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David Ortiz is still mourning the death of Tim Wakefield ... telling TMZ Sports this week his former Red Sox teammate was a "great guy, man."

"Great guy," he repeated.

Ortiz opened up to us about Wakefield for a few moments while out in Los Angeles ... just days after the former Boston star pitcher died from brain cancer.

Big Papi said the knuckleballer was straight-up "like my family, man" ... and you can see in the clip, he's obviously still in pain over the passing.

Ortiz and Wakefield grew close during their time together at Fenway Park -- you'll recall, they shared a locker room with one another for nine seasons. And, the two formed such a strong bond ... Wakefield actually showed up to Cooperstown last year to watch Ortiz get inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Papi is hardly the only former Red Sox player to express heartbreak over Wakefield's death -- multiple former teammates sent thoughts and prayers on social media as well.

Tim was just 57 years old.

Mario believes he belongs among the greats ... making a case for why he says he should be on R&B's Mt. Rushmore with the genre's greats.

TMZ Hip Hop engaged in a friendly R&B debate with the "Let Me Love You" singer in Bev Hills this week, and gauged his picks for R&B's Mt. Rushmore. You'll remember, T.I. just did the same sort of list for the trap rappers.

For Mario, the first two names came easily ... the late, great King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and the Renaissance Queen herself, Beyoncé. Then, Mario throws his own hat in the ring with an explanation of why he says he belongs.

Mario says he absorbed tons of different genres and styles from his mother and grandma growing up that bled into his own platinum-selling career.

He tells us his fourth pick would be Whitney Houston in all her glory but isn't beholden to just picking 4 artists ... he'd add Usher and Chris Brown to that rock in a heartbeat.

Mario was recently spotted in the club celebrating Offset's album release -- and posted up next to a sign that read "R&B Royalty" ... he's not removing his crown any time soon!!!

Mario also drops some advice ... saying R&B stars should focus on making timeless music as opposed to chasing hits if they want to survive.

You comin' to L.A. in the foreseeable future? You into taking selfies at all the iconic places in L.A., Bev Hills and Hollywood, and along the way hearing all about our fair city? Well, have we got a tour for you!

We're launching the TMZ Selfie Tour Monday, and -- if we can toot our own horn -- it's the best tour in all of Hollywood. Our bus takes you to all the places people go to get an awesome portfolio -- the Paramount Studios gate, The Beverly Hills Shield, Colette Miller's Angel Wings, The Paul Smith Pink Wall, the Capitol Records building, the Beverly Hills Fountain, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the TCL Chinese Theater, the Beverly Hills Fountain, Ringo Starr's peace sculpture, the Beverly Hills Hotel, Rodeo Drive ... and more!

Along the way, you'll be entertained by our awesome guides and lots of videos and photos that bring everything to life. And you'll get the inside dish on Hollywood. There are also games and prizes.

The tour starts in the heart of Hollywood, and by the time it's over, you will have enough awesome selfies that your friends will drip with envy.

Celebs are getting down with the spooky spirit this year -- carving out lots of space on their IG grids and sharing their festive photos with you! It's the sweetest time of the year for all the frightening feels, so come eat, drink and be scary with Hollywood!

Gettin' spooky in the Berkshires, Dorina Medley was lit up and V on theme ... flickering over her ghostly candles, Yungblud hit up the produce aisle in full-on skeleton gear, and if you're thinkin' Halsey can live 'Without' her angel wings ... guess again!

The 'party's never over' when Billie Eilish is present! Step aside security ... there are some Frigin' Differences to be handled! Do you have a keen eye to find the changes in these two shots? Let's hope so!

The singer-songwriter flashed her "Ocean Eyes" earlier this week, heading into "Jimmy Kimmel Live" looking as cool as ever ... yes, she may have switched up her hairdo, but that's not the only switch-up(s) happening here 😜!  Slither your way through the images and secure the switch-ups in the bag!

Judge Mathis is applauding California's new Ebony Alert for missing Black children and women ... he says it's long overdue, and he's glad Gov. Gavin Newsom got it done.

We got the TV magistrate Friday at Via Alloro in Beverly Hills and asked him about the state's new system to report and find missing Black kids and women, which Newsom just signed into law.

Judge Mathis says missing Black girls are the most underserved group of people, and he thinks the Ebony Alert will go a long way towards righting that wrong.

Remember ... there was a ton of outrage earlier this week when the Ebony Alert was announced, with some folks saying it was modern-day segregation because it's completely separate from the longstanding Amber Alert.

Judge Mathis isn't buying that argument ... he says that's just not the way society operates, and until there's a true level playing field for all, special programs like the Ebony Alert are needed for marginalized groups.

The author behind the bill, California State Senator Steven Bradford, previously told us the new system was needed because law enforcement was doing its job when it came to missing Black folks, and there weren't enough resources either.

10/16/23 12:45 PM PT -- Cops say they took Walter into custody over the weekend.

3:23 PM PT -- Marty York just broke his silence, posting a photo of Walter and writing, "This is the hardest post I'm ever going to have to write. Last night my mother was murdered by a man she was seeing. Right now there is a nationwide manhunt."

He continues, "If you've seen this man please call the police immediately. I can't even comprehend what is happening right now, but I feel if I find this person I'm going to physically maul him. I pray to God I don't find him because it will be a fate worse then hell."

Tragedy has struck the family of "The Sandlot" actor Marty York, his mother, a sheriff's deputy, was murdered in her own home ... and cops are on the hunt for the alleged killer.

Cops say Deanna Esmaeel was found dead Thursday inside her home in Crescent City, California. On Friday, the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office -- where Deanna is a deputy -- put out an alert to the public in hopes of tracking down Deanna's boyfriend, Daniel James Walter.

Investigators say Walter, who recently changed his name to Edward Patrick Davies, is the suspect in Deanna's murder ... though they don't say what happened.

According to the alert, deputies were able to locate Walter's vehicle, but the 54-year-old was nowhere to be found.

Sheriff Scott of the DNSO released a statement following Deputy Esmaeel's death, saying, "We are all deeply heartbroken with the loss of Deputy Esmaeel. Our hearts and prayers go out to her family, friends, and co-workers."

Marty York played "Yeah-Yeah" in the 1993 classic "The Sandlot" and has continued to act on various projects through the years. He has not yet publicly commented on his mother's murder.

Rep. George Santos went toe-to-toe with a civilian Friday on Capitol Hill over the war between Israel and Hamas -- and it got heated enough, Capitol Police had to separate the men.

The Congressman from NY charged through a hallway in the Capitol and started shouting at a man he accused of getting in his face over Israel's policies regarding Gaza and the treatment of Palestinians there. Santos went from zero to 100, quickly pointing out the man to cops.

When the man, reportedly a Jewish D.C. resident, asked Santos what he was doing about Israel's oppression of Palestinians ... Santos yelled back at him, "What about the terrorists you tried to defend in this building? It's abhorrent that you are in this building stepping up for terrorists!!!"

The man kept his hands at his side as Rep. Santos waved and pointed a finger in his face until cops stepped in between them ... but even as he stormed off, the legislator continued yelling.

At the other end of the hallway, he continued shouting -- now at reporters -- "What is happening to the people of Israel should not be defended!!! No one defending Hamas has any business in this building whether you're elected, whether you're a civilian."

For Taylor Swift, it pays to take her show on the road -- and into theaters, too -- she could be raking in a whopping $4.1 BILLION from her super popular "Eras" tour.

The eye-popping figure would mean Taylor owns the most lucrative concert tour in U.S. history -- and, in the process, she'd not only be lining her pockets, but also boosting the American economy.

Taylor's multi-billion dollar windfall is an estimate from Peter Cohan, who teaches MBA students at Babson College in Massachusetts. He says he crunched the numbers for The Washington Post, and came out with some astounding figures.

Get a load of this ... Taylor's estimated cut would be larger than the yearly economic output of 42 countries, and a $4.1 billion profit is also enough to send every American a little more than $17.

Swiftee stimulus checks, imagine that!!!

Taylor's making the most of her money from ticket sales and her highly-coveted merch ... while hotels in cities where the "Eras" tour stopped are said to have added $208 million to their coffers, and that's only counting the actual night of the concerts. Realistically, most fans stay at least one extra day.

The economic impact of the "Eras" tour is huge too. For instance, her 6 shows at SoFi Stadium in L.A. injected $320 million into the county's economy, while her Denver shows resulted in a $140 million boost ... and her Kansas City and Cincinnati stops brought in $48 million to each of those cities.

Taylor's sharing the wealth ... as we reported, she dished out over $50 million in total bonuses to her concert crew, and gave every truck driver hauling her tour equipment around the country an extra $100k.

Aaron Carter's final resting place is now adorned with a portrait of the late singer ... and his twin sister is inviting fans to visit his grave.

The new headstone includes an oval portrait of Aaron and reads ... "In Loving Memory AARON CARTER 1987-2022 Beloved Brother, Son, Friend & Father Of Prince Carter."

Aaron's twin, Angel, says the new portrait was installed Friday at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills ... and it looks like she also left a fresh bouquet of flowers.

Angel says of her late brother, "He adored his fans, and I know how much this would mean to him now having a final resting place where we could all celebrate his life."

She's also inviting Aaron's fans to visit, share their memories and "never forget who Aaron was deep down."

Offset didn't hold any expenses in helping Cardi B celebrate her birthday, gifting his wife 3 new crocodile Birkin bags ... a disgusting gesture as far as PETA is concerned.

PETA Vice President Lisa Lange fired off a scathing statement to the couple Friday, writing, "Instead of using his wealth and influence for good, Offset chose to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars into a gruesome, violent industry that electroshocks crocodiles, shoves metal rods into their heads in an attempt to scramble their brains, and mutilates them while they’re still alive."

Lange feels Offset and Cardi are out of touch, adding, "PETA reminds everyone that people who still spend their money on a closet full of dead animals’ body parts either are clueless or simply don’t care about the extreme cruelty they’re perpetuating—it’s just not worth it."

PETA says they learned of the heinous treatment of reptiles through research and an internal investigation sprawling across Asia, praising luxury brands like Chanel, Burberry, HUGO BOSS and Vivienne Westwood for correcting their practices.

Cardi's birthday celebration continued last night as a dual party for Offset's new album "Set It Off" where she fed the crowd burgers ... which is another issue for the animal rights org.

Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown -- who's accused of murdering his mother -- fought Mexican cops in a wild meltdown on a plane over the weekend as they were trying to extradite him to the U.S. ... new video shows.

The footage was filmed by Michelle Williams, a California resident, who told CBS 8 the incident went down on an Aeromexico plane still on the tarmac in the Mexico City airport. Williams said the plane was slated to go to Tijuana.

In the clip, you can see Brown appeared to be extremely agitated as two law enforcement officers were trying to hold him down in his seat so they could start the process of getting him back to the States after a warrant for his arrest was issued in Illinois.

Brown complained repeatedly that he was being kidnapped -- and at one point, he got physical with one of the cops.

Brown can be seen in the video pushing the man ... before the officer's partner restrained the former Buffalo Bills defensive back from behind. Still, 35-year-old Brown screamed and wiggled.

"Let me go!" he yelled. "This is kidnapping! Cameras, please! Kidnapping!"

The struggle lasted several more seconds -- and after Brown appeared to lurch backward and hit his head on the top of the plane ... a woman who said she was a doctor stepped in to try to calm him down.

They shared an exchange of words ... before the video cuts out.

Despite the chaotic scene, Brown was ultimately moved to the U.S. ... and booked into a San Diego jail on Tuesday. On Wednesday, cops revealed he was taken in on a warrant for first-degree murder in the death of his mom, Myrtle Brown, who was found deceased with apparent assault injuries last month.

Brown -- who played in the NFL from 2010 to 2016 -- had been in Mexico in the days following the 73-year-old's death ... partying and drinking with clubgoers in Tulum as if nothing was wrong.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are clearly goin' strong ... we've learned the 2 will be spending the entire weekend together after both scored some massive wins this week.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Taylor and Travis will be together this upcoming weekend -- Travis and the Chiefs played Thursday night, so he's got time off.

It's unclear if they'll stay in Kansas City for their time together, or if they'll jet out of town ... but with Travis now off the clock until early next week and Taylor not taking the stage until November 9 in Argentina, the lovebirds can go just about anywhere they want.

As we reported, Taylor showed up once again at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night to cheer him on while sitting next to his mom, Donna Kelce -- who was donning a friendship bracelet, made popular at Taylor's concerts!

Don't forget, Taylor was in L.A. the night before for the world premiere of her 'Eras Tour' film, which is now officially in theaters -- hey, maybe Taylor and Travis will go catch the flick during their weekend getaway!

Regardless, they've been seen together quite a bit in the past few weeks -- apart from the viral video of them leaving Travis' game last month, the 2 were also spotted getting close at a local bar, with her arm wrapped around him.

Jada Pinkett Smith is now revealing the shocking part, for her, of Will Smith's infamous Oscars rant and slap was that he referred to her as "wife" -- because she says he hadn't used that word for years.

The actress, who recently revealed she and Will have been living separate lives for 7 years, recalled the 2022 Oscars moment in an interview with NBC's Hoda Kotb ... saying she was "really shocked" because of how he referred to her during his fit of rage.

Ya can't forget it, after Chris Rock joked about Jada's bald head -- a result of her struggles with alopecia -- Will shouted, "Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth!" before slapping Chris.

Now, Jada's saying they haven't called each other "husband and wife" in a long, long time ... so hearing those words come out, mixed with the heated moment, caught her completely off guard.

She also explains what went down during a commercial break -- claiming Chris came up to her and apologized for his comments, but she was more focused on Will, not knowing what exactly was going on with him.

As we reported, Jada also told Hoda they've been separated since 2016. She admitted they've been carrying on the married schtick for a while now ... even publicly denying any talk of a split as the years went on.

And they obviously kept the charade going at the Oscars, too -- but to be fair, "Keep the name of the woman I've been separated from out your mouth" doesn't really roll off the tongue.

Do you think Jada Pinkett and Will Smith have a toxic relationship? Vote below.

Drake's wallet will be a whole lot fatter if Logan Paul eviscerates Dillon Danis on Saturday ... 'cause the rapper just placed a massive, $850,000 bet on the WWE superstar to score a knockout victory!!!

The "God's Plan" crooner put down the money on The Maverick on Thursday ... revealing he'll get back $1.35 MILLION if Paul comes through.

Drake said he's backing Paul because of all of the trolling Danis has done in the leadup to their much-anticipated boxing match -- which has included a slew of digs at Paul's fiancée, Nina Agdal.

"Never bet against personal vendetta and settling scores," he said of the wager on his Instagram page.

Paul was clearly happy to have Drake in his corner ... he tweeted in response to the bet, "Easy money."

Danis, meanwhile, was pretty pissed, writing in a statement of his own, "850 on my head is disrespect."

It all, of course, nearly didn't happen ... as on Thursday morning, Danis threw a microphone at Paul that opened up a gash near the YouTuber's right eye. Fortunately for fans of the fight, Paul said it didn't do too much damage, and the match is still on.

David Njoku's face was badly burned in the fire pit accident, but things could've been way worse ... the Browns star says his eyes were open when the fireball burned his face, and he could've lost his eyesight.

“I give all the glory to God. When it happened my eyes were open, so I saw everything and I really should’ve been blinded,” Njoku told reporters, adding ... "Luckily I'm not, so I give all glory to God."

Of course, the 27-year-old, former first-round draft pick stamped his status as one of the toughest dudes around when he played the week 4 game against the Ravens just days after the incident, somehow wearing a helmet over the burned area.

“All the pain and suffering from training in the offseason is far worse than any of this,” Njoku said.

The Browns lost handily to Baltimore, 28-3, but David was a bright spot, catching 6 passes for 46 yards ... despite the burns.

Initially, Njoku didn't reveal the injury. In fact, he walked in and out of the locker room with a mask that covered his whole face.

Then, earlier this week, David shared a photo from shortly after the incident, in addition to a photo showing the burns healing, albeit slowly.

As for how he's feeling now ... how's this for good news?