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Deshaun Watson sent a clear message to female Cleveland Browns fans on Friday ... saying he understands the seriousness of the sexual misconduct allegations made against him -- but maintaining he "never assaulted any woman."

Watson opened his conference by thanking Dee and Jimmy Haslam for bringing him to the organization ... saying he was excited to have an opportunity to prove his true character.

Watson spoke about the public outcry following the trade ... saying, "I understand the whole circumstances is very difficult, especially for the women side of the fans in this community. I'm not naïve to that. I know these allegations are very, very serious but like I mentioned before, I never assaulted any woman, I never disrespected any woman."

He added ... "I was raised by a single-parent mom, who has two aunties, who has a sister ... and that's who raised me. I was raised to be genuine and respect everyone and everything around me. I've always defended that and I will continue to stand on that."

GM Andrew Berry acknowledged the transaction was "difficult" and "triggered" emotions within the community ... but doubled down on the team's claim it did its due diligence when it decided to pursue Watson.

Berry says the team used independent investigators in Houston to provide an unbiased conclusion ... claiming the team has faith in Watson as a person.

Berry says the team was advised to NOT reach out to the 22 women accusing Watson of sexual misconduct ... as it could impact the criminal proceedings.

As we previously reported, Watson was traded to the Browns in exchange for three first-round picks, one third-round pick and two fourth-round picks last week.

The 26-year-old is currently facing a mountain of lawsuits over claims of sexual misconduct made by more than 20 massage therapists ... yet he has adamantly denied any wrongdoing.

There was a horrendous accident at a Florida amusement park that left a child dead, and sadly it's yet another case of the fact ... these rides are not risk-free.

A 14-year-old boy was riding the "Orlando Free-Fall" at ICON Park Thursday when he fell to the ground and died.

The apex of the ride stands at 430 feet ... the park boasts the world's tallest freestanding drop tower.

An eyewitness told Fox News 35 ... "At first we thought it was a piece of the ride or whatever until we got a little closer and it was a person laying on the ground. Everyone was just panicking and screaming."

The ride is a new edition ... it opened in December. The way it works ... once the chairs reach the top, they hurl toward earth at 75 mph.

Police are investigating.

Emotions always run high for nominees ahead of the Oscars ... but fear is in the air especially this year, as attendees wait nervously for their COVID test results.

Everyone who wants entry to the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood must show proof of a negative COVID test and proof of vaccination -- well, with the exception of the presenters and the performers. For some reason, they don't have to show proof of vaccination ... just a negative test.

There's a lot riding on this ... the folks nominated want to attend -- badly -- and the nervousness surrounding testing has its own catch phrase ... swab sweat.

For some reason, the celebs who are required to be tested have to get not just one negative PCR test, but 2. This is way more restrictive than L.A. County's current guidelines.

Best Director nominee Kenneth Branagh is sweating it for sure ... he tested positive for COVID and is self-isolating. Unclear if he'll make the show..

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin thinks he has a lot in common with J.K. Rowling ... saying cancel culture has gone from shutting out people to canceling his entire country.

During a call with officials and cultural workers Friday, the President of Russia talked about his country being shunned from the rest of the world, comparing it to Rowling's experience with backlash for her comments against the trans community.

He says, “They canceled Joanne Rowling recently -- the children’s author, her books are published all over the world -- just because she didn’t satisfy the demands of gender rights."

He thinks the west is trying to do the same to his country, calling it "progressive discrimination" toward Russia.

As we've reported, Rowling has been in the hot seat for a while, due to comments she's made throughout the past year that many perceive as transphobic ... remarks she's since tried to clarify.

Putin then compared cancel culture to Nazis burning books in the 1930s ... saying it's impossible to picture something like that happening in his country.

He claims Russia is no place for intolerance, saying, "representatives from dozens of ethnic groups" have lived together for centuries.

New footage from inside a bombed Ukrainian theater has been released, and the images are horrendous ... showing the high level of destruction from the point of view of refugees attempting to escape.

The man filming the aftermath of the Mariupol shelling describes the clip, saying he, and others, were on the first floor when the bombs hit, and luckily they weren't injured ... but many are likely under the massive rubble, as it's where most go to get water.

The City Council of Mariupol announced on local news, "There is information, based on eyewitnesses, that about 300 people died in the Drama Theater in Mariupol as a result of a bombing by Russian aircraft."

They say it isn't certain how many escaped the rubble, but according to those that were inside the building during the attack, the casualty count is high.

As we reported, an airstrike hit the center of the theater last Wednesday, where up to 1,300 refugees were taking cover from Russian shelling ... the location was being used as one of the main shelters in the city.

Ukrainians even wrote the Russian word for "children" on the street in front of the building -- signaling to attackers in the sky to avoid the theater. That did not happen.

The City Council said the bombers were strategic, knowing exactly what they were hitting.

Petro Andriushchenko -- adviser to Mariupol's mayor -- said an estimated 200 people survived the shelling. Hundreds are still missing.

Essentials like water, electricity, and gas have been cut off from the city, and bodies are being left in the streets because it's too dangerous to go out and clean up.

Bob Saget's fans will finally be able to see the touching, and sometimes hilarious, tribute his close friends put together for him -- and the list of celebs who memorialized him is seriously impressive.

Mike Binder, one of Bob's best friends, was the brains behind January's event at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood, and he says it's coming to Netflix in June.

Mike made the announcement on the Dystopia Tonight! with John Poveromo podcast, and says he hooked Netflix when he showed a video of the star-studded event to the platform's head of comedy.

It's pretty easy to see why they decided to buy it as a stand-alone special. Mike shared one clip featuring Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Stamos, Jeff Ross and John Mayer.

The guys were jamming a bluesy tribute, and you gotta see the punchline Rock dropped!

There were only a limited number of Comedy Store tickets made available to the public, so very few fans have seen this ... another reason Netflix locked it up.

Mike says Carrey's appearance, in particular, is pretty special because these days he frequents The Store ... but usually just hangs backstage.

Teresa Giudice is in the hospital after undergoing an emergency medical procedure ... TMZ has learned.

Teresa's lawyer, James Leonard, tells us, she was admitted Wednesday night and had a "non-cosmetic" operation Thursday morning. Leonard tells us, "she is recuperating and is looking forward to speedy recovery. She thanks everyone for their prayers and well wishes.”

Teresa appears to be recovering well, her daughter Gia posted a pic of her mom in the hospital with the caption, "Such a trooper I love you. Pray for a speedy recovery I love you" and tagged her mother.

Page Six first reported the hospitalization.

As we reported, the 'RHONJ" star got engaged to her fiancé Luis Ruelas back in October in Greece. He pulled out all the stops when he popped the big question ... with sparklers, candles, roses, a violinist and fireworks.

Of course, Teresa was married to her now ex-husband Joe Giudice for 20 years, but the two finalized their divorce in 2020.

No word yet on a wedding date for Teresa and Luis, but for now we assume the focus is making sure she gets the proper care she needs to recover.

Cheslie Kryst's suicide is changing the way the Miss USA pageant supports contestants ... and there's a new emphasis on mental health.

Contestants who are currently competing are now getting access to mental health workshops ... Crystle Stewart, Prez of the Miss USA org tells TMZ.

There's lots of mental stress that goes into the Miss USA pageants, which Crystle says can lead to anxiety and depression ... and the new workshops pair the contestants with psychiatrists and mental health experts.

Crystle says it's all being done through her organization, the Crystle Stewart Foundation, and she says the workshops will help the ladies prepare to be on stage and in the public eye, teach them coping mechanisms for when they feel anxious or overwhelmed, and show them how to avoid a state of depression if they don't win.

It's interesting ... Crystle says the mental health services will be just as important for winners as for those who don't take home the crown. She says the Miss USA winners almost have more stress, because they're immediately uprooted to Los Angeles, thrown into the Miss Universe competition and become overnight celebrities ... all of which require tons of mental prep.

It could be a life-saving addition to the Miss USA operation ... as we reported, Cheslie died by suicide earlier this year, and her mom said the 2019 Miss USA champion suffered from depression.

Crystle says Cheslie's death struck the pageant world really hard, and made her speed up the process to provide contestants with mental health resources.

Master P is joining the recovery effort in his hometown -- after a deadly tornado tore through New Orleans, he's put together a team to, literally in some cases, pick up the pieces for victims.

The rapper tells TMZ ... his "Team Hope" currently has 25 people in the area, and it's comprised of his friends, family and other community members. So far, they've helped more than 100 families in NOLA's 9th Ward by handing out essential supplies, and helping the elderly fill out damage claim forms.

Most importantly, the crew is already starting the rebuilding process by cleaning up the damage and salvaging what they can from wrecked homes.

The tornado cut through several parts of the city late Tuesday night, injuring multiple people and killing at least one person. As it passed through, it flipped cars and ripped roofs off of houses.

Sadly, the city and its residents aren't strangers to mother nature's wrath, but Master P tells us, "New Orleans is stronger together ... it's time to clean up and rebuild. We have done this so many times we have to be thankful for life."

P is feeling that gratitude because, as his own relatives narrowly dodged disaster this time around -- he says they live 7 blocks away from where the twister touched down.

Back when NOLA was reeling last year from Hurricane Ida ... Master P's provided much-needed relief, distributing clean drinking water through one of his companies.

Cancel the rest of the NBA season ... Warriors superfan G-Eazy thinks it's a foregone conclusion his Golden State squad will win the championship this year, despite its recent struggles.

TMZ Sports spoke with Gerald as he was leaving Musso & Frank in L.A. this week ... and the dude was as confident as ever in his beloved Warriors, even though they've been stumbling as of late.

"We'll be all right, man," said G-Eazy, who's been a die-hard Dubs supporter for years. "We're still going all the way."

Of course, a lot of NBA pundits might disagree ... the Warriors, after all, are just 7-12 since early February, and Steph Curry is currently out with a foot injury.

But, G-Eazy, who's written a bunch of songs in honor of the Warriors, still believes in his guys.

"We're going all the way, absolutely," he said. "That's what we do, man. That's what we do."

The Warriors got off to a red-hot start this season ... but injuries to members of their Big Three -- Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Steph -- have put their championship hopes in question.

Before this cheerful little boy with a big bright smile was spitting raps, he was just another active young kid with big dreams from Santa Monica, California.

Need another clue? 2015 was the year for this applauding baby in the yellow bib ... a year of playing no games and counting your blessings. He's even celebrating his birthday today and has now completed 34 laps around the sun as a big musician.

Bounce on in and see if you have what it takes to guess who this smiling baby is in the cute throwback!

For rapper Everlast, his marriage is not everlasting ... because his wife just filed for divorce.

The House of Pain front man's wife, Lіѕа Schrody, beelined it to a California courthouse Wednesday and filed divorce docs after nearly 13 years of marriage.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Lisa lists the date of separation as Dec. 8, 2021, and she cites the usual "irreconcilable differences" as her reason for the split.

Everlast and Lisa, a former Penthouse model, got hitched way back in 2009 and have 2 minor children together ... 12-year-old Laila and 9-year-old Sadie ... and Lisa's seeking joint legal and physical custody.

In the docs, Everlast's wife is also seeking spousal support ... and she wants to terminate the court's ability to award him support.

The wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was smack in the middle of Donald Trump's bogus 'Stop the Steal' campaign, and she was involved at the highest levels.

Virginia Thomas repeatedly contacted White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, pushing to have the 2020 presidential election results overturned.

She fired off a series of text messages in the weeks after the election, lobbying for a way to have Donald Trump declared the winner ... this according to the Washington Post.

There were 29 messages between Virginia -- aka Ginni -- and Meadows. What's interesting -- and troubling -- is that the exchanges came at a time when Trump was crowing that he would go to the Supreme Court to invalidate the election results.

In a message one week after the election, she wrote, "Help This Great President stand firm, Mark!!! ... You are the leader, with him, who is standing for America’s constitutional governance at the precipice. The majority knows Biden and the Left is attempting the greatest Heist of our History."

The Washington Post and CBS News obtained the text messages.

In another exchange, Meadows wrote, "This is a fight of good versus evil ... Evil always looks like the victor until the King of Kings triumphs. Do not grow weary in well-doing. The fight continues. I have staked my career on it. Well at least my time in DC on it."

Her response ... "Thank you!! Needed that! This plus a conversation with my best friend just now… I will try to keep holding on. America is worth it!"

She never revealed the identity of her best friend.

Now she never invoked her husband's name, but she certainly was able to flex with Trump's key people to make her case.

The text messages were provided by Meadows to the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th insurrection.

Ginni Thomas attended the January 6th rally, although she never entered the capitol. She said she left early because it was super cold.

Justice Thomas dissented when the Supreme Court refused to hear the GOP's lawsuit seeking to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania.

Vanessa Bryant did it!

Kobe's widow just announced the Bryant family's longtime partnership with Nike has been renewed ... after Vanessa previously said she was parting ways with the Swoosh over money and shoe availability issues.

The previous contract ended in April 2021 after Vanessa was reportedly looking for a "lifetime" contract, similar to what LeBron James and Michael Jordan have gotten.

But, Thursday Vanessa announced both sides were able to come to an agreement to bring Kobe -- and Gigi -- under the Nike brand once again.

"We're excited to announce our partnership with Nike is going to continue! I am so proud that my husband's shoes are still the most worn by players on NBA courts and that the demand for his shoes remain so desired by his fans around the world," Bryant wrote.

And, Vanessa made it clear the deal isn't about financial gain -- it's about continuing to grow Kobe and Gigi's legacy through youth basketball.

"With this new partnership, fans will soon be able to have access to Kobe and Gigi Nike product for years to come and with Nike donating 100% of the net proceeds yearly for Gianna’s shoes to our Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation (M&MSF)."

Vanessa continued ... "I am also grateful that Nike and I will work together to establish a youth basketball center in Southern California that will share the Mamba Mentality with youth athletes for generations to come. I know this is an inspiring moment for my husband and daughter's global fans, and I am very appreciative of each and every one of you!"

The Gigi shoe will reportedly be a custom version of the Kobe 6 Protro, dubbed the "Mambacita Sweet Sixteen."

Former "Love & Hip Hop" star, Apple Watts, is fighting for her life after she was involved in a serious car accident -- leaving her vehicle in flames and her in a hospital.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Watts was headed Northbound on I-15 Wednesday in Baker, CA ... when her black Mercedes and a Ford F250 pickup truck collided. We're told Watts' car flipped multiple times, and burst into flames when it came to a stop.

Cops say one of the passengers inside the F250 was able to pull Watts out of her burning vehicle ... and she was life-flighted to a Nevada hospital, where she's being treated for "major injuries."

At this time, it's unknown what caused the accident ... or if drugs or alcohol played a role in the vehicles colliding.

Brandy Norwood's former housekeeper says the singer gave her the boot because she was too old, and still owes her for work she completed ... so she's filed a lawsuit.

The housekeeper, who says she's over 60, claims she was fired by Brandy's team in February. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Brandy got rid of the employee because she no longer wanted an "older" housekeeper.

The housekeeper claims she wasn't paid for her last 2 days of work, and now she's suing for back pay and a whole lot more.

Additionally, the housekeeper -- who says she earned $125 a day at Brandy's Calabasas home for the past 20 years -- claims she didn't get her legally required breaks, either.

She's suing for more than $250K in damages, and it's yet another legal headache on Brandy's plate.

She and her stylist were sued back in January by a fashion designer and store owner over a ring Brandy was supposed to wear to the American Music Awards, but allegedly failed to return.

We've reached out to Brandy's rep regarding the housekeeper's lawsuit ... so far, no word back.