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MLB fans freaking out over their teams' new jerseys can take a chill pill ... 'cause Eric Hosmer tells TMZ Sports that even though they don't look so hot right now, he's sure the league will get it fixed by Opening Day.

The uniforms have been widely criticized by seamheads and even players all over the country after they were debuted earlier this month out at spring training.

Many have noted the new Nike designs have some serious flaws -- namely, the lettering on the back is too small and the positioning of some of the logos just doesn't feel right.

Plus, diehards have hated the way the pants have appeared to be see-through.

When we spoke with Hosmer about the hot-button topic this week ... he said he understood fans' concerns, admitting the jerseys do look "a little bit" like knockoffs. But, he added that he's almost positive changes will occur before Week 1.

"There's no doubt in my mind that they'll get it right before Opening Day," he said. "And those guys will be looking like Big Leaguers come April 1 -- whenever the first game is."

The former World Series champ also spoke with us about Shohei Ohtani's new, massive Dodgers contract -- and he gave us his prediction for who he thinks will be the toughest team to beat in 2024.

As for what he's up to now after officially retiring earlier this week ... he's started his own sports media company with his former teammate, Anthony Seratelli, called "MoonBall Media."

We're finally at the finish line in the week at TMZ -- but our TV topics are only ramping up.

BANNER

Starting on 'TMZ Live,' Harvey and Michael talked about a tough subject in the tragic diagnosis of Wendy Williams -- namely, the fact she now has aphasia and dementia.

Amid a lot of rumors and speculation -- not to mention a new documentary from Lifetime chronicling Wendy's recent struggles -- her team came out this week with the heavy news ... and safe to say, Wendy fans everywhere are expressing their well-wishes at this time.

On 'TMZ on TV,' the gang talked about Taylor Swift's latest trip to the Sydney Zoo -- only this time she had Travis Kelce with her ... this after a long flight all the way across the world.

She'd scoped the place out just the day prior ... so yeah, she was playing tour guide here.

Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' Babcock and Mojo talked Adrian Peterson's claims about his trophies.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Before this Los Angeles native sittin' on her Dad's lap turned into an actress, she was just hittin' the beautiful beaches of sunny California before making her big television debut in "Buffy The Vampire Slayer".

Growing up in a showbiz family, she made her own name for herself in the early 2000's -- playing an Orange County high schooler with a boyfriend named Seth! Oh, and she's got a heart of gold Dixie!

When she's not a doting mother to her daughter, she tends to share her Broad Ideas with listeners.

Need one more clue ... maybe hang around until it's Summer!

Much has been made about Beyoncé pivoting into country music -- good and bad -- but the Queen of Country just weighed in ... and Dolly Parton's welcoming her with open arms.

The legendary singer -- who's been a staple in the genre for decades -- just posted a sweet tribute to Bey with a congratulations message over her hitting #1 on Billboard's Hot Country chart ... and she seems to be extending even more of a cosign here too.

She writes, "I'm a big fan of Beyoncé and very excited that she's done a country album. So congratulations on your Billboard Hot County number one single. Can't wait to hear the full album!" Dolly captioned her post with a heart for good measure ... yeah, it's all love.

If there was ever someone in country you could want to hear from on this issue -- it's Dolly ... who's cemented her legacy, and who most certainly can speak on the community at large.

The fact she's out here singing Bey's praises speaks volumes ... and should quiet the haters.

Just about every major country star has been enthused about Beyoncé coming into the fold with them ... and even other Black country musicians have spoken out about this too.

Darius Rucker just talked to a photog the other day and said he also couldn't wait to hear what Beyoncé had in store for 'Act II' ... and he even went so far as to say he hoped it snagged her the long-elusive Album of the Year Grammy that she hasn't been able to lock down yet.

As for Bey ... well, she's let the music do the talking -- everyone seems to be loving "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages" ... especially the former, which is the song that's #1 right now.

There was some controversy when it first dropped last week ... as some felt certain radio stations were going out of their way to keep Beyoncé's tune out of the rotation on the air.

Perhaps that was happening at some stations ... but others appeared to be unfairly targeted.

Bianca Censori is once again showing off her assets at Kanye West's latest listening party for his new album ... only this time, it's not just her bod on display -- it's her new 'do.

Ye's wife switched up her look big time for Thursday's "Vultures" event over in Italy ... it's the first time we've seen her rocking bangs since she's been with Kanye -- usually, her hair is slicked back, or just short and messy. Here, however, it's very "Amelie"-like.

Bianca's not getting away from her bread and butter despite the new 'do ... namely, she's once again showing off her curves in yet another eye-popping outfit -- which is kinda her M.O. these days.

Check out this video that's circulating online -- her breasts and butt are totally visible in the see-through getup she's got on ... and, per usual, she has no shame in her game.

FWIW, this ain't the first time she's worn something like this ... we've seen her in a similar fit, albeit that one was white.

Anyway, with what she's wearing ... you might've not even noticed what she was actually doing here -- look again, she's recording her hubby as he belts out his new tunes to the Italian crowd, and it seems she's even singing along with the Backstreet Boys-inspired track.

If you're wondering what Ye and co. are even doing over in Europe (again) -- they're out there promoting his new "Vultures" album with a bunch of listening events/concerts, it seems. He tried doing a couple here ... but said he was having trouble booking venues.

The first listening party is going down right now in Milan, and there's another one on tap for Saturday in Bologna ... before Kanye leaves Italy and heads to France for a Sunday event in Paris. It would appear Western Europe has been more receptive to him than the States.

Nonetheless, the place looks pretty rocking tonight ... and Bianca's having a good time supporting her man -- just as she has been for the past year or so they've been an item.

Say what you want about her ... but she's had Kanye's back through thick and thin -- and he certainly seems smitten with her too. They dress pretty funky ... but hey, they're in love.

And despite controversy, Ye continues to carry on ... "Vultures" has actually performed pretty decently for him -- so on its face, you could argue he feels like he's "back."

Whether that's actually true or not ... well, depends on who you ask, we suppose.

The man tragically killed by pit bulls in Compton might've been able to avoid death if he'd followed some helpful techniques ... this according to a big-time local breeder, that is.

ICYMI ... a dog owner was mauled to death by his own pit bulls in Compton, California, last Thursday, though his body wasn't discovered -- bloody and lying in his backyard -- until Friday.

Big Gemini Kennels -- a popular pit breeder with a huge following in the Los Angeles dog community and no association to the mauling -- tells TMZ ... the victim of this horrible incident appears to have perhaps taken on more than he could handle by trying to herd so many dogs together. That's BGK's view here, anyway.

Big Gemini tells us they feel like trying to manage 13 dogs -- even with some of them being puppies -- is just far too many. Not just that, but reports from the County that this man appeared to be feeding all the dogs when he died stands out as another red flag to BGK.

We're told that giving them food like all at once may have exacerbated the issue ... and maybe even sent the dogs into a frenzy.

It should be noted ... Big Gemini doesn't have all the info investigators do and is basing their findings on news reports and other publicly available info. With that said, the company's pretty sure there were a few dogs too many here with all of them running around the property when the body was found.

BGK tells us feeding so many dogs at once can lead to heightened food aggression ... and they theorize two adult dogs were probably fighting over some chow when the breeder tried to break things up. At that point ... they suspect all the dogs might've turned on him.

Instead of housing all the dogs in one location in his backyard --- among a variety of kennels -- Big Gemini Kennels says this man should have considered splitting the pups up ... feeding just two or three at a time instead of all 13.

The dogs have since been euthanized ... a move Big Gemini says is necessary because they could have gone on to attack their future families. FWIW ... BGK tells us they believe the puppies could have been rehabilitated ... but they also note, it might've not been worth the risk of these dogs hurting another person. That's how L.A. County felt about it.

Big Gemini goes on to tell us people have been asking about the risks of pit bulls attacking people in the aftermath of this viral new story ... but they emphasize people should fear people more than the dogs themselves -- as they note, it's all about how the dogs are raised.

Wendy Williams' guardian just filed a lawsuit against Lifetime's parent company -- and the timing is nothing short of suspicious, 'cause there's a doc about her from them coming out.

A woman named Sabrina Morrissey -- who says she's acting in her capacity as temporary guardian of W.W.H. (presumably Wendy Williams Hunter) -- just filed suit against A&E Television Networks, but she did it under seal ... meaning the public can't peep what exactly she's running to court for.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, there are a few clues that could indicate what this might be about ... and all signs seem to point to some connection with the 'Where is Wendy Williams' 2-part doc that's dropping Saturday.

Morrissey is also seeking a temporary restraining order in her action -- again, that's often the mechanism used when someone wants a judge to step in and halt the release of a film or television project. Considering the doc's release date is just a couple days away ... that would make sense, although it's impossible to tell for sure with the docs being under seal.

Now, what's interesting in the docs here is that the judge actually ordered all the docs to remain temporarily under seal -- and set a hearing date for next week to determine whether they should stay that way as the case plays out.

Of course, the Wendy doc drops this weekend ... and while the hearing on the sealing issue falls after the release date -- it's possible the court will rule on the merits of what Morrissey's asking for ... namely, injunctive relief against A&E -- while the docs are temporarily sealed. No word yet on a ruling on that front.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Sydney Zoo date was cute and all ... but PETA says they should've been mindful of how the animals are treated/handled in this type of environment.

Debbie Metzler --  PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Welfare -- uses Taylor's own song against her to make her point ... telling TMZ, "While we understand all too well the appeal of seeing Australia's wildlife, PETA hopes that next time Taylor and Travis want to see wild animals, they'll spend their time and money at a true sanctuary."

They add that a sanctuary is a better choice 'cause visitors aren't allowed to feed/touch the animals there ... in fact, they're required to keep a respectful distance from them altogether. The zoo there, on the other hand, apparently lets you get hands-on with the wildlife.

Of course, Traylor was doing one of the things PETA advised not to do ... namely, feeding a kangaroo at Sydney Zoo while also checking out a bunch of other animal exhibitions.

The lovebirds were like two kids in a candy store ... enjoying their time at the attraction during their first Sydney reunion date. However, Taylor seems to have known they'd have a blast there -- as she'd already scoped out the place earlier the previous day.

Of course, the pair are just trying to pack in as much time together as possible before Tay Tay gets busy with her final 4 Sydney concerts -- but on this animal adventure specifically, PETA clearly disapproves.

For next time, Taylor and Travis might want to take PETA's advice and head to a local animal sanctuary on their next date ... that is, if they actually care what the org thinks about it.

As you're probably well aware -- PETA tends to sound off on any and all celebs who they feel are acting inappropriately as it pertains to animals/animal rights -- and here ... they're saying Taylor and Travis should've considered a better option for sightseeing.

Can't please everyone. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Andy Cohen just responded to Brandi's claim about the video she says he sent her -- and he now says she's blowing it out of proportion.

He writes, "The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke.  That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize."

Brandi Glanville is putting Bravo's parent company and others on notice that she's prepared to take them to court over this whole 'Girls Trip' drama she's been roped into ... and lays out her grievances in no uncertain terms in a letter that her attorneys just fired off.

The 'Real Housewives' star has lawyered up with the likes of Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman -- big shot lawyers in Hollywood -- and they sent NBCUniversal a demand letter Thursday that threatens a lawsuit on behalf of their client ... and they're telling the network to preserve all potential evidence as Brandi prepares for what could be a messy legal battle.

The letter, obtained by TMZ, spells out exactly why Brandi is considering suing here -- and according to her legal team ... she feels like she's been chewed up and spit out by Bravo and all other parties involved in producing and airing a show that makes them millions.

They're strong, writing ... "Over the past year, Ms. Glanville has been subjected to a vicious media campaign based on false allegations of sexual misconduct. The false narrative, which NBC and Shed Media have apparently decided to foment, arises from Ms. Glanville’s experience on 'Ultimate Girls Trip: Morocco.'"

Her attorneys add ... "While the experience has been a nightmare for Ms. Glanville, it is far from the first time Ms. Glanville has been used and abused by NBC, Bravo, Warner Bros., and Shed Media. Indeed, Ms. Glanville has long been taken advantage of by the institutions with which she is indelibly tied personally, professionally, financially, and in the public mind."

Brandi's lawyers claim that while she's been loyal to NBCU over the years ... she's only received mistreatment in return -- including this latest saga with fellow 'Housewife' Caroline Manzo, who recently sued Bravo claiming she was the victim of sexual misconduct from Brandi during the filming of 'Girls Trip: Morocco,' but BG defends herself here.

Long story short ... Brandi's attorneys say that Caroline's narrative of being forcibly kissed and groped by Brandi during the filming of that show was actually consensual -- with Brandi's team claiming Caroline was inviting that sort of behavior, which she also alleges was facilitated and even encouraged by producers during the filming.

There's another salacious allegation that Brandi's attorneys float in this letter they sent -- evidence for which is not attached in their correspondence -- that invokes the name of Andy Cohen.

Brandi's team claims that in 2022, Andy subjected Brandi to sexual harassment by sending her a video -- one in which she claims he boasted of his intent to sleep with another Bravo star that night ... and allegedly inviting her to watch it all via Facetime.

Her attorneys characterize her role in all this one of a "sacrificial lamb," and they say Brandi isn't going to take it anymore ... so she's telling Bravo and co. to get ready to go to battle.

She hasn't sued just yet ... but it sounds like she's ready to go to war if they can't resolve things outside of court. We've reached out to NBCU for comment ... so far, no word back.

Mel Gibson was on the shortlist for the leading role in "Schindler's List" ... but despite his interest, the director was never going to pick him.

When the producers were casting the lead role in the iconic 1993 movie, Mel's name came up ... according to Hollywood agent and CAA co-founder Michael Ovitz, who helped make the film.

Ovitz told The Hollywood Reporter Mel was interested in the project and his agent tried to land him the part ... but he says director Steven Spielberg was looking for a "non-movie" star as his leading man.

Mel was, and still is, a huge name in Hollywood ... and by 1993 he had just starred in his third 'Lethal Weapon' movie ... and already had a bunch of popular credits to his name.

Ultimately, Liam Neeson was cast as Oskar Schindler ... and he helped the film win 7 Oscars at the 1994 award show, including Best Picture.

The irony here ... we first reported on Mel's racist and antisemitic comments during his 2006 DUI arrest. So it's wild that he was considered for this film back then -- which is obviously all about the Holocaust.

Jack Harlow's currently dominating the Billboard Hot 100 -- but says the real celeb is his pet pooch ... and he's got a tight leash on the animal's true identity, which he won't reveal.

We shot the breeze with JH in Bev. Hills this week as the Kentucky-born rapper's hit is killing the charts -- his "Lovin On Me" smash hit returned to #1 for the sixth time this week ... and Jack humbly tells us he's currently the act to beat in the rap game.

He totally has the motion to back it up ... his cameo in Ben Affleck's star-studded Dunkin Donuts ad earned high marks on Super Bowl Sunday -- allowing for all the exclusive merch to sell out in minutes!!!

Jack says Ben's relatability made shooting the spot easy-peasy... apparently, they gelled through their connection as actors -- something JH says he appreciated as they collab'd.

Jack's clearly not running from the limelight but when we asked his dog's name, he refused to give it to us ... out of respect for her privacy!!! Aww ... 🥰

The adorable doggy helped JH sell the single to the masses -- he used the doggo in promoting it -- but we respect the insistence on secrecy all the same. Dogs have rights too, dammit!

Nobody knows her name at this point ... and it sounds like Jack's keeping it that way.

One last thing that was kinda funny about this ... we're not 100% sure, but it looks like Jack's pup here might've left a little mess behind. Hard to tell for certain if the crap came from his dog -- it looks a little big for that small thing if we're being honest -- but there it lay.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed's manslaughter trial kicked off Thursday, and both the prosecution and defense have revealed their hands for the court battle ... with the prosecution laying the blame squarely on HGR while the defense is pointing to a broader institutional failure.

The "Rust" armorer -- who was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins -- appeared in a New Mexico court, and the opening statements took place not long ago.

The prosecution started the whole trial by first saying they believe it was Gutierrez-Reed's fault the live round that killed Hutchins ended up on set in the first place.

Prosecutors say Hannah didn't always adhere to safety protocols on set ... for example, they claim she didn't offer to show the actors the rounds inside the weapon or have the gun inspected in front of them -- a protocol prosecutors insist she was supposed to follow.

Hannah not following protocols was common on set according to the prosecution, which claims they'll provide several witnesses who will testify about Gutierrez-Reed not adequately performing her duties.

They say she regularly left guns and ammo just lying around the set ... and even allowed live ammo to make its way on set. They even claim Hannah couldn't recognize a live round when it was sitting in her lap.

In Hannah's defense, her lawyers say she was tasked with multiple jobs on set when she was just 24 -- both armorer and prop assistant -- which was a lot to ask her to do. Her team claims Hannah's age and relative anonymity make her an ideal scapegoat for the tragedy.

And, they're also saying she did her job well ... noting she even asked the production manager for more armorer days -- because she was splitting time between jobs and wanted to focus on her responsibilities in that domain. Her lawyers say her request was ultimately denied by the production.

In addition, the defense says OSHA -- a government agency in charge of health and safety for workplaces -- found numerous mistakes in the production overall that can't just be pinned on Reed individually. The defense added OSHA fined the production ... a fine they say was one of the largest in New Mexico's history.

Alec Baldwin was also mentioned ... with Hannah's layers saying he violated the most basic gun safety rule -- don't point a gun at someone unless you want to shoot them. They say he either had his finger on the trigger or pulled it ... but either way, it wasn't Hannah's fault.

The trial's supposed to run through March 8 ... filled with what we imagine will be a ton of twists and turns.

Hollywood is collectively saying "howdy" to cowboy hats ... hopping on a trend that's being fueled by Beyoncé's transition to country music.

With Queen B playing some poker on the charts, celebs lately are going full country ... and busting out their Western wear ... particularly above the shoulders. Kim Kardashian, Pharrell Williams, Diplo and Bella Hadid are among the stars being lassoed in to this latest look.

Of course, the poster child for the cowboy hat resurgence is Beyoncé. She's been rocking these 10-gallon hats a lot in recent months ... and we gotta say, she wears them well.

Bey incorporated the look into her "Renaissance" tour, but it's really catching fire now that she's galloping into country with two new songs ... "Texas Hold 'Em" and "16 Carriages."

Some celebs are really going all in, like "Selling Sunset" stars Emma Hernan, Chelsea Lazkani and Chrishell Stause ... pairing their cowboy hats with cowboy boots and chaps, plus a riding bull to boot!!! Safe to say, the cowboy/cowgirl look is all the rage.

Madonna brought out a special guest for her concert north of the border, playing to the crowd with a fan favorite and national treasure ... none other than Pamela Anderson!!!

Madonna was performing in front of a sold-out crowd Wednesday night at Rogers Arena in Vancouver -- when Pamela, the hometown hero, joined her onstage.

The two icons hugged and kissed on the cheek before sitting down together for Madonna's hit song, "Vogue." TMZ has it all on video ... Pamela and Madonna act as judges as models turn the stage into a runway, strutting their stuff and striking a pose in front of them.

As you can see, Pamela and Madonna are holding up scorecards as they judge the fake pageant on stage ... and it's mostly 10s across the board.

Madonna's obviously in full hair and makeup for her "Celebration" tour, but Pamela was fresh-faced and au naturel ... hey, no complaints here!!! BTW, this all-natural look is actually something Pam has been rockin' a lot lately -- it's kind of her new thing, in fact.

She's got a new skincare line out called Sonsie ... and the whole idea here about her products is that it's all about promoting minimalist beauty -- something PA is sticking to out in public. She's not wearing any makeup these days ... even when she's next to Madge!

Kelly Rowland is passing on an opportunity to explain exactly what happened on the "Today" show ... and as she makes clear here, she only wants to discuss her new movie.

The singer was directly asked about her recent "Today" controversy during an interview Wednesday with WGN News in Chicago -- where she was plugging her upcoming movie, "Mea Culpa" ... and based on this alone, you can tell she ain't gonna spill the beans.

The news anchor asks Kelly if she can clear up what happened on "Today" -- because, as he notes, there's all these different reasons out there as to why she bailed on cohosting the show. Remember, some suggested she was actually peeved over Beyoncé questions.

Anyway, Kelly sticks to her guns here ... and kinda dug her heels in on refusing to talk about it -- and we'll be honest, it's kinda awkward. Check it out ... she says straight up, nah.

Kelly explains that she's not going to talk about it because she wants to keep the spotlight on her new Netflix film ... though she does say she loves the "Today" show and Hoda Kotb.

Like we said ... it's bizarre that continues to refuse to just address the elephant in the room. In fact, you could argue that her trying to ignore it is only making the legend grow -- and at this point, it seems to be all anyone wants to talk about ... even though she insists on just promoting. On its face, her strategy seems to be backfiring ... but she's not cluing into this.

While Kelly's not getting into the deets -- we did get to the bottom of this ourselves ... as we first told you, the true reason why she bolted from the "Today" set was, in fact, the dressing room thing. Namely, her not being satisfied with NBC's rinky-dink rooms to get prepped.

Some have accused her of being a diva -- but Hoda and co. appear to be falling on the sword for Kelly ... profusely apologizing and begging her to come back, while also publicly acknowledging their dressing rooms do actually suck. It's been a little cringe to watch, TBH.

Of course, Hoda and them have since invited Kelly back ... and they're hoping for a whole do-over, with refurbished and upgraded dressing rooms ready for the Destiny's Child alum.

Based on what Kelly's saying here ... it sounds like she might, perhaps, take 'em up on it.

Bobbi Althoff says she and her estranged husband have settled their divorce just weeks after news of their filing broke -- and yes, it was pretty freaking fast.

According to court docs, obtained by TMZ ... Bobbi claims she and Cory Althoff have "reached a global marital settlement agreement" and have resolved any issues related to property rights.

BA asked for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's two children, but there are no further details about the settlement in the docs. She also checked the box requesting they pay their own attorney's fees.

Remember ... Cory filed for divorce earlier this month after about four years of marriage.

They both cited irreconcilable differences, asked for joint legal and physical custody, and wanted to block the court's ability to award spousal support.

Seems like the exes are on the same page ... a somewhat rare sight in Hollywood divorces. But, it makes sense given the reasons we're hearing the couple decided to call it quits.

Sources told us Bobbi's fame didn't jibe with Cory's desire to live a more normal, low-key kinda life. We were also told the split had nothing to do with cheating allegations that blew up after Bobbi interviewed Drake while lying in bed together.

While their divorce isn't finalized -- a judge has yet to sign off -- it seems it's only a matter of time before it becomes official.