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Tom Cruise's son, Connor, has followed a different path than that of his old man -- and that path is one of a fisherman who reels in big catches ... really big catches.

CC was part of the Sarasota Slam fishing tournament in Florida this weekend, and it looks like he and his crew took the grand prize for a Grouper that literally ended up weighing hundreds of pounds.

To be precise, the beast ended up clocking in at 301 pounds ... which was proudly announced across the docks and got huge applause from the crowd. Word is, Connor and co. actually caught it Friday -- but kept it on ice until Saturday when they checked the poundage.

Connor writes of the haul ... "Got it done yesterday with the boys. 301# Warsaw on the hand crank."

Tom and Nicole Kidman's kid is all into the sport these days. His social media pages are plastered with photos and videos of him posing with a bunch of dead fish ... huge ones at that.

Weddings can be a trippy thing ... especially these days, when the wedding party gets all psychedelic with shrooms!!!

There's a super interesting trend -- trading mushrooms for booze. Lots of folks -- especially millennials -- don't want that awful champagne hangover the next day, so they're choosing to party with mushrooms .... usually in the form of tasty chocolates.

Yeah, it's a hallucinogen, but it's become very common to relieve anxiety and depression and for lots of folks it's just a pleasurable experience ... within limits. Beats getting drunk.

A 35-year-old wedding guest told The Times, '"I think it is a combination of no weddings for two years and the younger generation moving away from getting really p*****, which can make people get quite angry. With this, everyone was having a great time."

The rub, of course, is that when someone is trippin' in a big crowd, it could cause chaos, and that's a real thing as well.

Kim Kardashian is living proof a charity event doesn't have to be downer ... at least when it comes to fashion, charity can be lit!

KK hit up the 4th annual fundraiser for the charity, This is About Humanity -- TIAH. It's an org that raises awareness about parents and children separated at the U.S./Mexican border.

Kim showed up in style, and gotta say ... Kanye may be long gone in terms of a relationship with her, but his fashion influence still lingers from her head to her toes.

Tickets for the event -- held in Brentwood, CA -- were certainly within her reach -- $1k a pop. The money goes toward legal representation for immigrant families.

Tom Brady just can't take a day off without people writing a book about it -- well, unless it's missing the first two weeks of training camp -- so he's addressing it again, essentially saying he went through a lot of s**t.

Brady showed up Saturday for the preseason debut in the exhibition final, and said post-game, "Everyone has different situations they're dealing with and we all have unique challenges to our lives."

Then he said this ... "I'm 45 years old, man. There's a lot of shit going on, so you just have to try and figure out life the best you can. You know, it's a continuous process."

Brady, who performed at the Brady level, kinda said the obvious after the game ... "I feel good. I've played football for a long time. I'm pretty good at it," Brady said. "Doesn't take me long for me to remember how to play it."

Brady did not get specific about the 11-day absence -- remember, he initially said he was self-benching for "personal reasons."

The Bucs played 2 preseason games while Brady was out ... losing to Miami on Aug. 13 and to the Titans on Aug. 20.

There have been massive rumors he was MIA so he could appear on " The Masked Singer," but Brady flatly denied that. But here's the thing ... when he was retired for that nanosecond, he signed a massive, $375 million deal with Fox, and it's not inconceivable part of the deal might have been to appear on Fox shows, the biggest of which is the 'Masked Singer.'

So the theory goes ... when he un-retired, he went back to the Bucs and said he had signed the deal so part of the terms of coming back would be the 11-day hiatus.

Paul "PK" Kemsley, the husband of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Dorit ... won't be hit with DUI charges following his arrest last year ... because we've learned the case has been rejected.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office tells TMZ ... they reviewed PK's case but rejected it back in April based on an "insufficiency of the evidence."

Law enforcement tells us PK went from blowing a .081 in the field to a .076 at the police station -- the legal limit's .08. We're told the level change ultimately led prosecutors to decide not to charge him.

Back in December, PK's attorney, Alan Jackson told TMZ his client "regrets the fact he did not take alternate transportation home that evening."

Dorit ran into paps after word spread about PK's arrest ... she said he wasn't necessarily smashed, but he probably shouldn't have been behind the wheel in the first place.

As we reported, CHP said they pulled PK over after seeing his grey Bentley weaving in traffic on L.A.'s 101 freeway. If he had alcohol in his system and he was driving erratically the City Attorney could still charge him with DUI, even if he blew under a .08, but prosecutors say there was insufficient evidence.

Julius Erving loves Kobe Bryant and even played with the Mamba's father ... but he tells TMZ Sports the NBA shouldn't retire the Lakers legend's numbers league-wide like it did with Bill Russell earlier this summer.

Most believe that following Adam Silver's decision to honor Russell by permanently hanging up his #6 following the Celtics legend's death -- he should do the same for Kobe, who tragically passed away in 2020.

But, Dr. J -- who called Russell a good friend of his -- clearly feels differently.

"I don't think he should be compared with the Russell situation," Erving said of Kobe out at LAX. "We're fresh into that but let's see how that works out. Maybe at some point in time. Bill was 86 years old, so address it like that to an 86-year-old -- multiple champions, multiple coaching champions, multiple on-and-off the court champion, or whatever -- there's no comparison."

"I wouldn't even try to compare Kobe Bryant to Russell."

Instead, Erving said he believes the posthumous honors that Bryant receives should be left up to his former L.A. team.

"It's more of a franchise situation with the Lakers," Erving said. "If they wanted to do it, which I think they already have, that makes sense -- but for the whole league to do it, probably not."

This week's Summer Hot Shots comes from a pristine pool in Southeast Asia where model and artist Ms. PuiYi brought the heat while getting tangled up in a skimpy orange swimsuit while splashing away the summer in Malaysia.

When the influencer isn't treating her over 18 million Instagram followers to her sexy shots ... Ms. PuiYi likes to make music, spend time with her three cats and she even collects modern art like rare Bearbrick figures and a pony chair by Eero Aarnio.

She's museum worthy!

We are continuing to whip up our Summer Hot Shots for 2022 from a distance and have collaborated with some mind-melting hotties from around the world for your viewing pleasure!

FN Meka's problems didn't go away when Capitol Records pulled the plug on the controversial project -- the Black rapper whose voice was used for Meka has started the process to take legal action against the creators.

Kyle The Hooligan says FN Meka's creators stole his drip to create the character, and he's ready to see 'em in court. Kyle tells TMZ Hip Hop ... his attorneys already started the legal process to recoup his damages from both Brandon Le and Factory New this week.

Kyle says he was "young" when he met with Factory New, but says he was promised equity and ownership for helping voice and write the music for FN Meka.

He also claims he gave them all the "cool" ideas, and would've prevented hiccups like the police brutality photo from even happening.

Kyle's attorney, Andrew Orcutt tells TMZ, "Despite multiple requests, we have not received a response from or been put in contact with Factory New’s or Brandon Le’s legal representatives, nor have we received any formal offer for compensation. We are continuing to evaluate our options and are hopeful for a swift and just resolution to this matter.”

During all the industry backlash against Meka, we got hip hop veteran Krayzie Bone's take on everything, who said real rappers' jobs were in danger ... but Kyle actually disagrees.

Kyle raps for real, not just virtually, and saw the digital rapper horizon as a way for artists to expand their careers and portfolios -- but now he wants his case to shine a light on anyone else who's been ghosted in the music industry.

Concealed behind this swirled man is an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award-nominated actor, and to hone in on his accolades a smidge more ... he snagged two Emmys for his roles in "The Normal Heart" and "I Know This Much Is True."

When he's not in front of the camera, you can find him fighting climate change with his nonprofit organization "The Solutions Project," which he has worked on for the past two decades. "Rumor Has It" that this scrambled star has a starring role in the Disney+ series "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law."

Sydney Sweeney did a photo dump to honor her mom's birthday, but it's instantly backfiring -- because people think it's showing her true colors ... ones they perceive as red.

The "Euphoria" actress threw up a bunch of shots Saturday on IG, showing her and her family celebrating her mother Lisa's 60th birthday. They held the shindig at some sort of ranch, and the theme is hoedown-inspired ... with everyone rocking cowboy hats and boots.

Seems relatively harmless -- but some fans of hers are raising an eyebrow to the vibe they're putting off, especially when it comes to certain people's attire ... shirts and hats specifically.

In one of the photos that SS posted, she's alongside three other adults (one of whom is her mother, the blonde woman) as well as what appears to be her grandmother ... and an older gentleman. We're not exactly sure who he is, but he could easily be a relative as well.

Folks are hyper-focusing on this guy's shirt, seemingly a Blue Lives Matter shirt -- which has been symbolized with a black and white flag and a blue stripe down the middle.

Other photos and videos show attendees wearing red MAGA-style hats ... with "Make Sixty Great Again" emblazoned on the front. Her brother, Trent, posted these -- and made sure to note that's exactly what they said. But the fact they're being worn at all is getting criticism.

If you hop into the "Sydney Sweeney" trend right now ... you'll see some are jokingly asking where her family was on Jan. 6, and predicting that an apology video is forthcoming.

Of course, there's an incredible amount of assumptions and speculation being piled on over this -- but it's happening nonetheless. Some Sweeney fans are actually expressing shock that her family appears to be somewhat right-wing -- or potentially lean that way, anyway.

FWIW ... Sydney's from Washington state, but was raised in Idaho. Even if her fam does happen to be conservative, it's certainly not the mortal sin Twitter's making it out to be.

Buffalo Bills Punter Matt Araiza -- accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old girl while in college -- has been released by the team, the organization announced Saturday.

As TMZ Sports previously reported, 22-year-old Araiza was sued in San Diego County Superior Court earlier this week.

Araiza, nicknamed the "Punt God," is accused of gang-raping a 17-year-old woman, only identified as "Jane Doe" in the suit, at a Halloween party at his house on October 17, 2021.

The woman, who says she was inebriated upon arriving at the party, says Araiza gave her a drink that she later believed contained "other intoxicating substances."

Doe claims the two engaged in sexual acts outside of the punter's home. She says Araiza then led her inside, and threw her onto a bed. She claims he gang raped her with two of his Aztecs teammates -- Nowlin "Pa'a" Ewaliko and Zavier Leonard -- who are also named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The woman claims the sexual abuse went on for about an hour and a half, before the party was eventually shut down. In the suit she says she "stumbled out of the room bloody and crying."

Doe is suing Araiza, Ewaliko and Leonard for unspecified damages.

Araiza, shortly after the allegations came to light, adamantly denied the claims, saying ... “The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight.”

The Bills initially issued a statement saying they were aware of the allegations, saying they “conducted a thorough examination,” but couldn't comment further due to the active suit.

However, after sitting Araiza (the team's starting P) during Friday night's preseason game, the Bills, a Super Bowl favorite, announced Saturday afternoon they were parting ways with the league's most talked about punter.

Buffalo GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott briefly met with the media, telling reporters the situation was bigger than football, adding Matt must deal with the serious issue.

As for specifically when the organization learned or the incredibly troubling allegations, Beane said the following.

"I know it's a question of when did we hear this or what was the timeline -- late July from her representative spoke to [Bills attorney Kathryn D'Angelo] and laid out some of the things that they were accusing Matt and others of. At that time, our process, we tried to be thorough and thoughtful. Not rush to judgment, and I would say it's not easy. You're trying to put facts around a legal situation, sometimes with limited information. So, ultimately that's where we're at today with the decision."

Araiza was selected in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft ... and recently went viral after he boomed an 82-yard punt during his first game.

Araiza has not been arrested or charged with a crime.

Tiffany Haddish got up close and personal with Usher this weekend -- receiving the serenade treatment that also teetered into touchy-feely territory.

The actress/comedian was in attendance for Usher's Vegas residency show Friday night, where she had a great seat toward the front ... but which got a whole lot better when he and his team actually invited her up onstage.

Seems like he knew she was in the crowd and wanted to giver something special ... she got it and then some. Check out the video -- TH looks like a kid in a candy store up there.

As you can see ... Usher did a little dance with Tiff, grinding up on her backside and her totally leaning into it. He's also singing to her -- and eventually, has her sit down on a table on stage as they begin to act out a skit. Tiffany's a pro, so she rolls with it all to a T.

Sure looks like she had a good time -- it's also just crazy to see that Tiffany seems pretty star-struck up there. Just speaks to the fame and allure that Usher holds to this day.

Another thing this confirms ... Usher's residency show is still the hottest thing in Sin City.

It's time for What's-Twitter-Bitching-About-Now -- and today, Heather Matarazzo's character from an old Disney movie is being placed under the microscope ... maybe for good reason.

If you're seeing 'Princess Diaries' trending this weekend ... this is why. Somebody posed a question, writing ... "Who is the worst fictional friend you can think of?" The tweet took off, and it seems the consensus is ... Lilly Moscovitz from the 2001 Anne Hathaway flick.

Apparently, users on the bird app remember this performance well ... and they brought the receipts to back up their argument that Lilly kinda sucks. They might even have a point!

Folks posted compilations of scenes from 'TPD,' showing off a lot of moments between Mia and Lilly -- including a notable one from toward the beginning ... where Matarazzo (in character) is telling AH she can't believe she's not over her dad's death from 2 months ago.

There are other scenes that are getting mentioned as well ... including a good amount where Lilly is straight up hating on Mia's ascendance as a princess -- calling her a sell-out and making her feel guilty for changing into something she no longer recognizes ... while also trying to use her at various points for her own personal gain.

Indeed, in this hyper-focused context ... Lilly/Matarazzo certainly comes off as sorta s****y.

Still, it's a little absurd how this convo is unfolding in the feed ... some on Twitter seem to be genuinely upset that Lilly was such a bad friend and has since been labeled as "toxic" ... perhaps not holding up to societal standards of a supportive BFF, especially in 2022.

Of course, Lilly isn't real ... and this movie was made more than 20 years ago. More importantly, Mia stands up for herself -- and Lilly apologizes in the end, completing her arc.

If we're being honest, the fact Lilly's being discussed at all today speaks to how good of a job Matarazzo did all those years ago ... and how we really can't have good things anymore.

Aries Spears took some very personal shots at Lizzo as it pertains to her weight and appearance -- but the internet is on her side ... rushing to her defense en masse.

The comedian did an interview with "The Art of Dialogue," and when they posted a snippet of it on Friday ... all hell broke loose on Twitter. We will say this ... what Aries opined on is pretty mean and the tone of it completely overshadowed the point he was trying to make.

AS was asked if he thought Lizzo's music was a standout in this day and age -- but he immediately pivoted to an insult. He says he can't get over the fact that she "looks like the s*** emoji" ... and then continues to say she has a pretty face, but a terrible body.

Aries goes on to say the praise she and others -- whom he considers fat/unhealthy -- is ass-backwards ... adding that if people really cared, they'd send a different message to these same stars (like Lizzo) ... one that's a bit more health-conscious and honest.

Bill Maher echoed similar sentiments, but did so more tactfully. Here, Aries gets down in the gutter ... and he's paying for it with some of these Twitter responses on Lizzo's behalf.

Many are pointing out the irony of Aries criticizing Lizzo's weight, noting he himself isn't the best shape -- AS also pointed that out as well, FWIW. Still, he's being met with the same viciousness he tossed out in Lizzo's direction ... with many mocking his own looks.

Others are even arguing Lizzo is in tip-top shape -- seeing how she can dance, sing and play the flute within any given set. They say being "fat" doesn't mean being unhealthy.

President Joe Biden canceling student debt could win him and other Dems votes in November and beyond -- something Senator Ted Cruz is well aware of ... in hilarious terms.

The legislator from Texas was firing away on his podcast, "The Verdict with Ted Cruz," over JB's decision to dish out upwards of $20k for free to people with outstanding loans -- under certain parameters, of course ... saying it could have a significant impact politically.

Watch ... TC says, yeah -- it could get a certain demographic of the Democratic party off their asses and out at polling places for the midterms ... but he makes that point with some jabs.

He says the "slacker baristas" who wasted years at college with nothing to show for it now are probably ecstatic over this news -- and he worries they may even pay Joe back in key votes for both 2022 and 2024 ... assuming they put the bong down and remember to do it.

It's pretty funny that this is who Cruz thinks this will be affected ... hippy-dippy losers working at Dunkin' -- it's just such an outdated caricature. Anyway, his point is well taken.

While Biden's student loan forgiveness is being celebrated by many, it's also receiving a lot of criticism ... with some noting that the financial burden it creates falls on tax payers, not to mention screwing people who, in the past, already paid their debts fair and square.

He and his cabinet members, including the Sec. of Education Miguel Cardona, addressed that last week -- with their argument essentially boiling down to ... tough luck, this is for the greater good.

Brittany Aldean is doubling down on a hot take that some are calling transphobic -- publicly hitting back at a couple fellow country contemporaries who are outraged.

BA -- who's Jason Aldean's wife -- screen-grabbed responses to an IG post of hers from a few days ago, when singers Cassadee Pope and Maren Morris each criticized Brittany for thanking her parents for not deeming her a boy when she was young.

In the OG post, Brittany is showing herself getting dolled up -- with a caption that reads, "I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase. I love this girly life."

CP took to social media and replied ... "You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging. But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their “tomboy phase” to someone wanting to transition. Real nice."

MM chimed in too, commenting under Cassadee's tweet ... "It's so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it. Insurrection Barbie." Morris seems to be referring to the fact that the Aldeans have spoken out strongly about Jan. 6.

Well, Brittany caught wind of it all -- backlash beyond just Cassadde and Maren -- but instead of folding ... she stuck to her guns on this one. She issued a lengthy statement, which basically says she thinks it's wrong to put kids on hormone blockers and such.

She says it's actually "evil" and presented under the guise of healthcare. Basically, she doesn't think minors should be put through that -- not until they're at least 18 anyway.