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LeBron James says Bronny is recovering so well from recent heart surgery that he's now hoping to suit up for USC this season.

The Lakers superstar revealed the plans for his 18-year-old son while meeting with reporters at L.A.'s Media Day on Monday.

Bron said his boy is "doing extremely well," and has already begun rehabbing to "get back on the floor this season with his teammates at USC."

"He's on the up-and-up," LeBron added.

As we previously reported, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest back on July 24 ... and was later diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that required a procedure to fix.

While docs believed the issue wouldn't derail his basketball career -- a timetable for a return to the Trojans' floor was not known. Clearly, however, LeBron thinks his son can get back within a matter of a couple months.

LeBron also called the summer "a whirlwind" that featured "a lot of emotions for our family" -- but he said the James Gang all leaned on each other to get through it.

Kanye West didn't bite his tongue while lashing into Cardi B during her monster 2018 come-up … as seen in leaked footage from an unreleased documentary that’s currently burning up the internet!!!

In the clips, Ye was also adamant Kris Jenner's longtime boyfriend Corey Gamble is a CIA agent who tied Cardi into an alleged new world that conflicted with his existing allegiances. Yeah, this is out there, so buckle up.

Ye ranted, "Cardi B is a plant by the Illuminati. She don't write her raps. She just there to sound as ignorant as possible and then make songs like, 'f*** them and get some money.' She has literally replaced Nicki Minaj, purposely that they put her there, and now she doesn't know what to do, and she has no idea what the fuck is going on. She thinks it's just a blessing from the universe. It ain't no blessing from the universe!!!”

In 2018, Cardi dropped her one and only solo album ... the historic "Invasion of Privacy" which spawned 2 Diamond singles and also saw her feud with Nicki nearly come to blows ...  but seasons change just like people's feelings sometimes and Cardi appears to be letting bygones be just that.

As the clip spread on social media, Cardi opted to NOT bark back ... she posted a heart emoji with a clip from Ye's 2022 interview with Jason Lee on "Hollywood Unlocked" where Ye praised her outspokenness and gushed over having the privilege of recording a song with her -- the 2022 track "Hot Sh*t" with Lil Durk.

11:33 AM PT -- Trevor Bauer's attorneys, Shawn Holley and Jon Fetterolf, released a statement to TMZ Sports ... saying, "Trevor Bauer and Lindsey Hill have settled all outstanding litigation. Both of their respective claims have been withdrawn with prejudice, effective today."

"Mr. Bauer did not make – and never has made – any payments to Ms. Hill, including to resolve their litigation. With this matter now at rest, Mr. Bauer can focus completely on baseball."

Bauer also made a video statement on the matter ... saying he hopes it is the last time he has to defend his integrity and reputation in a public setting.

"So today I’m happy to be moving on with my life," Bauer said.

Trevor Bauer and his accuser Lindsey Hill's days of battling in court appear over ... both the Cy Young winner and Hill have decided to settle their lawsuits, TMZ Sports has learned.

Hill is NOT paying Bauer and Bauer is NOT paying her, either. But, Lindsey is receiving a large sum of money from her own insurance company, according to her high-powered attorney Bryan Freedman.

"In April 2022, Trevor Bauer sued Lindsey Hill for defamation. In what turned out to be an outstanding resolution for Lindsey, neither Lindsey nor anyone on her behalf paid anything to Bauer. Not a single dollar," Freedman told us.

"Even better, Lindsey received $300,000 from her insurance company. Based on that payment, Lindsey agreed to settle the lawsuit. Now that the lawsuit is over, Lindsey looks forward to helping others."

Of course, Bauer filed the defamation lawsuit against Hill in April 2022 ... claiming she "fabricated allegations of sexual assault" in a plot designed to “destroy Mr. Bauer’s reputation and baseball career.”

A few months later, Hill filed a countersuit for battery against Bauer ... claiming he got physical with her on two occasions in April and May.

After more than a year of battling in court, the parties have decided to settle and move on.

Trevor is currently pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan. Despite never having been charged with a crime in relation to Hill's allegations, Major League Baseball suspended Bauer for 324 games. The suspension was subsequently reduced to 194 games.

Technically, Bauer is now eligible to sign with an MLB team, though it remains to be seen if anyone's interested.

67-year-old Kim Cattrall is provin' she's still got it ... looking drop-dead gorgeous in a new campaign for SKIMS.

The "Sex and the City" star is a part of the fashion line's Best of SKIMS campaign, donning the Sculpting Mid Thigh Bodysuit under a slip dress.

Other celebs like Nelly Furtado, Hari Nef, Lana Condor, and Coco Jones also joined Kim in the big campaign and photoshoot.

All of the stars were given the chance to pick out the outfits they personally liked the most, and were able to style themselves for the shoot ... and Cattrall called the experience "so freeing."

Gotta admit they all look pretty fantastic ... especially Kim at her age -- and she says she feels pretty confident wearing the piece.

There was no joyride underneath the stars for Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift this time around for the budding couple ... the pop star and her new beau left MetLife Stadium separately after she watched him secure yet another win on the field.

Kelce bolted from the Chiefs' locker room area toward the team buses without Swift following Kansas City's 23-20 win. The "Love Story" singer, meanwhile, exited arm in arm with her pal Sophie Turner.

In a way, this exit further confirms their relationship. When they walked out of the stadium together last week and left in the same car, it was almost their coming out. This time around it was less showy ... almost like there was no reason to underscore what is now obvious.

After the game, Taylor hit up Zero Bond restaurant in NYC. It's unclear who she was with ... there are no shots of Travis, Sophie or any of her other buds who watched the game with her.

Taylor was all in again as she watched the Chiefs eke out a win, throwing up her hands and cheering. She was joined by Sophie, Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Sabrina Carpenter and others.

Taylor's new bff, Brittany Mahomes, and Travis' mom, Donna, were also in the suite.

Travis was spotted earlier in the day leaving Taylor's apartment before heading to the stadium.

Short story ... the Taylor Swift game was super entertaining.

Do you think Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will last long term? Vote below.

Best use of $2.3 billion, ever ... is the best way to describe U2's opening shows at The Sphere Las Vegas, because it's literally unlike any other concert experience on Earth.

Apologies to Swifties and the Beyhive, but The Sphere -- the world's largest spherical structure that's really a 580,000 sq. foot large LED screen -- produces the most realistic visuals, which became the backdrop for two U2 shows this weekend to launch the band's 3-month residency.

The giant screen comprises almost the entire theater, and while Bono and crew played "Where the Streets Have No Name" ... the audience was transported to a barren desert, but it's so realistic, you feel like you're at Burning Man -- without the dust and port-o-potties. Probably the same amount of drugs, though ... it's still Vegas, after all.

The sights would almost completely upstage the band -- U2 played on a relatively small stage, shaped like a record turntable -- except for the fact, they were frequently projected onto The Sphere screen ... which stands 360 feet tall and 516 feet wide!!!

There's even a moment where Bono's pulling on a giant tether, seemingly connected to a huge balloon ... except the balloon is actually a graphic projected hundreds of feet above the band.

Taylor Swift is becoming quite the trendsetter for football game attire ... 'cause the denim shorts she wore at Travis Kelce's latest football game are already sold out online.

As you know, Taylor was in a celeb-packed box at MetLife Stadium Sunday night in New Jersey ... wearing a pair of logo-lettering denim shorts by fashion label AREA.

The jorts were being sold on Farfetch for a whopping $1,213 but were 50% off the night of the game -- but it's all sold out as of Monday morning.

Shouldn't come as a total shock ... millions had their eyes on Taylor during the Chiefs vs. Jets game, with NBC's 'SNF' leaning hard on her viral craze that went down just a week before, and cutting to her a lot throughout the game.

This isn't the only Swift/Kelce clothing choice to run out -- as we reported, a fashion line added "1989" to the name of the jacket Travis wore last week when he was spotted walking out with Taylor, a reference to one of her albums.

That one sold out incredibly fast, too ... so it looks like the 2 will be picking their outfits wisely from now on -- either that, or brands will be reaching out like crazy to get them to put on their threads!

Do you think Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will last long term? Vote below.

Kanye West wished he would've saved his good beats for himself during his 5-album "Wyoming Sessions" run in 2018 ... as he felt Pusha T, Nas and Teyana Taylor weren't appreciating his greatness!!!

The regrets -- yes, he's had a few -- are coming out now in leaked footage from a 2018 documentary Ye shot with Milo Yiannopoulos.

Ya might recall, at the time Ye was focused on revamping his G.O.O.D. Music label, and while ensconced at his Wyoming ranch, he delivered a flurry of albums -- an ill-advised decision he ranted about to his then-manager Scooter Braun.

Ye criticized himself for blessing Teyana with her biggest song "Gonna Love Me" and giving Pusha T beats on his "Daytona" album that he failed to elevate ... comparing the production to 3 times the amount of his landmark album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."

Nas finished his Def Jam contract by collaborating with Ye for his "NASIR" album, but Ye even dissed him for rapping off-beat on the track "Cops Shot the Kid" -- and then being wishy-washy for the music video rollout!!!

Ye called out all 3 artists for, in his humble opinion, simply riding his wave. As he put it, "These muthaf***as don't appreciate me. These muthaf***as are trying to use me. I'm the greatest muthaf***ing artist living, and I can do everything."

Kanye was adamant he was the 🐐 artist and needed his own festival after being disappointed performing for others.

He knew his words would sting and warned Scooter he refused to end up like XXXTENTACION, who was shot and killed around that time.

Donald Trump's business empire is on the line, with the potential for it all to come crumbling down ... as he appears in court for the first time for his $250 million civil fraud trial.

The former president arrived at Manhattan Supreme Court Monday morning as his trial kicked off ... something Trump's previously labeled as a "witch hunt" with the goal of diminishing his run for the presidency.

Trump was seated next to his attorneys Clifford Robert, Alina Habba, and Christopher Kise ... as attorney Kevin Wallace delivered opening statements on behalf of the Attorney General's office.

Wallace said Trump overvalued his statements from anywhere between $812 million and $2.2 billion ... claiming he knew they were false but used them to his advantage.

Monday's trial comes a year after being sued by NY Attorney General Letitia James -- claiming he misrepresented his net worth by billions of dollars. Trump's top execs and his sons Eric and Donald Jr. are also in the crosshairs for the alleged decade-long scheme.

Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last week that Trump and co. were liable for the fraud claims against them -- canceling the defendant's NY business certificates and ordering an independent receiver to oversee their dissolution.

In other words, James got a substantial win in court before the trial even kicked off.

A California store clerk tried to stop an alleged shoplifter, but ended up in the emergency room with burns covering his body after he was set ablaze by the suspected thief.

The clerk, Suraj, was working with his coworker in Appian Food and Liquor in El Sobrante September 22, when Kendall Burton came in and allegedly stole lighter fluid for the third time that day.

The coworker saw the theft and notified Suraj, who went to confront Burton ... and all hell broke loss.

Newly released surveillance video shows Suraj violently struggling with Burton, while his coworker retrieves a baseball bat from somewhere inside the store.

During the tussle, Burton pours the accelerant over Suraj's head and lights him on fire.

Before the video cuts off, Suraj is seen frantically running to the bathroom to extinguish the flames by dousing himself with water.

Suraj was rushed to a local hospital and treated for serious burns over his face, neck, chest and shoulder.

From his hospital bed, Suraj told CBS Bay Area that no one should be subject to such dangers and called for more security in the workplace. He also said he has a long road to recovery and needs several surgeries to repair the extensive damage.

His wife has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his rising medical costs.

5:26 PM PT -- Taylor Swift was just officially introduced to start the broadcast, and it looks like her box is completely packed -- as she hugs and kisses friends, and hob-nobs with celebs.

No sign of Donna Kelce just yet, but she's almost certainly in the mix as well.

And yes, NBC is fully leaning in to Taylor-mania -- they just did this whole Carson Daly intro recapping the viral frenzy ... and they made a lot of Swift-y song references along the way. Last but not least ... Aaron Rodgers is also in the house -- this just a few weeks after tearing his Achilles and undergoing surgery. The dude is here to root on his underdog team.

It's game time!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's romance is going strong -- so much so that she popped into another football stadium to cheer him on ... this time with some famous pals in tow.

The pop star is again the guest of honor Sunday during NBC's 'SNF' broadcast of the Chiefs vs. Jets game -- in which her rumored tight end BF is obviously playing. Taylor showed up and slipped in through a back area, but got caught on camera entering the building.

This time around, TayTay had some A-list company ... including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, among others. She's expected to be in a luxury suite near the field, and word is ... she'll be joined by Travis's mom, Donna Kelce -- like last week.

As for TS's entourage -- Blake makes sense ... they're best buds, and they were just out and about yesterday together in the Big Apple -- not to mention a starry dinner alongside some other famous ladies, like Sophie Turner and even Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany.

Hugh's not all that random either -- he's good friends with Blake's hubby, and they're in this new obscure movie that's coming out next year -- something called 'Deadpool 3,' apparently.

Anyway ... Taylor's appearance is no surprise -- we'd been hearing all week that she'd be here, and they were telegraphing as much by being within a stone's throw of each other earlier this weekend.

We'll see how much of Taylor gets shown throughout the broadcast. FOX kept it mostly focused on the game last week -- but seeing how much of a rating bonanza her mere presence turned out to be ... ya gotta figure NBC will cut to her at least a few times today.

If today/tonight turns out to be as eventful as last week's Kansas City outing ... we're in for a whole lot of news. Travis and Taylor were all anyone talked about -- and now that they're showing PDA in public, it's safe to assume we might see even more of it in the near future.

Some might've thought this was all BS at first, but it's sure looking more real by the day. There were reports that Travis even swung by Taylor's NYC apartment before the game -- so yeah, he's been in her quarters now ... and all signs point to this being an intimate thing.

With Swifties and NFL'ers all flocking for the show ... it's a classic case of worlds colliding.

Trayvis is officially on ... and kickoff is just minutes away!!!

Beyoncé is full of inspiration, which she displayed in dramatic fashion in the trailer for her upcoming film documenting her "Renaissance" tour.

Bey's film, "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," chronicles lots of behind-the-scenes action, and it shows the singer in some chill, fun, backstage moments.

Throughout the trailer, you see her getting some stretching in backstage with her 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, while the little twins -- Rumi and Sir -- hung out with them.

Looks like Beyoncé was having a blast -- toasting the camera while knocking back a shot. Worth noting the rumors "Renaissance" was a booze-free tour, so it might not have been alcohol in that glass.

There's so much fans have to look forward to when the film comes out December 1st -- it's got everything from a beaming Jay-Z, crowds going nuts, and the Queen herself breaking down what this tour has meant to her.

As we reported, AMC will be taking the reigns for Bey's movie, playing in all of North America next month ... and this follows Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour flick spreading to a worldwide debut after tons of demand.

Taylor's film is also a partnership with AMC, so there's for sure a theme going on at that movie chain ... and obviously, a smart one.

Blueface's mother is defending the controversial nude baby photo posted on the rapper's social media -- because she believes there's absolutely nothing illegal about seeking help for an infant's hernia.

We got Karlissa Saffold on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles and asked her about the photo, which Blueface claims was uploaded last weekend while his account was hacked.

While Karlissa says she was initially outraged when she saw the graphic post, like most everyone else, which shows her grandkid's unhealthy genitals ... she says her opinion changed when she saw similar posts from other concerned parents seeking input on hernias.

What's more, Karlissa says the graphic photo wasn't done in a pornographic way ... she says it was about helping the child, and thus wasn't illegal.

We also asked about all the drama between her son and the child's mother, Chrisean Rock ... and she said she would step in if there was a need to keep the peace and help the baby. She's seeing the same nasty exchanges we all are, and says they both continue "doing some vicious stuff to one another."

The way Mom sees it, all the drama is what comes with folks who are at the end of a breakup -- and she throws some shade their way, saying there's "3 kids involved" ... Blueface, Chrisean and the infant.

To be clear, Karlissa isn't saying she will take the baby from Chrisean, she says she would never take a child from a mother who is capable of caring for her baby. But, she says she's ready and willing to help in any capacity.

And, this is very interesting ... Karlissa added that she's more concerned about the way Chrisean was carrying the baby in a Walmart than the hernia photo.

Brittany Mahomes hitting it off with Taylor Swift has seemingly rubbed Travis Kelce's ex-girlfriend the wrong way -- Kayla Nicole no longer follows her bestie on Instagram amid the tight end's budding relationship with the singer.

Patrick Mahomes' wife has been spending a lot of time with T-Swift over the past two weeks -- as we previously reported, the two initially connected at Kelce's party after the Chiefs' win over the Bears last week ... and grabbed dinner with Blake Lively and Sophie Turner in NYC days later.

Brittany and Taylor appeared to be thick as thieves as they enjoyed the Chiefs' close win over the Jets from a VIP suite alongside Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and more Sunday night ... a clear indication that Mahomes approves of Kelce's new love interest.

Kayla -- who remained tight with Brittany long after her relationship with Travis ended in 2022 -- apparently doesn't like the idea of her friend cozying up with Swift ... 'cause the model and influencer recently unfollowed Mahomes on social media.

Of course, Kayla was super close with the Mahomeses for years -- she was even a bridesmaid for their wedding in March 2022.

Now, she's no longer keeping tabs on both Brittany AND Patrick on the platform ... and previous posts have been "un-liked" by Kayla's account.

Former child star Madisyn Shipman's big move to Playboy has already come with some bizarre asks from fans ... including at least one thing she's for sure not down to provide.

We got the 20-year-old actress/singer in Santa Monica, where she opened up about why Playboy's online platform was the right place for her after starring on Nickelodeon's "Game Shakers" in the 2010s.

Madisyn admits she was looking for a way to reclaim her sexuality after having to follow so many rules -- and she lists 'em -- as a kid in the spotlight.

But, she says the move to Playboy has come with lots of fan requests, some of which have totally caught her off guard. What she's discovered is there a way more people with peeing fetishes than she ever suspected, and it's just not her cup of tea.

BTW, Madisyn tells us she's also not interested in doing nude shoots at this point ... adding her digital footprint could lead to some awkward convos with her future kids.

Madisyn breakout role was playing Kenzie Bell on the Nick series from 2015 to 2019, staring alongside Kel Mitchell.

Since the show wrapped, she's been working on her music career, and she explained how that's poised to take off ... thanks, in no small part, to the dough she's raking in from her Playboy page. Madisyn is dropping an album in November with 21 songs in honor of her 21st birthday.

Yeah, Damian Lillard and Antonio Brown might have some dope music, but Shaq tells TMZ Sports he's the G.O.A.T when it comes to athletes who rap ... and he's been that guy since the 1990s!

For those who don't remember, Shaq made four rap albums during his Hall of Fame NBA career, with the first one, "Shaq Diesel," coming out in 1993.

He hasn't stopped making music in retirement either ... the 51-year-old actually just jumped on a track with L.A.-based group Coyote -- and he tells us he's got much more on the way too.

"I got a couple of freestyles," O'Neal said. "It's all competition for me, so when I hear other people that say, 'I'm a better athlete-rapper than Shaq,' I gotta step up."

"Nothing personal. I just have to let these people know who paved the way."

Some of the athletes makin' waves in the rap game include Lillard, who's been considered by fans to be one of the best, lyrically, in any sport.

There's also Brown, who's made catchy tracks like "Put That Sh** On" ... as well as former NBA star Iman Shumpert.

But, while O'Neal (who we recently talked to about his huge upcoming charity event) was very complimentary of the guys' talents on the mic, he says he's still the greatest of all time.

"I put stuff out, they put stuff out and we let the people decide who the number one is," O'Neal said.

"I know who the number one is. I'ma always say myself is number one, but they got a lot of the guys out there that are coming."