducting organized workouts as part of our program."
A team source put it this way ... the pics are not a great look, but the guys understand the seriousness of the situation and were truly trying their best to keep their distance.
Sometimes, they would step too close -- and other staffers would instruct them to separate.
Virginia has been affected by COVID-19 -- with roughly 10,000 confirmed cases and 324 confirmed deaths.
Katy Perry and George Clooney's wax figures in Germany are a cookie-cutter display of life in quarantine -- or at least, an outdated, kinda sexist life.
Check out the figures that came straight from Madame Tussauds' Wax Museum in Berlin, and you'll see what we're talking about. KP and GC have been placed in a picturesque home, where Katy's wax job is cooking at a grill. Georgie boy is kicking back and enjoying the view from a comfy balcony chair.
In a close-up of George, you can see he's got a laptop out and a cup of Joe next to him. Looks like a cushy set-up -- the man chills while the woman handles domestic duties. Ummm, the 1950s postcard in your grandpa's basement called ... and wants its stereotypes back.
The antiquated gender role tropes don't end there -- another shot of wax Katy shows her in the kitchen this time wearing an apron ... only now, she's baking cookies and striking that weird pose at the same time. Those don't change, unfortunately ... just location.
We're guessing Madame Tussaud wouldn't try these poses at their museums in London, or certainly here in the L.A. branch.
Germany certainly marches to its own beat. Guten tag from the last century, y'all 👋🏽.
Chad Johnson's ready to unleash his Johnson ... he says he's going into porn.
The 'Bachelorette' bad boy tells TMZ ... he's moving to Sin City soon to buy a house and build his own porn studio. As for who he's partnering up to do all this with ... the ex-GF he claimed last month tried ruining his life, Annalise Mishler.
Chad tells us he's moving to Vegas in a month or so as soon as he finds a huge house there. He says it's way easier and more affordable to fly people into Vegas where he'll have lots of bedrooms and a studio room for others looking to get into OnlyFans-style content.
Chad, as we told you last month, pimped his OnlyFans account when we wanted to get a straight answer whether he's back with Annalise or not after all their drama.
But, it didn't end there. Cops made a welfare check at Chad's pad after he posted a disturbing picture hinting at suicide.
Cops determined during that visit he wasn't a danger to himself, but less than 24 hours later he was hospitalized and taken in for evaluation after posting some disturbing videos that included him telling someone, "I have no choice."
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is itching to reopen the state's economy, but many of the people who service celebs there aren't feeling it, and think it's an irresponsible move.
TMZ spoke with several hairstylists and makeup artists to the stars in Atlanta, and the general consensus is ... Gov. Kemp's making a mistake opening businesses Friday, and they side with ATL Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who believes Kemp's decision is a danger to public health.
Beauty influencer Alonzo Arnold, whose clients include Solange and Missy Elliott, tells us ... he doesn't believe reopening GA's economy is safe at all, and he won't be returning to work for at least another month.
He says the Atlanta salon where he works is planning to open its doors Friday, but he won't be there. Alonzo says it's just not worth the risk.
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As you know, many businesses ... including hair and nail salons, gyms, tattoo parlors and bowling alleys have the green light to open. That's despite the fact they require close contact with or between customers.
Makeup artist Lauren Sinclair -- who's worked with Lil' Kim and Porsha Williams -- calls what the Governor is doing, "completely irresponsible." She says it's still nearly impossible to find disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer in ATL right now, which makes her feel like this is totally unsafe. She's not working Friday, and says she won't consider returning for a couple more weeks.
One of Tiny Harris' hairstylists, B'Lyel Harris, tells us he's completely cut himself off from meeting clients since March 13. He admits he's nearly broke, but says he has a complication -- an autoimmune disease. So, B'Lyel truly fears he could die going back to work.
Makeup artist Akil McCoy, who's done work for City Girls and B. Simone, says he personally knows people who've tested positive for COVID-19 but are still out and about. That's why he fears opening businesses back up could lead to a spike in cases.
He says he's passed on booking celebrity work because it would violate social distancing, but he needs to start making appointments soon. McCoy says he's trying to figure out a way to do it safely amid the coronavirus ... something other stylists are struggling with too.
Italy's lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic has kept the gondolas and the tourists out of the Venice waterways ... and wildlife is taking advantage of it.
This jellyfish was seen casually swimming through the now crystal clear canals, seemingly without a care in the world. Look at it, totally oblivious to the COVID-19 crisis responsible for it getting some R&R in Venice.
😳 😳 😳 #venice An unexpected side effect of the pandemic: 💧Water's flowing through the canals of Venice is clear for the first time in forever. 🐟 🦢 The fish are visible, the swans returned pic.twitter.com/crWf4kdZ1M
The clear and boat-free canal water, due to the country's lockdown, has brought out more than jellyfish too -- fish are visible again and swans have been able to chill out.
However, the clearer water doesn't necessarily mean it's much cleaner. A Venice official says less action on the canals simply allows gross stuff to stay at the bottom, adding ... "It's because there is less boat traffic that usually brings sediment to the top of the water's surface."
The federal government admits it's sent stimulus payments to more than 80 million people so far, but some of 'em will never get the dough ... 'cause they're dead.
As the IRS rushes to distribute cash to roughly 150 million Americans, the first wave of deposits went directly into bank accounts of folks who filed a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and got a refund.
Pretty streamlined process, in theory, but the problem is ... some of those people have died since then -- and the government didn't know -- so they still got the money.
Reports of the dead getting paid started coming out last weekend, mostly from surviving spouses or those with bank accounts still open to settle the estates of family members who have passed.
Though these people may have reported the deaths, and the IRS is supposed to check death records before approving payments ... there are apparently gaps in the process and delays in reporting to the Treasury Dept.
As for whether these dead folks can keep the money -- there's some mixed messaging. President Trump said Friday, "Sometimes you send a check to somebody wrong ... We’ll get that back."
Some legal experts think otherwise, though, and an IRS spokesperson added ... "We are aware of all the various issues involving surviving spouses and other heirs and are still working on them."
Meanwhile ... thousands, if not millions, of people who truly need the money -- from disabled veterans to Social Security retirees to families living below the poverty line -- are still waiting to be paid.
The Treasury is reportedly working with other agencies to dish out more automatic payments and get checks in the mail, but obviously ... it ain't easy.
A dirt track in South Dakota says it'll put a race on in front of 700 (!!!) fans this weekend, despite the COVID-19 pandemic ... and the state's governor ain't pleased with the plan.
Here's the deal ... Park Jefferson International Speedway in North Sioux City, SD says it's playing host to a big race on Saturday despite the risks of spreading coronavirus.
The track's owner, Adam Adamson, says they'll take all precautions necessary to keep people safe at the event ... claiming by only allowing 700 people in the 4,000-seat venue, proper social distancing guidelines will be followed.
Adamson also tells the Argus Leader the event will be entirely cashless ... and the clubhouse where large groups of people usually congregate will be closed.
The problem? Even with precautions taken ... 700 people in a small area is a BAD idea at this stage in the global pandemic -- and now, the state's governor is issuing a plea for people to stay away.
Gov. Kristi Noem said in her press conference Tuesday, "I'm going to strongly recommend to the people of South Dakota that they not go and that they stay home."
She added, "We're asking that they be wise and smart to continue on the path and plan we’ve laid out for South Dakota for several more weeks."
Of course, Noem has been widely panned for NOT issuing a mandatory stay-at-home order for the state ... this despite South Dakota having over 1,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
As for Adamson, he claims spectators will be fine at the event ... adding, "We intend to go overboard on following CDC guidelines."
"We're just a small race track in rural South Dakota trying to give some entertainment and a little bit of a break from some of this madness that’s going on right now. We think we can do so in a safe environment."
REFORM is partnering with Madge's Ray of Light Foundation to send 100,000 surgical masks to jails and prisons across the country ... especially some hit hard by the coronavirus.
The massive donation includes 50,000 masks for the Cook County Jail and the Illinois Department of Corrections ... where more than 600 prisoners, staffers and deputies have been infected. At last count, 7 people have died.
Another 20,000 masks are going to the Louisiana Department of Corrections, while the remaining 30,000 masks will be distributed between Vacaville Prison in California, FCI Ray Brook in New York and Suffolk Co. Sheriff’s Dept. in Massachusetts.
76ers partner and REFORM Alliance co-chair Rubin tells us ... "It's absolutely crucial that we protect our inmates and prison staff, especially since social distancing guidelines are difficult to abide by in these facilities."
Jessica Alba's husband, Cash Warren, is also part of the effort -- through his company, Pair of Thieves -- to distribute the PPE at a time when the pandemic seems to be intensifying at several correctional facilities. Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Virginia experienced their first COVID-19 deaths in prisons or jails within the past week.
This is the second big donation from REFORM -- last month, the Alliance sent 100,000 surgical masks to Rikers Island, the Tennessee Department of Corrections and the Mississippi State Penitentiary.