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Antonio Brown's tenure as the owner of the National Arena League's Albany Empire was apparently much worse than previously imagined ... with two former players claiming the former NFL superstar threatened to pull a gun on them in a heated exchange.

Dwayne Hollis and Darius Prince detailed the confrontation in an interview with ESPN ... saying the whole incident was sparked by a social media tribute to former teammate Mo Ruffins, who died last year.

The post was quickly deleted from the Empire's account without explanation ... so when Hollis and Prince ran into AB at a local cigar lounge, they wanted answers.

The players allege Brown -- who was still fresh off buying his part of the team at the time -- got pissed over their approach, and told his assistant, Ryan Larkin, to go out to his car to get his weapon.

"AB looked at Ryan and was like, 'Hey, man, you still got the AR in the car? Go get it,'" Prince told the outlet. "Then I was like, I'm not going to allow this dude to walk out of here after you just threatened us."

Prince says cooler heads eventually prevailed and they were able to have a conversation ... but made it clear the threat rubbed him the wrong way.

It's no secret -- AB essentially ran the Empire into the ground in a matter of months, with former players and staffers accusing him of being a nightmare to work with ... eventually leading to the team getting booted from the league.

Dozens of college kids went crashing into a lake this weekend after dozens of them crowded onto a rickety, old pier that couldn't sustain them ... and the video's absolutely insane.

The horror unfolded Monday in Madison, WI where U. of Wisconsin students descended upon Lake Mendota to celebrate Labor Day -- and where the tail end of Memorial Union Terrace pier became a gathering place for at least 30 people (if not more) ... to disastrous results.

Check out what happened in a moment's notice -- one minute, they're all there enjoying themselves and mingling among one another ... and the next, the wooden dock crumbles.

You can hear the screams both from the students who plunged into the water as well as from onlookers who saw the whole thing -- not to mention the chaos thereafter. The young people in the lake went swimming for what was left of the dock. That ... or swam for shore.

Luckily, this dock isn't too far out over the lake ... and even more fortunate is the fact that nobody appears to have been seriously harmed either. At least 25 people reportedly sustained minor injuries, and only one person was transported to the hospital for treatment.

An investigation is underway to figure out exactly what caused the collapse -- but it seems obvious ... too many bodies at one time.

A Delta passenger sprayed diarrhea everywhere aboard a midair flight, forcing the plane to turn around and go back to the airport to deal.

The holy s**t moment occurred Friday as the Delta flight was headed to Barcelona, Spain after taking off from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia.

While the jet was over Virginia, the passenger's gastrointestinal issues exploded out in the open ... giving everyone on board a front-row seat to the disgusting aftermath.

The flight captain radioed Air Traffic Control to report the incident and he seemed pretty calm under the circumstances.

You can hear him on the recording say, "It's just a biohazard issue, we had a passenger who had diarrhea all the way through the airplane so they want us to come back to Atlanta."

People on the flight were horrified and complained about it on social media.

One person wrote, "My partner was on that flight! It was pretty bad. It was dribbled down the aisle, smelled horrible."

Another said, "The vanilla scented disinfectant used on it only made it smell like vanilla s***."

A third called it "a mess," but praised the pilot for making the right decision to turn back around and land.

Delta issued a statement, "Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination."

No word yet on the condition of the passenger.

A US Open fan was booted from his seat early Tuesday morning ... after tennis star Alexander Zverev insisted the guy screamed "the most famous Hitler phrase there is" right in the middle of a match.

The incident happened during Zverev's grueling clash with Jannik Sinner at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York ... when just before Zverev went to serve, a fan allegedly yelled out, "Deutschland über alles" -- words associated with Hitler's Nazi regime.

Immediately after the patron had finished shouting, Zverev turned to the chair ump and told him the comment was "unacceptable."

"This is unbelievable," he added.

The US Open official then turned toward the crowd and demanded to know who yelled the remark. Several moments later, the alleged shouter was ID'ed and ejected from the venue.

"A disparaging remark was directed toward Alexander Zverev," a United States Tennis Association spokesman said in a statement following the incident. "The fan was identified and escorted from the stadium."

Zverev would go on to win the match despite the scene ... and afterward, he expressed his disappointment over the whole interaction.

Lamar Odom's keeping it in the family ... he hired his son and daughter to work for his substance abuse treatment company, and he treated them to a company getaway.

Sources close to Lamar tell TMZ ... he's focused on strengthening his bond with his kids, and that includes getting his son, LJ, and daughter, Destiny, jobs at Odom Recovery Group.

Lamar's son is a marketing consultant ... we're told he's basically been mirroring Lamar, learning the ins and outs of the company so he can be Lamar's backup when needed.

Meanwhile, Lamar's daughter is a client representative ... she's responsible for taking down patients' information and making sure they're all set up when they start their recovery journeys. We're told both kids even participated in a commercial for the company, which will air on Hulu in various locations.

In recognition of their hard work on the job, we're told Lamar took his newest employees on a little vacation in Orange County, spending a few nights at an oceanfront property in Newport Beach.

Not a bad work perk!!!

The job opportunities and company vacations are all part of Lamar's attempt to reconnect with his kids ... and we're also told they've all been living under the same roof since the end of May.

Lamar definitely needs the help at his company ... Odom Recovery Group keeps expanding, he's added 14 new rehab centers to his portfolio and it's all hands on deck at work, with his baby mama Liza also helping out on the job.

Ex-NFL star Ricky Williams says the league is moving in the right direction by loosening its stance on cannabis in recent years ... but tells TMZ Sports he's hoping Roger Goodell's organization goes one step further by allowing teams to treat players with marijuana after games.

Ricky -- who was suspended five times and missed a chunk of his career for violating the league's substance abuse policy -- believes society is going through a big transformation when it comes to accepting the benefits of cannabis and psychedelics ... and he's hoping the NFL follows suit.

FYI -- the NFL changed its marijuana policy in 2021 ... electing to only test players once a year and handing down less punishment if someone is popped for the drug.

Ricky is thrilled with the league's changed stance on cannabis but feels it would have great benefits for players if they were encouraged to use marijuana instead of pills during recovery.

"I think the next step, though, is at the end of a game, if we're on the plane ride home, the trainer is walking down the aisle and has two capsule cases -- one of Ambien, and the other one of Vicodin," Williams said. "And he's walking down the aisle and saying, 'Do you need any of this, do you need any of this?'"

"And the truth is, for football players, we do need something because it hurts, and you're all revved up and it's hard to calm down go to sleep. And I'd love to see cannabis as being one of those things that the trainer is walking down the aisle and offering to those players."

Ricky -- who legally changed his name to Errick Miron recently -- has been an advocate for the cause for decades ... and is outspoken on the positive effects cannabis had on his mental health throughout his career.

Now, Ricky's own lifestyle brand, "Highsman," is going strong ... and he said the whole experience has been nothing but positive.

"Brady Bunch" movie star Olivia Hack claims her boyfriend's estranged wife is "unhinged" ... and now she's getting court-ordered protection.

Olivia beelined it to court recently and filed for a temporary restraining order against a woman named Sabine Spekreijse, whom she claims got physical with her during an August incident.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Olivia says she was over at her boyfriend Paul Hogan's place when Sabine showed up and started screaming obscenities at them. Olivia says the alleged behavior "could only be described as unhinged."

Olivia claims Sabine sat down next to her on the sofa, digging her fingernails into her thigh as hard as she could, leaving a cut and scratches. Olivia says she didn't fight back out of fear of provoking Sabine, who she says is way bigger than her at 6'1".

The actress, who played Cindy Brady in the "Brady Bunch" movies, says she called police, but Sabine left before cops arrived. She claims Sabine came back the next morning, banging on the door until they told her to leave.

Olivia also claims Sabine calls her boyfriend relentlessly when they are together, even though she says they've been separated for 3 years.

TV personality and stylist Stacy London was in her mid 30's when she first appeared as the fashion consultant on TLC's "What Not To Wear" -- a makeover reality show highlighting contestants' (who were nominated by friends, family and coworkers) style transformations -- back in 2003.

London shared the makeover duties with Clinton Kelly as the lifestyle consultant (who you may also recognize from the talk show "The Chew) and famous hairstylists Nick Arrojo and Ted Gibson who've worked with big celebs like Anne Hathaway, Zoe Saldana and Ashley Greene.

Shakira's hips don't lie, and neither do these photos when it comes to how great of a weekend she's having with her little ones ... just take a look for yourself.

The Colombian singer was down in Miami Monday with her two children, Milan and Sasha, and what appear to be a few friends of theirs ... who got treated to a little jet ski excursion on the water, with Mama Bear leading the way.

Check it out ... you see Shakira taking a couple of the boys along for a ride -- with everyone wearing life vests ... and the kiddos holding on for dear life and Shakira tears it up.

Nothin too crazy, of course -- but you can tell they were catching some speed for a bit.

Now, the other thing to take note of here is the fact that Shakira appears to be flying solo -- namely, there isn't a dude (aside from the jet ski guy) in sight ... which is interesting.

There've been dating rumors about her swirling all year -- everyone from Lewis Hamilton to Jimmy Butler have been mentioned as potential flames ... as has Drake and even Tom Cruise. The only one of those dudes she's actually been spotted with though is LH.

Gary Wright has died after a long battle with his health ... TMZ has learned.

Justin Wright, Gary's son, tells us his father passed away Monday morning at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, CA -- which is in the South Bay. We're told he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's about 5 or 6 years ago, as well as Lewy body dementia shortly thereafter.

Gary's Parkinson's progressed rapidly over the past year, and Justin says his dad eventually lost the ability to move around and speak. Over the past few days, we're told, nurses who were working at Gary's home told the family he was entering his final chapter.

His family and loved ones were by his side at the time of his death -- word of which has already started to spread in the music world, including to singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop.

Bishop posted 2 shots of him and Gary, adding ... "The attached photos hold precious memories from the very first and last time we shared the stage together, alongside our mutual musical pal John Ford Coley. Gary's vibrant personality and exceptional talent made every moment together truly enjoyable. His legacy will live on for many years to come."

He adds, "I will always cherish the warmth and kindness shown to me by Gary and his wife Rose, and I will forever hold dear the stories he shared with me about days gone by. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and fans during this difficult time."

Gary will, perhaps, best be remembered for two massive songs he churned out in the mid-1970s -- "Dream Weaver" and "Love is Alive" -- but his catalog goes well beyond just that.

He ended up producing 12 different albums dating back to 1970 ... not to mention a ton of compilations and collaborations he did with other musicians. One of the famous partnerships he was a part of for a while was with none other than former Beatle George Harrison.

Gary served as the keyboardist on George's album "All Things Must Pass" and is credited with helping out on other solo songs of George's too. George returned the favor for one of Gary's albums, having worked on "Footprints."

Gary has done a lot for music in general -- he's also known as one of the first mainstream artists to introduce the synthesizer in pop ... which has become a staple in the biz today.

Vladimir Putin is apparently set to meet with Kim Jong-Un in the near future, and he wants to talk about teaming up for the Ukraine war ... which is definitely a terrible update.

The NYT reports that the North Korean leader and Russia's president are supposed to have a face-to-face sometime later this month ... and that it'd be Kim who travels to Russia for the sit-down. As far as what they'll be discussing -- the Times says it's all about weapons.

Apparently, Putin and co. are in need some of major reinforcements amid the ongoing war -- specifically, artillery shells and anti-tank missiles ... which he believes N. Korea can supply.

In exchange ... the NYT says Kim is seeking newer satellite tech and nuke-powered subs, as well as food for his people. Nothing's guaranteed, but it sounds like N. Korea is certainly open to the talks and seriously committed to discussing the possibility, at the very least.

Obviously, this is bad news in general ... as it appears Putin wants to form an alliance of sorts with Kim Jong-Un, with both nations being adversaries of the U.S./the West at large.

There's two takeaways from this -- one, Putin/Russia are low on firepower and seem to be out of allies/resources, so they're going to the isolated N. Korean state for backup. Second, it seems to prove that America's funds to Ukraine are helping Zelensky fight off Russia.

Ashley Tisdale is getting dragged into court over a car crash she allegedly caused ... but her team is calling BS.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a woman named Lina Gonzales is suing the actress for injuries she claims she suffered from the accident that occurred in September of last year. As a result of the crash, Lina alleges she's suffered wage loss, medical expenses ... and, interestingly, loss of love and protection -- now seeking damages from a judge.

Her attorney, Michael R. Parker, tells TMZ ... the accident went down as Lina was driving on Hollywood Blvd., waiting for her turn to make a left in the left turn lane. However, while waiting, he alleges Ashley changed lanes and collided with Lina's car.

According to Parker, it didn't end there ... he says Lina told him Ashley made a big fuss about the situation and even allegedly called her names.

Lina's attorney says the accident caused her severe neck and back injuries ... and to make matters worse, she's facing roughly $140k in medical expenses. Parker says he made a demand $600k to Tisdale ... but it was rejected, hence this new lawsuit.

Woody Allen says he doesn't consider himself "canceled" after allegations of sexual abuse made by his adoptive daughter -- but he does say he might hang it up in the movie biz.

The famed, controversial filmmaker is at the Venice Film Festival, where he's debuting his latest project -- "Coup de chance" -- and while there ... he did a wide-ranging interview with Variety, in which he addressed a number of topics including the issue of cancel culture.

The interviewer asks him if he feels like he's been canceled, and here's how he replied... "I feel if you’re going to be canceled, this is the culture to be canceled by. I just find that all so silly. I don’t think about it. I don’t know what it means to be canceled. I know that over the years everything has been the same for me."

Woody adds, "I make my movies. What has changed is the presentation of the films. You know, I work and it’s the same routine for me. I write the script, raise the money, make the film, shoot it, edit it, it comes out. The difference is not is not from cancel culture. The difference is the way they present the films. It’s that that’s the big change."

Of course, what he fails to mention is that his movies these days, by and large, aren't getting major distribution here in the States -- so, on that front, he has been kinda canceled.

Now, on the issue of what Dylan Farrow has alleged about him -- detailed in an HBO doc that Woody labeled as fiction -- he basically brushed it off here in this interview once again ... pointing out it had been thoroughly investigated at the time, and nothing came of it.

He adds, "The fact that it lingers on always makes me think that maybe people like the idea that it lingers on. You know, maybe there’s something appealing to people. But why?"

That whole saga was very much so on people's minds at Venice ... evidenced in the fact that protesters showed up to denounce Woody's presence and the screening of his French film. Nonetheless, it's getting screened right now -- with WA front and center and tuxed up.

Anyway, there's more Woody addresses in this sit-down ... including the prospect of retiring, something he'd floated about a year ago -- only to walk it back.

Now, he sounds a bit more serious about it -- explaining, "I have so many ideas for films that I would be tempted to do it, if it was easy to finance But beyond that, I don’t know if I have the same verve to go out and spend a lot of time raising money."

"Coup de chance" is Woody's 50th film ... but it was made in France, and it remains to be seen if the guy has much of a future in debuting American films to a wider audience here.

Tom Brady and Irina Shayk are still on as a couple, even though lately it hasn't always looked that way ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the couple is, indeed, continuing to date and that they're still romantically involved. Obviously, we haven't seen much evidence of them canoodling in public the way we did in July and August ... but we're told they're an item.

It's unclear what the deal was with Irina's PDA post featuring her ex, Bradley Cooper, just a couple weeks ago ... but, clearly, it hasn't scared Tom off -- as he's still seeing her.

Remember, Irina threw everyone for a loop when she threw up a topless shot of herself and shirtless pic of BC as well ... where they certainly seemed to be getting cozy on the beach, which led folks to believe they might be getting back together. They share a kid, after all.

Unless she's in some kind of open relationship -- which isn't what we're hearing on our end -- then you can assume it was just a platonic thing ... and relatively harmless.

TMZ broke the story about Tom and Irina first linking up ... she spent the night at his pad here in L.A. for two days in a row -- and they were seen being affectionate in his car. After that, they were again spotted going in and out of the same London hotel a few weeks later.

There've been reports that Tom wasn't bothered by Irina's spotlighting of her baby daddy -- and there was even a claim they aren't necessarily in a committed relationship either.

Priscilla Presley is once again denying she and Elvis Presley were intimate while she was a minor -- this amid a new movie that spotlights their relationship ... controversy and all.

The ex-wife of the late icon was front and center Monday during a presser at the Venice Film Festival, just before Sofia Coppola's new film -- "Priscilla" -- was screened. During a Q&A, Priscilla was lobbed a question directly ... and she answered it head-on.

Check out what she says about their relationship -- which began with her meeting Elvis at the age of 14, and him at 24 -- but at which point, Priscilla insists, hadn't yet turned sexual.

She says what made Elvis drawn to her was the fact she would listen to him and let him pour his heart to her ... something that led to them continuing to see each other even after Elvis came back to the States following a deployment in Germany, where they first linked.

Priscilla says the fact he could confide in her and trust her was at the core of their relationship -- and while she says many might assume they were sleeping together at this time, she says that's not true ... and that Elvis respected the fact she was just a teen.

Now, despite that ... she's confessed in the past that Elvis would kiss her at this age -- and even at age 17, she went to go visit him for an overnight stay with her parents' permission.

With this larger picture ... many have criticized Elvis after the fact, alleging he was a scummy guy for zeroing in on a young girl -- but, clearly, Priscilla has no regrets ... even now calling him the love of her life, and saying she was drawn to him even after they divorced.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is chronicling his comeback after open heart surgery in his own words -- while also giving folks a peek at how he did it ... with never-before-seen footage.

The movie star and former bodybuilder blasted out a new newsletter item to members of his health and fitness group, Arnold's Pump Club ... which has some Monday Motivation to get them active and on their feet. For today's catalyst, he shared a very personal story.

He gets into the 2018 medical scare that almost claimed his life. You'll recall, AS was supposed to go into a routine, non-invasive procedure at the time ... but quickly turned much more serious after something went wrong and required full-blown open heart surgery.

Somehow, Arnold was able to recuperate from that procedure in record time -- as he describes in this new video of his, he had a movie to shoot -- and we're getting a chance to see how he went about doing it for the very first time on camera. It's quite something.

As Arnold himself explains ... there were a few things he needed to ensure he left the hospital -- and it all started with a clear vision and a plan of action, which started with him showing he could walk on his own two feet. With the help of friends, Arnold did just that.

We'll let him explain the rest, but essentially ... Arnold's trying to spark some inspiration into anyone who needs motivation to turn their life around and to bring about new lifestyle.

It's pretty inspirational -- as is just about everything the guy does -- and it's also vulnerable.