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Sometimes it pays to be fired ... a Kentucky man who claims he was canned after suffering a panic attack over an unwanted office birthday party sued and a jury awarded him $450,000!

The jury awarded the loot to Kevin Berling ... who sued his employer for disability discrimination, claiming he was fired 10 months into his job over a birthday party gone wrong.

In his suit, Berling claimed he told his office manager NOT to throw him a BD party because he suffers from an anxiety disorder and a celebration would trigger bad childhood memories of his parents' divorce.

But, Berling says the company, Gravity Diagnostics, forgot his request and threw him an office birthday party anyway on Aug. 7, 2019 ... causing Berling to have a panic attack and spend his lunch hour in his car.

Berling claimed he was called into a meeting with company brass the next day, which he says triggered another panic attack ... and he says 3 days later he was fired via email. The company claimed they were worried about Berling being angry and possibly violent.

A few months after being fired, Berling sued ... and there was a two-day trial last month where a Kentucky jury awarded him $450k ... including $300k for emotional distress and $150k for lost wages.

Vanessa Bryant is remembering her late husband, Kobe, on their wedding anniversary, posting a throwback photo of the two with a heartfelt message on what would've marked their 21st year as a married couple.

On Monday, Vanessa shared a photo on her Instagram of her and Kobe from their younger days, paying homage to the love the two shared over the years.

"I love you forever, baby. Happy Anniversary @KobeBryant #21" she captioned the pic.

The Bryant's were married on April 18, 2001 ... so this would've been 21 years Kobe and Vanessa celebrated their matrimony.

It's been over two years since Kobe (along with eight other people including his daughter) tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA ... and Vanessa has been doing everything in her power to keep Mamba's name and legacy going.

She recently announced the longstanding partnership between Kobe and Nike -- which temporarily ended last year -- was repaired, paving the way for the release of the "Mambacita Sweet Sixteen" shoe under the Swoosh brand.

Elon Musk might be the richest man on Earth, but he isn't consuming an absurdly large amount of stuff for himself -- in fact, it's the opposite ... because he's kinda homeless.

The Tesla chief made the startling revelation in TED interview that surfaced over the weekend -- in which he defended his many billions of dollars by arguing it actually isn't as problematic as some make it seem, because he isn't using any of that wealth on or for himself.

Watch ... EM says if he was spending upwards of a bil on himself with frivolous (and environmentally harmful) toys like a yacht or whatever -- sure, the criticism would be warranted. But, he says that's simply not what he uses his money for ... pointing out he doesn't even own a home at the moment.

That's absolutely shocking, but even more surprising is where he says he sleeps at night -- according to Elon, the dude bums it and couch surfs with his friends from all over the world.

He says he often stays in spare bedrooms of theirs rather than in any one house of his. This is a bit of a 180 from where he said he was living last year while discussing his Texas SpaceX headquarters ... where he was proud to shows off his 375-sq.-foot 1 bed.

Based on what he's saying here and now, Elon might've ditched that modest pad and opted for an even more stripped-down lifestyle ... AKA, no property at all.

Jennifer Garner spent her birthday giving back to the community ... hosting a food drive at her house instead of throwing a traditional party.

The 50-year-old actress was all smiles Sunday as she turned her house into a drop-off spot for food ... boyfriend John Miller and her 16-year-old Violet helped her out.

The "13 Going On 30" star had her hands full of boxes but got the job done.

Big turnout ... among the group was Adam Scott, offering a helping hand while wishing his friend a happy birthday.

Two people that were MIA were ex-hubby Ben Affleck and his fiancee ... J Lo.

Ben and Jen hosted a food drive last Thanksgiving, working with Rise Against Hunger by turning his Pacific Palisades home into a food drive staging area.

Ben and Jen were unloading huge sacks of rice ... Ben was slinging 2 back over his shoulders at a time, while J Lo did it all in heels.

The autistic teenager who was found after he went missing for 3 years was freezing his butt off in Utah when cops stumbled upon him ... a moment you can now see on video.

19-year-old Connerjack Oswalt was discovered earlier this month by Summit County Sheriff's deputies in Park City, where he was sitting outside a closed liquor store within a gas station in the dead of night ... shivering by himself and looking helpless.

As you can see, the officers approached him carefully and eventually took him to their car to warm up -- trying to figure out where his shopping cart had gone. Apparently, residents in the area had reported Oswalt before ... and he was on the Sheriff's Dept.'s radar.

The deputies scanned the guy's fingertips and that's where their search for his true identity began. Suspecting there might've been more to his story, they started running different searches ... finding that he'd run into some trouble in Nevada before landing in Utah.

They also perused missing children databases ... and before long, the Sheriff's Dept. realized he'd been reported out of Northern California dating back to 2019.

After some time, they got in touch with his parents ... and Oswalt's stepfather drove all the way down from Idaho Falls -- where the family has since moved -- to make an in-person ID ... that moment, too, was captured on police body cam. Safe to say, it's emotional.

The stepdad, Gerald Flint, has Oswalt's biological mother, Suzanne, on the phone -- and after he realizes it's their kid -- she starts to break down on the other end ... sobbing.

A new optical illusion has emerged that apparently says more about you than the image itself -- depending on what you see ... you're either a geezer or a doe-eyed youth.

You've seen a million of these by now -- where there's two different depictions weaved into one drawing -- but this one's kinda interesting. Apparently, the 2 interpretations (either an old man or a young woman/girl) speak to someone's inner psyche ... and their mental age too.

Word is ... if you see the woman, you have an innocent spirit and view the world through a child's eyes and you may even be a kid at heart, regardless of how old you actually are.

Not just that, but seeing the girl also means you're curious and enjoy the simple things in life -- and you've also maintained your childhood innocence. Reversely, if you spot the elder man first ... you're more so an old soul, and see things with a more chiseled perspective.

The bright side ... it supposedly means you're mature and think about things as such. That's the armchair psychologist diagnosis, anyway.

DJ Kay Slay has died after a 4-month battle with COVID ... this according to his family and peers.

The NY-based legendary hip-hop ambassador passed away Sunday, first confirmed by Wack 100, and then others, as tributes started to pour in from across the industry. His family writes, "Our hearts are broken by the passing of Keith Grayson, professionally known as DJ Kay Slay."

They add, "A dominant figure in Hip Hop culture with millions of fans worldwide, DJ Kay Slay will be remembered for his passion and excellence with a legacy that will transcend generations."

Kay Slay, AKA Dez, started out as a graffiti artist in the '70s and '80s -- and later branched out into music ... making his big splash in the early 2000s through the local radio and music scene with his big personality and unique beat selection ... not to mention his wicked flow.

He's most famous for his mixtapes -- cranking out more than a dozen dating back to 2003 -- plus other solo and compilation artists, which often featured huge names in the game ... including Nas, Swizz Beatz, N.O.R.E., Raekwon, Lloyd Banks and Foxy Brown.

His "Streetsweeper" series is one of his major claims to fame, as was his recurring radio spot on Hot 97 -- which was dubbed the Drama Hour ... another nickname he bore. DJ Kay Slay was also known for his disses in his tracks, and was once called "Hip-Hop's One-Man Ministry of Insults" by the New York Times.

Dez contracted coronavirus in December and was hospitalized for a while. While he showed signs of recovering thereafter, it became clear over time he was struggling to get back to 100%.

DJ Kay Slay was 55.

Colin Kaepernick just wants to play football in the NFL ... even if it means signing on as a backup quarterback, saying "I just need that opportunity to walk through the door."

The 34-year-old QB sat down for a rare interview with former NFL stars Chad Johnson, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Brandon Marshall for an episode of "I AM ATHLETE" -- after a recent workout near the House of Athlete facility in Weston, FL -- where Colin discussed his desire to return to the NFL.

Marshall asked Kaepernick if he'd be willing to take a role similar to Carmelo Anthony in the NBA ... where the Future Hall of Famer signed for the veteran's minimum (about $2.6 million) to play a minimized role with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Colin's answer ... yes, as long as he starts when he proves he's the best person for the job.

"I know I have to find my way back in. So, if I have to come in as a backup, that's fine," Kaepernick told the guys.

"But that's not where I'm staying. And when I prove that I'm a starter, I want to be able to step on the field as such. I just need that opportunity to walk through the door."

Of course, Colin hasn't played in the NFL since 2016 ... where he started 11 games for the San Francisco 49ers.

Kaepernick has long accused the league of blackballing him for his kneeling protest, filing a lawsuit alleging the owners colluded against him ... in an effort to keep him out of the NFL.

In February 2019, Colin settled his lawsuit with the NFL.

The Weeknd and Swedish House Mafia wrapped up Coachella weekend 1 with an epic set on night 3, giving the massive crowd a night to remember.

SHM played solo for the first hour, with classics like "Don't You Worry Child" and "Save The World" -- easy to say the crowd was hyped.

The Weeknd joined the group onstage for remixes of songs like "Moth To A Flame" and "Sacrifice" off his latest album, Dawn FM. After their collab performance, the solo artist stuck around for the final hour to do some of his own chart-breaking hits like "Blinding Lights" and "The Hills."

The Weeknd headlined the Indio festival back in 2018, as well as held performances in 2015, and again in 2012 -- the same year SHM headlined.

A Russian warship that underwent a Ukrainian missile strike can now be seen on video going down -- and it seems clear ... way more passengers died than the Kremlin's letting on.

The flagship, dubbed Moskva, sank last week somewhere in the Black Sea off the coast of Odesa -- but it was somewhat unclear how exactly the massive vessel ended up going down ... at least if you were listening to how Putin and co. were explaining it.

According to Russian forces, there was an ammunition fire that broke out onboard -- and that, they say, is what led to the ship heading underwater ... but Ukraine has said differently from the beginning, and now these images seem to confirm their account.

Ukrainian officials had said they blew the damn thing up with a couple of their missiles -- this as the Russian army started to encroach from the sea in their latest effort to bombard their neighboring country.

It would appear their efforts failed miserably ... because the Moskva -- which was Russia's largest warship to be deployed against Ukraine to date -- clearly lost a good handful of the 500 or so crew members that are reported to have been manning it at the time.

Doja Cat had her first solo performance at Coachella, and she brought Tyga to the stage to perform one of their hits.

The recent Grammy winner got her own lineup spot Sunday, and the crowd was loving every minute ... along with her hits, she performed a new song, "Vegas," which is in Baz Luhrmann's new Elvis movie.

At one point, she started her song, "Juicy," but couldn't do it alone ... bringing fellow artist Tyga to the stage to collab. She also brought up Rico Nasty for their song, "Tia Tamera."

Doja joined Rico at the festival back in 2019, but this is the first year she's been given her own slot -- fitting to bring Rico back on the stage after she did the same for her years ago.

As you know, Doja claimed to be quitting music at the end of March after tweeting about her poor performance at Lollapalooza in Brazil ... her fans in Paraguay got upset that she never tweeted about missing their recent festival -- one that was canceled due to a deadly storm, so not really her fault.

A war broke out online between her and fans, even journalists, in Paraguay ... going off about leaving the music game, changing her handle to "I quit" and saying "This s*** ain't for me so I'm out. Y'all take care."

That's a wrap on the first weekend of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival ... and the celebs squeezed every last drop of day 3 with some wild shows, crazy looks and plenty of chill time by the pool.

Super model Shanina Shaik, rapper Quavo, Chloe Bailey and a bunch more stars soaked in the last day in Indio while musicians like Run The Jewels, Jamie XX, Doja Cat and The Weeknd with Swedish House Mafia closed out the Easter Sunday night.

A few stars took it slow on the last day by resting poolside and easing into the closing night ... Olivia Jade got a little R&R in a tiny black bikini and super model Allesandra Ambrosio floated into the day on butterfly pool floatie.

The investigation into DaBaby's bowling alley fight has hit a snag ... and we're told, oddly enough, the alleged victim is the reason.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the investigation into DaBaby's bowling alley brawl with DaniLeigh's brother, Brandon Bills, has hit an unexpected roadblock because the alleged victim is no longer cooperating with police.

We're told, even though much of the fight was caught on camera, it's very difficult to move forward without a victim.

As we showed you, DaBaby and his crew got into a massive fight with Brandon at a CA bowling alley, back in February. Cops were on the case, after video footage seemingly showed the "Suge" rapper throwing the first punch ... before his crew gets involved.

After reviewing the footage, police reportedly opened an investigation into the rapper.

ICYMI, beef between DaBaby and Brandon escalated ... after Brandon's sister, DaniLeigh -- DaBaby's baby mama -- publicly aired some issues. At one point, DaBaby and DaniLeigh got into a blowout fight and DaniLeigh was arrested for assault.

We're told the bowling alley investigation remains active but isn't going anywhere at the moment ... because Bills isn't working with police.

No word on why Bills isn't cooperating ... but of course, he could change his mind.

Last week, DaBaby shot a trespasser on his North Carolina property. In the 911 audio following the shooting, DaBaby talked back to the dispatcher and told them he'd refuse to put his gun down when cops arrived.

There's a famous piece of horror movie history going up for sale ... the axe from the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece "The Shining" ... but you're gonna need some crazy deep pockets.

The axe is remembered for the scenes towards the end of the film, including the one where Jack Nicholson's character uses it to break through a wooden door ... leading up to his famous line, "Here's Johnny!!!"

The Kubrick film, based on the Stephen King novel, also features Nicholson's character, Jack Torrance, carrying the axe with him into the maze at the end of the film as he trudges through the snow to find his son, Danny.

Oh and don't forget the moment where Jack uses the axe to kill Scatman Crothers' character, Dick Hallorann, striking him in the chest in the bowels of the haunted hotel.

The axe is going up for sale through Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction house ... and we're told the prop is expected to fetch at least $100,000.

The auction house says the axe prop is still in very good condition and it's displayed in a shadow box frame, along with some photos of it in action in the movie.

If Jake and Logan Paul make the switch from boxing to MMA, they could go up against some of the biggest talent in the game -- so says Bellator CEO Scott Coker, who tells us they could fight some Top 10 guys in his promotion!!

Of course, Coker has previously said he's had ongoing dialogue with the internet superstars ... and when we spoke with him at a Bellator event at the Grammy Museum last week, he gave us an update on their status.

"We've had convos with [Logan] and Jake about, 'What does MMA mean to you guys,' and 'What do you guys wanna do?'" Coker told us. "There's ongoing dialogue, but if they wanna really get down and get serious, we'll bring them in. Sure, why not."

Coker says Jake and Logan are great athletes who are still learning and getting better ... adding he warned people of their potential.

"When they started boxing two years ago," Coker said, "I told people don't underestimate these guys, because they're gonna get better and better and better."

He continued ... "It's just a matter of them training and practicing. If they get into a gym like [American Kickboxing Academy] with Javier Mendez ... talk to me in a year, man."

Jake and Logan still have their fair share of haters as they continue to transition from social media stars to real fighters ... but Coker applauds the brothers' work ethic.

"I'm impressed with how much they've grown over the last two years, and if they have their mind made up, I think they can come get into it."

The Bellator boss says he wouldn't put the Paul bros. against a current champion or an experienced MMA fighter just yet ... but with enough training and hard work, he believes they could fight someone ranked in the top 10.

As for his message to the Paul Bros??

Actor Wyatt Russell has just sealed the deal and unloaded his Studio City home.

Wyatt, the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, sold his Spanish home for just under $2.9M ... making quite a big profit since snagging it, back in 2019.

The hockey player turned actor and his actress wife, Meredith Hagner, purchased the pad for just under $1.7M ... 6 months before they got hitched.

The 3-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom pad is full of color and charm. It has cool features ... including a pink arched gate, beamed ceilings and 3 fireplaces.

And, of course, an abundance of light!

If you step outdoors, there's a pool and spa, veggie garden and covered outdoor dining ... so, lots for the next resident to enjoy.

The Hollywood couple won't be too far away, either. They reportedly scooped up a slightly bigger home in Santa Monica for $5.4 million earlier this year ... after welcoming their first child last March.