Cuba Gooding Jr. Jussie Smollett's Prosecution Was Sensationalized 'Climate We're In'

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CHANGE IS IN THE AIR
TMZ.com

Cuba Gooding Jr. understands what Jussie Smollett went through in his ongoing ordeal with the justice system after the Illinois State Supreme Court's ruling today ... pointing out how celebrities endure sensationalized treatment in the public eye.

The controversial actor stopped by "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss Jussie Smollett's conviction being overturned today ... and, Cuba says Smollett's experience shows the climate we're in today.

Gooding adds he knows how tough it is to go into a courthouse as a celebrity ... pointing to the intense public reaction to every twist and turn of a trial before a final outcome is delivered, and in its aftermath.

Gisele Bündchen 'No Perfect Roadmap' To Life ... Amid Pregnancy

Gisele Bündchen is sharing some words of wisdom amid her pregnancy ... with the supermodel opening up on how there's "no perfect roadmap" to living a full life.

Tom Brady's ex-wife shared the motivational note on Thursday ... accompanied by a picture of her soaking in rays with a mug in hand.

The 44-year-old was clearly in the mood to inspire ... with the message being while there's no instructions on how to do it, being happy, healthy and positive is all that matters.

OnlyFans Model Elsa Thora Hey Elon, Knock Me Up On Mars ... I Want 1st Red Planet Baby

An OnlyFans model in Germany wants to make history with Elon Musk ... by giving birth to the first baby on Mars.

Elsa Thora tells TMZ ... she wants to get knocked up by Elon and pop out their child on the Red Planet.

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WOULD LOVE TO BE FIRST
TMZ.com

The social media influencer and OF model is dead serious here ... she says this isn't about clout ... she truly believes the Earth is dying and Elon is going to save humanity by colonizing Mars.

Ice Spice Livin' It Up In Dubai!

Ice Spice took a fun-filled trip all the way to the zoo -- and not just any zoo -- but all the way over in Dubai!!!

The rap star made the long journey from the U.S. to the United Arab Emirates partly to come face-to-face with a bunch of exotic animals.

Check out the photos ... for starters, Spice looks like a goddess in her powder blue gown with her long, flowing red hair.

As you can see, she feeds a bear, plays with a lion and tiger cub, poses with a snake around her neck, messes around with monkeys, and more.

You'll have to take a look-see for yourself to examine all the pics. Trust us, you won't be disappointed.

Roooaaarrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

Jax Taylor Rear-Ended Car ... No Info Exchange On Scene, Filed Insurance Claim Later

Jax Taylor hit a car in Los Angeles traffic yesterday ... admitting he got into a fender-bender and left the scene after supposedly seeing no damage to the vehicle or injuries to the people in the car.

Here's the deal ... a woman named Michelle West posted to Nextdoor Thursday morning claiming her boyfriend was stopped at a red light in Valley Village -- a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley of L.A. -- when a vehicle ran into the back of his car.

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PROVIDING NO INFO
MEGA

West says her BF chased the vehicle driven by "The Valley" star to a nearby gas station ... where a paparazzo took photos and video of a man who appears to be Jax chatting with another person in the aftermath of the accident.

Kim Kardashian Reminds Fans She's Still In Law School W/ Sultry Studious Selfie!!!

Kim Kardashian's juggling a lot -- acting gigs, her SKIMS biz, 4 kids, wild robot romances ... and still chasing her dream of becoming a lawyer.

The reality star reminded everyone she’s still in law school by dropping an IG snap Thursday of herself hitting the books -- all, of course, while looking effortlessly glam in glasses and a super low-cut bodysuit.

Kim wasn’t exactly all smiles in the pic, resting her hand on her mouth to show the legal grind is real.

Martha Stewart Pardons Her Turkeys Ahead of Thanksgiving ... Live Free or Pie!!!

Martha Stewart's turkeys will live to see another year ... the lifestyle guru has decided to skip out on Thanksgiving this year -- so, there's no need to slaughter the homegrown poultry.

The TV personality shared the big update with "TODAY" Thursday, confirming her turkeys had been "pardoned this year," as she plans to eat a vegetarian meal this year out of respect for the herbivores in her family -- in Italy.

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TURKEYS ARE SPARED!!!
NBC

While Martha proceeded to teach viewers how to make her Brioche Stuffing-Filled Roast Pumpkin, we're guessing there will be plenty of pasta on her menu, too. MS previously revealed in an interview she plans to spend Turkey Day in Rome with her grandkids ... teasing a jam-packed schedule for the 5-day excursion to the Eternal City.

Diddy Claims Feds Edited Cassie Video ... So Judge Would Deny Bail

Diddy is accusing federal prosecutors of dirty pool ... claiming they showed the judge an edited version of the Cassie beating video to make him look more dangerous than he is.

Diddy and his attorneys filed new docs ahead of his bail hearing scheduled for Friday ... accusing prosecutors of mischaracterizing and concealing critical facts, including allegedly editing the sequence of events from the March 2016 surveillance video.

They claim the government has the more complete version of that surveillance video -- presumably the version the world saw when it was released -- but, instead, tweaked the order of events to offer their "most powerful evidence of danger and obstruction."

Jessica Simpson Big Family Reunion for Nephew's BDay ... But Where's Hubby Eric???

Jessica Simpson stepped out with almost all of her relatives for a celebratory dinner ... but one family member was noticeably absent -- her husband, Eric Johnson.

Check it out ... the singer hit the town in Los Angeles Wednesday night, as she stepped out for a 16th birthday party honoring nephew Bronx at Beverly Hills hot spot Mr. Chow.

Jessica was joined by a number of her loved ones, including sister Ashlee Simpson, brother-in-law Evan Ross, ex-brother-in-law Pete Wentz, dad Joe Simpson, and mom Tina Ann Drew, among others ... so, it was eyebrow-raising when EJ was nowhere to be found.

Kacey Musgraves Sorry for My Joke, Texas ... Here's $10,000!!!

Kacey Musgraves is going above and beyond to make amends with her hometown ... dropping thousands of dollars on a scholarship fund after putting her foot in her mouth.

TMZ has confirmed ... the country singer made a donation to a scholarship fund in Golden, Texas after previously claiming her hometown was not something to "cheer for" during a concert in Canada.

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NOTHING TO CHEER FOR
Tik Tok/@iheartradioca

The singer shelled out a whopping $10K to the scholarship fund and penned a lengthy apology note on her Instagram Stories ... where she called the dig "a sarcastic, completely unserious joke."

Ellen DeGeneres & Portia de Rossi Right at Home in UK Pub ... Before Big Move Reveal!!!

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Spotted In The UK
Instagram/@thefarmersdogpub

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's big move news may've just surfaced, but it seems the couple has been settling down in the UK for some time.

The talk show legend and the actress were spotted taking in an acoustic set at a pub in the Cotswolds last week ... enjoying an intimate performance by The Corrs while visiting with singers Natalie Imbruglia and James Blunt.

Check it out ... Ellen and Portia were beaming while dressed in matching black turtlenecks, enjoying a night out at the Farmer’s Dog Pub --  which is owned by British TV personality Jeremy Clarkson.

'Gladiator II' BTS Pics From The Battleground!!!

"Gladiator II" is one of the most anticipated films of the year, with a whopping $250 million budget -- and the cast definitely found time to live it up between those epic battle scenes.

Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal, among others, were living their best lives on set in Morocco, England, and Malta -- where most of the film was shot, including the iconic Colosseum, which was recreated at Fort Ricasoli.

Clearly, it was an intense 49-day shoot, because Pedro and Paul were snapped cooling off in the ocean -- talk about a well-deserved splash break!

Texas Cops Tase Man At Dallas Airport ... Denied Boarding, Arrested

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TASED IN THE TERMINAL
Instagram/@fivestar.loss

Travel nightmare for a man flying out of Dallas ... he got shot with a Taser and arrested after being barred from boarding his flight ... and the intense police interaction is all on video.

The incident went down Wednesday night at Dallas Love Field airport, and the footage picks up with the thwarted traveler on his knees in the middle of the terminal, holding his hands up as three cops close in.

In the video, the guy hurls expletives at police ... telling them not to get near him and egging them on when one Dallas police officer pulls out his Taser.

Jussie Smollett Illinois Supreme Court Overturns Conviction

UPDATE

10:05 AM PT -- Special Prosecutor Dan K. Webb has issued a statement, saying he's disappointed with the Illinois Supreme Court decision and respectfully disagrees with overturning Jussie Smollett's criminal conviction. Webb made it clear the court's decision has nothing to do with JS' guilt or innocence and he categorically believes Smollett is guilty of perpetrating a hate crime hoax against the city of Chicago.

He also pointed out the court's ruling had nothing to do with his 2 years of work on the case because he was appointed to his special prosecution role 5 months after Cook County D.A. Kim Foxx made a plea deal with Smollett. And Webb says it was that plea agreement that led to the "unprecedented" resolution initially in the case, which was the driving factor for the Supreme Court's decision today. In other words, Webb says he did nothing wrong.

9:10 AM PT -- Jussie's attorney, Nenye Uche, tells TMZ ... Jussie is "very pleasantly surprised," even "ecstatic." Uche emphasizes the court decision was unanimous.

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THIS WAS PERSECUTION, NOT PROSECUTION
TMZ.com

He points out in the age of social media, courts need to push back and defend the rule of law and due process -- watch the video, he has some suggestions about how to address that.

A deal's a deal, and that means Jussie Smollett's conviction in the hate crime hoax case is now reversed, and he cannot be tried again ... according to the Illinois Supreme Court.

Illinois' high court ruled Thursday that Jussie's deal with Cook County prosecutors -- when they originally dropped the case against him -- had to be honored. State's Attorney Kim Foxx struck a plea deal with the actor, requiring him to forfeit his $10,000 bond, and do 15 hours of volunteer community service.

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TMZ EXPLAINS: JUSSIE SMOLLETT IS A FREE MAN
TMZ.com

The court's ruling says because Jussie held up his end of the deal -- he actually did 18 hours of service -- he should not have been subject to a second prosecution. That's when he was convicted of felony disorderly conduct and sent to jail, briefly, until he appealed the decision.

NFL Warns Teams After Mahomes, Kelce Home Burglaries ... Be Aware!!!

The NFL is putting its players on notice ... warning them this week to be on high alert following the burglaries at the homes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

The league issued a memo to all 32 of its teams on Wednesday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, after it determined the crimes that took place at the Kansas City Chiefs stars' mansions last month appeared to be the work of a larger group of skilled individuals who have burgled homes throughout the nation this year.

In his report, Pelissero stated one other NFL player, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Linval Joseph, was actually another recent victim of the suspected operation.

Fitness Influencer Ripped To Shreds ... Over Mid-Flight Workout!!!

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Moving About The Cabin
Jam Press

One flight had to handle some serious turbulence -- courtesy of a fitness influencer launching into an extreme "bodypump" workout, much to the horror of the other passengers, one of whom recorded the scene.

Barbara de Regil, a former Mexican soap star turned fitness queen with over 9M IG followers, decided to unwind on a long-haul flight by turning the aisle into her personal gym.

Most people usually stick to light stretching or a casual stroll up and down the aisle, but Barbara clearly has zero social anxiety, crowding other passengers' already-cramped personal space to get in her exercise.