'Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro Santa Monica Bakery Shutters ... The Real Dough's Online!!!

"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro is closing up shop in Santa Monica ... shuttering his brick-and-mortar operation and pivoting to online orders only.

Buddy owned Carlo's Bake Shop on the famous Santa Monica Promenade, but it closed this week for good ... and there's a sign on the door announcing a public auction for all the store equipment.

Folks at Carlo's Bake Shop tell TMZ … the Santa Monica location decided not to renew the lease as it shifts towards an e-commerce business strategy.

MERRY ELFIN' CHRISTMAS!!!
TMZ.com

We're told the bakery was doing more sales for online orders in recent years particularly in California, with fewer customers actually coming by the storefront, even for folks requesting deliveries nearby.

Buddy's not leaving the traditional bakery setup altogether though ... it sounds like this is limited to Santa Monica.

We're told there's a new Carlo's Bake Shop opening this December in New York City's Times Square ... which BV feels will attract locals and tourists. There's certainly a lot of foot traffic.

Meanwhile, unfortunately, the folks who worked at the Santa Monica location appear to be losing their jobs right before the holidays.

FARRAH ABRAHAM BLASTS JENELLE FOR CPS DRAMA

Farrah Abraham wants everyone to know she's in a better place in life than her archnemesis Jenelle Evans -- but is adamant she's not throwing shade... while throwing shade.

She tells TMZ she's worked hard to become a great single parent but says the same can't be said for her former "Teen Mom" costar ... who urged for a "welfare check" to be conducted at her home despite having recent encounters with Child Protective Services herself.

NOT THE ONE TO WORRY ABOUT
TMZ.com

After Farrah posted a bunch of videos and photos of her new BF on a trip to Turks and Caicos her social media was flooded with negative comments, including people calling for CPS to get involved. Jenelle clearly agreed by posting and then deleting a Facebook story Tuesday saying that someone should do a welfare check on Farrah's daughter because she seemed unstable.

After hitting back at Jenelle's concerns on her IG Stories, Farrah adds the CPS calls have devastated her ... and she wants to keep it out of her family/dating dynamics -- especially with a brand-spankin' new man in the picture.

TAKING SHOTS AT JENELLE

Basically, Farrah says life at home with her 14-year-old daughter Sophia is a dream ... unlike Jenelle -- whom she implies invites "abusive men into her life."

Remember ... TMZ reported a little over a week ago Jenelle's 14-year-old son Jace was hospitalized after running away from home -- his fourth attempt, including the time in September the same day Jenelle's husband, David Eason, was accused of roughing him up.

Our sources say CPS officials are concerned about Jace ... and if he runs away again, he could end up in a juvenile detention facility.

MERRY ELFIN' CHRISTMAS!!!
TMZ.com

With Jenelle's family drama revving up, Farrah's made it clear she's not entertaining any similar distress among her loved ones.

Jeremy Allen White Efron Inspired Me To Get Shredded ... For 'Iron Claw' Flick

WEIGHING IN ON WRESTLING
TMZSports.com

Jeremy Allen White is revealing one major influence on his buff transformation for the upcoming "Iron Claw" movie ... telling TMZ Sports his co-star Zac Efron helped whip him into wrestling shape!!

JAW is playing Kerry Von Erich in the project about the famous Von Erich family ... and while he was never in bad shape by any means, the dude really bulked TF up for the role.

In fact, he didn't shy from putting his swole figure on display ... dropping the top for a workout back in July.

Naturally, we had to ask JAW all about his new bod outside "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" this week ... and whether Efron -- who's always been chiseled -- motivated him in the gym.

"He definitely did!!" White said.

As for actually wrestling in the future, JAW ain't too sure he can hang with the big boys ... especially considering he was so fresh to the industry when he got the gig.

MERRY ELFIN' CHRISTMAS!!!
TMZ.com

White added he has a ton of respect for professional wrestlers ... pointing out it's a super athletic sport, so all the haters who trash it due to it being "fake" should listen up!!

DAYMOND JOHN Mark Cuban Rescued 'Shark Tank' from the Brink

SO LONG, SHARK
TMZ.com

Daymond John has predicted the success of "Shark Tank" will continue long after the departure of his costar Mark Cuban ... whom he credits for keeping the series afloat.

The FUBU founder has no qualms over Mark's decision to leave ... saying he's already done enough by doing what no other well-known billionaire did ... believe in the show while it was on the brink of cancelation three seasons in.

Daymond says Mark's devotion ran deep ... staying on the show for so many years with his input playing a significant part in making it the cultural phenomenon it is today.

What he means is that if you've ever had dreams of pitching your pipe dream on "Shark Tank" -- that's all Mark.

Clearly, Daymond has forged a strong bond with Mark over the years ... telling us he wishes him well and adding the 'ST' team wants to pay his hard work forward by giving his seat to the next generation of entrepreneurs.

As for who could potentially snag the coveted seat? Mark himself has endorsed Kardashian biz partner Emma Grede as his replacement ... gushing over her experience and TV charisma.

MERRY ELFIN' CHRISTMAS!!!
TMZ.com

As for now, there's no word on when auditions to find his successor will begin ...

Little Gloria In 'Wait Until Dark' 'Memba Her?!

New York native Julie Herrod was only a young teen when she was cast as the troubled teen next door Gloria -- who turns into the hero to her blind neighbor -- in the classic 1967 thriller "Wait Until Dark."

Julie shared her big-screen debut with some of the some of the most iconic actors at the time including Alan Arkin as the wig-wearing manipulator on a mission, Roat ... and of course Audrey Hepburn as the blind damsel in distress Susy Hendrix.

Herrod only has two other credits to her name ... episodes of the TV shows "The Doctors And Nurses" and "NET Playhouse."

Guess what she looks like almost 50 years later!

Taylor Swift Crashes Lambeau Field To See Travis Take on GB Packers!!!

Taylor Swift is in Wisconsin to watch Travis Kelce, take on the Packers -- the first time in a while that she's been to one of his games ... and she may serve as a good luck charm.

The pop star touched down in Green Bay Sunday ahead of Sunday's big NFL matchup -- and it looks like she's dressed for the snowy weather out there ... rolling into Lambeau Field with a bright red trench coat and looking all bundled up alongside Brittany Mahomes.

We're in December now ... and the temps have certainly dropped from when she was hitting up TK's games earlier in the fall. Gotta rock the right gear this time of the year ... it's chilly.

Anyway, TayTay and co. had themselves a nice private box suite just like they usually do -- but it was way harder to see her this time around as the camera panned to her ahead of the broadcast ... y'know, on account of the heavy snowfall and all. Still, she was there!

In fact, Taylor's been hanging out with Travis this whole past week -- and there's even a photo of the two of them circulating online that appears to show them at a holiday party.

It just shows how serious they are ... as soon as she wrapped her gigs in Brazil a week or so ago -- she jetted on over to Kansas City and has been with her boyfriend ever since ... including right now, which feels like old times yet again.

We haven't seen Taylor attend one of Travis' games in a minute -- but that's just because her schedule got really busy. It seems like whenever she can, she'll be there front and center.

It's funny ... some people have noticed that Travis actually tends to play better, objectively, whenever Taylor's in the building -- so people will definitely be looking to see his stats today.

In any case, Tayvis is going strong ... and the NFL, we're sure, is glad to have her back.

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

The Royal scandal books just keep coming, and Jussie Smollett is on the ropes after losing his appeal. So we gotta ask ...

William Ignored Harry As Queen Was Dying ...

Jussie Smollett Keeps Fighting After Losing Appeal ...

Felicity Huffman Doesn't Apologize For College Scam ...

If I Could Only Hear One Xmas Song ...

Lauren Sanchez Wearing 'Mrs. B' Necklace ...

Whose Side You On?

T.I. Calling Son Nepo Baby ...

Who's Better Looking Than Tyler Cameron?

Who Ya Got For Prez?

Florence Pugh Hit in Face by Thrown Object ... At 'Dune 2' Panel in Brazil

incoming!
CCXP

More stars getting crap thrown at them while they're on stage ... this time it was Florence Pugh, and it happened all the way down in Brazil.

The actress appeared alongside her 'Dune 2' costars Sunday in Sao Paolo for an event called CCXP 2023 -- basically just a Comic Con thing, where they all showed up alongside director Denis Villeneuve and talked about the forthcoming sequel in front of fans.

As their segment was coming to a close ... the entire cast -- including Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and Austin Butler -- gathered toward the front of the stage to pose together.

Out of nowhere, this thing comes flying in from the audience and smacks Pugh in the mug -- which definitely caught her by surprise ... not to mention everyone else too. All her cast members checked on her to make sure she was okay ... and their time ended awkwardly.

No telling what exactly it was ... but at first glance, one might say it resembles a shrimp.

Unclear if anybody was held to account over this -- if you watch the video, it doesn't look like security is running over to the culprit ... or if much of anything else was done at all. Of course, it goes without saying ... this troubling trend of hurling objects continues even now.

We've seen a lot of performers -- especially musicians -- have to deal with overzealous fans like this here in the States ... but it appears people all over the world are doing it as well.

Take cover, y'all ... there's stuff being thrown, and they don't care who it hits.

Barbra Streisand Migrant Boat Washes Ashore Reportedly Right By Her Malibu Home

The beachy backyard of Barbra Streisand's Malibu home reportedly became the landing spot for a migrant boat that drifted ashore earlier this past week ... and it's all on video.

FOX News' Bill Melugin obtained shocking footage that appears to show a panga boat washing ashore on Tuesday afternoon off the coast of Malibu with what he describes as suspected illegal migrants ... at least a couple dozen or so from the looks of it.

ARRIVING TO SHORE
Fox News

According to the surveillance video, this was captured in broad daylight ... around 1 PM or so, and you can see these folks hop out and scurry along the beach as soon as they land.

No word if any of them have been captured and detained just yet ... but just a day later, reports of yet another panga boat surfaced off the coast of Malibu as well -- only that one sunk, and nobody was found ... only debris and life jackets, per local Los Angeles media.

Now, as far as what Barb has to do with any of this ... the New York Post insists this boat that drifted in from sea actually did so just below her Malibu compound -- although it's unclear where they're getting that info from ... as they don't cite any official sourcing.

Barbra owns three adjacent properties in the area, and yes -- they do all border a cliff that overlooks the ocean below. If it's true her crib was located just above where this boat landed ... it's a pretty frightening scenario, especially if the migrants are still on the loose.

Of course, there are several other stars who live in Malibu that this could possibly affect as well -- including neighbors of Barbra's like Lady Gaga, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Leo DiCaprio and countless other celebs who have properties in the area.

What's interesting about the location ... Malibu is a sanctuary city, and some speculate that may be part of the reason the boat arrived there ... as opposed to L.A., which is not yet officially a sanctuary city -- although it did pass a resolution this year to start the process.

In any case, it's just evidence that the situation at the Southern border doesn't just stop there ... looks like people are finding ways into the country through other avenues, and Hollywood's elite might just have to deal with it.

We've reached out to Streisand for comment ... so far, no word back.

Usher Falls to Knees & Breaks Down ... Wraps Vegas Residency

GRATEFUL & HUMBLE
X / @Coolness941

Usher wrapped up his Vegas residency with a ton of appreciation -- which you could see as the dude fell to his knees and took in all the love in a truly emotional moment.

The singer went out with a bang Saturday in Sin City, where his 'My Way' shows finally came to an end after an epic 100-concert run -- most of which have been very eventful ... for a variety of reasons. This weekend though ... all the focus was on Mr. Raymond.

SERENADING THE STARS

While he was singing "Without You" ... he buckled and started to break down onstage -- this while his backup dancers and other stage crew members rallied around him as the crowd cheered. Indeed, it was quite something ... and you could tell he was overcome by it all.

Of course, an Usher show wouldn't ring true if he wasn't out there serenading the crowd -- and he did just that ... crooning to Jennifer Hudson (who was with Common) the night prior.

Other stars in attendance on Sat. included Mary J. Blige, H.E.R., Floyd Mayweather and others ... and it looks like they all enjoyed the man himself for one last hurrah before he hangs it up.

Of course, while this might be the end of Usher in Vegas ... he'll undoubtedly continue performing -- as this lengthy stint proved there's a real appetite for all his hits ... not to mention his sweet dance moves and stellar showmanship.

We already know his Super Bowl Halftime Show is coming -- but don't be surprised if he goes on tour anytime soon ... 'cause the people clearly still got it bad for the one and only.

Nick Cannon Spends $200k/Year at Disneyland ... Fatherhood Ain't Cheap!!!

DI$NEY DOLLAR$
The Breakfast Club

Nick Cannon says he gives Disney just a smidge less than a quarter of a million dollars of his own hard-earned cash each year -- and it's all to make his many children happy.

The multi-hyphenate entertainer made the shocking revelation earlier this week on 'The Breakfast Club,' where he told Charlamagne tha God and co. he likely spends at least $200,000 annually at Disneyland.

You can watch NC's explanation for yourself ... he says he's at the park once a month (if not more) -- and between the 12 different kids he shares with all his baby mamas, he's spending bank.

Nick says Disneyland ain't what it used to be in terms of price point -- something many ordinary families have discovered lately -- and in order for him and his loved ones to have the best experience ... he's spending an absolute fortune, which he says he's happy to do.

Now, Nick does say he'd love to get his old employee discount enacted considering how often he's there and how much dough he throws their way -- but something tells us that isn't gonna happen. With Disney's financial woes lately, they need every buck possible.

Luckily for Nick, it sounds like he can afford these pricey Disney trips ... not to mention everything else he does for his ever-growing family. The dude works hard, and spends hard.

Still, it just goes to show ... things sure are expensive these days, especially Disneyland.

Will Smith Hugs & Poses with Johnny Depp ... At Red Sea Film Festival

Johnny Depp hasn't been widely embraced by very many A-listers in Hollywood since his trial with Amber Heard -- but one star's welcoming him back with open arms ... Will Smith.

The two actors were both at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia this past week, and they each walked the carpet separately ... as did other big celebs. But once they got inside, it appears they not only crossed paths ... but brought it in for the real thing, all friendly-like.

Interestingly, Will himself posted a couple clips that show him and Johnny hugging and chatting -- and although the moment is fleeting as part of his larger compilation ... he didn't shy away from it, and he certainly didn't try to hide the fact he palled around with JD.

Now, WS didn't explicitly go out of his way to name Johnny or touch on their meetup in his caption. He simply wrote, "Wow! Thank You Red Sea Film Festival! You have created real Magic — An Oasis of art & creativity! What’s Next? I’m in."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

You actually have to watch his post in full to catch the fact they hung out -- but it's there, and it's definitely interesting ... as it appears he's the first big-time star to deal with Johnny in this manner, especially post-trial.

Johnny's "comeback" has been less than lukewarm -- he's appeared in some high-profile campaigns here and there ... but we haven't seen him really splash back onto the Hollywood scene in a major, mainstream way. Ditto for his ex-wife, BTW ... she's at arm's length as well.

Like we said ... Will looks to be the first real A-lister who's accepted Johnny back into the fold -- as a manner of speaking. And, strangely enough, they don't seem to have any real history ... no movies together, and they weren't old friends either from what we can tell.

And yet, here's Will squeezing Johnny tight with no reservations. Considering Will himself has become somewhat embattled of late -- perhaps it's not as crazy as we think.

Will did just say the other day that he's on a healing journey and trying to adjust his outlook on life -- and it would seem that starts with not judging others who've been labeled a certain way. FWIW, Johnny's rep is still incredibly divisive ... even after his in-court victory.

In any case, it now seems he's getting a second look by some contemporaries in showbiz. Now the question ... will Amber Heard get a redemption moment too someday???

Robert Downey Jr. His Iron Man Ain't Coming Back ... Stark's Dead, Feige Says

Robert Downey Jr.'s time in the MCU has come and gone -- 'cause the head honcho of the studio just confirmed his character is dead-dead and ain't coming back ... period.

The actor was profiled in a new Vanity Fair piece, and they interviewed Marvel chief Kevin Feige to talk RDJ's time as Iron Man ... including what led up to it, and how it ended -- namely, with his character being killed off in 'Endgame.'

It was a huge moment for the Marvel franchise ... and there's been a lot of speculation Feige and co. would attempt to revive Downey's character in future installments, via alternate universes, etc. Welp, that ain't happening -- 'cause KF says Tony Stark's forever gone.

Of RDJ's departure, Feige explains ... "We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again. We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way."

'Endgame' director Joe Russo confirmed Downey wouldn't don the suit again ... adding, "We’d already said tearful goodbyes on the last day of shooting. Everybody had moved on emotionally. We promised him it would be the last time we made him do it -- ever."

The way the filmmakers describe it, it's almost like Downey is over Marvel -- which makes sense ... dude's been in the franchise since 2008, when he kicked things off in "Iron Man."

Speaking of that ... Feige says the studio heads at the time were reluctant to cast RDJ at first because of his tumultuous past -- but once they saw his screen tests and audition tapes, they knew they had their man. As it turned out, they bet on the right guy for the job.

Downey being counted out of future MCU installments is probably a bummer for hardcore fans -- you could argue Marvel's fallen off a cliff since Downey left. Get used to it, y'all. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Israel-Hamas War U.S. Warship Attacked in Red Sea ... Yemen Rebels to Blame

An American warship was attacked in the Red Sea this weekend as the fighting between Israel and Hamas picked back up again -- and the U.S. government says Yemen did it.

The USS Carney -- a Naval destroyer of ours that patrols the region -- was bombarded with missiles and drones over the course of 5 hours Sunday, but appears to have fought off much of (if not all) of the incoming fire ... this according to Pentagon officials.

There were accompanying commercial ships that were traversing the Red Sea alongside Carney -- and reports say some of those might've been hit during the cross fire.

None of those commercial ships are American, but some are said to have British and Israeli ties ... allies of the U.S. Government officials say Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility, although the rebels didn't specifically ID Carney as a target. Still, it appears the warship was caught up in it all ... at this point, no casualties have been reported.

The Houthi militia stand in solidarity with Hamas and are warning vessels that they believe come from Israel to stay out of the area -- and claim the ships that were attacked Sunday failed to heed their commands and evacuate the space.

Obviously, this comes on the heels of the end of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel last week -- with the IDF now continuing their campaign in Gaza to secure hostages.

It's unclear how the U.S. will respond to the Houthi aggression -- but it goes without saying ... attacking an American warship could easily result in an escalation of tensions on our end.

Story developing ...

Michael B. Jordan Crashes Ferrari into Parked Kia in Hollywood

MANGLED MESS
YouTube / LA-OC.tv

Michael B. Jordan had a bad encounter Saturday night ... with a Kia, which is now worse for wear after MBJ veered into it.

The actor crashed his blue Ferrari into a similarly-colored parked Kia at around 11:30 PM in Hollywood.

The LAPD responded and found no signs of Michael being impaired by drugs or alcohol. Cops did not perform a field sobriety test.

Our law enforcement say police on the scene asked Jordan, "What happened?" but the 'Creed' star didn't offer an explanation.

There were no injuries or damage to property, other than the Kia and the Ferrari. LAPD told Michael to fill out a police report online.

Michael has been out and about with this Ferrari before -- he was photographed walking away from it in 2021 ... when he was still dating Lori Harvey, so there's no doubt it's his.

We've reached out to Mike's team for comment ... so far, no word back.

KISS We're Gonna Tour Forever W/ Digital Avatars After Final Show!!!

A NEW ERA BEGINS
KISS

KISS might be done performing in person, but they're going to keep on rocking out as digital pixels for years to come ... something they just announced at their last show this weekend.

The legendary band played their last gig Saturday night at Madison Square Garden -- this as part of their 'End of the Road' farewell tour ... which marked their final live performance ever. Or so everybody thought, anyway -- 'cause they say they're keeping the party going.

Rather than continue to sing and dance themselves, Gene Simmons and co. are gonna let their AI counterparts do it for them ... in the form of computerized avatars that can keep on playing shows quite literally forever. It's called KISS Online ... and it marks their new era.

The whole thing might sound goofy, but it's actually a trend that legacy bands are starting to embrace more and more -- including ABBA, which has recently trotted out their own digital avatars in full concert ... and playing to packed crowds, no less.

The guys simply put on motion capture suits and recorded a full-blown concert of theirs ... which can then be repurposed and re-aired for years to come ... with cool effects and stunts they wouldn't normally be able to do on their own (especially at their age).

The KISS avatars actually came out onstage Saturday during an encore ... and performed "God Gave Rock and Roll to You" ... but they only did so onscreen, as opposed to appearing as full-blown life-size holograms. Time will tell if those holograms will debut at some point.

Anyway, it's certainly the end of an era and the beginning of a new one. As you can imagine -- there are mixed reactions to the news ... some hate it, others are fine with digital KISS.

It also serves as yet another reminder that we are very much living in the future right now ... with the way tech/AI is going -- more and more stuff like this is going to be introduced.

Welcome to the new world ... where you can rock and roll all nite and everyday, 'til the end of time.

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