Stephen Furst Dies: Animal House Star Was 63

Another piece of sad news for Hollywood.

Stephen Furst, an actor best known for playing Kent “Flounder” Dorfman in Animal House, has passed away.

He was only 63 years old.

We first heard of his death last night when his sons, Nathan and Griffith Furst, made a touching statement on his Facebook pace.

“Actor and comedian Stephen Furst died on June 16, 2017 due to complications from diabetes,” the statement read.

“Steve has a long list of earthy accomplishments.”

“He was known to the world as a brilliant and prolific actor and filmmaker, but to his family and many dear friends he was also a beloved husband, father and kind friend whose memory will always be a blessing.”

“To truly honor him,” they wrote, “do not cry for the loss of Stephen Furst.”

“But rather, enjoy memories of all the times he made you snicker, laugh, or even snort to your own embarrassment.”

“He intensely believed that laughter is the best therapy, and he would want us to practice that now.”

His sons concluded the statement with “If you knew him personally, remember his gift for lighting up a room.”

“And no matter who you are, when you think of Steve, instead of being sad, celebrate his life by watching one of his movies or use one of his bits to make someone else laugh — really, really hard.”

Sounds like a great way to remember this beloved actor.

Though he was known for his role in Animal House, Stephen also had notable parts in shows like Babylon 5 and St. Elsewhere.

And who could forget his guest-starring roles on classic shows like The Jeffersons and Newhart?

Fans would also point out his roles in National Lampoon’s Class Reunion, Midnight Madness, and The Dream Team.

Many of Stephen’s co-stars over the years have taken the time this weekend to remember their friend.

Tim Matheson, also from Animal House, tweeted “Ah, Flounder! You f-cked up. You trusted us! But we loved ya, Pal. Rest In Peace.”

Bruce Boxleitner of Babylon 5 wrote “I just received news of the passing of another member of our #Babylon5 family. Stephen Furst ‘Vir Cotto,’ RIP, my friend.”

“I am heartbroken to learn of the passing of my friend Stephen Furst,” Howie Mandel wrote. “A kind heart, great talent and beautiful human being.”

As of now, tributes are still pouring in. It seems like this guy was really, truly loved.

And, of course, like he will be very, very missed.

Our condolences to his friends and family.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2017: In Memoriam

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Actor Stephen Furst of "Animal House" Dies at 63

Stephen Furst — actor and filmmaker known for playing Flounder in ‘Animal House’ — has died due to complications from diabetes … TMZ has learned. Stephen’s son Nathan tells us … his father died at his home in Ventura Country, CA early Friday…

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Ariel Winter: Stimulating Teenage Boys, Interest in Animal Rights With Latest Pic

Ariel Winter is a talented actress, a well-spoken young woman, and she always looks good.

This time, she’s using her stunning looks for a great cause.

She captioned the photo: 

“Put on your bunny ears to show you are #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting.”

Her hands are the bunny ears, you see.

And bunnies are so often the victims in animal testing.

It wasn’t just an empty hashtag, however, because she made her cause clear.

“Sign the petition to ban animal testing in cosmetics globally! Link in bio.”

Before you freak out, you should know that this doesn’t seem to be a PETA thing.

Because yeah, not all organizations that sound like they’re for good causes are necessarily on the level. Unfortunately.

This seems to be real, and that’s no surprise — Ariel Winter is a smart young woman.

Animal testing is an age-old and often cruel practice.

What’s a cheap and easy way to find out if your new cosmetics cause chemical burns or blindness? 

Easy — you just slap them on a bunny’s face and see what happens.

Now think about how many cosmetic products are on the shelves, and how many furry friends have suffered for so many of them.

We’re glad that Ariel Winter is using her platform to bring attention to this good cause.

Actually, you know what?

We’re glad that she’s using her boobs to do it. We said it.

Ariel Winter’s breasts received so much unwanted attention, even when she was a minor, that she had breast-reduction surgery.

It would have been more than understandable if she’d just covered herself in a sheet and hidden behind closed doors.

Instead, it looks like she’s comfortable with her body, and she’s flaunting her body in stellar photos.

Now she’s taking that a step further, and using her sex appeal — the thing that was used against her — to make the world a better place.

Ariel Winter has always been well-spoken, and it looks like she’s living her best life.

We’re just glad that she’s working for more than just her own happiness, you know?

She’s such a gift.

View Slideshow: Ariel Winter Bikini Selfies: Look at My Butt & New Boyfriend!

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Jenelle Evans: Accused of Animal Abuse AGAIN!

Jenelle Evans has made a good few mistakes in her 25 years on this planet.

Many mistakes. Just so, so many. A tremendous amount, really.

She’s been in trouble with the law more times than we can count, for assault and drugs, and then more drugs.

She gave up custody of her first child to party, then she went on to have two more children with two different men, who are both criminals themselves.

It’s all just too much messiness for one person, isn’t it?

But then you get into the animal stuff.

In a 2014 episode of Teen Mom 2, Jenelle was seen mistreating two dogs, one that was hers and one belonging to Nathan Griffith.

She screamed at the dogs for no real reason, kept them locked in tiny crates in the garage, and when they relieved themselves in the house because she wouldn’t take them outside, she screamed some more.

She even let one of the dogs loose outside, trying to get the poor thing to leave. The whole thing was hard to watch.

Jenelle has heavily criticized for the episode — she even received a letter from PETA — but it didn’t seem to affect her too much.

In 2015, she encouraged her dog to fetch a lit firework on the Fourth of July, and last fall she played fetch with her dogs around a bonfire.

She also got a new puppy and let her toddler, Kaiser, ride him, which is another big no-no for pups.

For each and every one of these instances, Jenelle has been scolded, and concerned onlookers have tried to teach her the error of her ways.

But the girl is back to her same old tricks.

Earlier this week, she shared the following photo on Snapchat:

While it’s good that she’s no longer keeping such sweet little animals locked in cages all day, every day, people are still taking issue with this photo.

And that’s because down in North Carolina, where Jenelle lives, there’s been a cold spell this week, along with tons of rain and hail, in some locations.

The dogs looked to be huddled up together for warmth, as close to the house as possible so that perhaps their owners would let them in out of the cold.

“I f-cking hate Jenelle with a passion for what she did to those poor dogs,” one person said of the photo.

Another wrote “Jesus God Jenelle. The look on their faces are heartbreaking.”

One person summed the whole situation up pretty well with “Jenelle is an ignorant and uncaring owner, unsurprisingly.”

Also this week, Jenelle shared some videos of little Kaiser riding at ATV (without a helmet or any other protective gear, but that’s another story), and fans noticed something wrong with one of the dogs.

See the grey dog’s tail? It appears to be broken.

Look, Jenelle, maybe it’s time to admit that dogs just aren’t for you. Perhaps get a cat next time, they’re much more independent.

Or, just to be safe, we hear sea monkeys are pretty fun and don’t require a big commitment.

Whatever you do, just do better, OK?

View Slideshow: 18 Times PETA Has Stuck It to Celebrities

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TMZ Live: Kylie Jenner: Accosted By Animal Rights Protesters

ON TODAY’S SHOW Mel B: Three-Way Fiasco Lady Gaga: Queen Of Coachella Kenny G: Midair Surprise  Lil Wayne Gets Drink Thrown At Him Onstage

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Kylie Jenner Ditches Photo Op Under Pressure from Animal Rights Protest (VIDEO + PHOTO)

Kylie Jenner felt the heat from animal rights protesters, and got the hell out … cutting short a photo op in Vegas amid chants that she has the blood of innocent animals on her hands.  Kylie was attending the grand opening of Sugar…

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Dream Hotel Founder Pleads Guilty to Animal Cruelty

Dream Hotel founder Vikram Chatwal, formerly a close friend of Lindsay Lohan, has struck a plea deal in his bizarre animal cruelty case. TMZ broke the story … NYPD arrested Chatwal in October for walking up to 2 dogs and burning them with an…

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Dream Hotel Founder Pleads Guilty to Animal Cruelty

Dream Hotel founder Vikram Chatwal, formerly a close friend of Lindsay Lohan, has struck a plea deal in his bizarre animal cruelty case. TMZ broke the story … NYPD arrested Chatwal in October for walking up to 2 dogs and burning them with an…

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You"ve Never Seen An Animal Attack Like THIS Before

We"re guessing you"ve seen quite a few signs such as the one below in your time:

It makes sense that drivers would be warned of a possible deer crossing because these animals can actually do a great deal of damage to vehicles, big and small.

However, sign makers around the world may need to soon get to work on another deer-related sign, one that warns not of deer about to cross the road…

… but of cross deer about to seriously mess people up!

On April 1, 25-year old British Columbia resident Cary McCook was getting out of his co-worker’s passenger seat when he was positively demolished by a sprinting deer.

He was destroyed. He was bulldozed. He flattened and wrecked and effectively devoured right on the spot.

Not literally, of course. The deer did not eat McCook. But it took his figurative lunch in one of the most epic animal takedowns we"ve ever witnessed.

The thing is, this attack took place on April Fool"s Day.

And with websites out there trying to get readers to believe in an actual Beygency – among other jokes, lies and pranks – Cary"s friends didn"t believe that he actually got gored by a deer

But then a hotel near the sight of this incident supplied McCook with surveillance footage of the assault… and here you have it.

It really did happen.

McCook is an aspiring rapper in a group named "Reka-Nation" and he told a Canadian news network that he plans to write a rap song about his encounter.

So this isn"t the last time you"ll hear about it.

We"re guessing this won"t be the only time you watch tape of the destruction, either. One viewing of this massacre simply won"t cut it.

But get the experience started now:

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Mike Epps Shares Stage with Kangaroo, Some Claim Animal Abuse (VIDEO)

Mike Epps brought a kangaroo onstage that appeared to be in distress … now many of Epps’ fans are pissed, and some are even calling it animal abuse. Epps performed Friday in Detroit at the Festival of Laughs comedy tour, when a man came out with…

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Animal Planet Star Jackson Galaxy Wants to Help with Taylor Swift"s Cat Problems (VIDEO)

Animal Planet’s Jackson Galaxy is stepping up to solve Taylor Swift’s cat troubles.  We got the unofficial cat whisperer and host of “My Cat from Hell” at LAX, and he said there’s been a sea change — cat ladies are in now, and that…

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Animal Planet Star Jackson Galaxy Wants to Help with Taylor Swift"s Cat Problems (VIDEO)

Animal Planet’s Jackson Galaxy is stepping up to solve Taylor Swift’s cat troubles.  We got the unofficial cat whisperer and host of “My Cat from Hell” at LAX, and he said there’s been a sea change — cat ladies are in now, and that…

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Farrah Abraham: Accused of Animal Abuse?!

At this stage in the game, no one thinks of Farrah Abraham as a good mother, right?

We’d even go as far as to say that no one thinks of Farrah Abraham as a good person.

She’s just unnecessarily rude and mean and hateful and ignorant — all bad things, really.

She’s been accused of being racist, of being homophobic, of lying about rape. She’s also a Trump supporter, which says a lot of things about a person, none of them good.

But the worst thing about Farrah is her apparent lack of any and all parenting skills.

Her daugher, Sophia, is seven years old now, and in all that time, has Farrah made one solid choice in mothering her? Even just one tiny little thing?

We sure can’t think of any.

But now, Farrah’s reached what looks to be a whole new level of terribleness.

She’s letting Sophia abuse animals.

Or at least, that’s what many people think of her latest social media posts. Last night, this photo was shared on Sophia’s Instagram account:

That’s the miniature horse Farrah gave Sophia for Christmas. The horse’s name is Starburst, and Farrah allowed Sophia and several of her friends to do this to the poor thing at a slumber party.

As you can see, Starburst was less of a horse and more of an art project. And that’s not cool.

“That poor pony should be classed as animal abuse,” one outraged person wrote in the comments on this photo.

“You don’t treat animals like that … someone save the poor unhappy little thing … Farrah you’re an idiot!” another said.

“This makes me want to cry!! Wtf is wrong with you?!!” one person commented, and another said that “This is the saddest looking pony I’ve ever seen.”

Some Farrah supporters — yes, some people actually find it within themselves to defend Farrah over nonsense like this — tried to argue that this is fine, that the paint was “probably” non-toxic.

And hey, Sophia is just a kid, you know? This is no different than dyeing your own hair, or putting a dog in a sweater

Except the horse really does look miserable, and it can’t have been comfortable with a gaggle of little girls surrounding it, using it as a coloring book.

Even if the paint was safe for animals, the horse doesn’t exist for kids to paint little hearts on it. It really is sad.

Poor, poor Starburst.

View Slideshow: Farrah Abraham Parenting Fails: A Brief History of WTF?!

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George "The Animal" Steele Gets WWE Celeb Tribute (Video)

Get your tissues ready … ‘cause the WWE put together a 3 minute tribute to fallen legend George “The Animal” Steele … and it’s emotional.  Kevin Hart, Bret Hart (no relation), David Arquette, Sheamus, Steph McMahon and more all…

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George "The Animal" Steele Dies; WWE Legend Was 79

The WWE universe has lost a legend.

George “The Animal” Steele, one of the wildest, most beloved and unpredictable superstars in the history of the company, has passed away from kidney failure.

He was 79 years old.

Born William James Myers, The Animal’s death was confirmed by WWE management and also by the ex-athlete’s wife, Patricia.

She told TMZ Sports that Steele had been in and out of hospice care since last April.

Prior to breaking into the sports entertainment business, Steele earned his Master’s Degree from Central Michigan University and became a high school teacher and wrestling coach in the Detroit, Michigan area.

During this time in his life, Steele started to dabble in the world of professional wrestling, first appearing inside a WWE ring in 1967, where he feuded with WWE Champion Bruno Sammartino.

Other feuds for Steele during this period included battles with Pedro Morales and Bob Backlund.

He never won the title, but Steele was considered a strong, often-used villain for about two decades.

Then, in 1985, a storyline found The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff abandoning Steele during a match.

As a result, the wrestler ended up being managed by Caption Lou Albano, transforming into an oddball of a fan favorite with a green tongue and a penchant for eating the insides of a turnbuckle.

In response to his death, Hulk Hogan Tweeted the following this morning:

“My brother, only love, only grateful.”

Added former wrestling manager and executive Jim Cornette:

“Sorry to hear of the passing of George “The Animal” Steele–top star, great guy, had some fun car trips/talks with him in the 90’s. #RIP.”

Here’s a look at other social media reactions from members of the WWE family:

John Layfield: Got the privilege of traveling the world with George ‘The Animal’ Steele and enjoyed every minute of it. RIP my friend.

The Iron Shiek: REST IN PEACE GEORGE THE ANIMAL STEELE. YOU WERE ALWAYS THE INTELLIGENT BROTHER I LOVE YOU.

Jim Ross: Sad to hear the passing of old friend & fellow @WWE HOFER George “The Animal” Steele at age 79. The @michiganstateu grad was good man.

Tommy Dreamer: I feared him as a kid. I cheered him as a teenager. I became friends w/him as an adult. Never be another like. George the Animal Steele.

View Slideshow: Celebrities Who Died in 2017: In Memoriam

We send our thoughts and condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Steele.

He joins the above list of celebrities who have died in 2017.

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WWE Hall of Famer George "The Animal" Steele Dead at 79 (PHOTO GALLERY)

WWE Hall of Famer George “The Animal” Steele died Thursday night in Florida from kidney failure … George’s wife, Patricia, tells TMZ Sports. Patricia tells us George had been in and out of hospice care since April. George had some legendary…

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A Dog"s Purpose Premiere, Press Junket Canceled Amid Animal Abuse Scandal

The aftermath of an alleged animal cruelty scandal continues to affect A Dog’s Purpose.

The movie, which launches nationwide on January 27, is under major fire across the country and across the Internet as a result of footage that surfaced online this week.

The footage in question depicts a German Shepherd named Hercules, clearly agitated and frightened about a stunt that involves throwing him into gushing water.

But a camera on set caught the dog’s handler tossing the poor animal into the water anyway.

TMZ shared the video (below) on Wednesday and the fallout has been swift.

Josh Gad, who voices the dog in the movie, and director Lasse Halstrom, have both spoken out against the treatment of Hercules, while PETA has pushed for a boycott of A Dog’s Purpose.

The film centers around a canine who gets reincarnated several times while trying to figure out the meaning of life.

Now, in the middle of this controversy, we can confirm that the red carpet premiere of the movie has been canceled.

So has the press junket in which stars such as Gad and Dennis Quaid would have talked to reporters about the movie.

A Dog’s Purpose Footage: Animal Cruelty at Play?

Production company Amblin Entertainment has said it is reviewing the above video and added via statement on Thursday:

“Since the emergence of the footage, Amblin has engaged with many associated with the production of the film, including safety personnel, trainers and stunt coordinators as part of their in-depth review.

“While we are all disheartened by the appearance of an animal in distress, everyone has assured us that Hercules the German Shepherd was not harmed throughout the filmmaking.”

That’s good to know.

But the argument can be made that the intention to harm, or the disinterest in whether or not the dog was harmed, is the real issue here.

Actor KJ Apa, who also appears in the film, shared his take on this scandal yesterday via Twitter.

“First things first, I LOVE ALL ANIMALS and would never EVER condone inhumane treatment or abuse of an animal at any time,” he wrote in a lengthy message.

“I was saddened to see the footage from the set of A Dog’s Purpose—a film I was honored to act in, in 2015.

“The video was hard to watch, and I understand why many of you have had the reactions that you did because I had the same ones.

“The footage is still being investigated, from my own experience, I only encountered cast and crewmembers who had unconditional love and respect for every single dog on set, and went to great lengths to assure their safety and wellbeing.”

Concluded Apa:

“I want you guys to know that I would NEVER attach myself to a project that didn’t treat animals with the utmost care, and honestly, the possibility that an animal could’ve been hurt is troubling to me.

“I have been assured that Hercules is happy and healthy.”

The questionable scene was shot in Winnipeg, Canada, in November 2015.

It’s unclear why the footage was only released now.

Once it was was made public, however, PETA asked animal lovers to boycott the film “to send the message that dogs and other animals should be treated humanely, not as movie props.”

After taking a look at the footage, Lisa Lange, PETA’s senior vice president, added:

“This movie is directed towards those who love dogs and, clearly, this is not a dog’s purpose.”

The flick is based on W. Bruce Cameron’s bestselling novel of the same.

The irony here, of course, is that it’s intended to honor dogs and the impact they have on their human owners.

Here is what Gad has said about the unfortunate situation:

A few months ago, I was approached to lend my voice to the film A Dog’s Purpose. As I sat in a dark screening room, I was beyond touched and moved by what I saw…a movie that captures the beauty and pain of loving a pet.

I signed on for a film that truly stands out as one of the most beautiful love letters to animals I have ever seen.

Today, however, I saw a disturbing video that appears to show a scared German Shepherd being forced to perform a stunt on the set of this film.

While I do not know all the details and cannot speak to the level of care and caution that went into this moment (as I was never on set for the making of this film), I am shaken and sad to see any animal put in a situation against its will.

As a proud dog owner and a fervent supporter of organizations like PETA. I have reached out to the production team and studio to ask for an explanation.

A Dog’s Purpose Trailer

Check out the trailer for A Dog’s Purpose above.

You can see footage of Hercules in the water around the 1:20 mark.

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A Dog"s Purpose: Alleged Animal Cruelty on Set Spurs Boycott

WARNING: The video featured below features graphic footage.

Especially if you’re an animal lover.

Due to a video shared on TMZ yesterday, a company that specializes in training animals for movies and television is under major fire this week after its handlers were recorded forcing a frightened dog into cold, churning water on the set of this film.

The footage in question depicts a German Shepherd named Hercules being lowered into the water, despite making repeated attempts to climb out and/or get away.

After a man finally forces the canine into the gushing liquid, the dog appears to go under, at which point production staff members yell “CUT!” and handlers scramble to reach Hercules.

Again, consider yourself warned.

But watch the controversial video here:

A Dog’s Purpose Footage: Animal Cruelty at Play?

TMZ alleges that director Lasse Hallström was present for this shooting, although Hallström wrote on Twitter that he was not on set at the time, promising a “thorough investigation” into what happened.

“I have been promised that a thorough investigation into this situation is underway and that any wrongdoing will be reported and punished,” he Tweeted.

A Dog’s Purpose is based on a book by the same name.

It chronicles the journey of a reincarnated pet whose consciousness is transferred to numerous dogs over the years, as he searches for the meaning of his life.

It stars Dennis Quaid, among others, and is scheduled to be released on January 27.

Following the leaking of this footage, however, calls to boycott the movie have come from animal rights group PETA, as well as from users of Twitter and Facebook.

Meanwhile, the IMDB rating for the movie was driven down to the lowest possible score.

Amblin Entertainment, the production company behind the film, has released a statement in defense of the movie, specifically what you see above.

It reads:

“Amblin is confident that great care and concern was shown for the German Shepherd Hercules, as well as for all of the other dogs featured throughout the production of the film.”

The company goes on to say that Hercules had multiple days of rehearsal to become acclimatized to the set, but “on the day of the shoot, [he] did not want to perform the stunt portrayed on the tape so the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot.”

The clip above was filmed in October of 2015.

The representative from the American Humane Association representative who was present during the filming has now been suspended in the wake of this scandal.

You can check out the official A Dog’s Purpose trailer below, with the scene featuring Hercules in the water taking place around the 1:20 mark:

A Dog’s Purpose Trailer

Producer Gavin Polone actually worked on the movie, yet did not hold back in his criticism of this situation.

He told Deadline that it was the movie’s second unit who filmed the scene, of which he wasn’t a part.

But Polone was “horrified” by the footage.

“If I had seen that, I would have stopped it in a minute,” he told Deadline, adding:

“In the time I was on set, I never saw, in any way, the animal handlers stressing out the anima. I know the studio is outraged and investigating this.”

We should hope so.

Adds PETA:

“PETA is calling on dog lovers to boycott the film in order to send the message that dogs and other animals should be treated humanely, not as movie props.”

And here is actor Josh Gad’s statement on the incident.

He voices the dog in the movie:

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Amy Duggar: Does She Have a History of Animal and Domestic Abuse?!

Remember when Amy Duggar was the most likable of all the Duggars?

She"s always been so much more relatable than her other famous family members — since she wasn"t raised like Josh, Jessa, Jill, and the rest of those 19 kids, she"s always been a breath of fresh Duggar air.

Or at least, that"s how things used to be.

Since Amy brought her husband, Dillon King, on Marriage Boot Camp to discuss their problems and share their deepest, darkest secrets, everything has changed in the worst way.

Thankfully, we know now that the scary incident she shared in the trailer for the show, the one where a man picked her up by her throat and lifted her up to the ceiling, didn"t have anything to do with her husband.

But that doesn"t mean there"s never been any violence in their home.

In this new clip from Marriage Boot Camp, Amy and Dillon discuss a pretty awful story about how he once picked up their kitten and dropped the poor animal on its jaw.

He tries to play it off like an accident, but there"s a reason cats are known for always landing on all fours — and that"s because they do.

Also in the clip, it"s revealed that Amy punched Dillon after he did whatever he did to the cat.

And Amy"s excuse for punching her husband?

"You had to be there."

Watch the questionable clip below:

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N.Y. Man Stabs Floor of McDonald"s, Fears Wild Animal Attack

A New York man has been arrested after reportedly hallucinating and going on a knife-wielding rampage inside a McDonald"s on Black Friday.

Fortunately, only the floor of the restaurant was harmed.

Hancock, N.Y., police and New York State Police arrested the knife-wielding man who was reportedly hallucinating inside the McDonald"s.

Police say on Friday at around 10:00 p.m., Braden Rose, 40, was seen stabbing at the floor of the restaurant in a violent state of paranoia.

Officers disarmed the man without incident and said it was determined he was hallucinating, believing he was being attacked by wild animals.

After being evaluated, it was determined that he was under the influence of drugs, and was taken to Delaware Valley Hospital for treatment.

The man had ingested drugs at McDonald"s, apparently.

Moreover, in his possession, he had approximately one ounce of cocaine, 1.7 ounces of heroin, various pills and hypodermic needles.

Rose is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and more.

A lot more. So much more that he was arraigned in the Village of Hancock Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $ 25,000.

The approximate value of the drugs seized is $ 10,000.

We don"t have a video of this incident, but because crazy things going on at McDonald"s are fairly common, we do have this for you:

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