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Megan Rapinoe and the U.S. Women's National Team got what they've been wanting for so long -- U.S. Soccer just announced both the men's and women's national teams will receive equal pay.

The org. just announced the groundbreaking deal on Wednesday ... saying World Cup earnings for both teams will be split equally between players on both teams.

"This is a truly historic moment," U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said of the deal. "In becoming the first federation in the world to solve the massive and vexing challenge of equalizing FIFA World Cup prize money, U.S. Soccer and our players have changed the game forever here at home, with the hopes of inspiring change around the world."

On top of the WC money, the teams will also receive the same appearance fees and game bonuses ... and share commercial revenue.

As we previously reported, the USWNT has been fighting for this since winning the World Cup in 2019 ... chanting for equal pay as they celebrated the win.

All 28 players on the USWNT filed a lawsuit against the USSF shortly after ... accusing it of engaging in "institutionalized gender discrimination" against the team.

Rapinoe also gave a passionate speech about equal pay at the White House in 2021.

The lawsuit resulted in a $24 million settlement ... which was contingent on the new deal.

Tragic news in the boxing world ... undefeated fighter Musa Yamak died during a match on Saturday -- after he suffered a heart attack in the ring and collapsed to the mat.

The awful scene went down in Germany ... when Yamak was in the middle of his fight with Hamza Wandera.

Yamak had reportedly taken at least one big blow from Wandera in the second round ... and as he was coming out of his corner for the third round of the scrap -- he stumbled, and eventually crumpled to the ground.

Trainers and other medical personnel on the scene rushed to his aid -- but, sadly, Yamak later passed away.

He was just 38 years old.

Turkish official Hasan Turan mourned the death in a social media post hours after the tragedy ... saying, "I wish God's mercy on the deceased ... my condolences to his sad family and fans."

Yamak -- who turned pro in 2017 -- had built an impressive resume in his career, starting 8-0. In 2021, he gained notoriety after winning the WBFed International title.

The families of the victims killed in the Buffalo massacre are getting a lot of help in the wake of this tragedy -- both on the crowdfunding front ... but, possibly, on the civil side too.

Fundraisers have been organized in the aftermath of Saturday's mass shooting -- which claimed the lives of 10 people after 18-year-old Payton Gendron opened fire in a supermarket in an attack that was rooted in racial hatred.

One of the campaigns was organized by Keith Blakely, CEO of OnCore Golf Technology, and has already raised around $100k.

Blakely tells TMZ ... the money came in over the course of a few days, with more than 1,400 donors making contributions ranging from $5 to $5k. Blakely says the $100k goal seemed like a tall order at first, but now ... he's aiming to give each family $10,000.

Blakely says he's teamed up with the Mayor's Office to help distribute the money ASAP. He tells us celebs have chipped in, but won't say who ... but he tipped his hand and said athletes have really stepped up.

Other GFMs have been started ... one for the Tops store, another for the slain security guard, yet another for victims' families and a 4th for resource deliveries to victims and members of the community who might be affected.

While all that dough is great, there might be an even larger amount on the horizon thanks to Ben Crump and his team ... he's already been retained by the family of Ruth Whitfield -- one of the oldest victims killed in Saturday's massacre.

Sources tell us Crump is looking to represent as many families as possible ... which we're told may include suing the gun manufacturer of the weapon used in the attack ... an AR-15-style rifle with a high capacity magazine.

Congressman Eric Swalwell says we should not tolerate Pentagon retribution against government officials and military personnel who speak up about UFO sightings, and he's hopeful Congressional hearings this week will change the culture surrounding these mysterious objects.

We got Swalwell on Capitol Hill Tuesday ... and he -- like a growing number of his colleagues -- views these UFOs as serious security threats. Fact is ... there have been as many as 14 objects that defy explanation buzzing our military ships and traversing our skies.

There have been a number of military officials and pilots who have suffered severe retribution for daring to implore the Pentagon to take UFOs seriously. Lue Elizondo, a former Pentagon Counterintelligence official, appeared on camera for a TMZ documentary on UFOs, and he explained how Pentagon officials threatened to pull his security clearance, called him a liar and smeared his name because he was pushing for UFO transparency.

Former Navy Pilot Ryan Graves told us he saw plenty of UFOs during his time in the sky, but said a lot of pilots wouldn't speak out about their own experiences for fear of being called crazy and having their reputations ruined.

Former Defense Department Official Christopher Mellon, who has spoken out about Government findings and sightings says his career was placed in jeopardy by pressing the UFO issue -- but says he's willing to accept those consequences given the importance of the subject.

As we've told you, experts have long awaited the moment the U.S. government would take UFOs seriously, and it's finally happening.

Tayler Holder is clearing the air ... flat out saying no one has come forward to accuse him of sexual assault, and insists any rumors claiming otherwise are lies.

The TikTok star opened up on the "TMZ Verified" Podcast, following online speculation he might have been involved in unspecified sexual assault allegations. Tayler says he was never publicly confronted with any accusation from any individual, law enforcement, or attorney.

Interestingly, he says his team did have contact with someone they apparently thought was the source of the rumors, and encouraged that person to raise the allegation in a legal setting ... but he says they went silent at that point.

Folks on social media began to speculate Tayler might be in the middle of some legal trouble because some of his close friends and influencers unfollowed him on Instagram.

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time he has talked about allegations -- but, his open letter and previous interview raised more questions when he said there's stuff going on that should be handled offline.

Former Cincinnati Bengals star Rey Maualuga has pleaded guilty to two felony charges in his DUI crash case ... but TMZ Sports has learned he was not sentenced to any more time behind bars.

Instead, according to court documents, Maualuga entered into a pre-trial diversion program ... meaning if he keeps his nose clean for the next five years, and completes several other conditions, the charges will be dismissed.

It's a pretty sweet deal for the 35-year-old -- considering he was facing up to 10 years behind bars after he had been accused of drunkenly crashing his Mercedes through mailboxes and front yards in a wild accident in Villa Hills, Kentucky on Aug. 11, 2021.

You'll recall, Maualuga -- who was an All-American at USC before playing nine years in the NFL -- was charged with felony first-degree wanton endangerment, felony first-degree criminal mischief, and misdemeanor DUI -- third offense, after cops say he admitted to drinking "a few" alcoholic beverages before the crash.

Prosecutors tell us Maualuga spent 120 days in jail after his arrest and completed an in-patient substance abuse program ... which they said factored into their decision to agree to give Maualuga a pre-trial diversion program after he pleaded guilty to all three charges at a hearing in late March.

In addition to keeping his nose clean, Maualuga must also complete 100 hours of community service, pay some fines and restitution, and submit to random drug testing as part of the program.

Before this girl turned into a teen idol and a multi-award-winning actress, she was a child model .. hanging and posing outdoors in San Francisco, California.

While this photogenic chick with beach-perfect blonde hair is most known for her role in the hit comedy film "Clueless," she's also a loving and goofy mom, who enjoys sharing her tight-knit relationship with her son on Instagram.

Her acting genre-repertoire spans from comedy to thriller. Oh, and speaking of thrillers ... she made her film debut in the thriller "The Crush" in 1993.

Yo Gotti isn't waiting around for gift cards for his 41st birthday, instead he's treating himself ... to more than a million bucks worth of super-luxury rides!!!

The Collective Music Group CEO recorded himself riding around with copious amounts of cash ... ultimately choosing to stunt on his haters with not one but two Rolls Royces off the showroom floor.

Gotti's birthday behavior is time-tested ... each year he splurges on lavish gifts ahead of his annual b-day celebration -- the star-studded Birthday Bash concert series at the FedEx Forum in Memphis.

This year's Birthday Bash 8 blowout is going down July 15 and while the guests haven't been announced, past years saw the likes of Lil Baby, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Master P, Polo G, T.I., City Girls, Monica, Boosie Badazz and many more perform.

CMG apparently has plenty of wealth to spread around. Gotti's latest signee, R&B singer Lehla Samia, was recently blessed with a pink Lamborghini Urus just for inking her name on the dotted line.

Sydney Sweeney broke an agreement with a swimwear brand to promote their products, then turned around and wore the suits on "Euphoria" ... this according to a new lawsuit.

The HBO star is being sued by the swim and lifestyle brand LA Collective for allegedly breaking her contract to model and promote the company's swimsuits.

According to docs obtained by TMZ, the fashion brand claims it reached an agreement with Sydney last year, where she would be the influencer for the launch of their new line, "Somewhere Swimwear."

The brand says Sydney initially appeared to be on board and approved all their designs and production prototypes ... but they claim her camp suddenly canceled the agreement without any explanation or cause, refusing to proceed.

And, get this ... the brand claims Sydney then appropriated the designs for her own use, wearing the swimsuits on at least 5 episodes of "Euphoria."

The swimwear company says they expected to sell more than $3 million worth of suits under the deal and want the actress to cough up big damages for backing out.

Johnny Depp's attorney insisted her client hadn't looked at Amber Heard once in this trial to uphold a promise he made -- but his ex is calling BS ... offering a very different explanation.

Johnny's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, kicked off her cross-examination Monday with a simple question ... Johnny hadn't shot a glance her way amid the trial, had he? Amber said she didn't believe so, and Camille suggested she knew exactly why ... because he vowed she'd never see his eyes again.

She then played an audio recording where Johnny and Amber were arguing -- this after she'd gotten a TRO against him -- and in it you hear him say something to that effect.

Amber hadn't refuted it much during cross, but on redirect -- when her attorney, Elaine Bredehoft, reopened the door on the eyes thing -- Amber pounced to refute Johnny's supposed reasoning ... arguing, instead, that he couldn't look at her because of guilt.

It made for a dramatic moment ... Amber got emotional, saying she'd survived him -- adding that she believes he wouldn't look at her since he knows he's in the wrong for this case.

She also claimed he had, in fact, looked her in the eye a few times after that meeting in July 2016 -- when they tried reconciling post-TRO -- and Amber even says Johnny had shown her kindness thereafter ... allegedly slipping her his new phone number.

We'll say this ... Johnny has been dedicated in not staring up at Amber once while she's been under oath -- which is kinda awkward, because she's certainly shot him a look or two throughout. In any case, it seems she and her attorneys think the eyes narrative is nonsense.

Anyway, Amber ended up getting the last word with her attorney leading the way -- she's done now with her testimony. Unclear if another witness is going to be called to the stand, including Johnny himself, but the court is currently on another break.

Travis Scott is making sure hundreds of Black college students walk across the commencement stage with their diploma ... with a seven-figure donation.

The rapper awarded $1 million in scholarships to 100 students at HBCUs who are on track to graduate in the Class of 2022 ... ensuring they cross the finish line and aren't affected by last-minute financial hurdles.

The soon-to-be grads are each getting a $10,000 scholarship from Travis' previously-established Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund ... and the recipients finished their final semester with at least a 3.5 GPA.

Among the scholars ... Florida A&M University pharmacy major Nisha Encarnacion, who is from the U.S. Virgin Islands and paid her own way through college while supporting her mother and daughter, Fisk University computer science major Chisom Okwor, whose goal is to help transform developing countries in Africa, and North Carolina Central University broadcast journalism major Jordan Massey, who took on a ton of debt to get his communications degree.

Travis' sister, Jordan Webster, manages the scholarship fund ... and she recently graduated as well, with a degree from Howard University.

Travis' donations went to seniors at 38 HBCUs ... including Alabama A&M University, Central State University, Jackson State University, Morehouse College, Texas Southern University, Grambling State University, Xavier University of Louisiana, and Prairie View A&M University.

The $1 million worth of scholarships is part of Travis' Project HEAL, which as we first reported, was announced back in March and included $5 million in earmarks.

Remember ... Project HEAL was one of Travis' first public philanthropic since the tragic Astroworld concert last November, which saw 10 people die as a result of injuries sustained during Travis' set.

Jack Harlow's rummaging through some old playlists to jab back at Brandy in their growing, but playful, beef over Jack being clueless about the singer's family tree.

ICYMI ... Jack was chopping it up with his OG's at Hot 97 when it hilariously came out that he didn't realize Ray J and Brandy were actual siblings, sparking yet another cultural debate involving the 24-year-old artist.

Late last night, Brandy finally got wind of the conversation -- responding like 2Pac, threatening to out-rap JH, and sing him to sleep. Even though she later admitted she was joking, she copped to not knowing Jack was a rapper.

Seeing as how Jack has the No. 1 song in the country -- "First Class" -- we can't figure out with Brandy diss is harsher ... the shot at his rapping, or the ol' "I don't know you."

Just imagine someone asking if Brandy was a singer when her "The Boy Is Mine" duet with Monica was ruling the charts? Yeah, total burn.

Jack did some burning of his response ... posting an IG story Tuesday with a pic of Brandy and Ray J while using her own lyrics from her 2005 Kanye West collaboration "Bring Me Down" off the album "Late Registration" against her.

Bob Saget's wife, Kelly Rizzo is celebrating what would've been her husband's 66th birthday ... sharing a recent photo of the two with a sweet message.

Kelly shared a pic of the two celebrating Bob's birthday one year ago in Mexico with the caption, "Happy Birthday, my Love. I miss you beyond words."

She continued, "I pray he can see all of the love he’s already getting from around the world today. Honey, everyone loves you so damn much. Everyone wants you to know how important and special you are on your special day, and we ALL celebrate you."

Of course, this post comes 4 months after Bob was found dead in his Ritz hotel room in Orlando Florida. Authorities believe he suffered from a brain bleed after hitting his head, most likely on the hotel bed's headboard.

Kelly and Bob tied the knot back in 2018, since his death, she's been very open in talking about her grief and their relationship.

Amber Heard's story about the Australia incident that claimed Johnny Depp's finger is getting diced up and tossed in the fire on cross-examination ... she's knee-deep in a grilling.

The actress is enduring rapid-fire questioning by JD's attorney, Camille Vasquez, who is getting into the weeds on just about every one of Amber's allegations of physical assault -- as well as the notorious lost digit tale that's up on the chopping block Tuesday morning.

Vasquez is asking about the exact sequence of events -- insisting Amber has testified to specific actions happening in specific order -- but AH says she can't recall what happened first/next, etc. ... while also claiming she's never said she did remember the chronology.

It's interesting -- what's being dissected here is the claim Johnny sexually assaulted Amber with a liquor bottle of some sort -- the same day JD lost his finger, BTW -- which Vasquez is attempting to pick apart by going through the alleged assault in slow-motion, frame by frame ... constantly bringing up her previous testimony, either in this trial or in older depositions.

Here's another thing that Johnny's team is latching onto consistently ... the fact that there seems to be little to no medical records documenting horrific injuries Amber claims she suffered -- including the ones in Australia -- but now, Amber seems to be saying that her perception of some of the injuries at the time might've been worse than the reality.

In any case ... Amber has acknowledged she didn't seek medical treatment for a lot of the alleged injuries, but maintains they did in fact happen -- and that Johnny was responsible.

Vasquez is constantly trying to keep Amber on track and focused on exactly the questions she's being asked -- and while the questioning is tenacious, Amber seems to be holding up pretty well. CV's clearly going to be diving in on just about everything Amber's testified to -- which has been a lot thus far.

The cross-examination is just getting started, and it's bound to get even juicier.

Kurt Busch's wife has filed for divorce from the NASCAR star ... saying in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, their marriage is "irretrievably broken."

Ashley Busch filed the docs in Florida on May 9 ... and in them, she alleged Kurt "committed a tortious act." She did not expound on the allegation.

Kurt and Ashley -- a polo player -- first met in 2015 ... and later got married in December 2016, Ashley said.

In the docs, Ashley added that things went sideways with the couple just last month ... when she claims Kurt cut off her access to their joint banking account and credit cards.

Ashley also wrote in the docs that the 43-year-old driver demanded she leave the family home by the first week of June.

Ashley noted in the documents that the couple -- which does not have any kids together -- did have a prenup.

We've reached out to Ashley's attorney, as well as reps for Kurt for comment, but so far no word back yet.

Kurt is having a solid 2022 season despite it all ... in fact, he just won his first race of '22 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.

Congress is holding a hearing about unexplainable objects in the skies from experts who say they are baffled .... finally, after over 50 years, our government is taking UFOs seriously.

A House panel is hearing from experts Tuesday on 144 UAPs -- Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, aka UFOs. This comes after years of silence, cover-ups and retribution against Defense Dept. officials and others who dared to express the belief ... something is out there.

Rep. Andre Carson expressed a sentiment shared by many experts over the years ... that UAPs represent a serious national security threat and must be treated as such.

Carson echoed what TMZ presented in a FOX Network documentary ... profiling Navy pilots who said they were hesitant to even report these UAPs because they feared they'd be laughed at and viewed as wackos ... possibly compromising their position in the military.

Carson said, "For too long, the stigma associated with UAPs has gotten in the way of good intelligence analysis. Pilots avoided reporting or were laughed at when they did. DOD officials relegated the issue to the backroom or swept it under the rug entirely, fearful of a skeptical national security community," Carson said. "Today, we know better. UAPs are unexplained, it's true. But, they are real. They need to be investigated. And, any threats they pose need to be mitigated."

The Pentagon's UAP Task Force released a report last year, concluding more than 140 objects they analyzed could not be explained.

Pentagon officials say the number of UAPs has now surged to over 400 since last year's report was published.

Originally Published -- 8:34 AM PT