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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick is flat-out denying he called a woman the N-word while a member of the Duke men's basketball team ... saying the interaction simply never happened.

Halleemah Nash -- an author, speaker, and Duke alum -- dropped the bombshell allegation on social media on Tuesday ... claiming, "I've only been called the N word to my face by a white man once in my life and it was on the campus of Duke University while I was doing work with the basketball team."

"And today he was named the new head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. What a world."

Chris Brown is bringing a lot to the table when it comes to his manhood -- at least that's what the internet thinks after seeing these clips of him onstage ... understandable, TBH.

CB has been on tour of late ... and during one of his recent concerts in Toronto, he was suspended in the air while singing -- with a harness hooked up around his waist/legs ... which pulled on his pants, creating an imprint near his crotch. And yes, everyone noticed.

Take a look ... Chris is up there being twirled around, but all anyone was able to focus on from down below was what was going on in his pelvic region -- namely, a massive bulge.

Comedian Aries Spears is urging Black men to drop any preconceived, homophobic notions about colonoscopies, and get the potentially lifesaving procedure done ... just like he did.

The "MADtv" alum posted an update Tuesday from his hospital bed, and revealed doctors found 2 polyps during his colonoscopy. In his caption, Aries admitted he was previously worried about the procedure ... confessing he'd rescheduled his appointment out of fear doctors would stick a massive camera up his butt.

Aries cited homophobia in the Black community as the reason more Black guys aren't getting the health screening done.

Bret "Epic" Mazur -- who formed Crazy Town with Shifty Shellshock -- talked to his late ex-bandmate a few months before he died ... and says SS seemed upbeat about the future.

We caught up with Epic Tuesday in the studio -- and he tells TMZ ... Shifty was actually stoked about making new music when they last spoke over the phone, and there was no indication Shifty was in a bad space, or going through something out of the ordinary.

TMZ broke the story ... cops are looking into Shifty's sudden death Monday as a possible fatal overdose. But based on what his former bandmate's saying here ... Seth was far from that reality.

Gayle King's continuing to stick by Justin Timberlake through his DWI drama ... slamming cancel culture for pouncing on people over one misstep, which is what she considers this.

We caught Gayle King in NYC Tuesday, and she reiterated her stance that initially caught flak -- namely, defending JT. While she doesn't condone drunk driving, which she clarified again here, she also says this doesn't make Justin a reckless or irresponsible person.

Gayle admits it was (allegedly) a huge blunder on JT's part -- but she thinks he's genuinely regretful ... even though his attorney has telegraphed a different vibe. Either way ... GK's tired of trying to cancel people so freaking quickly over single, high-profile slip-ups.

Kenya Moore is officially putting down her peach for this next season at least -- 'cause she ain't coming back to 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' ... and this could possibly turn ugly.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kenya will not return as a cast member for the rest of production for the new season (16) after she was sidelined indefinitely for allegedly unveiling sexually explicit posters of newcomer Brittany Eady seemingly performing oral sex.

Now, we're told Kenya has not been fired from 'RHOA' ... instead, we're told both sides have agreed she's just gonna take a break from the show for now. Our sources say Bravo is keeping the door open for a future return -- however, we're also told Kenya is considering legal options at this point ... because she's not happy with how this whole mess unfolded.

Guests at a Six Flags in Texas were in for an unexpected surprise after attendees found themselves in a man-made, fast-moving river ... which a kid fell into, only to be saved.

Check out this video making the rounds ... it shows several guests recently getting stuck on the Roaring Rapids ride at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington. As you can see, 4 rafts were jammed in a U formation before one of the flotations began to take on water.

The situation soon escalated ... as a handful of guests climbed onto a nearby platform for safety, with a young boy following suit by jumping from his raft ... but landing in the water.

Joy Behar says it's Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, who needs to be tested before this week's debate ... and she wants Trump hooked up to the polygraph.

We got "The View" host out Tuesday in NYC outside ABC Studios -- and our photog asked her about Trump challenging Biden to take a drug test ahead of Thursday's debate ... something DT floated in an attempt to suggest Joe is on PEDs, which is unfounded.

Trump's been attempting to fan the flames on this speculation about Joe before big public events -- but Joy's seriously downplaying those concerns ... and flipping the tables on DT.

Crazy Town frontman Shifty Shellshock's sudden death is under investigation ... and law enforcement sources tell us cops are looking into the possibility of a fatal drug overdose.

We're told police and fire responded to Shifty's L.A. area home Monday afternoon, after someone stopped by the house and found his body on the floor.

Our sources say drug paraphernalia and a lighter were found near the body ... which is why police are treating his death as a possible OD.

Gena Rowlands -- most famous from "The Notebook" -- is sadly battling Alzheimer's disease ... a heartbreaking update after she portrayed a key character with the same disease.

The actress' son and 'Notebook' director Nick Cassavetes shared the news Tuesday with Entertainment Weekly -- this while celebrating the 20th anniversary of his beloved and iconic romance flick ... which he directed and his mother starred in as Allie in old age.

NC says ... "I got my mom to play older Allie, and we spent a lot of time talking about Alzheimer's and wanting to be authentic with it, and now, for the last five years, she's had Alzheimer's. She's in full dementia. And it's so crazy -- we lived it, she acted it, and now it's on us."

Paul Mitchell's son's death remains shrouded in mystery -- because even though we now know how he died ... it's still unclear exactly what led up to it, and why.

TMZ has obtained the police report and medical examiner's report for Angus Mitchell's death case in Hawaii -- and the paperwork certainly sheds more light on what happened before AM passed away ... as well as what went into trying to save him.

According to the docs, cops say witnesses told them Angus had been partying with friends the night before he was found at the bottom of the pool at his Honolulu home ... but nobody had a clear explanation on what led up to him getting into the water and never reemerging.

WWE Hall of Famer Sika Anoa'i, the father of current WWE Superstar Roman Reigns, has died at the age of 79.

One of Anoa'i's nephews, Jahrus Anoa'i, announced the sad news on Tuesday ... writing in an Instagram post, "He was many things: a hard working father, a caring brother, a supportive uncle, and a proud grandfather."

"He was a cherished friend to many, a loving family member whose warmth and kindness knew no bounds, and an inspiration to countless individuals," Jahrus continued. "His legacy will continue to inspire and uplift future generations, reminding us of the impact one person’s life can have on so many. Rest in love Uncle Sika."

Disney ain't gonna be singing "YMCA" anytime soon -- 'cause the wife of the most famous member of the Village People is taking the entertainment behemoth to court ... alleging they blackballed the band from booking gigs at its theme parks.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Karen Willis -- the wife of Victor Willis and manager of the VP trademark for live performances -- filed suit against the Mouse House late last year for what she claims was outright hostile treatment of her hubby and another original member.

The issue all stems from a couple performances Willis says the Village People were hired for in 2018 -- when she says Disney booked 'em to do their thing at Disney World in FL.

Barack Obama's half sister was inadvertently tear-gassed during a deadly demonstration in Africa ... and it's all on video.

Auma Obama was being interviewed by CNN in the middle of Tuesday's protests in Nairobi, Kenya -- when all of a sudden, explosions could be heard in the background ... and she starts coughing and tearing up.

The ex-Prez's half sibling -- to whom he's related on his father's side -- says she can't see anymore because of tear gas in the air ... and CNN field reporter Larry Madowo starts coughing too as the street interview is forced to end.

Howard Stern has weighed in on the "Hawk Tuah" girl -- and surprisingly ... he's kinda clutching his pearls over it on behalf of dads everywhere.

The legendary radio talk show host -- who became famous as a shock jock -- talked about the viral sensation -- a young woman whose clip about performing fellatio has drawn eyeballs far and wide -- and he sounds very much like a concerned parent here.

Check it out ... HS says the appeal of this gal -- who's been ID'd as Haliey Welch -- is that she's so uninhibited ... but then, he explains why this is every father's worst nightmare.

12:10 PM PT -- A rep for Firerose tells TMZ … "Billy Ray’s story keeps evolving and this filing is simply another abusive tactic to distract away from the serious, true allegations brought against him, backed by an abundance of evidence. The only individuals supporting his false claims are those on his payroll, whose credibility is questionable."

Then went on to say ... "The audacity to question a BRCA-positive women’s [sic] decision to undergo a preventative surgery further shows the kind of cruel manipulation Firerose was subjected to. What Billy Ray fails to recognize is when you have a decades-long history of emotional and psychological abuse, people start to take notice. The truth will come to light."

Billy Ray Cyrus is pushing back against his estranged wife's claim he abandoned their marriage just one day before her scheduled double mastectomy ... telling a different story.

The country star filed a legal response to Firerose's allegations Monday ... claiming her surgery was actually scheduled for June 6 last year, not May 24 as she alleged. What's more, he alleges she set it for this date as a calculated move for her to tarnish his career by threatening to attribute their split to her double mastectomy.

He claims she said to him, "If you even think about divorcing me right now, I will tell everyone that you did it because of the double mastectomy and your career will be over."