NICKI MINAJ Dad's Killer Gets Sentenced to 1 Year

The driver who killed Nicki Minaj's father, Robert Maraj, in a hit-and-run was just sentenced to time behind bars.

Charles Polevich was ordered to serve 1 year in jail Wednesday after pleading guilty to two felony charges -- leaving the scene of an incident without reporting and tampering with physical evidence. On top of that, his driver's license will be suspended for 6 months and he'll pay a $5,000 fine.

Polevich was facing up to 7 years behind bars, but Judge Howard Sturim followed through with a commitment to sentence him to no more than one year in jail.

TMZ broke the story ... Nicki's dad died at the age of 64 after being struck in a hit-and-run accident back in February 2021 while he was walking on Long Island.

At the time, cops said the driver fled the scene and tried to hide the car in a detached garage at his place. Robert was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and died from his injuries.

Nicki eventually opened up about the tragedy on her website saying ... "I can say it has been the most devastating loss of my life."

Beyonce Monica Lewinsky Gets Stung ... For Asking Bey to Change 'Partition' Lyric

Monica Lewinsky is taking fire from the Beyhive, after she obliquely asked Beyonce to change the lyric of one of her old songs.

As you may know, Monica chimed in over a word in Bey's song "Heated" from her "Renaissance" album -- Bey used the word "spa***n" and "s**z" ... insulting words referencing a disability. Beyonce's team said there was no offense meant and they were unaware it was offensive, so it was removed from the song.

Apparently, Monica now feels emboldened, and suggested Beyonce remove a lyric from her 2013 hit "Partition."  The lyric in question ... "He popped all my buttons, and he ripped my blouse/He Monica Lewinsky'd all on my gown."

In case you don't know -- but you should -- the lyric references Monica's famed Gap dress, in which Bill Clinton's sperm/DNA linked him to her.

Monica wrote an article years ago in Vanity Fair, informing Bey she was incorrect ... if she was set on the lyric, it should have gone like this ... "He Bill Clinton'd all on my gown." It's a solid point.

The Beyhive is infuriated at Monica, with one member tweeting, "Rap song muse is in your bio. You like the references. Only relevance you have as of lately." Another tweeted, "It's a 10-year-old song and the answer is NO."

Who needs bodyguards when you have the hive?

Vin Scully MLB Honoring Legend With Moments Of Silence ... Before Games

The tributes for the late Vin Scully will continue on all day Wednesday -- TMZ Sports has learned the MLB is asking all of its teams to participate in league-wide moments of silence throughout its afternoon and evening slate of games.

Our MLB sources say the moments of remembrance for Vin -- who sadly died on Tuesday at 94 years old -- will take place prior to every contest played on Wednesday.

The first is expected to happen in just a few minutes, before the Blue Jays take on the Rays in Florida. The last, fittingly, is scheduled to go down just prior to when the Dodgers play the Giants at around 6:45 PM PT in San Francisco.

Of course, the tributes almost certainly won't stop there -- because people have been paying homage to the legendary sports broadcaster since news of his death broke on Tuesday evening.

Dodgers fans made a makeshift memorial for Scully at Dodger Stadium -- and athletes and celebs all over have remembered the iconic storyteller on their social media pages.

Scully began calling games in 1950 -- and didn't stop until he retired in 2016. He's regarded as perhaps the greatest baseball broadcaster ever.

#RIP

Tom Brady Gisele Wishes QB Happy 45th Bday ... Teammate Gets Him Custom GOAT Cake!!!

UPDATE

8:27 AM PT -- Gisele ain't the only one ready to celebrate TB12's birthday Wednesday ... his Buccaneers teammate, Leonard Fournette, got him a custom cake for the occasion too!!

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UPDATE

The Tampa Bay running back revealed he had a GOAT dessert delivered for Brady's 45th ... and it came out awesome -- even featuring a joking, "Happy 100th Birthday" sign.

UPDATE

No word if Brady will have a slice -- he doesn't eat sugar, after all -- but, hey, it's the thought that counts, right?!

Tom Brady turned 45 today ... and the star QB's wife, Gisele, made sure to shout out her man on his special day, reminding him he's loved as he celebrates another year of life!!

Gisele -- who's been married to Tom since 2009 -- took to Instagram to pen the romantic post to her 7x Super Bowl-winning hubby QB ... posting a photo of Brady in his Bucs uni with two of his three children.

"Happy birthday to one of the most focused, disciplined, and fashionable person I know! @tombrady" Gisele wrote on social media.

"You are so loved and we are always here cheering for you and wishing you all the most wonderful things in life! ❤️"

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Tom and Gisele have been one of the most powerful and well-known couples in sports and entertainment for quite some time now, and Bundchen has always made sure to support him.

Of course, Tom's super focused on the NFL season ahead ... but it's nice to see Gisele took the time to publicly show her appreciation for him.

Happy Birthday, Tom!!

Originally Published -- 6:52 AM PT

Rep. Nancy Pelosi Little Retail Therapy in Hawaii Before Big Taiwan Trip

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SHOP TIL YOU DROP
TMZ.com

If Rep. Nancy Pelosi's on edge about her trip to Taiwan -- which is pissing off China -- she certainly knows how to hide it, based on this video of her mid-journey ... fully engaged in window-shopping.

The Speaker of the House was in Hawaii this past weekend, making her way from mainland U.S.A to Taiwan -- and TMZ got this footage of her strolling around a Honolulu store called Pashma.

It brands itself as having the "World's Finest Cashmere," and it's inside the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.

It's an interesting stress reliever as the Congresswoman prepped for her Tuesday arrival in Taipei for a visit with government officials there. China's disavowed the visit, because it hates seeing U.S. politicians cozying up to Taiwan ... which it believes is part of the People's Republic.

Anyhoo, back to Pelosi's would-be retail spree. It seems the Speaker was quite interested in a handful of garments, and had employees showing her items as she perused the racks.

All the while, you can see a ton of security standing guard outside.

They're all decked out in very casual street clothes -- gotta blend in while working in Hawaii -- but there's no doubt who they're eyeing like hawks.

Witnesses tell us Pelosi ended up walking away with a few items -- a couple cashmere scarves, we're told -- so she was impressed with the inventory.

We'll see if she rolls out her new purchases in Taiwan, where, quite frankly, she could use some comfort. China ain't going easy on her.

'Ferris Bueller' Star Edie McClurg Allegedly Elder Abuse Victim ... Caregiver Allegedly Sexually Assaulted

UPDATE

10:45 AM PT -- 8/3 -- The judge just granted a temporary restraining order, Ramos cannot contact Edie and must stay at least 100 yards away from her and her home. Not only that, it's been ordered Ramos must move out and not return. There's a hearing scheduled for next month.

Actress Edie McClurg has been victimized by a self-described longtime friend, who attempted to take her out of state and marry her, despite the fact that she suffers from dementia ... this according to new legal docs.

The docs, obtained by TMZ, state a man named Michael L. Ramos has been living at Edie's L.A. home as the 76-year-old actress battles dementia. According to the docs, Ramos, who is unemployed, has 'finagled' his way into Edie's life and attempted to move her out of California in order to marry her, despite knowing she lacked mental capacity.

Edie, who is under a conservatorship, got protection from a judge -- according to the new docs -- who ordered Ramos to stand down on his alleged marriage plan.

The docs go on to say, Ramos allegedly sexually assaulted Edie's caregiver, and a police report has already been filed with the LAPD.

The docs note Edie and Ramos have never been romantically involved, but the caregiver is fearful he may have been sexually assaulting Edie and -- given her condition -- she may not even realize what was happening.

The judge in the conservatorship case had allowed Ramos to live in Edie's home to provide her with companionship, but the lawyer for the conservatorship is now asking for an order to remove him.

TMZ broke the story ... Edie's family went to court back in 2019 to ask for the conservatorship, claiming she'd been living with a male companion who was verbally abusive and tried to influence the handling of her estate by getting her to sign documents.

Edie has been a staple in Hollywood, appearing in show like "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," and has done voiceover work in movies like "The Little Mermaid," "A Bug's Life," "Cars" and "The Rugrats Movie."

Originally Published -- 8/2 1:41 PM PT

L.A. Dodgers Fans Mourn Vin Scully's Death At Stadium ... Build Makeshift Memorial

Droves of baseball fans eschewed early bedtimes Tuesday night to head out to Dodger Stadium to pay homage to Vin Scully hours after the legend died -- building a makeshift memorial for the former broadcaster while mourning his passing.

Several people lit candles and dropped off trinkets at L.A.'s ballpark -- which, fittingly, sits on Vin Scully Ave. -- well into the early morning hours of Wednesday.

Fans wrote notes, hugged each other ... and even cried -- as they remembered Scully, who passed away at 94 years old at his Hidden Hills home earlier Tuesday.

Others around the globe took to social media to pay tribute to the longtime voice of the Dodgers -- LeBron James wrote a sweet note on his Twitter page, while Magic Johnson also tweeted out an emotional message about Scully as well.

"Vin was the nicest & sweetest man outside of the booth & was beloved by all of our Dodgers family," Johnson said.

"He was just as popular as any Dodger player. His legacy will live on throughout Major League Baseball & he will be remembered as the greatest announcer ever in MLB history. Cookie and I are praying for the entire Scully family and Dodgers fans all around the world."

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw also called Vin "the best there ever was" following L.A.'s win over the Giants in San Francisco.

Scully, who began broadcasting Dodgers games in 1950, called nearly every one of the franchise's greatest moments up until his retirement in 2016. He's widely considered to be one of the greatest broadcasters of all time.

#RIP

Crash Landing Mystery 911 Recording After Pilot Jumped Out of Plane ... Minutes Before Emergency Landing

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911 AUDIO

A 911 call was placed by 2 FAA staffers after they got word a pilot of the cargo plane that was about to make an emergency landing had jumped from the plane.

One of the FAA employees is on the call telling the North Carolina 911 dispatcher, "This is from Raleigh Airport ... We have a pilot who was inbound to the field. His co-pilot jumped out of the aircraft. He made impact to the ground and here are the coordinates."

The employee went on to say the co-pilot, 23-year-old Charles Hew Crooks, "jumped out without the parachute, so he might have impact to the ground."

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EMERGENCY CRASH LANDING
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He went on ... "I am sure the pilot is going to be shaken up. I have no idea. He literally just said, 'My pilot just jumped out.'"

And, then there's this ... 'I guess at this point in time, all we can do is recovery. I don't know. I don't know. This is the craziest thing ever."

Presumably, the 911 call was placed so local authorities could recover the body, which they found in a backyard 30 miles from the airport.

The plane, which had landing gear issues, crash-landed ... the pilot suffered minor injuries and was taken to the hospital but released the same day.

There is something bizarre about this investigation ... It's been days, and the pilot who landed the plane still has not been identified and nobody -- the NTSB, FAA, FBI -- has said a word about interviewing him or what he said.

It's unclear if there's a cockpit recording, but since this was a cargo plane it's a good bet there is, although all of the agencies are refusing to say anything specific about what went down.

Wendy Williams Not Married to NYPD Cop ... Despite Report

Wendy Williams apparently jumped the gun on announcing she was married ... because her rep is now saying it's just not true.

A recent report from Hollywood Unlocked claimed Wendy had said she was married to a cop named Henry with the NYPD ... but she wouldn't say much more than that. However, Wendy's rep is shutting the report down.

The rep told Page 6, “She is excited about a new relationship and probably got carried away in conversation.”

As we reported, Wendy's divorce from Kevin Hunter was finalized back in 2020 ... she filed the year prior, serving Kevin at work.

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WENDY IS READY
TMZ.com

Wendy joined us in June on "TMZ Live" to tell us why she's turned her back on TV -- at least for now ... moving to podcasts due to time and money.

As we first reported, she has some celeb guests in mind already, but the biggest revelation she dropped on us was about her battle with lymphedema.

Jeff Bezos Mega Yacht Towed Away in Early AM ... Amid Dutch Bridge Outrage

Jeff Bezos has been battling the Netherlands to build a massive yacht in their backyard -- but it seems he's relenting, 'cause his baby was dragged away at the ass crack of dawn.

A huge vessel being created for JB near the city of Rotterdam -- a 417-ft long, three-mast beast called Y721 that costs around $500 mil -- got the tow treatment very early Tuesday morning from a Dutch shipbuilding yard, where it's been under construction for a while.

There's video too ... you can see a few different smaller ships leading Jeff's away, and according to reports, they were trying to be low-key about this -- with the timing (before sunrise) and the route -- to get it to another shipyard about 24 miles away.

The reason for the seemingly secret mission here -- there's been a lot of outrage there over an historic bridge potentially being taken down just so Jeff's mammoth superyacht can sail out to sea.

The bridge, which has landmark status, is known as De Hef  ... and it's right near the site where JB's yacht has been getting pimped out by a company called Oceanco.

The problem ... De Hef isn't tall enough to accommodate Y721 passing through, and there was speculation Oceanco was going to ask the city to partially dismantle the bridge -- on Jeff's dime, of course -- but that majorly pissed off locals.

The backlash was so intense, Oceanco reportedly backed off the bridge ask ... and now, it seems they're going to continue the build at a site nowhere near De Hef.

Word is this might delay the boat's completion by several more months, so Jeff's maiden voyage will have to be postponed a bit, it seems. As frustrated pirates put it ... AARRGH!

Post Roe v. Wade Kansas Votes Overwhelmingly for Abortion Rights

Kansas shocked Republicans and Democrats alike Tuesday night ... as voters in the conservative, deep red state hit the ballot box to PROTECT a woman's right to an abortion.

You heard it right. Scores of Kansans voted overwhelmingly to nix a proposed amendment that could have erased reproductive rights in the state. In doing so, they delivered a HUGE victory to pro-choice advocates.

The amendment was the first opportunity for any voter in the country to weigh in on the issue since the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court back in June.

Tuesday's ballot question, dubbed the “Value Them Both Amendment,” required Kansas voters to decide if their Constitution should continue protecting abortion rights or just get rid of it.

Those who voted “yes” wanted to kill abortion rights and send the issue back to the state legislature. A “no” vote would keep abortion rights on the books in the state. Both sides spent millions blanketing local media with ads promoting their clashing viewpoints.

As a result, voter turnout was incredibly high. At last count, 534,134 people voted "no" to the amendment as opposed to 374,611, who voted "yes," with 95 percent of the ballots counted, according to the New York Times.

President Biden hailed the victory, saying it “makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.”

A recent Gallup poll showed 55% of Americans support abortion rights.

Score one big one for pro-choice.

Jon Stewart Vet Bill Pressure Works ... GOP Senators Flip, Pass PACT Act

Jon Stewart's passionate pleas for Congress -- especially GOP Senators -- did not fall on deaf ears ... as the Senate reversed field and resoundingly passed a bill to help veterans exposed to burn pits.

The former 'Daily Show' host turned up the heat on Republicans like Senators Ted Cruz and Pat Toomey after the PACT Act was shot down in the Senate last week ... and it looks like Jon's strategy paid off.

Last week's 55-42 defeat of the legislation suddenly became an 86-11 victory Tuesday when the bill was put to a new vote. The GOP tried to pass amendments to address what they claim was a "budget gimmick" Democrats cooked into the bill, but those efforts failed.

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DISGRACE TO THE COUNTRY
C-SPAN

Despite that, the Republicans flipped and voted in favor of the PACT Act -- designed to expand healthcare coverage for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxins during their service.

Remember ... Jon put GOP leadership on blast after last week's defeat, calling Sen. Toomey "a "f***ing coward."

Toomey and other GOP Senators, like Cruz, said they voted against the bill because they claimed it would create $400 billion in unrelated spending.

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"OUT OF CONTROL SPENDING"
TMZ.com

Sen. Cruz tried blaming the Democrats when we got him after the "no" vote ... and our clip lit another fire under Stewart.

It didn't take long for him to respond, calling BS on Cruz's claims.

Jon also got into a heated shouting match over the bill Monday just outside Capitol Hill, squaring off with media personality and conservative commentator Jack Posobiec.

Right before all this, Jon was being floated as a serious presidential nominee in 2024 ... an idea JS continues to shoot down -- but it's hard to argue his impassioned, vocal pressure didn't play a role in the Senate turnaround.

Vin Scully Dodgers Broadcasting Legend ... Dead At 94

Vin Scully -- the longtime voice of the Dodgers and legendary MLB broadcaster -- has sadly died at 94 years old.

The team just confirmed the awful news in a statement on Tuesday night, saying he passed away at his home in Hidden Hills. No cause of death was revealed.

"We have lost an icon," Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said. "The Dodgers' Vin Scully was one of the greatest voices in all of sports. He was a giant of a man, not only as a broadcaster, but as a humanitarian."

Kasten continued, "He loved people. He loved life. He was loved baseball and the Dodgers. And he loved his family."

"His voice will always be heard and etched in all of our minds forever."

Scully initially began calling games for the Dodgers back in 1950, when the team was still located in Brooklyn. He continued to provide play-by-play for the Dodgers following their move to L.A. in 1957, calling nearly every one of the biggest moments in the franchise's history up until his retirement in 2016.

Some of Scully's most famous calls included Hank Aaron's 715th home run in 1974, and Kirk Gibson's epic World Series HR in 1988.

Scully also broadcasted national baseball, golf and football events -- including the 1982 Dallas vs. San Francisco NFC Championship Game. In that contest, Scully had one of his most memorable moments in the football both, calling Dwight Clark’s "The Catch" touchdown.

Scully -- who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame's broadcaster wing in 1982 -- ultimately broadcasted games for nearly seven decades, before he called his final contest in San Francisco on Oct. 2, 2016.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this very difficult time," Kasten said. "Vin will be truly missed.”

LeBron James just commented on Vin's death, saying, "Rest in Power. A City of Angels icon. Another great one who made sports so damn special."

Vin -- whose wife, Sandi, sadly died in 2021 -- leaves behind five children, 21 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

RIP.

YING YANG TWINS' D-Roc I'm All Good After Collapse On Stage ... Life Changes On Deck

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"EVERYTHING IS ON THE UP"
TMZ.com

One of the Ying Yang Twins says his collapse in the middle of a concert wasn't as bad as it looked ... insisting he's fine and pledging to take better care of himself moving forward.

D-Roc tells TMZ Hip Hop the incident is being blown out of proportion on the internet, characterizing it as just a "bad day." He says he passed out on stage due to dehydration and he's not feeling any lingering health effects.

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LIFTED OFF STAGE
Twitter / @ZackPeters25

As we reported ... D-Roc had to be carried away after collapsing 30 minutes into the Ying Yang Twins' set at a fair in Missouri, where they were special guests for headliner Vanilla Ice.

D-Roc says he was complaining about hot weather before the show and the next thing he knew he was waking up on a golf cart next to paramedics.

The rapper says he just needed water, Gatorade and rest ... telling us he's in good enough health to put on more shows and handle his daddy duties.

D-Roc provided some explanation to fans through social media, but still feels the need to set the record straight ... telling us it took less than 24 hours for him to get back to business as usual.

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He says folks have been blowing up his phone ever since he made headlines, checking in to make sure he's OK.

While D-Roc says there's nothing major going on with his body, he did admit he's making some "life changes" to ensure he doesn't have a repeat "bad day" at the office.

'Vanderpump Rules' Lala Kent Hangin' with 50 Cent After '19 Feud ... We All Good?

It appears the beef between 50 Cent and "Vanderpump Rules" star Lala Kent is completely squashed -- because TMZ's learned she's been kickin' it with the rapper/producer on the set of his upcoming horror flick.

Witnesses on set tell us Lala's been popping up "multiple times" to visit 50 as he films the movie "Skill House" at the content-creating space, Sway House in Los Angeles.

For those unaware, Lala was caught in the middle of a feud between 50 and her now-ex fiance Randall Emmett in 2019. Remember, Fif accused Randall of owing him $1 million ... and taunted him by posting a clip of Lala on 'VR' talking about how she'd get expensive gifts from Randall after sex.

50 also posted texts from Randall begging him not to publicize their drama -- and then Lala got involved by saying the rapper's actions diminished the #metoo movement.

That's all behind them now. We're told Lala doesn't have any role in the movie, and has just been popping in to chat with her friend.

Seeing as how Lala and Randall had a pretty nasty break-up, we're guessing he won't be thrilled to see her cozying up to his archenemy. For what it's worth, 50 says Randall eventually paid back the $1 mil loan.

As if the Lala-Fif sighting wasn't weird enough ... this is the same movie set where a camera op recently passed out while shooting a super bloody scene for the flick.

Strange days, indeed.

Hasim Rahman Sr. I'll Fight Jake And Logan Paul ... Same Night!!

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COULD'VE BEEN DONE
TMZSports.com

If Jake Paul can't fight Hasim Rahman Jr. on August 6, there's someone else willing to step in the ring in his place -- Hasim Rahman Sr.!!

That's right ... the 49-year-old, 2x heavyweight champion tells TMZ Sports he's down to fill in for Jr. and box the Problem Child.

Oh, and for good measure, he says he'll fight Logan, too ... same night.

"How about this?" Hasim says, "If somebody would sanction this, I will fight Jake and Logan back to back. We can go eight rounds a piece. Neither one of them will make eight rounds but we can sanction for eight rounds and I promise you, if I don't knock Jake and Logan out, they win."

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SCARED & UNPROFESSIONAL

Of course, Jake and Jr. were set to box Saturday at MSG ... but the fight was scrapped after Paul accused Rahman of ignoring their contractually agreed-upon weight limit.

Now, let's be honest ... two fights in one night ain't happening, but you get Hasim's point. He isn't all that impressed with what he's seen in the ring from the Paul bros.

In 2001, Rahman Sr. shocked the sports world when he knocked out one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever, champ Lennox Lewis ... becoming the unified heavyweight champion of the world.

Throughout his career, Hasim racked up a 50-9-2 record with 41 KO's. He retired in 2014.

We also asked Rahman about the possibility Jake and his son could still fight another time ... and Hasim had a suggestion for ensuring the terms of the contract are followed.

"If the public demands it, both sides can put up a million dollars in escrow. That way we can be sure that ain't nobody gonna not make weight. If somebody miss weight, whatever the contractual demands are, they will be met or somebody gonna lose their million dollars."

So will it be Hasim Rahman Sr.? Rahman Jr.? Tommy Fury? Someone else? Stay tuned.

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TMZSports.com