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Will Smith stole the Oscars spotlight away from "CODA," the Best Picture winner and, in the process, he tarnished a major milestone in the deaf community ... so says the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness.

Dr. Patricia Hughes tells TMZ ... deaf people have been overlooked for so long, and their moment on a huge platform like the Academy Awards came and passed too quickly. Instead of people talking about the historic victory for "CODA," the majority of buzz was about Will slapping Chris Rock.

She thinks we should be focusing on the impactful moment for the hearing-impaired ... especially the heartfelt acceptance speech that gave the filmmakers a unique opportunity to appreciate the hearing-impaired.

Dr. Hughes says both of her children serve as her CODA -- child of deaf adult -- and the movie shows their community as a culture, something that doesn't happen often. The film also serves an educational purpose, teaching how kids can help deaf adults, and how deaf and non-deaf people can coexist.

Dr. Hughes would like to see more discussion in society about those issues moving forward -- something that could have been sparked by the film's big moment at the Oscars ... if not for Will.

Joe Exotic is explaining why he finally filed for divorce from husband Dillon Passage ... he wants to get hitched to a new guy he met behind bars!!!

The Netflix star's lawyer, Autumn Blackledge, tells TMZ ... Joe's new love interest is a man named John Graham, and the prison romance is the reason Exotic recently filed divorce docs from jail.

Joe sums it up this way ... "God works in amazing ways." Yes, He does.

As we first told you ... Joe and Dillon were estranged for more than a year before Exotic filed for divorce, and Dillon's already got a new man in his life too.

Joe's attorney tells us he met John in February 2021 when they were both locked up at FMC Fort Worth in Texas ... and even though John's since been released from custody, it seems he's had a lasting impact on Joe.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, John was in prison for burglary and possession of a firearm. He was sentenced in 2012 to more than 12 years in prison, although prison records show he was released March 15 of this year.

Joe married Dillon on Dec. 11, 2017 ... only 2 months after Exotic's previous husband, Travis Maldonado, died after accidentally shooting himself.

Khloe Kardashian is butt hurt over claims she enhanced her posterior ... actually, she seems more amused than hurt.

Khloe decided to respond to folks who dissected one of her Insta posts and concluded she had butt implants. The photo shows Khloe in hot pink pants during a workout. Some users were quick to conclude there was visual evidence she had implants.

One user commented, "omg u can see her implants when stretching. A 2nd layer of her bum on top of her bum."

Khloe decided to address the bum who wrote ... "lol silly goose. It's the seam design of the leggings. that's so funny ha! You guys just want to believe anything bad😂"

The slap that derailed the Oscars is still the talk of Hollywood. So, we gotta ask ...

Bruce Willis is educating the world about aphasia by opening up a discussion that wasn't there before ...  according to organizations that support the cause.

The National Aphasia Association saw an unexpected 30,000 hits on their website just one hour after the Willis family broke the news on Instagram ... so says Darlene Williamson, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The goal of NAA is to make those with aphasia feel accepted in the community, and Bruce's family's announcement is decreasing the stigma behind the disease. Darlene says they've received several modest donations since the news of Bruce's diagnosis ... some of the donations came with personal notes in Bruce's honor.

Justine Knight, the Executive Director at Triangle Aphasia Project Unlimited, tells us one of the worst things those with the disease could do is stay isolated ... but now, people are opening up about their experiences after seeing a celebrity in the same position as them.

Justine says they've seen a recent uptick in visitors online too with their Facebook page reaching over 4,000 users a day -- compared to less than 100 before Bruce's news broke.

Even though these WWE wrestlers have been workin' on their fitness ... it's imperative to prepare for the ultimate showdown at WrestleMania 2022.

From gym-mirror selfies to post-match pics, the stars of WrestleMania have been teasing us with their fighting physiques. Yes, this is THE sporting event of the weekend and the wrestlers of all shapes and sizes -- men and women -- will unveil their beefcakes and peachy buns as they hit the AT&T stage.

Waka Flocka says Kanye West doesn't care about performing at the Grammys in the slightest ... so Ye's ban shouldn't mean much to an artist Waka considers a genius.

The "No Hands" rapper sat down with Raq on the "It's Tricky With Raquel Harper" podcast ... and offered a strong defense of Kanye, and a scathing review of the music awards show.

Waka says musicians shouldn't put much weight into the Grammys, because they're being judged by a few dozen people ... whereas concerts see crowds with 100,000 fans.

As we reported ... Kanye was yanked from the upcoming Grammys lineup because of his online antics.

Waka's read is along the same lines as Damon Dash's ... who told us hip-hop doesn't need the Recording Academy.

Waka says Kanye is "an unapologetic genius" who is being judged too harshly by most folks ... though he admits Ye should be a little wiser with his choice of words given his celebrity.

Don't let these two similar shots of 2 Chainz and Stephen Jackson flossing courtside distract you from the task at hand .... Take a (free throw) shot and guess the differences in these similar snaps of the famous rapper and former NBA player.

The hitmaker and b-baller sat in the stands as fans for the sporting event ... but might have stolen the show with these top-notch looks ... can you look past the fashion-forward friends to find the different little looks?

Yes, the photo is a vibe, but can you pass the check and spot the differences?

Will Smith has resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after slapping Chris Rock ... TMZ has confirmed.

Will wrote the following to the Academy's disciplinary committee ... "I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable."

He goes on ... "The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home. I betrayed the trust of the Academy. I deprived other nominees and winners of their opportunity to celebrate and be celebrated for their extraordinary work. I am heartbroken."

And, there's more ... “I want to put the focus back on those who deserve attention for their achievements and allow the Academy to get back to the incredible work it does to support creativity and artistry in film. So, I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and will accept any further consequences the board deems appropriate."

He concludes by saying ... “Change takes time and I am committed to doing the work to ensure that I never again allow violence to overtake reason.”

The Academy is expected to hand down its disciplinary decision in a few weeks.

Miley Cyrus says she's tested positive for the coronavirus after jet-setting around the globe, playing huge festivals and mingling with fans ... but she says it's not a bad thing.

The singer announced her COVID-19 diagnosis Friday on social media, explaining the positive result like this ... "Traveling around the world, playin for a 100,000 people a night & meeting hundreds of fans a day the chances of getting Covid are pretty high."

Miley says she's feeling fine and "it was definitely worth it."

Just in the last month, Miley played shows in Chile, Colombia, Argentina and most recently, Brazil. It's been a whirlwind tour, in advance of her new album, which dropped Friday too.

Miley had an eventful world tour ... in addition to getting COVID, her plane was struck by lightning and forced to make an emergency landing on her way to Asunción, Paraguay.

She dedicated her Brazil performance to late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who Miley says was the first person she talked to after her plane incident.

Johnny Manziel and his new girl are damn near inseparable at this point -- the couple was spotted holding hands in Miami on Friday ... fresh off their steamy night of clubbing.

The former Heisman winner and Kenzie Werner have been living it up in Florida this week ... including a VERY hands-on night on the town on Thursday.

The two got in even more quality time on Friday ... with Manziel holding onto Werner, who was wearing a sheer outfit with a bikini underneath.

As we previously reported, Manziel and Werner have been seeing each other a lot recently ... partying in Scottsdale and South Beach.

The couple even went Instagram official, too -- Manziel posted several pictures with Werner, captioning the post, "So much for a sneaky link 🤷🏻‍♂️."

Manziel is seemingly spending as much time as possible with Werner before stepping foot on the field for Fan Controlled Football ... with the season starting later this spring.

They hit up the beach in Miami earlier this week ... playing catch with a football and packing on the PDA.

Eric Church is extending an olive branch to thousands of pissed off fans for scrapping a concert to attend the North Carolina vs. Duke game ... by scheduling a completely FREE show later this year for anyone impacted by the cancelation.

The MASSIVE Tar Heels fan came under fire earlier this week for bailing on his upcoming gig ... all so he could watch his beloved team play in the Final Four against their hated rivals and coach Mike Krzyzewski (for the very last time).

Fans were super upset, though, with many storming his Facebook page to blast him for the decision.

The country star released a statement regarding the controversy on Friday ... saying he's grateful for the opportunity to check out the game -- and promises to make up for it.

"Thank you San Antonio for letting me take my family to this game," Church said. "It took a minute to figure out how and when I could properly express my thanks."

Church says he'll return to Texas in September for a "one of a kind" free gig for anyone who bought tix ... in hopes of getting back in good graces with the Church Choir.

Will it work?? We'll see ... but at least EC can now enjoy the game without feeling too guilty.

Rapper Stallionaires Pooch tells us he and Tiffany Haddish are an item after they did dinner together this week ... but Tiffany doesn't exactly see it the same way.

We talked to Pooch outside The Henry restaurant Thursday in WeHo ... and he was pretty confident he's got a new lady. He says he knew his charm was what hooked Tiffany, adding he's a respectful dude and knows how to treat a woman right.

Tiffany, however, doesn't appear to be taking their connection as far as Pooch is ... she tells us, "Well, I don’t think one dinner counts as dating. Does it?"

Well, to her point ... Pooch did get a little dodgy when we asked how long they'd been in a relationship. Watch the video -- he also wouldn't say if he's the man Tiffany's been praying for -- something she talked about on "The Tonight Show" back in January while discussing her recent DUI arrest in Atlanta.

While Tiffany and Pooch aren't on the same page about their relationship status ... we gotta give him some props for getting the first date with her. As for a second date? Well, Tiffany will ultimately decide just how charming he is or isn't.

Hope Solo, U.S. soccer legend, was arrested Thursday in North Carolina for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest ... and cops say her two children were in the car when she was busted.

The 40-year-old retired goalkeeper -- a 2x Olympic gold medalist and World Cup winner -- was taken into custody in a Walmart parking lot off Parkway Village Circle in Winston-Salem, North Carolina ... and was taken to the Forsyth County jail for processing.

Officials tell us Solo was booked for impaired driving (DWI), resisting arrest, and misdemeanor child abuse.

It's not the first time Hope, who was arguably the best goalkeeper in the world during her time with the USWNT, has been in trouble with the law.

Solo has previously been arrested for domestic violence. She was accused of berating a police officer in 2014, and threatening to "kick his ass." She was also busted for allegedly getting into a physical confrontation with her teenage nephew.

Solo is married to ex-NFL player Jerramy Stevens. Hope and JS have two young kids together, twins, who just celebrated their 2nd birthday. It's unclear if the kids in the car were Jerramy's ... but it seems likely.

If Solo is ultimately convicted, she could face time behind bars.

Chris Rock might have a lot going on right now, but that hasn't stopped him from takin' a trip to the movies to watch a flick.

Chris showed up by himself Thursday at the AMC Boston Common in MA -- the day after his first standup show since the Oscars. Chris got some popcorn, a hotdog and a water bottle to fortify him as he watched a film ... sorry, we don't know which one, though we're guessing it wasn't "King Richard."

The other dude in the pic -- Gerard Cole -- asked Chris for the photo, and Chris happily obliged.

As we reported, Thursday night was Chris' 2nd show at the Wilbur Theater in Boston ... fans were more rowdy than usual, with several getting kicked out. Some even shouted "F*** Will Smith," which Chris shut down right away.

The producer of the Oscars is now saying it was Chris Rock who did not want Will Smith removed from the Dolby Theater after the slap, but according to a well-placed source with direct knowledge ... that's just not true.

Will Packer appeared on "Good Morning America" Friday and gave his blow-by-blow of the evening. He said after the slap he talked to Chris and said the LAPD was present and wanted to know if Chris wanted Will arrested, but Chris made it clear he did not. No one is disputing that happened.

Here's what IS in dispute ... Packer said it was Chris who said he did not want Will removed from the Dolby theater. Sources connected to Chris tell TMZ ... that was NEVER said. As one source put it, "Chris told Packer 'I'm not pressing charges. All I want to do is leave.' He was never asked if he wanted Will removed. This is the Academy covering itself." An Academy source tells TMZ, "Will Packer is not speaking on behalf of the Academy."

Packer's statement more than intimates it was Chris' decision to keep Will in the theater, and our sources simply call that a lie.