Nicki Minaj Sends Love To Tekashi69 ... Dishes Out Thanksgiving Meals in Hometown

Nicki Minaj is spreading holiday cheer, sending well wishes to Tekashi69 in prison and handing out turkey dinners to residents in her old hood in Queens.

Nicki started her Wednesday by posting a heartfelt message to 6ix9ine, writing on her IG page, "Danny, I love you and am praying for you, your Mother, daughter & her mom during this time."

Tekashi is in general population in a brutal Brooklyn detention center after getting busted by the feds on racketeering charges. Nicki and 6ix9ine were supposed to shoot a music vid with Kanye West, but production was halted earlier this month after 2 gunmen shot up the set.

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After that, it was turkey time in Queens, with Nicki dishing out Thanksgiving meals to tons of peeps in her old stomping grounds.

That's why they call her "Queen."

French Soccer Star Gets Freaky With Raw Turkey ... For Thanksgiving

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TURKEY LOVER

Okay, so full disclosure here -- we don't get it. We're not really sure why a French Soccer star just made love to a chicken on his Instagram, but he did ... and we're about to show it to you.

The guy's name is Patrice Evra, and he's an international soccer superstar, who used to play with Manchester United, and now plays with West Ham United F.C.

Not long ago Evra took to his IG and, in full view of his over 5 million followers, made love to raw turkey. He kissed the turkey, he sucked the turkey, he even got a little rough with the turkey, smacking it.

Patrice is pretty infamous for posting bizarre stuff, but none have inspired anything close to the collective WTF that the entire internet is experiencing right now.

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SALMONELLA? NEVER HEARD OF IT

BTW -- Evra came back and admitted he's not aware of things like oh, SALMONELLA which, if he isn't lucky, he'll be intimately acquainted with soon.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Meghan Markle Smiling & Holding On to Her Bump ... Checking in on Fire Victims

Meghan Markle is back at a community kitchen and throwing royal protocol out the window.

The Duchess of Sussex visited the Hubb Community Kitchen at the Al Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre in West London ... not far from where the Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people.

Meghan's been making secret trips there since January ... and last September she was there cooking and helping the women release a charity cookbook with their recipes. This time around she abandoned all formality ... kissing and hugging just about everyone while seeing how funds raised from the cookbook have made a difference.

Makes sense she's treating the women there like family ... her involvement was Meghan's first solo project as a member of the Royal Family. Look at her close interactions ... and the baby bump!!

Michael Jordan Dishin' Out Turkey Meals ... to Hurricane Victims

They don't call him the G.O.A.T. for nothin' ... Michael Jordan is delivering a huge assist to Hurricane Florence victims ... handing out Thanksgiving meals to those affected by the storm on Tuesday.

TMZ Sports has learned ... His Airness was dishin' out the meals in front of a Lowe's in Wilmington, North Carolina ... personally greeting and helping out the people in attendance.

It's a tragedy that hit close to home for M.J. ... he grew up in Wilmington and later went on to ball out at University of North Carolina.

ICYMI -- Jordan already donated $2 MILLION to hurricane relief and boxed meals with his Charlotte Hornets back in September.

Jordan also raised more money by selling Hornets merch with proceeds going to hurricane relief.

Not only did Jordan do the Thanksgiving giveaway ... M.J's rep, Estee Portnoy, tells us he surprised kids at the Boys & Girls Club and hooked them up with food and Jordans as well.

Like we said ... G.O.A.T.

Travis Scott Surprise Delivery for Post Malone ... Astroworld Chick-fil-A!!

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EATIN' GOOD

Post Malone didn't have to lift a finger to eat well during his time at Travis Scott's Astroworld Fest, 'cause his host took care of him and then some with lots o' chicken.

Trav surprised Post Saturday with a huge Postmates delivery of Chick-fil-A and a group of hot Houston Rockets cheerleaders, all of which was waiting for the "rockstar" rapper in his trailer.

As far as what grub was on the menu, we're told it was a pretty simple order ... trays of well-done chicken tenders with 160 ounces of Buffalo sauce and 6 gallons of sweet tea. That's some good eatin'!!!

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LOUISIANA FAST!

Post is no stranger to Postmates, BTW. In fact, they kinda love the guy on account of how much he drops on their delivery service. He spent upwards of $8,000 last year to bring 10,000 of Popeye's biscuits to his Coachella set for folks to eat and dropped more than $40k over the last year with them to become a star customer.

Unclear who footed the bill this time around, but something tells us it very well might've been on the house. It's the least Postmates can do, really.

Dolphins' Kenyan Drake Turkey Dinners At Hard Rock Stadium ... For Underprivileged Kids

Kenyan Drake's doing his best Martha Stewart impression Sunday ... throwing a Thanksgiving bash for underprivileged kids -- and it's all going down at the Dolphins' stadium!!

Miami's on a bye this week ... so Drake's taking advantage of the empty Hard Rock Stadium by having a feast with 50 children from the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County -- TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told most of the kids have never had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner ... so the star running back is really providing a special treat.

In addition to the turkey, gravy and all the fixins... Drake is also handing out gift baskets (filled with food for the kids' families) and autographed cards.

We're told Drake was very involved in the Boys & Girls Club as a kid in Atlanta ... so the cause is super special to the ex-Alabama star.

Drake ain't the only NFL stud puttin' in this kinda work -- as we previously reported, Cam Newton is set to feed 1,200 kids at his annual "Cam's Thanksgiving Jam" next week.

Props to all!

Bryce Harper No Decision Yet NYC & Chi Have Food Edge

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FREE AGENT FRENZY
TMZSports.com

If Bryce Harper's stomach is making the call ... the Cubs, White Sox, Mets and Yankees have a CLEAR advantage in signing him, 'cause he says NYC and Chicago have the best food.

In case you've been living under a rock ... Harper is poised to sign the richest free-agent deal OF ALL TIME -- some say up to $400 million -- but he's given no clear indication on where he's going.

We got Harper Thursday night at LAX ... and threw some questions out at him trying to crack the case, and while he was noncommittal on some, when it came to FOOD he definitely has some cities in mind.

"Favorite food? Probably Chicago. They got great food. I like this place called Steak 48, it's really good. Deep dish of course. Anywhere in New York of course you know you can always go out there and eat good food. That's huge for us."

We should also say ... while there are two teams in NY, Bryce complimented our camera guy's Mets cap and gave props to Jacob deGrom winning the Cy Young Award.

FYI -- Word on the street is that the Philadelphia Phillies are in the driver's seat to get Harper, but we didn't hear him mention Cheesesteaks anywhere in this entire clip.

Sorry, Philly fans.

Cam Newton Throwing Huge Turkey Dinner ... FOR 1,200 KIDS!!

How can Cam Newton top a huge Thanksgiving dinner for 800 kids??

MORE KIDS!!

The Carolina Panthers superstar is one-upping his own holiday tradition this year ... buying a bunch of turkey dinners for 1,200 underprivileged children AND their families!!

It's all part of the 7th annual "Cam's Thanksgiving Jam"... a fun time full of games, music, face painting and balloon artists.

Cam will be there to personally serve the kids in attendance ... so we're sure there will be some dancing goin' on.

And, if that's not good enough for you -- Cam's giving everyone a take-home turkey dinner too!!

Awesome.

Lady Gaga She Delivers ... Pizza & More for Wildfire Evacuees

Lady Gaga is walking the walk when it comes to helping California's wildfire victims ... and she's doing it with arms full of pizza.

Gaga hit up a Red Cross Shelter in the L.A. area Tuesday night to deliver goodies -- food, coffee and other items -- to hundreds of people displaced by the Woolsey fire. No tip necessary. She's all good.

Can't say she's not a woman of her word. Remember, Gaga -- who was also forced to evacuate -- went to a shelter over the weekend and told evacuees she'd stand by them through the crisis.

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HELPING VICTIMS
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Kinda perfect timing that Tuesday happened to be World Kindness Day, and Gaga encouraged others to follow in her footsteps.

She was born this way ... and it's pretty awesome.

Chick-fil-A Packaging Was NOT Made to Fit Straws ... But It's Still Perfect

Chick-fil-A customers found a convenient loophole in the company's packaging to turn a cup and straw into a portable table for nuggets ... but it ain't what CfA had in mind when it designed its boxes.

Fans of the fast food joint rejoiced this weekend when a viral meme pointed out you could fit a straw through a hole in the box used for nuggets and rest the delicious pieces on the cup's lid.

While the life hack is extremely convenient, we've learned it is NOT the original purpose of that hole. In fact, we're told there are 3 tabs on the back of the boxes and they're pushed in by employees to designate whether the box contains nuggets, strips or "other."

Still, we gotta give the "inventor" credit ... it is a boss use of a carton -- especially if you're someone who's down with the Chick.

Next up ... which came first, chicken or the egg?

Fat Sal's That Ain't a Drive-Thru, Lady!!! Van Crashes into H'wood Sandwich Joint

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WANT FRIES WITH THAT?
TMZ.com

Fat Sal's got a rude, and potentially deadly, awakening when a van barreled through its front doors Tuesday morning ... destroying the Hollywood sandwich shop.

The scary accident went down around 7:30 AM, just as employees were prepping food. We're told a woman was driving down Highland Ave. when she experienced mechanical failure, careened across 4 lanes and crashed into the building.

The front of the shop and its interior were obliterated ... windows, chairs, tables ... all crushed. Fat Sal's opens at 11 AM, so thankfully there were no customers at that time.

We're told the employees are okay and cops are treating this as an unfortunate accident. We're told the restaurant's owner will not press charges. And, get this ... the restaurant's to-go location just a couple doors down will be open for biz today!

Fat Sal's is frequented by tons of celebs. Fabolous was just there a couple weeks ago.

Jeff Ross TMZ Interview Halted ... Biker Hit by Car

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MOMENT OF IMPACT
TMZ.com

Jeff Ross had just left Craig's restaurant Saturday night in WeHo when he started talking to our photog about the California wildfires when suddenly the sound of a crash brought everything to a screeching halt.

A biker got hit by a car just outside the restaurant. It's a dicey street on any given night, with lots of traffic and lots to look at.

The biker didn't seem badly hurt, but it was serious enough for an ambulance to come and take her to the ER.

Demi Lovato Holding Hands with Clothing Guru Out of Rehab

UPDATE 1:55 PM PT -- We just got these photos of Demi and Henry inside the restaurant. As you see, they're holding hands and clearly enjoying each other's company. We don't know if they're "together" ... but it looks pretty romantic.

Update 9:40 AM PT -- We have learned the mystery man in the photos is clothing designer, Henry Levy. He founded the label 'Enfants Riches Deprimes' in 2012.

Demi Lovato is back in circulation ... apparently out of rehab and looking clean, sober and generally great.

Demi hit up Matsuhisa restaurant in Bev Hills Saturday night. We're told she and a guy were having a great time inside the super expensive sushi joint, happy, smiling and laughing through dinner.

We don't know who the guy is ... but she definitely had a great time with him.

Lovato was in rehab for 90 days. TMZ broke the story, she almost died on July 24th after OD'ing at her Hollywood Hills home. She was hospitalized for 10 days and went into rehab at the beginning of August.

Demi was also spotted at a Beverly Hills spa over the weekend.

Our sources say she has taken this rehab stint very seriously, and her sobriety is everything.

Demi was in a downhill slide for months before the OD ... and it wasn't the first time she fell off the wagon. But rehab experts will tell you ... most addicts fall off the wagon. The key is regaining sobriety and trying to maintain it.

Salt Bae Hard to Resist

Nothing can slow down Salt Bae ... except maybe a parachute.

The Turkish chef/Internet sensation was down on Miami Beach for Halloween going through some intense workouts ... thanks to this resistance chute. Can't knock the chute ... especially when you can flex your gains.

If you're in need for a little refresher ... Salt Bae's the famous butcher whose January 2017 video showing him suavely sprinkling Maldon salt flakes on some bone-in steak IMMEDIATELY took off. It undoubtedly forever changed how we sprinkle everything.

Fact is ... Salt Bae was legit way before his vid went viral. Remember, he owns a chain of Nusr-Et steakhouses in Miami, Turkey, the Middle East and he opened his 9th restaurant in Midtown Manhattan nearly a year after his video spread across the globe. He even has his own wax figure.

But, go ahead ... take it with a grain of salt. Just remember how it's sprinkled.

Fabolous At Your Service at McDowell's Pop-Up ... Dressed as Prince Akeem!

Fabolous got into the Halloween spirit early by rocking an iconic costume from Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America" ... none other than McDowell's employee, Prince Akeem.

The Brooklyn MC found himself in Hollywood Monday night during the unveiling of a McDowell's pop-up restaurant, taking place at Fat Sal's sandwich shop off Highland Ave. Fab definitely didn't skimp on the details for Akeem's McDowell's uniform.

He had the plaid vest, bow tie, hat ... and Akeem's signature mop and bucket. We're told the rapper also checked out the recreated My-T Sharp barbershop next door, that was also featured in the 1988 flick, where he got a tour and took photos with fans.

Fat Sal's will be keeping the McDowell's pop-up open through Halloween, where they're serving up dishes from the movie like The Big Mick, The Sexual Chocolate Shake and Zamunda Fries.

We know when you think Akeem, you might've thought garbage. But after this ... hopefully, you think Fabolous. Dude's outfit is on point! We shot him in McDowell's with the 'stume, and people definitely seemed to be diggin' it.

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MC-DOING IT RIGHT
TMZ.com

Ben & Jerry's Serves Anti-Trump Ice Cream 'Pecan Resist' Anyone?!

Ben & Jerry's ice cream is diving deep into politics ... with an ice cream scooper!!

The famous ice cream company unveiled an anti-Trump flavored ice cream Tuesday morning in D.C. dubbed "Pecan Resist." Because we know you're wondering -- "Pecan Resist" is chocolate ice cream with white and dark fudge chunks, pecans, walnuts and fudge-covered almonds. Yum.

B&J's says, "This flavor supports groups creating a more just and equitable nation for us all, and who are fighting President Trump's regressive agenda."

The company also said it could not be silent in the face of Trump's policies that attack and attempt to roll back decades of progress on racial and gender equity. The company cited its fight against Trump's administration to roll back LGBT rights and its refusal to battle climate change.

BTW ... we ran into Ben & Jerry on their way out, and to say they were excited about the new flavor would be a total understatement.

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RESIST!
TMZ.com

Originally published -- 7:40 AM PT