Cops: Johnny Gaudreau Alleged Killer Admitted To Having '5-6 Beers' ... Before Fatal Crash

The man accused of killing NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother with his car on Thursday night admitted to authorities he drank "5-6 beers" before getting behind the wheel ... this according to court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports.

In the docs, cops say 43-year-old Sean Higgins admitted to officers he slammed his Jeep Grand Cherokee into the backs of the Gaudreau brothers -- who were on bicycles -- on a rural road in Salem County, New Jersey at around 8 PM.

Cops say Higgins told them he was attempting to get around an SUV on its left ... but when he thought the vehicle made a move to block him from passing -- he pivoted to try to get by it on its right. Seconds later, he collided with the brothers ... causing fatal injuries.

Artem Chigvintsev Called 911 Himself After Alleged Altercation ... Then Called 911 Off

Update

8:25 AM PT -- Nikki Bella's rep tells TMZ, "This is a private matter, and Nikki asks for privacy for her and her family at this time."

Artem Chigvintsev -- now accused of felony domestic violence -- himself called 911 after he allegedly battered someone in his home ... and minutes later he called back and told 911 never mind ... TMZ has learned.

As TMZ reported, Artem was arrested Thursday morning in Napa, California, where he lives with his wife, Nikki Garcia (aka Nikki Bella).

NHL Star Johnny Gaudreau Killed Hours Before Sister's Wedding

UPDATE

7:17 AM PT -- A church official tells TMZ Sports ... Katie Gaudreau and Devin Joyce's wedding has been canceled in wake of the tragedy.

NHL superstar Johnny Gaudreau and his little brother, Matthew, died just hours before their sister was set to get married.

Katie Gaudreau and Devin Joyce were scheduled to the tie the knot at a ceremony at 1:45 PM on Friday at a church in New Jersey. According to Katie's Instagram page, the couple had actually rehearsed the event on Thursday night -- just before the Gaudreau brothers were tragically killed.

Leah Remini Files For Divorce ... No Lawyer, Just Like Former Pal J Lo

Leah Remini's officially filed to divorce her husband ... and, it looks like she's taking cues from her on-again, off-again friend Jennifer Lopez -- 'cause she did it sans lawyer.

The actress filed the documents late Thursday night ... citing irreconcilable differences as the reason she and Angelo Pagán are calling it quits after more than 2 decades of marriage.

LR listed the date of separation as August 1 and checked the box to block the court's ability to award either of them spousal support. While the 2 share a daughter, Sofia, she turned 20 in June ... so no question of child support.

WOMAN & BABY RUN OVER BY Motorcycle in Brazil Caught on Video

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HIGH-SPEED IMPACT

A woman and her baby were horrifyingly run over by a motorcycle in Brazil ... and the shocking incident was caught on surveillance video.

Watch with caution ... the footage captures a delivery guy on a speeding motorbike flying around a corner, jumping the curb onto the sidewalk and losing control -- violently slamming into a woman and her baby in the northern city of Manaus Wednesday night.

The severe impact smashes the mother and baby into a wall outside a market.

Patrick Mahomes Taylor Swift Loves Football ... 'She's Drawing Up Plays!'

The Kansas City Chiefs are going into the 2024 NFL season with a secret weapon ... offensive mastermind, Taylor Swift!

3x Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes recently opened up about T. Swift's affinity for football, joking (we think?!) that she's even designing plays.

“She’s really interested in football. She asks many great questions,” the 2x NFL MVP recently said during an interview with NBC Sports. “She’s already drawing up plays, so we might have to put one in.”

YOLANDA HADID I Got Roped By My Cowboy BF, and Now We're Engaged!!!

Yolanda Hadid is going all-in with her cowboy boo, Joseph Jingoli -- they’re officially engaged and ready to giddy-up into forever!

The cat’s out of the bag thanks to an Architectural Digest profile of her Texas ranch, referring to Joseph as her fiancé ... and Yolanda later confirmed he popped the question in her native Holland 2 years earlier.

Yolanda met Joseph, a construction CEO, in Pennsylvania back in 2017, right after she moved there and bought a farm ... and he swept her off to a horse show in Fort Worth, Texas for their first date.

Disney World's Magic Kingdom Popping Noise Leads to Frantic Stampede

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the aftermath
X/ @anxrosa

A fight at Disney World's Magic Kingdom Thursday triggered chaos ... after panicked patrons called cops to report what they believed was a shooting.

The video shows the aftermath .... debris littered everywhere, with chairs knocked over and toys and merch scattered -- after a mass of terrified people piled into a shop after a loud popping noise went off in the park.

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CONTROLLING THE CROWDS
X/@fernuchiis/@vertesei

Watch the video ... the crowd's cleared from the store, but the wreckage they left behind is extensive. Security handled the situation -- walking the crowd slowly out of the park to avoid a mass rush to exits.

NHL Star Johnny Gaudreau Dead At 31 ... Killed By Suspected Drunk Driver

Update

5:45 AM PT -- New Jersey State Police tell TMZ ... "Troopers responded to a motor vehicle crash at 8:19 PM on County Route 551 North, milepost 11.1 Oldmans Township, Salem County. Based on a preliminary investigation, two pedalcyclists, John M. Gaudreau, a 31-year-old male from Carneys Point, N.J., and Matthew R. Gaudreau, a 29-year-old male from Pedricktown, N.J., were traveling north on County Route 551, close to the fog line of the roadway. Sean M. Higgins, a 43-year-old male from Woodstown, N.J., was traveling north on CR 551 in a Jeep Grand Cherokee behind a sedan and SUV."

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SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT
6abc Action News

"Higgins attempted to pass the slower-moving sedan and SUV, entered the southbound lanes of travel, passed the slower-moving sedan, and attempted to re-enter the northbound lanes of travel when the SUV in front of Higgins moved to the middle of the roadway, splitting the north and south lanes to safely pass the two pedalcyclist traveling north on the right side of the roadway. Higgins then attempted to pass the SUV on the right and struck the two pedalcyclists in the rear. As a result of the collision, the two pedalcyclists sustained fatal injuries."

They concluded ... "Through further investigation, Higgins was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, charged with two counts of death by auto, and lodged in the Salem County Correctional Facility. This crash remains an active investigation, and no additional information is available."

Kamala Harris Addresses Trump's Race Comment During CNN Interview ... "Next Question, Please"

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TIRED TACTICS
CNN

Kamala Harris didn't take the bait when asked about Donald Trump's comments about her race during her CNN sit-down Thursday night ... giving a brief response before quickly moving on.

The Vice President gave her first interview since she was nominated the Democratic presidential candidate to CNN host Dana Bash – and, at one point, their convo turned to Trump – Harris' Republican rival in the 2024 election.

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DEFINE 'DEI'
NABJ

Bash set it up by saying many people would be surprised to learn Kamala has never met Trump face-to-face.

Sexy Stars In White-Hot Bikinis ... Work Hard Play Hard!

Unleash your white bikini vibes, because the ladies of Hollywood are slippin' into their sexy swimsuits. These gorgeous gals are painting the town white in their white-hot swimwear, so prepare yourself to be blinded by the white!

Kickin' off the white-out party strong, stars like Emily Ratajkowski dipped into the monochromatic vibes sittin' pretty in a white crochet bikini, Bernice Burgos got cheeky on a balcony and donned a stringy thong 'suit, and Liberty Poole from "Love Island" put in that WORK looking effortlessly chic in white!

Get hyped for the holiday weekend with our gallery of gals rockin' white-hot swimwear!

Kamala Harris Recalls Biden's Bombshell Call ... So Much For Family Time

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THE MOMENT IT ALL CHANGED
CNN

Vice President Kamala Harris is recalling the moment President Biden called her up to tell her he was dropping out of the race ... interrupting what was supposed to be a family weekend.

Harris just sat down for her first interview since becoming Democrats' choice for president ... telling CNN's Dana Bash about the phone call that turned the 2024 election on its head.

The Veep says she was having a nice Sunday with her family, cooking bacon for her nieces and getting ready to do a puzzle with her loved ones when all off a sudden the phone rang ... with Biden on the other line.

Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese Sky-High Ticket Prices ... For Rookie Rematch

If you wanna watch Caitlin Clark take on Angel Reese in-person later Friday ... ya better have some deep pockets -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned tickets prices for the big contest are SOARING.

A rep for Gametime -- an app that helps fans find last-minute tix -- tells us that as of Thursday afternoon, the average price to get into Wintrust Arena for the Indiana vs. Chicago tilt was $1,045!!!

To get a premium seat, the official says it could run you all the way up $2,013!!

Guess Who This Kid On A Boat Turned Into!

Before this blonde boy on a boat turned into an actor and was belting it out with his guitar, he was just growing up in Vancouver, British Columbia, looking after his three younger siblings and striving to be a child star!

A couple of his big movies date back to the mid-2000s including "The Seeker: The Dark Rising" with Christopher Eccleston and "Race to Witch Mountain" with Dwayne Johnson, but if you're not big on movies maybe you've heard some of his catchy country tunes like "Let Me Be Your Whiskey."

Can you guess who he is?

Leah Remini I'm Getting Divorced

Leah Remini says she and her husband are waving the white flag on their marriage ... deciding a divorce is in their best interest.

The actress announced Thursday she and her actor husband, Angelo Pagán, are getting divorced after 28 years together and 21 years of marriage.

Leah says a lot of thought and care went into their decision to pull the plug ... and she says they realized they had changed as individuals and they're tired of playing roles that don't fit them anymore.

Artem Chigvintsev Alleged Victim Cooperating ... Cops Want To Know If There's Violent History

The alleged victim in the Artem Chigvintsev domestic violence case is cooperating with police ... and we're told investigators want to see if there's a history of domestic violence here.

A rep for the Napa County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... the alleged victim has so far been open to talking with investigators, and cops want more time to speak with the person about what happened.

Cops spoke to the alleged victim when officers arrived at the scene ... where they arrested the "Dancing With The Stars" pro for felony corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant. We're told in order to make a felony arrest, the injury had to be visible.