Taylor Swift Plans to Attend Travis Kelce's Game Thursday in K.C.

Taylor Swift is gearing up to go back into cheerleader mode for Travis Kelce, with plans to attend Thursday night's game in K.C. ... though Kelce's status for the matchup still remains questionable.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Taylor plans to travel to Missouri to watch Travis and the Kansas City Chiefs take on Russell Wilson and The Denver Broncos.

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If she makes it, the game will mark Taylor's third appearance at one of Travis' games in the last 4 weeks ... the team has gone undefeated ever since Taylor first popped up at a game next to Travis' mom, Donna, back on September 24.

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As we reported, Taylor hit the Chiefs vs. Jets game the following week, but was MIA when Travis and crew took on the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis last Sunday.

One major factor in Taylor's appearance Thursday though ... Travis is battling through an ankle injury, and the team announced Wednesday his status was "questionable" to play.

If she does make it as planned, the timing is interesting. The Chiefs will have a couple days off -- because they won't play the usual Sunday game -- so it's possible she spends additional time with him at home.

To say she's having a busy week would be an understatement ... shutting down The Grove in Los Angeles Wednesday for the premiere of her "Eras Tour" movie and making a surprise appearance.

One thing's for sure ... the NFL will certainly hope she attends, as she's helped to spike game ratings with every contest she's shown face.

Shaq, Iverson We're Back W/ Reebok!!! As President and VP Of 🏀

Shaquille O'Neal and Allen Iverson have reunited with Reebok ... the NBA icons just got new jobs with the athletic brand -- as President and Vice President of basketball!

Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky revealed the new roles were created for the former hoop stars this week and he's thrilled to have them back, in Shaq's case, 3 decades after first signing in 1992.

"As an athlete, he made an incredible imprint on not only our brand, but the entire sport and culture of basketball,” Krinsky said.

“With the combination of his deep-rooted history with Reebok and reigning influence he’s made on the game, there is no one better than this guy."

It's the real deal ... O'Neal even got an employee ID. Now that he can get in the building, Shaq will focus on helping the brand partner with athletes and organizations.

Iverson, who signed with Reebok in 1996, is the Vice President and will have duties similar to Shaq. He'll also work on community-based initiatives and athletic activations.

Reebok, for their part, is thrilled to be back with Iverson ... one of the "most influential players of all time" on and off the court as his "legacy continues to grow and impact future generations."

O'Neal says he's excited to start the new venture and plans to look for players, male or female, who can bring Reebok to the next level ... and working alongside Iverson helps.

"We’ve been friends forever," Shaq told Complex. "He's a great dude, he's a great friend, and he was happy—and he'll be next to me."

Powerball Winning Ticket Worth $1.765B Sold in California

One very lucky Californian is waking up a billionaire ... matching all numbers to win the incredible $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot.

The lucky combination in Wednesday night's drawing was 22, 24, 40, 52, 64 ... and the Powerball number was 10. As for where it was sold -- the winning ticket reportedly came from Midway Market & Liquors in Frazier Park, California ... about 75 mi. north of L.A.

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The mystery ticket holder can either choose to get their $1.765 billion payout in installments over the next 30 years or can opt for a cash prize of $774.1 million.

In an interview with KCAL, one of Midway Market's employees said he believes the winner will be someone who plays the lottery "religiously" ... as most of their clientele buy tickets all the time.

Shockingly enough, the winning Powerball ticket for the drawing's four largest jackpots in history have all come out of California ... the last was in July for $1.08 billion.

As we reported, the largest Powerball drawing in history, at $2 billion, was won by Edwin Castro in late 2022 in California. Castro opted for a cash payout of $997.6 million from the jackpot and has purchased at least one very impressive home in the time since.

If you won the Powerball jackpot would you stay private or go public? Vote below.

Taylor Swift Celebs Come Out in Droves For 'Eras Tour' Flick

Taylor Swift certainly knows how to draw a crowd -- proving it once again at her movie premiere -- by bringing out a ton of her fans and celebrity friends as well.

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Taylor shut down the famous The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles Wednesday for 2,200 fans, but it felt more like a red carpet premiere once celebs started to show face.

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As for the guest list -- Beyoncé, Flavor Flav, Simu Liu, Adam Sandler and his kids, Julia Garner, Mariska Hargitay, Maren Morris, Loren Gray and more.

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Unsurprisingly, Taylor's fans were eating it all up ... going nuts outside the venue as their favorite singer posed for pics, shared quick stories, signed autographs and did plenty of smiling and waving.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor had 14 theaters rented out at the AMC location at The Grove and each was packed. Once inside, fans were obviously treated to the movie, popcorn in 'Eras Tour' buckets, drinks, candy and even some face time with Taylor herself.

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Tory Lanez Mingling in Prison's Gen. Pop ... Just Like He Wanted

Tory Lanez is no longer getting isolated in prison, due to his celebrity status ... instead, we're told he's been rubbing elbows in the yard with his fellow inmates.

A rep for the California Correctional Institution tells TMZ Hip Hop ... a typical day for Tory consists of waking up around 6 or 6:30 AM, before grabbing breakfast in the chow hall and then work release -- a schedule that applies to roughly 96 percent of the prison population.

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We're told work jobs range from various hands-on tasks such as plumbing, carpentry and fixing air conditioners ... but taking classes will also earn inmates work credits,

Non-workers at North Kern State Prison apparently have the privilege of hanging out in the dayroom and rec area where they're provided a tablet to connect with family.

As for their second square of the day -- lunches are provided in box form, and inmates are allowed to eat them whenever.

If all goes well, Tory will have the opportunity to participate in education programs that offer certifications and even Master's degrees. There's also a slew of additional courses, such as anti-drug programs, alternatives to violence and parenting classes.

When Tory goes out in the yard, we're told he's able to mingle with all groups within the general population ... something his legal team stressed was important for his prison experience.

And, the official says there's no extra security shadowing him ... he's a common inmate just like everyone else.

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Closing out the day ... dinner is typically served after a 5 PM headcount, and then the dayroom and yard are reopened for inmates to socialize until 9 PM when they return to their cells for lights out.

Tory's maintained a positive attitude in the last few weeks and was even able to nab a musical win -- his new "Pull Up" collaboration with rookie singer/producer Yume boasts 1 million streams in just a week.

LeBron James Voices Support For Israel ... Hamas Attacks Are 'Terrorism'

LeBron James is throwing his support behind Israel as war rages on in the region ... saying he's heartbroken over what's happening -- while denouncing Hamas attacks as "terrorism."

The NBA superstar released a joint statement with his longtime business partner, Maverick Carter, on the matter on his X page on Wednesday night ... saying, "The devastation in Israel is tragic and unacceptable."

"The murder and violence against innocent people by Hamas is terrorism," he said. "The SpringHill Company family sends our deepest condolences to Israel and the Jewish community."

James added in his statement that he's now praying for peace.

"We all must work to ensure this tragedy does not spread even more hate, racism, and antisemitism," he said.

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LeBron is hardly the first celebrity to speak publicly on the conflict -- Kim Kardashian released a statement of her own on Wednesday as well ... writing, "How can anyone not be devastated by these horrific images that we will never be able to unsee?"

"Our hearts should always have room for compassion towards innocent victims caught in the cross hairs of warring over power, politics, religion, race and ethnicity," she said.

Teresa Giudice She & Daughters Defend SHEIN Deal ... They're Not Unethical!!!

Teresa Giudice and her kids are getting an earful from unhappy campers after announcing a family partnership with a fast fashion company -- but they're standing their ground.

A rep for Teresa and three of her daughters -- Gia, Milania and Audriana -- tell TMZ ... the Giudices are not backing down from their just-launched SHEINXGiudiceGirls collection, which features a ton of different articles of clothing/accessories the family's curated.

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They're only addressing this due to the mounting backlash they've received over the past couple days -- with fans and haters alike flooding their comment section with virtual eyebrow raises, and openly asking how they could possibly link with SHEIN.

If you're unaware, SHEIN is one of these new zippy clothing brands that Gen Z absolutely loves ... thanks to their trendy styles, very low prices, wide digital presence and online accessibility. Despite praise, there have also been ugly allegations.

Among the most prolific are claims SHEIN exploits factory workers overseas ... there have even been probes into its business practices -- not to mention a lot of alleged images and videos purporting to show awful conditions folks are subjected to while creating the clothing.

There's that ... and there are also accusations SHEIN has ripped off lesser-known designers -- all stuff the company has denied since it launched back in 2008.

Still, that hasn't stopped people from crapping on Teresa and her girls ... but they're turning the other cheek here.

Their rep says, "The SHEINxGiudiceGirls collection follows a long list of celebrities and public figures to partner with the brand. We acknowledge the concerns expressed about our partnership and met with the SHEIN team prior to working together. We 100% believe in ethical practices in all capacities and in doing our due diligence have not seen any substantive evidence definitively showing unethical practices."

The Giudice rep adds, "This size-inclusive collection was made to amplify the voices and creativity of young women and to encourage entrepreneurship at any age. The responses thus far have been overwhelmingly positive and uplifting."

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In other words, they say they've done their homework here and feel confident there's nothing unethical going on with SHEIN -- which all adds up to the fam refusing to fold to public pressure.

'Princess Diaries' S.F. Home Used in Movie Hits Market

The fictional high school Anne Hathaway's "Princess Diaries" character attends is actually a famous San Francisco home in real life ... and it's hitting the market.

Our real estate sources tell us the 4,554-square-foot estate that served as the exterior filming location for the fictional "Grove High School" from the 2001 movie is up for $6.5 million.

The beautiful 4-bedroom home is over 100 years old ... and it's considered one of San Francisco's most beloved properties, it's built right on the edge of the landmark Presidio, a sprawling National Park at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The property is a 12-room villa decked out with a rooftop garden offering panoramic views of the city and San Francisco Bay ... plus an outdoor kitchen with heaters and a fire pit.

The entrance to the home was made famous in the scene where Anne's character is outed as a princess as she tries to get to class while a huge throng of media waits outside the front gate.

The interior's just as beautiful as the famous exterior ... we're talking hardwood floors, large living rooms with fireplaces and arched windows, a walk-in closet in the master bedroom and more views of the city, park and Bay.

Parking's a bitch in San Francisco -- even a place as big as this only has a one-car garage, but there's also a home gym and laundry room.

We're told the home went back on the market Friday with the new, $6.5 million price tag after originally being listed back in March for $8.9 mil.

Steven Mavromihalis and John C. Fitzgerald of Compass holding the listing

Mattress Mack I Hope Our $50k Inspires More Donations ... Let's Get Mary Lou Retton Home!!!

Mattress Mack is hoping his family's generous contribution toward Mary Lou Retton's medical expenses leads to more donations for the Olympics legend ... telling TMZ Sports it's the least they could do.

Mack -- real name Jim McIngvale -- and his wife, Linda, wrote a check for $50,000 to assist with the gold medalist's hospital bills as she remains in the ICU with a rare form of pneumonia.

We spoke with Mack -- who owns Gallery Furniture in Texas -- about his family's decision to step up in such a big way ... and he said they have been fans since before she became a household name at the 1984 Olympic Games.

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"We followed Mary Lou since her career in Houston," Mack said. "My wife and I have always been a huge support of Béla and Márta Károlyi's gymnastics team. My son worked out with them on the team for years, my daughter did as well."

"Mary Lou was always a shining point of light, as George Bush would say, and we pray for Mary Lou's recovery and the $50,000 is the least we could do to help an American icon get better."

In fact, Mack said Linda went through a similar health scare when she suffered a severe lung infection from pneumonia a year ago ... and now that she's doing much better, he hopes the same happens for Mary Lou.

"My parents taught me, and I try to teach my children, and Linda certainly lives that life, that the essence of living is giving," Mack added. "People get in a hard spot, let's help 'em out because one of these days, all of us will be in a hard spot. We're thrilled to help our Mary Lou, we pray for her speedy recovery and, again, I've lived my life by that motto -- 'the essence of living is giving.'"

The fundraiser set up by Mary Lou's daughters has now surpassed its initial goal of $50,000 as she continues to fight for her life... and the donations continue to flood in by the minute.

Guess Who This Little Leaguer Turned Into!

Before this lil' baseball player turned into a rapper and singer, he was just playing Guitar Hero with his younger bro in Louisville, Kentucky and showing his ultimate game face ... getting ready to play ball for the Pirates.

Playing sold-out shows throughout high school, this talented musician opened for Vince Staples back in 2016, and he's also collab'd with other big names like Lil Wayne. You may have seen his curls and beard on the court, playing against Machine Gun Kelly at the 2022 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game.

Need one more clue? "WHATS POPPIN ft. Justin Bieber"?!

Can you guess who he is?

GENE SIMMONS, PAUL STANLEY SUED OVER GUITAR TECH'S COVID DEATH

KISS legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are being dragged to court over the COVID death of one of their longtime guitar techs ... and his family say it all started with Paul.

According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the family of late KISS guitar tech Francis Stueber says he died a couple days after contracting COVID while on tour with the band back in October 2021.

The family says COVID started spreading amongst tour personnel in August 2021 when Paul contracted the virus ... and they say COVID kept spreading due to lax safety policies on the tour.

In the suit, Francis' family says anyone on tour who came down with COVID was instructed to quarantine in a hotel room in whichever city the band was in ... but they say the protocols offered little else.

Francis, the suit says, got COVID while in Detroit and was told to hole up in a Sheraton hotel ... and the family says KISS longtime manager Doc McGhee failed to arrange for medical personnel to visit and examine Francis at the hotel, despite Doc promising to do so.

It's pretty sad ... the docs say Doc asked another tour member to check on Francis at the hotel but Francis was dead when the person arrived, dying only 2 days after testing positive for the virus.

Francis' family is going after Gene, Paul, Doc, Marriott hotels and Live Nation for damages.

We reached out to reps for KISS ... so far no word back.

Taylor Swift Bumping Up Movie Release By 1 Day ... I'm At The Grove, Swifties

UPDATE

6:14 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is giving the fans what they want ... photos!!!

Taylor's taking time to snap a ton of pictures with the thousands of fans lucky enough to get a ticket to her special movie premiere ... and as you can see, Taylor's in huge demand.

One of the lucky ones to get a selfie with Taylor ... Gianna Caruso, the daughter of The Grove's owner Rick Caruso.

Taylor's not just taking selfies though ... she also posing for more traditional shots right in front of the movie theater where the film is about to begin!!!

6:04 PM PT -- Taylor Swift is at The Grove for the premiere of her 'Eras Tour' movie and fans are going wild ... and she's wearing the blue dress from her earlier social media post.

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Taylor just made her big appearance, emerging for a few seconds in a blue dress ... waving and interacting with fans and telling them she would be right back.

Taylor Swift is giving Swifties more opportunities to see her highly-anticipated flick ... she's moving the release date up a day, and she's on her way to the big 'Eras Tour' premiere.

Taylor says fan demand is so overwhelming, she's moving the concert film release date from Friday to Thursday in the United States in Canada ... as well as adding additional showtimes Friday and throughout the weekend at theaters across the globe.

Meanwhile, Taylor says she's getting into the car that's going to whisk her away to The Grove in Los Angeles ... the outdoor mall that's being shut down just for her movie premiere.

As we first told you, the world-famous outdoor mall is hosting 2,000 lucky fans for the first-ever showing of "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" ... and the hoopla is bringing tons of security to The Grove.

TMZ broke the story ... Taylor's planning a surprise at the film debut -- there were questions about whether the guest of honor would be there in person -- and as long as chaos doesn't break out at The Grove she's going to show ... and it appears she's on her way.

It's already a wild scene at the outdoor mall ... where security is tight and helicopters are buzzing overhead.

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Guests will start arriving at 6 PM PT and the movie is set to begin at 7 PM ... so it's likely Taylor will be there within that timeframe.

Taylor posted the movie announcement alongside a photo of her in a blue dress and pearl necklace ... but it's unclear if that's tonight's actual outfit or just an old shot.

The 'Eras Tour' movie's already a box office hit ... with presale tickets across the world eclipsing 9 figures!!!

Originally Published -- 5:49 PM PT

Browns' David Njoku Reveals Photo Of Burned Face ... After Fire Pit Accident

Browns tight end David Njoku just revealed what his face looked like in the aftermath of the serious fire pit accident at his home a little more than a week ago, and it's gruesome.

Of course, the 27-year-old appeared on the Browns injury report before their week 4 game against the Ravens ... which stated he suffered injuries to his arm and face.

Njoku somehow played through the pain of the burns and actually caught 6 passes for 46 yards in a loss to Baltimore.

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Prior to the game, Njoku wore a mask that fully covered his face as he walked into the stadium, meaning no one got an up-close look at the former first-round draft pick.

That changed on Wednesday when Njoku posted a selfie from his car, presumably sometime shortly after the burn.

He also shared an updated look at his face ... which appears to have substantially healed.

Njoku's turning the accident into a positive. He launched a clothing line and is donating a portion of the money from sales to the American Burn Association.

“I want to use my platform to help bring awareness to an all too common issue,” Njoku said.

“The doctors at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center were instrumental in my recovery, and I am forever grateful for their expertise and care. By working with the ABA, I hope to provide resources and support to burn survivors and their families.”

CO Bigfoot Sighting Forest Rangers Can't Say If It's Legit ... We'll Tell Ya If We See One!!!

Some folks think Bigfoot just made a legit appearance in Colorado, and interestingly, the U.S. agency in charge of the location of the alleged sighting ... isn't totally writing it off as BS, or so it seems.

A rep for the USDA Forest Service -- which has jurisdiction over the San Juan National Forest -- tells TMZ ... they're well aware of this new video "evidence" recorded last weekend, but they're not prepared to weigh in on its validity.

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Specifically, the Forest Service says, "The USDA Forest Service can't speculate or provide comments on the authenticity of the video. We'll be sure to alert the media if and when a Sasquatch is sighted by officials on National Forest System lands."

The response sounds very tongue-in-cheek, but it is interesting -- the agency that's all about endangered species and other wildlife, isn't straight up saying the vid is fake. It's essentially giving the ol' ... we can neither confirm nor deny.

For the record, the Forest Service tells us it's NOT investigating any further -- a very good indication it doesn't think the "missing link" is roaming around Colorado.

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Of course, Sasquatch truthers are gonna believe what they want -- most have laughed the sighting off as a hoax, but some in the Bigfoot community (yeah, there's enough of 'em) have said this one's the real McCoy.

There's never been a Bigfoot body found or studied, obvi ... so, until that happens, skeptics will keep rolling eyes.

In any case, Sassie can rest easy knowing Uncle Sam ain't coming for him. Not yet.

We covered the story on the latest episode of TMZ Verified, available on all podcast platforms.

Kim Kardashian Urges Compassion for Innocent Kids & Lives Lost ... Amid Conflict in Israel, Palestine & Armenia

Kim Kardashian, like most of the world looking on in fear, says her heart breaks seeing the images of babies, families and innocent people murdered and terrorized in Israel, Palestine and even Armenia ... a cause she's been trying to bring awareness to for years.

Kim took to social media Wednesday with a lengthy post that first spoke to the monstrosities in Israel. Kim says, "A message to my Jewish friends and family. I love you. I support you. I have heard about how scared you feel during this time and I want you to know you are not alone in this."

She continues, "As human beings with a heart, how can anyone not be devastated by these horrific images that we will never be able to unsee? Brutal terrorism has taken innocent lives and now both Israeli and Palestinian civilians are suffering and paying the greatest price there is.

Kim has, for years, been a voice in bringing attention to the Armenian Genocide and points out the "minimal media coverage" without external support for the people suffering through an "ethnic cleansing" in Artsakh.

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The mother of 4 says it shouldn't matter whose side you might be on ... "our hearts should always have room for compassion towards innocent victims caught in the cross hairs of warring over power, politics, religion, race and ethnicity."

Kim says she understands there's nothing she can do to get rid of the pain people around the world are suffering ... but says she and her family are praying for hostages to be returned, the victims, their families, for peace for the innocent and justice to those who deserve to pay for their actions.

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In closing, Kim asks anyone reading her message to reach out to, "friends, colleagues and those in your community, those who are hurting, no matter what side they are on, check in on them and tell them you love them."

She finishes with "Prayers and Peace always."

Carlee Russell FOUND GUILTY FOR FAKING ABDUCTION

Carlee Russell has been found guilty of fabricating her wild kidnapping story ... and the judge recommends she spend a year behind bars.

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The ruling came down Wednesday in Hoover, AL., where Carlee was found guilty of false reporting to law enforcement authorities and falsely reporting an incident, both misdemeanors.

Carlee had pled not guilty, but that didn't matter to the judge and prosecutors ... in fact, the judge recommended a one-year jail sentence.

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CARLEE'S 911 CALL

Remember ... Carlee called 911 in July as she was driving down an Alabama interstate to report a toddler wandering alone on the roadside. She then got out of her car and vanished for 2 days ... ultimately showing up at her parent's house.

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Cops determined there was no toddler on the highway, and Carlee was never abducted ... she eventually admitted her whole story was phony.

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As we reported, Carlee's boyfriend dumped her once she copped to the load of BS ... this after he initially defended her and bought her kidnapping lie, like countless others.

Carlee's legal team says she plans to appeal the judge's ruling.