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Tragic news ... South African boxer Simiso Buthelezi -- who became disoriented during a fight over the weekend and began punching thin air -- has died.

Boxing South Africa confirmed the awful news Wednesday morning -- saying Buthelezi passed away on Tuesday night at a hospital in Durban.

He was just 24 years old.

Buthelezi had been initially hospitalized on Sunday following a terrifying scene in a boxing tournament in Greyville, Durban.

Video from the fight showed Buthelezi, in the 10th round of the bout against Siphesihle Mntungwa, advanced to a corner of the ring following a brief break in the action ... and threw punches at air -- seemingly fighting an invisible man.

He later collapsed in the ring ... and was rushed to the hospital, where -- according to Boxing South Africa -- it was discovered he had a brain injury and was internally bleeding.

"At the hospital," Boxing South Africa officials said in a statement, "Mr. Buthelezi was given the best care possible but he however succumbed to the injury last night."

It's unclear when, where and how Buthelezi suffered the injury -- he was reportedly in control of the bout from the opening bell.

Boxing South Africa said in its statement an investigation into the fight and the death is underway.

"The Buthelezi family and Boxing South Africa acknowledges warm words of condolences of the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture," officials said.

Buthelezi had been unbeaten in the ring prior to Sunday's fight.

Country star Sam Hunt is officially a dad, and hit pause on his latest performance to tell the audience the good news ... this coming on the heels of his wife calling off their divorce.

Sam was on stage Tuesday at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium when he casually told the crowd he'd had a little girl named Lucy Lu. He didn't give up the exact birthday, only saying she arrived a couple weeks ago.

He sounds pretty damn happy and grateful about it too. Sam said being on the road and working constantly had "sort of hardened my heart" -- but says his struggles melted away once his little girl was born.

Of course, these last few months have been turbulent for Sam and his wife, Hannah Lee Fowler.

TMZ broke the story ... Hannah filed for divorce back in February. In her divorce docs, she said Sam was "guilty of inappropriate marital conduct" and "adultery." She asked the court for primary custody of their future child and alimony.

However, new court docs filed last month revealed Hannah asked the court to dismiss the divorce, and a judge signed off. All's well that ends well.

Jim Seals -- one-half of the 70s hitmaking duo Seals and Crofts -- is dead after battling multiple health issues ... according to his family.

Jim's sister-in-law, Flo Seals, tells TMZ ... he died Monday evening at his home outside Nashville. She says Jim had several health issues, primarily with his kidneys and lungs, and had just gotten home from the hospital.

Flo says there was a nurse at the house, because they were going to begin hospice care for Jim. He was only home for a few hours before he passed away -- but his family was by his side.

Seals and Crofts are best known for their soft/yacht rock smash "Summer Breeze," but Jim and his musical partner Darrell "Dash" Crofts reeled off a huge string of hits in the 70s.

They also charted with classics like "Diamond Girl" and "Get Closer." They first split up in 1980, but reunited several times in later years, primarily to do live shows as yacht rock became a phenomenon.

They recorded their final album, "Traces," in 2004.

Jimmy's brother, Eddie Seals, tells us ... he was a good person and he was very close to his family. Eddie says, his music was the most important thing he gave to the world and that will be remembered forever.

Jim Seals was 80.

Anyone trying to get their hands on something related to the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial will love this -- one man's courtroom notes, including details not seen on TV, are about to go to the highest bidder.

Larry Forman tells TMZ … he took a trip from Kentucky to the Fairfax County Courthouse in Virginia to sit in on the trial, and decided to jot down his thoughts and observations ... just for his own personal memories.

Larry says it was supposed to be a one-time thing, but friends convinced him to keep going back and writing more notes.

The notebook has about 20 pages per day, and covers days 23-26 of the trial. What's interesting is it doesn't just recall what was said in court, but it shows something the cameras couldn't -- reactions from jurors.

The current bid is over $14K, but the sale isn't final yet ... Larry's decided to donate the highest bid to Children's Hospital LA, saying it seemed fitting since it's related to the case.

Remember, Amber testified she had pledged $3.5 million to CHLA, but still hadn't paid up. Larry says hospital reps are aware of the auction and they're pleased about his offer.

Memorabilia like this has been fetching big prices ever since the trial ended ... one of the used wristbands, from day 23 of the trial, carries a price tag of $850. That's more than a wristband for Coachella!

Alicia Keys is setting the record straight about her song choice at the Queen's Platinum Jubliee -- saying her NYC-based hit wasn't her pick -- it was the Queen's.

Alicia's been facing some backlash ever since performing "Empire State Of Mind" at Queen Elizabeth's royal ceremony on Saturday, with many thinking the song serves no purpose at an English bash ... but she says she was only giving the 96-year-old Royal what she wanted.

She posted some BTS videos from her big performance on Instagram Tuesday, showing how the whole thing went down.

The clip shows her 11-year-old son Egypt saying, "You can't refuse the Queen. It's against the law here!" She even wrote on her IG caption, "FYI: Every song was requested personally by the Queen ... Even EMPIRE!!"

Of course, fans of both Alicia and the royal family were confused when she sang her classic song about New York for the festivities overseas ... one even tweeted about the odd choice, saying "why the hell were American entertainers even invited."

The NFL will have to wait for its first black team owner -- the Denver Broncos just sold for a record $4.65 BILLION to Walmart heir Rob Walton and his family ... which is sad news for Magic Johnson and Kanye West.

The Broncos and the Walton-Penner family announced the deal late Thursday night ... which is believed to be the biggest deal for a North American franchise in sports history.

Walton -- who has a reported net worth of $59 BILLION -- will also take the throne as the richest owner in the league BY FAR -- David Tepper, the owner of the Carolina Panthers, has a net worth of $16.7 bil.

As we previously reported, the Lakers legend was part of a group led by Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Josh Harris ... although it's unclear how far along their bid made it in the process.

The agreement also means Yeezy's Donda Sports will not be part of a historic sale ... after Antonio Brown previously told TMZ Sports the company was "extremely serious" about buying the Broncos back in March.

It's worth mentioning -- it's unclear if Donda ever actually brought a bid to the table.

Walton spoke about securing the deal ... saying, "Having lived and worked in Colorado, we've always admired the Broncos."

"Our enthusiasm has only grown as we've learned more about the team, staff and Broncos Country over the last few months."

He added ... "We look forward to earning the confidence and support of the NFL as we take the next step in this process. When the necessary approval procedures are met, our family is excited to share more with Broncos fans, the organization and the community."

L.A.'s mayoral race is officially a 2-horse competition between Rep. Karen Bass and Rick Caruso, and Hollywood -- like the rest of America -- seems torn.

More celebs have shelled out traditional donations for Bass -- including some high-profile names like Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston and Samuel L. Jackson, but Caruso (who's a commercial real estate titan) seems to have more vocal support on social media.

That makes sense, as billionaire Caruso's been self-financing his campaign.

Here's a breakdown as Tuesday's election results continue to pour in.

Aside from the names mentioned above, Congresswoman Bass has also pulled in cash contributions from the likes of Jennifer Garner, JJ Abrams, Ken Jeong, Octavia Spencer, Sally Field and William H. Macy ... all of whom pitched in $1,500 each.

Jane Fonda donated $1,200, Donald Glover chipped in with $1,000, Rashida Jones another $1,000 and Helen Hunt pledged $500. So, a fair amount of dough from Hollywood.

While Caruso doesn't have nearly as many famous financial donors in his corner, his team tells us he's received a huge outpouring of online support ... which, arguably, is equally valuable.

Tweets for Caruso have come in from Kim K, Katy Perry, Elon Musk, Gwyneth Paltrow, Snoop Dogg and Kris Jenner -- just to name a few.

Bass is no slouch on social media either ... she's gotten backing from Tiffany Haddish and John Legend, who openly called for Angelenos to support her at the voting booths.

It remains to be seen who might emerge victorious, but if the latest polling can be believed ... neither candidate will get 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday's primary -- and that means they'll have a runoff in November.

BTW, Caruso -- who'd been a lifelong Republican until recently -- is running as a Dem, as is Bass. He's got the biz expertise, but she has years of legislative experience in D.C. and Sacramento.

Aaron Donald just got a $40 MILLION raise from the Rams ... but he still might be underpaid -- so says NFL legend Bruce Smith.

The former Buffalo Bills pass-rusher explained his opinion to TMZ Sports just one day after Donald re-worked his contract with the Rams ... saying AD is so good, he could have asked for, and legitimately received, far more cash than he got.

"Aaron Donald deserves that and more," Smith said of the new, 3-year, $95 million contract Donald now has with the Rams. "He's worth every penny he's being paid."

As for why, Smith, who logged 200 sacks in his own epic 19-year career, believes Donald is just that good -- telling us there aren't many players who have more of an impact on the game than AD does.

"Aaron has proved that time and time and time again," Smith said. "His ability to take over a game and single-handedly will his team to a victory has just been remarkable to watch."

In fact, Smith said even though Donald has only played eight seasons, he already belongs in the conversation for greatest defensive player of all time.

Seems there's a lot of opposing QBs who'd agree -- because, after all, AD has 98 sacks in just 127 total games ... and also has three Defensive Play of the Year awards too.

The Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial might be over, but the ridicule isn't … especially for folks who disagree with the jury, and stand by Amber.

Ruth Glenn, CEO of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, tells TMZ … since releasing a statement in support of Amber last week, the group has been besieged by Depp fans on all fronts.

She says some of the backlash amounts to impassioned commentary -- including sentiments that NCADV doesn't believe men can be abused, that real DV victims believe Johnny and even more shots at Amber … like people calling her a liar or a "psycho."

As for the people pointing out NCADV leaders are clearly pro-Amber -- their statement said they were "appalled by the verdict" -- Glenn admits that's accurate, because her org thinks Amber is the victim in this case ... despite the jury's verdict.

That being said, Glenn tells us the vitriol -- toward Amber and her supporters -- is unwarranted, and she adds even Ray Rice didn't get publicly dragged this much after his infamous domestic violence case.

As for what the future holds, Glenn says the #MeToo movement won't suffer a permanent setback, but she does think people need to rethink what it means to believe all survivors.

In the short term, though, she suspects this verdict might affect how DV victims come forward and speak on these issues.

Before this adorable gal launched her music career on Myspace back in 2005, she was just your average 1-year-old blowing out her birthday candles in London, England.

This cute kid has been 'mean muggin' since 1985 ... and according to her Instagram page, she loves a candid mirror selfie! Growing up with two parents already in the entertainment industry, it comes as no surprise that she rose to stardom after the release of her first song "Smile" back in 2006.

You probably heard her on singer Pink's "True Love" track and on rapper T-Pain's "5 O'Clock" song.

Amber Heard has a long drive home when she gets back to California, but it'll be extra bitter when she sees this message heading into town ... which sounds very pro-Johnny Depp.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, which show some sort of an old church marquee sign that we're told is about 8 or so miles outside of central Yucca Valley along State Route 62.

Sources say this sign -- which appears to have belonged to a group known as the Church of Morongo once upon a time -- is right across the street from the Morongo Basin Road ... not far from the now-defunct Father & Sons Masonry nearby.

As you can see, it reads ... "This is the Day! Truth Wins" No other context, but we're told it was spotted this weekend -- right after the verdict. The feeling is -- it reflects that decision.

That might not be too far a stretch, especially when you consider #TruthWins was trending the day Johnny came out victorious. The phrase has even gone on to be branded on T-shirts, hats and mugs -- all in celebration of what many considered vindication for JD.

Unclear who might be responsible for making the sign read this way -- we suspect it's not city-sanctioned, or at least it doesn't appear that way.

In any case, it could be one of the last licks Amber receives from the public before she gets back to her desert hideout -- a secluded 2,457 square feet 3-bed/3-bath abode that's pretty swanky all things considered.

She noted during the trial that this was her primary residence these days -- and unless she dips into YV through SR-247 (from Barstow/Apple Valley), she might just have to pass this by.

The verdict is in for Todd and Julie Chrisley, and the jury says they're guilty of bank fraud and tax evasion.

Todd and Julie were found guilty on a laundry list of charges, according to a court clerk for the northern district of Georgia. We're told their accountant, Peter Tarantino, was also found guilty on related charges, including aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns.

As of now, a sentencing date hasn't been scheduled, so the Chrisleys will remain on home detention until that hearing ... it's reported they could face up to 30 years behind bars.

Todd's lawyer Bruce Morris tells TMZ, "We are disappointed in the verdict. We plan an appeal."

TMZ broke the story ... the 3 were indicted back in 2019 with prosecutors claiming they defrauded banks by obtaining millions of dollars in loans. The U.S. Attorney's Office also said they cheated the government by actively evading federal income taxes.

According to the indictment, Todd worked with a partner to make it look like one of his bank accounts had $4 million, when they actually didn't even have an account at that bank at the time. The feds said Todd emailed his partner, "You are a f***ing genious [sic]!!!! Just make it show 4 mil+."

Matthew McConaughey is serious about making a real change when it comes to guns in The United States ... meeting with politicians and speaking from The White House after a shooting that killed 19 elementary students in his hometown.

The actor joined the White House press briefing Tuesday, urging politicians on both sides to take action following the Uvalde shooting -- saying making a difference in the safety of our country is the best way to honor the lives lost.

McConaughey says he and his wife, Camila, spent a lot of time on the ground with the families of victims of the shooting -- sharing stories, tears and memories ... and now he is urging those in the highest office to make a change.

Matthew's words come following a short meeting with President Biden ... and a second day of meetings with lawmakers, as Congress mulls over new gun safety legislation this week.

Of course, his speech at the WH isn't the first time the actor has spoken out on this issue. He took to social media, pleading for gun reform just hours after the shooting.

It appears Lil Nas X isn't going to let the 2022 BET Awards skate after snubbing him of any nominations this year ... to the point, he's created a diss track going after the network.

A topless Lil Nas X posted a snippet of an upcoming new song on Tuesday we'd be surprised is called anything but "F*** BET."

After starting the song off with the disrespectful phrase on repeat, LNX goes into an auto-tuned flow where he brags about his riches and even proclaims he has "100 sticks" at his disposal.

Following the announcement of nominations last week, LNX went haywire when he realized he missed the Best Male Hip Hop and Pop Artist categories and no mention of his hit singles "INDUSTRY BABY" or "MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)."

He blamed discrimination and Queen Latifah even agreed he should have been nominated for at least something.

LNX's gripes feel a bit heavy-handed seeing he was nominated in 2020 and got primetime exposure in June 2021 when he kissed his boyfriend.

But, there's no putting the genie back in the bottle … apparently it's "F*** BET" if you're Team Montero until further notice.

Migos is still a rap group ... the trio has NOT split up despite a recent removal from an upcoming festival, which only fueled existing rumors of a potential breakup.

A label rep for Migos tells TMZ ... the reason the group is no longer performing at this week's Governors Ball is because Quavo is busy filming a movie, and they couldn't work around the schedule conflict.

While the rumor mill went into overdrive following Tuesday's announcement Migos would no longer be part of the Governors Ball lineup -- instead being replaced by Lil Wayne -- we're told the group is NOT breaking up.

It's the first official comment on the breakup rumors since rumblings began online last month ... when the buzz was Quavo and Offset were on the outs again.

Photogs asked Huncho about the band's future, but he didn't say much and instead talked about his new collab with Takeoff, "Hotel Lobby."

There's also been a rash of social media unfollowings between Quavo, Offset and Cardi B ... with Takeoff remaining neutral. He's still following all of them.

Kanye West and Chaney Jones are no more ... the couple has gone their separate ways.

Sources connected to the former duo tell us they ended things shortly after a lengthy trip to Japan ... unclear who broke up with who. The split news also comes on the heels of photos that popped up this weekend of Kanye at a movie with another woman.

Kanye and Chaney first started hanging out back in February -- just as things were cooling off between Ye and Julia Fox. The model and Kim K look-alike started popping up at 'Donda 2' events Ye was hosting.

It wasn't long before they started showing up in the same photographs together, and eventually -- they stopped hiding their relationship ... going public as boyfriend and girlfriend.

While their romance ended up being short-lived, they sure did a lot in each other's company ... jet-setting all over the country for different events -- mostly between Miami and L.A., though -- and even took the international trip to Japan.

Not much was known about Chaney for a long time other than the fact that she was a dead ringer for Kanye's ex -- and eventually, amid all the speculation, she introduced herself to social media -- highlighting differences between her and Kim.

She said she was a COO of a mental health org, and not just that -- but added she was in school getting her Master's. Chaney also noted she'd never had any surgery done on her face.

Things seemed to really be getting serious between the two -- Chaney got a "ye" tattoo on her wrist. So from the outside looking in -- they were all about each other.

Of course, she's also much younger than Kanye -- he's 44, and she's in her mid-20s. It's a similar age difference to what Kim and Pete Davidson share, but they're going strong.