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The prosecutor in Jussie Smollett's case raised a lot of eyebrows during his closing argument, by using the phrase "monkeyed around" while referring to the famous defendant.

Prosecutor Dan Webb was trying to make a point that Jussie kept a noose around his neck for a long, long time until police showed up at his apartment. He told the jury Jussie "monkeyed around" with the rope.

The phrase led to groans from Jussie's family ... with several of them shaking their heads in disgust. The jury heard and saw all of this play out ... and it certainly didn't score points for the prosecution that tried to prove the alleged racial attack on Jussie was fake.

This isn't the first time the prosecutor got schooled for a racial misstep. Just 2 days ago Jussie called him out in court for reading some of his texts and using the full n-word. The prosecutor actually backed down and had Jussie read the texts.

Flavor Flav's domestic violence incident from October is all wrapped up and dealt with in the eyes of the law -- he copped a plea to a lesser charge, and is happy to close the book.

The rapper's misdemeanor domestic battery charge was dropped, and Flav pled no contest to one count of coercion. He was fined $640. He will not serve any jail time.

His attorneys, David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld, tell TMZ, "Today the domestic violence charge against Mr. William Drayton (Flavor Flav) was dismissed. Mr. Drayton acknowledged the nonviolent act of grabbing a phone during the incident in question, a misdemeanor, and the case was closed by the court."

They add, "Mr. Drayton and his family are grateful to bring an amicable close to this matter and appreciate everyone's support as he continues his one-year journey of sobriety."

As we reported ... Flav was arrested in October after out in Nevada, this after cops got a call about a domestic incident at his home.

Scott Peterson, the man who was convicted of killing his pregnant wife Laci Peterson and their unborn child in 2002, has just been resentenced to life in prison... TMZ has learned.

As we previously reported, Peterson's death sentence was thrown out last year, after the state Supreme Court determined that jurors who personally disagreed with the death penalty were dismissed. The case was sent down for resentencing.

He was originally convicted and spent more than 15 years on death row in California.

As you may know, Peterson killed 27-year-old wife and their unborn son Conner, when Laci was 8 months pregnant on Christmas Eve, 2002.

Nick Cannon sent a big thank you to everyone for the support, kind words and love sent after yesterday's emotional announcement where he revealed the devastating news that his 5-month-old son, Zen, passed away.

The "Wild "N Out" creator shared his gratitude on the "The Nick Cannon Show" Wednesday afternoon... "of course, everyone knows I'm not fine, but you all are making me feel better."

Nick says he feels a bit of guilt because he never wanted to exploit the news, but he is appreciative of the outpour of support ... "The onslaught of love is new to me, so thank you is all I can say."

Nick kept his son's diagnosis private for months out of respect for Zen's mom, model Alyssa Scott, and everyone in their family. Cannon says she's been taking things "5 minutes at a time."

As we previously reported, Nick announced Tuesday that his youngest child Zen died from a brain tumor ... after his brain tumor began to grow quickly around thanksgiving. Nick says he got to hold Zen for the last time by the ocean last weekend, after he made a trip to California to spend time with his baby.

Zen was Nick's 7th child and 4th of Nick's kids born in the last year and a half.

One of sports TV's power couples has broken up -- ex-NBA player Jalen Rose filed for divorce from ESPN host Molly Qerim, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records show Rose filed docs earlier this year ... kickstarting the process to end their 2 and a half year marriage.

Sources tell us the breakup was amicable and both sides remain cordial.

Rose first went public with the "First Take" host in June 2016 ... and they tied the knot at a lowkey NYC ceremony in July 2018.

Jalen filed April 30, 2021 ... just months after the couple starred in a Gatorade commercial together. Jalen says in court docs the marriage broke down irretrievably after Qerim moved to Connecticut.

It should be known -- in the docs, Jalen does not want alimony and doesn't want Molly to have it, either. We're told there was not a prenup and Molly does not want any spousal support.

The breakup signs were all over social media -- Molly previously included "Rose" in her name on Instagram and Twitter, but has recently scrubbed it from her accounts.

On top of that, the couple hadn't been photographed together much at all in the months leading up to the filing ... and Jalen and Molly also haven't posted each other on their pages for months.

However, Qerim has shown public support for Rose even after the filing -- in June, she spoke out about his struggles with deaths in the family in an emotional segment on "First Take."

Rose played in the NBA from 1994-2007 before taking his talents to television. Qerim previously worked at NFL Network.

Dorit Kemsley has some thoughts on her husband's DUI bust as well as the fatal shooting that befell Clarence Avant's family -- and her reaction to both is ... regret and sadness.

The 'RHOBH' star ran into paps Tuesday night, and there were two relevant topics to ask her about -- the fact her hubby, PK, had been hauled to jail over suspected drinking and driving ... and the recent break-in in town that cost Jacqueline Avant her life.

Luckily, Dorit was in a chatty mood ... so she opened up on each, first addressing Paul's arrest. Sounds like Paul wishes it never would've happened -- and Dorit expresses that quite clearly here.

She also kinda goes to bat for him a little -- explaining that Paul wasn't necessarily smashed ... even though he probably shouldn't have been behind the wheel. Good balancing act here!

As for the Trousdale Estates tragedy -- where Jacqueline was shot and killed by a home intruder -- Dorit is the perfect person to speak on it ... seeing how she too went through a frighteningly similar situation just last month.

It's interesting ... Dorit seems to make a distinction between the Avants' predicament and hers, saying she's still here ... highlighting just how dangerous the whole thing was.

Pele is hospitalized in Brazil -- where the soccer legend is undergoing chemotherapy treatments -- this months after the soccer G.O.A.T. found out he had colon cancer.

The 81-year-old FIFA "Player Of The Century" is receiving chemo at Sao Paolo Hospital Albert Einstein, the hospital and Pele's assistant announced this week, in an effort to treat cancer found during a routine exam in September.

After the diagnosis, the former footballer underwent surgery to remove a tumor in September, spending nearly a month in the hospital. At the time, the hospital said Pele would require chemotherapy.

So, nothing unexpected ... and the hospital says the plan is to discharge Pele -- who is in stable condition -- in the next few days.

Despite the health conditions, Pele has continued to keep a positive attitude.

“When the path is difficult, celebrate each step of the journey,” he wrote on Instagram during his last hospital stay.

“Focus on your happiness. It’s true that I can’t jump anymore, but these past few days, I’ve been punching the air more times than usual.”

As for Pele the player, many people consider him to be the greatest soccer player of all time. He is the only male to win the World Cup three times ... leading Brazil to their first title in 1958.

And, he is also the country's all-time leading international scorer with 77 goals and scored more than 1,000 in his entire playing career before retiring in 1977.

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan is getting an early Christmas gift this year ... the WWE legend announced that he's officially cancer free after his bout with prostate cancer!!

"I just wanna share the great news I just received," Hacksaw said Wednesday, "That my cancer is all encapsulated inside my prostate."

"Thank God, I'm officially cancer free."

Hacksaw says doctors performed tests on his bones, lymph nodes, and the surrounding tissue ... and once everything came out clear, they officially declared him cancer free.

Back in October, the Hall of Famer was hospitalized to undergo a procedure that would try to eradicate the disease. Duggan and his wife, Debra, opened up about how he had been battling the disease for months.

67-yeard-old Duggan went down to South Carolina to have his surgery ... and, fortunately for him, his family said everything went as planned and he was recovering and resting comfortably.

This isn't the first time Jim has battled health problems ... 20 years ago, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. In 2018, he spent time in the ICU suffering from heart issues.

"This is my second bout with cancer," Duggan said. "Twenty years ago, I had kidney cancer. Now prostate cancer."

In light of his recent experience, Jim encouraged people to stay on top of their health ... saying ... "Folks remember, early detection saves lives."

Jussie Smollett was clearly good pals with the Osundairo brothers -- or at least one of them, as evidenced by these photos showing them hanging out several times in the months before the alleged attack.

TMZ got a hold of photos showing Jussie and one of the O bros in friendly settings on at least 3 separate occasions -- all before Jan. 29, 2019, when JS claims he was attacked by Ola and Abel (Bola) Osundairo.

One pic shows Jussie with Bola mere days before the incident -- they were together, with a third guy, at the Electric Hotel in Chicago on Jan. 19, 2019 ... and everyone looked chummy.

Another shot shows Bola and Jussie yet again, this time on Sept. 28, 2018, when they hit up LiqrBox. They also recorded a video together while in the Chicago hotspot.

There's yet another photo of Jussie and Bola from July 2018 at Joy District Chicago.

Interestingly, Bola's brother, Ola, isn't in any of the pics. Jussie testified this week Ola weirded him out as he got to know both of them.

Of course, Jussie also testified he and Bola had gotten intimate at a bathhouse, and even made out a few times. Bola denied he'd ever been in a relationship with Jussie.

Ultimately, the jury will have to decide who to believe -- the brothers or Jussie -- when it comes to almost every aspect of their interactions. If they buy Jussie's version more than the Osundairos, he's got a good shot at acquittal.

Tiger Woods is back ... the golf legend has just committed to playing again nearly 10 months after his car crash -- officially signing up for next week's PNC Championship with his son.

The event will take place beginning on Dec. 16 in Orlando, Florida ... and it's a huge deal -- considering it'll be the first time Woods has competed on the course since he horrifically broke his leg in a Feb. 23 car crash.

As we previously reported, Woods suffered comminuted open fractures in his right leg -- and he said last week the injuries were so bad, amputation was a very real possibility.

But, Tiger's made huge strides in his comeback -- swinging his golf clubs regularly ... and now, he clearly feels he's ready to compete in a tournament.

While the PNC Championship is certainly not the Masters -- it's still a 36-hole event that'll pit Tiger and his son, Charlie Woods, against some of the biggest names in golf -- including John Daly, Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson.

"Although it’s been a long and challenging year," Woods said of his impending return, "I am very excited to close it out by competing in the PNC Championship with my son Charlie. I'm playing as a Dad and couldn't be more excited and proud."

Alex 'A-Rod' Rodriguez just unloaded one of his Miami properties for $6.3 million ... a price point that qualifies as the highest recorded lot sale ever in the area.

The home, located in the Design District, has plenty of backyard space -- with a pool and grilling area -- and inside has 3 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms ... and a modest (at least for A-Rod) 3k-sq-ft of living space.

As you can see in the photos, the pad is just steps away from the water... but this sort of thing isn't new to A-Rod, who has lived in Miami for years.

The former MLB slugger made a nice return on the property, considering he bought it for $5.5 million back in March, he was represented by his sister and agent Arlene Susy Dunand of Coldwell Banker ... the buyer was repped by Compass agent Julianna Castro.

A-rod owns multiple luxurious homes in the Miami area ... last year, he and his now-ex J Lo bought a Massive $40 mil waterfront estate on Star island -- the super-exclusive, super-expensive area for celebs and business tycoons.

Serena Williams will not be playing in next month's Australian Open tournament 'cause she isn't physically healthy enough, with the tennis G.O.A.T. explaining she's "not where she needs to be physically."

"Following the advice of my medical team, I have decided to withdraw from this year's Australian Open," Williams said in a statement.

"While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete," Williams said.

"Melbourne is one of my favorite cities to visit and I look forward to playing at the AO every year. I will miss seeing the fans, but am excited to return and compete at my highest level."

FYI, the Australian Open -- one of the sports 4 major tourneys -- goes down in late January in Melbourne Park. Serena has won the tournament 7 times.

The Australian Open tweeted out support for the tennis legend, writing ... "All our love, @serenawilliams. Come back stronger 💪 #AusOpen."

This latest announcement from Serena comes just months after she withdrew from the U.S. Open ... so she could nurse a hamstring injury she sustained at Wimbledon.

Williams -- who holds more grand slam titles (23) than any other active player -- needs one more victory to tie Margaret Court's record (24) ... and two more to pass her.

Kim Kardashian took home the Fashion Award at the 2021 People's Choice Awards last night ... and she thanked her ex, Ye ... YAY!!!

Last year's winner, Tracee Ellis Ross, presented the award to KK, who wore a skin-tight black jumpsuit, gloves and sunglasses -- as she sauntered down a long runway to accept.

The Kardashian was full of gratitude and said she felt honored to receive the award from Tracee. But, the nod to her estranged husband, Kanye, was by far the most interesting moment.

Kim said she felt inspired by so many people. But, she made sure to give her ex all his flowers ... "To Kanye," she said, "for really introducing me to the fashion world"

Kim explained she started off as a closet organizer and a stylist, so getting the honor felt like a "pinch-me moment" ... "I fell in love with fashion and I'm so inspired by so many people but again, this is like a dream that I get to wake up and wear these amazing clothes and try new things and take a risk."

It's pretty amazing ... Kim went from working behind the counter at the Dash store to launching her shapewear brand, Skims, which was valued at over $1 billion. And, of course, there's her beauty brands -- KKW BEAUTY and KKW Fragrance.

Balenciaga is clearly her thing ... you'll recall her all-black jumpsuit, gloves, and long pleated train that covered her from head to toe at the MET Gala -- yes, even her face.

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas -- a very smoky one -- after someone torched the tree outside the FOX News building ... and cops already have a suspect in custody.

NYPD arrested a homeless man they believe acted alone in setting the 50-foot tree ablaze early Wednesday morning. No one was injured, and FDNY put out the fire pretty quickly, still ... we're told smoke filled the office building.

The tree had been decorated with 10,000 ornaments, and its 100,000 lights were just turned on Sunday during an on-air lighting ceremony.

The flames damaged three other nearby trees decorated with Christmas lights ... but luckily, there were no injuries reported.

Crews are already taking down what's left of the burned-out tree, and FOX has plans to install and decorate a new one ASAP.

Not today, Grinch ... not today!!!

Forget popcorn and beer, Ben Affleck got a side of Jennifer Lopez at the Lakers game on Tuesday ... with the Oscar winner getting some serious PDA from J Lo all night in front of LeBron James!

Ben and Jen sat courtside for L.A.'s tilt with the Boston Celtics at Staples Center ... and cameras caught them getting cozy throughout the evening.

Early in the game, the two were seen on the broadcast cameras -- with J Lo holding Ben's hand while LeBron was just feet away playing on the hardwood.

In the middle of the game, the couple was spotted on the jumbotron, and their flirtatious convo was viewed by everyone in the venue's packed crowd.

And, after the game, J Lo was seen wrapping her arms around Ben, snuggling her man as everyone filed out of the venue where the PDA continued at an event sponsored by PrettyLittleThing.

Of course, it was all lovey-dovey ... but Ben didn't exactly get to go home super pleased -- his beloved Celtics were blown out by LBJ and the Lakers, 117-102.

If you're a white-knuckle flyer ... DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO!!!

A plane made a terrifying landing in England during an epic storm ... and the armrests now almost certainly have permanent indentations.

The plane was attempting to land at the Manchester Airport Tuesday ... as winds from Storm Barra seem to rip in every direction around the runway.

The plane was battered by crosswinds as the pilot tried touching down. The plane at times goes perpendicular to the runway as the pilot struggles ... seemingly in vain.

You gotta wonder ... why didn't the pilot abort the landing? The answer may be this was the least bad option, because if the pilot aborted the plane would be in the same predicament and maybe worse.

It seemed the pilot was running out of runway ... moving almost uncontrollably for too long, but good news ... somehow the plane landed.