Cardi B & Offset Kulture's Excited to be a Big Sister!!!

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TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE
TMZ.com

Cardi B and Offset are looking pretty damn excited, and maybe a little overwhelmed, after letting the world know baby No. 2's on the way, but someone else is even more excited by the news.

We got Cardi and Offset leaving BOA Steakhouse in WeHo where they hit up a BET Awards after-party. Quavo and Taraji P. Henson were some of the other attendees, but fans and photogs, went wild when Cardi stepped out of her ride showing off her baby bump.

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PARTY WITH CARDI
TMZ.com/BACKGRID

The couple got peppered with dozens of baby-related questions -- really, you'd think they were walking into a family reunion. One question our guy asked was about Kulture's reaction to the news she's gonna be a big sis.

We also asked Offset if he'll be in a giving mood when the baby arrives -- and the answer's yes! He's got a Cuban celebration in mind.

We tried to get some other deets about Cardi's pregnancy ... like how far along she is, cravings, baby names??? They're not ready to spill all that just yet, but they couldn't look happier that their family's expanding.

As we reported, Cardi revealed the huge surprise Sunday night during the BET Awards. She didn't have to say a word ... her baby bump was on display and it did all the talking.

Some fans are guesstimating she's about 6 months along. Cardi had been keeping a low profile ... until now.

Kanye West Walmart Pulls Foam Runner Knockoffs ... But Lots of 'Em Still Online

Kanye West's legal team has a lot more work to do if they want to rid the online market of imitation Yeezys -- while Walmart halted sales on its site, hundreds more still exist on others.

West's Yeezy Foam RNNRs have taken the market by storm, so it's no surprise copycats tried to capitalize. However, as of Friday, Walmart had removed all the knockoffs from its online store.

TMZ broke the story ... Kanye and Yeezy filed a lawsuit against the retail giant, claiming its $25 faux RNNRs had the potential to cost Ye "hundreds of millions" of dollars in sales of his $75 original design.

For its part, Walmart said the online listings were from a third party.

You'd think the lawsuit would scare away others, but we discovered hundreds of other listings on sites pushing what appear to be more wannabes. Friday, Etsy still remained a hotspot for them, with pairs running anywhere from $30-$60, one listing calls the shoes "Yeezy Inspired," but they look like exact copies.

We've reached out to Kanye's team to figure out if they have any plans to go after the remaining listings like they did Walmart. Nothing's been filed yet.

One thing is for sure, Yeezy shoes have made Kanye a VERY rich man, with his recent net worth reported to be in the multi-billion dollar range.

Lil Nas X Defends Kissing Dancer at BET Awards ... Diddy Calls it 'Fearless'

Lil Nas X delivered a memorable performance at the BET Awards, but at least one person on Twitter hated it ... so the rapper put them in their place.

The "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" singer crushed it on stage Sunday night, not only with his hit track but also with a tribute to Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time."

The stage appearance ended with Lil Nas planting an intense kiss on one of his male backup dancers.

Clearly, a major moment -- especially as Pride Month wraps up -- but one Twitter user was outraged, tweeting ... "DONT USE AFRICAN CULTURE FOR S***S LIKE THIS!!!!!!! RESPECT OUR ANCESTORS."

Never one to ignore criticism, Lil Nas X defended his decision while making a historical point, saying ... "y'all really like to pretend homosexuality didn’t exist in african culture."

Other than the one hater, the rapper received widespread praise for his bold move, including from Diddy ... who applauded him for being fearless.

Fans of Lil Nas X -- who came out on the last day of Pride Month in 2019 -- were initially disappointed when the 2021 BET Awards nominees were announced and he didn't make the list, and some accused the show of being homophobic.

Still, he was there to perform, and certainly made the most of it.

MLB's Josh Naylor Gruesomely Breaks Leg ... In Violent Collision With Teammate

UPDATE

8:49 AM PT -- The Cleveland Indians just provided an update on John Naylor's condition ... saying the OF "suffered a closed fracture and dislocation of the right ankle."

UPDATE

Cleveland says Naylor remained in the hospital overnight.

Cleveland Indians outfielder Josh Naylor broke his leg in a horrifying fashion after colliding with his teammate during a game Sunday ... and video of the play is VERY hard to watch.

The gruesome scene all went down in the 4th inning of the Tribe's game against the Minnesota Twins ... when Naylor was trying to track down a fly ball in right field.

The problem ... his teammate, Ernie Clement, was charging for the ball as well -- and when the baseball finally came down from the sky, the two crashed into each other HARD.

The collision sent Naylor flying -- and when he landed, his leg bent awkwardly underneath him ... horrifically twisting it.

You can see in slow-motion replay, Naylor was in EXTREME pain ... writhing on the ground.

Naylor was eventually carted off the field and taken to the hospital ... and after the game, Indians manager Terry Francona confirmed his player was dealing with a significant injury.

"We know that there's a fracture," Francona told reporters. "Other than that, he's being evaluated over at the hospital right now."

Naylor had played in 69 games for Cleveland this season ... hitting 7 home runs and batting .253.

Get well soon.

Ex-Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh Estate Hit With $40,000 Bill ... Pay Up for Brain Art!!!

Ex-Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is getting dogged in death by a huge bill ... and it's all over a very strange unique piece of art.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Tony's estate just got hit with a $40,000 bill for the delivery and installation of a custom sculpture of a human brain at Hsieh's Park City, Utah mansion.

In the docs, a Las Vegas company claims it hauled the huge piece of art to the mountains and installed it above a ceiling fan inside Tony's crib back in July 2020 -- but the company claims Hsieh never paid. Now, they're going after his estate for the $40k, plus interest.

As we reported ... Tony was only 46 when he died in November after sustaining injuries suffered during a house fire in Connecticut.

According to the docs, the company claims Tony's estate confirmed the unpaid balance and told them the payment is being processed. Not fast enough, apparently, since they've now run to court to get the dough.

NFL's Bruce Smith There Were Gay Players on '90s Bills Teams ... Didn't Matter to Us

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TIME TO EMBRACE
TMZSports.com

Bruce Smith says he has a ton of respect for Carl Nassib for coming out -- but the Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports gay players in the NFL is nothing new.

"We had a gay player in our locker room," Smith says ... "I think it was the mid to late 90s and I think we might have had 2 but that wasn't what we were focused on."

Remember, Smith's Bills were legendary in the '90s ... making the playoffs 8 times (including 4 Super Bowl appearances).

But, Smith says he never cared about anyone's sexual orientation -- as long as that player could ball out on the field.

"We were focused on winning games and each and every person that was in that locker room contributing to the goal at hand which was winning football games. None of that other stuff mattered. This was about winning football games and trying to be a good person."

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"MEANING TO DO THIS FOR AWHILE"
@carlnassib / Instagram

Smith says he completely understands the cultural significance of having an openly gay player in the NFL -- and believes Nassib's decision to come out will have a tremendous impact.

"Obviously, we like to see the inclusion part. We like to see folks that understand that the world is changing and you have to embrace those that may be a little bit different and it's okay."

But, ultimately, Smith believes NFL locker rooms have been more inclusive than people think ... and the notion that older players wouldn't have accepted a gay teammate is just wrong.

"Judge me by my character and judge me by the way I treat people. If we show a little bit more love and compassion in the world, this will be a much better place."

Cardi B I'm Preggo with Baby No. 2!!! Surprise @ BET Awards

Cardi B and Offset are expecting again -- and they made the announcement in grandiose fashion ... through a joint performance at the BET Awards!!!

The couple came out with the news Sunday during the broadcast -- and didn't have to say a thing about it either ... they let their actions speak for them. The Migos came out first for a medley songs, and were later joined by CB who was decked out in a revealing outfit.

And by that, we mean her massive baby bump was on display ... and, clearly, she's very pregnant. Looks like she's fairly far along too at this point ... at least 6 months, if not more.

BTW, Cardi didn't just come out to stand there and look pretty -- she was straight up performing on her own as well ... rapping to songs of hers like 'Type S***', and eventually getting shoulder-to-shoulder with her hubby as the audience went crazy with applause.

Up until now, this wasn't publicly known -- as CB has been laying fairly low of late. And now, it's obvious that was for good reason. Her team was on the ball too for this ... posting official pregnancy photos on her social media pages as soon as she took the stage.

This would be her and Offset's second child together -- of course, they also share Kulture ... who's all of 2 years old.

Looks like she's getting a little brother or sister in the near future ... congrats!!!

Guess Who This Cute Kid Turned Into!

Before this brunette baby was an all-star actress in numerous impactful roles, she was just another cute kid taking a ride on a swing set in Lincoln, Nebraska.

This little lady got her start on the big screen in the original version of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" ... before the hit television show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar aired 5 years later. It wasn't until later in her career when she gained critical acclaim for her inspiring portrayal of a boxer -- which secured her the winning title of Best Actress at the Academy Awards that year.

Can you guess who she is?

A$AP Rocky Sweeping Rihanna Off Her Feet in NYC ... No, Literally!!!

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RIHANNA'S ROCKY RIDE
TMZ.com

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna are riding off into the sunset -- or the sunrise, rather ... and we mean it in every sense of the word, 'cause a late-night date night turned into just that.

The A-list couple kept their love fest going Saturday night into the wee hours of Sunday morning ... where we're told they popped up in the lower east side of NYC after a night out, walking hand-in-hand -- and, before long, body-in-arms thanks to A$AP swooping her up.

Check out the video we got of that exact moment ... it's like straight out of a movie, and RiRi seemed to be digging every minute of it. Eventually, they drove away in a waiting SUV.

BTW, we're told this was shot around 5:30/6 AM Sunday -- so yeah, it was definitely a marathon date they were on. Eyewitnesses also say they came across a dude who seemed drunk and sprawled out over the floor ... to which A$AP/RiRi said ... yo, help him out!

Unfortunately for him, his buddies seemed to be starstruck with this sighting ... and for good reason. It's not every day you might spot this -- but then again, maybe that's changing.

Frankly, A$AP and Rihanna have been spotted out and about all over town lately ... and are NOT shy to show off their PDA, this weekend included, it seems. They're clearly gaga for one another -- and apparently want the whole wide world to know it.

We hear ya, guys ... and we see you too. 💖

Olympic Hammer Thrower Gwen Berry Protests Nat'l Anthem ... Ahead of Tokyo Games

Gwen Berry -- a U.S. hammer thrower who'll compete at the Tokyo Olympics -- partook in what event honchos have said they won't tolerate come game day ... national anthem protests.

Berry, who's Black, did well enough Saturday at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials in Eugene, OR to qualify for her second Olympics as a pro athlete ... but when it came to accepting her bronze medal on the podium -- "The Star-Spangled Banner" began playing.

She wasn't having any of it ... with several photos capturing the awkward moment, in which GB refused to place her hand over heart, and even turning away from the flag -- unlike her fellow competitors, who did the exact opposite.

At one point, while she was standing up there, Berry busted out a T-shirt she had on her that read "Activist Athlete" ... holding it up high, and then putting it over her head while she continued to snub the flag/anthem as it played. She didn't stop there, either.

Afterward, she was obviously asked about her demonstration. Turns out, she was pretty "pissed" by the whole thing -- accusing organizers of staging the timing of it all and playing the anthem right when they knew Gwen would get up, almost like daring her to react.

She says, "They had enough opportunities to play the national anthem before we got up there. I was thinking about what I should do. Eventually, I stayed there and I swayed ... It was real disrespectful." Berry went on to claim she was told the anthem would be played before the podium ceremony, adding, "I don't really want to talk about the anthem because that’s not important. The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has."

A rep for the USA Track and Field Team denied her characterization, saying the anthem is scheduled to play daily at a certain time (5:20 PM, it seems) and no sabotage was in play.

Either way, it'll be interesting to see how Berry handles anthems at the actual games here in a few weeks. The International Olympic Committee has said athletes who compete are forbidden from making scenes like this, be it political, social or otherwise.

If they choose to do so anyway, they risk being fined -- and possibly worse -- all of which will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Tristan Thompson Wishes Khloe a Happy Bday ... After Very Public Split

Tristan Thompson might not be with Khloe Kardashian romantically anymore, but he's still got a lot of love for her -- which you can see in a public birthday message he sent Khloe's way.

The Boston Celtics star posted a touching tribute to his baby mama Sunday -- Khloe's 37th birthday, no less -- which was accompanied with intimate photos of them and their daughter, True, wishing her well and also thanking her for being an incredible mother, pal and more.

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TT writes, "Happy birthday @khloekardashian Thank you for being not just an amazing partner, mommy and best friend but also being the kindest, caring and most loving human being I've ever met."

He goes on ... "Your love and spirit is contagious to all who've met you. Thank you for always being there for me and putting our family first. I love you so much. Have an amazing day. ❤️❤️"

It's a very sweet gesture, and it doesn't appear he cares about the backdrop of things either -- namely, the fact they just called it quits (again) after allegations of cheating (again).

It all ties back to a woman named Sydney Chase, who claimed to have had sex with Tristan not too long after he officially reunited with Khloe. He seems to have denied that -- among other cheating/paternity claims that are also floating out there -- but the scandal, apparently, proved to be too much for Khloe.

Of course, they continue to co-parent ... and still seem to care for each other. Or, at least Tristan does, anyway -- Khloe hasn't commented much on the breakup since it went down.

Anyway, happy birthday, Khlo!

JFK Jr. Back (in the flesh???) at DT rally QAnon'ers Actually Buy It!!!

John F. Kennedy Jr. was incognito among a MAGA crowd this weekend and happily posed with Trump fans at his first public rally in a while ... that is, if you buy what QAnon's selling.

Different photos have sprung up from Saturday's gathering in Wellington, OH -- where DT held his first MAGA party in an official capacity and spewed falsehood after falsehood about the 2020 election ... while also teasing his inevitable return to politics in the near future.

It was a lot of the same stuff he's regurgitated in his speeches of late -- but one of the quirky headlines to emerge from the red hat forum was photo-ops with a fella Q'ers apparently believe is the REAL JFK Jr. ... who, of course, is long dead and buried (at sea).

The dude's name is Vincent Fusca, and he's definitely a Trump supporter from what we can see on his social media. However, somehow, he's also been labeled as John John in disguise ... and is a bit of a celeb among the QAnon crowd whenever they get together.

Folks seem more than happy to snap selfies with Vince if they spot him out -- and he's kind of hard to miss ... as he always seems to be rocking the black hat and matching outfit, not to mention his signature shaggy 'do and beard. It doesn't appear Vincent has openly embraced the wild story, but based on his Twitter feed ... he ain't batting it down either.

While we will acknowledge there might be *some* sort of a resemblance to JFK Jr. (barely one, really) ... it doesn't take a genius to know, this is obviously NOT the real McCoy.

Like we said, John died in a plane crash in 1999 (along with his wife, Carolyn, and her sister) ... and was laid to rest by the Kennedy family. It's an absolutely absurd conspiracy theory -- one which we've detailed in the past -- but Q'ers, for some reason, think he'll re-emerge after faking his death, and "re-take the country" alongside Donald Trump.

That narrative has debunked time and again after missed dates and, you know, real life ... but the Q crowd are holding out hope that their savior will return. For now, VF will do. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Bow Wow Celebrates 'Verzuz' Win Against Soulja Contribution Solidified???

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BOW WOW'S BIG WIN
TMZ.com

The people have spoken, and they say Bow Wow beat Soulja Boy in a "Verzuz" -- which begs the question ... can Shad get a little respect on his name now??? Sheesh!

That's exactly what we asked BW Saturday in WeHo as he was leaving Catch ... this after his highly-anticipated showdown with his 2000s contemporary, which was put on in front of an audience at the Hollywood Palladium (where "Verzuz" battles have gone down lately).

Check out what Mr. Moss had to say when we asked if him (unofficially) winning the faceoff solidifies his contribution to music and culture ... something that's actually been in question in recent years, as Bow Wow's often been the butt of many online jokes/challenges.

Bow Wow had possibly the best answer to the question of relevance ... all you gotta do is punch his name into a search bar, and you'll quickly learn who he is. Well said, sir.

BTW, Lil Romeo came out as a surprise guest during the jam-packed "Verzuz" and gave both Bow Wow and Soulja their respective props ... which many say were long overdue considering their legacy and impact as it pertains to pretty much everything hip-hop.

It made for a sweet moment ... but it was just one of many highlights. At one point, Bow Wow busted out the Harlem shake -- which he made famous as a little tyke -- right around the time he was blowing up from his "Like Mike" role. We gotta say ... he hasn't lost a step!

The show ended up being an awesome walk down memory lane for pretty much anyone who was born in the '90s and grew up on Soulja and Bow Wow's music.

One last thing from our interview with BW ... he really wants people to go see 'F9' (the newest 'Fast & Furious' movie). Y'know -- 'cause he's in it and everything. Vroom, vroom.

John Langley 'Cops' Creator Dead at 78 ... Apparent Heart Attack in MX

John Langley, the creator of the hit TV show "Cops" has died.

Langley's reps confirmed the news to Variety, saying he passed away Saturday in Baja, Mexico of an apparent heart attack -- this while the guy was involved in an off-road race ... and was actually on the track himself. Word is, he was with his son, Zak, at the time.

He's obviously best remembered as the brains behind the long-running, real-life, crime-fighting reality show on FOX ... which aired 32 seasons and over a thousand episodes between 1989 and 2020. The series was canceled last year amid social unrest after George Floyd's murder.

Prior to that though ... "Cops" was a cultural hit, and some say it served as a giant blueprint for reality TV shows to come. Crazy as that sounds -- it IS reality TV ... just not in the way we're used to seeing it now. All the same, Langley was a trailblazer in the subgenre.

There were other law enforcement-type shows and projects JL was involved in over the years as well -- including EP titles for series like "Jail," "Vegas Strip," "Undercover Stings," "Las Vegas Jailhouse," "The Tony Rock Project" and pretty much all of the "The Amazing Video Collection" spin-offs that surfaced in the late '90s.

He also had a hand in movies and made-for-TV documentaries -- such as "Brooklyn's Finest," "Leaves of Grass," "Tiptoes," "Hollywood Vice," "Wildside," "American Expose: Who Murdered JFK?" and his first on-camera project from '83, "Cocaine Blues."

Langley was well decorated as a TV vet -- having won the American Television Award and four Emmys for his work on "Cops." He's survived by his wife, Maggie, and their children.

He was 78.

RIP

Serena Williams I Won't Be Havin' a Ball in Tokyo ... Passes on Olympics

Serena Williams will not be Tokyo-bound this Summer ... because she just said she's not heading to the Olympics.

It's a big blow for the games losing that kind of star power -- Serena snagged 4 gold medals in prior years, most recently in 2012.

She said Sunday at Wimbledon, "I'm actually not on the Olympic list, not that I'm aware of," adding, "If so, then I shouldn't be on it."

If that sounds a little vague, Serena cleared it up with this ... "There's a lot of reasons that I made my Olympic decision. I don't really want to. I don't feel like going into them today. Maybe another day. Sorry."

Still not enough? Well, she ended with this ... "I have not thought about it. In the past [the Olympics] has been a wonderful place for me. I really haven't thought about it, so I'm going to keep not thinking about it."

As for her Olympic hardware, in the 2000 games in Sydney she beat Maria Sharapova in singles and won doubles as well, in 2008 she won in Beijing and 2012 won doubles with her sister, Venus.

As for the present ... Serena's eying her 8th win at Wimbledon. She's up against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus Tuesday.

Serena isn't the first to bow out of tournaments recently. Naomi Osaka passed for mental health reasons and Simona Halep was sidelined as a result of injuries.

Pop Smoke Family Thankful for Travis Scott Dior Collab ... Let's Work Together More!!!

Pop Smoke's family is showing Travis Scott some serious love for paying tribute to the late rapper through a fashion collection with Dior ... and they want to work with him again for future projects.

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FEELIN' THE LOVE
TMZ.com

Pop Smoke's brother, Obasi Jackson, tells TMZ ... the family is thankful Travis' Cactus Jack brand made the first item in its Dior collection all about Pop, and he thinks it could be the start of a great partnership.

It's a special moment for Pop's family ... he rapped about Dior and loved the brand, and often talked about leaving the country for the first time so he could check out Paris Fashion Week, where the collab was unveiled.

Pop's bro says the family appreciated the final product, a t-shirt with Pop's face on the front and lyrics from his popular "Dior" song on the back, but more than that ... they sound inspired.

Obasi told us how Pop's family wants to get more involved on the creative side moving forward.

Business deals aside, he says seeing Pop's image on a Dior shirt is bringing up a lot of emotions ... and the family's just thankful for all the folks keeping his memory alive.