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10:29 AM PT -- The Red Sox just confirmed Curt Schilling did reveal Tim Wakefield's diagnosis without the former pitcher's permission ... saying in a statement Tim and his wife's "health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease."

The MLB team added that the Wakefields are asking for "privacy at this time."

The wife of Red Sox legend Jason Varitek is furious with Curt Schilling for revealing Tim Wakefield's cancer diagnosis ... saying straight up on Thursday, "F*** you Curt Schilling."

The former Boston star pitcher leaked the news of Wakefield's tragic health condition on his "The Curt Schilling Baseball Show" podcast on Wednesday ... admitting at the time, "I don't even know if he wants it shared."

"But, as a Christian and a man of faith," Schilling continued, "I've seen prayer work and so I'm going to talk about it."

Schilling then revealed Wakefield -- a knuckleballer who starred for the Red Sox from 1995 to 2011 -- is battling "a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer."

Schilling went on to call the situation "incredibly serious" ... adding that Wakefield recently underwent surgery for the issue. Schilling then asked for prayers.

Many, however, slammed the former World Series MVP for leaking the diagnosis to the public before Wakefield could ... including Catherine Varitek, who tweeted, "F*** you Curt Schilling, that wasn’t your place!"

Schilling has yet to respond to the backlash.

For his part, Wakefield has not commented on the matter either.

9:38 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell us the initial call for the welfare check was made by a member of the LAPD Smart Team (a group that handles mental evaluations). Cops made the decision to go to Britney Spears' house because the person actually had some knowledge of Britney and her situation and wasn't just a fan.

Once officers arrived, they spoke with Britney's security who assured them she was OK, but didn't want to speak ... so the deputies left.

Britney's attorney called the cops later that day, asking about the visit, and deputies assured him they only made the visit because the call was made by someone who knew Britney ... they don't make the welfare checks for fan calls.

Britney Spears' latest Instagram stunt was enough to get the attention of police ... who visited the singer's home to make sure she was safe.

Law enforcement sources tell us they received a call Wednesday expressing concern for Britney based on her recent conduct on social media. We're told deputies were also familiar with the knife video, and out of an abundance of caution, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department went out to Britney's house.

We're told Britney was home, and deputies were able to speak with her and determine she was OK ... so they left.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... several people called the cops after Britney posted the knife video, and one of them is a person who actually did a welfare check on her in the past and was alarmed.

The situation isn't all that surprising given the amount of concern expressed for Britney's safety this week after she posted a video of herself dancing with two knives. Spears claimed the knives were fake, but they certainly sounded real when she banged them together.

In another video, posted about an hour after Britney showed off her knife skills, she appeared to have a gash on her leg and had a bandage wrapped around her arm.

While she didn't specifically say how she sustained the new injuries, many believe they were caused by the knives ... which may have led to the welfare check calls.

It was earlier this year when cops performed a welfare check at Britney's home after fans became concerned for her safety when her Instagram account disappeared. Britney was fine, later reactivating her account and telling fans she appreciated their concern but was still annoyed to have the cops show up at her house.

As we first told you, Britney's fans have grown concerned for her small dogs as well. The pets looked scared in the background of her knife video, but authorities haven't taken action.

We covered it all on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Do you think Britney Spears' situation has reached the point of needing police to step in? Vote below.

Taylor Swift and Ice Spice became fast friends ahead of their "Karma" collab ... and it turns out TS is a big admirer of the "Munch" rapper's budding career!!!

Ice graced the cover for the latest issue of Variety, which dropped Thursday, and it includes some commentary from Taylor, who gushed about the breakout star ... "I relate to Ice in many ways. She's extremely professional without being cold."

TS continued, "She knows what is and isn't 'her' and sets those boundaries with grace. She studies the industry and other artists' careers but is very clear about charting her own definitive, original path. It's her ability to carefully find that balance that impresses the hell out of me.”

A cosign from Taylor can be as beneficial as winning an award, and Ice has been racking up plenty of accolades this year -- most notably getting 3 of her songs into the top 5 of Billboard's Hot 100, one of them being her Swift duet. Taylor's fans in NJ got a live taste of "Karma" during the Eras Tour.

Ice previously stated she was floored by Taylor casually waiting for her at the studio when they recorded "Karma" ... but Taylor says Ice was on her j-o-b as well, arriving at the studio with her verse ready to go, and sending her vocals beforehand to ensure they were on the same page!!!

Gunna's turning heads lately with his new slimmed-down look ... the result of him getting in lots of cardio action, which, he hints, mostly happens in his bedroom!!! 👀

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the "Fukumean" rapper burning down Bev Hills, per usual, and hit him up for the secret to his weight-loss success.

He gave us the pumping-iron gesture -- but quickly clarified it's not dumbbells he's lifting, instead, he's lifting legs!!!

Hey, sometimes shacking up can be your best bet, especially when you're on probation!!!

Gunna's got a big show out in L.A. tonight -- to match his recently sold-out concert in NYC -- and told us he enjoys performing every last one of his songs from his hit album "A Gfit & a Curse."

It's just as Cuhmunity's AD told us when we asked him to gauge Gunna's temp in the rap climate -- he predicted L.A. would welcome him with open arms and celebrate his music.

2:10 PM PT -- Travis Kelce got wind of Mark Cuban's plea to Taylor Swift ... and fired back at the Mavs owner with a playful post on X.

"Just sign me to a ten day [contract!] 😎"

Mark Cuban has seen what Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce has done for the NFL, and he's hoping her influence can transition over to the NBA ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to hook her up with a Mavericks player!!

T. Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday had a massive positive impact on Kansas City and the league as a whole ... resulting in massive television ratings and Kelce jersey sales.

The billionaire businessman and Mavs owner is now giving his two cents on the Swift/Kelce sitch ... and he tells us he's not only witnessing a budding romance -- he's also seeing dollar signs.

"Taylor Swift impacts the economy," the Shark Tank star said out in NYC on Thursday. "She adds value everywhere she goes."

"Literally every city she brings her tours to, you can see the economy get a bump out of it. The NFL's gotta be loving this."

Cuban sends a personal message to Swift ... saying he'd love to introduce her to a hooper so the Association can get in on the big biz, too -- that is if things with the Chiefs tight end fall flat.

"The Mavs -- we got a lot of really good-looking, young single guys. Come on!"

California Governor Gavin Newsom says Taylor Swift could be a pivotal force in the 2024 presidential election ... and it's pretty clear the Guv feels she could help keep Dems in The White House.

California's top Democrat was at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley Wednesday night for the second Republican debate ... showing up as a pundit to grade the candidates. Real talk -- he's there because he's increasingly viewed as a future presidential contender.

Our TMZ guy asked him how celebs might have an impact on next year's race, and he immediately singled out Taylor as someone who stands "tall and unique" in her influence on young voters. He says she's the one who can activate young people to cast ballots.

Taylor has some history here ... she came out strong in 2020, urging her fans to exercise their franchise as she made it clear ... Biden was her choice.

Swift has not officially declared her party affiliation, but based on issues on which she's spoken -- LGBTQ rights, pro-choice on the issue of abortion -- she's pretty clearly a Dem.

Here's an example of Taylor's power and influence -- last week she urged her 272 million followers to register, and 35,000 of them immediately took the cue.

Presidential races tend to be won by razor-thin margins -- 44,000 votes in 2020 made all the difference, so Taylor could become a kingmaker.

Newsom also took a shot at Republicans, saying they have been critical of her for daring to get people inspired to vote.

It's National Sons Day, and folks across the country are givin' their male kiddos some love ... including these celebrity dads who have some sons of their own!

DJ Khaled's got Asahd, Drake has Adonis, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's got Patrick, Joseph, and Christopher -- all superstar dads who have posed for the camera with their young ones over the years.

Cristiano Ronaldo even has a spitting image of his younger self ... his name? Cristiano Jr., of course.

LeBron James' sons, Bronny and Bryce, were grinning from ear to ear while taking a pic with their pops ... the 2 have aspirations to be in the NBA just like their dad, and it looks like they've at least got the height to show for it -- they're about as tall as LeBron!

Soccer legend David Beckham took a group shot with his sons, Brooklyn, Romeo, and Cruz ... and if the 3 don't have the sport in their future, they for sure could get some work in modeling!

Rob Lowe was kickin' it with his 2 kids, Matt and John -- enjoying some time on the open sea as a happy family.

A 3-year-old girl shot herself with an unattended gun in a Florida home, and the horrific incident was caught on video.

The young girl, named Serenity, was playing in the living room at her grandma's Miami-Dade abode last Saturday when she jumped onto the couch near the loaded firearm sitting in plain view.

Check out this newly released footage ... which shows Serenity grabbing the pistol with her hand and peering over at a relative, Orlando Young, who is preoccupied watching a football game on his laptop.

Suddenly, the gun discharges and Serenity is hit in her arm, crying out in pain.

Young looks up, totally stunned, and rushes over to Serenity to check out her injury and give her assistance. Other people dash into the room as total chaos ensues.

Young directs another person to get a belt to wrap around the bullet wound to stop the bleeding. He then escorts Serenity out of the living room, but soon returns to retrieve his gun from the couch before the video cuts off.

Serenity was eventually taken to a hospital, where she underwent surgery. She was released Tuesday and is now recovering at home.

Kourtney Kardashian had some brutal words for her sister, Kim, during a white-hot fight ... calling her "egotistical, selfish" and even a "f***ing witch."

The beef went down on the new season of "The Kardashians," which premiered Thursday -- with the 2 sisters getting into a heated argument over Kourtney's displeasure over Kim's Dolce & Gabbana collab, which mirrored the trappings of Kourtney's wedding.

It was a big issue at the end of season 3, and it still seems to be a sore subject ... while Kim claims she did everything to not rip off her sis' big day, Kourtney claimed she's "talking about the bulls*** details cause it's all your egotistical, selfish mind can think about."

Kourt says Kim spoiled the mood at her and Travis' 2022 wedding, complaining all day long. Kourtney says she's only happy when she gets "the f*** away" from her family, "Specifically you."

Kim pushes back on her sister's harsh claims -- and Kourtney claps back, saying "It's you and my friends and my kids and everyone against me. You're just a f***ing witch and I f***ing hate you."

A lot of drama's already going down -- and we're just on episode 1!

Are you team Kim or Kourtney in the Kardashian sisters' latest feud? Vote below.

Chandler Jones went live on social media amid his ongoing dispute with the Las Vegas Raiders ... and the NFL star displayed a wide range of emotions over the span of 25 minutes -- at one point, breaking down in tears over his former teammate, Aaron Hernandez.

The two-time All-Pro defensive end -- who is currently on the non-football illness list -- documented himself sitting by a fire at his Nevada residence on Thursday ... interacting with his followers as he discussed a number of topics.

33-year-old Jones stated multiple times he is sane and wants to continue his career with the Raiders ... just days after he claimed he was sent to a mental hospital and injected with a substance against his will.

At one point, Jones discussed knowing government secrets ... from the Illuminati to ISIS.

Jones made several disturbing statements about members of the NFL -- including Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and team owner Mark Davis.

He also had an exchange with a neighbor ... stating he's trying to protect the community and inviting the person over for gumbo.

In the final minutes of the stream, Jones breaks down in tears ... insinuating McDaniels had something to do with Hernandez's death.

"Oh, y'all didn't know what Josh McDaniels really did to Aaron Hernandez?" Jones asked his followers. "If y'all don't know what really happened with Aaron Hernandez ... y'all thought Aaron Hernandez killed himself in jail?"

"Y'all thought my n***a chico killed himself in jail?"

Even the Empire State Building wants to be as lit as Taylor Swift, which is why its iconic lights were shaded to honor her -- not for her music, but for her choice in condiments.

Yes, NYC's famed skyscraper shamelessly hopped on the "ketchup and seemingly ranch" craze Wednesday night by turning its crowning lights red and white ... the culmination of a wild frenzy that started 4 days earlier in Kansas City.

Follow along, because this is kinda crazy -- Sunday at the Chiefs game Taylor takes a photo with a fan, next to a plate with a chicken tender and 2 dollops of ketchup and seemingly ranch.

Then that photo gets tweeted on a Taylor fan account, gets 32 million views and births a new meme trend so big the Empire State Building folks had to get in on the action! BTW, Heinz is capitalizing on the moment, too.

Mind you, red and white are also the colors for Taylor's BF Travis Kelce's Chiefs ... who are coming to NY this weekend to play the NY Jets -- yes, Taylor's expected to attend -- and yet the Jets' hometown Empire State Building just couldn't resist.

"Suits" star Patrick J. Adams is sayin' sorry for sharing BTS photos of his former costar Meghan Markle ... after catching heat for posting them during the ongoing actors' strike.

Patrick did the ol' delete and apologize 2-step Wednesday after he'd posted some never-before-seen snaps of Meghan and other cast members, clearly taken when she was still on the show, and the USA Network show was still in production.

He's now scrubbed the pics and told his followers he "foolishly and thoughtlessly let a trip down Suits memory lane distract me from the very real and ongoing fight" that SAG-AFTRA is still facing.

Patrick called the past photos of Meghan "an embarrassing oversight," adding he's "incredibly sorry."

The throwback photos of Meghan come off as a bit flirty -- one shows her lying down on a couch while dressed in a pencil skirt ... something her character, Rachel, often wore.

Don't forget, Patrick and Meghan played lovers on the 9-season series, so ya could chalk it up to just being in character. Also, it's not like he just posted pics of MM -- he showed photos of costars like Daniel Costabile, Vanessa Ray, and Trevor Lipinski, too.

As you know, SAG-AFTRA actors are forbidden from promoting, talking about, and yes, posting about projects made under the union's TV and film contracts -- which goes for things made in the past as well.

Britney Spears' feud with her sister Jamie Lynn is spilling into the "Dancing With the Stars" ballroom because Brit's fans are campaigning hard to take down JL ... and her dance partner is caught in the crossfire.

It's a total war zone on social media for Jamie Lynn and her pro dance partner, Alan Bersten, whose only offense is getting paired with the "Zoey 101" star.

Jamie Lynn made her first appearance on 'DWTS' Tuesday, and she's getting horrible reviews ... at least from Britney's legion of fans.

Folks are calling for Jamie Lynn to be voted out ASAP, ripping her for having "no class" and accusing her of abusing Britney and throwing her sister under the bus.

One user even says JL "looks like Ted Cruz with blonde hair." Ouch.

As for Alan ... Britney's fans say he has no shot at winning because he's chained to Jamie Lynn, and some are hoping he purposely drops her mid-dance. Oof!

Britney supporters are also wondering why 'DWTS' would even cast Jamie Lynn in the first place ... naturally, they would rather see Britney showing off her dance moves.

Of course, 'DWTS' producers would love to see Britney show up to support her sis, but, as it stands, there's a better chance of a snowball fight breaking out in hell.

Plus ... after dancing with knives, Britney has much bigger issues to deal with right now.

Actor Michael Gambon -- best known for his role as Albus Dumbledore in the 'Harry Potter' films -- has died from pneumonia.

In a statement released Thursday, Gambon's publicist said he passed away peacefully in a hospital surrounded by his wife Anne and son Fergus.

The rep also said Gambon's family is "devastated" and requested privacy "at this painful time."

The esteemed Hollywood actor was cast in his most memorable role as Dumbledore in 6 out of the 8 'Harry Potter' films after the death of his predecessor, Richard Harris, in 2002.

Gambon also starred in dozens of other movies, including "Gosford Park," "The King's Speech" and the animated family flick "Paddington." His work spanned TV, theater and radio, as well.

Gambon was 82.

Donald Trump was compared to Donald Duck for "ducking" Wednesday night's GOP presidential debate -- and the diss came from his former friend turned Republican rival Chris Christie.

Christie came out swinging against the 45th President shortly after the first commercial break during the second GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

In a dramatic moment, the ex-New Jersey governor stared into the camera and addressed Trump directly, saying, "Donald, I know you’re watching, you can’t help yourself."

Christie continued, "You’re not here tonight, not because of polls, and not because of your indictments. You’re not here tonight because you’re afraid of being on the stage and defending your record."

He went on, "You’re ducking these things, and let me tell you what’s going to happen. You keep doing that, and no one up here is going to call you Donald Trump anymore."

Then Christie delivered the punchline ... "We’re going to call you Donald Duck!”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also had some choice words for Trump and current President Joe Biden, claiming he's "completely missing in action from leadership."

As for Trump, DeSantis blasted the former Prez for skipping out on his second GOP debate, saying he owes it to the American people to defend his record.

DeSantis then blamed Trump for high inflation in the country because of the $7.8 trillion in debt he added to the economy while he was in office.

Five other GOP candidates were also on the debate stage last night ... North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. But none of them slammed Trump -- who's leading heavily in the polls -- the way Christie and DeSantis did.

Charlie Puth is picking up the street performer who was left to pick up his piano when a woman smashed it to the ground ... offering words of encouragement and a special invite.

The "We Don't Talk Anymore" singer reached out to Andrew Hsu, the Georgia street performer from a recent viral video, messaging him over the incident.

TMZ obtained the DMs Charlie and Andrew exchanged ... with Charlie telling Andrew, "I'm sorry that bull s*** happened to you ... Don't let it ever discourage you from performing, I know it won't ... But that video just upset me so much. You're a wonderful player and I wish you nothing but success and constant musical inspiration."

Andrew thanks Charlie for the kind words, tells him he's not going to give up performing, shares how he went to Charlie's show in Georgia and says he hopes to meet him and Billy Joel.

As we reported ... video shows Andrew playing Billy's anthem, "Piano Man," in Athens, GA when a rude woman comes up and smashes his piano to the ground. Andrew also accused her of stealing from his tip jar, and she eventually apologized after tons of backlash.

Charlie says he can't really set Andrew up with Billy, who apparently doesn't have a cell phone, but he says he would love for Andrew to come to one of his future shows.

Andrew tells TMZ ... since the video went viral, tons of folks requested to donate to a new piano ... and he put his Venmo on social media and got $2,000 in just two days, earmarking the money for a new keyboard and keyboard stand.

So, it seems like this story has a happy ending for Athens' piano man.