BFFs

Lifelong friends and victims of the Uvalde school shooting will be buried next to one another -- a decision made by their parents -- who say the two shared an incredible bond.

Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez and Xavier James Lopez will be laid to rest at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery in Uvalde this week -- their parents will have the friends side-by-side, according to an interview with ABC News.

The 2 were close friends that attended Robb Elementary School, first meeting as toddlers and continuing to build their friendship as they grew up together.

As they got older, they'd text each other things like "I love you" at night ... and Annabell would wear a necklace with a photo of Xavier on it.

On the day of the shooting, both students received awards at school, posing for a pic together before returning to class ... and just one hour later is when tragedy struck.

The slaughter at the Robb Elementary School in Texas is almost impossible to comprehend, but this video -- as difficult as it is to watch -- unearths the human toll it has taken on the parents of the dead.

CNN's Anderson Cooper spoke to Angel Garza, the father of 10-year-old Amerie, who was among the 19 children shot and killed.

His pain is unbearable, and his story is simply hard to process. Angel, a medic, was outside the school just after the shooting when he saw a little girl covered in blood. He thought she was injured so he tried to help her. She tearfully explained she was ok, but she watched her best friend get shot. She told Angel the girl wasn't breathing and was apparently dead, and then she revealed the identity of the victim -- it was Angel's daughter, Amerie.

Angel's grief is palpable ... he sobs, telling Anderson his daughter had just made the honor roll, and was actually trying to help in the emergency by calling 911 when she was shot.

Angel and his wife have a 3-year-old son who was clearly attached to his big sister, and they've tried telling him Amerie is not coming home ... ever again.

Anderson asked how Angel's wife is doing, and he doesn't answer directly ... only to ask people to pray for her.

Add Khabib Nurmagomedov to the ever-growing list of people outraged Cain Velsaquez remains in a northern Cali cell ... with the undefeated fighter telling TMZ Sports he feels so bad for the former heavyweight champ, he's visiting him in jail next week.

"Yesterday, I was talking with coach. I tell him any chance or is it possible to go and see him in jail? In Russia, we can go and see anybody like I asked him because I don't know the law here in the U.S. I really wanna go to see him. After a couple of days, I'm gonna be in San Jose. I wanna go to see him, shake his hand, give him good energy."

33-year-old Khabib has been friends and gym mates at AKA with 39-year-old Velasquez ... who's been locked up since February 28 ... on an attempted murder charge.

But, that doesn't even begin to tell the whole story ... 'cause the person Cain allegedly tried to take out is accused of doing something very bad to a family member.

In an effort to protect the alleged victim in Velasquez's family, we are not identifying the person.

There's been a ton of support from everyone from Dana White, Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman, amongst many others.

"Anybody in the world who respects himself, who loves his family -- he's gonna do same thing," Khabib passionately said.

"C'mon, nobody gonna think about law or something when you have something about your family. You have to protect your family."

Nurmagomedov, like many, can't understand why Cain's behind bars, but the man accused of the heinous act against CV's family member is free.

"This is not fair to sit in jail and other guy, he's outside. What about other guy? Put this guy in jail, too! He's more dangerous for people than Cain Velasquez."

"Never in his life, he's 40-years-old, never in his life did he have a problem in social, you know, outside with people. He's the most respectful guy I've ever seen in my life. I was training with him more than 10 years, I know his family, everybody."

Still, despite the outpouring of support, and his attorney's fighting for his freedom, the judge and prosecutor have refused to allow bail.

Velasquez, if convicted, is facing many years in prison.

Cain is back in court June 10 ... where it's possible he could be released while he awaits his trial.

Elon Musk might be the richest man on Earth, but he isn't consuming an absurdly large amount of stuff for himself -- in fact, it's the opposite ... because he's kinda homeless.

The Tesla chief made the startling revelation in TED interview that surfaced over the weekend -- in which he defended his many billions of dollars by arguing it actually isn't as problematic as some make it seem, because he isn't using any of that wealth on or for himself.

Watch ... EM says if he was spending upwards of a bil on himself with frivolous (and environmentally harmful) toys like a yacht or whatever -- sure, the criticism would be warranted. But, he says that's simply not what he uses his money for ... pointing out he doesn't even own a home at the moment.

That's absolutely shocking, but even more surprising is where he says he sleeps at night -- according to Elon, the dude bums it and couch surfs with his friends from all over the world.

He says he often stays in spare bedrooms of theirs rather than in any one house of his. This is a bit of a 180 from where he said he was living last year while discussing his Texas SpaceX headquarters ... where he was proud to shows off his 375-sq.-foot 1 bed.

Based on what he's saying here and now, Elon might've ditched that modest pad and opted for an even more stripped-down lifestyle ... AKA, no property at all.

Will Smith won't be able to attend the Oscars for 10 years -- and while some think that's mega, David Spade is here to say, whoop-de-doo ... suggesting it's not a big deal at all.

We got the comedy legend -- and good pal of Chris Rock -- Friday at Avra in Bev Hills ... and of course, we had to get his take on Will's decade-long ban, which had just been handed down by the Academy hours earlier.

Check it out ... David actually seems to be okay with the punishment -- saying the movie honchos had to do something, and this seems fitting. But, when we pressed on whether it was too harsh ... he scoffed.

In Dave's eyes ... not being able to attend the ceremony or vote for future flicks doesn't really come off as a major consequence -- and he says himself, "Who cares?"

DS also reveals if he's spoken to Chris yet ... and indeed, he certainly has. He refuses to dish on what his buddy thinks, though, respecting the guy's confidence and privacy. As for what he thinks the Academy can do to make it up to CR -- he's got a hilarious response.

BTW, just to give you a sense of how close David is with Chris ... check out this podcast appearance the latter made on Spade's "Fly on the Wall" back in January, which he hosts with Dana Carvey. Chris told an interesting story about being bullied in childhood.

There've been other reactions to the 10-year ban as well ... including from 'Dodgeball' star Chris Williams, who says it's a stiff sentence -- but one that makes sense considering the conduct.

Just like David, CW also thinks Will is going to land on his feet in the long run ... and that he can get past this with some time and healing -- and the forgetfulness of society as the next big thing captures our attention.

We also asked if Williams thinks Smith's got another Oscar in him amid this 10-year ban -- and the guy says, hell yeah ... predicting he may actually win one after his final year.

Kanye West appears to be burning more bridges with people he was once close with -- saying that Kid Cudi will not be appearing on his new album ... because of Pete Davidson.

The omission was made crystal clear Saturday, with Ye taking to IG to specifically call out KC and his participation in "Donda 2" -- or a lack thereof, rather -- while attributing it to Cudi's friendship with Kim Kardashian's boyfriend.

Kanye posted a photo of a note he seems to have handwritten on, which reads ... "Just so everyone knows Cudi will not be on Donda because he's friends with you know who."

He adds ... "We all speak in Billie language now," a clear reference to his recent feud with Billie Eilish, whom he demanded apologize for a perceived shot at Travis Scott. KW's caption is also telling ... he simply added a shrug emoji 🤷🏽‍♂️ to emphasize his point here.

There's been speculation about who will or won't be on "Donda 2" ... because, frankly, a lot has happened since Ye released his OG album of the same name. BTW, Cudi did end up getting featured on a deluxe version of "Donda," but it seems he's been iced out for round 2.

As for Cudi and Pete's history ... they've been buds for a handful of years now, dating back to that time Pete attended a birthday dinner that ended up featuring the likes of Kanye and Timothee Chalamet.

Pete and Cudi have also hung out together even more recently, including at last year's Met Gala ... where they were photographed together during an after-party event.

Seems like Ye's drawing a line in the sand here over where he thinks alliances lie ... Cudi has yet to respond publicly.

The Joe Burrow and Kid Cudi bromance keeps growing stronger ... 'cause the Bengals QB just gifted his childhood idol with the jersey he wore in Sunday's AFC Championship Game!!

Cudi revealed that after Cincy's huge victory on Sunday ... he hit up Joey B and asked if he could have the game-worn threads.

"Ok. So after the Bengals win against the Chiefs, I hit Joe and congratulated him and asked if I could have his jersey," Cudi wrote on social media.

And, Burrow wasted no time holding up on his promise -- shipping it right to the Cleveland native just 5 days after the Bengals secured their spot in the Super Bowl.

"Rockin' this bitch to the game and then framing it," Cudi said Friday. "I am so geeked right now."

Of course, Joe Cool is known for his on-field connection with his teammate Ja'Marr Chase ... but as of late, it's Cudi that Burrow has had all the chemistry with.

Joe got a shoutout from Cudi -- who was celebrating his 38th birthday the night of the game -- after the Bengals big win.

The two have a budding relationship that started when Burrow was drafted with the #1 overall draft pick out of LSU ... and this latest gesture from Joey Franchise is proof of that.

Rob Gronkowski just bid farewell to his BFF Tom Brady with a video and a mushy note ... and it ain't hard to see the tight end REALLY loved his quarterback.

Gronk posted it all to his social media page on Wednesday -- just one day after Brady announced he's done with football -- and it's probably the sweetest goodbye message Tom's gotten so far this week.

Rob shared a nearly two-minute video (set to Queen's "You're My Best Friend") that had a whole bunch of cool highlights of the two on and off the field. He also added in a message along with the footage that he believed Tom was "a legend."

"Tommy Boy!!!" Gronk said. "This football journey with you has been nothing short of special."

"Thank you for your dedication to the game, putting the team in the best possible position to win every year, all the records that were broken, the Super Bowls, the memories, and your friendship through the last 12 years."

He continued, "I witnessed greatness for so many years and got to learn from the best to ever do it. You’re a legend and always will be."

32-year-old Gronkowski first teamed up with Brady in New England back in 2010, and he and TB12 quickly became inseparable.

They ended up hooking up for 90 touchdowns together in their careers ... and won 4 Super Bowls together.

It's unclear if Gronk will now join Brady in retirement this offseason ... though he told TMZ Sports last week if he had to choose right now, he'd pick retirement over a return to the gridiron.

Kanye West might be able to swap out the boots he's been wearing for weeks on end for something more comfortable and caj -- and it's all thanks to DJ Khaled hooking him up!

DJK gifted Ye a sweet pair of Jordans Saturday during what appears to have been a hangout/collab session at Khaled's pad down in Miami ... where KW was with his crew, and his new boo too -- Julia Fox.

Anyway, check out the sneakers Khaled had all lined up ... and how Kanye reacts upon receiving 'em. It's a super nice gesture, especially considering how rare they apparently are. As Khaled notes, there's only 100 pairs made ... and lucky enough he had some in Kanye's size.

Khaled says he can use the shoes for an upcoming Fashion Week event that Ye's supposed to be attending ... and Kanye seems appreciative of the present.

Of course, they didn't just talk kicks during their time together ... indeed, it looks like Ye and Khaled got to work on some actual music -- much of which was teased on his social media.

No word on what their collab might sound like just yet, but it sure seems Ye and Khaled were feeling it ... dancing around the studio like two little kids having the time of their lives. This is far from their first time making music with one another -- but it's been a while, no doubt.

Louie Anderson's death has one of his comedy peers remembering what's now an incredibly poignant moment ... when Louie and Bob Saget came together with their friend Gilbert Gottfried.

All 3 comedians posed together in a photo Gilbert posted Friday morning ... reacting to the loss of both men in such a short period. Gilbert said, "This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed."

It's unclear where and when they snapped the shot -- which shows Bob holding up a phone to take a selfie with his pals. Very meta.

As we reported, Louie passed away Friday morning in Las Vegas, where he'd been battling lymphoma. Bob died on Jan. 9 in his Orlando hotel room ... a few hours after doing standup in Jacksonville.

Louie actually appeared on Bob's podcast last May, and they shared some old stories from their gigs at L.A.'s legendary venue, The Comedy Store.

Antonio Brown says he loves Tom Brady and has spoken to the 7x Super Bowl champ -- despite questioning TB12's friendship after he was cut by the Bucs -- telling TMZ Sports Brady is a "true friend."

We talked to AB outside Via Allora in Beverly Hills on Friday ... and asked the Pro Bowl wideout about the current status of his relationship with Brady.

"Listen, I love Tom. That's my guy. Don't get it twisted. A lot of words were taken out of substance. Tom is one of my true friends in the midst of adversity that was there for me, so don't get it twisted about nothing with Tom Brady."

Brown continued ... "He's a G.O.A.T. Great player. Great teammate."

Of course, Antonio had a different take on the Full Send podcast last week when he pondered Brady's motivation for befriending him.

"Not everybody in sports is going to be your friend. Tom Brady's my friend why? Because I'm a good football player. He needs me to play football," Brown told the guys.

But, during our conversation with AB, he makes it clear he's still tight with Tom, regardless of what he said during an emotional time.

There's much more.

We also talked to Antonio -- who was with business partner Jas Mathur -- about the Bucs playoff game against the Eagles, hanging out with Madonna, a potential musical collab with Kanye West, an ankle injury update, and what he'd say to NFL front offices who may be hesitant to sign him.

On linking up with Ye, AB told us ... "We got something brewing. We got a lot of stuff working."

Brown added, "It's coming soon."

As for the situation in Tampa Bay ... the 7x Pro Bowler wholeheartedly believes Bucs head coach Bruce Arians was out of line, but AB also admits he could've navigated the situation with more tact.

"Obviously I could've handled my emotions better. But, sometimes under anger, you may not handle yourself the right way."

Bob Saget was a reservoir of goodwill, and it showed Friday at his funeral, where so many people wanted to attend that the cemetery staff had to bring out folding chairs to handle the overflow.

As we reported, Bob's funeral is being held at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in the Hollywood Hills. We were told earlier today the service would be small -- around 50 people -- but turns out it's way bigger. At least 300 people were there to pay their respects.

The pallbearers were John Mayer, John Stamos, Norman Lear, Dave Coulier, Jeff Ross, Ted Sarandos and Steve Hale.

Others who turned out ... Jodie Sweetin, Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Chappelle, Kathy Griffin, Chris Rock, Seth Green, Judd Apatow, among many more.

Of course, Bob's family was there, along with so many friends whose lives Bob touched.

There was a gaggle of expensive cars outside the chapel, and the photos paint a picture of grief in the wake of Bob's death.

Dave Chappelle was super close to Bob Saget, but something happened just before Bob died that is both regretful for Dave and, as he says, a lesson to everyone about life.

Dave was performing Thursday night in WeHo at the Peppermint Club and told the crowd how Bob had texted him shortly before he died, but Dave never returned the text. He says he was busy, and therein lies the lesson ... you just never know what life holds so act accordingly.

Chappelle was not only a friend of Bob's, he was always there for him when Bob was holding fundraising events for Scleroderma. As you know, Bob's sister died of the disease when she was 47. It tore Bob apart, and he vowed to be a champion in finding a cure ... and that he was.

Then Dave talked about his comedy in 2022 and addressed the criticism over his last Netflix comedy special, which enraged some in the LGBTQ+ community. He said ... "2022, the new me is not going to do any of those transphobic bigoted jokes."

And then it turned ...  "I'm gonna tell you something else, I am not in battle with the transgender community that's ridiculous. I do not blame the Ls, the Gs, The Bs or the Ts ... blame the Jews! Somebody else's fault. Marching for the Netflix."

Bob Saget spent 12 years touring and collaborating with Mike Young ... and now the comedian's opening up about what Bob taught him, and how he plans to pay tribute to him on stage.

Mike was at LAX when he told us ... there's a good reason we've been hearing such glowing things about Bob. Mike says it's not one of those things where people speak kindly because someone's passed ... he makes it clear, Bob was the "real deal."

The comedian backed that up by dishing some details from his years on the road, opening up for Bob -- explaining he was such a nice guy, he'd seen him invite hecklers backstage afterward if he thought he'd hurt their feelings with jokes during the show.

You can tell how much Mike misses his friend and mentor ... he told us how Bob took him under his wing and showed him the ropes in comedy. They'd met for the first time on the set of "Entourage," instantly clicked and Mike started opening for almost all of Bob's standup gigs.

Unfortunately, Mike says he wasn't with Bob for his final show in Jacksonville -- he was scheduled to join him for a show in Palm Beach, kicking off a 20-city tour.

Buccaneers QB Tom Brady refused to come out of Sunday's game against the Panthers ... until his tight end and good friend, Rob Gronkowski, got the stats he needed to trigger two separate $500,000 bonuses in his contract.

Gronk entered Week 18 -- Tampa's regular season finale -- with 48 catches and 665 receiving yards. He needed 7 catches and 85 yards to trigger both bonuses.

Well, TB12 was gonna make sure he got 'em, 'cause with under 7 mins left to go in the game, the Bucs were up 31-17 in the fourth quarter ... and head coach Bruce Arians was preparing to pull his starters.

But, check out the video ... you see a defiant Brady appear to tell Tampa's coaching staff "he's not coming out of the game" as he grabs his helmet and heads back onto the field.

The reason?? Likely 'cause Gronk -- who already hit his yardage bonus earlier in the second half on a 42-yard reception -- was still one catch shy of hitting his receptions bonus.

So, the G.O.A.T completed a short pass to Rob in the flat ... giving him the numbers he needed to cash in.

Gronkowski ultimately finished the day with 7 catches for 137 yards.

Of course, Tom is no stranger to looking out for his teammates ... despite some of the comments Antonio Brown recently made about him.

Oh, and TB also set a new career-high in passing yards (5,316) -- eclipsing his previous career-high mark set back in 2011 ... as the Bucs defeated Carolina 41-17.

Pete Davidson whipped a crowd into a frenzy Friday night, when he jumped on stage and performed with Jack Harlow!!!

Jack was performing at The Novo in L.A. when he invited Kim Kardashian's BF to join him, and Pete didn't miss a beat. They danced around the stage as they performed "SUVs (Black on Black)."

You hear folks in the crowd saying they can't believe Pete joined Jack. It just underscores how Pete's celebrity has skyrocketed since hooking up with Kim. It's not to say Pete wasn't a celeb before, because he was, but Kim brought the whole thing to another level.