TMZ Sports

Zion Williamson says his relationship with the woman accusing him of rape was nothing more than a consensual "friends with benefits" arrangement ... and he's denying he ever assaulted her ... TMZ has learned.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the New Orleans Pelicans star issued a general denial of every allegation in the Jane Doe's complaint and claims she was NOT harmed by him in any way.

Zion says the two never lived together and their interactions were "pleasant and consensual" ... insisting there was never any assault or sexual battery.

Simone Biles says a gang of intruders hit the Chicago home she shared with football player hubby Jonathan Owens and rolled off in her pricey Porsche -- a story she casually dropped while doing her makeup!

The 7-time Olympic gold medalist revealed the burglary story this week, saying burglars gained entry into her and Owens' home in the Windy City and stole her Porsche GTS.

“I feel like I need a new car because during our last few months in Chicago, three men in masks came to our house and stole my Porsche. Stole the GTS,” Biles said. “That’s another story if you guys want to know, I’ll do a story time on that.”

Brittney Griner's estranged wife, Cherelle Griner, is asking the court to consider how rich the WNBA star is when determining support ... TMZ has learned.

Cherelle filed court docs responding to Brittney's divorce petition after 8 years of marriage. During Brittney's detention in Russia, Cherelle was extremely vocal, calling for her release.

In her paperwork, Cherelle listed the date of marriage as June 18, 2018, and the date of separation as July 24, 2026 ... and she said the marriage is "irretrievably broken with no hope for reconciliation."

DOWN, SET, HUT! Can you guess which Hollywood hottie put her sexy curves on display in this eye-popping shot that's totally NSFW?!

She was one of the longest-running female cast members on MTV's "Wild 'N Out," and she's collaborated with music stars like Fetty Wap.

No, she hasn't played a down of football that we can tell ... but it looks like she knows how to handle the pigskin.

Aaron Rodgers' ex Mallory Edens is turning his latest love-life confession into free promo for her movie ... using the Steelers QB's own relationship rewind to push her new romantic drama.

Without naming Aaron, Mallory wrote on Instagram, "My ex is currently on a press tour talking about how he never loved anyone he dated after 2017."

She said that's unfortunate for him, because she's also making the press rounds for a movie inspired by "how down bad I was" -- joking they're now promoting competing narratives.

Ed Sheeran's concert in Philadelphia brought out protesters last weekend ... though that may be small potatoes when compared to the protest that's scheduled near the stadium on Saturday.

Another demonstration is set for this weekend outside one of Ed's concerts at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough ... the very stadium billionaire Robert Kraft -- who allegedly spearheaded an effort among other stadium owners to get Macklemore removed from the tour.

The Massachusetts Peace Action -- an advocacy group focused on ending the Israel-Palestinian conflict -- is sponsoring the demonstration around the corner from Gillette before Ed's second show at the location this weekend. He's set to play the venue Friday as well.

Sean Sharaf pulled off one of the wildest UFC upsets ever ... and the newfound MMA star says Gable Steveson never saw it coming!

The 33-year-old chopped it up with Babcock just days after flatlining the Olympic gold medalist in 12 seconds at UFC 331 in Los Angeles Saturday night, and Sharaf says Steveson was moving as if he'd already won the fight before a punch was ever thrown.

“He did an [Real American Freestyle] match. He did a wrestling match like the month prior, and that’s when I knew,” Sean said. “He’s in fight camp and he’s going to do another event.”

Sharaf's referring to Steveson's RAF 12 match on August 22 ... less than a month before their fight. Gable won the wrestling match going away, but Sean's point stands ... he wasn't singularly focused on the MMA fight.

Sean was ... 'cause he felt like his UFC career was on the line.

"I was on the chopping block, like, literally, everyone was just like, he even said in his interview, 'He's a sacrificial lamb,' 'He's a coward,' 'He's looking for a way out,' and I'm like, 'Bro, I signed up for this, brother. I signed the contract.' I am definitely going to show up on fight night and I'm definitely here to f****** win."

"That's another lesson, like, bro, you can't underestimate anyone. Like I said, he has two hands, he has two legs, he bleeds red and you can get touched, especially in the UFC."

Of course, Gable was a massive favorite -- somewhere in the ballpark of -2500 -- meaning you'd have to risk $2,500 to win $100. On the other hand, Sean was around +1000 ... wagering $100 would return a $1k profit.

Twelve seconds later, the big dog put the Olympic champ to sleep -- and Steveson was out of the Octagon before they raised Sharaf’s hand.

NBA legend Elgin Baylor's family is fighting over his estate, years after his death ... and it's getting nasty.

According to court docs obtained by TMZ, Elgin's daughter, Alison Clayton, filed a petition claiming her stepmom, Elaine Baylor, is withholding information about her inheritance. 

Elgin died on March 22, 2021, at 86 ... and Alison said her stepmom, who was with Elgin at the time, didn't let Alison or her brother know their dad had died, and has since refused to reveal any information about the estate. 

Taylor Swift made sure everyone in the world knew who her husband is -- after Travis Kelce scored his first TD of the season during Sunday night's Kansas City Chiefs-Indianapolis Colts game.

In the first quarter, Taylor and her dad, Scott Swift, were watching the game from the Kelce suite at Arrowhead Stadium in KC when Travis -- the Chiefs' tight end -- caught a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes and ran 13 yards into the end zone for the touchdown.

Check out the video ... Taylor can hardly contain her excitement, jumping out of her seat, holding up her ring finger and pointing at her rock while apparently mouthing, "That's my husband."  NBC announcer Mike Tirico is just as enthusiastic, yelling, "And the woman with the ring. That's your guy!"

The debate over whether robots will eventually take over humanity was put to the test over the weekend ... with an influencer going toe-to-toe with a Terminator-like robot during a boxing match ... it's all on video, and it's not looking good for us.

Frankie LaPenna got his butt whooped in the ring by the remote-controlled humanoid robot ... as shocked fans looked on from inside the San Francisco fight venue in what's being billed as the first human versus robot fight.

Right before the fight started, a guy standing behind Frankie in the ring said, "I'm scared for you," while sizing up Frankie's 6-foot robotic opponent with glowing red eyes.

Ya gotta see the fight footage ... it's entertaining and frightening at the same time.

The 5th annual Tender Fest took place this weekend in Beverly Hills, and two things it was not short of were chicken tenders and celebrities! 

Yes, a food festival solely featuring chicken tenders does exist and we were front and center for the festivities. The event featured vendors from all over the country, including Tender Crush, Pizzeria Mozza, Raising Cane’s, Delilah, Dave’s Hot Chicken, and con-tender competition winner and popular LA Thai restaurant, Jitlada. 

Lizzo, who was a judge for this year's con-tender competition -- a face-off between local LA Chefs -- spoke to us and told us what she thinks goes into the perfect chicken tender. 

Jared McCain fans will have to get their fix of the multi-dimensional star on the court and on social media ... 'cause the OKC Thunder guard tells us he has no plans to release any original music!

At least not right now.

TMZ Sports ran into the 22-year-old hooper at LAX recently and asked if he'd considered dropping any OG tunes.

Donald Trump has used his presidential authority to officially pardon a golf caddy who already served his time ... and it's all so he can go to PGA tournaments across the pond.

Missing last year's British Open, Eric Larson -- who spent 11 years behind bars for a drug-dealing conviction from three decades ago -- couldn't attend because his U.K. authorization was denied due to his record.

Of course, Harris English -- the PGA golfer Eric caddies for -- came in second at the tournament that year, winning $1.8 million ... the New York Post reported.

The White House seemingly poked fun at the massive Ponzi scheme that claimed Travis Kelce as a victim ... and jokingly offered him a job.

Sharing an X post about the news that Kelce had been hoodwinked by the fraudster accused of stealing $35 million in total from his victims ... the White House wrote ... "This is why we do what we do."

They added ... "Seems like a good time to re-up the work of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud: identifying fraud & protecting Americans. Oh and it looks like the next draft pick to join the Task Force is [Travis Kelce]."

Ed Sheeran is ready to perform Saturday night's Philadelphia concert solo if needed, now that Macklemore, the rest of his openers and his backup band are out ... TMZ has learned.

Music industry sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... plans for the concert have been changing hour by hour behind the scenes as everyone works out the logistics. But we're told there's no concern about Ed taking the stage by himself if it comes to that.

Our sources point out Ed has historically performed in large-scale venues with nothing more than a guitar ... and has successfully carried two-hour stadium shows without a backup band.