Kyle Kuzma Rips Cavs Fans 'Without LeBron, CLE Wouldn't Be 💩'

Kyle Kuzma stabbed Cavs fans in the heart with a game-winning shot on Wednesday ... and then twisted the knife with his postgame comments, saying, "Without LeBron (James), Cleveland wouldn't be s***."

Kuz's trey with just over 10 seconds left in the 4th quarter helped secure the 97-94 win over the Wine & Gold ... and after the game, he blamed Cavs fans for motivating him to knock down the shot in the clutch.

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SH**TY SHOTS
Washington Wizards

"I was just ready, I was ready for it," Kuz told reporters. "Plus, there was some hecklers during the game, talking to me. It was their fault, really. It was their fault."

Kuz -- who won a championship with the Lakers in 2020 -- points out a few fans in particular who had a sign that read, "LeBron won Kuzma his ring" ... and he didn't hold back when addressing them directly.

"I said, 'Without LeBron, Cleveland wouldn't be s***' ... so, they chose violence and I just kept going. So, thank you guys, I appreciate it."

In fact, Kuz rubbed it in fans' faces after the W ... taking a Sharpie and autographing the sign that inspired him to nail the dagger at the end of the game.

Of course, it's no secret the Cleveland Cavaliers organization owes everything to LeBron for ending the city's 52-year drought ... but considering Kuz averaged 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.5 assists in the Finals for the Lakers, let's not pretend he doesn't also owe a ton to the King.

Aside from the jab, the Cavs seem to be showing promise for the first time in a post-Bron era -- they're currently 7-5 with guys like Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and even Ricky Rubio balling out so far this season.

Enjoy the win now, Kuz ... but ya might regret it down the road if these two teams face off in the playoffs. 🤷‍♂️

Meghan and Harry All Dressed Up for NYC Gala

Meghan and Harry got all gussied up Wednesday night to attend a splashy NYC event.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex put on their best duds for the "Salute to Freedom" gala that went down at the Intrepid Museum.

It's a duel event ... honoring the military the day before Veterans Day and Britain's Armistice Day.

Meghan definitely made a statement with her red Carolina Herrera dress and some pretty bold stilettos. They were definitely head-turners.

It's interesting ... Harry wore his military star -- it's called KCVO ... Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. Harry has disavowed his royal status, but his military service is a whole different thing. He was happiest during his time in the Royal Family when he served in Afghanistan.

Meghan wore a Cartier diamond tennis bracelet that was previously worn by Princess Diana.

Meghan drew fire recently for lobbying members of the United States Senate on the Paid Family Leave provision of the Build Back Better legislation using her title, Duchess of Sussex, as a calling card.

Marc Anthony Assists On Couple's Engagement ... Proposal On Stage!!!

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POPPING THE QUESTION
YouTube/Denis Leborgne

Marc Anthony was the MVP of a wedding proposal that went down at one of his concerts ... and we've got it all on video!!!

As you can see, Marc stopped the show and brought the couple up on stage ... and the guy drops to one knee and busts out the ring. The girl says yes and they kiss, as the crowd goes wild and Marc raises his hands in the air.

The man who popped the question, Denis Leborgne, tells TMZ ... Marc is his fiancée's favorite singer and she'd never seen him perform live in concert, so he reached out to Marc's production team, Magnus Media, 14 months ago to set up a big proposal.

Denis says the plans were delayed by the pandemic, but once the world opened up and Marc started touring again, he targeted the Nov. 5 show in Estero, FL.

Marc's production team broke down the plan with Denis the day before the show -- MA would point to him in the crowd, at which point he would propose, but Marc went the extra mile.

Denis says when he and his then-girlfriend, Liz, arrived, they were whisked into the VIP section and she was in shock. When the big moment came, Marc didn't just spotlight them in the crowd ... he invited them up on stage in front of everyone!!!

Marc caught everyone off guard -- you can see in the video, the couple has a little bit of stage fright. Denis says his fiancé was so nervous in front of Marc she told him the name of her nationality instead of her name.

At the end of the show, Denis says Marc told them God bless and put his fingers in the shape of a cross ... capping off a night they will never forget.

Congrats!!!

Andy Dick Busted for Brawl with BF ... Alleged Booze Bottle to Dome!!!

Andy Dick's got a new arrest, and probably an ex-boyfriend ... after cops say he smacked the guy upside the head with a liquor bottle, leaving a deep cut.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... police responded Monday to Andy's home in the L.A. area, where he and his partner got into an argument that escalated, and allegedly got physical.

When cops arrived they saw enough evidence to arrest Andy for felony domestic battery. He was back on the streets about 3 hours later ... once he posted $50,000 bond.

Our sources say this is the 2nd time in 2 months police went to Andy's place for alleged domestic issues -- he was also busted in October when he allegedly weaponized a frying pan! Cops say he hit his BF in the face with it.

The troubled comedian's legal troubles are well documented. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail for a 2019 sexual battery -- squeezing a random woman's butt on the street.

He's had a couple of run-ins with Uber drivers ... one accused Dick of grabbing his crotch in 2018, and that led to a misdemeanor sexual battery charge.

Andy Dick got his ass handed to him after allegedly picking a fight with a an Uber Eats delivery man ... and adding insult to injury, he's now a suspect in a battery investigation.
dick move
TMZ.com

And, in October 2019, there was this bizarre street fight with an Uber Eats delivery driver. Video showed Andy getting his ass handed to him ... as the driver slammed him to the ground.

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WHAT DID I DO WRONG?
TMZ.com

And, who can forget Andy notoriously threatening to grope and lick one of TMZ's photogs back in November 2017.

We reached out to Andy's reps, who declined comment.

Guess Who This Gorgeous Girl Turned Into!

Before this smiling sweetheart was bringing the funny to audiences everywhere, she was just another dolled-up darling growing up in Inglewood, California.

This beautiful baby made her mark on the scene with her hilarious stand-up material and her kooky characters on television. With a passion for activism, this well-versed comedian has always been known to speak her mind ... which is why she has also been a great addition as one of the co-hosts on "The Real."

Also, as the final episodes air this month, you can spot this actress in an HBO show set in her hometown.

Can you guess who she is?

Astroworld Festival Cops Oblivious to Dead Bodies in Crowd ... Nearly Half an Hour After Calamity Unfolded

UPDATE

7:42 PM PT -- Travis' legal rep, Ed McPherson, is pointing out the inconsistencies from HPD and the city, telling TMZ, "There has been multiple finger-pointing, much of which has been by city officials, who have sent inconsistent messages and have backtracked from original statements."

UPDATE

He continues, "Houston Police Chief Troy Finner was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “You cannot just close when you got 50,000 and over 50,000 individuals. We have to worry about rioting, riots, when you have a group that’s that young.” Yet, just a short time later, Chief Finner states the responsibility to stop the show falls on Travis."

UPDATE
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POLICE PRESENCE
Adekunle Adetomiwa/@Kun.Lens
UPDATE

7:42 PM PT -- McPherson says, "It was reported that the Operations Plan designated that only the festival director and executive producers have authority to stop the show, neither of which is part of Travis’s crew.  This also runs afoul of HPD’s own previous actions when it shut down the power and sound at this very festival when the performance ran over 5 minutes back in 2019."

UPDATE

He finishes, "Investigations should start proceeding over fingerpointing so that together, we can identify exactly what transpired and how we can prevent anything like this from happening again.”

Members of the Houston Police Department calmly pulled out their cellphones and recorded Travis Scott's performance at the Astroworld festival ... nearly a half hour after it was declared a mass casualty event.

It's significant footage because it looks like cops were unaware of the dire situation behind them, and if they didn't know ... how would Travis?

The Fire Chief called the calamity a "mass casualty event" at 9:38 PM. Now check out the photo (above) of cops shooting cellphone video -- the time stamp shows it was snapped at 9:57 PM ... 19 minutes later.

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REMAINING CALM
TMZ.com

As for the video -- obtained by TMZ -- it was shot at 10:02 PM, a full 25 minutes after the mass casualty declaration. Again, cops are strolling past the stage, completely oblivious to the carnage behind them.

It's hard to imagine the officers knew what was going on in the crowd. It seems they're in the dark, perhaps because of the noise and general commotion associated with Travis Scott concerts. This seems to buttress Travis' contention he too had no idea this was a mass casualty event.

As we reported, there were people in the crowd begging for someone to stop the show ... some even flat out telling camera operators there were dead people in the crowd. That message seemed to have escaped the officers in the front, and possibly Travis as well.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

At one point, Travis did see a fan in distress and stopped performing to get them assistance. However, in another instance, he spotted an ambulance weaving through fans, pointed it out, and then got back on with the show.

'The Masked Singer' Pepper's Dodging Dinner Plans ... With Pal Nicole Scherzinger

There's a reason Nicole Scherzinger can't lock down a dinner date with one of her famous friends ... the celeb is IN the singing competition reality show Nicole is judging!!!

Production sources tell TMZ ... the star inside the Pepper costume on "The Masked Singer" is friends with Nicole in real life, but the panelist obviously has no idea her pal is behind the mask.

We're told Nicole's texted this friend to make some dinner plans, and the celeb has gone to great lengths to keep their identity hidden ... first ignoring the texts and then having a buddy text Nicole from Pepper's phone while Pepper was performing on the FOX show ... making up an excuse about being out of town.

Sounds like an ingenious way to try and throw Nicole off the scent ... so, props to Pepper.

Our sources also say Pepper is hard at work coming up with more alibis to stave off Nicole ... at least until their identity is revealed on the show.

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SPICING IT UP
TMZ.com

Remember ... Pepper is a Hollywood power player with a Rolodex of celebrity friends, which now includes Nicole and possibly Bob Dylan, and they put together their costume and performance in under 24 hours.

And, get this ... we've got some more insight on the "Take It Off Buzzer" ... it's going to be activated AGAIN!!!

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BACKSTAGE AT "THE MASKED SINGER"
Fox

Ken Jeong may not have guessed Pepper’s identity tonight after being the first panelist to hit this season's newest twist: the "Take It Off Buzzer" ... but, TMZ can confirm that the buzzer WILL be pressed AGAIN next week.

We're hearing this decision could be the game-changing move that solidifies the panelist running for the Golden Ear trophy and might make a singer unmask on the spot!!!

'The Young and the Restless' Jerry Douglas Dead at 88

Soap actor Jerry Douglas, famous for his decades of work in "The Young and the Restless," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Jerry died Tuesday after a brief illness ... according to his family.

JD logged nearly 900 episodes on 'Young & Restless' dating back decades ... he was the third actor to play John Abbott, presiding over the Abbott Mansion and Jabot Cosmetics for 25 years until the fan-favorite character was killed off in 2006.

He appeared in tons of other big TV shows over the years, including ... "Cold Case," "Melrose Place," "Arrested Development," "Mission: Impossible," "The Incredible Hulk" and "The F.B.I."  ... just to name a few.

Jerry also worked on the big screen, with roles in movies like "JFK, "Good Guys Wear Black," "Avalanche," "Mommie Dearest," "Head Over Spurs in Love" and "The Godson."

He also acted in theater productions and sang.

Douglas was 88 and recently celebrated his birthday early with a bunch of his former castmates from 'Young & Restless.'

He's survived by his wife of 36 years, Kym Douglas, his sons, Jod and Hunter, and his daughter, Avra.

RIP

Teyana Taylor Astroworld Was a Tragedy ... Safety is On Artists and Venues

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SAFETY IS KEY
TMZ.com

Teyana Taylor is defending Travis Scott for not stopping his Astroworld show as people in the audience were in peril, because she says crowd safety falls on more than just the artist.

We got Teyana Wednesday at LAX, and our photog asked about her stopping shows when she notices folks having a tough time in the crowd, and if Travis should have done the same at Astroworld.

Just this week, Teyana took time out on her own stage to make sure a fan was okay, but she tells us that wasn't in response to what unfolded at Travis' show.

She's also pushing back on the narrative Travis never looks out for his fans ... saying there are just as many videos of him stopping shows when things get out of hand as there are clips of him encouraging fans to go wild.

The way Teyana sees it ... the artist alone can't be responsible for the safety of everyone in the crowd -- especially at shows as big as Travis' -- and it's also up to the venue staff and security to keep things from getting out of hand.

Some folks think Travis saw what was unfolding at Astroworld and just kept doing his thing, but Teyana isn't so sure that's what really happened.

Bottom line for Teyana ... it's unrealistic to expect artists to be some sort of all-seeing eye when they're performing on stage.

Henry Ruggs Crash 911 Callers Distraught 'All I See Is Flames'

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"ALL I SEE IS FLAMES"
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police

TMZ Sports has obtained multiple 911 calls made moments after Henry Ruggs allegedly caused a fatal car crash ... with one witness telling an operator she believed a person was trapped in the burning truck.

A female caller who said she lives near the scene of the accident claimed she was in bed when she heard the crash, and when she looked at the crash site, all she saw were flames.

"It's almost all gone," she said of the fire-engulfed vehicle, continuing, "and I think someone is in it."

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THE AFTERMATH
TMZSports.com

The woman is clearly panicked ... and pleading with the 911 operator to get help to the scene.

The woman also said she heard what she described as "kids just yelling for help."

But, she said the flames were so high "you can't get near it."

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"I HEARD LOUD REVVING"
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police

In the second call, a man, who heard, but didn't see the crash, told authorities, "I want to say the [Corvette] was probably speeding. I mean, I heard loud revving, loud noises, and then a big collision."

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TRAVELING 156 MPH
TMZSports.com

The man horrifyingly said he also thought he heard yelping coming from a dog inside of the burning vehicle.

Of course, in addition to 23-year-old Tina Tintor dying in the wreck, her golden retriever, Max, also perished.

The second caller also speculated that he suspected Ruggs and his GF were under the influence ... though he didn't elaborate why he suspected they were impaired.

As we previously reported, 22-year-old Ruggs was hit with 5 charges including 4 felonies for his role in the crash.

On Wednesday, prosecutors said the NFL star could face over 50 years behind bars if convicted on all counts.

'Rust' Tragedy Armorer's Lawyer says ... Sabotage Designed to Frame Hannah

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- the armorer for "Rust" -- is doubling down, claiming she was targeted for sabotage and she thinks she's now being framed ... this according to her lawyer.

Gutierrez-Reed's attorney Jason Bowles tells TMZ ... "We are convinced that this was sabotage and Hannah is being framed." This is a step beyond what Bowles said earlier in the week ... he alleged sabotage, but didn't say it was targeted at his client.

But, Bowles wasn't done ... he added, "We believe that the scene was tampered with as well before the police arrived."

It's interesting ... this comes hours after the D.A. scoffed at the sabotage claim, saying no such evidence has surfaced.

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UNLIKELY OUTCOME
ABC News/Good Morning America

Hannah's lawyer says his client met with Santa Fe County Deputy Sherriff's Tuesday, providing a full interview and continuing to cooperate.

Her legal team says more info keeps coming out that the D.A. needs to investigate, and they want the D.A. and FBI to get to the bottom of what happened with the live rounds they claim ended up in the "dummies" box.

Of course, there's another explanation ... that someone was target practicing during the lunch break and failed to take the live ammo out of the chamber.

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SOMETHING IS OFF
NBC

Hannah's attorneys first floated the sabotage theory earlier this month on the "Today" show.

Mac Miller 2nd Man Pleads Guilty ... Provided Fentanyl-Laced Pills

A second supplier in the Mac Miller overdose case is admitting wrongdoing ... copping a plea with the feds that could see him do serious time.

38-year-old Ryan Reavis pled guilty this week to a single count of distributing fentanyl. He faces up to 20 years behind bars and a lifetime of supervised release -- but it's likely he'll receive a lesser sentence for accepting the plea deal.

Cops had busted Reavis in Arizona, so it wasn't entirely clear how he was connected to Mac's death -- but now we know, according to feds, Reavis was in L.A. around the time the fatal pills were procured for Mac.

Prosecutors say he ended up giving the fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills to MM's alleged drug dealer, Cameron Pettit ... on orders from Stephen Walter, who also recently pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl.

As we reported ... when cops busted Reavis in 2019, their charging docs noted officers found a doctor's prescription pad at his home.

In the chain of people we know who've been arrested in connection to Mac's death ... the alleged supplier and now the alleged runner have pled guilty.

Only Pettit, the alleged dealer, remains ... and his case is still pending.

Aaron Rodgers Clowned By 'Star Wars' Mark Hamill ... Even Luke Skywalker's Embarrassed!!!

Aaron Rodgers just took a lightsaber to the gut ... 'cause Luke Skywalker himself is shaking his head at the NFL QB for rockin' "Star Wars" gear during his most recent controversial COVID talk.

Mark Hamill -- who played the famous Jedi in the iconic movie series -- just sent out the roast of the Packers star on social media ... doggin' the signal-caller for his wardrobe choice on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week.

"Of all the sweatshirts he could have worn," Hamill said of Rodgers' 'The Rise Of Skywalker' hoodie, "he had to take full responsibility in THAT one?"

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STICKING TO WHAT I KNOW
The Pat McAfee Show

Hamill added a weary-face emoji for emphasis -- clearly showing he doesn't approve of Rodgers' personal stance on the jab and the way he's gone about expressing it publicly.

Rodgers apologized for misleading people when saying he was "immunized" ... but also said he was standing by his previous comments against getting vaxxed.

Of course, the dig has got to hurt Rodgers -- 'cause the 37-year-old is a HUGE "Star Wars" nerd.

He's dressed up on more than one occasion in "Star Wars" garb ... even famously wearing an Obi-Wan Kenobi 'fit with his ex-GF Olivia Munn for a premiere of 'The Force Awakens' in 2015.

In fact, Rodgers even shouted out the Ewoks while he was guest-hosting "Jeopardy!" this past year ... and he was spotted geeking out at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge with Shailene Woodley in Florida in April.

Needless to say, may the force be with Rodgers when he gets wind of Hamill's comments.

Astroworld Festival HPD Chief: Production, Artist Had Ultimate Authority to End Show

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THEY KNEW THE SITUATION
Houston Police Department
UPDATE

3:07 PM PT -- HPD just put out a statement claiming that once CPR started on a concertgoer is when cops told "personnel in charge of the event to shut down the performance." They do not specify what time that happened, or if event organizers obliged.

UPDATE

2:04 PM PT -- Houston PD's Chief of Police just gave an update on where things stand with the Astroworld Festival investigation -- and he made 2 things very clear ... his agency apparently DID communicate something was seriously amiss to production during the show, and that he believes Travis Scott and his team were ultimately responsible for pulling the plug.

UPDATE

Chief Finner did not get into too many specifics, citing the need for the investigation to play out -- but he did clarify that HPD, which was on the scene by the hundreds, relayed to at least one production member that CPR was being rendered ... this while Travis performed.

UPDATE

He did not explain at what point this happened, though ... and frankly, stayed away from timelines in general -- noting times were becoming key in the investigation, as he described them as "shifting." Still, he made sure to note ... a message and/or an alert was relayed.

UPDATE

While Chief Finner tried to refrain from pointing fingers, he did appear to point the ultimate one at Travis and his team ... saying they had final say on when to shut things down. A few other notes ... Finner says there is no truth to the needle injecting theory, as the security guard who that purportedly happened to had a different story when they found him anew.

UPDATE

As for why the FBI is involved, Finner said he often partners with their local federal partners -- but insisted HPD was still heading up this case, and that that wouldn't change.

UPDATE

12:59 PM PT -- Houston PD is having a press conference to talk about their investigation into the festival at 1:30 PM PT. We'll be streaming on the site.

A victim in the Astroworld calamity has been declared brain dead.

22-year-old Bharti Shahani has been hospitalized since Friday's concert, clinging to life on a ventilator, but it appears Shahani will become the 9th fatality in the tragedy.

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CONCERT CHAOS
TMZ.com

The Texas A&M senior, her sister and her cousin were at the concert but got separated during the surge. Namrata, her sister, was okay, but Bharti was in dire shape. She was rushed to a nearby hospital by ambulance and received CPR on the ride there. She reportedly suffered multiple heart attacks during and after the crush.

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NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD
TMZ.com

The family is meeting with doctors to determine next steps. It's unclear if Shahani is still on a ventilator.

8 people have already been confirmed dead, and many others are still in the hospital suffering serious, and life-threatening, injuries. As we reported, 9-year-old Ezra Blount is currently in a medically-induced coma after becoming a victim of the stampede.

As we reported, new lawsuits are being filed by the day. With 8 dead and counting, along with hundreds of injured, the amount of damages on the line is staggering.

Originally Published -- 6:33 AM PT

Astroworld Fest 2021 Live Nation Sought to Protect Itself from Lawsuits ... But there's a Catch

Scores of lawsuits are sure to be filed in the coming weeks over the Astroworld Fest tragedy -- but would-be plaintiffs could hit a legal snag over something on the Live Nation website.

We're talking about liability here ... and whether Live Nation -- the promoter of Travis Scott's event -- is on the hook for it or not as plaintiffs rush to court to file claims against them and others.

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PROVIDING CRITICAL CARE
@billynasser/Instagram

On its face, LN may have an out on that front -- or at least a partial one, anyway -- due to a standard form they made everyone agree to before purchasing tickets from the Live Nation site ... It's the limitation of liability waiver most folks don't read ... but always have to accept.

We did some research, and as it turns out ... an ironclad liability waiver in Texas would almost certainly provide cover for basic negligence -- something we know for a fact concertgoers are alleging against LN in the suits we've seen thus far.

The online waiver reads in part, "You voluntarily assume all risks and danger incidental to the event for which the ticket is issued, whether occurring before, during or after the event, and you waive any claims for personal injury or death against us."

What it doesn't provide is protection against gross negligence, among other claims, which may well be brought forth in court as well.

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CONCERT CHAOS
TMZ.com

With that said ... you'd think Live Nation might be in the clear here -- at least on the negligence front -- but not so fast. TMZ took a good hard look at the liability waiver, and it's quite possible they screwed themselves ... and might still be exposed.

Not to bog you down in legal mumbo jumbo -- but in Texas, in order for a liability waiver to be enforced to protect against negligence, there are a few things that must be met first.

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NAVIGATING THROUGH THE CROWD
TMZ.com

The company has to feature clear language -- that your average Joe would understand -- directly addressing negligence in their waiver ... and from our check, Live Nation's Texas waiver does NOT seem to do this at all. Plus, the waiver itself is buried on their site -- which is another benchmark waivers have to clear ... ya gotta have it prominently displayed. In fact, there are clearly people who bought tickets without ever going to the website.

So, basically ... because Live Nation's liability waiver does not seem air-tight, it is NOT a foregone conclusion LN can wiggle out of liability in these mounting lawsuits.

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RUSHING SECURITY
Storyful

Obviously, this stuff is going to be sorted out in front of a judge -- but if LN automatically thinks their liability waiver is gonna save them ... they could be sorely mistaken.

Kobe Bryant's Wife, Vanessa Files Trademarks For 'Mamba Vino' ... Getting In Wine Biz

Kobe Bryant's legacy could be entering the wine industry -- Vanessa Bryant just filed four new trademark applications for a wine named after the late NBA Hall of Famer.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Vanessa submitted docs on Nov. 5 to secure trademarks that indicate her aspirations to enter the wine business ... with "Mamba Vino," "Mamba Vino 2024," "Mamba Vino 8," and "Mamba Vino 24" among the phrases listed, as first reported by Josh Gerben.

Kobe Bryant, LLC -- which is run by Vanessa -- is listed as the applicant on the filing ... with Bryant signing off on all the paperwork.

This move is the latest in a series of business moves by Vanessa ... as we previously reported, last month she filed a trademark for digital collectible items, websites, training camps, broadcasting platforms, podcasts, TV shows, movies, documentaries and music ... as well as sports cards, food/drink containers and t-shirts.

All four new trademark names include one of Kobe's many nicknames, "vino" ... 'cause many people thought his game got better with age.

The names also pay tribute to the numbers Kobe wore -- 8 and 24 -- of course, both numbers are retired by the Lakers and hang in the rafters at the Staples Center.

Vanessa would be joining a growing industry ... a long list of former athletes such as Drew Bledsoe, Yao Ming, Jeff Gordon, Wayne Gretzky, and Terrell Owens all occupy space in the wine biz ... but like all things Kobe, we're certain this stuff could fly off the shelves.