Donald Trump I Met with Kyle Rittenhouse ... Good Kid, Great Verdict!!!

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'Nice, Young Man'
Fox News

Kyle Rittenhouse is making the rounds in right-wing circles -- and his latest stop was with none other than Donald Trump ... who's fully in his corner in the wake of his trial and acquittal.

DT was on Sean Hannity's show when he revealed he got some face time with Rittenhouse, who'd apparently just left "a little while ago" from his Florida resort home, Mar-a-Lago. It's unclear exactly when this meeting took place -- Hannity said he interviewed DT Monday.

Anyway, Trump wasn't shy to let the FOX News audience know how he felt about the whole case -- telling Hannity that Rittenhouse never should've been put through the wringer... calling the whole thing "prosecutorial misconduct."

DT also made it clear he's a fan of Rittenhouse, and seems to think he's a fine young man -- whom he says is a supporter of his, unlike "the other guy" ... whoever that may be.

The 2 of them posed for a couple shots in what looks to be Trump's office -- where there were tons of photos of the former President shaking hands with world leaders ... including a clear photo of Trump meeting Kim Jong-un.

As we reported ... Rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges, with a verdict finding him not guilty of murder -- or any wrongdoing, as the jury felt he was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed 2 people and injured a third.

Rittenhouse did an interview with Tucker Carlson ... saying the case wasn't about race, that he wasn't a racist -- and, interestingly, that he may be ramping up to sue people he believes might've defamed him by calling or characterizing him as a white supremacist.

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade's Back in Full!!! ... Check Out the Floats

The holidays are upon us once again -- and after a 2020 pandemic twist ... we can look forward to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returning in force, and it looks like they're really bringing it this year.

A new fleet of floats and balloons was unveiled this week before they hit the streets of NYC Thursday -- and as you might imagine the attractions and balloons are pretty spectacular ... which was to be expected after having to exclude bystanders from last year's event.

Among the most eye-popping ... Disney's cruise ship, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions' elephant wave structure, a giant gator-infused edifice made to promote Louisiana, and others.

The balloons are a little more recognizable to the average pop culture consumer -- there's Ronald McDonald, Baby Yoda, Ada Twist and a gaggle of Pokemon who are going to be led down the path by rope-holders.

The rehearsal for tomorrow's big show went down at Herald Square -- and it seems like everyone is just about ready ... including singers and dancers, of which there are many.

Those who are grabbing a microphone to croon tunes include Andy Grammer, Kelly Rowland, Carrie Underwood, Jon Batiste, Chris Lane, Aespa, Jimmie Allen ... and several more.

They, too, were out there getting their pipes warmed up ... and while the rehearsal was going down -- people who were nearby posed for some pics as well, something they'll be able to do plenty of this year now that they can attend in person.

We're not out of the pandemic yet, but we're closer than ever ... that much is for sure.

Dick Vitale Fights Back Tears in Emotional Return ... 'I Didn't Want To Cry'

Great sight for hoops fans last night -- legendary college broadcaster Dick Vitale made his return to the broadcast booth amid an ongoing cancer battle ... and the scene was emotional.

Vitale -- who battled melanoma earlier this year -- revealed back in October that he was battling another form of the disease ... and would be required to undergo six months of chemotherapy treatment.

Dickie V announced that he would continue to call games even during his treatment for lymphoma ... saying "That's my best medicine of all," and on Tuesday, he kept true to his promise.

Vitale was on hand last night to call the highly-touted matchup between #1 Gonzaga and #2 UCLA ... and naturally, it was a special moment.

In the video, you can see an emotional Dickie V fighting back tears as he was overwhelmed with emotion ... detailing how he felt during his first college game since his most recent diagnosis.

"It's great being here, Dave. I didn't want to cry," Vitale said. "I can't believe I'm sitting here. It's really a big thrill for me."

82-year-old Dickie V also said he never thought he'd be at courtside again following the diagnosis, but the support from ESPN, his family and the fans made his return possible.

"I want to thank all you people who sent me so many great messages. I want to thank, certainly, my family. All the fans."

Welcome back, Dickie V!!!

Young Dolph GF's Brand Sees Boom ... Aiming to Help Gun Violence Victims

Young Dolph's death has spurred a huge interest in his girlfriend's business -- which, coincidentally, was already working to help people like herself who've lost loved ones to tragic violence.

Dolph's longtime partner, Mia, started a campaign last year after her brother was killed, called the Black Men Deserve to Grow Old campaign, operating under her Momeo clothing brand. Since YD's murder, her company has blown up exponentially.

A Momeo brand manager tells TMZ ... prior to Dolph's death, the Momeo shop page was seeing about 20 orders a day, but now the transactions range anywhere from 250 to 600 daily. We're told the sales boost is largely due to one new piece of merch ... a Young Dolph tribute hoodie.

Momeo is making the most of those through-the-roof numbers, aiming to boost its charitable arm ... the BMDTGO campaign.

The brand rep tells us they're raising money for families who fall victim to gun violence -- like Mia herself now has, twice -- and this spike in sales and traffic has benefited their goals to an unimaginable extent.

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For instance, we're told their goal was to sell around 3,000 products by the end of the year -- with a third of the proceeds going directly to grieving families. The boom after Dolph's murder means Momeo will achieve that number in the next week.

BTW, this new higher profile for Mia's campaign is helping her get support from friends and strangers alike, including therapy service providers.

You gotta believe Dolph is somewhere smiling, as he was a major supporter, and was even set to become a spokesperson for Mia's brand before his untimely death.

Benedict Cumberbatch Goes Ultra Woke ... Time to Fix the Behavior of Men!!!

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MORE LEFT TO DO
Sky News

Benedict Cumberbatch is on the attack ... against toxic masculinity, calling it a problem rooted deep in a society that needs major adjustments if we're going to achieve equality.

The actor is talking up his new film "Power of the Dog," which is set in 1920s Montana, and his character, Phil Burbank, is described as a masochist rancher who bullies his sister-in-law ... played by Kirsten Dunst.

While talking to Sky News about the role, he went off about the "need to fix the behavior of men."

Cumberbatch says toxic masculinity should start to be looked at like a mental health issue and corrected from an early age. He says if society is to bring equal pay between men and women, equal seats at the table and equality across the board there's a lot that needs to change.

He continues, "You get this sort of rebellion aspect, this denial, this sort of childish defensive position of 'not all men are bad'. No, we just have to shut up and listen."

So, what's behind BC going ballistic on men? Sounds like he so deeply immersed himself into the character that he might have blurred lines between the role and reality.

For instance, Kirsten's said she avoided Benedict between takes on set because he mostly remained in character.

You could understand Benedict's powerful stance against male dominance after playing such an extreme character. Of course, a cynic might say he's simply going on the attack before "woke" critics inevitably go after him for even taking the role.

Either way, he's making it clear -- toxic dudes gotta go.

LeBron James Slinks Around NYC ... Amid 1st Suspension Of Career

It appears LeBron James found somewhere other than the team hotel to watch his Lakers play Tuesday -- 'cause the suspended superstar was spotted slinking away from the swanky NYC venue just before L.A.'s tip-off.

The NBA great -- who was banned one game for his role in a wild altercation with Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart on Sunday -- walked quickly and sported a hood over his head while he got into a van to try to find somewhere to catch the Lakers vs. Knicks matchup.

Unclear where the 36-year-old was headed ... but it's apparent the dude did not want to be seen by cameras.

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NIGHT OFF
BACKGRID

Check out video of him leaving the Four Seasons, his oversized coat, hoodie and brisk walk show he wasn't in any mood to stop and talk.

Of course, Bron was not allowed at Madison Square Garden after the NBA barred him from the contest following his incident with Stewart.

You'll recall, LeBron kick-started a near-melee by hitting Stewart in the face ... and just 24 hours after the fracas, the NBA handed down its punishment to the Lakers player, suspending him for the first time in his 19-year career.

As for how the Lakers fared without the star -- they lost yet again, dropping their game to the Knicks, 106-100.

LeBron is expected to return to L.A.'s lineup when they play next against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Kyle Rittenhouse BLM Leader Calls BS on His Support ... I'm Not Seeing the Proof!!!

Kyle Rittenhouse has denied being a white supremacist, and even claims to be fully in support of Black Lives Matter -- but a prominent leader in the org itself isn't so sure.

We spoke to Melina Abdullah -- the co-founder of L.A.'s BLM chapter -- and she's not buying Rittenhouse's assertion he's down with the cause. She tells us, from what she's seen ... it's total BS.

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DISRUPT AND DISMANTLE
TMZ.com

Check it out ... Abdullah tells us she thinks his claims of backing BLM don't match up to his history -- and she says the proof is in the pudding. Abdullah makes reference to photos of him flashing perceived "white power" signs online.

She was referring to the now-infamous image from last year that circulated all over social media -- showing Rittenhouse in a bar after his release from jail, flashing what looks like the OK sign ... which many see as a blatant white supremacist gesture. Rittenhouse has denied that's what he meant.

Still, Melina says something doesn't feel right ... she believes the fact he's cozying up to right-wing media types -- like Tucker Carlson, with whom he did an interview last week -- doesn't help Rittenhouse's case for being a BLM backer.

She suggests Rittenhouse is being used as a pawn, perhaps unsuspectingly, by folks she thinks are more interested in racial division than unity.

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"I'M NOT A RACIST"
FOX

Again, Rittenhouse has firmly denied being a white supremacist and/or a racist -- and insists his case and actions last summer in Kenosha had nothing to do with race.

As we reported ... KR was found not guilty of all charges against him, as the jury felt he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed 2 people that night.

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FREE TO GO
PBS

Even though Melina thinks Kyle is NOT on her side right now, it sounds like she's leaving the door open for him (and others) to come on over and become true allies -- so long as they do the work and educate themselves first.

SpaceX First Kamikaze Mission ... Spaceship to Intentionally Crash into Asteroid

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ASTEROID BOUND
NASA

A SpaceX rocket blasted off Tuesday night for a mission of self-destruction ... and its end game is to save planet earth!

NASA commissioned Elon Musk's rocket company to hurl a Falcon 9 rocket into a nearly year-long journey which will end with the spacecraft bashing into a faraway asteroid.

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LIGHT UP THE SKY
Newsflare

Scientists want to see if the impact could actually change the asteroid's trajectory ... something that could be lifesaving if it were headed toward mother earth.

The spacecraft -- dubbed DART, short for Double Asteroid Redirection Test -- left earthly terra firma at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Cali ... and the whole thing is kinda like a ripoff of "Armageddon."

DART is supposed to violently connect with Dimorphos -- an asteroid that measures 525 feet across -- at a speed of 15,000 MPH.

Scientists say the impact will not destroy the asteroid ... but the goal is to change its orbit.

It's complicated, but if the asteroid moves for a minimum of 73 seconds, the mission is considered a raging success!

The length of the mission puts civilian rocket launches to shame ... DART will travel 6.8 million miles from earth. Take that, Shatner!

Kodak Black Big Ol' Turkey Giveaway ... 5,000 Birds to Families in Need!!!

Kodak Black is still finding a way to give back to his community while he's in rehab ... helping folks in Florida make sure they have food on the table this Thanksgiving.

The rapper dropped $14,500 for more than 5,000 turkeys and had his team distribute them through a Thanksgiving tour of sorts across several South Florida communities ... according to Kodak's attorney, Bradford Cohen.

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TURKEY TIME

We're told Kodak's turkey giveaway made 7 stops in 3 days, with his team coming through in rental trucks to hand out the birds.

With Kodak's help, folks in the Sistrunk and Sunland neighborhoods will be able to have a nice Thanksgiving dinner ... as well as those in Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, North Miami, Little Haiti in Miami and of course, Golden Acres, where Kodak grew up.

KB's known for his generosity, and his attorney says he would have loved to have been there handing out turkeys in person, but he's focused on completing rehab so he can continue supporting underprivileged neighborhoods.

Shannon Briggs Rampage Jackson Will S**t His Pants ... When He Sees Me!!

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STAY IN YA LANE
TMZSports.com

Bring some baby wipes to tomorrow's Triller media event ... 'cause Shannon Briggs tells TMZ Sports Rampage Jackson will literally poop his pants when he lays eyes on Cannon.

We talked to the 49-year-old former heavyweight champ, acting as the captain (across from Quinton) for Triller's upcoming Triad Combat event on Nov. 27 ... and asked Briggs about coming face-to-face with his rival.

"We're gonna see each other, there's a press conference Wednesday, the weigh-ins Friday and the fights Saturday. I'm looking forward to it champ. When I look at him in his face and I tell him 'lets go champ', we're gonna see. I think personally he gonna defecate on himself. I think he gonna defecate, but he might not," Shannon says.

"If he don't defecate or urinate, he might be tougher than I thought."

🤢🤢🤢💩💩💩

Shannon and Rampage's beef ain't new ... the combat sports legends have been going back-and-forth on social media for months.

We also talked to Shannon about the concept -- fighting in a triangle -- an idea Briggs believes will lead to almost nonstop action.

"It's definitely gonna bring a lot of anxiety, pressure to someone who's never done it before. How do you train for something like that? You're used to training whether it's an Octagon or a ring, now you're fighting in a triangle."

Briggs continued ... "It's gonna be amazing. I'm looking forward to it. I think it's gonna lead to a lot more toe-to-toe slugging."

FYI, Matt Mitrione, Kubrat Pulev, Frank Mir and Mike Perry are among the fighters on the inaugural card.

For now, Briggs (2x heavyweight champion) and Jackson (former UFC light heavyweight and PRIDE middleweight champ) are just captains ... but if the 2 former champs scrapped, it'd be a hot ticket.

Press conference is tomorrow ... to crap or not to crap his pants. Stay tuned.

Susan Boyle 'Memba Her?!

Scottish singer Susan Boyle shot to stardom in 2009 after she stunned the audience, judges and television viewers around the world with her rendition of the Les Miserable tune "I Dreamed A Dream" on the third season of "Britain's Got Talent."

While Boyle made her way through the competition with the support of the crowd and the three judges Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden ... Susan fell short of the final prize with an upsetting loss to the dance group Diversity.

Susan Boyle continues to grace the world with her angelic singing and has released an impressive catalog of albums including the 2019 LP Ten.

Guess what Susan Boyle looks like now!

WWE's Seth Rollins Fan Attack Was 'Terrifying' ... Keep Him From WWE

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IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST
BACKGRID

WWE Superstar Seth Rollins is opening up about the out-of-control fan who speared him during a taping of 'Raw,' saying he was shocked and terrified and believes the attacker should be banned -- at least for now.

The 35-year-old wrestler just touched down in Los Angeles, less than 24 hours after he was on the receiving end of the attempted assault, and he admitted he was shook by the whole thing.

"It's terrifying, brother," Rollins said, providing a play-by-play of the incident.

"It happened very quickly. I was mostly just reacting and hoping that our security would come and do their job. Which they did very quickly. And then was just trying to detach and move on. Hope that everybody is okay."

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NOT PART OF THE SHOW
WWE

After the attack there was confusion about whether the whole melee was part of the show ... something Rollins shot down, saying, "once the tackle happened I knew what was going on. The guy was barreling around the corner."

Luckily, Seth says he was not injured during the attack.

"No, no serious injuries. Nothing like that. I was safe, we were safe. Everything was okay."

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THE LIVE ATTACK
@vamp.life

As we previously reported, the 24-year-old fan has been hit with 2 charges in NYC ... but Rollins was tight-lipped on whether he wants the guy to be punished criminally.

However, Seth is sure he doesn't want to see the fan sitting ringside at a WWE event anytime soon.

"I think as a precedence he probably should not be allowed at the events."

Waukesha Parade Suspect Charged 5 Counts of Intentional Homicide

UPDATE

2:32 PM PT -- Brooks' bail was just set at $5 million. There are also now reports a 6th person, a child, has died because of injuries suffered at the parade.

UPDATE

The man cops say is responsible for running his SUV through a Wisconsin Christmas parade, killing 5 people, and injuring dozens more has just been charged ... and is about to make a first appearance in court.

According to documents released Tuesday, Darrell Brooks Jr. has been hit with 5 counts of first-degree intentional homicide -- one count for each person killed. The docs recount how Brooks ignored attempts by both civilians and police officers to stop his vehicle.

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DRIVING THROUGH THE PARADE
Storyful

Not only that, officers claim there were several moments when Brooks had the opportunity to exit the parade route and he stayed in ... increasing his speed and mowing people down.

In all, there were at least 62 injured by Brooks ... the 5 casualties were all adults, but we know children were among the injured.

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MOMENTS AFTER THE ATTACK
Daniel Rider / TMX

As we reported, Brooks' arrest was captured on doorbell surveillance shortly after the massacre. He had asked the homeowners to use a phone, saying he was waiting on an Uber ... but cops were quick to catch up to him.

Brooks, who at one time had a very small-scale rap career featured the same vehicle he used in the attack in one of his videos.

Originally Published -- 2:10 PM PT

Johnny Manziel Divorce From Bre Tiesi Finalized

UPDATE

2:38 PM PT -- Bre celebrated the news with her very own divorce party -- featuring some of her closest friends.

UPDATE

"I do, I did, I’m officially done🤪," Tiesi said on Instagram Tuesday. "No shade to J, wish you nothing but the best, love ya ❤️😂"

UPDATE

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Johnny Manziel is officially a single man -- the ex-NFL quarterback's divorce from Bre Tiesi has been finalized, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show the judge signed off on the divorce earlier this month ... which means both Johnny and Bre are solo-dolo in the eyes of the state of California.

We spoke with Bre, who said the two are "still cool" with each other and speak often ... and she wishes him nothing but the best.

Of course, both sides had already moved on to other people -- in fact, Bre recently dated Jennifer Lopez's ex, Casper Smart.

Johnny credited Bre with saving his life in the past ... and later said his marriage -- and divorce -- helped him grow as a person.

"I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for my relationship and getting married," Manziel said at the time.

"I wouldn't have the same attitude towards everything else if I wouldn't have gone through the divorce and stuff, too, if I wouldn't have gone through that with Bre. 100% there's no chance."

We broke the story -- Bre and Johnny first started dating in 2016 ... and Johnny proposed in March 2017. The couple got hitched in 2018 before breaking things off a year later.

Tiesi had previously called Manziel out for allegedly cheating on her ... saying, "vows were broken."

Great early holiday gift for both sides!!

BTS Traffic-Stopping Show w/ Corden ... Someone Say 'Butter'???

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BUTTER-SMOOTH PERFORMANCE
TMZ.com

BTS is at the intersection of global fandom these days -- but right now, they're literally at the intersection of Genesee and Beverly in Los Angeles -- with none other than James Corden.

The Korean pop band -- consisting of a whopping 7 members -- appears to be involved in a major showstopping number in the middle of the day, and in the middle of the street too ... right outside of CBS's Television City in the heart of L.A.

That's where Corden films his 'Late, Late Show' ... and it looks like he and his team coordinated an elaborate dance routine of some sort that's blocking off the roads -- complete with costumes, signage, a trampoline ... and probably some BTS music too.

Based on what we can see here ... they're plugging the group's smash hit, "Butter," which has been at the top of all sorts of music charts lately -- emblematic of their pull in general, these guys are very much so on top of the world.

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GETTIN' DOWN
TMZ.com

Not only have they been nominated for another Grammy this year, but they just cleaned up at the AMAs -- taking home three trophies total -- and are selling out concerts everywhere they go, including here ... they've got a show this weekend at SoFi Stadium, and tickets are reselling for a fortune (about $600 for nosebleeds, just for reference).

Of course, Corden knows talent when he sees it -- so it's no surprise he's pulling out all the stops for whatever segment they're filming right now. Besides, this is sorta right up his alley anyway ... flash mob-style extravaganzas that stop people in their tracks, and their cars.

Can't wait to see it when it airs later tonight!

Louis C.K. & Dave Chappelle Nominated for Grammys ... Is Cancel Culture Canceled???

Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle both grabbed Grammy noms -- despite their individual battles with "cancel culture" -- a signal maybe "canceling" people is on the wane.

The Academy announced its picks Tuesday ... Louis received a nom for Best Comedy Album and Chappelle for Best Spoken Word Album. Of course, Twitter was quick to react, mostly full of people who have had it up to HERE with C.C.

One user wrote, "Louis CK just got nominated for a Grammy, in case people wanted to keep clutching their pearls about the long-term effects of cancel culture." Another said, "only one grammy nom each for dave chappelle, kevin hart, and louis CK!! cancel culture strikes again!!"

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... AND THE CROWD GOES WILD!
TMZ.com

It was back in 2017 when Louis C.K. admitted to exposing himself and masturbating in front of women or during phone convos. We saw a glimpse that things were turning around for him when he got a standing ovation at a show in 2019 before COVID closed venues across the country.

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WALKING OUT
TMZ.com

As we reported ... Dave's had his recent share of controversy as well -- especially from some in the LGBTQ+ community -- after his most recent Netflix special, "The Closer" almost entirely was centered around transgender and gay people.

Cancel Culture is ...

Clearly, The Academy is over the controversy, and its members thought the work by both comedians was enough to potentially earn them one of the top honors in entertainment.