TMZ Sports - Page 50

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce look like a high school couple who have fallen in love for the first time ... at least that's the vibe they put out at Super Bowl after-parties in Las Vegas.

Nitish Kannan, a film producer who partied with Taylor and Travis in Sin City, joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday and painted a picture of what it was like celebrating the Kansas City Chief's big win alongside Hollywood's "it" couple.

Taylor and Travis started the postgame festivities with a private party at Zouk inside Resorts World Las Vegas before moving over to XS at the Wynn ... and when they weren't singing her hit songs to each other, they were making out.

Nitish tells us Tay Tay and TK seemed to be having the times of their lives ... and looking like they're in the honeymoon phase of their relationship.

While the singer and football player commanded the spotlight all night, Nitish says Taylor and Travis wanted to just have a normal night out in public with friends, family and teammates.

It's kinda the exact opposite of Taylor's last relationship -- looking at you, Joe Alwyn -- and that might be one reason why this is all working so well.

Travis, Nitish noticed, isn't very clingy or needy ... and Taylor's very into him. The whole night TK would be hanging with Taylor, then suddenly with his teammates ... and was just generally nice to everyone. That's what Nitish here is saying.

Ice Spice pissed off many with her appearance at the Super Bowl -- as some interpreted a pendant she wore as pure evil ... even though, Playboi Carti meant nothing by it.

Here's the deal ... the rapper was seen a lot during Sunday's broadcast of the game, and a good amount of folks noticed the chain/necklace she was wearing in the suite with Taylor Swift and co., which (to a lot of people) looked like an upside-down cross.

Of course, that got some pearl-clutchers up in arms ... with accusations of "devil worship" and "demonic" symbols being shown on TV in front of millions. A hand gesture she made at one point -- quiet coyote -- certainly didn't help either with the unholy accusations.

Welp, as it turns out ... there's nothing un-godly about this pendant at all -- at least that's what we're being told anyway.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ that the piece was designed by celeb jeweler Alex Moss, and it's just a sweet piece of ice with no devil ties behind it whatsoever. We're told the pendant is made from black gold, a new material that's been developed and which Alex is using in a forthcoming collection this cross also has baby pink sapphires all throughout.

Our sources say Ice is the first star of her caliber to have this sort of piece in her possession -- and she has Carti to thank for it ... we're told he actually gifted it to her not too long ago.

While the dude is certainly known for his gothic/vampire vibes these days -- our sources assure us ... there was nothing satanic behind the meaning/design of the piece, which we're told was a collab effort between Alex and PBC.

Hard to tell if people will buy that ... but that's the explanation that's been provided to us.

Whether it leans toward the dark side or not -- 'cause frankly, who the hell knows what's in people's hearts -- what we can gather from this is ... the chain is freakin' dope, and it's rare.

Anyhoo ... it's just the latest star to fight off accusations of dancin' with the prince of darkness.

Bellator champion Johnny Eblen's bank account took a big hit this weekend ... 'cause he treated an OnlyFans model to a day full of luxury shopping -- and the final price tag is wild!!

TMZ Sports has obtained video of the undefeated middleweight fighter's spending spree with Jessenia Rebecca -- who boasts nearly two million followers on Instagram -- and the two were clearly able to find what they wanted ... as they were both holding several bags.

We're told Eblen dropped $30,000 at Alex The Jeweler's shop, $25,000 at Dior and another $30,000 at Louis Vuitton ... totaling a staggering $85,000!!!

No word what inspired it all -- JR isn't even JE's girlfriend, but we're told he's currently in an open relationship with another lady.

Regardless, it's safe to say Jessenia was thrilled ... smiling from ear to ear as she gushed over the gesture.

If ya wanna feel even worse about yourself, Johnny and Jessenia then hop in an expensive-ass whip before driving off.

Seems most fans at Super Bowl LVIII were on their best behavior Sunday ... because TMZ Sports has learned only six people were arrested at the big game in Sin City.

Cops tell us ... one fan at Allegiant Stadium during the Chiefs vs. Niners tilt was thrown behind bars for grand larceny. Another was booked for battery on an officer. Two others, police say, were arrested for obstruction.

Of course, the final two arrestees were the duo of men who stripped off their shirts and ran onto the field during a play in the third quarter.

Both guys, we're told, were put into custody on charges of prohibited acts during a sporting event -- before they were released.

There were also several medical emergencies during the game ... cops tell us they received 56 calls regarding health scares -- adding that nine total people needed to be transported to the hospital for further evaluation.

Super Bowl viewers were quick to pounce on Alicia Keys for botching a note during her Halftime show performance with Usher ... but her voice crack has since been cleaned up.

Alicia was a little off-key Sunday when she started singing "If I Ain't Got You" while playing piano onstage -- something people very much so noticed immediately and mocked her over -- although, you wouldn't know it if you missed the live show on air during Super Bowl LVIII.

The reason ... the official Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show video published on YouTube -- which is up right now -- very clearly edited out the minor flub.

Take a listen to the comparisons between the live performance and the version posted on YT ... it certainly seems like editors went back and polished up Alicia's voice. In fact, there's almost no question they did -- as the difference between the two versions is noticeable.

Now, don't get it twisted ... this isn't some huge "conspiracy" involving the National Football League as some have suggested ... it's really just the NFL/Apple Music doing Alicia a solid.

Plenty of folks are already poking fun at Alicia on social media over this, so the bigwigs calling the shots here seem to be throwing AK a life raft. Plus, ya gotta figure they wanna put the best product available in the official version that lives on ... so it's not surprising at all.

With that said, everyone's gonna probably remember ... AK needed a little post-production magic when it's all said and done. No harm, no foul -- she's still an amazing singer!

Usher's moves from the Halftime show seamlessly floated on over to an after-party -- where he kept on skating ... only here, all eyes were on him and his (maybe?) new bride.

Super Bowl LVIII's headlining act hosted a star-studded bash in Las Vegas Sunday night after the big game ... and TMZ has obtained video of Usher cutting a rug on the dance floor, or on the roller rink, rather.

As you can see, Usher has his roller skates on and he's zipping around, doing some break dance moves ... all while looking pretty slick. Remember, Usher incorporated roller skating into his epic halftime performance, and he's keeping the good vibes going here as well.

The after-party went down at Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace inside Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas, with performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Diplo and Hardy.

Usher's party also recognized his new album, "Coming Home," and the 30th anniversary of Snoop and Dre's "Gin & Juice." So yeah, SD came out and spit some bars for his old pal.

Other big-time stars who showed up for the bash included ... Andra Day, Big Boy, Brent Faiyaz, Draymond Green, Flavor Flav, Flo Rida, Gabrielle Union, H.E.R, Jermaine Dupri, Justin Hartley, Leon Bridges, Lindsey Vonn, Luke Combs, Ludacris, Machine Gun Kelly, Maren Morris, Megan Fox, Ne-Yo, Pauly Shore, Ray Ray McCloud III, Speedy Morman, TANK, Tiffany Haddish, Too Short, Tim Cook, Victoria Monet, Ying Yang Twins, will.i.am, Winnie Harlow, Zach Bia, and Zane Low ... just to name a few!

Now, eyewitnesses tell us Folks who were there tell us Usher rolled in around 1:40 AM and partied for about 80 minutes ... having fun with a bunch of different people, including his longtime partner, Jennifer Goicoechea, whom he's reported to have married this weekend.

As we reported, Usher and Jennifer obtained a marriage license in Clark County -- and some have suggested they've already tied the knot. If they did, they're keep it low-key for now.

The Flipper’s Skate brand worked with Usher to design the skates he and the skaters wore during the Super Bowl halftime show and to the after party. The skates dropped right after the half time show and you can buy the Flipper’s Quadz by Usher for yourself.

It's unclear or not if Usher and Jenn are, in fact, man and wife at this point -- the details of any purported wedding have surfaced just yet -- but they were being called "newlyweds" at this shindig.

In any case ... lots for Usher to celebrate, regardless. Super Bowl, new album, possible new wife and rave reviews.

Kanye West shelled out a small fortune for some ad space during the Super Bowl -- in a limited capacity, anyway -- and it seems to have paid off ... at least according to him.

Ye announced his haul from Sunday on social media to kick off the new week -- and single-day figures that he's citing are pretty good ... around $19 million is what one of his reps says Yeezy.com made after his stripped-down SB spot.

He posted a screenshot of a text he apparently received, which breaks down what items were sold and the dollar amount for each. There's 4 different products that KW and co. were really pushing, it seems, and those include a top, pants, a T-shirt and YZY pods.

The pods are basically foldable futuristic socks that you can wear as actual footwear.

Funny enough, Kanye seems to have had a great sale on his website ... these items he's hawking are all on sale for a measly $20. Yep ... even now, you can get 'em at that price.

If these numbers are accurate -- then yeah ... Kanye low-key cleaned up on his inventory ... and it would appear his "commercial" (if you can call it that) actually worked wonders.

ICYMI ... the dude had one of the most bare-bones ads of all time -- which only aired in certain markets during the Super Bowl broadcast -- and it featured Ye literally filming himself in the back of a car, selfie-style, and giving a quick explainer of what he was selling.

Like we said, it was as basic as it could be -- and yet, it seems to have done the job!

Some are calling Ye a marketing genius over this ... and others are grumbling that the dude still has a customer base that'll buy his stuff -- even after everything he's said/done by now.

Usher resembled something out of "Space Jam" during part of his Super Bowl thanks to his futuristic Air Jordan 4's -- an emergency addition to his glitzy wardrobe!!!

Dominic "The Surgeon" Ciambrone had to spring into action 48 hours before Usher hit the stage ... we are told Jordan Brand had given the R&B megastar only one prototype of the silver metallic sneaker but was unable to get him the other shoe time for Super Bowl over delays due to Lunar New Year.

Usher reached out to Dominic to recreate all the materials of the kicks ... which fuse the chrome finish atop mirrored textiles and blue compliments ... which, he did in under 48 hours after taking 11 cracks at redesigning the shoe to get it perfect!!!

Dominic tells us Jordan Brand and Usher whipped up the design inspired by the "Confessions" singer's universal space theme.

Upon completion, Dom handcuffed himself to the briefcase containing the coveted kicks and hightailed it to Vegas on a last-minute flight Sunday to hand-deliver them.

No shocker that Kim Kardashian locked down a luxury suite at the Super Bowl, and even had it filled with A-listers -- but what is surprising is how NOT lit it was compared to Taylor Swift's.

The photos showing off their respective suites are out, and we gotta say ... the KarJenner box -- at least for some parts of the game -- comes across as a little bit of a snooze fest when ya see the lively scene in T-Swift's area.

Check out the pics for yourself and we'll let you decide which suite feels like the better time.

In Kim's suite, there are people slumped over and leaning on their hands as if they're just running out the clock -- and one dude in there looks like he's about to take a long nap.

The opposite vibe was happening across the way at Tay Tay's suite ... where Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Miles Teller and a few other stars were losing their minds and celebrating a ton. Of course, Taylor herself was leading the charge on the partying ... pounding beers, etc.

Kim's suite was just as star-studded, of course, with Justin and Hailey Bieber and other KarJenner sisters, Russell Wilson and Ciara, La La Anthony, Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Winnie Harlow and Michael Rubin all attending, but things looked sorta quiet.

Now, this ain't a competition or anything -- but the differences are notable because of the history of bad blood between Taylor and Kim ... which, as we recently learned, is still fresh on T-Swift's mind, something she commented on in her TIME Person of the Year cover story.

As we reported ... Taylor said she still feels like Kanye/Kim were wrong over the whole 2016 recorded-convo thing -- and even today, it sounds like she'd appreciate an apology.

1:05 PM PT -- And just like that, there will be no Naptown beatdown during NBA All-Star Weekend from either Mike Epps or Shannon Sharpe's camps ... the "Club Shay Shay" host is issuing an apology for escalating the situation and promises a "man-to-man" sit down soon.

Mike Epps isn't backing down from Shannon Sharpe's apparent threat that the streets aren't safe for him ... this, after the comic recently took some big shots at the HOF'er.

In response to SS's recent tirade against him on his podcast with Chad OchoCino -- in which Shannon claimed Mike had lied on his name (more on this later) -- ME himself hopped online to address it Monday ... clarifying who reached out to who, and what the deal is.

ICYMI ... Mike did a stand-up set about a week ago where he made fun of Shannon and his viral "Club Shay Shay" interviews lately, particularly the Katt Williams one. In his set, Mike said Shannon had reached out to him for a follow-up sit-down -- and then went on to make some homophobic jokes at Shannon's expense ... all of which caught Shannon's attention/fury.

On Sunday -- while recording his pod with Chad -- Shannon unloaded on Mike without ever naming him -- and said the gay jokes didn't bother him ... but the "lying," as he put it, did. He went to suggest he'd be confronting Mike about this soon, and perhaps more.

Welp, Mike's got a response to Shannon now ... explaining he had actually DM'd Shannon in the aftermath of Katt's now-infamous interview -- during which Mike says he felt Shannon was trying to bait KW into trashing his former 'Friday' costar, even though he never did.

Mike says he thinks Shannon is out here trying to get people to say wild things about others just for clicks -- and on the issue of meeting up ... ME says they can do that too.

Now, he does note he doesn't fight anymore -- so it doesn't sound like he wants to get physical with the former tight end (frankly, nobody does) ... but he continues to taunt SS.

BTW ... Mike has some shots for Shannon's pod partner, Chad, and some insults to boot.

Mike and Shannon are bound to cross paths next weekend at 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend ... which just happens to be in Mike's hometown of Indianapolis. So ... things are happening.

Taylor Swift swapped center stage for a Vegas suite ... with all eyes transfixed on her as she cheered on her Kansas City Chiefs BF Travis Kelce to his big win during her first-ever Super Bowl appearance -- and we've got all the highlights right here.

The star came with an entourage for the ages ... she was seated in her suite with Blake Lively, Ice Spice, Lana Del Rey, Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry, as well as Kelce's family, including his mom Donna, dad Ed, brother Jason Kelce -- and her own dad, Scott Swift.

Like any other girl squad gearing for a night out, the pop idol kicked things off at the Allegiant Stadium with a little alcohol, chugging beer on the big screen for the cheering crowds. Important to note, Taylor's got some skills! She absolutely destroyed her pal Ashley Avignone ... downing the beverage in around 6.6 seconds. Okayyyy T!!!

Now, despite all the fun and festivities, things did get a little intense at the SB ... just ask Tay Tay, she was seen anxiously chowing down on her nails during the fourth quarter -- no doubt hoping the game would unfold in favor of her man Travis. Talk about nail-biting drama both on and off the field!

Thankfully for TS, things did work out with the Chiefs' big win -- and it was the singer herself spearheading the celebrations. Check out the video ... Taylor, Blake, and Ice Spice can't contain themselves, enthusiastically jumping up and down -- and knocking down poor ol' Lana Del Rey as the victory dance got a bit intense.

It wasn't long before she left her suite ... rushing out onto the pitch to plant a kiss on TK. In this angle of the kiss seen worldwide, you can hear Travis asking her: "Was it electric?" Taylor responds: "It was unbelievable. One of the craziest things I've ever experienced!" What a moment!

Of course, the festivities continued long into the evening ... with Taylor's catalog of hits getting everyone on their feet at the after-party.

Just have a look; everyone's boppin' along to "You Belong With Me," ... and "Love Story" gave her a chance to enjoy another kiss with Travis, of course.

It was clearly a night filled with love, music and championship glory -- Until next time, SB!

Usher had a ton of people "caught up" during his Super Bowl LVIII halftime show ... including Ne-Yo -- who tells TMZ Sports the R&B legend's performance was top five of all time!

Ne-Yo made the claim following the Big Game out in Las Vegas ... after Usher wowed the Allegiant Stadium crowd with his singing, dancing and skating skills.

"I liked it!" Ne-Yo told us. "I liked it a lot!"

The "Miss Independent" crooner wasn't the only one who loved what Usher did while singing alongside Alicia Keys, Ludacris and Lil Jon ... Janelle Monae also said she was a big fan of the spectacle.

In fact, she said the act should put Usher squarely in the discussion when it comes time to talk about music's GOATs.

"So proud of him," the 38-year-old singer said. "I love you, Usher!"

Of course, there were some haters ... including boxing star Gervonta Davis, who wasn't pleased with the way Usher caressed Keys during their rendition of "My Boo."

Usher and Alicia Keys got up close and personal during the Super Bowl Halftime show ... a little too close for some people's comfort, Alicia's husband is perfectly fine with it, it seems.

Swizz Beatz not only wasn't offended, but he's kinda laughing off all the critics who were outraged on his behalf -- and he's telling them that their focus is in the wrong place ... rather than zoom in the hug-from-behind (from Usher to Alicia), SB says look at what they did!

He writes, "Y’all talking about the wrong damn thing !!! y’all don’t see that amazing dress covering the entire stadium ⚡️🚨😂😂😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 Tonight’s performance was nothing but amazing with 2 amazing Giants !"

Swizz went on to say ... "Congrats @usher and my love @aliciakeys that song is a classic 🤍 We don’t do negative vibes on this side we make history ✌🏽 Go see GIANTS at @brooklynmuseum it’s open until July blessings."

In other words ... he's not trippin', even though a lot of folks were.

ICYMI ... Usher's performance was buzzing heavy on social media for this particular moment -- namely, him wrapping up Alicia in his arms from behind as they sang their duet, 'My Boo.'

One notable person who commented on it -- boxing star Gervonta Davis ... who suggested he'd use his prizefighting skills to teach Usher a thing or two about boundaries. Boosie Badazz even got self-righteous and demanded Usher publicly apologize.

Indeed, there were some who were legit pissed. But even with those crying foul, you won't get what they're looking for here from Swizz ... he's telling everyone it's really NBD at all.

Cleary, he's comfortable in his relationship with Alicia -- they've been married for years now.

Still, Usher's PDA move caused quite a stir -- and some invoked Keke Palmer's husband to make their point.

Anyhoo, we broke the story on Alicia's SBLVIII cameo ... the two music megastars revamped their 2004 multi-platinum song -- recreating the hot/heavy vibes from the video.

Goldie Hawn's dog is a local celeb in his own star-studded household -- 'cause he showed up in a Super Bowl ad ... something GH and Kate Hudson wanted to highlight online.

Of course, we're talking about Roy ... a golden lab that Goldie herself had been gifted in 2020 -- when he was just a puppy. Now, some 4 years later, the dog's all grown up -- and the Russell/Hawn brood put the pooch to work in one of the bigger commercials Sunday.

Just check out the clip yourself -- despite coming from a family of big-name stars, Roy said "hold my beer" ... flexing his acting chops for a heartwarming Budweiser commercial.

The ad kicks off with a colossal snowstorm delaying a Bud delivery to a remote, beer-deprived pub ... so they resort to old-fashioned methods, transporting the precious cargo via horse and carriage.

Despite feeling disorientated amid the tumultuous weather, a beacon of hope emerges when the pub's loyal dog Roy emerges ... navigating them through the snow to the pub. Eventually, with Roy's help, the beer arrives at the pub, albeit slightly delayed. Teamwork!

Kate shared the IG clip of the family watching Roy's major milestone during an SB watch party Sunday ... everyone proudly showering him with a helluva lot of affection for his achievements.

Patrick Mahomes Sr. was in attendance at the Super Bowl after all ... this despite spending time in jail just days prior.

Patrick Mahomes' father had suite seats for the big game in Las Vegas a week after his DWI arrest in Texas ... although he kept a low profile, avoiding TV cameras and photogs throughout most of the evening at Allegiant Stadium.

He was spotted, however, on the field following Kansas City's thrilling, 25-22 OT victory over the 49ers ... sharing an embrace with his son after the quarterback won his third Super Bowl.

He also posed for a pic with the 28-year-old and the rest of his family while down on the confetti-soaked turf.

Mahomes Sr. appeared to be in Sin City for a few days in the leadup to the game as well .. his wife, Trisha, shared pictures on social media of the two boppin' around town throughout the weekend.

Trisha also posted a video of the bus ride that the two took to get to Sunday's big contest ... and you can hear in the clip, Pat was clearly trying to keep out of sight.

Of course, many had wondered if Mahomes II would want Pops in attendance ... after he allegedly drove drunk following a night out at a bar in Tyler on Feb. 3. The younger Mahomes only offered a few comments on the arrest during Super Bowl week, saying that his dad was "doing good," before adding, "It's a family matter."

Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević was laid to rest on Monday ... and hundreds paid tribute to the beloved figure at his funeral in Serbia, including Steve Kerr.

The GSW head coach was spotted in the rain at a Belgrade cemetery almost a month after Milojević suffered a fatal heart attack while dining out with the team in Salt Lake City.

You can see the 58-year-old Kerr standing amongst mourners, wearing a DM tribute pin on his black blazer.

Former Warriors players Zaza Pachulia and Mike Dunleavy Jr., who is currently the Warriors general manager, were also in attendance.

Kerr will miss the Warriors game tonight against the Jazz in Utah.

Milojević -- known as Deky -- became a Warriors assistant coach in 2021 ... after a career coaching and playing in Serbia.

The NBA was devastated by Deky's shocking death ... with commissioner Adam Silver calling Milojević "a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community."

"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time."

The Warriors paid tribute to Deky in a bunch of different ways, including wearing the beloved coach's initials on their jerseys.