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Phil Bertelsen helped clear the names of 2 men wrongfully convicted of killing Malcolm X -- with an eye-opening documentary -- and he says the tears started flowing as soon as the exonerations were announced.

The director and producer behind the "Who Killed Malcolm X?" Netflix documentary joined us Friday on "TMZ Live," and told us how Muhammad Aziz reacted to having his conviction vacated.

Phil says he shared a deep embrace with Muhammad, a stoic man not prone to showing emotion, and then came a tearful "thank you" followed by feelings of joy and relief.

It's pretty incredible ... Phil's filmmaking helped get the ball rolling on clearing the names of Muhammed and Khalil Islam, who were convicted in Malcolm X's 1965 assassination despite confessed assassin Thomas Hagan saying both men were innocent.

Khalil and Muhammed did hard-time for the assassination, getting out in the 1980s.

Phil's documentary helped spur a re-investigation, which went on for nearly 2 years, culminating Thursday with Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance vacating the convictions.

English cricketer Alex Hales is owning up to wearing blackface for a Tupac costume in 2009 ... saying it was "incredibly reckless and foolish."

32-year-old Hales is speaking out after a picture of him donning dark makeup on his face and body was published this week ... claiming it was supposed to honor his favorite rapper at a music-themed costume party.

"The theme was musicians and Tupac is, was and always will be my favorite musician, so I went as him," Hales said in the video.

"Obviously, I realize this is incredibly disrespectful and I want to apologize for the offense this has no doubt caused."

He continued ... "It was incredibly reckless and foolish on my behalf and I apologize for that, and apologize to the club for the embarrassment it would have caused them."

"I deplore all forms of racism and discrimination."

The apology comes amid allegations of widespread racism in the sport ... as former Yorkshire cricketer Azeem Rafiq says his experiences were so bad, he needed medication to deal with the mental health issues.

Rafiq accused Hales of other racism as well ... claiming Hales' dog, "Kevin" was named after a blanket racist term his teammates used to describe black people, which he adamantly denies.

Kevin Hart says standup comedy should change in the wake of all the buzz about Dave Chappelle's alleged transphobia -- but he insists most of the critics don't have a clue who Dave really is.

We got Kevin out Friday morning in NYC, and asked if he planned to change anything in his standup routines due to the backlash against Dave's "The Closer" -- and it sounds like he will. Kev said, "We all have to adjust. We all gotta make sure we're operating and managing in a respectful manner."

Watch how KH says it, because it comes off like a criticism of his pal Dave. As you know, Chappelle's been adamant his special was not transphobic, and he has nothing for which to apologize ... despite protests and a walkout staged by Netflix employees.

However, before ya start thinking there's a rift ... Kevin also came out swinging for Chappelle, telling us Dave is a very loving guy and "the narrative that's being attached [to Dave] doesn't necessarily have to be true without knowing the individual."

He also shouted out Chappelle directly, and sent him some love.

Marilyn Manson's unloaded his mansion in the Hollywood Hills just weeks after listing it ... TMZ has learned.

The shock rocker just sold his 3-bedroom pad for $1,835,000 this week ... after putting it on the market in October for $1.75 mil ... so he got about 5 percent above the original asking price.

Marilyn's former digs feature 20-foot beamed ceilings and two master suites, complete with their own tiled bathrooms and walk-in closets. The place is 2,711 square feet and it's surrounded by private patios and gardens.

The pad also has French doors, wrought iron railings on the staircase, the garage was converted into a gym, and there's a recording studio and home office.

Worth noting ... this is NOT the place MM allegedly locked women in a soundproof room ... as we reported, that allegedly went down in his West Hollywood apartment. So the new owner doesn't have to worry about any of that.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry continues to claim they have no idea what happened to tennis star Peng Shuai ... who suddenly vanished over 2 weeks ago after accusing a powerful Chinese official of sexual assault.

Zhao Lijian, ministry spokesperson, was asked about Shuai's disappearance, telling media ... the situation is "not a diplomatic question and I'm not aware of the situation."

FYI, the Chinese Foreign Ministry deals in all things foreign policy for the country. The Foreign Minister is typically one of the most powerful posts in China.

Peng accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, who is in his 70s, of sexually assaulting her 3 years ago at his home in China.

Just minutes after going public with the allegation, the social media post was deleted. Peng has not been heard from since.

There's been widespread concern for Peng's safety ... and some of the biggest tennis stars in the world have spoken out.

Serena Williams recently wrote ... "I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuai"

Current stars Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic also expressed fear over her well-being ... as did legendary player Billie Jean King.

To make the story even more bizarre, Chinese state media released a statement, SUPPOSEDLY written by Peng, where the Wimbledon doubles champ retracts her previous statements on the sexual assault, adding, "I am not missing, nor am I unsafe."

In the statement, Peng also claims ... "I've just been resting at home and everything is fine."

Bottom line, almost no one believes Peng wrote the statement.

To their credit, the WTA (Women's Tennis Association) has doubled down since the suspicious statement was released, calling on independent proof that the tennis player, one of the countries biggest athletic stars, is okay.

“The statement released today by Chinese state media concerning Peng Shuai only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts,” Steve Simon, WTA Chairman and CEO said.

He continued ... “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her.”

Even the United Nations Human Rights Office called for a transparent investigation into Peng's disappearance.

VP Kamala Harris is making history by getting a little taste of POTUS power, courtesy of President Joe Biden getting his colon checked out.

Remember the date ... Nov. 19, 2021 now marks the first time a woman's had Presidential power in the United States.

The Prez waved to reporters as he headed to Walter Reed Medical Center Friday morning for a routine checkup, which included a colonoscopy and required him to be under anesthesia.

The White House confirmed Biden did temporarily transfer power to the Veep while he underwent the procedure. To be clear, she wasn't sworn in as Prez ... she just had the legal right to make all decisions in place of POTUS.

Yeah, it's only for like 30 to 40 minutes, but still kind of a cool moment in history. Keep it in mind ... you'll win a trivia contest someday.

As for what VP Harris did with all that power? Not much, as far as we can tell -- she was NOT out and about Friday morning. Thursday she did host meetings with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Mexican Prez Lopez Obrador ... after they'd met with Biden.

Ex-NFL player Zac Stacy was arrested in Florida and is currently in jail ... just days after he savagely beat his ex-girlfriend in front of their 5-month-old son, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... 30-year-old Stacy repeatedly punched Kristin Evans, the mother of his baby boy in the head multiple times before picking her up and throwing her into a television -- all while she begged him to stop and the baby cried.

When Stacy -- a 5th round draft pick out of Vanderbilt in 2013 -- finally stopped attacking, he fled the scene. Evans called 911 and cops say they arrived in under 2 minutes, but the running back was long gone.

On Thursday, officials announced they were charging Stacy with 2 felonies ... aggravated assault and criminal mischief.

Authorities believed Stacy left Florida ... where the incident occurred Saturday afternoon. Still, they were concerned enough about Evans' safety to move her to an "undisclosed location."

Stacy is currently in Orange County (FL) Jail. Orlando PD is listed as the arresting agency, according to jail records.

If convicted, Stacy could face over 15 years in prison.

Witnessing Young Dolph's murder at close range is having a powerful and painful impact on employees at the Memphis cookie shop ... but their bosses are doing what they can to support them.

As you know, the rapper was gunned down at Makeda's Cookies, and store owners Maurice and Pamela Hill tell us the 3 staffers working during Wednesday's shooting are traumatized, distraught and in disbelief.

Maurice and Pamela say the impacted employees will be allowed to take time off until they feel good enough to return, and in the meantime, they will remain on the payroll.

We're told none of the folks working in the store were hurt in the shooting -- strong evidence Dolph was targeted by the gunman -- and the Hills are grieving and praying for his family.

Maurice says Dolph -- a frequent customer and advocate for Makeda's -- had come inside to buy cookies and was on his phone when the 2 gunmen pulled up and started shooting.

As we reported ... cops have released surveillance footage of the gunmen and the getaway car -- a light-colored Mercedes-Benz -- but no arrests have been made.

There's a makeshift memorial outside the store, which is now boarded up ... and Pamela says they're not sure when they will reopen. They're taking time to let the community grieve.

It might be a while before things get back to business as usual. As we reported, there was another shooting Thursday -- not far from the store -- which sent mourners scurrying from the makeshift memorial to Dolph.

Zac Stacy's ex-girlfriend claims the savage beating she endured at the hands of the father of her child was NOT an isolated incident ... 'cause the woman says the ex-NFL RB beat her on numerous occasions.

The woman, Kristin Evans, provided TMZ Sports photos of injuries she says were inflicted by the former NY Jets back on August 15, 2021 ... when she claims he flew into a violent rage over rent money.

"He physically assaulted me several times because he wanted the money back he gave me for our rent," the woman wrote in a restraining order application, filed Monday in Florida.

She continued ... "He punched my legs, slapped me, picked me up by my arms, and threw me into my window, which broke. I had glass in my feet that I removed myself."

Evans says she called the cops ... but downplayed the event, telling them they were involved in a verbal argument.

In reality, she says the beating she received in August was actually worse than Saturday -- which was caught on video.

The photographs from the alleged incident are incredibly disturbing ... and show large bruises and cuts on the woman's body.

And, sadly, there's more. Evans says she was also victimized on September 27 ... when Stacy slapped her in the face. The woman tells us she wanted to press battery charges over the alleged incident.

The reason for going public? Evans says she fears for her safety ... and doesn't want anyone else to endure what she's had to go through.

In the docs, she says "[Zac] has escalated violence since May while I was pregnant. He also assaulted me just weeks before our son was born. He will not stop. He will kill me and he feels justified in his actions."

FYI, cops tell us they've moved Evans to an undisclosed location for her safety.

Following Saturday's attack, officials have charged Stacy with two felonies ... aggravated assault and criminal mischief. He's facing more than 15 years in prison if convicted.

Stacy was arrested Thursday night in Florida by Orlando PD ... and is currently in county jail.

Meghan Markle got in on a tried-and-true skit that has become a staple on 'Ellen,' but this one did not land well on social media.

The Duchess of Sussex walked out onto the studio lot with an earpiece that allowed Ellen to give her prompts ... like touching her nose and doing a squat. She went to a couple of vendors on the lot, one of whom was hawking hot sauce. She referred to herself as "mommy" and Harry as her "Boo." She also jumped up and down on cue. Stuff like that.

Well, MM's getting dragged ... with one writer saying she never understood the difference between being a Royal and being a celebrity. Others called it cheesy and insincere ... trying to look like a woman of the people. Not necessarily a fair criticism, but welcome to 2021.

Meghan also made her case for federal paid family leave ... something she's lobbied for by calling various U.S. senators.

As for the mommy comments, she told the vendor "Let mommy have a taste ... My boo loves hot sauce." Then, she pulled out a baby bottle and exclaimed, "Mommy needs some milk."

Joe Exotic is going across several state lines as he continues to battle an "aggressive cancer," and while he's still in federal custody ... his new home will help cope with his condition.

Federal prison officials tell us Joe was transferred from FMC Fort Worth, TX to FMC Butner in North Carolina Tuesday. According to its website, Butner provides "extensive medical services" with a full hospital and cancer treatment facilities.

As we reported, Joe recently had a biopsy performed on his prostate which revealed an "aggressive cancer." It was late summer when Joe said he was "ready to die" after believing the cancer had spread to his pelvis and to his stomach.

The transfer just happens to come the same week "Tiger King 2" dropped on Netflix. Joe appears in the new season from behind bars, desperate to get out.

It's currently unclear what type of cancer treatments he'll undergo. Bernie Madoff, who suffered from kidney disease, was an inmate at FMC Butner before his death in April 2021.

Jadakiss is torn up over Young Dolph getting gunned down ... he says hip-hop culture needs to stop killing its own artists, and the violence needs to end ASAP.

We got the "Why" rapper at Madison Square Garden and asked him how he's coping after the murder of Young Dolph -- an artist he's worked with in the past.

Jadakiss says the whole thing is very sad and he's tired of seeing hip-hop artists dying way too young, especially when it's because of violence or some old beef.

As we reported ... Dolph was shot and killed Wednesday in his hometown of Memphis while getting cookies from one of his favorite spots. His life was taken moments before he intended to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys in his old neighborhood.

Jadakiss says the whole thing is tragic and emblematic of a larger problem in the hip-hop community ... and he wants things to change STAT.

Before this barber boy was rocking out on some of the biggest tours in the world, he was just another cute kid getting his haircut in Wilmette, Illinois.

This haircut cutie has been showing off his musical chops to fans for nearly two decades with his punk sound and hard-core band. Some of their popular songs have made history by making audiences dance and dance again ... with no signs of stopping, he just might save rock and roll!

Now, with three children of his own, this talented artist is still very involved with music and activism.

Fans hoping to pay tribute to Young Dolph at the site he was gunned down were faced with a life-threatening situation of their own when someone opened fire near the memorial.

In a video from the scene, you see multiple people gathered outside Makeda's Cookies where a lot of balloons and flowers have amassed. Off-camera you hear the loud "pop" of a gunshot, and fans scatter from the scene in the clip from ABC24 Memphis.

Memphis police tell us they're currently on scene at a location about half a mile from the cookie shop where one man was shot ... he's in non-critical condition. Cops say they immediately detained two suspects, and a third was detained after a short chase.

The shooting comes one day after Dolph was shot and killed outside the cookie shop. In his murder, Dolph was ambushed by two men with weapons, murdering him in broad daylight.

Cops have not named any suspects or made any arrests in Dolph's killing, but have released images of both the suspects and their getaway cars.

As we reported, officers descended upon a nearby restaurant owned by Yo Gotti -- who Dolph has beef with -- shortly after the murder out of fear of retaliation. Yo Gotti has not been linked to the death in any way.

President Joe Biden says the United States is "considering" a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics ... as a result of China's human rights abuse issues.

It's tradition for the U.S. and other nations to send high-profile delegates to represent their respective countries at the Games -- Biden's wife, Jill Biden, participated in this past summer's Olympics in Tokyo.

But, as concerns continue to grow over China's human rights issues ... many across both sides of the political aisle have petitioned the Biden administration to boycott the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing.

Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas addressed the situation on Wednesday ... saying, "I call on the Biden Administration to mount a complete and total boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics -- no athletes, no administration officials, no corporate sponsors."

Even the Celtics' Enes Kanter -- an outspoken critic of #46 -- challenged Biden to maintain his campaign promise and "prioritize human rights" before he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

While hosting Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Oval Office on Thursday, POTUS wouldn't go as far as to say a total boycott was something the U.S. was considering ... but a diplomatic boycott is on the table.

If Biden and the White House were to engage in a diplomatic boycott, it would mean the U.S. would not send an official government delegation to the Games ... but athletes would still be able to participate.

The Travis Scott legal saga surrounding Astroworld has just reached a new orbit ... an attorney representing more than 200 alleged victims just filed a $2 billion lawsuit against the rapper and others.

In what has become an apparent rat race among Houston attorneys to scoop up clients in the festival fallout, attorney Thomas Henry just upped the ante. We should note, this is Henry's 5th amended complaint he's filed, but now, he's asking for $2 billion in damages.

The lawsuit, filed against Travis, Drake, Live Nation, NRG Stadium and others alleges fans were "incited into a frenzy" when Travis started to perform and started a surge toward the main stage, trampling and crushing some in attendance.

Henry's latest filing represents 280 plaintiffs and blames organizers for not taking Astroworld safety concerns from 2019 into account when planning 2021's version.

Clearly, Henry's been paying attention to the media coverage from the festival, pointing out the fact fans even climbed platforms during the chaos, begging concert organizers to stop.

The lawsuit is asking for $2 billion, saying, "The Defendants stood to make an exorbitant amount of money off this event, yet they chose to cut corners, cut costs, and put the festival attendees at risk."