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Tom Brady says he did NOT leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to shoot episodes of "The Masked Singer" ... saying the wild conspiracy is flat-out wrong.

TB12 had social media in a frenzy last week ... when one user speculated the QB was taking a break from training camp to appear on Fox's singing competition.

There were several points that had people convinced -- one being Brady's post-retirement TV deal with Fox Sports ... and another being the show is currently recording new episodes for the next season.

On top of that, Brady's absence had been a mystery ... and considering 'Masked Singer' is all about secrets, it would make sense for him to be hush-hush about what he was doing.

It was later revealed Brady used his time away from football to go on a Bahamas vacation with his wife, Gisele ... and based on his tweet just minutes ago, no masked singing was involved.

Leah Remini was noticeably absent from her BFF Jennifer Lopez's wedding -- but some folks in Leah's world claim it wasn't a snub, it was merely a case of her being a good mom.

Sources connected to the 'King of Queens' actress tell TMZ ... Leah wasn't in attendance for Bennifer's nuptials down in Georgia this weekend because she had her hands full with her 18-year-old daughter, Sofia, who's about to head off to college.

We're told Leah was, in fact, invited -- her and J Lo are like sisters, so they're very close -- but LR wanted to spend some precious time with her kiddo before the big milestone.

We're told Leah prioritized family time as she's missed some valuable moments raising her daughter while she was knee-deep in Scientology.

J Lo and Leah still follow each on social media too -- in case anyone was wondering -- so it appears there are no hard feelings.

Leah was just one of a handful of notable people who didn't make the shindig. Neither of Ben and Jen's exes -- Jennifer Garner and Marc Anthony -- showed up, which might not be all that shocking.

However, BA's own brother, Casey Affleck, was also a no-show ... and he too is telegraphing a college excuse.

After sending J Lo a personal message of congratulations on social media, he posted another clue as to why he might've bailed. Apparently, his own son is going to college as well.

A Little League World Series player's head was covered in cotton during an MLB game on Sunday night -- and while Little League officials acknowledged it "could be perceived as racially insensitive," they said they've since been assured there was "no ill-intent" behind the actions.

The incident happened in the eighth inning of the Red Sox vs. Orioles Little League Classic game in Williamsport, Penn. ... when several members of the Davenport, Iowa, Little League team -- who are white -- took stuffing out of giveaway toys and placed it on a Black teammate's head.

Many on social media were outraged by the visuals on the ESPN broadcast ... considering the Black player did not appear to be laughing about it at all.

But, reps for the LLWS said in a statement Monday that after speaking with the Black child's mother and coaches, they've been assured "that there was no ill-intent behind the action shown during the broadcast."

"After speaking with the team," officials said, "as well as reviewing photos, multiple players on the Midwest Region team were taking part in this while enjoying the game."

"As only one player appeared on the broadcast, Little League International understands that the actions shown could be perceived as racially insensitive."

Gary Busey allegedly got super inappropriate with several women at a fan event -- grabbing butts and attempting to undo one woman's bra -- leading to charges against the actor.

Cops say they were called to a DoubleTree Hotel in New Jersey August 13 after two women claimed they'd been sexually assaulted by the actor.

Busey was on location for a fan event called Monster Mania, and was allegedly taking photos with the women. According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, one of the women says Busey put his face close to her breasts and asked her where she got them. He then allegedly attempted to unlatch her bra strap. The other woman claimed he grabbed her butt.

The following day, cops say they got a call from a man who reported his daughter was also sexually assaulted by Busey at the event, that victim claimed Busey grabbed her butt as well.

According to the legal docs, when cops first made contact with Busey about the allegations, he denied groping anyone.

Then, Busey allegedly asked to apologize to the women before, "Claiming that sometimes it is possible to accidentally touch someone in a specific body part."

Busey has been charged with several counts of committing criminal sexual contact and 1 count of harassment.

A couple allegedly engaged in a sex act in the stands at the Oakland A's game on Sunday ... and now, police tell TMZ Sports they're investigating it all.

The two MLB fans were accused of going at it at some point during the Athletics' tilt with the Seattle Mariners at RingCentral Coliseum ... when a spectator in another part of the stadium appeared to capture the two getting it on in one of the last rows of the venue.

Footage appears to show the woman performing oral sex on the man for several seconds.

An Oakland Police Dept. spokesperson says cops are aware of the allegations ... and have launched a probe into the matter.

"The Oakland Police Department was not alerted to this until after the game," the spokesperson said, "and we have initiated an investigation."

Afroman's weekend was capped off by a lot of police activity -- his house was raided by law enforcement ... who were apparently on a drug hunt, and came in guns drawn.

The rapper -- who's originally from Palmdale, CA -- tells TMZ ... the Adams County Sheriff's Dept. burst into his property Sunday with their weapons drawn and orders being shouted. We're told they were in search of narcotics ... but in the end, came up empty-handed.

Afroman says he's not sure why they thought he was stashing illicit substances ... because all he had on hand, he insists, was a jar of hemp and a vape pen ... nothing else.

Afroman says he wasn't home at the time -- he was in Chicago -- he was notified by his neighbors, who got video and photos of the raid. Afroman tells us the believes this attempted bust is complete BS ... suggesting he was profiled over his music.

As you may know ... Afroman has a long history of rapping about weed and other misadventures. It's weird though -- his most famous songs are from back in the day, so if this music theory holds up ... it doesn't quite explain why cops thought something was amiss.

We've tried reaching out to the Sheriff's Dept. multiple times this morning to get an explanation on what exactly led to this and what they say they found, if anything. So far they haven't responded.

Afroman himself is outraged ... he took to IG to offer a bit more context on why this may have happened. According to him, it could have to do with him checking on a police report regarding a burglary at his home -- something ACSD apparently wasn't pleased with.

He writes, "One time my house got burglarize while I was on tour. For home insurance purposes I tried to fill out a police report. The cop came out three days later he told me they was really busy. He took my report. I would call every day and see if there was any progress being made. The Adams county sheriff department threaten to arrest me for checc-ing up on the case too frequently."

Afroman adds, "I excepted the fact that the police department is not necessary here to protect and serve me a blacc man in America so I just took my loss and never called bacc. Now here they are kicc-ing in my door looking for weapons of mass destruction and 100,000,000 pounds of weed lol wow Donald Trump calls these investigations witchhunts."

Fetty Wap will be sentenced to at least 5 years behind bars after pleading guilty to a federal drug charge.

Fetty was in court Monday where he pled guilty to one count of intent to distribute controlled substances including cocaine, heroin and fentanyl for his arrest back in October.

Two of his co-defendants, Robert Leonardi and Anthony Cyntje pleaded guilty to the same count, in addition to firearms charges.

According to a rep for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York ... the 31-year-old rap star faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison. Officials are estimating he’ll serve anywhere between 87-108 months … but he can't get less than the 5-year minimum. We're told Fetty is currently in custody.

TMZ broke the story … Fetty was traveling for Rolling Loud New York when feds apprehended him and his co-defendants and accused them of using USPS trucks to smuggle drugs. Over the course of their investigation, feds say they uncovered $1.5 million in cash, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 2 kilograms of heroin, fentanyl pills and several guns.

Fetty also has another case pending ... for allegedly making death threats during a December 2021 Facetime call.

A group of men who were allegedly responsible for a rash of crimes in Atlanta, including the burglary at Mariah Carey's home have been arrested ... and MC is singing the praises of law enforcement for delivering justice.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ 24-year-old Jeremy Caldwell, Terryion Anderson and Jalen Huff are all in custody in connection to a crime spree in the area, which included the burglary at Mariah's home. The men were arrested in Miami.

The Sandy Springs PD says the three men are responsible for a string of armed robberies, home invasions and burglaries in the area. They say several celebrity homes were targeted during the home invasions ... and during one incident a man was shot.

Sources close to Mariah tell us the singer was out of town July 27 when her home was broken into, but add she's, "so grateful for the detectives who arrived on the scene immediately."

Mariah posted pics of herself on vacation shortly before the alleged crime happened ... so it's possible the perps were tipped off to the fact her home was empty.

Leon Edwards' crazy upset win over Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 made Drake's pockets a bit lighter this weekend -- 'cause the rapper lost out on a $200k bet!!

"The Nigerian Nightmare" was handed just his second professional loss after a head-kick knockout in the fifth round ... a result that had the fighting world absolutely shocked.

Drizzy was so confident the fight would end up in Usman's favor, he actually put up nearly a quarter million on an Usman knockout.

Of course, that didn't happen ... so all that dough went down the drain.

Edwards got wind of Champagne Papi's bet ... and made sure to clap back at the rapper in his post-fight interview, telling him to make the right decision next time.

As it turns out, Drake was taking Ls left and right on Saturday ... because he also lost $230k after Jose Aldo lost to Merab Dvalishvili.

It's become a trend for Drake to place massive sports bets ... but it hasn't gone too well for him over the years -- he's lost close to a million bucks on UFC fights alone.

Ben Affleck needs a nap -- at least that much is obvious from these photos of him on the road in Georgia ... where the dude looks absolutely drained post-wedding weekend.

The actor was photographed Sunday night being driven to a private airport, with a police escort in town that had the entryway to the facility blocked off to try and keep fans and photogs away.

Ben looks exhausted, leaning over to his right side with his eyes partially closed.

We're told his bride, Jennifer Lopez, was also in the SUV, but you can't see her in the pics.

It appears Ben and the gang were on their way to a private jet to get 'em outta Savannah -- where they've been for the past several days celebrating his and J Lo's second nuptials ... this time in the presence of friends and family.

Some famous faces flew in for the shindig at BA's estate -- including his bestie, Matt Damon -- but there were some notable absences as well ... including his brother, Casey, and his ex-wife Jennifer Garner. For what it's worth, Marc Anthony also skipped the get-together.

Bennifer enjoyed themselves nonetheless ... decked out in all-white and smooching at every opportunity. It definitely looked like the wedding of a lifetime, from the pics we've seen.

Caleb VanHooser and Christian Eubanks, players for the Indiana State University football team, tragically died in a car accident over the weekend ... according to multiple reports.

"There are no words to express the depth of our sadness about this tragedy," school president Dr. Deborah J. Curtis said. "We send our condolences to the family and friends of the students involved. The Sycamore family is mourning and will support each other in this time of grief."

VanHooser's former school -- Lakota East High School -- confirmed the tragic news of his passing ... writing, "It is with (a) heavy heart that we mourn the loss of Caleb VanHooser, former Hawk great, and Indiana State football player who was called home to Heaven early this morning."

"We will never forget his contributions to our program. RIP #2. We love you."

Officials from Indiana State University also released a statement, saying ... "It is with great sorrow that Indiana State University announces that police are working to positively identify three people who died in a single-vehicle accident early Sunday morning."

The Vigo County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened around 1:34 AM on Sunday, according to WTHR ... when a vehicle traveling on State Road 46 -- not too far from ISU's campus -- veered off the road, struck a tree and caught on fire.

VanHooser and Eubanks were 2 of the 5 people trapped inside the vehicle, which was engulfed in flames by the time first responders arrived, according to the outlet.

VanHooser and Eubanks were freshmen at ISU.

Once the news about VanHooser's death circulated on social media, hundreds of people wearing blue and white gathered at Memorial Stadium to pay their respects.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is set to retire from his position as one of the country's top Docs ... but will see his duties through 'til the end of the year.

The director of the NIAID broke the news Monday with a lengthy statement. He says, in part, "I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden."

He adds, "I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career." It's unclear what Fauci plans to do next.

Fauci goes on to say what an honor it's been to serve in his role for the past 38 years, not to mention his other 15 years of service at the NIAID before he was a honcho. He's graceful in his statement, writing ... "I have worked with -- and learned from -- countless talented and dedicated people in my own laboratory, at NIAID, at NIH and beyond. To them I express my biding respect and gratitude."

Fauci's career is quite storied ... he has served under multiple presidents, including Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Dubya, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and, of course, JB.

Along the way, Dr. Fauci has helped Americans combat major viruses that have plagued society in the 20th and 21st centuries -- including instrumental research and work in regards to the Ebola and Zika viruses ... not to mention the swine flu pandemic, the bird flu scare and other widespread infectious disease occurrences that hit the world over the decades.

His contributions to HIV/AIDS research can't be overstated ... Fauci was in the trenches in the '80s, and he has said much of his work is defined by that period. Dr. Fauci helped develop treatments -- although the rollout and discussion of it all were heavily criticized at the time.

Frankly, he's been a lightning rod for years now ... often bearing the brunt of widespread outrage and condemnation when it comes to the federal government's response to health-related outbreaks. That was, perhaps, most crystalized of late ... during COVID-19 pandemic.

Many will recall ... Fauci was often battling against his own boss, DT, when it came to discussing the coronavirus -- he wanted people to be cautious and get vaccinated, while Trump usually pushed for the opposite ... making for some heated public clashes.

Still, he stayed the course through it all ... and always maintained his composure. Fauci hasn't always been right from the get-go, but he did always pivot when more information surfaced and updated his recommendations as such. That much nobody can deny.

Blueface's girlfriend is in police custody after punching him square in the face -- the second time in less than a month -- but he's begging cops to let her go free.

Chrisean Rock unloaded on the rapper Sunday night while they were in Whiskey Row bar in Scottsdale, AZ. Blueface was standing in front of Chrisean when she hauled back and struck him twice in the face.

She landed both shots, sending Blueface backward and he made no attempt to go back at her. Instead, security took her down ... pinning Chrisean to the ground until Scottsdale PD arrived to haul her off in handcuffs.

So, Blueface's reaction to the violent incident? "Free Rock!!!"

He posted a video saying, "We don't ever make the same mistake twice" ... clearly referring to their very public fight earlier this month.

TMZ broke the story when they both went at each other on the streets of Hollywood -- Chrisean threw the first punch, but Blueface, who's slated to box Nick Young in a celeb event next month, fought back, pinning her to the ground. Cops didn't witness the fight, but after seeing video said they'd opened an investigation.

Nothing's come of that incident yet, and the couple never broke up over it, but now -- with Chrisean in jail -- Blueface says he wants her freed, we think. He was kinda laughing during the video.

One thing he didn't laugh about was the punch, as he put it ... "She hit me with a banger. I was like, oooh!!!"

Scott Disick was involved in a car accident this weekend -- but it sounds like he's going to be okay ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the reality star had his car dinged up Sunday while driving near Calabasas. Unclear where exactly this might've occurred out there, but we're told Scott's Lamborghini SUV rolled over in the wreck ... one that only involved his vehicle, and luckily not any others. We're told he was alone in the car, and didn't appear impaired.

Our sources say SD sustained a minor cut to his head, and that when paramedics arrived ... he refused medical attention. So it seems he wasn't seriously injured.

Again ... we're not entirely sure on what possibly made Scott's car to flip like this, but we are told that speed appears to have been a factor, based on a preliminary investigation by cops. Scott's Lambo was towed from the scene ... he was not cited in the end.

Scott has been out and about all over L.A. these past few days -- including an outing at Nobu with a mystery woman earlier in the week ... as well as another dinner at Giorgio Baldi on Saturday night, alongside none other than Rod Stewart's daughter, Kimberly.

Him hitting the town seems to jibe with what Kourtney was up to on Sunday -- she posted a photo of her and their son, Reign, hanging out in a pool. So it seems she's got the kids this weekend.

Scott and Kourtney continue to co-parent their three little ones -- this as KK has gone on to marry Travis Barker this year ... a relationship that SD, at times, has apparently bristled over.

We've reached out to his reps for further comment ... so far, no word back.

Tyson Fury says his cousin was killed after being stabbed in the neck in the UK over the weekend ... and now, he's pleading with government officials to crack down on knife crime in wake of the tragedy.

According to authorities, Fury's relative, 31-year-old Rico Burton, was killed following an incident at a popular bar at around 3 AM on Sunday in Manchester. A 17-year-old was also injured in the altercation, cops said, and remains hospitalized.

Fury took to his Instagram page after learning of Burton's death to mourn the loss -- and called for greater punishment for knife crimes to hopefully deter similar incidents from happening going forward.

"This is becoming ridiculous," the boxing superstar said. "Idiots carry knives. This needs to stop 🛑 Asap, uk 🇬🇧 government needs to bring higher sentencing for knife crime, its a pandemic & you dont know how bad it is until its 1 of your own!"

He added, "Life is very precious & it can be taken away very quick enjoy every moment🙏RIP RICO BURTON 🙏 may the lord god grant you a good place in heven. see you soon"

Police say they have arrested two men who they believe were involved in the stabbing. They added that they are increasing police patrols in the area with the hopes of preventing future crimes.

"This was a senseless attack," Greater Manchester Police spokesperson Ben Ewart said, "and both victims should've returned home this morning after enjoying a night out with friends."

Three Arkansas sheriff's deputies have been benched after a video shows them wailing on a homeless man with alleged mental health issues.

The Crawford County Sheriff's Department confirms two of the men in uniform seen are their own deputies, and a third officer belongs to the Mulberry Police Dept. They were all teaming up Sunday on a young man -- kneeing him, slamming his head on the concrete and punching him in the face in order to restrain the man.

The brutal beating happened outside Kountry Xpress gas station, where the cops responded to a call for threats made to one of the clerks inside ... allegedly made by the man getting detained. Reports say the man was cooperative at first, but then things went south.

One report says the man allegedly tried to attack an officer, which is what apparently led to the beatdown. Regardless of what happened in the lead-up, the force shown by the officers is extreme.

At one point, the officers notice they're being filmed, and yell at bystanders to get lost. The Arkansas State Police is currently investigating.