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Not everyone's ready to forgive Morgan Wallen ... the country music superstar is being blocked from the American Music Awards, even though he'll likely win a couple of the trophies.

The award show announced Thursday it's barring Morgan from attending this year's show due to that video showing him using the n-word. Reps for the show said, "As his conduct does not align with our core values, we will not be including him on the show in any capacity."

Here's the thing, though ... AMA nominees are determined purely by Billboard Chart performance, and despite the backlash against him most of the year, Morgan's album has dominated sales. That's why he's still nominated for 2 AMAs -- favorite country album and favorite male country artist.

It's unclear how producers of the award show will handle it in the likely event Morgan wins one or both categories. Remember, the winners are determined purely by fan votes ... and we know Morgan's fans have stood firm behind him all year.

Morgan has issued an apology, and did an interview with GMA back in July saying he'd been working on himself. The AMA reps say they'll "evaluate his progress in doing meaningful work as an ally to the Black community and will consider his participation in future shows."

“When I found out Derrick [Rose] tore his ACL, I remember the smells, who I was with, everything. I had the same feeling of when I saw the plane hit the tower [on Sept. 11th]. People will be like, ‘He’s crazy for saying that.’ No. I’m telling you how I felt.”

That's former NBA star Joakim Noah explaining he was so devastated when a young D-Rose suffered the serious injury, it harkened him back to the day thousands of Americans died in one of the darkest days in America's history.

36-year-old Noah -- who last played with the Clippers in 2020 -- dropped the shocking quote about his close friend during a long form conversation with ESPN.

Of course, the injury happened during the 2011-2012 NBA playoffs. The Bulls were the #1 seed in the East ... and were playing the Sixers in the 1st round of the playoffs.

Chicago won game 1, but the game was marred by the ACL tear to Rose, the leagues reigning MVP.

With only about a minute left in the game, Rose tore the ligament in his left knee.

Before the season ending injury, D-Rose was a rebound and assist away from a triple double (23 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists).

The Bulls ended up losing the series ... and although Rose -- now one of the NY Knicks' best players -- has come back since as a highly capable player, but never returned to pre-injury form.

"We really believed we were gonna win that championship," Noah says.

"That was our time. Derrick represented that much hope. Every time he stepped onto the court, we had the most special player in the world. That's a lot of hope to carry on one person."

WARNING TO CERTAIN KIDS: LEAVE YOUR TRACK SUITS AND SLIP-ON VANS AT HOME THIS HALLOWEEN!!!

Three elementary schools near Syracuse are banning "Squid Game" costumes this week, because they say it sends a message of violence to impressionable students.

The principals justify the prohibition because of what they call "the potential violent message aligned with the costume."

Parents from the 3 schools received emails saying, "We have observed some students at recess have been playing a version of [Squid Games] ... which is intended for mature audiences ages 16 and older. Due to concerns about the potential violent nature of the game, it is inappropriate for recess play or discussion at school" ... this according to WSTM, which obtained the emails.

The Superintendent of the school district, Craig Tice, told the Washington Post, "Because of this activity our principals wanted to make sure our families are aware that it would be inappropriate for any student to wear to school a Halloween costume from this show."

BTW ... "Squid Game" costumes are topping the list of Halloween getups ... at least on Insta.

Logan Paul got in a physical altercation with a man outside an L.A. hotspot late Wednesday night ... slapping a heckler upside the head after he called the YouTube superstar a "p***y."

26-year-old Logan was waiting outside Nightingale in WeHo when a bunch of autograph seekers came up to him and started asking about his rumored fight with Mike Tyson.

When LP ignored the questions, one man called him out and said, "Are you a p***y, or what??" ... before trying to walk away.

That's when Logan aggressively approached the man ... getting in his face and shoving him before smacking him in the head.

The crowd is audibly shocked ... with several people gasping and saying, "Oh s***."

Logan's friend and "Impaulsive" podcast co-host Mike Majlak jumped into action ... pushing and shoving the heckler backwards before security came in and bear-hugged the guy away.

Majlak urged Logan to go into the club, but both guys were able to calm down and even joke with each other as Paul waited for valet to bring his Polaroid camera from his car.

Of course, Logan has been facing off against much bigger and more talented competition recently ... going 8 rounds with Floyd Mayweather back in June.

What's bizarre -- Logan maintained a smile throughout the whole incident ... but it's clear the altercation was pretty tense.

Logan eventually gets reunited with his beloved camera and heads into the club ... but accidentally drops it on his way in.

Britney Spears has a new ally ... a Prince -- son of the late King of Pop.

Prince Jackson says he knows his dad Michael would have "wholeheartedly" supported Britney's move to end her 13-year-long conservatorship.

Prince appeared on Good Morning Britain Thursday and made it clear ... he believes his dad would have advocated freedom for his fellow pop star, saying he would want Britney to maintain control over her life.

As you may know -- but maybe not -- Michael and Britney were buds. They also had a professional intersection as well ... the 2 appeared together in a Madison Square Garden concert back in 2001 and sang "The Way You Make Me Feel."

And Brit introed MJ at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, saying, "So, he's my idol, the best guy in the whole world. I'm really kind of excited. I'm really nervous."

Prince hedged a bit on the #FreeBritney movement, saying, "That is a very tough question just because I don't like to put words in my father's mouth. But, knowing my father and the compassion that he had for individuals who wanted to remain in control of their own life - as it was his goal to be in control of his own life - I would think that he would be very supportive of her cause."

Cynthia Bailey says she's disappointed to hear NeNe Leakes bashing her for missing Gregg's funeral -- but says she wouldn't change how she handled his death -- cuz she and NeNe just aren't close like they used to be.

If you hadn't heard, NeNe recently blasted her former "Housewives" costar for not attending the service ... Cynthia says she was disappointed to hear the comments from NeNe, especially after she called, texted and sent flowers to the Leakes family.

Cynthia says she had a prior commitment in LA the day of the funeral, but thought she and NeNe were cool because a week later ... they had some QT at Nene's lounge to celebrate Gregg.

Cynthia says while she hasn't considered NeNe a close friend in a long time, they still have respect and love for each other -- and she's not sure what more she could have done following Gregg's death.

As we reported, Gregg died in September, surrounded by friends and family, after a long battle with cancer.

Alec Baldwin is seemingly declaring his innocence in the accident that killed Halyna Hutchins by pointing out he was told it was a "cold" gun ... when it was actually loaded with a live round.

Baldwin retweeted an article Wednesday night about the most recent search warrant filed in the death investigation. The NYT story -- headlined, "Gun Handed to Alec Baldwin Was Not Thoroughly Checked" -- focused on the documents TMZ first told you about, which highlight several safety failures.

In the affidavit filed Wednesday, Assistant Director Dave Halls admitted to cops he had not thoroughly checked the weapon for live rounds before handing it to Baldwin.

While Alec hasn't said anything publicly since his first tweet the day after Hutchins was killed, his actions on social media speak volumes, retweeting multiple articles saying he was told the weapon was safe.

Head armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, told authorities prior to the scene, and during the movie's lunch break, the gun was locked in a safe and very few people had access to it.

The question that remains ... how did live ammo not only get on set, but into the gun's chamber? We spoke with several people from the set who told us outside of filming, the gun was sometimes used for recreational use and target practice.

Both the Santa Fe Co. Sheriff's Office and District Attorney held a press conference Wednesday where they said charges are technically still on the table for everyone involved.

Halyna Hutchins is being honored in more ways than one by her Hollywood peers -- including financial help for her family, with a major A-list actress and a ton of fellow cinematographers donating.

Sarah Paulson is among the many high-profile people who've donated to a GoFundMe page set up on behalf of Hutchins' loved ones ... which is well on its way to hitting a quarter of a million dollars at this point, with a mere $10k goal to begin with.

The 'American Horror Story'/'Crime Story' star plunked down $1,000 of her own cash toward the cause a few days ago, but she's far from the only notable figure chipping in for the director of photography.

Big-name DPs have also contributed to the GFM account -- including Larry Fong ("Super 8," "Sucker Punch"), Niels Alpert ("Sleepy Hollow," "Iron Fist") and Reed Morano ("The Handmaid's Tale," "I Think We're Alone Now") ... just to name a few.

They donated $2,500, $2,500 and $1,500, respectively.

There's more these folks are doing behind the scenes too, BTW, including Sarah ... who signed and shared a Change.org petition that seeks to ban the use of real firearms on sets -- not to mention demanding better working conditions for crew members.

Gene Simmons is out with the old, and in with the VERY new after plunking down $10.5 million on a stunning modern mansion in the Hills of Beverly.

We've learned the KISS star actually got something of a deal for the 4-bed, 5-bath crib with close to 8,000 square feet of living space. The deal closed today, so Gene's personal belongings probably haven't even made it through the front door yet.

As for the home ... it's about as modern-looking as they come, with a pool complete with LED lighting, a home theater, built-in art installation and wine cellar fit to hold enough booze to get a small village wasted.

Simmons has been quite the real estate aficionado as of late ... he recently sold his long-time Beverly Hills home for $16 million and just listed his Vegas crib for $15 million.

Gene scored big on his most recent purchase, the home was first listed at $11.5 million ... so the $10.5 million Simmons paid to the former owner -- a billionaire Swiss steel magnate -- ain't too bad.

The family of the 6-year-old boy in Michigan who was shot outside their neighbors' home while retrieving his bicycle has lawyered up ... and they're dragging the neighbors to court.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Coby Daniel's father says his son is struggling to recover from the shooting, and the fam is anticipating some hefty medical bills in the future.

In his suit, Arnold Daniel claims his son is still in pain and shock from the incident, and will need to get professional help in the form of trauma counseling ... as well as psychiatric and psychological counseling.

Coby's dad says the neighbors, Ryan Le-Nguyen and Michael Inhmathong, should be liable for the damage because they knew children in the neighborhood played near their yard and had a duty to keep it safe for them ... and further claims Le-Nguyen had shown "aggressive behavior" toward the kids numerous times in the past.

As we reported ... Le-Nguyen allegedly shot young Coby in the arm after chasing him around with a sledgehammer. The neighbor was reportedly pissed Coby and a buddy left their bicycles on the sidewalk in front of his home.

Coby's dad is going after the neighbors for at least $4 million in damages.

Hollywood has never had a shortage of celebs in wild Halloween costumes ... but with thousands of looks hitting the holiday each year there is bound to be some copy/paste costumes.

Vanessa Morgan and Lele Pons have both melted eyeballs with their Maleficent attire, Cardi B and Tessa Thompson turned the world to stone as Medusa, the cast of 'Riverdale' and Tana Mongeau's friends took on 'The Powerpuff Girls' ... and we need you to settle the age-old question.

Scroll through this gallery of celebrities in costumes and vote for who you are serving up treats ... and who is left with tricks.

Colby Covington says he'll have some pretty powerful and famous guests in the building when he rematches Kamaru Usman at UFC 268 ... telling TMZ Sports he's expecting Donald Trump's kids, Don Jr., Eric and Lara Trump Octagon-side.

We talked to the 33-year-old, #1 ranked UFC welterweight ... and asked him if former President Trump or his fam would be at Madison Square Garden on November 6.

"Yes, there will be some members of the Trump family there. You know, I was just talking to Donald Trump yesterday. He was at the golf course, giving me his well wishes," Colby says.

"I know he has a big rally that day so I’m not sure if he’s gonna be able to make it, but I’m sure that I’ll have my average phone call with him after my every fight. So, I’ll be talking to him."

Of course, Colby and Donald -- a big MMA fan who's also tight with Dana White -- have been friends for a while. Covington even visited DT at the White House a few years back.

So, likely no 45 ... but Covington expects 3 of the prez's children to be there for the stacked fight card, that also features Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler and Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili.

Great fights ... but, the biggest draw is Covington vs. Usman 2, the main event.

The first fight was electric (Kamaru won via 5th round TKO) ... and fight promotion aside, these guys still HATE each other.

And, Covington has revenge on his mind ... saying he intends to take back the belt (CC was interim champ),

"It’s amazing having [the Trump family's] support. I have this energy that I get from [Donald]. I call it 'dragon energy' and I’m gonna unleash that dragon energy next weekend," Colby says.

Before this pint-sized sorceress was enchanting audiences with her powerful performances in film, she was just another costumed kid trying to give you a scare in Brooklyn, New York.

This spooky sweetie is usually not the villain of her storylines ... she's best known for playing many royal characters, one princess part even launched her career. She dreamed a dream and it led to her beautiful singing voice winning her numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Now, she's gone back to her runt roots and just recently starred in an HBO movie casting devious spells.

Nikita Dragun wants to take Dave Chappelle to school ... extending an olive branch of sorts, and offering him a chance to get an education on the transgender community.

We got the transgender influencer Wednesday at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills and asked her about Dave's controversial LGBTQ+ jokes.

Nikita says both sides need more understanding and communication ... and she says one way to achieve that is through education.

She wants to help school Dave, sitting down with the comedian and coming at him in a non-threatening way.

As you know ... Dave's jokes are rubbing lots of folks the wrong way, including trans employees at Netflix, where his controversial special, "The Closer," streams.

There was even a walkout protest at Netflix HQ ... but as we've told you, Dave's saying he is down to meet with members of the transgender community to hear them out, with a few conditions.

Kevin Hart's finally putting his old sex tape scandal totally in his rearview mirror ... now that his former friend, J.T. Jackson, has been cleared of all criminal wrongdoing in the case.

Kevin posted a video announcing the good news for Jackson, saying he couldn't speak about the case previously because the legal process was still playing out. He admits, "I'm happy that that chapter in my life is over. I'm happy that we're able to put a period on that sentence."

It's a big win for Jackson, who Kevin once believed had tried to extort him over the 2017 video recorded in a Las Vegas hotel room. Jackson had been hit with 4 charges -- attempted extortion, attempted concealing and selling stolen property, unauthorized use of personal ID and identity theft.

The first 3 had been dropped, due to insufficient evidence, back in 2019 ... and now the final charge for identity theft has gone the same way.