Rep. Greg Steube Blasts Moon Shot Home Run ... In Congressional Baseball Game

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REPUBLICAN RBI
C-SPAN

Greg Steube looked less like a politician and more like Juan Soto on Wednesday night ... hitting a towering home run in the Congressional Baseball Game that was WILD!!

Steube -- a Republican from Florida -- blasted the moonshot dinger in the third inning of the annual Democrats vs. Republicans game ... and you can see in footage of the homer, he got ALL of the ball.

Steube planted the pitch several rows into the seats in left field at Nationals Park -- clobbering the baseball more than 330 feet!!!

"That was a bonafide Major League home run right there," one of the game's announcers said on the broadcast.

In fact, the swing was so impressive, Steube got some dap from the Democrats as he rounded the bases -- and then he was mobbed by his Republican teammates when he stepped on home plate.

For his part, Steube seemed to love the tater as well -- 'cause his home run trot was long, slow, and featured a lengthy finger point to the sky!!

Steube became the first participant in the game to hit an out-of-the-park homer at D.C.'s MLB stadium since the contest was moved there in 2008.

And, in addition to his heroics at the plate ... the 43-year-old politician also pitched in the game -- and later played some stellar defense at third base, helping the Republicans win the evening, 13-12, for the first time since 2016.

Steube's probably got too much on his plate to make a run at The Show -- but it should be noted, the Nats are in danger of finishing in last place in the N.L. East this season and could use some help.

Just sayin'.

Heather McDonald Chrissy Teigen Tried to Make Me Look Bad ... I was Stating the Obvious!!!

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COME ON, CHRISSY
TMZ.com

Heather McDonald is absolutely not walking back her comment about Chrissy Teigen being hypocritical, and she's also accusing her of being a social media manipulator ... so yeah, the beef is still on.

We got the comedian outside her "Juicy Scoop" podcast studio in L.A. and gave her a chance to respond to Chrissy telling her to "f*** off" ... and Heather did not disappoint.

She tells us she didn't think twice about calling Teigen out on IG. ICYMI ... Heather accused her of "humble brags" for posting self-proclaimed unflattering photos knowing they actually look good -- until she saw Chrissy's retort the next morning.

Along with blasting Heather, Chrissy pointed out it was the anniversary of her son Jack's death, saying ... "So maybe I'm a little sensitive but f*** off."

Well, Heather alleges that was a strategic move on Chrissy's part to try to make her look bad because she says she had no idea it was the anniversary of the tragedy ... and her comment on Chrissy's post had nothing to do with it.

Translation -- Heather feels she was just pointing out the obvious about Chrissy's hypocrisy, Chrissy didn't like it, so she tried to flip the script to make people feel sorry for her.

Heather tells us she has no regrets about the comment either and offers Chrissy a tip about comedy ... one that's not likely to serve as an olive branch.

'Outer Banks' Star Madelyn Cline Dancing With Ross Butler ... Amid Chase Stokes Breakup Rumors

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DANCIN' THE NIGHT AWAY
TMZ.com

"Outer Banks" star Madelyn Cline certainly looks like she's dipping a toe in the dating waters as a single woman ... because here she is dancing with actor hunk Ross Butler.

TMZ's obtained this video of Madelyn and the "13 Reasons Why" star moving and grooving at Cera restaurant in Milan, Italy ... where they're in town for Fashion Week.

As you can see, Madelyn and Ross are vibing and getting pretty up close and personal.

Adding to the intrigue ... Ross recently posted a pic of them together on his social media, and they're both mugging for the cameras.

The late-night dancing and social media posts are pretty interesting, considering they come on the heels of rumors Madelyn is on the outs with her "Outer Banks" costar, Chase Stokes.

Madelyn's been mum on a breakup with Chase, but check out the video of her and Ross ... it will only add fuel to rumors she's moved on.

Drew Pearson Dak Prescott Is A Top-3 QB In NFL ... Better Than Brady!!!

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"HE'S BRINGING IT"
TMZSports.com

Dak Prescott is better right now than Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson AND Kyler Murray ... so says Drew Pearson -- who tells TMZ Sports the Cowboys star is a top-3 QB in the NFL.

The Dallas legend made the claim just one day after Dak carved up the Eagles on "Monday Night Football" ... saying he believes only 2 other QBs in the league are as good as Prescott is at the moment.

"Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Dak Prescott," Pearson says. "Top three quarterbacks in the league, I would say, right now."

Dak has been tremendous through the Cowboys' first 3 games of the season ... completing 77.5 percent of his passes for 878 yards, 6 TDs and just 2 INTs.

And, Drew's been wildly impressed with it all, praising the guy for his leadership as well as his ability to bounce back from a devastating ankle injury in 2020.

In fact, Pearson tells us Dak has been so good ... he already believes the Cowboys are a true Super Bowl contender.

"You didn't hear it first but you heard it from the original 88, OK?!" Pearson says. "I think they're on a roll."

Pearson did caution the Cowboys to take it "one game at a time" from here -- but, watch the clip, it ain't hard to see the guy is CLEARLY fired up about his ex-squad going forward.

Guess Who This Ballin' Baby Turned Into!

Before this ballin' baby was driving to the hoop on the NBA court, he was just another sporty sweetheart working on his game in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

This mini-man is best known for shining as an all-star athlete -- he went home with the first round pick for the NBA back in 2015 and took his team to the finals just last year. He isn't unfamiliar with being in the sports spotlight ... his father was also a professional basketball player.

Now, this talented gamer can be spotted with his famous fashion model girlfriend.

Can you guess who he is?

Britney Spears' Court Hearing Jamie Spears Suspended as Conservator ... Lawyers ask to End Conservatorship

Britney Spears won a huge victory Wednesday -- a victory she's sought for years -- because her dad has been officially removed as conservator of her estate, and it looks like the conservatorship is coming to an end.

It was a monumental day in court as Britney's lawyer, Mat Rosengart, zeroed in on Jamie Spears, saying he committed shocking abuse and mismanagement during his tenure as conservator. Rosengart was especially outraged over recent allegations Jamie engineered a scheme to secretly record Britney in her bedroom. Rosengart says there were conversations between Britney and her kids that were captured and he called it "unfathomable."

Jamie tried arguing the conservatorship should end today, but Rosengart begged to differ. The attorney wants to hold Jamie accountable for possible misappropriation of assets, among other things, and he wants the conservatorship in place until he can investigate.

The judge agreed with Rosengart and suspended Jamie. She also ordered Jamie to turn over all the books and records during his time as conservator so Rosengart can pour through them.

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WHAT'S NEXT
TMZ.com

Our producer asked Rosengart on the way out of court if Britney would sue her dad if there's evidence of misappropriation of assets or other misdeeds. Rosengart jumped on the question and said Britney would absolutely sue.

As for ending the conservatorship ... the judge set a hearing for November 12. It's very possible the conservatorship will be terminated on that day. Significantly, there was no talk in court about a mental evaluation as a condition to ending the conservatorship. Fact is ... all parties, including Jamie, have advocated for terminating the conservatorship without a mental evaluation, so it seems things are headed in that direction.

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CHEERS OF JOY
TMZ.com

In the meantime, a new conservator of Britney's estate has been appointed on a temporary basis. His name is John Zabel, a CPA handpicked by Rosengart.

For Britney's part, she's over the moon, posting on social media she's on cloud 9.

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GIVE HER, HER FREEDOM
TMZ.com

We interviewed a psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Sophy, on "TMZ Live" Tuesday -- he's handled numerous court cases involving celebrities and has been involved in a number of conservatorship cases -- and he suggested the judge should terminate the conservatorship with one string attached. Britney and her doctors should come back to court in 6 months so the judge could make sure she's taking her meds. That's his suggestion, but it seems everyone is headed in the direction of just ending it.

Britney will have a safety net in fiance Sam Asghari and her current personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery. BTW, Jodi has said she will stay on even if the conservatorship ends, and Britney is agreeable.

All in all, it was a huge day for Britney, Rosengart and Co.

Originally Published -- 2:17 PM PT

The TMZ Podcast Britney Wins Big, Jamie Falls Hard!!!

As they say, it's the thrill of victory for Britney Spears -- but the agony of defeat for her father, Jamie Spears, is potentially just beginning, and we're explaining why on the new TMZ Podcast.

Just moments after Britney's conservatorship hearing ended, we got the team together for the inaugural episode of the pod. There's a lot to break down from Wednesday's hearing, and even more to discuss about what happens next.

As you know, the judge suspended Jamie from his gig as conservator of Britney's estate, and now Britney's lawyer is vowing to investigate him for alleged misappropriation and other conservatorship abuses.

We'll tell you why there could be some very real consequences for Jamie. Also, as you'd expect, Britney's already celebrating her big win as only Britney can. Ditto for the throngs of #FreeBritney supporters who were outside the courthouse.

Speaking of which -- looks like there's a #FreeBritney convert among us.

Make sure you follow the TMZ Podcast on Apple, Spotify or Google podcasts ... or wherever you get your pods. We're just getting started.

'The Masked Singer' Wild Card is a Major Hollywood Player Calls in A-List Favors for Last-Minute Performance

The upcoming wild card on "The Masked Singer" had a wild ride leading up to their performance ... and we've learned this celeb is a major player in Hollywood.

Production sources tell TMZ ... next week's wild card contestant was cast just 24 hours before their first performance on the hit FOX show. The problem -- there were no costumes, no song choices ... nothing was in place for the performance.

Our sources say the celeb was at home making dinner Sunday when the call came in from "Masked Singer" honchos, and the celeb immediately dialed up costumers, stage producers, clue producers and more to get ready to be on set the next day.

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BACKSTAGE AT "THE MASKED SINGER"
Fox

It's pretty wild ... this secret star even had to call friends to help clear songs for the show in a very timely manner ... and the celeb had to learn the songs ... and fast!!!

We're told there's no question ... this celeb had a ton of pull in the industry to move mountains, so if you're guessing who it might be ... 86 C-listers and below, and maybe even B-listers.

Stay tuned!!!

Singer Kelly Price No Longer Listed As Missing Person ... After 'Disappearance'

Kelly Price is no longer listed as a missing person with the National Crime Information Center ... this after her attorney met with law enforcement in Georgia.

Police in Cobb County tell TMZ ... Kelly met with investigators this week and she has been removed from the missing person list at NCIC.

Kelly's attorney, Monica Ewing, says cops also conducted a welfare and safety check, as is required in missing persons' cases, and authorities were instructed to remove her from the National Missing Persons Registry.

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HERE'S WHAT WE DO NOW...
TMZ.com

TMZ broke the story ... Kelly finally addressed going MIA from her family and says while at one point in her battle with COVID she was medically dead, she was never actually missing, despite family members insisting she vanished without a trace.

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I GOT THE BUG
@mskellyprice / Instagram

The way Kelly explained it ... she isolated to recover from the virus and was avoiding her family, who she claims she doesn't really keep in touch with.

Kelly's attorney, Monica Ewing, insisted to us Price was not missing last week and was safe, despite Kelly's family calling cops to conduct a welfare check at her home earlier this month, which resulted in Kelly being listed as a missing person.

Now, the case is closed.

BLINK-182'S MARK HOPPUS I'm Cancer Free!!!

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus just got some great news on his battle with cancer ... his oncologist told him he's cancer free!!!

Mark says he just got done with his doctor's visit Wednesday, and the positive prognosis has him feeling blessed.

Hoppus adds ... "Thank you God and universe and friends and family and everyone who sent support and kindness and love."

Mark says he still has to get cancer screenings every 6 months and it will take him until the end of the year to "get back to normal" ... but he says the doc's news is amazing.

As we reported ... Mark revealed back in June he had been quietly battling cancer and vowed to remain hopeful and positive despite being scared about undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma.

Hopefully, for Mark, the cancer is gone for good.

Stay tuned ...

Britney Spears Conservatorship Battle Begins in Court ... Huge Hearing Underway

Britney Spears' potentially game-changing day in court is about to begin with her conservatorship hanging in the balance, and the environment -- inside and outside court -- is dramatic.

As you know, Wednesday's hearing is the most highly anticipated one since Britney testified in June during a previous hearing, in which she made shocking allegations and clearly stated she wanted to end the conservatorship after 13 years ... and possibly even sue her family.

Though Britney is not present in court today, her parents -- Jamie and Lynne Spears -- will be appearing via Zoom, along with Britney's attorney, Mathew Rosengart.

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TAKING TO THE STREETS
TMZ.com

Wednesday's hearing for arguments on ending the conservatorship was originally set for January 28 but got moved up to today -- and while no one is expected to object to dismantling it ... it's still unlikely the judge will end the conservatorship today.

Instead, the judge could order another mental evaluation for Britney, or possibly order mediation where all the parties get together and come up with a plan on how to transition from the conservatorship.

Along with all that ... the hearing will likely address the removal or suspension of Jamie, fees for Jamie and his lawyers, and various accounting issues. So, get ready for a long one.

As we've reported ... ever since Britney spoke in court in June, a LOT has gone down -- both with the case and in Britney's personal life.

Following a quick Hawaiian getaway with her then-boyfriend, Sam Asghari, after her court testimony ... Britney began taking legal action to choose her own lawyer (her previous one, Sam Ingham, resigned) and remove her father as conservator of her estate.

Britney eventually hired Rosengart, who quickly went to work in ousting Jamie ... before Britney's dad seemingly agreed to step down in legal docs he filed in mid-August.

Things have gotten more complicated since then, however. After Britney formally asked to end her conservatorship last week, new allegations dropped in the NYT documentary, "Controlling Britney Spears," in which Jamie's accused of recording her bedroom conversations.

Then, on Monday, Jamie asked the judge not to forcefully remove him as conservator, but instead consider dissolving the conservatorship entirely.

The judge is expected to address some, if not all, of these issues Wednesday in court ... so get ready. You know the #FreeBritney crowd will be there ... as they've already gathered outside the courthouse to support their queen.

Meanwhile, as all of the legal issues have been unfolding, Britney's music manager resigned and claimed she's retired from performing ... and Britney and Sam got engaged.

Oh, and by the way ... TMZ has launched a podcast. Stay tuned for a new episode after the hearing breaking down everything that happened in court.

Gabby Petito Murder Dog the Bounty Hunter Says ... He's Closing in on Brian Laundrie

UPDATE

2:42 PM PT -- Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... Dog's still on the hunt for Brian, on a remote island with his team. However, we're told the terrain there is rugged and is slowing the speed of the search a bit, but the plan is to continue into the night and spread out to other nearby islands if need be.

Dog the Bounty Hunter has only been on the Brian Laundrie case for a few days, but TMZ has learned he now says Laundrie is alive, and Dog feels he's close to capturing him.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Dog is rolling to a remote site where he says Laundrie is hiding. Dog says he'll be at the site in less than an hour. We're told Dog had obtained information that leads him to believe Laundrie was alive and moving around as of 10 PM on Tuesday.

Dog says his latest information -- 12 hours old -- is that Laundrie is alive and evading capture.

Dog is working with a team that includes skilled ground and boat crews.

Obviously, we cannot confirm Laundrie's location or whether he's even alive, but we're reporting what Dog is saying. We will obviously update once Dog gets to the location.

Originally Published -- 9:29 AM PT

Brian Laundrie Feds Investigating Burner Phone Purchase On Day He Went Missing

UPDATE

11:44 AM PT -- According to the Laundries' family attorney, Steven Bertolino ... they did purchase a new phone, and he believes it's the one Brian left behind at home and the FBI is already in possession of it.

The feds are on the hunt for a burner phone Brian Laundrie allegedly purchased the day he went missing ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the manhunt for Laundrie tell TMZ ... FBI agents recently visited an AT&T store in North Port, FL -- where Laundrie's parents live -- and seized surveillance footage.

We're told Brian allegedly went to the store September 14 with an older woman and purchased the phone before they left.

The timing is significant because Sept. 14 is the date Laundrie's parents claim they last saw him leaving their home. They say he had his backpack and was going to a nearby nature reserve, but never returned. They reported him missing Sept. 17.

We reached out to the North Port AT&T store, where an employee told us she could not confirm or deny Brian was there Sept. 14 and said she was told not to discuss the matter. We also reached out to AT&T corporate, and they told us, "Thanks for contacting us.  I have to refer you to law enforcement on this one."

We've reached out to law enforcement ... again, they would not confirm or deny.

We broke the story ... Dog the Bounty Hunter claims he knows Laundrie is still alive and says he's closing in on him.

Originally Published -- 10:39 AM PT

Tommy Kirk 'Old Yeller' Star Dead at 79

Tommy Kirk -- best known for playing the kid role of Travis Coates in the 1957 Disney classic "Old Yeller" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Tommy's neighbor found him dead in his Las Vegas home around 8 PM on Tuesday. No foul play is suspected.

Tommy was a teenager when he got his big break in "Old Yeller" ... the story about a boy and his heroic dog. He was Disney's go-to kid actor to fill that All-American persona ... leading to roles in other Disney films, including "The Shaggy Dog, "Swiss Family Robinson" and "The Misadventures of Merlin Jones."

He was discovered in 1954 as a 13-year-old while performing opposite Will Rogers Jr. for the play "Ah, Wilderness!" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Legend has it, Tommy had auditioned for a role nobody else bothered to audition for, so he got it. He had only 5 lines in the play but it was enough for a talent agent to sign him and cast him in an episode of "TV Reader's Digest."

Tommy ultimately ended up getting cast in "The Mickey Mouse Club" ... and appeared in several other TV shows. But, there's no doubt his role in "Old Yeller" shot him to stardom.

But, his time with Disney didn't come without controversy. According to some reports ... Walt Disney personally fired Tommy in 1964 because the 21-year-old was gay.

Tommy once said, "When I was about 17 or 18 years old, I finally admitted to myself that I wasn’t going to change. I didn’t know what the consequences would be, but I had the definite feeling that it was going to wreck my Disney career and maybe my whole acting career. It was all going to come to an end."

He added, "Eventually, I became involved with somebody and I was fired." Tommy was still cast in films after that, but he admitted they were some of the worst movies he ever made.

Despite the Disney fallout ... Tommy was inducted as a Disney Legend in 2006.

He was 79.

RIP

Kevin Smith 'Jersey Girl' Test Audiences Hated Bennifer ... How Times Have Changed!!!

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THE RETURN OF BENNIFER
TMZ.com

Kevin Smith says people were so sick of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez back in 2004 that her role in "Jersey Girl" got cut in half, but now everyone's loving the reboot ... Bennifer 2.0 that is.

No, there's no "Jersey Girl" sequel in the works, but the film's director joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday and revealed just how much the public's feelings for Ben and Jen have changed since their first go-round.

Kevin tells us after Bennifer's "Gigli" notoriously flopped, the outlook for his movie was suddenly no-so-good. So, executive producer Harvey Weinstein -- hey, we told you times have changed -- wanted to chop as much of J Lo out of "Jersey Girl" as possible.

According to Kevin ... Weinstein justified that because test audiences -- even one in New Jersey -- made it clear they were sick of seeing 2004's version of Bennifer in the news all the time.

Flash-forward to present day ... folks seem to be loving the fact Lopez and Affleck have rekindled their old flame, and you'd have to believe a movie starring them would sell tickets.

On the other hand, Kevin points out how things can unexpectedly change ... with an anecdote about Ben and Jen's canceled engagement and wedding.

He just dropped, "Kevin Smith's Secret Stash: The Definitive Visual History" ... an awesome book filled with inside stories from all of his movies. We get into a lot of them with Kevin on Wednesday's episode of "TMZ Live."

Folgers Coffee Buy 'Best Part Of Wakin' Up' Jingle ... Royalties Up For Sale!!!

The famous Folgers coffee jingle, "The best part of wakin' up is Folgers in your cup" is up for grabs ... the royalties for a piece of coffee history are on the auction block.

The bidding started this week at $63,000 and we're told there have already been 16 bids, with the auction entering its final stages at the Royalty Exchange.

The auction house says the Folgers jingle royalties for the past 12 months paid $11,747 and since 2011 the song's earned a total of $38,164 ... with more than half, about $20k, coming in the past 2 years ... so it's a long-term investment.

The winning bidder will own the songwriter's share of public performance royalties ... and get paid any time the song is used in commercials, on TV, in movies, on traditional and satellite radio, plus internet streaming.

The current bid stands at $70,700 and bids are in increments of $550 ... and the auction ends Thursday at 5 PM ET ... so it's coming down to the wire!!!

Oh and it's national coffee day too ... see, Folgers knows how to market.