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Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is hoping to share a dugout with Shohei Ohtani next season ... telling TMZ Sports he believes New York should go after the former MVP in free agency.

"Yeah!" he said emphatically while out at the MLB Flagship Store in NYC on Thursday. "Of course!"

Ohtani is eligible to leave the Angels this year ... after he spent the last six seasons with the team turning himself into one of the biggest superstars the sport's ever seen.

In his time in LA, he racked up three All-Star appearances, a .274 batting average, a 3.01 ERA and 171 home runs.

And, despite undergoing a second surgery on his throwing elbow in September, Volpe made it clear to us he really wants to see the 29-year-old in pinstripes.

"I mean, I think he's the best of the best," Volpe said.

Ohtani is expected to stay off the mound in 2024 while rehabbing, but he is slated to be healthy enough to hit at the dish -- and many in the MLB believe he's now poised to land the biggest contract in the history of the sport.

American actress Sonia Manzano was 21 years old when she started playing Maria -- who lived and worked on Sesame Street at the "Fix-It-Shop" -- on the iconic PBS kid's television show "Sesame Street" from 1971-2015.

Aside from all the awesome puppets on the block ... The educational program was packed with a dynamic cast like Emilio Delgado as Maria's hubby and guitar player who helped run the "Fix-It-Shop," Luis and the late Bob McGrath (who played Bob from 1969-2016) ... the music teacher with popular songs like "The People in Your Neighborhood" and "Believe in Yourself".

The show launched 54 years ago today ... happy "Sesame Street Day"!

Singer Carly Waddell -- more known for her TV dating conquests -- opened for Nick Carter Thursday wearing a t-shirt with Lady Gaga sitting at a piano. Interesting, since she had a huge issue with the star doing just that during their time together at college.

In fact ... Carly said she would be driven crazy by the singer showing off her vocals on the piano when while they were in an NYU cafeteria -- a statement that caused widespread fury among Gaga's Little Monsters.

But, the musician took the backlash in stride with her choice of stage attire for the Akron, Ohio stop on Nick's "Who I Am" tour.

Remember ... just days earlier, Carly explained on fellow "Bachelor" alum Jason Tartick's podcast that she was "not a fan" of Gaga when they were students at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

She cited Gaga's main offense as her singing "Wicked" at the piano at the top of her lungs during break every single day, which forced her to eat her meals in the hallway away from the commotion.

Harry Styles is swapping out his sexy locks for a shaved head, instead ... and debuted the new look while checking out U2's Las Vegas Sphere concert with his boo, Taylor Russell.

The singer and the actress were jamming out to U2 hits, and looking all coupley while they were at it. Harry had his arm around Taylor ... so, if you weren't sure they're really an item, this should seal the deal.

Witnesses tell us they were cuddled up all night long during last week's show ... with a lot of little kisses and selfies shared between them during U2's engagement.

They were hanging with a big group of friends, and everyone was having a great time -- even dancing in a circle toward the end of the night.

Girlfriend aside, the haircut is probably what's more jarring for Harry's adoring fans ... whether you're used to the One Direction era or his successful solo career, one thing that was always there was his long, luscious hair.

No more, apparently.

As we reported, Taylor and Harry have been linked together since July, when she got some VIP treatment at his Vienna concert. They've been spotted out together since -- sharing some more PDA moments at the press night of her London play, "The Effect."

It's been said Harry's hair is what makes him beautiful, but fans -- and Harry -- will have to grow into his new look.

Britney Spears' mother says she in no way demolished her daughter's journals or antique dolls ... something Britney accused her family of doing in her memoir.

Lynne Spears defended herself Thursday on Instagram, shooting down Britney's claim -- showing what she says are current pics of Brit's old journals and Madame Alexander dolls. Lynne says, "I'm not sure who told you I got rid of your dolls and journals but I would never do that!"

She says she knows how important they are to her daughter, adding, "They are special to me too because of the years we spent collecting them. Of course I still have your things, and I am happy to send them to you if you'd like me to."

Britney wrote in "The Woman in Me" about storing some of her personal belongings at Lynne's place in 2019, while she was at a mental health facility -- including the dolls and journals.

Robert De Niro just lost big in a New York courtroom, after a jury socked his production company with a $1.2 million judgment.

A jury shut down De Niro's claim that his ex-personal assistant, Graham Chase Robinson, embezzled from him. He had sought $6 million in damages but after 5 hours of deliberation, the jury tossed his claim.

The jury was way more sympathetic to Robinson's $12 million countersuit, awarding her $1.2 mil against De Niro's company, Canal Productions.

De Niro testified during the 2-week trial, and the jury heard about the tensions between him. The actor admitted he had called her a "f**king spoiled brat" when she failed to wake him for an important appointment. He also admitted that he asked her to scratch his back several times, but scoffed at the notion it was sexual. Robinson called it "creepy" and "disgusting."

Robinson claimed she was bullied by De Niro's girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, whom Robinson called a sociopath.

The trial, which lasted 8 days, was explosive, from start to finish.

Donald Trump doesn't forget his day 1 supporters -- Lil Pump was in attendance at the former commander-in-chief's Florida rally Wednesday night, and the "Gucci Gang" rapper got some public praise.

Trump singled him out in the crowd of 5,200 reportedly in attendance in the Miami suburb of Hialeah ... prompting Pump to stand up, collect his flowers and show off his fit ... head-to-toe MAGA!!!

Flip the calendars back 3 years to 2020 and Pump was extremely vocal in attempting to get Trump reelected ... despite not being a registered voter himself.

For Pump, it's the influence that counts in the long run. He's a fan of #45's rebellious persona -- as are Kodak Black and Waka Flocka.

JFK's assassination 60 years ago this month was not the work of a lone gunman, and Rob Reiner & Soledad O'Brien are naming names.

Rob and Soledad joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to talk about their new podcast, "Who Killed JFK?," which debuted Wednesday. They present a compelling case -- Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone back on November 22, 1963.

The "All in the Family" star and mega-producer has been obsessed with the assassination since he was 16, when Kennedy was shot, and he's been doing deep research ever since. Rob previewed his theories with us, clearly suggesting there were rogue government officials who plotted to get JFK.

Soledad and Rob agreed ... much of the distrust Americans feel toward their government emanated from the Kennedy assassination.

There are CIA connections to the plot to kill Kennedy, and even President Lyndon B. Johnson -- who succeeded Kennedy -- had a significant role in the coverup, according to Rob.

The fascination with the assassination has hardly subsided ... there's even an auction going on to sell a portion of the infamous picket fence behind the grassy knoll.

The Tuohy family says it's doled out $138K to Michael Oher from profits it received from "The Blind Side" ... and it's now claiming it's got the receipts to prove it.

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy shared images of the alleged payments inside new court documents filed in Tennessee this week ... insisting they show Oher received money from them in 10 separate installments.

The Tuohys said in the docs the payments began in June 2007 -- roughly two years before the blockbuster movie about Oher's life was released in the U.S. -- and most recently ended in April.

The payments to Oher, according to the docs, ranged from $117 all the way to $31,500 ... and represented an agreed upon split of the cash the Tuohys got from the "Blind Side" movie and the book that came out just before the hit flick.

"By agreement between the family members including Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, their children SJ and Collins as well as Michael Oher, the book and movie proceeds were to be split five ways," the Tuohys' attorneys wrote in court documents.

"These funds represent funds paid to Mr. Tuohy and the portion paid over to Mr. Oher."

As we previously reported, Oher had accused the Tuohys of essentially tricking him into a conservatorship ... before screwing him out of a ton of cash in the "Blind Side" deal that they negotiated -- which precipitated this week's court filings from the Tuohys.

Meanwhile, the Tuohys have consistently maintained they did nothing wrong ... accusing Oher of actually trying to shake them down for $15 million, before willingly ending the conservatorship in September.

"The Tuohy's have never received any money as conservators on behalf of Michael Oher," the Tuohys' attorneys wrote in this week's court documents, "and further never had control over any funds or any dealings on behalf of Mr. Oher during the entire term of the conservatorship."

There's a Hollywood connection to a deeply disturbing crime ... the son of a powerful former Hollywood agent has been booked for murder after a woman's dismembered torso was found in a bag.

LAPD arrested 35-year-old Samuel Haskell Wednesday following the grisly discovery -- the bag containing the female victim's body was in a dumpster in Encino, CA. Haskell's wife, Mei Haskell, and her parents are currently missing. The coroner hasn't identified the victim yet ... but in the meantime, Haskell's being held on $2 million bail.

Haskell's father, Sam Haskell Sr., is currently the President of Magnolia Hill Productions -- the company behind several Dolly Parton specials -- including "Dolly Parton's Magic Mountain Christmas" and "Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors."

Haskell Sr. was once a powerful agent at William Morris Agency ... he retired as an agent in 2005, but during his 27-year-career represented the likes of Dolly, Whoopi Goldberg, Ray Romano, George Clooney, Martin Short, Kirstie Alley, Tony Danza, Debbie Allen, Kathie Lee Gifford ... and even King Charles' younger brother, Prince Edward.

As for the criminal investigation into Haskell's son, investigators are currently searching through Junior's Tarzana home where he lived with his wife and her parents Yanxiang Wang and Gaoshen Li.

So far, police say they've found evidence of a crime with blood in the home.

The dismembered torso was reportedly found Wednesday by a homeless person who was sifting through a strip mall dumpster. Haskell Jr. and Mei have 3 kids who are safe in the custody of L.A.'s DCFS.

Shawn Mendes & his potential new boo enjoyed a day at the beach ... strippin' down to their undies for some fun in the sun after she had his arm around him at a WeHo eatery.

The singer and TV personality Charlie Travers hit up Point Dume and El Matador Beach Wednesday out in sunny SoCal -- and it appears their trip to the ocean might've been an unplanned one, seeing as they have no bathing suits on hand.

No worries, 'cause Charlie took off her top and pants, while Shawn got down to his boxer briefs to enjoy the day -- and we're assuming Shawn's strip down helped any ladies nearby enjoy their day, too.

TMZ broke the story, Charlie had her arm around Shawn at a restaurant in West Hollywood on Tuesday ... witnesses told us the pair was pretty touchy-feely, too.

Unclear if her arm around him was a sign to ward off the ladies, or something more mild ... but there's obviously something going on here.

Of course, this potential romance comes after Shawn's relationship with Camila Cabello, which first ended in November 2021.

Priscilla Presley was very nearly a Kardashian ... had her unwavering loyalty to her ex, Elvis Presley -- and lack of cooking skills -- not been an issue for Robert Kardashian.

In light of the new movie based on her romance with the King of Rock & Roll, Priscilla has been doing lots of promo lately ... revealing in a Q&A that she had "never wanted to marry again" after Elvis because no one would match up to him.

And no one had better first-hand knowledge of her devotion to the icon post-split than Robert ... who was head over heels for her when they first met and thought they would marry and have babies together.

However, in the 2017 unauthorized biography, "The Kardashians: An American Drama," the author says Rob frequently felt like a third wheel, because Elvis repeatedly interrupted their romance in bizarre and controlling ways.

In the book, a close pal recalled Robert complaining Elvis called while he was making love to Priscilla ... who then propped the bedside receiver on the pillow between them, forcing Rob to listen to their convo. Awwwkward.

According to the biography, Elvis just didn't want his ex to see other men ... for the sake of their daughter Lisa Marie.

Another blow for Robert was that romancing Priscilla came at the expense of family affairs as his older brother Tom was also interested in her ... and when she chose Rob, his bro grew envious.

But, Rob's bud Joni Migdal said the final straw for their relationship was when Priscilla cooked a meal for Robert, which he hated so much ... he suggested she never make dinner for him again!

His desire to forge a life with Priscilla dissipated soon after, and as we all know, Rob went on to marry Kris Jenner and have their 4 kids ... Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob. Rob and Kris were married from 1978 to 1991.

The holidays are right around the corner, and Kim Kardashian and her SKIMS marketing elves are hard at work, this time with a little assistance from one of the biggest names in sports.

Check out the latest SKIMS campaign to drop Thursday, featuring none other than Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes, and his wife Brittany with their adorable kiddos; 2-year-old daughter Sterling and 11-month-old son, Patrick, "Bronze."

The family is helping Kim's brand launch its annual Holiday Shop with items for the whole family ... including the winter-must-have, fleece.

We gotta say, the pics are pretty cute, and the whole family appears to be having a good time -- surrounded by teddy bears and gifts.

As for the campaign itself, Patrick seems pretty pumped, adding, "This is our first campaign as a family, and shooting for SKIMS all together was an awesome moment."

It was Snoop Dogg and his family who did the honors for the SKIMS holiday campaign last year, with 3 generations of the rapper's family appearing in photos ... but the pivot to an athlete makes a lot of sense considering the recent launch of SKIMS Men's line.

King Kong ain't got s*** on Jared Leto ... not after he scaled the tippy-top of the Empire State Building simply to promote his band 30 Seconds to Mars' new tour.

The singer/actor took to the sky above NYC Thursday morning, telling the 'TODAY' hosts he made it to the top of the iconic skyscraper -- something that had always been a goal of his.

He says on his way up, he stopped around the 80th floor where he saw his mom inside, which was a nice surprise ... but when he got to the top of the 102-floor building, he said the views were pretty incredible, especially as the sun started to rise.

The feat wasn't done without a bit of bloodshed, however -- showing hosts Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Carson Daly, Craig Melvin and Sheinelle Jones his beat-up paws ... but it sounds like it was worth it.

Jared's big climb wasn't just a bucket list check-off -- he's also promoting the upcoming world tour for his band, 30 Seconds to Mars ... which kicks off in March.

Gotta admit, it's a pretty unique way to sell tickets.

The guy's no stranger to daring climbs like this ... he's been scaling buildings and some insane rock formations for a while now, all of which certainly prepared him for his grueling skyscraper milestone.

Logan Paul turned his U.S. Championship belt into a censor bar this week -- the WWE Superstar posted a completely naked shower snap on social media ... with only his new, shiny addition covering his junk!!

The Maverick -- who won his first wrestling title over the weekend after beating Rey Mysterio at Crown Jewel -- shared a few snaps of his life as the champ on Thursday ... and let's just say he's been getting some quality time with the hardware.

The 28-year-old clearly wouldn't let his new belt leave his side as he went about his daily routine -- spooning in bed with his fiancée, Nina Agdal, enjoying a rooftop stogie, working out ... and even when he was rinsing off!!

A lot of Logan's followers cracked jokes in the comments ... with one person saying, "Nahhh no one is wearing that belt after the last pic 😂" and another going a bit more blunt by adding, "Bro got his meat all up on da belt."

It's been an insane start for Logan's wrestling career -- the dude has fought big names like Roman Reigns, Seth Freakin' Rollins, Ricochet and The Miz over the past year and a half ... and now, he can finally call himself a champion.

6:20 AM PT -- Wynonna Judd has clearly seen the criticism and worry from her fans, posting a video to address the performance -- she blames the whole thing on nerves, saying she wanted to be at her best for Jelly Roll. Wynonna says she was simply holding on for dear life ... and will be back on the road for another show.

Wynonna Judd clung to Jelly Roll during their performance Wednesday night at the Country Music Awards -- and now her fans are worried something is wrong with her.

The country music legend hit the stage with JR to sing a duet of Jelly's tune, "Need A Favor," at the 2023 CMA Awards in Nashville.

At one point, Wynonna walked over to Jelly and grabbed his arm, giving off the impression she needed help to stay on her feet. It's unclear if Wynonna was experiencing some type of health issue, but she was able to polish off the song and leave the stage on her own.

Still, her fans took to social media and voiced their concerns after watching her seemingly unsteady performance. Remember, Wynonna lost her iconic mother, Naomi, to suicide in 2022, so she's had a rough time lately.

One fan wrote on X, "She could barely walk. She took baby steps."

Another one asked, "Am I the only one concerned for @Wynonna."

A third person observed, "Something is wrong with her. Hope she is ok. Wynonna Judd is holding on to Jelly Roll for dear life #CMAawards."

And a fourth freaked out, "It was seriously bizarre. I wonder what’s going on? She barely moved once she got a death grip on him."

In some good news from the show ... Jelly Roll took home the trophy for "Best New Artist."

Congrats, JR!!