TMZ.com Home

PPE has gone full bougie -- 'cause, soon, you'll be able to fight COVID-19 and look fly doing it at the same time ... for a pretty penny, of course.

Louis Vuitton is introducing a new item to their 2021 Cruise Collection ... a high-priced face shield, laced with their signature 'LV' trim along the edges of the plastic itself and headband, plus their well-known gold studs. It's supposed to hit the market starting next month.

And, get this ... it's only gonna cost folks a mere $961 (more or less)!!! To recap ... that's almost a cool grand for plastic, more plastic and a sliver of leather with some nifty print.

A reported description of Louis V's forthcoming face shield says it can also be flipped up and worn as a visor -- so dual function, if you can call it that. They also say it's "an eye-catching headpiece, both stylish and protective." The shield also turns dark in the sun or bright light.

LV isn't the first luxury fashion brand to dabble in COVID wear -- Burberry recently announced they were rolling out their own face masks as well, but theirs are more subtle than Louis' shield. According to reports, they're supposed to be going for about $115.

Off-White also has a line of face masks -- they're hawking 'em for about $100 or so. Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana got some too, similar price ranges.

More than a dozen Black families came together for a common cause in Georgia -- snatching up a bunch of land to start their own community, which they hope will be a safe haven.

The nearly 97 acres of unincorporated land recently purchased near the town of Toomsboro -- about 130 miles south of Atlanta -- has now been dubbed Freedom, GA ... and the 19 Black families that went in on the land are hoping to make it a complete city one step at a time.

Renee Walters and Ashley Scott are the two women who kick-started the initiative -- now known as the Freedom Georgia Initiative -- and they say they did it because they wanted a safe place to raise their families without fear of police brutality or other forms of oppression embedded into society. The whole idea is a community by Black people for Black people.

They also note that when the place is up and running -- with an agriculture infrastructure, businesses and eventually homes -- they won't exclude anyone ... meaning you don't have to be Black to be a resident. They do make it clear though ... it'll be a pro-Black town.

The first phase of getting all this started is clearing the land, farming it and then creating a man-made lake that they intend to use for sustainable fishing. It's a massive undertaking, and will presumably take years before it might be considered viable. Still, they're working on it.

Over Labor Day weekend ... Renee, Ashley and co. hosted an event called the Big Black Camp Out, where folks flocked in from all over the country to enjoy the land with tents and RVs in tow. It also served as a ribbon-cutting ceremony to highlight the achievement.

As for what exactly inspired them to do this ... Renee and Ashley say the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others -- plus the protests that have erupted as a result -- made them realize they needed their own space for their own people.

Conor McGregor was taken into police custody and questioned in Corsica on Saturday over an allegation of attempted sexual assault, French officials say.

The UFC superstar had been sailing around the Mediterranean on his yacht recently with his fiancée, Dee Devlin ... but McGregor allegedly flew off the handle on Thursday.

A court official in Corsica sent a statement to the Agence France-Presse confirming police had taken Conor into custody.

"Following a complaint filed on September 10 denouncing acts that could be described as attempted sexual assault and sexual exhibition, Mr. Conor Anthony Mac Gregor was the subject of a hearing by the gendarmerie services,” prosecutors said.

Another report out of France says the alleged incident took place at a bar.

Earlier this week, Conor was teasing a UFC comeback -- saying he let the UFC's drug-testing agents on his yacht to take a sample.

McGregor proposed to his longtime girlfriend Dee Devlin just last month ... and was even spotted on a photo shoot with her this week.

Conor and Devlin have 2 kids together.

Of course, Conor has a long history with the law ... he was arrested and prosecuted for throwing a steel dolly through a UFC bus window a few years ago. He was also arrested for felony robbery for taking a man's cell phone at a Miami hotel in 2019.

And, don't forget the time he punched an elderly man in the face for no reason at a pub in Ireland in April 2019.

Steve Martin feels like he loses a piece of himself when he goes out in public while having to wear a mask ... so he found a hilarious way to make sure he's ID'd while still being safe.

The legendary comedian posted a selfie Saturday morning in a surgical mask with a pair of shades ... and a nifty little homemade nameplate he plopped on his noggin that certifies folks will know who he is while shielding part of his face due to COVID.

He writes, "I always wear a mask when I go outside. But something about it was leaving me anxious and unsettled. I thought about the problem, addressed it, and here is the solution."

Of course ... there's an arrow pointing downward, just so there's no mistaking who Steve Martin is. It's comedy gold, and also reminiscent of his old arrow-through-the-head gag he used to do in his early stand-up days. The man clearly hasn't lost his sense of humor.

Funny enough, other celebs got in on the joke too ... including 'Star Trek' star George Takei and Ice-T. George says he tried this too, but because he did it word-for-word ... no dice.

Ice seemed to appreciate the social commentary too, especially for folks who feel like they can't interact with people the way they used to with a mask on ... or who feel anonymous and not like themselves. Hey, if you're bummed about that ... just do what SM did.

Iranian wrestling champ Navid Afkari has been executed in Iran, officials confirm.

The 27-year-old was hanged Saturday morning in Adelabad prison in the city of Shiraz, according to Iranian state media IRNA.

As we previously reported, Afkari participated in a peaceful 2018 protest against government policies. But, officials later accused him of stabbing a water supply company employee during the protests.

Afkari apparently confessed to the stabbing in a video put out by Iranian officials last week .. but most believe the confession was forced after he had been tortured.

Afkari -- a decorated wrestler in Iran who medaled in multiple national tournaments -- had been issued TWO death sentences for his alleged crimes in order to send a message to the rest of the country.

President Trump had tweeted to the Iranian government earlier this month asking them to spare Afkari's life.

"Hearing that Iran is looking to execute a great and popular wrestling star, 27-year-old Navid Afkarai, whose sole act was an anti-government demonstration on the streets," Trump said.

"They were protesting the 'country’s worsening economic situation and inflation.'"

Ultimately, Iran ignored Trump's request.

Here's a match made in heaven Sin City -- former 'Bachelorette' star Chad Johnson and Ronnie Ortiz-Magro's baby mama, Jen Harley, have hooked up in Las Vegas ... and it's on video.

Chad -- the reality TV star turned aspiring porn mogul, who's sporting an appropriate mustache -- and Jen were all over each other Thursday night at JING ... in a scene that looked like it could be a teaser for an adult film.

The 2 threw masks and social distancing to the wind as they made out multiple times in front of friends and everyone else at the joint ... and Jen even gave Chad a lap dance.

As you can see.. they kept the PDA going outside the restaurant later on.

Strangely enough, we're told the 2 met through Ronnie ... Chad used to be buddies with the "Jersey Shore" star. Chad and Jen apparently hit it off recently at a lunch.

It's an interesting pairing for sure, but perhaps not surprising. Jen has had a volatile relationship with Ronnie for a few years now ... and Chad recently had a serious domestic issue with his ex-girlfriend as well.

Both Chad and Ronnie recently copped plea deals in their separate domestic violence cases.

Forget the Music City Miracle, the Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa High School football team just scored the wildest, greatest touchdown EVER.

It went down Friday night when the team was playing rival Wetumpka High. Hillcrest was down 30-28 with 2.9 seconds left in the game on their own 41-yard line. So, it's do or die.

Quarterback Ethan Crawford passes the ball to the running back in the flat, and that's when the craziness starts. Watch as various players get the ball via a total of 9 --  COUNT THEM NINE -- laterals.

At times the ball is fumbled and picked up. At times the runner is tackled, but not before throwing the ball in the air with the hope a teammate will catch it.

The 2.9-second play lasted 59 seconds. In almost poetic fashion, QB Crawford is the last person with the ball and runs untouched 46 yards for the game-winning TD.

A woman went to unbelievable lengths to get a big payday -- she cut off her hand -- and now she'll have 2 years to reflect in prison.

Julija Adlesic, a citizen of Slovenia, hatched a plan with her boyfriend, to collect on some big, fat insurance policies they took out on her. In all, they got 5 policies totaling more than $1 million.

To get the loot, they cut off her hand with a circular saw and then filed a claim -- presumably some sort of disability claim.

The insurance policies would have paid her half upfront and the balance in monthly installments.

Thing is ... she got busted, and the 22-year-old woman was sentenced to 2 years in prison. The boyfriend got 3 years.

A woman battling Leukemia says her 2 French bulldogs -- one of which was her emotional support animal -- are dead after they were placed in an Emirates flight's cargo hold.

The passenger's name is Hannah and we're told she was flying from Dubai to Washington, DC for a cancer treatment -- but upon landing at Dulles International Airport she got the devastating news her comfort dog Panda, and Panda's companion Beluga, had died.

The incident went down on August 21 aboard Flight EK 231. We're told Hannah paid $2,600 to ship her pooches when she was told she couldn't bring them into the cabin because they weighed more than 8 pounds.

That means the dogs should be transported below the cabin in a hold designed for live animals ... separate from the luggage. Apparently, Panda and Beluga ended up in the luggage hold, and a necropsy shows they died from oxygen deprivation. Panda was also bloody, for some reason.

Hannah's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the family wants justice for the dogs. He says, "Dogs are not luggage they are living breathing family members and in this case, provided tremendous emotional support for a cancer patient."

We're told Hannah had a doctor's letter from June 2018 classifying Panda as an emotional support animal -- and therefore, Panda should have been allowed in the cabin with Hannah ... Oshan believes.

He adds, "Emirates charged for the dogs' passage even though medical documentation was provided by this cancer patient. This is wrong!"

Oshan says other animals aboard the flight, presumably placed in the proper cargo hold, all survived the journey unscathed.

Toots Hibbert, the singer who helped popularize the name "reggae" with his 1968 hit song, "Do the Reggay," has died.

Toots was a pioneer of the music back in the '60s and beyond. He was a founding member of the band, the Maytals.

Hibbert was very close to Bob Marley. There was a time when the Maytals would perform on the same bill with Marley's group, The Wailers. They would alternate who would open and who would headline.

Hibbert and Marley were so close, they would record the same songs and both have great success. In particular, they both recorded "Redemption Song."

Toots also had a presence in film. He appeared in "The Harder They Come" back in '72. One of his songs, "Pressure Drop" was part of the film's soundtrack. When the song was covered by The Clash in '78 and became a hit, Toots scored legions of new, young fans.

He was a staple on the road, even appearing on stage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform "Louie Louie" during a wild, 2011 New Year's Eve bash in St. Barts.

Toots was also featured on Willie Nelson's album, "Countryman."

Toots was injured in 2013 when someone in the audience threw a bottle at his head. The man was arrested, and when it came time for sentencing, Toots asked for leniency, saying, "He is a young man, and I have heard what happens to young men in jail." The guy got 6 months in jail.

His family broke the sad news, saying, "It is with the heaviest of hearts to announce that Frederick Nathaniel 'Toots' Hibbert passed away peacefully tonight, surrounded by his family at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica."

The cause of death was not revealed.

Toots is survived by his wife, Miss D ... they were married 39 years. He's also survived by 7 children.

Donald Trump inexplicably spent hours jawboning with Bob Woodward, and he flat out admitted he was lying about the dangers of COVID. And, speaking of COVID, some cities are canceling trick or treating. So, we gotta ask ...

Nick Diaz belongs in the UFC Hall of Fame, despite the fact he's never won a UFC title ... so says Tyron Woodley.

"He's done enough in his career, in my opinion, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame," Tyron said on this week's "Hollywood Beatdown."

Diaz famously began his UFC career back in 2003 with an armbar submission victory over Jeremy Jackson.

He beat guys like Robbie Lawler before a showdown with Diego Sanchez on "The Ultimate Fighter 2" finale (Diaz lost that fight).

Nick jumped to Strikeforce, where he DOMINATED -- winning all 7 of his fights between 2009 and 2011, winning the welterweight title and defending it 4 times.

Eventually, the UFC bought Strikeforce and brought Diaz back to the UFC roster where he beat BJ Penn and lost some epic battles to guys like Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva.

Now, 37-year-old Diaz is rumored to be making a comeback ... but Tyron thinks he's already got a Hall of Fame resume.

There's a lot more in the episode ... including Tyron explaining why he's FINALLY ready to fight Colby Covington on Sept. 19th, a fight that's been talked about for roughly 2 years.

Shout out to our sponsor KFC, which is FINALLY adding Secret Recipe Fries to its menu — click here for contactless delivery.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Kaia Gerber and Jacob Elordi have you all tripped up ... just be sure to keep a good lookout for any sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!

The model and actor were seen out and about in New York City, earlier this week ... and we have made a few changes to this photo! Get a close look around and see if you have what it takes to find the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Rob Gronkowski is gonna like this ... Netflix's hit show "Outer Banks" is already filming season 2, and that means coronavirus precautions for the cast and crew.

Here's the scene on the 'Outer Banks' set this week, as filming gets rolling on James Island in South Carolina ... the main characters are all in masks, what with the pandemic and all.

You can still make out who everyone is behind their face covering ... Madelyn Cline, who plays Sarah Cameron, and Chase Stokes, who plays John B, are masked up in the car.

And, here's Madison Bailey (Kiara), Jonathan Daviss (Pope) and Rudy Pankow (JJ) walking through a field and keeping their social distance. This is how it's done!

As we reported ... Rob says he's all about that POGUE LIFE, as 'Outer Banks' season 1 became his obsession during the NFL offseason, binge-watching the show in 2 days with his S.I. Swim model girlfriend Camille Kostek.

The ending pissed a lot of folks off, kooks and pogues alike, but maybe people will be happier with the end of season 2.

At least they're filming!!!

R&B star Kenny Lattimore says his music sales SKYROCKETED thanks to that memorable scene from "The Last Dance" featuring Michael Jordan rocking out to his songs more than 20 years ago!

In other words, THE MJ EFFECT IS REAL, YO!

You remember the scene ... MJ was on the Chicago Bulls team bus, on the way to Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals, when someone asked what he was listening to on his headphones.

Jordan bragged he had some unreleased Kenny Lattimore tracks -- and seemed to really dig it.

So, when we saw Lattimore at LAX the other day, we had to ask if the cameo in the docu-series spiked a surge in music sales.

And, man ... THEY DID.

"The Michael Jordan effect is definitely real!!!" Kenny said.

"There's so many people from around the world that started following me, sending me messages [because of 'The Last Dance]."

"People were like, 'This is Jordan's guy' or 'I'm gonna listen to this 'cause this is what Jordan listens to.'"

Lattimore says his music sales went "to another level" thanks to the doc -- noting streams of his songs were up big, too.

If you're not familiar with Lattimore's music ... GET ON YOUTUBE ALREADY AND CHECK IT OUT!

Dude was huge in the '90s and even got a Grammy nod for his smash hit "For You."