Playboy Mansion Pouring More Than Plaster ... So Far, $1 Mil in Renovations!!!

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The Playboy Mansion's massive facelift is already running 7-figures ... and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

TMZ's obtained a score of building permits from the City of L.A.'s Department of Building and Safety which show the extraordinary undertaking going down at the historic crib. For example, the staff area/garage alone is getting nearly $401,000 in renovations.

According to the permits, that's how much it'll cost to expand an "accessory living quarter" which is described as the guard/staff house that includes a basement. They're also adding a 4-car garage.

The revised basement will cost a cool $125k and that includes expanding the theater and golf simulator area, remodeling the kitchen, family and powder rooms.

Crews are adding "structural steel mesh" to the grotto pool and replacing the spa walls -- that'll cost $10k. For $20k, the infamous grotto pool is getting lights and skimmers to manage floating debris ... those will come in handy!!!

Over in the staff quarters, a whopping $70k will be needed to remodel the interior.

All in all, since billionaire Daren Metropoulos started filing permits for his new playground in July 2019 ... total construction cost has been $1.06 million.

As we reported, the Playboy Mansion is a shell of its former self since Daren started renovating the late Hugh Hefner's world-famous pad.

WWE Champ Drew McIntyre The Rock Believed In My Potential ... Before I Even Did!!!

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WWE's newest champ Drew McIntyre is giving a sincere shoutout to The Rock for believing in his potential before he ever dreamed of getting a belt ... and the video will hit you right in the feels.

Let's take you back to July 2019 when TMZ Sports posted a video of Dwayne Johnson being asked to name a wrestler who could be the next big thing.

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THE NEXT BIG THING

The Rock quickly shouted out McIntyre -- explaining, "I think he's got a great look, great build" and insane potential!

Well, the video made quite an impact on Drew -- who says it came out of the blue at a time where he was still trying to find his identity in the ring.

And, to hear someone like The Rock publicly talk about his talent gave him a huge boost to his confidence and his career.

Ya gotta watch the clip ... Drew is incredibly humble and grateful for the support -- and he'll never forget it.

In fact, now that he's become a champion himself, Drew says he will always remember to pay it forward and help other people in his life looking to get to the next level.

Kansas Supreme Court Justices Hear Arguments Via Zoom ... Uphold 10 or Less in Church

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6:32 AM PT -- 4/12 - Governor Kelly wins. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled the Legislature lacked the authority to override Kelly's resolution. The Court's decision was based solely on the language of the resolution. The Justices did NOT address the Legislature's claims Gov. Kelly had infringed on religious freedom.

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Bottom line: Easter services -- and all church services during the state's safer-at-home order -- must, legally, have 10 or fewer people.

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Kentucky had a similar ruling, upholding the Governor's plan to ban mass gatherings for church with one exception ... a drive-in Easter service being held in Louisville

The Kansas Supreme Court will decide today whether Kansans can flock to church for Easter, and they're deliberating on webcam ... just like the rest of us.

The surreal scene went down Saturday morning as all 6 state Justices hopped on a Zoom conference from their homes to hear oral arguments in a case that will have major ramifications in the state -- and perhaps in others too.

The case is between Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and the Kansas State Legislature -- the latter overturned Kelly's executive order banning religious gatherings of 10 or more people.

Gov. Kelly didn't take that sitting down -- she sued the state body and now the matter's being discussed by the highest court in the Sunflower State. Gov. Kelly wanted this figured out before Easter, and she'll get it too. A decision is expected later today.

It's just the latest installment in pastors vs. coronavirus. As you know, several church leaders -- including Tony Spell in Baton Rouge -- insist they can and will continue holding services that violate social distancing. Spell told us his parishioners would be happy to die from the virus if it means they can go to church.

Of course, all the other people they could infect outside his church don't get a say in the matter.

Anyway, point is ... a lot of eyes are on Gov. Kelly and the Kansas Supreme Court.

Originally published -- 12:27 PM PT

Celebunny Ears Hoppy Easter!

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Even though we're stuck at home, we still wanted the Easter bunny to make a special appearance!

Celebs are all about dressing for the occasion, and on a day like today, we thought we'd share some of their festive photos!

Stars such as Sarah Michelle Gellar, Robert Downey Jr., and Mariah Carey are all dressed up and ready to kick off some of the festivities!

Celebrate the day along with these celebs as you start hopping through our gallery of Easter celebunnies ... Get a look at all of the other famous faces ready to impress this holiday!

Happy Easter!

'MY 600-LB LIFE' James King's Death ... Not Related to COVID-19

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The death of James King, who starred on "My 600-lb Life" was NOT related to the coronavirus -- instead, the big guy's family says his heart gave out.

James got very sick back in early February, and his liver and kidneys were shutting down due to his weight ... one of his family members tells TMZ.

Remember, James actually gained weight following his debut on the reality show. He was 791 pounds starting out on the show, but by the end of 2018 his weight got up to a whopping 840 pounds.

We're told James, who lived in Paducah, KY, was initially transported to a local hospital on Feb. 10. Shortly after that, he had to be transferred to a Nashville hospital that was better equipped to treat a patient his size.

The family member says after the liver and kidney issues, though, James' heart gave out under the stress. He died April 3 in the Nashville hospital.

James also battled other health problems in the past, including cirrhosis of the liver and sepsis.

He leaves behind a large family. James is survived by his wife, Lisa Raisor King, 4 daughters, 2 sons and 19 grandkids.

He was 49.

Celebrity Scramble Guess Who!

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Hidden behind this festive Easter bunny is a famous singer with 10 Grammys in his basket.

This celeb got his start back in the day on "The Mickey Mouse Club" alongside other big name stars such as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling ... and years later went on to be a member of a very popular boy band.

This star later went on to launch a solo career and even went back to acting as he starred in several films including, "Friends with Benefits".

Hop around this pic and see if you can uncover who this Easter bunny might be!

Walt Disney World 43,000 Employees Getting Laid Off

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Walt Disney World employees are taking it on the chin, hard -- the theme park is about to furlough 43,000 workers as it remains closed due to the coronavirus.

Orlando's Magic Kingdom, which has been shut down since March 16, reached agreements with its workers' unions, and will make the layoffs effective April 19 ... according to Forbes. Most of the employees are security guards and other workers involved in operating the facilities.

The Mouse House says the laid-off workers will keep their health benefits up to one year -- and Disney has agreed to pay for coronavirus testing for any employees who need it.

Of course, it's still unclear when Disney will reopen gates at its parks around the world. The massive park will now be staffed by only 200 people with "essential duties."

Forbes says Disney World is the largest single-site employer in the country ... and the massive layoffs are expected to have a domino effect on the Central Florida economy ... where so many other industries depend on Disney being open to stay in business.

The "Most Magical Place on Earth" ... once upon a time.

Oilers Star Colby Cave Dead at 25 After Brain Bleed

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Edmonton Oilers star Colby Cave has died following a brain bleed he suffered earlier in the week -- this according to his loved ones.

The Cave family made the sad announcement Saturday, saying Colby had passed away in a hospital he'd been in for the past few days. The families -- speaking for both Colby and his wife, Emily, said ... "Both our families are in shock but know our Colby was loved dearly by us, his family and friends, the entire hockey community and many more. We thank everyone for their prayers during this difficult time."

Colby was airlifted to a hospital in Toronto Tuesday for emergency surgery to remove a colloid cyst that was putting pressure on his brain. After the surgery, he was placed in a medically induced coma -- and had been in an unresponsive state since.

It's been reported that Colby's family wasn't able to visit him in the hospital due to COVID-19 concerns. Upon hearing about his passing, the NHL community at large mourned Colby's death, including NHL honcho Gary Bettman.

The commish said, "The National Hockey League family mourns the heartbreaking passing of Colby Cave, whose life and hockey career, though too short, were inspiringly emblematic of the best of our game." He continued, "Undrafted but undaunted, Colby was relentless in the pursuit of his hockey dream with both the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins organizations. An earnest and hardworking player, he was admired by his teammates and coaches. More important, he was a warm and generous person who was well-liked by all those fortunate enough to know him."

His team also paid tribute, throwing up posts and clips of his first goal and other highlights. He came to the Oilers in 2018 and played for them for two seasons. He'd played for the Boston Bruins before that, as well as several other minor league hockey teams.

Colby's wife posted a very emotional remembrance of her husband, writing ... "My heart is shattered. The amount of physical, mental, and emotional pain I am in when I think about never seeing, touching, or holding you again is unbearable. You are and will always be my person, my hero, the greatest thing to happen to me. I never dreamed of being a widow before our first wedding anniversary."

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Emily added, "Although, every cell in my body is lost without you, I promise to continue to make you proud. You were the best friend, husband, doggy daddy, and oh how I wished to see you as a baby daddy. I’ll see you again soon, Colb."

Colby was 25. RIP

Dak Prescott & Zeke Elliot Dinner Party with Dozens of Pals ... What Quarantine?!?!

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3:34 PM PT -- Prosper PD tells TMZ Sports it responded to a report of a potential party at Dak's home. However, "the officer was unable to verify the report of a 'party'; therefore, he just reminded the resident of the current CDC guidelines -- to include social distancing."

Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott are partying like it's NOT 2020 in the middle of a pandemic -- hanging together for a celebration that appears to violate the Texas "safer-at-home" order.

The turn up went down Friday night at the Dallas Cowboys QB's crib in Prosper, TX, and his star running back was there as a guest. We're told it was a birthday party for one of Dak's friends, and at the height of the bash, there were about 30 guests.

At one point, Zeke was seen posting up near a buffet catered by Nick and Sam's Steakhouse in Dallas. Normally, ya couldn't knock him for that ... the grub looked delicious.

The issue is the TX Governor's orders call for social distancing at all times, and no more than 10 people in a gathering.

The numbers don't add up for Dak, who's already getting heat for repeatedly blowing off social distancing for recent workouts with ex-Cowboy Dez Bryant.

We're told there was a sit-down dinner later in the evening at Dak's place for just a select few, closer to the magic number of 10 -- although clearly not seated 6 feet apart.

We've reached out to Dak's reps, but no word back.

Originally published -- 12:38 PM PT

Ronda Rousey Doubles Down on WWE 'Fake Fights' After Lana, Alexa Respond

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3:05 PM PT -- 4/11 -- Ronda Rousey just went scorched Earth on anyone criticizing her for calling WWE's matches "fake fights" -- and it appears her most recent comments are aimed at a specific handful of her former co-workers.

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RR took to Instagram Saturday and wrote, "Anyone who is outraged by me calling pro wrestling 'fake fights for fun' has never been in a REAL fight." Dammmmnn ... tell us how you really feel.

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She goes on, "While you all are tiptoeing around bruising some pro wrestlers' huge soft egos -- no one is thinking about all the REAL fighters you're insulting when pretending pro wrestling is somehow on the same level of realism." Ronda finishes by saying, "Yes, I understand, wrestling 300 days a year for years on end is incredibly tough on the body and a difficult profession -- but do you know what would happen if you got in 300 REAL fights in a year? You would be dead."

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Ronda's fiery comeback here appears to be in direct response to WWE's Alexa Bliss and Lana, both of whom called out her "fake fights" remarks on Twitter. Alexa was a little more subtle, but Lana called out Ronda by name for saying what she said.

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Welp, nothing is more direct than what Ronda said back. Jeeeezzz ...

Ronda Rousey is slamming the door shut on a full-time return to WWE -- saying she refuses to dedicate her whole life for some "f*cking ungrateful" fans.

DAAAAAAAAMN RONDA!!!

Ronda hasn't been in the squared circle since WrestleMania 35 back in 2019 -- and many people were wondering if she's EVER coming back?

Now, some answers courtesy of the "Wild Ride with Steve-O" podcast [shout out ProWrestlingSheet] ... where the former "Jackass" star asked her straight up about her career plans.

"I love the WWE," Ronda said ... "I had such a great time. I love all the girls in the locker room."

BUUUUUT ... (of course, there's a "but").

"But, I was doing basically part-time and I was away from home 200 days out of the year. And, when I did get home, I was so sleep deprived cause you just don’t have time to lay down.”

“So it’s just like ... what am I doing it for if I’m not being able to spend my time and energy on my family? But, instead of spending my time and my energy on a bunch of f*cking ungrateful fans that don’t even appreciate me?"

And boom goes the dynamite.

"I love performing. I love the girls. I love being out there ... but, at the end of the day, I was just like, ‘F*ck these fans, dude.'"

Ronda continued, "My family loves me and they appreciate me and I want all my energy to go into them. So that was my decision at the end of the day. It’s like, ‘Hey girls. Love what you’re doing. I’m gonna try and take all my momentum and push you guys as far as I can ... fly little birds, fly! I’m going f*cking home!’ And that was basically it."

Originally Published -- 4/10 10:21 AM PT

Vanessa Bryant Bianka & Baby Capri Open Easter Treats ... All (Adorable) Smiles

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Vanessa Bryant is managing her family's first Easter without Kobe and Gigi like a champ -- in fact, she and her kids are already getting a head start ... with cuteness to spare.

VB posted a super-sweet video Saturday showing her help 3-year-old daughter Bianka and her little sister, 9-month-old Capri, open a giant Easter egg with goodies inside -- sent to them by the florist to the stars, Jeff Leatham. It's adorable ... you see Bianka closing her eyes as she tries to crack it open with a mini hammer, but that shell's thick as hell.

Mom had to step in eventually and help her break a big enough hole to see what was inside. After LOTS of confetti-pulling, the mother-daughter duo found the treat ... chocolate!

BTW, Capri was definitely feeling the festivities ... she was giggling through the whole thing. What she mighta been thinking ... "When's my turn, MOM?!?" Good stuff.

No sign of Natalia here, but ya gotta figure she's around for the holiday too. The Bryants are devout Catholics and Easter's the holiest day of the year for the faithful.

As for the egg-cracking, it's usually a little kid thing to do anyway.

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This marks the first Easter the Bryants have celebrated since Kobe and Gianna passed, and it's great to see Vanessa staying true to the fam's tradition. Last year, she was helping Bianka with another egg-tivity as well. Good on her for keeping their spirits up.

Happy Easter!

Working from Home Americans Boozing on the Job ... Beer's No. 1, Go Figure

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Americans are apparently getting thirstier by the day during stay-at-home orders -- because a lot of our workforce stuck indoors cope to knocking back a few while on the clock.

A new study released by Alcohol.org -- which is, ironically, meant to help people kick booze -- shows that citizens in every state in this fine country admit they've been drinking on the job while under quarantine. The numbers might actually surprise you a bit.

Starting out in the Golden State, 38% of Californians report drinking during work-from-home hours, Floridians and Texans clock in at 22% and New Yorkers are at 38%.

The highest numbers are dispersed throughout the midwest and plains states -- Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa all have percentages in the 40s. Idaho, Nevada and Montana too.

Interestingly, the 2 states at the 50% mark are Virginia and tiny New Hampshire. Exactly half of their citizenry say they're burning the midnight tequila.

BTW, a fifth of the people surveyed divulged they'd stockpiled booze in anticipation of being at home. The study also shows that beer is the drink of choice for most people, and one-third are likely to sip in isolation.

So, a little pandemic ain't gonna curb our drinking habits one bit. Sorry, bosses. 'Merica!!!