Banksy isn't so elusive in the time of coronavirus -- the guy's out and about in the open, tagging up public trains in London and his message is clear ... wear a damn mask!
The mysterious graffiti artist -- who's known for some of the most elaborate paint jobs and publicity stunts around -- pulled an awesome prank across the pond while riding London's Underground.
Check it out ... Banksy documented his latest work in an awesome vid, showing him infiltrating a busy train and getting to work beautifully tagging it.
You can't really see his face all that well -- he has a face mask and full PPE on to conceal his identity -- but it's wild that Banksy surfaced so overtly here.
He fooled the riders into thinking he was there to do business, and nobody gave him a hard time when he whipped out his paint can. Banksy proceeded to paint his signature sewer rats, only this time with a heavy COVID theme.
Some of them were wearing masks, some were sneezing snot across the windows -- and of course, Banksy added some pop culture commentary by invoking a Chumbawamba hit that you haven't heard in years.
Kanye West has a snowball's chance in hell to win the presidency, because his first poll numbers suck ... but he could definitely play spoiler -- question is, for whom?
Redfield & Wilton Strategies -- a consulting firm that does polling and market research -- released results from a poll it did last week ... and when Ye's included as one of the candidates, he only clocked in at 2%. That's out of 2,000 people polled.
Granted, the other third-party candidates from the Libertarian and Green Parties aren't polling much higher than he was either -- both also hit the 2% and 1% each, respectively.
Now, here's the really interesting thing -- while you'd think the rapper and producer getting in the race might hurt Joe Biden (that's how Chance the Rapper and others see it) ... it didn't. In fact, it actually hurt Trump!
According to R&WS, the sitting Prez got dinged, going from 40% to 39% when Kanye is factored into the race. Biden stays firmly in the lead in either scenario, sitting pretty at 48%.
The prevailing thought is Kanye would splinter the Democratic vote -- especially young and black voters -- and possibly sabotage Biden in the process.
Still, let's all chill when it comes to polls ... especially this early in the campaign. Just ask Hillary Clinton about those 2016 numbers.
Some of Joe Exotic's most prized possessions, like his crown and penis pump, are now in Zak Bagans' hands... and the 'Tiger King' memorabilia is heading to a haunted museum.
Zak was at the original 'Tiger King' zoo, now owned by Jeff Lowe, over the weekend to film an episode of his show, "Ghost Adventures," and he left with a treasure trove of Joe's old things -- a gift from Jeff.
Some of the items in Zak's hilarious -- and possibly haunted -- haul include Joe's infamous jeweled crown, pill bottles, flashy clothing, wedding trinkets, penis pump and Travis Maldonado's glass pipe.
Zak's also heading back to Sin City with the park's original 'Exotic Animal Park' signage, complete with some super cool tiger imagery, and a section of an art mural wall featuring a bullet hole from Travis' suicide.
The memorabilia is the centerpiece of an upcoming 'Tiger King' exhibit at Zak's Haunted Museum in Las Vegas ... and an October "Ghost Adventures" episode will feature ZB's eventful trip to Joe's stomping grounds, which included cadaver dogs searching for human remains.
In the meantime, click through the gallery to see what Joe left behind for Zak.
NY Yankees outfielderClint Frazier says he's not the only MLB player considering wearing a mask when the '20 season starts -- telling TMZ Sports he knows a few guys are trying them out during practice.
25-year-old Frazier just rocked a COVID mask during a Yankees inter-squad game last week ... wearing it in the field and during his at-bats.
Frazier says the mask didn't really bother him -- "I feel comfortable" -- and at this point, it seems like he'll continue to wear it into the 2020 season, which is set to begin later this month.
And, with COVID numbers exploding in certain cities, we wondered if other players would be following Clint's lead.
"I know that some guys are wearing it more in practice on the field," Clint told us ... "It's just a comfortability thing."
"Obviously, I speak for myself. But, hopefully, guys just continue to be safe and do whatever they feel is best possible for them and for us and for everyone else around."
So far, 3 Yankees players have already tested positive for COVID -- Aroldis Chapman, Luis Cessa and D.J. LeMahieu.
Clint tells us he's already spoken with LeMahieu -- and the infielder is champing at the bit to get back with the team.
"I spoke to D.J., I know he's frustrated," Frazier says.
"I know that he wants to get back. He's probably walking around with his batting gloves on right now. He's definitely missed in the clubhouse. Whenever he comes back, I'm sure he's gonna be ready to bat .300 immediately."
We also asked Clint if he feels the 2020 World Series will be tarnished due to the shortened season ... and Frazier shot that notion down hard,
"I don't think anyone's going to deny a World Series championship if we get it," the NYY outfielder says. "I don't think anyone won't come to the parade if we win it."
Of course, a lot of people disagree ... with the season only scheduled to go 60 games -- and with several stars already opting out of the 2020 iteration of the MLB season, some believe this year's champ WILL come with a caveat.
But, when we got Frazier out in NYC this week ... he told us he believes a ring's a ring regardless of a shortened season.
"They all count the same, I think," Frazier said. "It's obviously a unique situation right now and somebody has to win the World Series."
"So, I think whoever gets it, it's going to be just as special to everyone that's involved."
5:22 PM PT -- We've learned police have listed Megan as a "victim" in the incident. She was taken to a hospital immediately after Tory was arrested, and treated for the wounds to her foot.
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Law enforcement sources also tell us 4 shell casings were recovered from the scene outside the home.
Tory Lanez got busted after an alleged argument outside a house party led to cops finding a gun in his car, and Megan Thee Stallion was there too ... this according to law enforcement.
We've learned police got a call of a disturbance outside a Hollywood Hills residence around 4:30 AM Sunday. When officers arrived, we're told witnesses reported people were arguing in an SUV before someone fired shots in the air ... and the vehicle took off.
Our law enforcement sources say cops got a description of the SUV and located it shortly afterward, and found the rappers inside along with another woman.
We're told Meg had a cut on her foot believed to be from broken glass on the floor of the vehicle, and when cops searched it ... they found a gun.
Our sources say Lanez was taken to jail and booked for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle ... a felony.
It's interesting ... earlier on Saturday night, Megan and Tory appeared together on her Instagram Live with Kylie Jenner -- at what appears to be a pool party at Kylie's Holmby Hills pad.
The reported gunshots were allegedly fired several miles away in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood.
We reached out to Tory and Megan ... no word back, so far.
Before this plaid pipsqueak was a Hollywood heartthrob starring in movies and television, he was just another cool kid with a popped collar growing up in Toronto, Canada.
This slicked-back hair sweetie got his acting start on family-friendly sitcoms like "Life With Derek" and "True Jackson, VP" ... but now, he doesn't shy away from the big screen. In one high school-set rom-com, he scored on-screens kisses with both Bella Thorne and Mae Whitman.
His most recent Amazon Prime sci-fi, created by Greg Daniels, has gained a lot of popularity as well.
7/13 -- Allentown PD just released surveillance video from the incident, which cops say was captured from across the street.
In the video, you see the moment cops and the man fall to the ground and the ensuing struggle, plus the cop putting his knee to the man's neck and eventually taking it off.
7/13 -- The Allentown Police Department announced there's an investigation into this incident being reviewed by the Lehigh County D.A.'s Office, and the department's also conducting an internal investigation over use of force. The D.A. has also assigned 2 county detectives to the investigation.
Allentown PD says part of the investigation will include reviewing the video posted on social media, witness statements and additional videos of the interaction.
Allentown PD says this all began when APD officers observed a male outside a hospital who was vomiting and staggering on the street. They say the erratic behavior resulted in cops and hospital staff interacting with the individual, who began to yell, scream and spit at officers and hospital staff.
Cops say, "as the officers attempted to restrain the individual, all parties fell to the ground." They say the individual continued to be noncompliant which required officers to restrain the individual. The man was escorted to a hospital for treatment and later released.
The D.A.'s office is expected to issue a statement when its review is complete later this week.
A Pennsylvania city is the latest to deal with the outrage over cops holding a man down with a knee to the neck ... and the incident was captured on video, quite by accident.
A man was driving on a street in Allentown Saturday afternoon when he saw cops trying to subdue a man. A few seconds into the video you see an officer in the same position that killed George Floyd and others.
The man recording the incident says what he's watching makes it clear ... black lives don't matter to these cops.
Famed Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump was among the outraged, saying, "Allentown Police held down this man's face to the pavement and then one of its officers placed their knee on his neck!! This happened yesterday and is exactly what led to #GeorgeFloyd's death. We need this officers name and bade# NOW #ICantBreathe."
The police dept. recently banned the use of chokeholds and other neck restraints, so at the very least this would seem to violate department policy.
Protests erupted in the area -- organized by Black Lives Matter -- once the video was posted on social media. The Mayor and Police Chief showed up to keep the peace.
It's unclear why police were trying to subdue the man. Police have not released any details, including the man's condition.
2:26 PM PT -- Sheriff Bill Ayub says they’re confident the body discovered in Lake Piru today is Naya Rivera, and there’s nothing to indicate any foul play took place or she died by suicide ... this was simply a tragic accidental drowning death.
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Ayub says Rivera was discovered in the northeast portion of the lake, near the surface of the water. Her body will be taken to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s office for an autopsy and positive identification.
The sheriff says investigators used FaceTime calls Naya had with family members to help focus their search, along with speaking to other people who rented boats the day she went missing and saw her on the water.
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Ayub says based on a conversation with Naya’s son, the 2 went for a swim, and she was able to boost him back on the boat ... but when he turned around she disappeared below the surface.
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The current was apparently very strong the day Naya went missing and Ayub says it may have contributed to her drowning. He says her boat was not anchored when she went for a swim with her son.
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Naya's family was taken to her in a boat after her body was discovered.
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1:40 PM PT -- The Ventura County Sheriff's Department is set to hold a press conference at 2 PM PT about the recovery of Naya's body. It's unclear if any friends or family will speak ... but TMZ will be live streaming.
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1:11 PM PT -- A powerful moment just occurred at Lake Piru, where Naya's body was found Monday morning -- fellow costars of hers from "Glee" stood shoulder to shoulder with members of Naya's family ... holding hands and looking out at the water.
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There's also this eerie fact -- Cory Monteith, who was a lead on the show in its heyday, died 7 years ago on the same day Naya's body was discovered ... July 13. He was killed in 2013 by a deadly cocktail of intoxicants, including heroin and alcohol.
Naya Rivera's body has been recovered from Lake Piru ... TMZ has learned.
Ventura County officials said Monday that a body had been found at the lake, and our law enforcement sources have confirmed it is, in fact, her. A press conference sharing the news publicly is forthcoming.
As we reported ... Naya and her 4-year-old son, Josey Hollis Dorsey, were swimming in Lake Piru when something terrible happened Wednesday. Josey got back in the boat and when authorities arrived for a check, he told them he and his mom were swimming and he didn't know what happened to her.
Naya made a name for herself as a child actress and model, who appeared in various national TV commercials. She landed the role of Hillary Winston on "The Royal Family" at just 4 years old. She received a nomination for a Young Artist Award.
Naya's big break came in 2009 when she landed the role of Santana Lopez on the FOX hit series, "Glee." She was a talented singer ... signing with Columbia Records in 2011. That same year ... she was part of the "Glee" ensemble nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Don't Stop Believin'."
In 2013, she released a single, "Sorry," featuring Big Sean, whom she dated and was briefly engaged to in 2013, before ending the relationship in 2014.
Naya later dated Josey's father, actor Ryan Dorsey, marrying him in Cabo San Lucas in July 2014. They divorced in 2018 and had been sharing custody of Josey.
She was also no stranger to the big screen ... making her debut in 2014 in the horror film "At the Devil's Door." She also appeared on Lifetime's "Devious Maids."
Last time we saw her was in October 2018 at LAX, ... where we talked to her about doing her own lobbying for a part in Steven Spielberg's flick, "West Side Story."
Bryshere Gray -- famous for playing Hakeem Lyon on "Empire" -- has been busted in Arizona for domestic violence.
We've learned Bryshere was arrested early Monday morning in Goodyear, just outside Phoenix, after a standoff with a SWAT team and crisis negotiators, and he allegedly beat the hell outta his wife ... according to cops.
Goodyear PD says officers responded to a call to assist a woman at 10:15 PM Sunday night at a Circle K. Police and say the woman flagged down a good Samaritan for help and claimed her husband, Bryshere, assaulted her for several hours at their home.
Police say Bryshere's wife had numerous visible injuries on her body, and cops say she claimed Bryshere strangled her and she temporarily lost consciousness during the alleged assault.
While Bryshere's wife was being taken to a nearby hospital, cops say they went to the couple's home to try to contact the actor, but police say he refused to leave the home and barricaded himself inside.
After a SWAT team and crisis negotiators arrived, cops say the standoff finally ended around 7 AM when Bryshere surrendered to officers in front of his home.
Bryshere was taken into custody and booked into the Maricopa County Jail on 3 charges -- felony aggravated assault (strangulation), misdemeanor assault (domestic violence), and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Bryshere's wife was treated for her injuries and released from the hospital, according to police.
We reached out to Bryshere's camp ... so far, no word back.
The 2 men and 2 teens who allegedly killed Pop Smoke have been slapped with murder charges, and while the death penalty is in play ... prosecutors haven't decided yet to seek it.
The L.A. County District Attorney's Office announced criminal charges against 19-year-old Corey Walker and 18-year-old Keandre Rodgers, who were each charged with murder with special circumstance allegations that the killing went down during the commission of a robbery and burglary.
With the special circumstances, the death penalty is on the table. The D.A.'s Office adds that gang and gun allegations were made in their complaint as well.
On top of those two, a separate pair of teenagers -- the youngest being 15 and the oldest 17 -- were also charged with one count of murder and robbery in juvenile court. Their names weren't released, as they're still minors.
We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was shot and killed back in February by 4 masked gunmen after what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at his home Hollywood Hills home.
Even though the D.A.'s Office says they haven't decided on whether to pursue capital punishment yet, both adult men face still face life in prison if convicted.
Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez didn't just walk away after their first attempt to buy the NY Mets fell flat -- they came back with a squad of rich NFL and NBA players ... and now they're back in the game!
The power couple recruited a dream team of current and former NFL ballers to join their investment group to make a 2nd run at the MLB franchise ... with names like Travis Kelce, Brian Urlacher, Joe Thomas, and DeMarco Murray.
There are two NBA stars in the group as well -- Washington Wizards beast Bradley Beal and Denver Nuggets center Mason Plumlee.
Remember, J Lo and A-Rod had previously tried to buy the Mets for around $1.5 billion -- but it didn't exactly work out since the Wilpon family (which owns the team) was hoping to get around $2.5 billion.
Now, J-Rod's group is back with a larger bid -- $1.7 billion, according to ESPN ... and they're reportedly in the mix.
Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen is the front-runner to buy the team -- he's loaded and has already made a $2 billion bid, according to the NY Post.
But, there's still time for J-Rod's group to come back with a larger bid -- and ESPN says the Wilpons would prefer to sell to Lopez and Rodriguez if they can come closer to the top bid.
NFL Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher is stoked about the possibility of becoming an owner -- telling ESPN, "It's pretty cool."
"It's especially cool to be involved with Alex. Alex is the man. You've got Kelce, Joe Thomas, DeMarco Murray. It's great to be in a group with them."
Kelce -- K.C. Chiefs superstar tight end -- also weighed in ... saying it's a "crazy opportunity."
"I had a chance to meet Alex Rodriguez a couple years ago and just told him how much of a fan I was as a kid of him. I'm very thankful for the success that I've had in the NFL, to have an opportunity like this come across the table. I couldn't think of a more unique set of people to be in charge of this."
As we previously reported Alex and Jennifer seetremendous potential for the Mets -- with sources telling us he feels the organization has been "so mismanaged" over the years, there is nothing but upside if he can right the ship.
The big question ... can the dream team of investors ultimately compete with a single motivated billionaire?
CNN's Bakari Sellers says bias in the health care system forced his family to make a critical decision -- one he believes helped save his wife's life hours after she had their twins.
Bakari joined "TMZ Live" on Monday and talked about why they chose black doctors instead of white ones when he and his wife, Ellen, were expecting. It's a fascinating story from his new book 'My Vanishing Country.'
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The former South Carolina state legislator didn't mince words ... saying, "the pain that black folk go through is not looked at with the same urgency as white folk in this country." Case in point ... the day his twins, Stokely and Sadie, were born in January 2019. A mere 5 hours after Ellen gave birth, she passed out after hemorrhaging 7 units of blood.
Check out the video ... Bakari says it's a known fact black women are 3 times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.
In his book, he explains the thought that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was a physician -- who infamously wore blackface while in medical school -- gave him pause about the kind of bias that exists, even in medicine.
That being said, Bakari says he struggled to get a single nurse to pay attention to his cries for help -- and ultimately, Bakari and Ellen's personal doctor returned to provide the care she needed to save her life.
A passenger on an Alaska Airlines flight threatened to kill everyone onboard in the name of Jesus ... and the horrifying outburst was caught on camera.
The in-flight incident went down Saturday night on a flight from Seattle to Chicago, with an unruly passenger walking the aisle and screaming, "I'm going to kill everybody on this plane. Die in the name of Jesus!!!"
Fortunately, flight crew and 2 other passengers swiftly subdued the man after his outburst and no one was injured. It's unclear what led to the threat -- but you can see the fear on other passengers' faces as the man yelled.
The incident played out about 20 minutes into the flight, and the plane was forced to turn around for an emergency landing back at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Once back on the ground, Port of Seattle Police took the man into custody and he was booked into King County Jail for harassment.
The guy ruined a lot of people's travel plans ... the flight was canceled and everyone was booked on the next available trip to Chicago.
6:09 AM PT -- 7/13 John Travolta's opening up about the loss of his wife, saying ... "Kelly’s love and life will always be remembered."
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Travolta says ... "She fought a courageous fight with the love and support of so many. My family and I will forever be grateful to her doctors and nurses at MD Anderson Cancer Center, all the medical centers that have helped, as well as her many friends and loved ones who have been by her side."
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He adds that he'll be taking some time to be there for their children, but "please know that I will feel your outpouring of love in the weeks and months ahead as we heal."
Kelly Preston's quiet battle with breast cancer has ended -- the actress died Sunday ... according to a family rep.
The rep said John Travolta's wife of nearly 29 years was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago, but chose not to reveal that to the public. The rep told People, "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends."
Kelly is probably best known for her role in "Jerry Maguire" as Jerry's girlfriend, Avery Bishop, who he dumps -- but not before she gave him a few body shots.
She also starred opposite Kevin Costner in "For Love of the Game" and had roles in "The Cat in the Hat," "Battlefield Earth" and "What a Girl Wants."
Kelly and John met in 1987 on the set of the film, "The Experts" and eventually got married in 1991. Her last film was "Gotti" in 2018 ... when John played the mob boss and she played his wife, Victoria Gotti.
John and Kelly had 3 kids together ... Jett, Ella Blue and Benjamin. Jett, who had autism, died in 2009 after suffering a seizure.
The family rep added, "She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched."
The Houston Rockets guard says he's "feeling well" after his diagnosis ... but he's currently under quarantine and has yet to join his teammates in the NBA bubble down in Orlando.
Russ says he tested positive prior to the Rockets taking off for the NBA's restart ... but he adds he's hopeful to join his squadmates shortly.
"Thank you all for the well wishes and continued support," Westbrook said Monday.
Russ is the latest in a long line of NBA players who have tested positive ... everybody from Kevin Durantto Jabari Parker to Spencer Dinwiddie have contracted the virus since March.
The NBA is still pushing forward with its rebooted season nonetheless ... implementing dozens of safety protocols at the Walt Disney Resort in Florida.
The State of Florida continues to be hit hard by COVID -- reporting 15,300 new cases on Sunday, breaking state and U.S. records for single-day cases.
So far, the state has reported more than 269,000 cases since the pandemic began just a few months ago.
"Scooby-Doo" sleuth Velma is a lesbian -- at least according to writer/director James Gunn, who says she was definitely gay in his initial 2002 movie script.
Before the filmmaker rose to the ranks of director of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, he wrote the screenplays for the live-action "Scooby-Doo" and its 2004 sequel, 'Monsters Unleashed' ... and he says he intended for Velma to be "explicitly gay."
Gunn was replying to a fan on Twitter asking him to return to the franchise and make a live-action Velma gay ... he claims he already tried it.
According to Gunn ... the studio, which was Warner Bros., "just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel)."
Essentially ... Gunn's accusing Warner Bros. of putting the kibosh on a gay character riding shotgun in the Mystery Machine with Scoob & co.
Gunn replied to another fan, suggesting the 2002 film’s home video release hinted at what he was trying to do with Velma’s sexuality in the original script.
The Velma character in the movie was played by Linda Cardellini ... of "Dead to Me" and "Bloodline" fame, most recently.
