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There's a full-court press on for Drake and Kanye West to make peace, and a key player in the negotiations is raising fans' hopes with an interesting photo ... but TMZ's learned it's not exactly what it seems.

As you know, Ye made a video plea this week -- with Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince by his side -- for Drake to join him on stage for a concert to support freeing Larry Hoover. Drake's yet to respond, but Wednesday night Larry Hoover Jr. posted pics of himself meeting with Drizzy and J. Prince.

You get why folks would think Drake's moving closer to accepting Ye's offer -- and maybe he is -- but the photos aren't evidence of that. That's because LH Jr.'s camp tells TMZ they were taken a couple of months ago.

During the meeting, we're told they did talk to Drake about supporting the movement to get Larry Hoover released from prison ... but it was long before Ye extended his offer for unity.

ICYMI, Ye's plan is for Drizzy and himself to squash their longstanding feud and come together onstage in L.A. for a December 7 benefit concert in Hoover's honor.

If you're unfamiliar ... Hoover is the former head of a major gang in Chicago, the Gangster Disciples, who was convicted for a murder back in the '70s, and sentenced to 6 life sentences. Many feel he's done more than enough time for his crime, and have been lobbying for his release.

Hoover Jr. doubled down on Ye's video while speaking to TMZ this week ... imploring Drake to do the concert.

Gene Simmons is going scorched earth on anyone who's still not vaccinated against COVID-19, and says he's sick of people using politics -- on the left AND the right -- as their rationale for remaining unvaccinated.

The KISS icon went on Talkshoplive's Rock 'N' Roll Channel Wednesday and went off about the lingering pandemic. Keep in mind, both Gene and KISS frontman Paul Stanley caught COVID earlier this year ... and one of the band's touring crew members died from it.

That's most likely why Gene has no patience for non-believers. He directly targeted folks who think "people died because they were fat or died because they smoked. No bitch, they died because they got COVID!!!"

And, in case anyone thought Simmons was getting political, he added, "The far left and the far right, they are both evil. They both spread all kinds of nonsense. Politics are the enemy."

Gene lamented the fact a lot of their European fans were unable to join the band for a recent KISS cruise vacation, but said those are the breaks when people don't wanna get the shot.

The family of one of the deceased victims from Astroworld Fest is aiming to set up a scholarship in their loved one's name -- but not before taking Travis Scott to court first.

Rudy Peña was one of the 8 people who died Friday during the concert, and his family has plans to get a fund going in his honor to continue his legacy -- and are hoping to do so at the college he was attending ... so says their attorney, Rosendo Almaraz.

He tells us Rudy's family wants to set up a scholarship at Laredo College, where Rudy was a student ... studying to become a Border Patrol agent via a criminal justice major. Nothing's set in stone yet though ... but we're told that's their intention.

As for what will fund the scholarship they hope to create ... it'd be leftover money from the $34k they raised via a GoFundMe for Rudy. We're told some of that money is going toward funeral costs, and the rest will be earmarked for the scholarship fund -- around $20k.

BTW, you read that correctly ... the Peña family is already burying their son, and they're doing it without the help of Travis because they say they haven't heard from him ... and aren't holding their breath.

Of course, he said he'd cover the funeral expenses of those who perished -- but the Peñas insist they're paying for everything themselves ... and aren't expecting or waiting for any help.

We're told no official cause of death is in for Rudy just yet -- whose body was just released to his family -- Almaraz says he appears to have been trampled badly.

One last thing ... the Peña family has filed their own lawsuit already, and they have named Travis as a defendant. They're alleging negligence and gross negligence directly contributed to Rudy's death that night.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?"

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.