Antonio Brown just announced his playing days are over -- again -- with the free-agent wide receiver saying, "at this point the risk is greater than the reward."
Remember, AB threatened to retire back in September ... after he was released by the New England Patriots amid a myriad of off-field issues, including a sexual assault investigation.
Now ... the 7-time Pro Bowler is singing a similar tune, saying he's putting the game behind him for good.
"Is it time to walk away i done ✅ everything in the game ?!!" AB tweeted on Monday.
"thank you everyone who been part of this journey i sincerely thank you for everything! life goes on 84!"
"I came i saw i conquered mission complete Call God 🤙🏾"
Of course, AB was traded to the Oakland Raiders after a drama-filled 9 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers ... but was released before the 2019 season started.
Kanye West's off-the-rails campaign stop Sunday in North Charleston, South Carolina may not only hurt Ye politically, he has concerned, upset and alarmed many of his friends and the Kardashians ... sources connected to Kanye tell TMZ.
Our sources say those around him believe Kanye is in desperate need of professional help and is in the middle of a serious bipolar episode, but he won't listen to them.
We're told they also believe Kanye is tanking some of his businesses, if not all of them, with rants like when he went on about Harriet Tubman, claiming she did not free slaves. His family and friends know comments like these are the things that trigger boycotts.
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Suffice it to say ... we're told the family is upset that Kanye talked about Kim's first pregnancy and how they discussed abortion, something he says he wanted. Then he blurted out that Kim might divorce him for saying that, but even if she does, he'd thank her for having North.
It's curious he mentioned divorce ... it's usually a topic married folk don't say out loud unless it's been discussed. Whether it was or not ... between Kanye's Forbes interview and Sunday's rally ... you gotta think it puts a strain on the relationship.
BTW ... we're told there's not much concern that Kanye's comments will adversely affect Kim's businesses. We're told their money is separate and her and Kanye's brands are distinguishable.
Finally, we're told his family and friends are also upset because they feel Kanye is a distraction to what is a very important election.
Kanye West is already switching up his campaign -- saying he wants Jay-Z to get on the ticket with him as his VEEP ... despite having already named a running mate.
Ye made the revelation Sunday before his attention-grabbing rally in South Carolina, telling a local blogger how he realized Jay should be his VP. There are, of course, a couple of big hurdles to this pairing becoming reality ... and candidate West addressed them.
First off, Michelle Tidball ... the Wyoming preacher who is currently his running mate. Kanye says she told him she'd be down to take another position in his cabinet if he found a different running mate.
Secondly -- and Ye says it himself in the interview -- he hasn't spoken to Jay in a long while now but in his eyes ... that's a good thing because it proves they're really "brothers" and bonded for life. Unclear if Jay-Z has responded to the request, but Kanye says he's put it out there.
Now, as for how KW landed on Hov as someone to tap in the first place ... he says he was getting signs. Listen carefully ... sounds like it came down to a coincidence about initials.
Whether Jay-Z would seriously accept or not remains to be seen, but after Sunday's off-the-wall rally -- which resulted in tears shed and personal business spilled, not to mention other controversial remarks -- we wouldn't bank on it.
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Especially if Jay's feeling at all like Trey Songz is at the moment. The singer openly bashed Kanye online after seeing his wild South Carolina appearance.
Nicki Minaj's intent to become a mom has finally come to fruition, 'cause she's confirming what a lot of her fans have suspected ... she's PREGNANT!!!
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The rapper made the surprise announcement Monday morning on Instagram, posting a photo of herself looking at least 6 months along and adding the caption, "#Preggers."
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She posted another photo too from what appears to have been a full-blown Beyonce-style baby bump shoot. No caption for the second pic -- none needed really, the image itself does all the talking.
Our girl is very preggo, and is finally ready to tell the world about it.
It's crazy ... because you'll recall Nicki announced back in September 2019 she was retiring and done with the rap game so she can focus on starting her family. It didn't take long before she got back in the game, but also she also got wifed up!
As we've reported ... Nicki ended up marrying childhood friend Kenneth Petty the following month. It seems their relationship has really prospered over the last few months -- minus their brief beef with Meek Mill.
She dropped even more hints this past May, when answering some fan questions she talked about mad cravings, "nausea and peeing nonstop," and even teased a possible baby bump!
So, with that said, congrats on Baby Barbie, NM ... or Baby Ken. Whatever it ends up being.
Conor McGregor was rubbin' elbows with ROYALTY on the French Riviera on Monday ... racing water bikes with Princess Charlene of Monaco and the pics are awesome.
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The two got in a workout while Conor and his family are in the area on vacation. Afterward, their families -- including Prince Albert -- hung out together on shore.
"A Great day racing the water bikes with Princess Charlene of Monaco," Conor said.
"A phenomenal athlete and Olympian, we are teaming up for a 180km voyage in September to raise awareness in water safety. I cannot wait!"
It's true ... Princess Charlene is one hell of an athlete herself -- a former Olympic and World Champion swimmer!
In fact, she competed for South Africa in the 2000 Olympic Games in the 4x100 relay, fishing behind Team USA (led by Olympic legend Amy Van Dyken).
She retired from competitive swimming in 2007 -- and now focuses on various philanthropic efforts including water safety and the Special Olympics.
McGregor was clearly impressed with the water bike workout -- saying he will now incorporate the exercise into his McGregor F.A.S.T. training program.
"Thank you for the great day for my family Your Highness," McGregor added ... "In aid of the Princess Charlene of Monaco foundation."
Johnny Ortiz -- who starred alongside Kevin Costner in "McFarland, USA" -- is currently sitting behind bars after being charged with premeditated attempted murder charges ... TMZ has learned.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ortiz and another man, Armando Miguel Navarro, allegedly tried to kill a man named Brian Duke "for the benefit of, at the direction of, and in association with a criminal street gang with the specific intent to promote, further and assist in criminal conduct by gang members."
Navarro is the one accused of pulling the trigger, and while it's unclear exactly what role Ortiz played in the crime ... prosecutors felt it warranted the attempted murder charge.
Ortiz -- who starred as one of the cross country runners in the based-on-a-true-story Disney flick, "McFarland, USA" -- was arrested in late May, and remains behind bars. The judge set his bail at a whopping $1,120,000.
His family insists he's not guilty, and is trying to raise his bail through crowdfunding. They wrote on the site, "Johnny is everything to our family. Johnny does everything to help the community and the Hispanic community especially ... he is in jail fighting for his case that he is innocent on."
The actor's also appeared in "Ali," "American Crime" and "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie."
Ortiz has pled not guilty and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday.
Marilyn Monroe's pearls from her last ever photo shoot could be sitting in your collection -- the historic jewelry is hitting the auction block.
Marilyn wore faux pearl earrings and slipped on a faux pearl necklace for the photo spread -- famously known as the "Last Sitting" -- with legendary fashion photog Bert Stern.
The pics were snapped just 6 weeks before her death, and they're going up for sale through online auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll, where they're expected to fetch a pretty penny.
The jewelry is cool, but so is the Nikon camera Bert used to take thousands of photos that day, and it's also up for auction. While Vogue Magazine supplied the props, clothes, jewelry and accessories ... the camera was Bert's personal one.
Marilyn even used the camera as a prop, spontaneously grabbing the Nikon while Bert grabbed a spare camera and kept snapping away. The auction house expects the Nikon to fetch $60,000 due to its place in pop culture.
The pearls are expected to bring in $50,000 for the earrings and $8k for the necklace.
Some of Marilyn's extensive wardrobe is also part of the auction ... we're told a gown and shawl is estimated to go for $40k and a pair of black and white checkered pants could fetch $15k. MM owned and wore the clothing.
Half a BILLION dollars might not have been enough for Patrick Mahomes ... so says the QB's star WR, Tyreek Hill, who tells TMZ Sports he would've gone higher!!!
"I mean, hell," Hill says, "I thought he was worth even more!!"
Of course, Hill tells us the deal is still massive and more than fair for his Chiefs BFF ... adding, "I'm proud of my boy, Pat, man! I'm really happy for him."
Mahomes inked a record-breaking 10-year, $503 MILLION contract extension earlier this month ... and Hill believes that could be the catalyst for a lengthy dynasty in K.C.
In fact, the 2-time All-Pro wideout tells us with Mahomes locked in and star defensive tackle Chris Jones inking a new deal ... he sees multiple rings on the horizon for the Chiefs.
"I'm proud of just the Chiefs in general for getting all these deals done, man," Hill says. "'Cause they understand right now is our time, like this is our window to be great, for us to build that dynasty and I'm just happy to be along with them."
As for who's buying meals going forward now that he, Jones and Pat have signed huge contracts ... Hill says that honor will go to Mahomes from here on out.
Sorry, kid.
By the way, Tyreek is doing some really cool things this offseason while preparing to go back to back with K.C. ... he tells us he's creating a clothing brand that he hopes can help raise money and awareness in the fight for social justice.
Before this little guy with some green was making the big bucks as an international rapper and songwriter, he was just another young man livin' the singles life in Long Beach, California.
Although this artist can still be spotted wearing a clean white shirt and more muted fashion ... his dynamic vocals and creative lyrics are anything but bland.
If you're still struggling to guess who this kid with cash is, maybe you should take a look at who he collaborates with ... he's teamed up with stars like A$AP Rocky, Billie Eilish, Mac Miller and Tyler, the Creator.
Jennifer Aniston wants people to know that coronavirus is real and dangerous, and the way she's relaying the message is with an incredibly powerful photo of a friend.
The actress posted a personal anecdote Sunday about a friend of both hers and Courteney Cox who contracted COVID-19 earlier this year, and was hospitalized as a result. It looks like the guy was in the ICU ... he's hooked up, and not in a good way.
Jen writes, "This is our friend Kevin. Perfectly healthy, not one underlying health issue. This is Covid. This is real. We can't be so naive to think we can outrun this...if we want this to end, and we do, right? The one step we can take is PLEASE #wearadamnmask."
She also posted a photo of her and Courteney wearing masks, adding ... "Just think about those who've already suffered through this horrible virus. Do it for your family. And most of all yourself. Covid effects all ages."
BTW, Kevin's story luckily has a happy ending. Jen says the photo she put up was taken in April, explaining ... "PS this photo was taken in early April. Thank god he has almost recovered now. Thank you all for your prayers 🙏🏼❤️"
Still, a powerful cautionary tale no doubt. Here's hoping people listen up, but the reality is ... there's been plenty of evidence for months, but the anti-sciencers just don't give 2 f****.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters is like the Sheriff to the Sheriff, because she just happened on a traffic stop involving a black man and stopped to make sure cops stayed in line.
The legendary representative was driving in her district this weekend when she saw an L.A. County Sheriff patrol car. She saw the officers in the process of detaining a black man and that's all the info she needed. MW hit the brakes and jumped out.
Apparently, she was not particularly well-received, because the Congresswoman says the deputies told her she parked illegally, so she was in danger of getting a ticket.
Looks like Sheriff Waters was effective. Otherwise, there'd be video to the contrary.
Al Sharpton thinks President Trump joking about renaming a military base after him is more of the same old song the man has played time and again ... think Song of the South.
We got the Reverend Sunday in NYC ... not too long after Trump's interview with FOX News' Chris Wallace aired earlier in the morning. The Prez was asked about threatening to veto a military spending bill that has bipartisan support ... all because it also seeks to rename national military bases named after Confederate generals, like Fort Bragg.
DT challenged Chris to come up with a new name .. and then he name-dropped Al out of nowhere.
Fox News Sunday
Welp, the good Reverend has some thoughts on that ... telling us it's hard to make sense of what Trump's getting at, because he says the dude's so nonsensical. Still, in Al's eyes ... he finds it crazy that Trump's so stuck on defending the Confederacy as a heroic cause.
It obviously wasn't, as he points out -- the rebels were traitors, and definitely on the wrong (and losing) side of history.
Rev. Sharpton has been on Trump's case for decades, from the Central Park 5 to the racism spewing out of the President's mouth, so Sharpton's not surprised Trump got snarky on him.
Kanye West's first presidential rally just wrapped up and he stirred up lots of controversy by discussing Harriet Tubman, abortion and the possibility of divorcing Kim Kardashian West.
Ye held his first event as a candidate Sunday at the Exquis Event Center in North Charleston, SC -- and right off the bat ... it was unorganized and rowdy. He didn't even have a podium or a microphone to address the crowd, which was right up in his face.
At any rate, Kanye rambled through a number of topics -- oftentimes incoherently -- but one thing he said that came through crystal clear ... him suggesting that Harriet did NOT free slaves in her day, but just siphoned them off to other oppressive white folks.
That line drew jeers and groans from the crowd almost instantly -- we gotta say, it seriously reminded us of his "slavery was a choice" moment at TMZ a few years ago.
There's more. At one point, Ye launched into a rant about abortion, a woman's choice, etc. -- and he got incredibly emotional recounting a story about his then-girlfriend (now wife) Kim once telling him she was pregnant and how they considered not having the baby.
Kanye broke down sobbing while telling the story, saying that it hurt him because he confessed he did not want to have it ... which reminded him of his own father, who apparently didn't want him either when his own mother, Donda West, was pregnant.
It was a very personal thing to share, and Ye seemed to acknowledge as much when he followed up by saying it's possible Kim might wanna divorce him after this. He continued that train of thought, saying if she ever did ... he'd be thankful for her delivering North.
Ye went on to touch on a number of other subjects, including the fact that there weren't enough Black people in true positions of power -- including at Adidas, where he says he wants to sit on the board of directors, or else. Of course, he also talked about God and Jesus.
During the chaotic rally, Ye tried fielding questions from onlookers -- all of whom had to wear masks, but hardly any of whom were socially distanced -- but it mostly turned into a shouting match between himself and the rambunctious crowd. It was all hard to follow.
Probably not the greatest start for the Birthday Party campaign, but Kanye doesn't seem to mind ... he said he doesn't care if he wins the presidency or not. Why run then, right?
Anyway, up until today, Kanye seemed pretty serious about his presidential bid. TMZ broke the story ... Ye has filed docs with the Federal Election Commission, and he's also filed docs to get on the ballot in Oklahoma.
He tweeted Saturday, "Hi guys please sign up to put me on the ballot in South Carolina at any of these locations," and he went on to list various places, in addition to his 2020 website.
The first poll shows Kanye is pulling 2% of the vote. What's unclear ... between Biden and Trump, who gets hurt more and who benefits the most? What's also unclear ... if Ye's gonna go the distance after the train wreck that just occurred.
A volcano in Italy known for blowing its lid every now and then just did it again -- only this time, it was captured on camera at night ... which made for some scary fireworks.
This went down early Sunday morning on the Italian island of Stromboli, which has a very active volcano right in the middle of it that erupts from time to time -- sometimes killing a person or two, at least of late, but mostly just wakes people up and freaks 'em out.
Fortunately, this latest explosion was more of the latter ... the volcano starting going off around 3 AM, but didn't cause any injuries and/or deaths, and no significant damage either. Looks like most of the activity stayed closer to the crater and vent (the peak, basically).
However, according to the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology's observatory near Mt. Etna -- there appeared to be some debris and lava seeping down the slope ... where hikers sometimes visit during the day. So, yeah ... it could've been bad.
In any case, it's crazy to see the thing blowing up and throwing out lava bombs on camera -- webcams that are set up near the top of the volcano caught some of the action. According to reports, the whole thing lasted about four minutes before things settled down.
Scientists say that Sunday's eruption was strong, but not nearly as strong as a couple that happened last summer, which killed one person and sent other tourists running for the sea.
First a pandemic, 7.1 earthquakes, and now this ... when are the locusts coming?
11:44 AM PT -- A new angle of the black bear run-in proves one thing ... the lady who was nearest to the creature has ice in her veins, 'cause she fired off a selfie when Bongo here was too close for comfort.
Check it out ... the bear gets up on its hind legs and is pretty much right up against the woman, who doesn't fret ... in fact, she calmly whips out her phone and snaps a shot, almost like they were hiking buddies or something. Meanwhile, a man filming from a distance is trying to shoo the bear away like it was a household pet. Looks like it worked -- the bear eventually got back and down and crept away slowly.
This may be the scariest video of the month ... a super curious bear spotted a few women, approached them, sniffed them, got on its hind legs and seemingly hugged them, and they lived to tell about it!!!
It went down Saturday in Mexico at the Chipinque Ecological Park. You see the bear at one point putting its paw on one of the women, almost nuzzling her.
As most people know, bears often attack when people panic or run, and how can you not when a bear is all over you?!!?
Well, these folks are amazing. They remain clam -- and pretty much still -- as 2 men in the background try to scare the bear away by talking loudly.
The bear eventually has had enough and leaves, and boy ... you can only imaging the heart rate of those women.
So here's what authorities say about black bears that get too close ... "Stay calm, never stand between a baby and its mother, do not go near or feed them, take shelter and watch it, avoid photographing it or taking selfies."
