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Colorado State defensive back Henry Blackburn is on the receiving end of death threats after laying a controversial hit on Travis Hunter during Saturday's game ... and now, university police tell TMZ Sports an investigation into the hateful messages is underway.

Blackburn received a ton of heat for his massive late hit on the Colorado receiver in the first half of the Rams vs. Buffaloes matchup... which left Hunter sidelined for weeks with a lacerated liver.

Some looked at Blackburn's tackle as targeting ... including LeBron James, who went on X to say, "That was blatant and uncalled for IMO!"

Shortly after the tackle went viral on social media, the safety and his family were singled out by furious fans ... and we're told cops are taking the interactions seriously.

"CSUPD is aware of death threats against CSU football player Henry Blackburn, and the investigation is ongoing," a university police spokesperson told us on Monday.

"The police department will continue to monitor the situation, and the university is actively supporting the player and his family."

CSUI athletic director Joe Parker told Pete Thamel of ESPN he's concerned for Blackburn ... saying Henry never meant to hurt Hunter or anyone on the field.

"It's not what we teach or coach," Parker said. "We hope that the irrational vitriol directed at Henry stops immediately."

Rep. Lauren Boebert says it's dunzo between her and the theater groping guy -- saying the one-time private moment came and went ... and it sounds like his politics might be at play.

The Colorado congresswoman touched down in D.C. Monday to get back to work -- and she chatted it up with a photog at the airport who asked all about her busy past few days outside of Capitol Hill. Of course, we're referring to her wild night out in Denver last week.

Check out what she has to say about it ... she's got some interesting soundbites here.

For starters, Boebert again takes accountability ... saying she regrets how everything played out, especially in public. She somewhat defends her fooling around as a little bit of "me time," and she was just cutting loose and enjoying herself on a romantic date.

Speaking of that date -- bar owner Quinn Gallagher -- it sounds like he might be out of luck for a second meetup ... at least based on what she says here. The reason she's cutting him loose ... he's a freaking Dem! Apparently, she didn't know that before going out with him. Nonetheless, she says he's a great guy.

What we can glean from her remarks ... this seems to have been a first date. If true, that's certainly fascinating -- especially considering how handsy they were with each other. Here's hoping he enjoyed it, 'cause RLB probably ain't calling him again ... nice as he was.

Golf superstar Phil Mickelson is addressing the rumors that have followed him for years ... coming clean about his gambling problem and opening up on his successful treatment.

Lefty dropped a statement on the matter Monday on social media ... saying while millions of fans will be enjoying their fantasy football season and betting in moderation, he will not -- and it's because his hobby turned into an obsession.

"I wont be betting this year because I crossed the line of moderation and into addiction which isn’t any fun at all," Mickelson said ... adding his financial losses due to his gambling weren't devastating, but the impact it had on his personal life was crushing.

"'You’re here but you’re not with us,' is something I’ve been told often throughout my addiction," Mickelson said. "It affected those I care about in ways I wasn’t aware or could fully understand. It’s like a hurricane is going on outside and I’m isolated in a shelter oblivious to what was happening. When I came out there was so much damage to clean up that I just wanted to go back inside and not deal with it."

Mickelson said some people close to him throughout his addiction were enablers disguised as friends ... but there was one person in his corner who helped him through his darkest times -- his wife, Amy.

"I couldn’t have gotten through this without her," Mickelson added. "I’m so grateful for her strength in helping us get through the many challenges I’ve created for us. Because of her love, support, and commitment, I’m back on track to being the person I want to be."

Phil also revealed he sought professional help for years and is still recovering ... but is moving in the right direction every day without gambling.

Dillon Danis has finally been served ... after dodging and weaving a process server for over a week, the fighter/online troll was officially notified Nina Agdal was suing him, and TMZ Sports has video.

It all went down Monday morning outside the Jersey City (NJ) building where the 30-year-old fighter lives.

The process server was waiting for Dillon ... and when he approached with two buddies, the guy said "I have a document for you, Mr. Danis," as he attempted to hand a brown envelope to the fighter.

But, Dillon refused, responding ... "That's not me," as the men walked towards the doors to his building. The PS was told he couldn't go inside, so he placed the document on the floor.

Danis and process servers had been playing a game of cat and mouse for days, with Dillon even pretending he was in North Korea. He also posted images and surveillance video of unsuccessful servers who were waiting for him.

Of course, we broke the story earlier this month ... Agdal, whose fiancé Logan Paul is fighting Danis on October 14, filed a lawsuit and restraining order against Dillon, claiming he was incessantly bullying and trolling her online (250+ times).

In her suit, Agdal says she's suffered humiliation, emotional distress, and reputational harm ... and even claims Danis broke State and Federal law on one occasion when he allegedly gained access to a private video on her phone.

Now that Danis has been served, he'll have 21 days to answer the complaint, per New Jersey law.

Savage Garden lead singer Darren Hayes is ready to turn the page on his marriage -- after splitting up with his hubby, Richard Cullen, earlier this year ... he has now officially filed for divorce.

Hayes filed his dissolution docs Monday in Los Angeles, citing irreconcilable differences.

Darren and Richard have been together for a long time. They first got hitched way back in 2005, entered a civil partnership the year after ... and then got married again (here in the States) in 2013 to celebrate gay rights.

They have no children together, but presumably share a lot of other assets ... which will get divvied up as the divorce moves along.

Darren announced he and Richard were separating back in May, writing .... "After 17 years of marriage to the best person I have ever met, Richard and I have chosen to accept that our union has gently and beautifully come to rest. In honour of this realization, we separated earlier this year and have been supporting each other emotionally throughout this massive change in our lives."

He also addressed any speculation as to why they're going their separate ways, saying ... "Because people will ask, let me answer the ugly questions to get them out of the way forever - no, there's no scandal to report, no infidelity, guilty or third party."

Kroy Biermann is again begging a judge not to let his estranged wife Kim Zolciak slow down his attempt to sell their mansion -- insisting they need to sell the place ASAP ... so they can get separate pads to shield their kids from the trauma of their toxic relationship.

The former NFL star filed new court docs this week, obtained by TMZ, which push back on what he claims is Kim's recent attempt to delay a ruling over the matter of whether to quickly try to sell their massive Georgia home.

Like before, Kroy's reiterating the urgent need to unload this property -- citing their mounting debts and money woes ... but this time, KB says it a bit more plainly. He writes in his paperwork, "The parties to this action are financially destitute, largely related to [Kim]'s reckless spending habits and love for online gambling." Oof ...

Yes, that's Kroy pointing the finger right at Kim and attributing their problems to her. What's more -- he says the IRS actually has a lien on the home over unpaid taxes in the amount of $1.1 million. Kroy also cites a number of lawsuits from creditors who want their dough.

In the docs, Kroy says he and Kim really don't have much else left to their name ... and that the house is the last true asset of value that they can cash in on -- but, according to him, Kim's trying to delay the process and making it difficult to turn the page amid their divorce. And, he says their constant fighting is hurting their kids, saying the "toxicity enveloping the marital home is extremely detrimental to the mental and emotional well-being of the children."

Time's running out, as Kroy says foreclosure is looming -- and he wants to try and collect whatever equity they have left in the place to pay down the damage and get separate places. Kroy's basically on his hands and knees here asking for the court to say yes.

Rep. Lauren Boebert isn't holy anymore in the eyes of an organization focused on conservative youths -- 'cause she's been booted from their official speakers list.

The Colorado congresswoman was initially part of the guest lineup that was set to appear and speak later this month at the Texas Youth Summit just outside of Houston -- where people between the ages of 12 and 26 are invited to lean into their right-wing views.

Boebert was supposed to appear alongside Donald Trump Jr., Kimberly Guilfoyle, Charlie Kirk and others. Now, however, it appears there's been a change of plans ... 'cause she's been scrubbed from all the marketing material that originally featured her -- pre-groping video going public.

There's been no official explanation from the org itself on why they nixed her -- but it seems pretty obvious after Boebert was found to be in a mutual fondling sesh last week.

What's also interesting is how they described when they first booked/publicized her gig with them. They said RLB was a "devout Christian who seeks to honor God in all that she does."

In light of everything that's come out since, though ... maybe not as godly as they thought.

Rep. Boebert has since apologized for the whole thing -- saying it was an error of judgment on her end, on pretty much all fronts. Congress hasn't formally reprimanded her just yet.

Cover your eyes, children!

J Balvin knows how to have a good time ... and he made sure his model GF was doin' the same for her birthday, which is why he threw her a luxurious surprise party!

The Colombian artist rented out a massive villa -- over 7,000 square feet -- on the Miami Beach waterfront for his boo, Valentina Ferrer's, 30th bday Sunday night ... with about 35 people showing up to celebrate, including her family.

We're told he flew her parents, siblings and other family members out from Argentina for the big day -- their 2-year-old son, Rio, was also in attendance but likely didn't party as hard as the rest of them.

The food was another highlight ... J Balvin hired a private chef from Colombia who put together a spread of Argentinian meats to enjoy. There was also a DJ bumping beats throughout the night  -- and no, JB unfortunately took the night off and didn't perform.

We're told Valentina had no idea about the party, so it was a well-kept secret ... especially getting her whole fam to show up!

FYI, it was a whirlwind weekend for the couple ... they were enjoying the NASCAR Cup Series in Tennessee Saturday where J launched his shoe collab with Nike Jordan before jetting over to Miami.

Ariana Grande is following in her boyfriend Ethan Slater's footsteps ... because she's also officially filed for divorce from her husband of 2 years, Dalton Gomez, and he's filed too.

Ariana's lawyer, Laura Wasser, filed first Monday ... citing the boilerplate "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for divorce.

Dalton immediately followed suit, filing his response in a clearly-coordinated effort. We're told everything was worked out before going to the courthouse. Sources say Ariana will cut Dalton a check, and that will be that.

BTW ... they had a prenup. The date of separation is February 20, 2023.

As for why it took so long between the date of separation and the divorce filings, a source with direct knowledge tells us the two took their time to iron out details and settle. Our source says there are no hard feelings ..."they’ve been really caring and respectful of one another every step of this process."

As we reported, Ariana began dating her "Wicked" costar, Ethan Slater, after splitting with Dalton while filming the flick overseas ... a bombshell that sent fans wild.

Since then, Ethan's filed for divorce from his wife, Lilly Jay. The 2 were high school sweethearts and tied the knot in 2018. They also share a kid together, whom they welcomed last year.

Sources also told us Ethan "desperately" wants to co-parent their kid in the midst of their divorce ... and both of them have apparently agreed.

Neither Ariana or Dalton have commented publicly on their divorce.

Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid says Jann Wenner's comments about Black and female artists don't come as a total shock to him -- and he's calling on some white rock legends to speak out, but only if they keep it real.

Vernon joined us Monday on "TMZ Live," telling us why the Rolling Stone co-founder calling some iconic Black and female artists inarticulate was "staggering, but not surprising at all."

Keep in mind, Wenner was referring to people like Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Grace Slick.

If anything, Vernon's glad Wenner put, in his opinion, his true self out there for all to see.

Maybe the more shocking part is that Vernon says thoughts and feelings like Wenner's are not new to the music industry -- it's just rare for anyone to say it out loud.

TMZ broke the story ... Wenner was kicked out of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Board of Directors after sharing his controversial thoughts in an interview with the NYT -- discussing his upcoming book, "The Masters," which highlights his interviews with 7 white, male artists.

In Vernon's opinion, folks in the book like Bruce Springsteen and Bono should speak out about Wenner's comments, on one condition -- that it comes from the heart, rather than issuing performative statements for PR purposes.

Tamar Braxton says her car was broken into and ransacked -- and she's lamenting the fact she doesn't feel safe, even at home ... which is understandable considering the video.

The singer posted 4 clips on IG Monday, which show a handful of men going through a vehicle in a covered, seemingly subterranean garage ... rummaging around and removing various items as they appear to be staging a getaway in another car.

Tamar writes, "I got robbed. At home. I’m not safe anywhere. I don’t know why I keep getting violated. I had a lot in my car cause I don’t live anywhere cause I’m not safe anywhere or with anyone."

It's unclear when exactly this took place, but if it was on Sunday ... that's shocking, because she was at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to sing the National Anthem ahead of the Packers-Falcons game. Tamar is known to have property in the ATL area, too.

The other notable thing about this is the fact that Tamar says she doesn't "live" anywhere anymore because of situations like this ... which has sparked concern online.

A 53-year-old man tragically died while attending the Patriots' home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday ... after experiencing what officials are calling an "apparent medical event."

According to local outlets, the incident happened in the 300s section at Gillette Stadium around 11 PM ... in the closing minutes of New England's 24-17 loss.

The man -- Dale Mooney of Newmarket, New Hampshire -- was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Details surrounding the incident have not been revealed at this time.

The Norfolk District Attorney's Office tells TMZ Sports the investigation is ongoing and is currently in its preliminary stages. No charges have been filed.

Another medical emergency also went down at the same game ... when a second man suffered cardiac arrest earlier in the night.

According to reporter Bridget Condon, two off-duty firefighters sprang into action and conducted CPR for several minutes ... bringing the man back to life. His current status has not been released at this time.

Jennifer Garner leads with kindness ... taking time out of her day to help out a homeless man in L.A., even taking the shoes off her feet to let him wear.

JG was spotted lending a helping hand Sunday at Santa Monica beach -- leaning out of her car to hand the man a bag of essential goodies, before jumping out of the ride to give an even more personal touch.

Jennifer quickly realized the guy was barefoot, so she put socks on his feet and even took her own shoes off to give to him ... chatting him up with a smile on her face.

Jennifer's shoes must not have fit, because she rushed over to the photog and offered to buy his shoes to give to the man -- BTW, we're told the photog offered up his kicks free of charge, and even added things like a blanket, a shirt and pants for the man.

Bill Maher has pulled the plug on his decision to bring "Real Time" back without writers ... he says there's now hope both sides may reach an agreement so he's putting his show on ice until that happens.

Bill says, "My decision to return to work was made when it seemed nothing was happening and there was no end in sight to this strike. Now that both sides have agreed to go back to the negotiating table I'm going to delay the return of Real Time, for now, and hope they can finally get this done."

The words, "for now," are important ... if there's an impasse after the WGA and studios meet this week, Bill might go back to his OG plan.

Maher's decision comes after Drew Barrymore also reversed course herself after getting scorched by other celebs and folks on social media. Jennifer Hudson's show and "The Talk" also pulled the plug on coming back during the strike.

Bill announced last week he wanted to do something for the staff of his show that was struggling during the 5-month-long strike. He was planning on eliminating the writer-based segments and just having a spontaneous panel show, but now everything's on hold.

The big question ... will writers feel pressure to settle, knowing there are producers and hosts chomping at the bit to return to work if talks collapse?

Shannon Beador's tough year just got a lot rougher ... the reality TV star got busted for driving drunk this weekend in SoCal.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... "The Real Housewives of Orange County" star drove her car onto a residential property in Newport Beach Saturday night, and actually clipped the house.

We're told Beador then turned back onto the road and kept going before parking her vehicle in the middle of the street and getting out with her dog.

Our sources say she tried to act like she was taking a walk when police arrived after receiving a 911 call. We're told she wasn't fooling anyone ... as she appeared wasted and was taken into custody.

Cops also seized Beador's car as part of their investigation into the damage to the home.

A rep for Newport Beach PD says Beador was booked for 2 misdemeanors ... hit-and-run and DUI alcohol. She was cited and released without bond. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she was not filming with Bravo before the arrest, as the show's not currently in production.

It's been a bumpy ride for Beador lately -- in January, she publicly discussed her painful split with her boyfriend of 3 and a half years, John Janssen.

Beador told People she was blindsided by Janssen breaking up with her in November 2022 -- weeks after they had wrapped filming for Season 17 of 'RHOC.' She reportedly said, "He told me he was done with the relationship. And to hear what he said to me then was absolutely devastating."

We reached out to Shannon's team for comment ... so far no word back.

Taylor Swift is being used as punishment for Universal Studios guests looking for late-night scares past business hours -- as heard in this hilarious closing-time message from the park.

Check out this seemingly pre-recorded message that was blasted over the intercom during Sunday night's Halloween Horror Nights ... where folks traverse the massive theme park to hit haunted mazes and rides into the wee hours of the morning.

HHN officially shuts down at 2 AM, and based on this YouTube streamer's video ... it sounds like stragglers were hit with a warning for sticking around -- namely, loud Swiftie tunes!

Here's what a man could be heard saying, "The rides are closed, mazes are closed there is no reason to stay here any longer. You don’t have to go home but you can't stay here we only have 7 hours to get the park ready for tomorrow. Hit the bricks, take a hike gather your belongings and your drunk friends and go or we start playing Taylor Swift at full volume."

He delivers it in a humorous way, so this is obviously a gag. The interesting part is that this really sounds like a recording, and not just an employee riffing off the cuff. If true, even funnier.