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The longtime Wendy's employee with Down Syndrome -- who was recently fired -- is now getting a happy ending, complete with a huge party and a major key.

Here's the deal ... Dennis Peek was unceremoniously canned a few days back after working at a Wendy's in Stanley, North Carolina for 20 years. The news was particularly devastating for Dennis' family -- his sister and guardian, Cona Young Turner -- tells TMZ ... Dennis doesn't know he was terminated, and instead thinks he's retiring.

The family is being super sensitive about the situation, but we've learned the city of Stanley is kicking in to give him a proper retirement send-off. Cona says during the party, Dennis will be presented with a key to the city and a commemorative plaque.

She says the Carolina Restaurant Group -- which operates the Wendy's where Dennis worked -- offered Dennis his job back and the family at first agreed, but she says the family ultimately decided against it.

We're told Dennis previously mentioned to his family he wanted to retire ... so his sister thinks it's best for him to move on from Wendy's.

Cona says Wendy's offered to cover costs for the retirement party, but as of now the city will foot the bill ... and folks in town are chipping in too.

The retirement bash is set for Nov. 5, and the family's also asking people to send Dennis "Happy Retirement" cards.

While Cona was initially looking into filing a wrongful termination lawsuit of a special needs worker, she tells us ... the family will NOT pursue legal action.

Conan O'Brien can break out the bubbly ... because he just accepted an offer on his oceanfront home.

Conan's been on the hunt for a buyer since July. He had listed the property in Carpinteria, CA, just south of Santa Barbara, for $16,500,000.

Conan's 2,142 square foot pad is just steps from the sand ... it underwent an extensive remodel after he and his wife Liza bought it back in 2015 -- at the time they plunked down $7.9M for the property.

The house has panoramic ocean, island and coastline views ... there's a large deck with a built-in BBQ, plus a sunset view deck with private stairs down to the beach.

The main house has two bedrooms, a gym and a detached, 2-bedroom guest house with a wraparound deck. The garage has a Tesla charging station too!

For those salt lifers ... there's an outdoor shower and storage area for surf and paddle boards ... essentials for life at the beach.

Conan and Liza are upgrading in the same area, reportedly plunking down $23M.

"Not Okay" star Zoey Deutch is certainly not doing OK, after burglars hit her L.A. Area home.

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... Zoey arrived home earlier this month to discover a door smashed in and her home a mess. Our sources say the culprit(s) made off with over $300,000 in cash and jewelry.

It's not a situation we've seen recently, where a celeb leaves town and lets the world know. She was in L.A. and was just out for a few hours.

Zoey is not the only celebrity victim lately. TMZ broke the story ... Arsenio Hall's house was hit twice in a matter of weeks, both times while he was home, and Rapper Tee Grizzley was recently hit for over a million dollars in jewelry and cash.

As for Zoey's case -- cops are looking at video in Zoey's neighborhood in an effort to identify the crooks, but as of now ... no arrests have been made.

Kenny Smith says Draymond Green violently socking Jordan Poole in a practice last week is a huge nothing burger ... telling TMZ Sports similar incidents will happen "at least twice a year on each team."

We spoke with "The Jet" out at LAX last week shortly after we posted the shocking footage of Green blasting Poole in the middle of a Warriors workout ... and the NBA analyst told us that while it was "uncomfortable" to watch, it's not nearly as serious as some think it is.

"That behavior is uncommon in normal society, without question," Smith said. "However, that behavior happens a lot in sports because of the physicality, the adrenaline, and all those things."

"I thought it was going to be worse when I saw the video. I was like, 'Oh, they just got into a scuffle.'"

The video certainly seems to show far more than that -- in the footage, Green appears to lunge at Poole with full force following a verbal spat ... striking him in the jaw and knocking him to the floor.

Smith, though, insisted fights like these happen all the time in the Association -- including back in his playing days.

"I won two championships with like five guys who fought," said Smith, who won back-to-back titles with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995.

Draymond, meanwhile, addressed his actions on Saturday following the release of the video ... taking accountability for his role in the fight and saying he was stepping away from the team for a few days.

Smith told us he doesn't think the Dubs will ultimately suspend Green for the punch when he gets back, but he did say a fine for the 4-time NBA champ is likely on the horizon.

Before this flexible kiddo turned into the first female pro to grab the number one spot on 'DWTS' she was just a young ballerina practicing her dance moves and growing up in San Francisco, California.

This quick-stepper won her first Mirrorball trophy back in 2006 with her partner Drew Lachey and consecutively won with pro footballer Emmitt Smith in 2007. She also competed on the competition show "I Can Do That" alongside Joe Jonas and Nicole Scherzinger.

Need one more hint? She's currently partnered with weather anchor Sam Champion on this season's "Dancing With The Stars."

The 17-year-old shot multiple times by a cop while eating outside a McDonald's is on life support after several of his organs were punctured ... TMZ has learned.

Erik Cantu's family, through his attorney Brian Powers, tells TMZ the teen has undergone multiple surgeries to repair major organs that were damaged -- a result of the gunfire.

Erik's being closely monitored as the system keeps his lungs operating. He still remains sedated to hopefully ease the pain and discomfort he'd face if conscious.

Erik is struggling, and the recovery won't be easy for him, but his family thanks everyone for sending prayers ... asking for more of that love during this time of uncertainty.

As we reported, bodycam footage -- released by police last week -- showed San Antonio PD Officer James Brennand shoot multiple times at the unarmed kid. Brennand was at the location for an unrelated call ... but Cantu had apparently evaded Brennand on another call the day before.

50 Cent's oldest son has a solution to mend his relationship with his famous dad ... offering a chunk of his child support money to buy back some father-son QT.

ICYMI, 25-year-old Marquise Jackson has been getting roasted online for an Instagram argument, where he claimed $6,700 wasn't enough cash flow for his mother to take care of him.

Not many people can relate to having an additional $80K per year, but Marquise is adamant it wasn't enough. He's taken it so far, he even flipped his dad's infamous "Broke" IG photo to spell out "Entitled" for all his haters.

He also issued a challenge to Fiddy -- accept $6,700, one month's worth of the child support his mom used to get -- in exchange for 24 hours of one-on-one time with his dad.

50 and Marquise have been unfortunately trading shots in the public ... so, it seems unlikely the hip hop mogul will take his seed up on the offer.

Amid the latest back and forth, he found time to respond via his alter-ego Kanan, his character from "Power" ... and posted the chilling scene where the character kills his son after a bitter dispute.

Kanye West is hitting the town again with Brazilian model Juliana Nalú -- this time catchin' a flick together ... and, no, he did not wear the "White Lives Matter" shirt. This time.

Ye and Juliana hit up a movie theater Sunday night in Hollywood ... getting a pair of tickets for Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund's "Triangle of Sadness."

On the surface, not a great title for date night, but hey ... it's Ye.

The 24-year-old model was reppin' some of his merch once again -- the "2024" hat he's shown off online and worn in the past.

These 2 had already been out and about recently -- they checked into a hotel together Thursday in Beverly Hills ... and followed that up with dinner Saturday night at Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica.

FYI -- Juliana's had modeling on her mind for a loooong time ... telling Latina Magazine she knew it was in her blood since she was 6.

Art Laboe, a pioneering voice in radio who created one of its most famous phrases, is dead after battling pneumonia.

The famous disc jockey who's widely credited with coining the phrase "Oldies but goodies" died on Friday night at his home in Palm Springs ... according to a rep for Art's production company. We're told he was diagnosed with pneumonia 2 weeks ago.

We're told he had close friends by his side when he passed -- and generations of his fans, particularly on the West Coast, are remembering the man who revolutionized radio broadcasts.

Art was just 18 years old when he got his first gig on KSAN in San Francisco. During WWII he started taking requests and dedications ... a new concept for disc jockeys at the time. He later moved to L.A. and had an enormous social impact on the city.

He organized live DJ shows at a drive-in movie theater ... where he would play rock 'n' roll music, and attract young audiences of white, Black and Latino fans. His shows were so popular, some credit him with helping end segregation in SoCal.

Art went on to become a record producer, and concert promoter and even owned some radio stations. And, when you talk about marathon careers ... Art's final syndicated radio show was produced last week, and aired Sunday night.

He was 97.

Gisele Bündchen is trying to feel better after separating from her husband Tom Brady ... visiting a spiritual healer to get back on track.

The supermodel paid Dr. Ewa a return visit Friday in Florida, sporting a prayer necklace and carrying a box from Amazon on her way into her spiritual intervention.

Ewa came armed with some Tupperware filled with yellow soup, and two cups.

Again, no wedding ring for Gisele ... she hasn't been spotted wearing it recently, but we should note -- she rarely wore the thing even before leaving Tom.

TMZ broke the story ... Gisele recently separated from Tom, declaring their marriage was over. She's been threatening to divorce him several times over the years, with football as the core issue.

Gisele's living in Miami while Tom plays another NFL season in Tampa ... and we've seen her hitting the gym a lot, even taking her kids to a workout amid her search for a divorce lawyer.

Xzibit says he's super stoked to toke in light of President Biden pardoning weed possession inmates -- but says people should understand, it's just one small step in the right direction.

The Golden State rap warrior chopped it up with TMZ Hip Hop to add his 2 cents to the brewing cannabis conversation, and while he commended the Prez for cutting federal prisoners the break ... he says the majority of federal marijuana-related convictions will remain intact.

X says there's a lot more the feds -- and individual governors -- can do to ensure no one is incarcerated for Mary Jane.

Already one of hip hop's most trusted cannabis CEOs ... X kicked down doors with his previous company, Brass Knuckles, which blossomed into his current booming biz, Napalm.

We also asked him about his famous 420 shoutouts from 50 Cent's iconic hit "In da Club" off the diamond-selling "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" album .. and he tells us the nod followed him around for years.

Xzibit also revealed during the convo that after 4 decades of blazing mics, he's calling it a career at the top of next year with his final album, "King Maker."

X admits he still has love for the craft and culture of being an MC ... but at this stage of his life, he has other obligations -- including family -- that needs his time the most.

NeNe Leakes' 23-year-old son is lucky to be alive after a frightening medical emergency sent him to the hospital, and on a long road to recovery.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Brentt Leakes was in Atlanta earlier this month when he suffered both a heart attack and a stroke. Luckily, we're told Brentt was quickly transported to a local hospital for medical attention.

Our sources say while Brentt was hospitalized for several days, he's now out and rehabbing ... and everyone is hopeful he will make a full recovery.

It was last year when NeNe's husband, Gregg, who is also Brentt's father died after a long battle with cancer. Brentt was featured on 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' throughout NeNe's time on the show with his brother Bryson.

NeNe has not yet publicly commented on her son's situation.

Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney have come a looong way in just 2 months -- from divorce and her arrest ... to smoochin' it up and hanging all over each other during a night on the town.

Patrick and Michelle were dancing the night away at Davey Wayne's bar in L.A. Sunday night ... locking lips a few times throughout the night.

They seemed to be having a blast together -- maybe even more so than the average married couple, and possibly making up for lost time.

Of course, their fun night out comes on the heels of a rocky couple of months between -- as we reported, Michelle was arrested in August for allegedly slapping the Black Keys drummer in the face. And, that came on the heels of her claiming he cheated on her.

Michelle was calling it quits from Patrick around the time of her arrest ... she filed to divorce after 3 years of marriage.

But, according to legal docs, obtained by TMZ last month, the couple pressed pause on the split for at least 6 months -- saying they were going to attempt to reconcile.

Byron Allen is making a BIG move ... because he just dropped nine figures on an oceanfront home ... and it's in the record books.

The billionaire TV mogul dropped $100 million on an 11,000-square-foot estate in Malibu ... and the place is palatial.

Here's what $100 mil buys in Malibu's exclusive Paradise Cove enclave ... a four-bedroom house with two guest houses and all the bells and whistles, including a home theater, tennis court, gym and yoga studio ... all on a breathtaking, expansive lot.

Byron's new digs sit on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, so the home has sweeping ocean views. The primary suite has its own fireplace, bathroom, custom walk-in closets and private terrace.

There's a winding path down to the beach ... and Byron can hop in a golf cart if he doesn't feel like walking to the coastline. He basically bought his own Malibu resort.

Byron's adding to an already impressive real estate portfolio ... we're told it's now worth $500 million ... he has properties in Aspen, Beverly Hills, Maui and New York.

And, get this ... it's the most money an African American has ever spent on a home in the United States, with Byron toppling the prior record -- $88 million Beyoncé and Jay-Z spent on their Bel-Air mansion.

Byron bought the place from the family who co-founded Public Storage, and his next-door neighbor is WhatsApp cofounder Jan Koum.

'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Kathy Hilton claims everything is good between her and her sister Kyle Richards after their massive drama following the show's reunion taping ... but her social media activity might tell a different story.

Kathy was at the Beverly Hilton Saturday night, attending the Carousel of Hope Ball with her husband, Rick, and while fans were jumping at the opportunity to snap a pic, the tension between her and her sister was on other people's minds.

She's asked if everything's okay with Kyle -- Kathy quickly replies, "Yeah that's my sister, I love her."

Looks like a sign they might be working the drama out, but their comments online paint a different picture -- one where Kathy asks why her sis is crying, calling it "cruel and disgusting." Kyle coldly responded, "I don't think you want me to explain why."

As we reported, production sources told us the 2 are hardly on speaking terms after last month's reunion taping ... with only a few texts exchanged between them since.

Tom Cruise is remembering his late lawyer and friend, Bert Fields ... sharing an incredible story of how they first met.

The 'Top Gun' star recorded a video message for Bert's memorial service ... revealing how he first came across Bert -- at a dinner party with Dustin Hoffman.

Tom says he was seated next to Bert and they got to talking. It didn't take long for Tom to notice something different about Bert, remembering him as one of the most fascinating people he'd ever met.

The conversation was so compelling -- Tom says they talked history and swapped stories. Bert told Tom he was Dustin's lawyer, and Tom hired him on the spot.

The video message is pretty emotional ... with Tom explaining what made Bert such a wonderful guy to have around. It's clear Bert made a big impact on Tom's life, and not just as his attorney.

TMZ broke the story ... Bert died in August after a legendary career representing the likes of Michael Jackson, James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Mike Nichols, Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, Jerry Bruckheimer, The Beatles and Madonna ... just to name a few.

Bert filed some huge lawsuits against media outlets on behalf of Tom, including a $100 million suit in 2001 after a magazine claimed Cruise was gay, falsely claiming it had an X-rated video as proof. The case settled, with the mag admitting, "Tom Cruise does not appear on the videotape ... [He] is not and never has been, homosexual and has never had a homosexual affair."