Kanye West SUSPECT IN BATTERY INVESTIGATION ... After He Grabs, Tosses Photog’s Phone
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Kanye West is the named suspect in a battery investigation after a heated exchange with a photographer escalated to the point of Ye grabbing and throwing the woman’s phone.
Check out the video, Ye’s clearly upset — accusing the woman of following him — all the while she continues to record.
The woman exclaims, “You’re a celebrity!” but that’s enough for Ye, who grabs and throws the woman’s phone into the street.
He then hops into his SUV where his wife, Bianca Censori, is patiently waiting.
A law enforcement source tells us Kanye’s the named suspect in a battery investigation, deputies from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department were called to the scene around 4:30 PM and were provided video evidence of the incident.
It’s currently unclear if the woman is a professional photographer or was just taking videos of Ye as a citizen.
We should note … the whole thing happened near a sports complex where North West had a scheduled basketball game.
As we reported, Ye and Bianca were spotted shopping at a Balenciaga store earlier this week, the same brand that cut ties with Kanye after his antisemitic remarks.
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Robert Horry Ejected From Son's HS Basketball Game ... For Heckling Refs, 'You Suck!'
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7x NBA champ Robert Horry was ejected from his son's basketball game Friday night for screaming "you suck" at the referees, and TMZ Sports has video of the incident.
52-year-old Horry's son Christian is a junior at Harvard Westlake, one of the top private schools in L.A., where he is a star guard. Harvard-Westlake was playing St. Francis in Flintridge, CA Friday night.
During the 3rd quarter, Christian picked up his 4th foul, according to a spectator, and "Big Shot Bob" wasn't exactly pleased with the call ... so he began yelling at the refs.
The video starts with Horry, mid-sentence, screaming "You suck!" while standing in the bleachers. It's not seen on the video, but this is when the ref points at Robert, and tosses him out of the game.
But, Horry didn't stop, continuing, "Hey ref, you talking about me? You suck! Oh, you're mad at me because I said you suck?"
Robert then climbed down the stands, where he stood on the sideline, jawing at the ref. It's difficult to understand what he's saying.
A few seconds later, someone came over to corral RH, and they began walking towards the gym exit.
Horry briefly stopped to talk to the HW coach. The guys quickly put an arm around each other, and Robert continued on.
Horry, who played with the Rockets, Suns, Lakers, and Spurs over his 17-season NBA career, won more championships (7) than almost any other player in NBA history (only 6 players won 8 or more titles). Robert was known for his ability to knock down big shots in clutch moments.
Under CIF rules, Horry could be banned from attending the next Harvard Westlake basketball game.
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Michael Vick I Expect Greatness From Mahomes Despite Injury ... Here's Why
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Is it possible Patrick Mahomes could play BETTER on his injured ankle this weekend? Michael Vick certainly thinks so ... telling TMZ Sports he believes it could actually help the QB vs. the Bengals!!!
Vick explained ... when he was battling through ailments during big games in his legendary career, it made him focus more on the field -- and, in turn, upped his game a bit.
The former Philadelphia Eagles signal-caller tells us he expects similar results from Mahomes in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
"I know this from playing at a high level and playing against high-level competition," Vick said, "sometimes when you play hurt, you'll be a little bit more focused. A little bit more dialed in."
Patrick Mahomes nasty looking ankle turn pic.twitter.com/MEu2rFnQxz
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliTSP) January 21, 2023 @AryePulliTSP
Mahomes injured his ankle last Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but finished out the game. Vick says the Chiefs' star's ability to come back despite twisting the limb gives him confidence Mahomes is one of the rare athletes who can step up despite a wound.
"Playing hurt is not a bad thing if you know how to do it," Vick said. "Only certain people can do it -- and the ones that are listening right now, they know what I'm saying. They can relate."
#Chiefs Patrick Mahomes (ankle) practicing again on Friday. pic.twitter.com/IXvsa6VsMd
— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladd0) January 27, 2023 @aaronladd0
Mahomes hasn't been seen sporting much of a limp at all since the injury -- and is expected to go against Cincinnati.
Of course, if he wins, he'll have a spot in yet another Super Bowl -- and if the Eagles manage to do the same, Jalen Hurts will too ... marking the first-ever Big Game that will feature two Black starting quarterbacks.
Vick, who actually is helping produce an upcoming docuseries on the "Evolution of the Black Quarterback in America," says he's thrilled about the possibility ... telling us, "That's really special."
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Francis Ngannou I've Been In Contact W/ Tyson Fury's Rep Hope To Fight This Summer
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Francis Ngannou says he's been in contact with Tyson Fury's camp, and while the Gypsy King's next boxing match will likely be against fellow heavyweight champ, Oleksandr Usyk, the former UFC champ says they could fight mid-year!
"I've talked to somebody. Some of [Fury's] advisors, but they're working on a fight with Usyk in April. So, until then, he will not be free, but I'm trying to see if we can have an agreement before that fight," Ngannou told TMZ Sports from Cameroon.
"That will also give me some time to prepare for a boxing fight. I have no problem with that timeline. I hope will be sometime in June, July, which is doable. Let's see. I think it's too early to make a conclusion. It's too early to say anything about it but it's definitely something that we're looking into."
Boxing’s Heavyweight Champion standing next to the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) April 23, 2022 @MMAHistoryToday
Francis Ngannou says that him and Tyson Fury will fight under hybrid rules.
In a boxing ring but with MMA gloves. pic.twitter.com/UmndMNgyzX
Of course, Fury and Ngannou haven't been shy about expressing their desire to box -- under somewhat amended rules (think boxing with a hint of MMA) -- and the combat sports stars even came face-to-face in the ring last year after Fury beat boxing star Dillian Whyte.
Francis believes fans want the fight ... even more so than the long-anticipated Fury vs. Anthony Joshua matchup.
"We've been talking about this fight the past two years. I think at this point, the people are waiting for this fight and talking about this fight more than the Joshua fight," Ngannou said while noting Fury-Joshua is still a huge draw.
There's more -- we also asked Francis about his recent meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo, and whether the international soccer star gave him any advice on free agency after signing an enormous contract with Saudi Arabia's Al Nassr.
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Bengals Kicker Evan McPherson Not Rallying Behind 'Burrowhead' Barb ... 'Just Something Mike Hilton Said'
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"Burrowhead" is dead in the Bengals' locker room ... at least, that's according to Cincinnati star kicker Evan McPherson, who tells TMZ Sports the jab was a one-time thing that the team is definitely not using as a rallying cry heading into the big game against the Chiefs.
Cincy defensive back Mike Hilton coined the term following the Bengals' playoff victory over the Bills last weekend ... using it as a way to describe Joe Burrow's recent dominance over Patrick Mahomes, K.C. and Arrowhead Stadium.
Hilton was celebrating, and a hot mic captured him yelling, "We'll see ya'll in Burrowhead!" in this week's AFC Championship Game.
.@MikeHilton_28 and the @Bengals made a statement Sunday ‼ pic.twitter.com/WjNFB46aNo
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 25, 2023 @NFLFilms
K.C. players have appeared to use it as motivation and bulletin board material ... but McPherson explained it's not a jab the Bengals are saying regularly -- if at all anymore.
"I think that was just something Mike Hilton said," McPherson told us.
"I haven't heard 'Burrowhead' in the locker room. I just seen it on the videos. So I think it was just kind of one of those media things."
To be fair, Burrow has been dominant when playing the Chiefs -- and in the AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead last year, he played well, winning in overtime. McPherson, though, told us he and the guys are staying as humble as possible, not gloating about it all at practices and workouts.
"Obviously, it seems like Joe and the Bengals, as of late, have the Chiefs' number," McPherson said. "As a team, we're really taught to take it one game at a time and separate all those."
We also spoke with McPherson about kicking in big games, Burrow's swag, and, yes, even the upcoming Rihanna Super Bowl halftime show. Check out the convo -- as most things involving McPherson are, it's money.
UFC Champ Brandon Moreno Down For Truce W/ Figueiredo ... I Have No Hard Feelings
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Brandon Moreno says he's had his last fight with Deiveson Figueiredo and is moving on with his career and life ... but the 125 lb. champ tells TMZ Sports he has absolutely no bad blood with his rival, though he's not sure the feeling's mutual.
We talked to Moreno just days after he defeated the 35-year-old former champion ... and we asked Brandon if he could see himself actually becoming friends with Deiveson.
"Yes, of course. I never feel nothing bad against him. The bad blood was a little bit because he was talking a lot of s**t about me in some interviews."
Moreno continued ... "After the fight, for example, I went with him and tried to shake hands. He didn't. I have a lot of respect for him. At the end, he was trying to sell the fight to get something for his family and I respect that because it's the same with me. I'm just doing this for my family."
We also asked Moreno if he foresaw a 5th fight between him and Figgy.
"Hopefully, no. I'm done. It was nice and we built something huge together. Even for the people, they don't want to see another between us. The smart people understand why we made four fights together, but for sure they don't want to see the fifth one."
"I need to pass the page. I need to rest my body and my mind. But, at the same time, I want to be active and I want to start to put more statements in this division and I want to keep building my legacy."
There's much more.
We also asked Moreno if believed he was the best/most accomplished flyweight in UFC history (obvious contenders are Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo), when he plans to get back in the Octagon, and who he wants to fight.
Check out the clips!
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49ers Vs. Eagles Police 'Greasing Poles' In Philly ... Deterring Wild Celebrations
Bad news for Eagles fans looking to get wild on Sunday after the NFC Championship Game ... cops say they're "greasing poles" in Philly streets in an effort to deter crazy postgame celebrations.
In addition, according to a Philadelphia Police Dept. spokesperson, officers' hours will be extended in anticipation of large crowd sizes following the big game.
Police also say they've been in contact with local businesses to prep them about what could be coming their way Sunday evening.
An update from the scene here. This dude is shotgunning beers thrown up from the cheering crowd below. #philly https://t.co/BHGOOQ1rUT pic.twitter.com/TZ0KHM6BsN
— Heather Khalifa (@khalifaheather) October 24, 2022 @khalifaheather
Of course, the practice of climbing poles and getting rowdy in streets after big wins has become popular amongst Philly fans ... back in November, some took to the poles after the Phillies advanced to the World Series to get their party on.
Eagles fans have been seen doing similar after dubs in the past -- and it's clear, cops ain't ready to have it again on Sunday.
But, hey, we're sure they'll find another way to get their rocks off ... that is, if the Eagles can get through Brock Purdy and the 49ers first!
NFL's Chris Baker Walks Through Hospital ... 1 Week After Stroke
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Fantastic update from Chris "Swaggy" Baker -- the ex-NFL player is up and walking around the hospital ... one week after suffering a "serious" stroke.
The former Washington defensive lineman posted video of his status just minutes ago ... showing him taking steps as he makes his way through the facility's hallway.
As we previously reported, the former Washington defensive lineman said he was lucky to be alive after experiencing a medical emergency last Friday ... with his mother revealing he was responding as if the stroke was minor, and was expected to make a full recovery -- calling his improvement a "miracle."
A number of fellow former NFL players were thrilled by Baker's update ... with Robert Griffin III, Carlos Dunlap, Glenn Dorsey and Bashaud Breeland showing love in the comment section.
Olympic medalist Kellie Wells Brinkley added ... "Yessir!!!!!!!!! Keep going bro! We are behind you!"
Earlier this week, Baker sent a message to his fans ... saying, "Tell Your love ones you love em" ... claiming "my life almost ended 2days ago."
"I can't believe I had a stroke but God not done with me yet."
Keep it up, Swaggy!!
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Matt Barnes Fiancee's Ex Sues ... Over Spitting Incident
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The man who Matt Barnes spit on during the 49ers game last weekend is now suing the former NBA champ ... alleging the ex-hooper caused him injury, emotional distress and more during the incident.
David Patterson Jr. -- the ex of Barnes' current fiancee -- filed the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, in L.A. County Superior Court on Friday.
In the suit, Patterson Jr. claims he had no idea Barnes would be at the much-anticipated Niners vs. Cowboys playoff game in Santa Clara on Sunday ... but said when the two happened to run into each other in a concourse at Levi's Stadium, they began yelling at each other from about 20 feet away.
Patterson Jr. says Barnes then came up to him unprovoked and spat directly in his face. The 37-year-old alleged multiple cell phone cameras captured the incident.
He's suing for battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He's asking for unspecified damages.
Patterson Jr. added in the docs that this was nowhere near the first run-in he's had with his ex-wife's new fiance ... claiming Barnes had harassed him and threatened him repeatedly in the past.
Patterson Jr. says he's got text messages that show the former Golden State Warriors forward called him a "bitch," "clown," "fat f***" and more. He also says at one point in 2022, Barnes told him, "Pull up & get your ass whooped in front of your kids. I'm done talking."
For his part, Barnes said in an application for a temporary restraining order against Patterson Jr. earlier this week that his fiancee's ex was the one who had been harassing him and making threats against him over the past few months.
Barnes also said Patterson Jr. was the aggressor in the altercation at Levi's Stadium.
Barnes was granted the TRO earlier this week. The parties are now expected to meet in court over it all at a hearing on Feb. 16.
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T.J. Holmes & Amy Robach Out at ABC ... Officially Sign Exit Agreements
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2:55 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell us both T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach have officially signed their exit agreements -- which include compensation packages -- though we don't yet know the amount.
T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach are both out at ABC ... TMZ has learned.
Sources connected to the network tell us, after a marathon mediation session Thursday, ABC and the 2 'GMA3' anchors have severed ties, and both will receive payouts per their contracts.
We're told the mediation was "extremely contentious," with ABC reps accusing both Amy and T.J. of various forms of misconduct, which one source characterized as "a witch hunt."
We're told one of the accusations is that Amy had liquor in her dressing room, which the ABC folks said was a violation of policy. One source called the accusation "ridiculous," noting some of the bottles were sent from top ABC News execs. The source said those execs sent other on-air talent liquor as well, so this just looked like a way to justify getting rid of her.
We're told another accusation was that Amy went to the College Football National Championship game a year ago, and came to work the next day drunk. One source called that "insane," adding she was simply tired.
As for Amy and T.J., we're told it became clear in mediation they did not handle their romance appropriately ... waiting too long to disclose it to ABC execs. ABC also made it clear ... their "behavior on set" was "uncomfortable" for some ABC staff.
Our sources say the mediation will continue as both sides negotiate the fine points of Amy and T.J.'s exit.
It's a stunning change from what the network initially said when the relationship was made public -- stating the two had not broken any rules -- as they were essentially considered equals at the show in position.
It was December 2 when both T.J. and Amy were last together on "GMA3" desk. ABC honchos pulled them as they investigated whether the couple's relationship had violated company rules -- or if company resources had been used in keeping it a secret.
We don't yet know what the two will do career-wise moving forward ... but they certainly haven't slowed anything down in the relationship department, our sources say they've remained a united front throughout the entire ordeal.
Originally Published -- 8:05 AM PT
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Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval Throws Shade At Patrick Mahomes Is Joe Burrow Your Dad?!?
The mayor of Cincinnati just trolled Patrick Mahomes ahead of the Chiefs' playoff game against the Bengals ... insisting Joe Burrow has the K.C. star quarterback's number completely.
Mayor Aftab Pureval threw the shade in a video posted to his social media page Friday ... just two days before the Bengals-Chiefs AFC championship game -- poking fun at the Kansas City signal-caller.
In the clip, the mayor jokingly says officials asked Burrow to take a paternity test to determine if he's Mahomes' dad ... since the Cincy QB is 3-0 in his career against Patrick.
Pureval then reminisced about the Bengals' 27-24 AFC title game victory last season ... and proclaimed Jan 29, 2023 as "They Gotta Play Us Day" in Cincinnati.
Of course, the mayor has all the reasons to gloat ... the Bengals have found both regular-season and postseason success against Mahomes and the Chiefs -- and are considered by many to be the favorite on Sunday.
Will Mahomes make Mayor Pureval eat his words? We'll find out soon enough -- kickoff is only about 52 hours away now!!
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LeBron James 2013 Finals Jersey Sells For $3.7 Mil ... New Record!!!
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LeBron James is the king on the court and now on the auction block too -- the NBA superstar's used jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals just sold for $3.7 million ... a new record!!
Sotheby's announced the final price tag for the incredible piece of memorabilia Friday morning -- making it the highest-selling game-worn James jersey to date.
This specific #6 jersey is the exact threads James wore when the Miami Heat beat the San Antonio Spurs, 98-88 ... securing LeBron's second championship.
It was a historical night for James ... as it was the first Game 7 of his NBA career, and he secured his second NBA Finals MVP award in the process.
The jersey sold for $3,680,000 at the auction ... which makes it the third most valuable game-worn jersey ever sold at Sotheby's, and among "the highest prices achieved for any game-worn jersey on the open market."
Sotheby's tells TMZ Sports it was purchased by a private collector.
"Today's tremendous result comes at a pivotal time in LeBron James' career, where he is in arm's reach of clenching the all-time points record -- one of the NBA's most revered accolades," Sotheby's officials said on Friday.
Now that LeBron is inching closer to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, expect all his memorabilia to skyrocket.
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Tom Brady Spends Quality Time W/ Daughter Vivian ... Off-Season Daddy Duty!!
Tom Brady has a lot more free time this off-season, and the 7x Super Bowl winner is putting it to good use ... spending an afternoon with his 10-year-old daughter, Vivian, while she took horse riding lessons!
It's the first off-season since Brady and Gisele Bündchen divorced, and with his ex-wife spending a lot of time in Costa Rica with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente ... Tom took Vivian to a stable in Miami on Wednesday.
Brady, clearly, is a very proud dad, and was seen photographing Vivian as she rode her horse.
At one point, a brunette woman approached Tom, and seemingly asked for a photograph ... and Brady obliged. The two also had a friendly chat.
While Tom is in relaxation mode, there's a ton of speculation about his future and whether he'll play football next year ... but Brady's made it clear he hasn't made up his mind, and for the time being, just wants to spend time with his kids.
Of course, Brady's Tampa Bay Bucs squad lost to the Cowboys in the playoffs a couple of weeks back, ending Tom's 23rd NFL season.
What's interesting ... there's lots of speculation Gisele and Valente are dating. In fact, two were also spotted riding horses in Costa Rica on January 18. Though, they've continued to claim JV is nothing more than their martial arts instructor.
Tom and Gisele, who officially divorced in October, have two kids, Vivian and Ben.
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Conor McGregor Struck By Car While Biking ... 'I Could Have Been Dead'
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Terrifying moment for Conor McGregor -- the UFC superstar was just hit by a car that was traveling at full speed while he was riding his bike on Friday ... but luckily, he appears to be okay.
34-year-old McGregor shared footage from the scene on social media ... showing his expensive Orbea cycle lying in the middle of the road.
"Got a bang of a car just now from behind," Conor said in his Instagram post. "A sun trap, the driver couldn’t see me. Full spreed straight thru me. Thank you God, it wasn’t my time."
In video following the accident, a flustered McGregor shows the aftermath of the accident ... and you can hear the driver profusely apologizing.
"All good, all good," McGregor said. "Don't worry about it."
Conor clearly understands the seriousness of the situation ... saying, "I could have been dead there, mate, look!!" and "Jesus Christ ... I think I got away with my life, there."
McGregor's pants ripped as he fell to the ground ... but as for any body damage, he seems to have no injuries.
"Thank you wrestling and judo also," Conor said. "Having an awareness on the landing saved my life. 🙏"
Eventually, Conor caught a ride from the driver who hit him ... after he explained his bike was "f***ed."
"God bless ... I'm still here. Thank God. That's all that matters."
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Clemson Star Brevin Galloway 'My Balls & Nut Sack Were Exploded!!!' ... Undergoes Emergency Surgery
Well, this is new ... Clemson men's basketball star Brevin Galloway revealed he experienced a different type of groin injury this week -- saying he was rushed to the doctor on Thursday after "my balls and my nut sack were exploded."
For real.
The Tigers' senior guard said the horrifying swelling of his testes occurred after he had finished a morning gym session followed by an afternoon siesta.
"This morning, I went to lift, I came back, I took a nap, I woke up from my nap -- my balls and my nut sack were exploded!" Galloway said in an Instagram video.
BG said he underwent immediate surgery ... and, thankfully, after about three hours under the knife, everything down under is now back to "normal" size.
"I don't know what happened to my balls," he said. "I guess they were trying to be like basketballs, but we made it."
Even though Galloway was all smiles when describing the episode, he later said the testicular torsion he experienced was bad ... and he "couldn't breathe without pain." He called it a 10/10 bad on the pain scale.
Galloway -- who averages 10.6 points and 2.6 assists per game -- is now expected to miss a couple games while recovering ... but he's eyeing Feb. 4 as a potential date for his return.
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Ben Askren Busts Eyelid Open ... Gross!!!
Ben Askren had an eye-opening experience on the mats this week ... 'cause the former UFC star suffered a nasty injury during a wrestling session -- and it'll make your skin crawl.
Funky showed off the battle wound on Thursday ... saying, "still shooting so fast these young boys can’t sprawl quick enough."
The incident seemingly happened as he was wrestling with college athlete Mitchell Mesenbrink ... who jokingly denied Askren's claim that he got the business during the workout.
As for the injury, Ben was able to get stitched up on the spot ... with a crowd of people watching as he lay on the floor to close the gash on his eyelid.
The cut is gruesome, but apparently not enough to where the folks in attendance wanted to look away.
The patchwork seemed to work out just fine ... as Ben shared a snapshot smiling after his skin was sewn back together.
Askren's been getting beaten up lately -- earlier this week, he showed off a shiner on his eye.
Ice up, Ben ... and sorry to anyone who watched the vid while eating their breakfast.