TMZ Sports

Johnny Manziel says he withered from 210 pounds all the way down to 170 just months after his NFL career ended ... explaining his body morphed due to "a strict diet of blow."

The former Heisman Trophy winner opened up about his struggles following his Cleveland playing days during a recent, two-hour interview with Shannon Sharpe.

In the chat on the "Club Shay Shay" podcast ... Manziel admitted he was at nearly rock bottom once he had failed the Browns in 2015 at 23 years old -- so he turned to the Las Vegas party scene to pick him up.

Apparently, his trip to Sin City included a lot of cocaine ... something he says changed his figure into an unrecognizable one.

"At that point in time, man," Manziel said, "I would look in a mirror and I didn't see myself any different than when I was in Cleveland. Until I stepped on a scale at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, I didn't realize I had lost 40 pounds at all."

"I remember these pictures came out," he continued. "I was like, 'Damn. What am I doing? Ah, whatever, we'll figure that out later. Let's go again.'"

Manziel said in addition to coke, he was also using OxyContin and Percocets.

Johnny Football went on to lament other parts of his life in his talk with Sharpe -- including his strained relationship with LeBron James.

After Cleveland had drafted the Texas A&M QB, LeBron signed him to his agency ... and throughout his time with the Browns, Manziel said the NBA superstar tried to take him under his wing. But, while battling poor play and subsequent depression, he said he pushed the hooper away.

"LeBron would text me every week to come over to the house and watch a game or play poker with the boys and just tried to be there," Manziel said. "And I was so depressed for the first time in my life that even my biggest role model and inspiration in my life couldn't get me out of bed to come and hang out with him."

Manziel added that he still feels to this day he let the future basketball Hall of Famer down.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are reunited down under -- and their first order of business as a couple was to go back to the zoo she was just at the day prior ... talk about déjà vu.

The lovebirds were seen hand in hand Thursday walking through the Sydney Zoo -- taking in the sights and peeping all the animal exhibitions. Tay Tay seemed to take the lead in showing him around ... which makes sense since she was literally there 24 hours before his arrival.

The attraction must've left a good impression on her, 'cause she clearly thought it'd be worth taking TK for round 2. Indeed ... she was playing the tour guide, as seen in these sky pics obtained by Australia's Channel 9 News. Heck, Traylor even fed a kangaroo at one point!

Now, they came off like they usually do as they moseyed around ... namely, super in love and tied at the hip. Not only were they holding hands, but they were locked in a hug a few different times as well. So, yeah ... they're still going strong and very into each other.

As we reported ... Travis was en route to Sydney Wednesday after hopping on a private jet Tuesday night from L.A. and making a pit stop in Hawaii.

Now, in terms of privacy ... it doesn't appear Taylor and Travis had the place shut down for themselves -- there were other zoo sightseers walking around, but they did seem to have their own little bubble without being bombarded by fans and gawkers. Thank you, security!

They got a few days together through the weekend -- however, Taylor will be busy ... as she's got 4 shows to do. Safe to say, Trav will be in attendance.

Ya gotta wonder what else they'll get into ... Sydney's a cool town, and there's lots to see/do. We'll be on the lookout for some bridge shots -- everybody heads there down under.

Have fun, you two!

The apple ain't fall too far from the tree with Cristiano Ronaldo and his 13-year-old son, CR Jr. ... 'cause the two look just alike -- even down to their shredded abs!

The proof's in the photos that 39-year-old Ronaldo dropped Thursday on Instagram featuring Cristiano Jr. ... giving his 622+ million followers a view of their physique during their workout sesh.

"Today with my partner ❤️," Ronaldo said in the caption.

The father-and-son snap got over 9 million likes within five hours ... and more than 76K comments, with one writing, "The king and heir to the throne🔥"

Of course, this father-and-son training session comes just a day after Ronaldo scored his 876th career goal in the AFC Champions League, helping lead Al-Nassr to the quarter-finals with a win over Al Feiha in the round of 16.

Like pops, Cristiano Jr. also plays soccer. He spent two seasons with the Juventus youth team before signing with Al-Nassr U13 last October.

And, as an ode to his superstar dad ... he also wears No. 7.

Motocross star Jayden "Jayo" Archer -- a two-time X Games medalist and the first person to land a triple backflip in competition -- died this week after crashing during trick practice in Australia.

He was just 27 years old.

Archer -- a member of the renowned action sports group Nitro Circus -- was reportedly attempting to recreate his famed upside-down move during drills in Melbourne on Wednesday ... when he tragically lost control of his bike.

Travis Pastrana, Nitro Circus' co-founder, said in a statement to ESPN he was devastated to learn of the news.

"This really hit home," the motocross legend said. "Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest, and he always wanted to do the big stuff like the double and the triple, even though there weren't a lot of places to showcase those bigger tricks."

"He was a great human first," Pastrana added, "a hard worker second and a bad motherf***er third."

Archer first began racing for Nitro Circus when he was a teenager ... but gained national notoriety in 2022 -- when he became the first rider ever to hit a triple backflip at the Nitro World Games in Australia.

After the stunt, he proposed to his girlfriend, and she said yes. The two were reportedly set to get married this year.

"Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work & determination," Nitro Circus said in a post on its Instagram page. "He pushed what was possible on a dirt bike to heights never seen before. A positive influence to those around him. And above all else a great human being and friend to us all."

"Sending our thoughts and love to Jayo’s family and friends. We love you mate."

Former Brazilian soccer star Dani Alves was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub in 2022.

Spain's top court in Catalonia decided on the sentence on Thursday following a three-day trial earlier this month where the 40-year-old former Barcelona star was found guilty of the December '22 crime.

The woman testified at trial that after dancing with Alves at a New Year's Eve party, they went to the bathroom, but she decided she wanted to leave ... that's when she said she was raped.

As for the 4 1/2 year punishment, the court said, "the sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven."

Alves will also have to pay a near-$163k fine to the victim.

It's not nearly the sentence length prosecutors were hoping for ... they wanted Alves thrown behind bars for 9 years. The victim was hoping for even more.

Despite the sentence, the victim's lawyer, David Saenz said they were happy the court acknowledged "that the victim was telling the truth and that she suffered."

Alves initially denied any wrongdoing, claiming he didn't know the woman, but later changed his story several times.

After biological evidence was presented, Alves admitted he had sex with the woman, insisting it was consensual ... saying he only lied because he was married.

Alves' lawyer Ines Guardiola continued to insist her client's innocent, announcing they'd appeal.

"I still believe in Dani Alves' innocence. We haven't read the whole sentence yet because it's very long, but we are going to study it in detail now. We defend [Alves'] innocence."

Before the arrest, Alves was considered one of the best defensive players of all time ... and spent time with Barcelona, Juventus, and Paris-Saint Germain during his 20-year career.

12:18 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... Michael and his camp have actually not heard from Shaquem's agent to discuss the selling of rights for his movie and no talks have been had at all.

Shaquem Griffin says interest in a biopic about his life has recently exploded ... so much so, he tells TMZ Sports Michael B. Jordan has shown interest in acquiring it!!

The former NFL star -- who inspiringly made it to the league despite having his left hand amputated when he was just 4 years old -- has been working on a movie about his life journey for over two years.

He told us out at Super Bowl week in Las Vegas that, initially, he wanted to get the flick out ASAP. But, he said as more and more people have become aware of the project, he's seen plenty eager to get their hands on it ... including Adonis Creed himself.

He explained ... his agent has been in talks with Jordan's Outlier Society production company -- and he's confident even more are going to come forward as the script gets closer and closer to being done.

"Something special is finna happen," Griffin said.

Unclear if MBJ would have his eyes on the starring role ... but if he did, Griffin would clearly endorse it, even if they would then need to add his limb difference via CGI.

Griffin has now been out of the NFL since the 2021 season ... but he's stayed busy in retirement. In addition to working on his movie, his twin brother told us back in 2022 he's become a damn good motivational speaker as well.

We're almost at the finish line in the week, but TMZ's just getting started on our TV shows!

Let's start at 'TMZ Live,' where Harvey and Courtney discussed news of Gisele Bundchen and Joaquim Valente being together as a couple ... which has apparently been going on since June 2023 -- something people close to Tom Brady are calling bull crap on.

Take a look to see what we mean ... apparently, folks in his world are insisting they've been hooking since at least 2021 -- which, if true, is ... well, a little messy to say the least.

On 'TMZ on TV,' the gang talked about Kelly Rowland and this wild story about her storming off the set of the 'Today' show after apparently not liking the quality of her dressing room.

There was some debate on whether she was right or wrong ... strong feelings on this one.

Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' Mojo, Edward and Lucas talked about Marshawn Lynch's DUI deal.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

Shaun Weiss has some fans thinking he relapsed on drugs ... but he says folks are reading way too far into a video he posted online.

The "Mighty Ducks" star shared a video Wednesday on Instagram, talking about how blessed he is to be paid to travel around and interact with fans ... but his physical appearance seemed to throw people off.

Shaun, who recently celebrated 4 years of sobriety, is looking kinda thin and he has a red substance smudged between his eyes ... leading some to wonder if he busted his head open, even though his caption says it's "consecrated ash from Sadhguru."

Shaun tells TMZ ... he's still 100% clean and has not relapsed.

He says he's doing great and has never been better, adding ... "If I ever need help I promise I will reach out to people. No going backward."

As for what's on his forehead, Shaun tells us it's from his "spiritual practice." He says it's supposed to "activate my third eye."

Shaun says he's getting into the inner engineering teachings of Sadhguru, a famous Yogi ... telling us, "It has been a game changer in terms of my overall balance and levels of joy."

The video that first sparked relapse concern among fans was on Shaun's page for about 5 hours until we talked to him ... and he's since uploaded a new video where he wipes off the red substance from his face and says he's fine and there's nothing to worry about.

6:30 PM PT -- The first sign of Travis Kelce in Australia has surfaced, and the dude looks ... well, beat.

Here's a shot of the tight end arriving in Sydney Wednesday (or Thursday on his time), and yes ... the dude was pretty straight-faced and serious as he got off his private jet. Ya gotta imagine he's stoked to be there for Taylor Swift ... but yeah, that was a long ass flight. Woof ...

2:58 PM PT -- Travis Kelce has officially touched down in Australia, hopping off his private jet just minutes ago.

Travis Kelce is on his way to see his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, in Australia -- in fact, he's currently en route ... and he'll be landing there bright and early, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Travis is, in fact, aboard a private jet at the moment that's on its way to Sydney right now ... and it looks like he's taking a similar flight path that she did when she left Vegas after the Super Bowl to get back to work in Melbourne.

We know Travis went from Los Angeles to Hawaii overnight -- where he landed for a pit stop -- and then continued on his journey very early this AM ... and is up in the air as we speak.

Our sources tell us Travis grabbed dinner in L.A. Tuesday evening before jumping on a plane around 9 PM and jetting on over to the islands. We're told he chowed down at Nobu Malibu -- and seems to have laid relatively low, 'cause there aren't many eyewitness sightings.

Of course, he'll now be joining Tay Tay down under ahead of a string of shows she's got scheduled through the weekend ... this after missing her Melbourne slate. Here, he's making up for it by catching the latter half of her Aussie shows ... 4 of 'em running through Monday.

Unclear if Travis is gonna stick around and hit up Singapore with Taylor afterward -- where she's scheduled to perform next -- but for now ... she'll have TK by her side in Sydney.

Travis has been traveling quite a bit over the past 48 hours -- as we reported, he was in Vegas (again) Monday for a little bro time and some golf ... but beelined outta there quick.

There's been a lot of speculation on when (or if) he'd join Taylor at some point ... and now, we know he will. The reason for the doubt had to do with the Kansas City shooting -- which threw Travis and his whole team for a loop, and seemingly set his plans back a bit.

He was just in Kansas City this past weekend ... but since then, he's been bouncing around.

Travis' dad, Ed, did an interview earlier this week where he said his boy sounded keen on coming down there and enjoying the Aussie landscape -- as it turns out, he was right.

Get ready, Taylor ... here comes, Travis!!!

We'll be talking all things Taylor on the new "TMZ Swift-Tea Podcast" -- available on all podcast platforms.

Ex-NFL star Adrian Peterson claims his most prized possessions are being sold without his consent ... and now, he's planning to sue over the matter.

Numerous items belonging to the All-Pro running back -- including his 2012 Most Valuable Player and 2007 Rookie of the Year trophies -- hit the auction block this week ... which led many to wonder if Peterson had fallen on hard times and was looking to make a quick buck after earning more than $100 million on the field throughout his career.

The former first-round pick cleared the air on Wednesday ... saying he was just as shocked as everyone else when news of the auction made rounds on social media.

"I want to clarify recent rumors and media reports," Peterson said in a video. "An estate sale company without my authorization included some of my trophies in a sale, despite clear instructions to leave personal items untouched."

Peterson's rep, Denise White, further explained to TMZ Sports he had a storage unit full of old stuff ... so he hired the Texmax Auctions company to get rid of whatever he didn't want anymore -- but he had no intent to include anything of personal value.

Worth noting -- Peterson made his way around the league during his lengthy career ... so we're told he had several storage units throughout the country and had no clue these specific items would be included.

White tells us they've made several attempts to make contact with the company to fix the issue ... but have not heard back as of this post.

Peterson continued ... "I did not authorize the sale of my trophies and am taking legal action. Trusting the company without supervision was my mistake. We allowed them to go into several of our storage units with clear instructions. They clearly did something unlawful."

Lyndell Mays -- the man who cops say fired the first gunshots at the Chiefs' Super Bowl parade last week -- appeared in a Missouri courtroom on Wednesday for the first time since he was hit with a murder charge over the shooting during the K.C. celebration.

Reporters inside of the courtroom say the 23-year-old showed up to the proceedings in an orange jumpsuit ... with shackles around his waist and feet. They added he also had a piece of white gauze taped to his face -- presumably covering wounds he suffered amid the chaos on Feb. 14 at Union Station.

Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom.

According to KHSB 41, Mays walked in front of the judge with his head dropped slightly ... although he did make eye contact with some who were present.

Mays did not enter a plea at the hearing ... and he's now due back in court for a bond review next Thursday. He remains in police custody on $1 million bail.

As we previously reported, Mays is facing one count of murder in the second degree, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon ... after police say he admitted to firing his gun multiple times following a dispute with other people at the K.C. party.

Cops say Mays told them his actions were "stupid."

"Just pulled a gun out and started shooting," police said he told them. "I shouldn't have done that. Just being stupid."

One other adult, Dominic Miller, and two juveniles have also been hit with criminal charges related to the shooting. It's unclear when their first court appearances will take place.

Rudy Gobert might've had the best All-Star break in the entire NBA ... 'cause the Minnesota Timberwolves big man's girlfriend just announced they're having a baby!!

The couple shared the exciting news with a number of romantic pregnancy photoshoot pics ... showing him embracing Julia Bonilla's bump during a sunset on the beach.

Rudy also posted a picture palming Julia's growing tummy with his hand ... with his fingers covering the majority of her midriff.

Gobert had a one-word statement on the reveal ... saying, "Legacy," while Julia added, "The better half of us."

The couple's friends expressed their excitement -- from Jordyn Woods to Joakim Noah, Austin Rivers, Trey Lyles and more.

It's unclear how long Gobert and Bonilla have been official -- he's a pretty private guy -- but the two spent the Christmas holidays together with family in Minnesota ... so we take it they've been serious for a while now.

The baby could grow up to be pretty gifted on the court if it takes after pops, considering he's 7'1", a three-time All-Star and a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is attempting to clear the air on his decision to unfollow his employer on Instagram ... claiming part of it had to do with escaping the Caleb Williams debate.

The NFL star caused a stir when he removed the Bears from his feed last week ... with some folks speculating it was foreshadowing his future with the organization and what Chicago will do with the top pick in next month's draft.

Of course, many expect the USC standout to have his name called first ... which would almost certainly end Fields' time in the Windy City.

Fields was asked all about it on the "St. Brown Bros." podcast episode that dropped on Wednesday ... and he wants everyone to relax.

"Why do people take social media so serious?" Fields asked. "I still mess with the Bears, this and that. I'm just trying to take a little break. I unfollowed the Bears AND the NFL, bro. I'm not just trying to have football on my timeline."

Fields compared his social media activity to talking to a girl -- just because they may not follow each other doesn't mean something isn't going on behind the scenes.

The former No. 11-overall pick did point out one thing that bothers him in particular -- the comment section turning into a massive back-and-forth over what the Bears should do.

Marshawn Lynch just cut a deal with prosecutors in his DUI case ... avoiding a trial that was slated to begin in Las Vegas later Wednesday.

Court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show that as part of the agreement, the former NFL star's misdemeanor DUI charge will be reduced down to a reckless driving one if he completes several conditions.

Some of those, the docs show, include 200 hours of community service, DUI school, a $1,140 fine and keeping his nose clean for the next 12 months.

As an additional part of the deal, prosecutors agreed to drop the other charges Lynch had been facing.

Court records show Lynch is now due back in court for a hearing in the case in May.

Lynch's attorneys, Richard Schonfeld and David Chesnoff, said in a statement to 8 News Now following the agreement, "Mr. Lynch has not been convicted of any offense at this time. He has agreed to complete certain requirements which will result in this case being closed as a reckless driving traffic offense."

The ex-Seattle Seahawks running back was initially charged with the DUI -- as well as, among other things, one count of failure to drive in a travel lane -- back in August 2022 ... after officials accused him of getting behind the wheel of a 2020 Shelby GT500 while drunk.

Officials claimed Lynch tore up his car on the roadway ... before he parked it and fell asleep.

Police video shows when officers confronted Lynch ... he seemed uncooperative. And, after cops said he was "obstructing" their investigation, they pulled him from the car.

"Roll over," the cops could be heard telling him as they wrestled him to the ground. "Hands behind your back. No more games today."

Lynch's attorneys argued at the time "the vehicle was safely parked and not in operation" -- and therefore the DUI charge shouldn't stick.

Floyd Mayweather is still trying to find closure after his longtime assistant, Marikit "Kitchie" Laurico, died last March ... breaking down in tears as he praised her as the kindest, most selfless woman he's ever met.

The boxing legend showed his vulnerable side in a heartbreaking interview on the "Pivot" podcast this week ... explaining how Kitchie was way more than just an employee -- she was his best friend.

"Kitchie was the only person in life that I could talk about anything to, that knew my deepest secrets," Floyd said. "There was no male or female in my life that I told more stuff to than her."

"She taught me a lot, she helped me a lot. Through rain, sleet, snow or hail, she had my back."

Kitchie was Mayweather's assistant for more than a decade ... but he pointed out that even though he could financially assist her in any endeavor she wished to pursue, she never asked him for help.

"All my assistant wanted to do was support me and help me be the best man I can be and she wanted my kids just to be positive and she was a positive person," he continued.

Mayweather added they had already made plans to go to Aruba for her 50th birthday and attend the Super Bowl in Las Vegas together ... but tragically, she passed away before that could happen.

The 50-0 fighter said Kitchie seemingly dealt with health issues ... and six days before her death, he encouraged her to seek medical treatment.

Floyd lamented how he couldn't give her a proper farewell ... as she more than deserved it.

"We argue, we debate, we help each other ... that's a sister I never had. A best friend I ever had."

9:54 AM PT -- Whether Tom Brady believes the relationship timeline between Gisele Bündchen and Joaquim Valente or not -- they're continuing to see each other as they explore their romance ... proven by the fact that Joaquim just left Gisele's place earlier this morning.

Here's a shot of the jiu-jitsu instructor making a clean getaway from Gisele's home in Miami Wednesday morning -- right on the heels of reports that they're together as a couple now. Tom himself might be incredulous as to when it all began ... but they clearly don't care.

Gisele Bündchen didn't start dating Joaquim Valente until June 2023, but apparently Tom Brady isn't buying what she's selling.

Multiple sources connected to Tom tell TMZ ... the former QB believes G&J started dating long before that. As one source put it, "They should add 2021 after June. Then the headline would be accurate."

Gisele sources told People, "They have been dating since June. They're taking it slow. They started out as great friends first."

As we reported, Gisele and Tom have known Joaquim for years. Their 2 kids took jiu-jitsu lessons with him and Gisele herself trained with Joaquim.

After Tom and Gisele split, she traveled several times to Costa Rica with Joaquim, along with her kids and have been seen together in Miami as well.

One source said, "When they announced divorce in October 2022, Gisele fled to Costa Rica for 2 months. Joaquim flew there with her for 2 months. She takes her jiu-jitsu training seriously. LOL."

Tom has been dating supermodel Irina Shayk on and off since last summer, so he's moved on. The couple shares joint custody of their kids.