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Former NFL wideout Travis Rudolph is a free man once again ... a jury just found him not guilty on all counts in his murder case.

The scene inside the courtroom Wednesday as the jury read its verdict was emotional ... Rudolph was in tears -- as were his family members.

The 27-year-old, though, eventually cracked a huge smile and shared an embrace with his lawyer. Afterward, he and his attorney thanked the jurors, the judge, the court and all others involved in the case.

"It means everything, man," the former New York Giants receiver said to reporters. "I finally got my freedom back and I can get back to my life."

Added Rudolph's attorney added, "We knew he wasn't guilty. He's one of the nicest human beings you ever met whether he plays sports or not. This is an innocent man who did what he had to do."

Rudolph was initially hit with four charges -- including one count of first-degree murder with a firearm -- back in April 2021 ... after authorities alleged he opened fire on four people inside of a car in West Palm Beach, FL, killing one, following a dispute that Rudolph had had with a woman earlier.

Rudolph, however, had adamantly claimed he was only acting in self-defense.

"I knew all along," Rudolph said Wednesday outside of the courtroom, "I did what I had to do to protect me and my brother's life."

The case went to trial last week ... and the jurors reached their verdict Wednesday afternoon after only about four hours of deliberating.

Rudolph told reporters he now has plans to resume his football career ... saying he's open to competing in any league -- not just the NFL.

"I'm going to reach out to my agent," he said, "and if God's willing, I'll still be able to play football. Definitely planning on getting back to football."

Tupac Shakur's biological father Billy Garland is revealing he initially hated his late son's classic tribute "Dear Mama," because Pac labeled him a "coward" ... and told the world he was dead when he's clearly alive.

He's also not a fan of Hulu's record-breaking docuseries "Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur" ... as he claims director Allen Hughes tricked him into doing an interview for the project.

The ex-Black Panther recently voiced a gang of gripes with Tupac tribute channel "The Art of Dialogue," where he explained he'd been attempting to find Tupac for several years after being separated, and realized "someone" had lied to him about his existence.

Billy was able to get over the disses in 'Mama,' and now calls the song "beautiful" ... while also claiming he bumps his son's music daily.

Allen Hughes isn't getting the same pardon from Billy, who says he feels FX's 'Dear Mama' blindsided him. He says he didn't know his testimony would be leveraged against the legacy of Afeni.

Billy says had he known Allen's true intentions, he wouldn't have sat done for the interview. He also takes issue with the project's insinuation Tupac suffered from bipolar disorder.

Shaquille O'Neal hit up an L.A. hot spot for dinner on Tuesday ... and the NBA legend was joined by none other than internet personality Brittany Renner, but we're told it was nothing more than two friends catching up.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 7'1" Hall of Famer and influencer showed up at the Beverly Hills Hotel together shortly after 6 PM ... and they appeared to enjoy each other's company as they shared a meal before leaving around 8 PM.

Sources tell us the two are NOT an item -- they have been cool for a long time and just wanted to reconnect.

Of course, the big man has been in the dating game ever since his divorce from Shaunie was finalized in 2011 ... but we're told there was nothing romantic going on.

Renner has a child with Charlotte Hornets player PJ Washington ... and has been vocal about her experiences with numerous athletes over the years.

She famously met with Deion Sanders' Jackson State football team in 2021 ... where she gave them life advice on groupies.

FYI -- Shaunie is an executive producer for "Basketball Wives," and we're told Renner recently signed on for the upcoming season ... but our sources tell us cameras were NOT rolling during the dinner.

Renner was, however, spotted filming scenes for the show earlier this month.

The dinner location is kind of ironic, considering Shaq and Shaunie got married at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2002.

Matty Healy put Taylor Swift in a pretty sticky situation recently -- it involved a troubling podcast appearance he'd made -- but we've learned that controversy is NOT the reason they're no longer dating.

A friend connected to Matty's band, The 1975, tells TMZ ... Taylor was aware of Matty's remarks about Ice Spice on the podcast before she started dating him. While it's true her fans applied plenty of social media pressure over it, the friend tells us Matty and Taylor were used to the noise, and simply blocked it out.

ICYMI ... Matty went on the "The Adam Friedland Show" back in February, where Nick Mullen, Friedland and Matty openly laughed and made derogatory comments about Ice Spice ... even mocking her with Chinese and Hawaiian accents.

Amid Matty and Taylor's romance, the clip resurfaced online last month, along with a separate interview clip of Ice expressing her love for The 1975. BTW, all of this was brewing as Taylor and Ice prepared to release their collab, "Karma (Remix)."

Awkward timing to say the least, and although Matty ultimately apologized for offending Ice, some fans felt his mea culpa lacked sincerity. The podcast episode has since been scrubbed from several platforms.

Nevertheless ... we're told all the Swiftee angst over that is not at the root of them pulling the plug on their relationshp -- and, instead, it has more to do with the fact they simply don't have time for each other.

Everyone knows Taylor's Eras tour is packing stadiums across the U.S., and will for a few more months -- and Matty's friend points out The 1975 is in the middle of its European tour now.

We're told they still care for each other, even though things didn't work out romantically.

Just when ya thought it was over, Leonardo DiCaprio and Gigi Hadid are still spending time together ... and even took their situationship to another level by hanging with his dad and stepmom!!

Here's the deal ... Leo and Gigi both ended their Tuesday nights at London's Chiltern Firehouse, but did their usual routine of arriving a few minutes apart.

She was with another model pal, and Leo was with his father George DiCaprio and stepmom Peggy Farrar. Coincidence? Maybe.

But, earlier in the evening -- after Leo took a stroll with his folks -- they'd ended up at yet another restaurant, China Tang, at about the same time. Fool us once ...

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Leo and Gigi attended a dinner party at China Tang, but it wasn't just them and his folks. We're told it was a 20-person event organized by Leo's pal British Vogue Editor Edward Enninful.

So, not a cozy, romantic, meet-the-parents type of deal, but they were all there -- and the night out comes after several months of Gigi and Leo "running into" each other several times in different cities around the world.

Just last month, the two were spotted leaving the same event at Cipriani SoHo in NYC ... just minutes apart. And, they pulled a similar move before that at a Met Gala after-party.

All of that has fueled dating rumors ever since they were first linked last September, but neither has confirmed anything.

We're guessing Leo's parents had a lot of the same questions -- for him and Gigi -- that you do.

Lamar Odom is serious about getting Bam Margera the desperate help he needs ... stopping in to visit the "Jackass" star while he's in the hospital, and inviting him to Lamar's very own rehab center.

The former NBA star stopped in to see Bam Tuesday with an offer to get him back on the right path -- sources close to Lamar say he's trying to arrange for Bam to get treatment at one of his Odom Wellness Treatment Centers once he's released from his 5150 hold.

We're told Bam was receptive to going to rehab and was very hopeful during their chat ... saying he wants to see his son, Phoenix. Sources say Bam and Lamar hugged it out as the former NBA star told Bam he'd do everything he can to get him treatment.

As we reported, Lamar has opened up 3 drug treatment centers after his own battles with addiction in the past. He's got Gold Bridge Addiction Center in Louisburg, KS, Wavelengths in Huntington Beach, and Project West in San Diego.

TMZ broke the story, LAPD tracked down Bam Sunday to Trejo's Tacos in L.A. -- law enforcement sources told us his erratic speech and behavior, mixed with his recent threat to smoke crack until he dies, was enough to warrant the psych hold.

Lamar also sent Bam a rehab invite in April after Bam turned himself in for allegedly assaulting his brother. At the time, Lamar talked to us about the advice he'd love to pass along to Bam, as well as why his treatment centers could be a huge help.

A massive group of parents broke out into an all-out brawl as a California school board met about the inclusion of LGBTQ+ topics in classes ... with folks on both sides of the argument getting into it as cops intervened in an effort to keep the peace.

The Glendale Unified School District was holding a meeting Tuesday when about 200 people -- some parents of students -- took to the streets, according to KTLA ... some voicing concerns, and others supporting the proposed curriculum.

You can see things get really intense, with the anti-LGBT+ protestors hurling a slew of insults at the other side as the physical attacks escalate.

You can also see a man dressed in mint green sucker-punch a woman in the crowd, while someone on a megaphone pleads for people to stop fighting. Cops eventually stopped the skirmish with the help of their batons, arresting at least 3 people after the incident.

Cops say a good chunk of the folks protesting the district were also at a North Hollywood elementary school last week when another violent exchange went down over a Pride event.

Glendale school officials told the local outlet the district's been including the Pride-inclusive studies since 2019, but it's a reconsideration meeting they hold every year for approval.

Things are really heating up for Prince Harry on the stand in his tabloid privacy case, getting grilled by the opposing attorney for failing to show actual proof of his claims.

The Duke of Sussex's cross-examination continued Wednesday ... where his lengthy witness statement was picked apart -- namely, pointing to the fact the guy hasn't brought any actual evidence of phone hacking, including alleged data Harry has cited.

Harry's explanation for this, so far, has been his suspicion that the Daily Mirror journos he alleges were spying on him/hacking his phone were probably using burners to cover their tracks ... plus the fact all this stuff happened so long ago, well over a decade at this point.

Then, some nitty gritty ... the opposing attorney, Andrew Green, went through several different stories that are at the center of the case -- and he broke down, one by one, why Harry thought phone hacking and/or spying was at the center of these gossipy pieces.

For example, a few articles were brought up from the mid-2000s referencing his relationship with his ex-GF Chelsy Davy -- details of which the Mirror reported on back then, including break-ups/ ups and down they'd gone through, which PH believes were reported on via illegal news-gathering tactics.

However, when pressed on why he thought that, he revealed that the unnamed "palace" sources cited in the stories couldn't have known about those things ... because he says he never discussed those things with any palace officials. There are also details from phone calls the two had that were reported on -- which cited friends as the source -- and Harry said he thought those were hacked from his voice mails.

What Green pointed out, however, is that a lot of these stories the Mirror did were actually out in other outlets too -- and sometimes even originated from other outlets, including American gossip mags -- and that they often cited anonymous sources who claimed to be in the know. What Green was getting at ... perhaps people in Harry's inner circle and/or people who worked for or with the palace provided the info, without any hacking whatsoever.

Essentially, Green was making the point that it's quite commonplace for outlets to get what some might consider inside info from well-placed sources ... and that citing anonymous sources is, oftentimes, exactly how a tabloid publication may have gotten the scoop.

Harry pushed back though ... insisting much of the content reported on by DM could've only been obtained by accessing his private records/correspondence. Green said Harry was "living in a land of total speculation" about where the info might've actually come from -- and Harry said he disagreed. They also butted heads at other points in the cross ... at one point, Green interrupted Harry (who kept turning to the judge) to say -- "Could I ask the questions?"

Long story short ... Green was making the case that a lot of what Harry's griping about had either already been out and reported on, usually citing anonymous sources, or that the Daily Mirror's stories were reported on with info that was easily accessible to the public. Harry called BS on that -- but when pressed on deets, he didn't seem to have any smoking gun. Just a lot of conviction and firm belief -- which Green consistently questioned and doubted.

Everyone fears getting older ... but when you're Salma Hayek, you can pull it off with style and grace.

Taking to Instagram Tuesday, the actress posted a close-up photo of her makeup-less face with her gray hairs, wrinkles and eye bags in full view.

Kind of a bold move for a sex symbol ... but Salma has never been bashful, and she now appears to be embracing middle age. Under her pic, the caption read ... “Me waking up and counting how many white hairs and wrinkles have crashed the party this morning."

Of course, her fans loved the look and deluged her IG with comments telling her so.

One wrote, “Thank you for sharing! It helps all of to see that even the most beautiful and famous also age."

Another said, “You’re just a real natural human being and that beautiful! Thank you.”

Even supermodel Cindy Crawford gave her stamp of approval in a single word, “Beautiful!”

Chris Licht's gamble on Donald Trump has come up snake eyes -- CNN is pulling the plug on his term as CEO.

Licht's firing comes exactly one month after he engineered the network's controversial Town Hall special with the GOP Presidential front-runner. Licht made a play for Trump's base, and did draw more than 3 million viewers that night ... but the blowback from CNN's viewership and Democrats in D.C. was severe. The network's ratings plummeted in the days after the Trump special.

CNN anchor Kate Bolduan drew the honors Wednesday morning of announcing Licht's firing on the air. It wasn't quite a "ding dong, the wicked witch is dead" moment ... but, make no mistake, Licht had ruffled a lot of feathers at the network.

Last week, he was also the subject of a pretty unflattering profile piece in The Atlantic, and he reportedly apologized to CNN staffers earlier this week.

Licht took over at CNN in May 2022 ... after Jeff Zucker's resignation. During his tenure, he clashed several times with Don Lemon over his on-air commentary and even his wardrobe -- and Licht finally fired him back in April.

Mick Mars' legal war with his former band, Mötley Crüe, is set to play out in court, for all to see -- but the Crüe is making a move to take it behind closed doors, despite Mick's protests.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Mötley Crüe is asking a judge to send this case -- kick-started by Mick's lawsuit in April -- into arbitration, where they say it belongs ... and where it will be out of the public's eye.

Mick's lawyer, Ed McPherson, tells TMZ ... "This is yet another attempt by bullies to hide the truth!"

In their filing, attorneys for MC say several different entities have been created over the years to handle varying aspects of the band's biz -- things like touring and recording -- and those agreements contain binding arbitration clauses.

Translation: All grievances that might come up among members, must be handled in private arbitration, instead of airing them out in public courts

You'll recall ... this battle is all about Mick, their longtime guitarist, claiming the Crüe unfairly and unjustly cut him out of touring and his share of tour profits ... after Mick was diagnosed with a debilitating bone disease.

The band's called BS, arguing they were actually trying to do him a solid based on his condition, and even tried to give him fair compensation ... but they say Mick's going about this the wrong way by filing a lawsuit

Bottom line is ... Mötley Crüe's asking the judge to send the matter to arbitration.

Nicki Minaj is being dragged to court over some alleged unpaid bills for custom jewelry ... but her attorney says she's not responsible, and claims the jeweler is just using her for publicity.

The rapper is being sued by a West Hollywood jeweler who claims they loaned out some bling to the rapper -- a pretty standard transaction for celebs, but the jeweler claims some of those pieces came back damaged ... which is not standard.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Nicki's stylist Brett Alan Nelson signed a contract with Roseark jewelry store, with Roseark agreeing to loan Nicki jewelry for a public appearance.

The store claims the contract called for Brett to return the bling within a week and pay for any damages the jewelry might incur under his watch.

In the docs, Roseark claims Nicki's stylist failed to return 66 pieces of jewelry by the agreed upon deadline, and, when Brett finally forked over the bling, there was noticeable damage to a set of earrings and a leaf ring.

A source close to Nicki tells us ... everything was returned on time as promised and it was only after items were in the jeweler's possession for some time that the store complained about a missing stone.

The jewelry store says it sent invoices to Brett for the damage, which it says totals $26,239.50 plus interest. The folks at Roseark claim they haven't gotten paid, despite their repeated attempts to collect.

So, Roseark is suing Nicki and her stylist for the money ... even though it appears Nikki never had any direct dealings with the jeweler.

In fact, Nicki's attorney, Jordan Siev, tells TMZ ... "We have not been presented with any evidence that any of the jewelry at issue was damaged by Nicki. This lawsuit appears to be nothing more than an ordinary insurance claim by the jeweler designed to generate publicity for itself and extract a payment to which it is not entitled. We will defend the lawsuit vigorously."

Rock star Bret Michaels has officially sold his stellar L.A.-area home... and he'll have a hard time finding a thorn on this rose of a transaction for his bottom line.

The Poison lead singer closed the deal on his Calabasas oasis, snatching $6.25 million for the place. We don't know how much dough he poured into the property after buying it in 2020 as an investment -- but he paid just under $4.8 mil, so seems like he's in line for a decent profit!

Bret's home is well worth the price tag -- aside from its 5,950 sq. feet, it has one of the best views in the community, giving folks a great look at the city lights, golf courses, and the nearby mountains.

Outside entertaining will be awesome for the new owner ... Bret stacked it with a custom pool, spa and gazebo. Inside amenities include a billiards room and a gym.

The beautiful place was sold off-market, and BOTH sides of the deal were represented by Jordan Cohen.

BTW, it's quite the coup for Jordan, because it closed the same day his book, "The Agent's Edge," dropped worldwide. Talk about a victory lap!

It's been 29 years since the release of "D2: The Mighty Ducks" -- but it's apparently STILL Knucklepuck Time ... at least, that's the case for P.K. Subban, who recently got to learn the shot from none other than Russ Tyler himself!!!

The former NHL star was on a quest to find the origins of hockey's slapshot for his "P.K.'s Places" ESPN+ show (produced by Omaha Productions) ... so, naturally, he hit up Kenan Thompson -- who played Tyler in the classic 1994 movie -- for a lesson on one of the most famous howitzers ever.

The two pulled up to a rink for the 1-on-1 sesh ... and, check out some of the footage from their time together on the ice, Thompson clearly hasn't lost any of his Russ Tyler magic!!

The 45-year-old teed up a couple pucks to show Subban how the shot was done ... and after a few tries, the ex-New Jersey Devils defenseman got the hang of things.

In fact, by the end of their workout, he was tickling the twine just like Tyler did in the film!!!

Before this youngin' with her blunt bangs and beaded hair ties turned into an A-list celebrity and actress, she was just playing soccer, competing in gymnastics and singing in the local plays in Boulder, Colorado.

This star has been in a hand full of iconic shows and movies like playing Lara in "Rules of Attraction," the sole survivor in 2003's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and playing Mary in "7th Heaven." When she's not exploring the world with her hubby ... she loves spending quality time with her two kiddos.

Need one more clue? She's always "bringing sexy back!"

Michael Grimm, famous for taking home the title on "America's Got Talent" season 5, is sedated and in intensive care after a mystery health issue.

The singer's wife, Lucie Zolcerva-Grimm, says Michael has been hospitalized since Memorial Day and remains unconscious, though he's finally breathing on his own again.

Michael's wife says the root of the issue is not clear ... but he had not been feeling well for a while, lacking energy and having a tough time finishing his recent performances.

She says things reached a head last month when he became increasingly sick. Michael's wife says he could barely walk and couldn't lift his head, so she rushed him to the emergency room, where things got worse.

Michael's wife says his blood pressure skyrocketed when he got to the ER and he started talking gibberish, so he was rushed to the ICU ... where he remains.

Doctors put Michael on a ventilator and sedated him, his wife says, and he's only recently been taken off the ventilator ... though he's still sedated.

Michael's wife says most of his upcoming shows this month have been canceled ... noting he will not only need to regain consciousness but also undergo physical therapy because he's been bedridden for over a week.