Tom Cruise Crash Lands at Wimbledon Finals ... Hunt-Esque W/ Costars!!!

Nothing gets the blood going like a Wimbledon Finals match -- unless Ethan Freakin' Hunt himself stops by for a visit ... in which case, it's next to impossible not to strap in and HODL.

That's exactly what happened Saturday in London ... where none other than Tom Cruise himself dropped in for the ultimate round between tennis stars Ashleigh Barty and Karolína Plíšková ... with his 'M:I 7' leading lady costars, Hayley Atwell and Pom Klementieff, in tow.

It's rumored Hayley and Tom are actually dating right now -- and based on their body language before and during the match ... that may very well be true. They seemed chummy.

Anyway, the cameo made for a lot of fanfare ... people gave it up for Tom and co., offering up rounds of applause and stopping for photo-ops, etc. Of course, TC was graceful -- waving to the crowd ... and looking dapper as hell doing it. What else would you expect, right?

Interestingly ... the dude didn't seem too concerned with masking up, and neither did his cast members (or the Wimbledon audience at large). That's fine though -- the Wimbledon folks' mask policy is like a lot of other event venues lately ... ya must provide proof of vaccination, or a recent negative COVID test -- plus, wear masks while roaming the grounds.

So, it's all kosher. And, thankfully, it is ... otherwise the love-all spectators might've gotten a taste of what the 'Mission: Impossible' crew did last year while breaking protocol on set.

Gold standard, baby!!! 😅

Upstate NY Cop Punches Woman Square in Throat During Wild Walmart Arrest

A police officer from upstate NY is on leave after he punched a woman he was arresting right in the throat -- knocking her flat on the ground ... and it's all on video.

The DeWitt Police Dept. released body cam footage -- which they spliced together -- showing what led up to the scuffle inside an East Syracuse Walmart on July 4 ... where the cops were dispatched on reports of women fighting inside, and allegedly using pepper spray.

When the cop in question showed -- who has since been ID'd as Rory Spain -- he tried separating the quarreling parties ... and ended up restraining the lady he ultimately punched, Tyreana Edmonds, with handcuffs. As he attempted to lead her away, things escalated.

In the video, you see Edmonds apparently try and bite Officer Spain's arm ... after which, he cocks his arm back, with his fist balled up, and unloads on the front of her neck. The punch lands, and Edmonds is tossed back ... falling hard to the ground after absorbing the blow.

You can hear people around who are filming react in outrage ... and when they approach, Officer Spain tells them to get back. He and his fellow officers arrested her and others involved in the prior altercation ... and they all face multiple charges over this.

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Edmonds has reportedly also been hit with 2nd-degree attempted assault of a police officer ... presumably because of what appeared to be her going for his skin. As for Officer Spain, he's on paid administrative leave while the department investigates ... which is SOP.

TikTok's Addison Rae Backlash for Landing UFC Reporting Gig 3 Mos. of Journo School!!!

Addison Rae is either UFC's newest live event reporter, or she's trolling hard -- or perhaps both ... because she's touting what seems to be a new on-camera gig, which has got a lot of journalism student advocates pissed.

The TikTok star posted photos of herself at what seems to be a UFC event -- perhaps a teaser to Saturday's UFC 264, where McGregor and Poirier are set to face off -- but it's unclear where or for what exactly. In any event, Addison made it seem like she'd been hired.

As she posed all dolled up on the red carpet with a UFC tarp behind her, she wrote ... "I studied broadcast journalism in college for 3 whole months to prepare for this moment."

Definitely a tongue-in-cheek caption, we're sure ... or so it seems. Addison appears to be poking fun at the fact that she dropped out of LSU -- where she's said to have been studying journalism -- to pursue her social media career (which was obviously a good idea).

Although she thought it was funny ... a lot of people online didn't. Twitter users piled on top of her (digitally) for what they perceived as an unjust and unwarranted HR move on UFC's part ... assuming she's actually on their payroll. They suggested Addison was undeserving, as opposed to a journo student who slaved away for 4 years for an actual degree.

One guy wrote, "Should we hire someone who busted their butt through college, and genuinely loves UFC and is hungry for an opportunity in journalism?? Nah, let’s hire Addison Rae because she’s popular for 'throwing it back' on tik tok." Funny stuff, no doubt.

With that said, we gotta wonder ... are people are overreacting here??? Yes, while it may seem AR has little to no experience in the field, and perhaps isn't as skilled or trained as others who've studied this at the university level -- the truth is, UFC probably doesn't care.

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At the end of the day, the company is in the entertainment biz -- and if bringing Addison on as a host helps 'em get eyeballs and sell PPV purchases for their product ... they're gonna do it!!! And, besides ... a hosting job like this really doesn't take much schooling anyway. 🤷🏽‍♂️

If she was getting a desk job at the NYT or something, we'd get the outrage -- but for something as frivolous as this ... it's nothing but eye rolls for the angered would-be reporters.

Jake Paul 'Don't Go Sleepy Sleepy' Tonight, Conor!!! Trolls McGregor with $100k KO Chain

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This is even better than snatching Floyd Mayweather's cap -- Jake Paul says he dropped $100k for a chain and pendant depicting Conor McGregor out cold, and it comes with a big warning.

Jake has been hurling insults for months at the UFC legend, trying to get him to agree to a boxing match -- but on the day Conor's returning to the Octagon to fight Dustin Poirier in Vegas ... JP's decided on this big-ticket troll ... his Sleepy McGregor chain.

The piece -- which he flaunted off with its designer, Benny The Jeweler -- shows McGregor unconscious, right after Poirier's 2nd round TKO back in January.

As trolls go, this one's pretty epic.

Jake says, "McGregor you better win tonight, otherwise we're not gonna be able to fight, because if you lose your career is over. And, that $50 million offer I gave you won't be on the table anymore."

So far, Conor's largely ignored Jake's efforts to get under his skin ... except to dismiss him and his brother, Logan, as "dingbats." However, this chain might do the trick, especially if Conor sees the video.

JP taunts him one last time, saying ... "Don't go sleepy sleepy! Goodnight, McGregor."

Here's the thing ... Jake tweeted this week that  "Conor has lost 'it'" ... but, he obviously recognizes he still has something -- the keys to a HUGE payday.

Remember, Jake's basically had 2 boxing matches -- only one against a pro fighter, albeit MMA's Ben Askren -- so he knows fighting a major professional draw like Conor is the fastest way to score the most money.

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Arguably, McGregor would be more likely to accept JP's offer IF he loses tonight at UFC 264. If he wins, he'll probably be more focused on getting a UFC title shot than an exhibition boxing match ... even one that pays well.

One thing's for sure, Jake will be watching tonight ... and most likely with Sleepy McGregor around his neck.

Cold-blooded. And, hilarious.

Surfside Condo Collapse Binx the Cat Rescued, Reunited

A black cat from the 9th floor of the collapsed Miami condo apparently has 9 lives -- because it's been found alive and well ... and now, reunited with grateful family members.

Binx the cat belongs to the Gonazalez family, who reportedly lived in unit 904 of the doomed Champlain Towers South condo complex. The kitty was returned to the fam on Friday, complete with a news conference to announce the tiny sliver of good news amid the horrific tragedy.

As Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava put it, "I'm glad that this small miracle could bring some light into the lives of a hurting family today, and provide a bright spot for our whole community."

Officials say a volunteer found Binx near the destroyed building. Volunteers and animal control workers have been scouring to find any pets that might have escaped during and after the building collapse.

It's unclear if the Gonzalezes were home when the building shockingly came down early in the morning of June 24 -- but the great news is they're safe, and so is their beloved Binx.

The Mayor said it's been "16 long and extremely difficult days" for the community -- the death toll now stands at 86 -- so, they can use every bit of good news they can get.

Britney Spears Seeks New Lawyer ... To Fire Jamie, End Conservatorship

Britney Spears has just taken the first step to end her conservatorship ... TMZ has learned she's contacted a large law firm ... and assuming the firm agrees and is permitted to represent her, the first order of business will be filing legal docs asking the judge to remove her father as conservator of her estate.

Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney wants to hire powerful lawyer and former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart. Britney has signed the following document:

"Pursuant to my statement in open court on June 23, 2021, my rights, and my desire to end the above-referenced conservatorship as to my father Jamie P. Spears, it is my desire to choose and retain my own counsel, at Greenberg, Traurig, LLP as set forth above."

The document is signed "BRITNEY JEAN SPEARS"

Rosengart, a partner in the firm, has represented a number of high-profile clients over the years, including Steven Spielberg, Sean Penn, Ben and Casey Affleck, Eddie Vedder, Soledad O'Brien, Michael Mann and NBA star Jimmy Butler.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney's long-time, court-appointed lawyer in her conservatorship case, Sam Ingham, resigned earlier this week. Our sources say Ingham believed he could no longer represent Britney because, in part, of her comments in court that she was never informed until recently she could end the conservatorship. We're told Ingham and others dispute that and say Britney was told numerous times over the years -- many times on the record in court -- that she could end the conservatorship, but she always declined to do so.

Britney became increasingly upset over the years ... especially with her dad, and wanted him out both as the conservator of her person and conservator of her estate. Jamie resigned as conservator of her person but remains sole conservator of her estate.

Bessemer Trust was scheduled to become co-conservator of Britney's estate but withdrew a week ago.

Our sources say Rosengart and his team have not formally agreed to represent Britney, but if he does the mission will be to attempt to end the conservatorship, although the first step is removing Jamie.

Britney has already asked the judge to end the conservatorship without any further medical evaluation. That will be an uphill climb, because nearly 2 dozen doctors and therapists have weighed in over the years ... saying Britney has a serious mental illness that would imperil her safety if left to her own devices. The judge did not indicate whether she's receptive to bypassing a mental health exam as a pre-condition to ending the conservatorship.

The other hurdle Britney must jump -- she's in a conservatorship, so she's unable to enter into a contract without the approval of her conservator. The person who must sign off -- none other than Jamie Spears. This would explain why the first step would be to attempt to remove Jamie.

Britney is going full steam ahead ... signing documents that would allow Rosengart to represent her ... that is if he agrees and the court approves it.

Charlottesville Robert E. Lee Statue Coming Down 4 Yrs After Infamous Clash

The Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville is finally coming down ... nearly 4 years after it played a central role in sparking the violent rally where Heather Heyer was killed.

Crews started working early Saturday morning to remove the monument to the Confederate general from a city park.

The monumental event drew a crowd of spectators who cheered when the statue was finally lifted off its pedestal. The crews are expected to remove another nearby statue too -- that one of another Confederate general ... Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

Calls for the city to take down the tributes to the failed Confederacy were what ignited the "Unite the Right" rally back in 2017 ... where neo-Nazis with tiki torches walked through the University of Virginia campus chanting about white supremacy.

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That drew counter protesters and sparked the violent clash where James Fields eventually plowed through a crowd with his car, killing Heyer. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for her murder and hate crimes.

Then-President Trump infamously reacted to the deadly incident by saying there was "blame on both sides."

As the Lee statue was coming down Saturday, Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker addressed the crowd and reporters, saying ... "Taking down this statue is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America, grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gain."

It's unclear where the statues will go now. By law, the city had to accept bids from people or institutions interested in taking them. Charlottesville reportedly 10 offers and the city council will make the final call.

Drake Dating Johanna for Months Tight with Her Son, Too

Drake's been doing more than just wining and dining his new boo, Johanna Leia, at Dodger Stadium ... he's also been mentoring her basketball prodigy son for months.

Sources close to the pair tell us they first met months ago through high school basketball -- Johanna's son, Amari Bailey, is a top prospect -- and the relationship grew from there. We're told Drake and Amari hit it off, and Drake's offered the kid advice on finances, fame and life, in general.

Amari is headed to UCLA in 2022, and our sources say Drake's given him pointers on how to handle all the attention and pressure that comes with being a star player. We're told they've spent some one-on-one time, and all 3 have hung out at Drake's home.

Our sources say prior to Drake, Johanna was with NBA'er Alfonzo McKinnie -- who helped Amari build his skills on the court -- so it looks like he's more than ready for the next level.

As we reported, ABC7's chopper spotted Drake and Johanna as they had Dodger Stadium to themselves for a date night, complete with a table on the first baseline. A Dodgers source told us the whole thing was a thank you for a sizeable donation Drake made to the team's charitable foundation.

Johanna is the first woman we've seen Drake with consistently in a while, but based on the grandeur of their "night on the town" -- and the time spent with her son -- you'd have to think things are pretty serious.

Michigan Carnival Out-of-Control Ride Tipping Over ... Fairgoers to the Rescue!!!

Some Michigan fairgoers jumped into action as a packed carnival ride was seconds from tipping over -- and it's pretty clear these folks earned themselves free cotton candy and churros ... for life.

Video of the terrifying incident shows the Magic Carpet Ride in full swing Thursday night at the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. As nearly a dozen passengers yell for help, you can see the base of the ride start rocking wildly.

Nearby patrons were looking, wondering what to do ... until one of them ran over and jumped on the base. Several more people quickly followed suit, leaning in and weighing it down.

When the ride finally slowed to a stop, the crowd cheered and everyone got off safely. According to local reports, no one was injured and the ride was taken apart and scrapped by Friday morning.

The company responsible for the ride hasn't commented yet on what went wrong. Ditto for the festival organizers.

The Cherry Festival, now in its 95th year, got a visit from President Biden over the 4th of July weekend. Doesn't appear he got on the doomed Magic Carpet Ride. Ice cream cones are way safer ... and delicious.

Aly Raisman My Rescue Dog is Home Safe!!! Fled During Fireworks

Aly Raisman has something better than a gold medal to celebrate -- her beloved dog, Mylo, is safe and sound, a week after the terrified pup bolted during 4th of July fireworks.

The gold medal gymnast broke the good news Friday that 11-month-old Mylo, a rescue dog, had been found in the Boston area. She shared some smile-inducing pics of their reunion.

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In her IG post, Aly thanked the "heroes" who helped get Mylo back to her safely.

She had revealed last Saturday that Mylo had gone missing, and asked her followers in the Boston area to be on the lookout.

She wrote, "Mylo was terrified of fireworks and ran off. He has a tag on and a leash. Please let me know if you see him. Thank you."

During the week, while still holding out hope Mylo was safe, Aly offered a reward for his return.

It's unclear if anyone's claimed the reward, or exactly where Mylo was found.

Pretty obvious from her pics, though, that Aly's just thrilled to have her little guy again. Mylo's first birthday is coming up next week.

'Duck Dynasty' Star Miss Kay's Lookin' A-OK After Dog Bite

Kay Robertson's recovery's going so well following her recent dog attack, she might be back to her old self sooner than expected ... and without surgery.

The matriarch of the "Duck Dynasty" family tells TMZ ... she is looking and feeling much better after suffering the gnarly bite to the mouth from her own pup, Bobo, a few weeks ago.

As we told you ... Miss Kay's dog split her top lip and took a big chunk out of her bottom one when she snuck up on him for a goodnight kiss, startling him.

Her injuries required stitches and antibiotics, and Kay initially told us it would take about 4 weeks to heal ... and then she'd need plastic surgery for a full fix.

Kay tells us that's likely not the case now -- she's healing nicely and may only require some lip filler to be good as new.

We're told the only thing bothering her is having to eat differently because it's still painful to chew, but she hasn't let the injury slow her down. She went on a family vacation to the Alabama beaches shortly after she got bit.

As for Bobo ... Kay says he's been wonderful to everyone since the incident and isn't showing any aggression at all, almost like he knows he hurt her and is trying to make up for it.

That's a good boy, Bobo.

Stars and Scars You Be the Judge

Britney Spears is in the market for a new lawyer, Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic dreams are dashed ... and Drake's swinging for the fences with a potential new GF!!! So, we gotta ask ...

Britney Spears Hiring New Lawyer ...

Drake's Dodger Stadium Date ...

Claim Trump Said Hitler Did "Good Things" ...

Sha'Carri Richardson Accepting Punishment

Tokyo Olympics Banning Fans ...

Juvenile's "Vax That Thang Up" Remix ...

Michael Avenatti Gets 30 Months For Extortion ...

Swae Lee Declares COVID Is Over ...

Mary Carey Pulls Out of CA Governor Race ... Deck Stacked Against Me!!!

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Mary Carey's got a case of politico interruptus -- she's bailing on her latest attempt to become California's governor, and the ex-porn star's blaming the current Gov for screwing her.

Now-former candidate Carey tells TMZ ... she just didn't have enough time to get her affairs in order to officially enter the race ... something she feels was impossible because Gavin Newsom shortened the deadlines for recall candidates to complete their paperwork.

Mary says she only had 2 weeks to gather her docs -- including 5 years of tax returns -- and she says it just wasn't feasible, and she told us why she thinks Newsom wants to rush the recall election.

As we first told you ... Mary planned to hit up strip clubs across California, gathering voter signatures for her M.I.L.F. campaign, a grassroots movement short for Moderates and Independents for Liberation and Freedom.

Now that she's pulling out, Mary says the recall won't have a happy ending -- for her or Californians -- but she'll still be going to gentleman's clubs to spread her message.

Sylvester Stallone Conor Should Box Jake Paul 'Foolish' To Pass Up Money

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Sylvester Stallone says Conor McGregor would be FOOLISH to say no to a Jake Paul fight ... telling TMZ Sports the money would be INSANE!!

We talked to Stallone -- a HUGE boxing fan -- outside Cafe Roma in Beverly Hills ... and asked the 'Rocky' star whether McGregor should take the bait and fight the YouTuber turned boxing star.

"Are you kidding. With the kind of money that's going around, he'd be foolish not to. Think about it."

Of course, Conor and Jake have been verbally sparring on social media and in the media ... but when McGregor was recently asked about fighting JP, he didn't exactly say no.

"I don’t see so, but never say never," Conor said. "If they’re gonna keep competing and what not, who f***in' knows? But dingbats, the 2 of 'em."

For his part, Jake offered CM $50 million for a fight earlier this year.

But, assuming they did fight ... Conor is a former 2-division UFC champion, and Jake is relatively new to the sport (3-0) -- so, does Paul have a real shot at beating The Notorious??

"Oh yeah," Stallone says ... "[Jake's] got range, and he's got youth. And, he's not easy to knockout."

Before any Jake Paul fight, McGregor is taking on Dustin Poirier Saturday night ... and Stallone breaks down the UFC 264 main event.

Britney Spears Gloves Come Off in Conservatorship Battle ... Jodi Rips into Jamie!!!

Britney Spears has a front-row seat for a battle royale between her father and her personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, who's firing back at Jamie Spears ... claiming she's the only one moving Britney closer to her ultimate goal of freedom.

Montgomery filed docs Friday, blasting Britney's dad for attempting to lay blame at her feet for Britney's brutal testimony about her treatment under the conservatorship. In the docs, Montgomery says she's received "countless" messages about one thing -- getting her father out of her life and the conservatorship.

Jodi says, "It is ironic that Mr. Spears now wants the conservatorship to 'reflect her wishes' since it is no secret that Ms. Spears has wished her father out of her life for years."

As for Jamie implying, in a previous filing, that Jodi or others have prevented him from communicating with Britney ... Jodi's attorney writes, "Ms. Spears is the one who cut him off ... That is her choice not Ms. Montgomery's."

According to the docs, Jodi also says it's absurd for Jamie to suggest she's making decisions without him, because "everything costs money," and all the expenses go through Jamie in his role as conservator of Britney's estate.

Jodi insists she is actively working to address the concerns Britney raised during her testimony by working with her medical team to develop a "comprehensive care plan" that will create a path to ending the conservatorship.

The driving point Jodi's making is ... she's down with Britney's desire to be free of the conservatorship, but wants to do it responsibly with input from her doctors -- and she's implying Jamie is not.

In the docs, she points out Britney's father has never fully relinquished control, as he's remained either a sole or co-conservator for the last 13 years -- and she claims he's left open the possibility he'll be the last man standing to claim full control.

As we've reported, several entities have recently jumped ship -- including intended co-conservators of the estate, Bessemer Trust, Britney's attorney, Sam Ingham, and her longtime manager Larry Rudolph ... although he was not directly involved in the conservatorship.

Jodi says she's "committed to staying" so she can complete Britney's new care plan and eventually dissolve the conservatorship. Something she calls "a goal that may not necessarily be shared by Mr. Spears."

Yeah, it's a full-on war now.

'After We Collided' Star Inanna Sarkis Wrecks Tesla, Fence ... After Solo Car Crash

Looks like actress Inanna Sarkis just learned, the hard way, how much horsepower her Tesla's packing .. after seriously damaging her ride and a homeowner's fence in a solo car crash.

The "After We Collided" star smashed her white Tesla Model X into someone's front yard fence earlier this week in the San Fernando Valley. A witness tells us she was the only person in the SUV.

It's unclear what exactly caused the crash but our sources say the Model X -- which was a gift from her BF, Matthew Noszka -- barreled into the home's front yard, taking out a brick pillar and a huge chunk of the iron fence.

We're told Matthew showed up to the scene minutes after the accident and picked her up ... leaving the Tesla behind for a tow truck.

It's unclear if Inanna suffered any injuries. We haven't heard back from her camp.

Inanna became famous as a social media star from Canada, but in recent years she's had success in film and TV. She's best known for playing Molly Samuels in the 2019 Netflix film "After" ... starring Josephine Langford, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Selma Blair. She was also in the sequel, "After We Collided."

She made her big-screen debut in Tyler Perry's "Boo 2! A Madea Halloween."

Oh and, if you're curious ... Inanna's Tesla Model X peaks at 1,020 horsepower. Or it will, once it's out of the shop.