Orange County Declares Kobe Bryant Day On '8/24' ... 'Inspired So Many'

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8/24 is now officially "Kobe Bryant Day" in Orange County!

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to honor the late Lakers legend -- and the measure passed with flying colors.

"During his career, Kobe Bryant’s numbers on his jerseys were 8 and 24, therefore a fitting day to celebrate his legacy would be August 24," the resolution said.

Of course, Kobe lived in Orange County for most of his 20-year career with the L.A. Lakers ... and his family stayed there even after he retired.

Kobe was well-liked around town -- and was seen several times playing the role of Good Samaritan when he spotted car accidents.

So, when Kobe -- along with daughter Gianna and 7 other people -- passed away in a January 26 helicopter crash, officials wanted to make sure to honor his legacy.

"Kobe Bryant was a basketball legend that inspired so many globally to pursue their dreams and taught us that hard work truly pays off," the resolution says.

Officials even spell out how fans can celebrate KBD -- "By engaging in community building, helping young people in need, encouraging aspiring youth to follow their dreams, and living by Bryant's words: 'The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they could be great in whatever they want to do.'"

FYI, Kobe's #8 and #24 jerseys were both retired by the Lakers -- he's the only player in franchise history to have two numbers hanging in the rafters.

Hotel Employee Fights Back, Whoops Attacking Guest ... Over COVID Temp Check

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A hotel worker in Brazil earned office bragging rights when he not only warded off an insane attacking customer -- he sent the guy running off with his tail between his legs.

The incident reportedly went down in the city of Varginha, and allegedly started because the guest -- who WAS wearing a face mask -- refused to allow a COVID temperature scan as he checked in.

As you can see in the security footage ... the hotel employee's holding the scanner at the beginning, but sets it down before an argument erupts.

It looked like the customer was gonna walk out, but then he stormed back in and violently swung a chain holder at the worker ... then went behind the counter for some hand-to-hand combat. Big mistake!!!

The hotel worker immediately squared up to defend himself against the guest's punches and unloaded a series of blows himself. He even gets the guy to the ground and continues to pummel him, before the guest was able to retreat.

Bottom line: There's a limit to that "customer is always right" stuff, and this jerk just found it.

NBA Spells Out Rules for Bringing Guests Into Bubble ... No Tinder Randoms!

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The NBA will allow players to FINALLY bring guests into the Bubble environment in Orlando ... but not EVERYONE will be allowed in.

In fact, the NO ENTRANCE list is the most interesting part!!

First off, the guest list will open up to players beginning after the 1st round of the NBA playoffs (which is approaching fast).

The league sent a memo to teams, obtained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, laying out the criteria for entrance.

"Four guests per player, but can be exceeded for children," Woj says.

"Guests can travel on team charters following testing. Guests will be allowed to attend games."

There will be strict quarantine protocols for guests before they're allowed inside the bubble ... similar to what the players are already going through.

But, here's where it gets interesting ... the league is clearly trying to prevent players from bringing in random people they meet on social media for booty calls. Aka, no randoms from Tinder!!!

"Any individual the player has not previously met in person or with whom the player has had limited in-person interactions [will not be granted access]."

The league cites a hypothetical example of a person who would NOT be allowed in -- "[someone] known by the player only through social media or an intermediary."

Get it? Seems pretty clear to us!

Woj says other people NOT allowed inside include "agents, trainers, massage/physical therapists, personal chefs and tattoo artists."

Sorry, no new ink inside the bubble!

Once inside, Woj says "Each player is allowed one ticket per playoff game for a guest -- plus an additional admission for a child (32 inches and below)."

Gilbert Arenas recently told us he's been talking to players who are griping about not being able to get booty while inside the bubble.

Well, hang tight fellas ... things could get really interesting in Orlando!

College Football Considering 2 Seasons in 2021 ... Spring and Fall

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With the Pac 12 and the Big Ten shut down for 2020 -- sources tell TMZ Sports there are serious discussions about having 2 football seasons in 2021, 3 months apart.

The proposed plan, according to our sources would be a season that runs from February to April -- followed by 3 months off.

The 2nd season would kick off in August and run through the rest of the year ... on the normal college football schedule.

All of this is predicated on the notion that it will be safe to play again by the spring. In other words, there needs to be a real plan on the handle to handle the COVID threat. A cure would be nice.

With PAC 12 programs shut down until at least January, coaching staff can NOW start to focus on recruiting top players for the Fall 2021 season ... and coaches aren't wasting time.

There are other issues facing major college programs regarding how to handle players currently on campus -- keep them around or send them home?

One source tells us ... it will be up to players if they want to stay on campus or return to their homes. With most classes available online and no team practices allowed until January, some players will see no reason to stay.

But, with scholarship athletes still getting lodging and food plans covered by the schools, some are expected to stick around.

Another issue ... several programs are expecting some of their top players to opt out and prepare for the NFL Draft instead of waiting out the college football season.

As one source put it, "It's a smart move for some players with so much money at stake."

The bottom line -- there's A LOT of money being lost without college football in 2020 and everyone's scrambling to find a way to make it back as quickly as possible.

Kurt Cobain Signed Insurance Policy to House Where He Died ... Hits Auction Block

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Kurt Cobain rarely ever signed his full name to anything which is why a signed home insurance policy is making for a very rare, yet macabre auction item.

The folks over at Goldin Auctions are brokering the sale of this super-rare document featuring the late Nirvana frontman's full signature -- Kurt D. Cobain. He usually signed his name simply Kurt. The Chase Bank insurance company letter is dated 74 days before the guitarist was found dead in his Seattle home.

Yes, the policy was for that house ... where Kurt killed himself on April 8, 1994.

Kurt owned that home for just a couple of months before his untimely death. As rock historians know, this is where he went shortly after fleeing rehab in California to begin a drug binge that ended with Kurt's suicide by a 20-gauge shotgun.

The auction lot-- currently owned by Inscriptagraphs Memorabilia and expected to fetch over $100k -- also includes original photos of what the house looked like before portions of the house burned down in a fire.

We're told the memorabilia company plans to give a portion of their proceeds to a suicide prevention organization.

Goldin Auctions describes this auction as "insanely rare" ... and it comes on the heels of last month's record-setting item.

Kurt set a Guinness World Record for the most expensive guitar sold at auction when his 1959 Martin D-18E fetched a whopping $6,010,000.

MTV 'Real World' Ty Ruff Arrested for DUI

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Ty Ruff, famous for competing on a bunch of MTV reality shows, got busted for DUI in Los Angeles early Tuesday morning ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops pulled over Ty around 2:30 AM after officers say they observed his 2011 Mercedes Benz swerving over traffic lines and doing about 20 MPH over the posted speed limit.

Our sources say Ty bombed field sobriety tests and was well over the legal limit with a 0.12 BAC. He was arrested for misdemeanor DUI, and released without bail a few hours later.

Ty's been a regular for years on MTV reality shows ... including "The Real World: D.C.," 'Battle of The Exes,' 'Cutthroat' and 'Rivals.'

'Vanderpump Rules' Cast Wants Danica Dow Axed ... After TRO Drama w/ Ex-BF

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Danica Dow's days on "Vanderpump Rules" are numbered, IF her costars get a say -- they want her out due to allegations she got violent with an ex-BF ... TMZ has learned.

Sources on the show tell us a majority of the cast -- including longtime stars on the series -- think Danica's potentially dangerous and more trouble than she's worth after the court drama between her and Brett Willis, this past week.

We're told other members of the cast have seen volatile behavior from her that makes them think Brett's allegations could be true. Specifically, our sources say she was seen pushing Brett while they were working at SUR and shooting season 8 of 'VR.'

We're told cutting Danica out now wouldn't hurt any storylines -- she was a new character this year and wasn't playing into the bulk of drama.

It's unclear what producers are thinking about Danica or Brett's fate on the show. He's also been a very minor character who was only introduced through Danica.

As we reported ... Brett ran to court last week claiming multiple instances of Danica allegedly using violence upon him, including clawing up his neck, biting his arm and ripping his clothes. On the flip side, she alleged he broke into her house to damage her belongings.

Judges signed off on both of their requests to have the other stay away from each other -- but it sounds like the 'VR' cast is believing him more than her.

We reached out to Danica for comment, but no word back yet.

Tekashi 6ix9ine Broken Wrist is My Dog's Fault ... I Was Tripping at 3 AM!!!

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Tekashi 6ix9ine is in a cast after breaking his wrist in a bizarre accident at home.

Tekashi tells TMZ ... he went downstairs to grab a bite around 3 AM Tuesday when he tripped over his 1-year-old French bulldog, Poppy, and injured himself as he tried to break his fall.

6ix9ine says his hand got caught in the stairway banister and he broke a bone in the back of his wrist. He tells us he felt pain, but didn't know his wrist was broken until later in the morning when he woke up and it was still hurting.

69 says he went to the doctor and X-rays revealed the fracture. Tekashi posted video of his arm and wrist getting wrapped, and he tells us he will spend the next 3 to 5 weeks in a cast.

We know the saying ... snitches get stitches, but in Tekashi's case, it's a cast.

The Dog 'Wilfred' 'Memba Him?!

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Australia actor Jason Gann gained fame in OZ for his joint-loving leg-humping canine character, Wilfred ... but shot to stardom internationally in 2011 after the show, "Wilfred," was remade stateside on FX.

Jason Gann starred alongside a cool cast of actors on the American version of the show including Fiona Gubelmann as the dog owner and hot blonde next door, Jenna ... and of course, Elijah Wood as the pet-friendly lawyer, who crushes on Jenna and has some hilarious hallucinations with Wilfred, Ryan Newman.

Gann wasn't just an actor on the shepherd show ... Jason was also credited with writing and producing the dark comedy.

Guess what he looks like now!

Joe Biden Kamala Harris is My Running Mate!!!

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Joe Biden has finally picked a Vice President ... California Senator Kamala Harris will be joining him on the ticket.

The presumptive Democratic candidate announced his VP running mate Tuesday, and the choice is historic. Harris will become the first black female vice presidential candidate in the history of this country.

Biden appeared to signal Harris as his running mate back in July, when a reporter got a peek at his cheat sheet during a news conference and at the tip, it had Harris' name with the words ... "don't hold grudges."

Of course, the "grudges" note references their first debate, where Harris attacked Biden for his stand against school bussing ... something that Harris benefited from during her school days.

Harris was in a somewhat unique position among the various women Biden was considering. She has executive experience, both as a District Attorney and California Attorney General. That's a huge asset for Biden, and for voters.

Given Biden's age, a Veep who can step into the role is a reality and, some say, a necessity.

It's interesting ... just Monday, Charlamagne and Diddy warned Biden ... if he didn't pick a black female, he'd lose the election.

The one problem Biden has with Harris ... both have been criticized for their stance on crime. Biden's support of the '94 crime bill had dogged him, while Harris took some shots during the debates over prosecuting marijuana cases which disproportionally affected African-Americans.

Biden's big decision comes ahead of a big week for the Dems ... the Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday, and Biden will accept the party's nomination Thursday from Delaware, where he will deliver his virtual acceptance speech.

Now, buckle up and wait for President Trump to tweet about Biden's pick in 3 ... 2 ... 1.

UPDATE

2:05 PM PT -- That was quick. Less than 10 minutes after the announcement, Trump tweeted a 30-second campaign ad his team had locked and loaded. As you'd expect, it includes "radical left" messaging, and tips his hand as to what insulting nickname he'll be using for her ... "phony Kamala."

Akon African City's Like Real-Life Wakanda

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Akon
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT

Akon is turning his dreams into reality -- building a futuristic city in Senegal, which he says will resemble Wakanda from "Black Panther" ... in more ways than just its futuristic appearance.

The singer, who hails from Senegal, joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday for an update on "Akon City," the $6 BILLION cryptocurrency-run city which recently broke ground in his West African home country.

Akon told us why the city's centerpiece will be a 5,000-bed state of the art hospital, which he says will cost about $1 BILLION alone to build. The hospital is part of the first phase of construction, which Akon says will also include residences, hotels, schools, police and fire stations, an airstrip, a mall and all the other hallmarks of modern-day cities.

Looking at renderings for Akon City, it's easy to see why some folks think Akon's building a real-life Wakanda ... and he tells us how "Black Panther" actually helped him sell the project to investors and partners.

Akon is expecting phase 1 to be completed by 2023, and when the city's completed in 2029 it will run entirely on, you guessed it -- akoin cryptocurrency.

All it needs now is a catchphrase ... 'cause "Wakanda forever" is very taken.

PAC 12 and BIG 10 Postponing Football Season ... No Games in 2020

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UPDATE

1:29 PM PT -- 8/11 -- The PAC 12 released a statement on the decision ... saying it was a unanimous vote in favor of postponing all sports through 2020.

UPDATE

"The health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and all those connected to Pac-12 sports has been our number one priority since the start of this current crisis," Pac-12 Commish Larry Scott says. "Our student-athletes, fans, staff and all those who love college sports would like to have seen the season played this calendar year as originally planned, and we know how disappointing this is."

UPDATE

12:46 PM PT -- The PAC 12 will suspend all football activity until January ... which means no college football season in 2020.

UPDATE

A source tells TMZ Sports the conference will reexamine things in January to determine if it's possible to have a college football season in the Spring.

UPDATE

We're told many questions remain about student-athlete eligibility ... and whether or not players will get an extra year due to the circumstances.

UPDATE

12:13 PM PT -- It's official -- the presidents of the Big Ten schools have voted to postpone the 2020 college football season ... with hopes of resuming in the spring.

UPDATE

The Big Ten -- made up of powerhouse programs like Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Nebraska and more -- issued a statement explaining the decision.

UPDATE

"The Big Ten Conference announced the postponement of the 2020-21 fall sports season, including all regular-season contests and Big Ten Championships and Tournaments, due to ongoing health and safety concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic."

UPDATE

Big Ten says it consulted with the Big Ten Task Force for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Big Ten Sports Medicine Committee ... and ultimately decided it was too risky to play in the Fall.

UPDATE

Big Ten chairman Morton Schapiro -- added, "Our primary responsibility is to make the best possible decisions in the interest of our students, faculty and staff."

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Still, no official word omg the PAC 12, but our sources tell us they expect a similar announcement to come soon.

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9:17 AM PT -- Multiple sources tell TMZ Sports ... both the PAC 12 and the BIG 10 are officially postponing the 2020 college football season.

UPDATE

One PAC 12 source told us ... some coaches and staffs have already been informed. The plan is not to cancel the season indefinitely, but to push to Spring 2021.

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In other words, 2020 won't be a lost season -- just delayed.

UPDATE

We're told there are plans for an official announcement to come out on Tuesday. Until then, we're told multiple PAC 12 programs are operating as usual -- players working out at team facilities, etc.

Big blow to college football ... the BIG 10 has reportedly voted to CANCEL the 2020 season.

The Detroit Free Press is citing multiple sources who confirm BIG 10 presidents voted 12-2 in favor of canceling the season.

Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Purdue were among the programs that voted to cancel.

Meanwhile, the only 2 votes for playing came from Nebraska and Iowa, according to the Dan Patrick Show.

The conference will reportedly go public with the announcement on Tuesday.

As we previously reported, the leaders of college football's Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) held an emergency meeting over the weekend to discuss their options.

But, as ESPN reports, the takeaway from the meeting was that a college football season in 2020 was unlikely pending some sort of miracle.

Originally Published -- 8/10 9:01 AM PT

Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom Scouting New Digs ... Can't Go Wrong in Montecito, Baby!!!

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Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom are looking to live large -- as in a much larger house as their first baby's about to arrive.

The couple's been making the rounds in the exclusive, celebrity-enclave of Montecito where they spent the weekend looking at a variety of massive homes. Based on the 3 they toured, it'll be a huge upsize from their current digs ... a 3,000 square ft. pad in nearby Santa Barbara.

The new homes are really massive estates, all of which are at least 10,000 square feet on multiple acres of land.

Property #1:
It's listed at $10 million ... featuring 6 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms on 5 acres. There's also a tennis court, bocce ball court, swimming pool, spa and cabana. There's also some room for their fancy wheels with a 4-car garage.

Property #2:
It's listed at $11 million and features 5 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms on 3.5 acres. The Mediterranean estate includes sweeping ocean views and a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom guest house. It's got all the bells and whistles ... gym, climbing wall, pool, theater and wine cellar.

Property #3:
The most expensive property the couple toured is listed at $14 million. It's got 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms on 2.5 acres. The architectural gem also includes a 2 bedroom guest house. The entire property's surrounded by lush lawns. There's also an outdoor kitchen, fire pit and pool.

Hard to go wrong if they go with any of the above -- they've all got plenty of space, and then some, for their new addition.

Katy's getting closer and closer to giving birth to the couple's first kid together. Not that's it's stopping the pop star from busting out dance moves ... or house hunting.

Brian Austin Green Lunch Date w/ Cyber-Crime Guru ... Givin' Each Other the Business!!!

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Brian Austin Green might look like he's getting cozy with a new female in his life -- but turns out, she's not all that new ... and this is far from romantic, 'cause they're hatching a plan.

Here's BAG meeting Jennifer Flynn this week for a lunch date, where they were deep in conversation about a business they've been working on for 3 years. There's no PDA -- although you might think there is -- we've learned they're not dating.

Jennifer and Brian met 3 years ago at a July 4th party thrown by her mom, actress Jane Seymour. Jennifer and Brian started a company together called InteliQore, which helps people combat cyber-crimes as they happen in real-time. Sources close to the pair tell us they booted this up a few years back after both experienced online bullying and harassment in their respective fields.

They've developed products and services related to cybersecurity, and they're about to release their first product on the market, called TRIPP.

BTW ... Jane Seymour is in on the action ... she's a partner in the venture.

Close Encounters Family Feeds Wild Black Bear ... PB&J Coming Right Up!!!

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Bear
BROTHER BEAR

It's peanut butter jelly time for this brave/reckless family, that decided it would be a good idea to start feeding a wild black bear peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!!!

Ya gotta see this video ... a huge black bear approaches a family on a picnic bench in the woods, and they start snapping selfies with the animal before whipping up some PB&Js for the hungry beast.

The bear has some pretty good manners, calmly waiting while an incredibly dumb human spreads a thick glob of peanut butter all over a piece of bread and lets the bear eat it right outta his hand.

Another guy thinks it's a bright idea and feeds the bear another sando.

The woman filming the feeding from afar is getting a kick out of it, and everyone seems to be having a great time, despite the fact they're tempting fate. Naturally, there's a 30 rack of cold beers on the picnic table too.

Choosy den mothers choose Jif.

Elijah McClain Family Sues City of Aurora, 13 Cops For Wrongful Death

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The family of Elijah McClain is going after the city of Aurora and 13 of its police officers, claiming they're all to blame for his 2019 death.

McClain's parents just filed the lawsuit in Colorado claiming the city, the cops, a paramedic, and a doctor should be held responsible for the August 24, 2019 fatal incident based on their "needless use of excessive force and torture."

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the family says Elijah was listening to music on a short walk home from the corner store "when Aurora police officers grabbed, tackled, and assaulted him."

In the lawsuit, they claim officers "continued to brutalize Elijah for nearly eighteen minutes—approximately fifteen minutes of which he was handcuffed." They also allege the force the officers used against Elijah included "compressing his neck and the blood flow to his brain with two consecutive carotid holds, cranking his left shoulder with an armbar hammerlock that caused it to repeatedly pop."

Describing the arrest even further ... the family claims Elijah vomited after they slammed him to the ground. According to the docs, another officer allegedly "jammed his knee into Elijah's arm for minutes on end" with the sole purpose of inflicting pain and eventually separating Elijah's biceps and triceps muscles.

Then the paramedics arrived, but the family claims things only got worse. In the suit, they claim an EMT "involuntarily injected him with a massive dose of ketamine" even though he was not experiencing any medical condition that would have required ketamine ... a powerful sedative.

Minutes after they injected him with the sedative, Elijah stopped breathing, had no pulse and never regained consciousness before dying a few days later.

As we reported ... Aurora PD officers stopped Elijah while responding to a call about a suspicious person walking the streets wearing a ski mask and waving his arms. His family had previously said he commonly wore the mask to keep warm.

Aurora PD
SICKENING BEHAVIOR

Body-camera footage of the incident shows Elijah telling the cops, "Let go of me. I am an introvert. Please respect the boundaries that I am speaking." His final words -- documented at the beginning of the lawsuit from start to finish -- popped up on social media posts demanding justice.

Gov. Jared Polis had said back in June the case would be reopened with a special prosecutor appointed to the case. Three cops were fired last month and one other resigned after a photo surfaced mocking Elijah's death. Three of those four cops are named in the lawsuit.