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4:46 PM PT -- Ryan Shazier tells TMZ ... "Michelle and I have been living apart and are currently separated. As we work through what comes next for our family, I ask for privacy and prayers."

Ryan Shazier is a "liar and a cheater" ... this according to his wife, who just put the former NFL linebacker on blast by sharing raunchy text messages she claims he sent to another woman.

Michelle Shazier -- who has been with Ryan well before his career-ending spinal cord injury in 2017 -- unleashed on her husband in a since-deleted Instagram post on Wednesday ... saying, "A person that loves his family … this is what they do to their family … the WIFE.. that has been there for him since day 1!"

Michelle -- a former college basketball player who has raised two boys with the Pro Bowler -- posted multiple text exchanges allegedly between Ryan and a woman named Marie ... and while they initially start off as casual flirting, things eventually got more intense.

In fact, in one screenshot, a text exchange shows the person Michelle claims is Ryan sending links to books titled "The Ultimate Guide To Anal Sex For Women" and "Blow By Blow: A Step-by-Step Guide On How To Give Blow Jobs So Explosive That He Will Be Willing To Do Anything For You."

"Infidelity at its finest!" Michelle continued in her post. "I can’t sit here and keep hiding anymore . You can have it. I deserve better. 🤍 This is Ryan… he’s a liar and a cheater!"

Ryan and Michelle got married back in May 2019. He has yet to address the allegations.

Mali, the "world's saddest elephant," has passed away following health complications after decades of confinement at Manila Zoo in the Philippines ... where she spent most of her life alone in a pen.

The announcement was made Wednesday by the city's mayor, Honey Lacuna, during a news conference -- a day after the zoo's chief veterinarian, Dr Heinrich Patrick Peña-Domingo, confirmed the captive elephant had cancer in some of her organs and a blockage in her aorta.

The diagnosis came after Mali was seen Friday repeatedly rubbing her trunk against a wall -- an indicator she was in pain -- and then laying on her side and breathing heavily Tuesday, passing away later in the day.

At only 11 months old, Mali, whose full name was Vishwamali, was gifted to former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos by the Sri Lankan government in 1981.

In her early years, she lived at Manila Zoo alongside another elephant, Shiva, who died in 1990 after arriving in 1977.

Since then, Mali had been the zoo's only elephant and lived in solitary until her death.

Animal rights activists have long criticized the conditions of Manila Zoo ... blasting the keepers for being ill-equipped to provide the animals with proper care.

In 2013, Paul McCartney wrote to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III begging for Mali to be moved to an animal sanctuary to "bring an end to her suffering," ... while animal welfare group PETA added at the time that Mali "endures intense confinement, loneliness, boredom and isolation" at the zoo.

Pamela Anderson and Dr. Jane Goodall have backed the "Free Mali" movement.

Elon Musk has a message for Disney CEO Bob Iger and all the other advertisers fleeing his social media platform -- don't let the door hit ya on the way out, and go screw yourselves while you're at it.

The owner of X was talking shop on CNBC -- on the heels of his recent Israel visit, and in the wake of antisemitism allegations -- and he fired away about the exodus of corporations cutting ties with him.

Check it out ... he says he actually hopes they stop advertising permanently, and then dropped a very clear "Go f*** yourself" proclamation to everybody who's jumping ship.

You can tell the host was shocked by Elon's choice words -- especially while live on the air -- so, naturally, EM said it again, and then asked if he'd made himself clear. He certainly had!

Elon explained that he feels like he's being blackmailed by these companies with the hope of paying for ads, and emphasized he wouldn't sacrifice his free speech policies for monetary gain ... even if, apparently, it means hurting his bottom line.

Funny enough, Elon singled out Iger in his remarks here, playfully calling out "Bob" as someone who was probably watching in the audience. Indeed, Disney was one of the major companies to pause its advertising with X ... as did many others.

Iger actually addressed that today as well -- before Elon's snipe -- and said, "We know that Elon is larger than life in many respects, and that his name is very much connected to the companies he founded or owns. By him taking the position he took in a public manner, we felt that the association was not necessarily a positive one for us."

University of Minnesota Duluth football player Reed Ryan tragically died on Tuesday ... after collapsing during a workout earlier this month, his family announced.

He was just 22 years old.

According to an obituary written by family members, the 6-foot-3, 241-pound defensive end was training in a weight room on Nov. 21 "doing what he loved" ... when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest.

The family says school officials began life-saving measures ... and after they regained the football player's pulse, he was rushed to the ICU. Sadly, he passed away seven days later.

Ryan's family explained in their obituary the medical emergency was all due to "an undetected genetic heart condition and a large, loving heart."

"Reed had a contagious smile and lived life to the fullest in his short years," Reed's family wrote. "Reed loved people, he could talk to anyone and prided himself on being surrounded by friends, family, mentors, and being part of a team."

Reed starred at Waunakee High School in Wisconsin before he accepted a full-ride to North Dakota State University. He played four seasons for the Bison before he transferred to the University of Minnesota Duluth. In his one year for the Bulldogs, Ryan logged eight total tackles and one sack.

"Our staff and players are devastated about Reed's passing," UMD head football coach Curt Wiese said in a statement. "Reed aspired to be better every day at whatever task was at hand. He helped bring out the best in others with his positive attitude, infectious smile, and genuine care for the people around him."

NDSU football added in a statement on X on Wednesday that Ryan was "the ultimate teammate, a constant source of joy, a genuine selfless spirit, and a beloved friend."

"We'll miss you, Reed," the Bison wrote. "Your legacy will live on."

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are seemingly back on track once again after an explosive fight prompted one of their kids to call the cops ... this time, grabbing some lunch together with plenty of laughs.

The former reality TV stars went out Wednesday to a Japanese steakhouse and sushi joint, Kani House, in Duluth, Georgia ... sitting down for lunch in front of the hibachi grill.

Kim documented the date for social media -- as usual -- mentioning Kroy while filming and asking why he doesn't do knife tricks in the kitchen like the hibachi chef. Kroy laughs from off camera, joking that's what he does when Kim's not around ... which could actually make sense given the fact they're supposed to stay separated in the house.

The hibachi chef also created a rice heart for Kim and Kroy ... and she loves it, calling it "cute."

In the clips, Kim and Kroy are both laughing and seem to be having a good time ... a stark contrast from last week, when cops responded to their home for an explosive fight in front of their kids.

As we've told you ... Kim and Kroy were bickering over finances for weeks before things reached a boiling point, fighting after a seemingly nice public outing with their kids.

The estranged couple's in dire financial straits, but we've seen them go out for fancy dinners amid their money woes and nasty divorce ... and this seems to be a similar situation.

Gwyneth Paltrow continues to be great buds with Dakota Johnson -- the current girlfriend of her ex-husband, Chris Martin -- just proving ... Hollywood divorce doesn't have to be ugly.

The Goop founder posted a photo of her and Dakota holding hands during a Q&A she held on Instagram -- a follower asked her to throw up a pic with DJ. She happily did so ... showing them standing together in the middle of a road.

Of course, we already knew she and Dakota get along, and have for years now ... but it's just interesting to see how GP has navigated post-marriage life compared to some of her contemporaries.

Whereas some famous exes in this town tend to tear each other down during divorce proceedings -- Gwyneth and Chris (and Dakota) have chosen a different path ... peace.

Of course, what forever bonds Gwyneth and Chris is the fact they had 2 kids together ... something GP has publicly acknowledged is likely the only reason she remains friendly with him. She candidly said in 2020, "It's a lifelong commitment to constantly reinvent your relationship with your ex, which you do presumably because you have children together. I don't see a reason to do it if you don't have children together."

Hall & Oates are dunzo ... at least in the eyes of Daryl Hall who's accusing John Oates of intentionally going behind his back to sell his half of their partnership to a third party that Daryl doesn't trust.

Hall lays out his beef with Oates in legal docs the judge is now unsealing ... and they reveal exactly why the legendary duo is at war. As we reported, Daryl got a restraining order last week against John, and we now know he got it to block the sale of John's half of Whole Oats Enterprises (WOE) -- a company they'd formed to control some of the group's assets.

In the docs, Daryl explains they'd agree to a business divorce, of sorts, in 2022 ... where they'd start splitting up assets. Where things went south, according to Daryl, is when John secretly decided to sell his half of WOE to a company called Primary Wave.

Daryl says he was "blindsided" by this decision -- which was revealed to him 2 days before he was leaving on a tour ... and he thinks John's timing was intentional. According to the docs, John knows he needs Daryl to approve that sale, and Daryl says, "I have no intention of becoming partners with Primary Wave, and [Oates] cannot be permitted to thrust a new partner upon me in this outrageous fashion."

And here's a sign of how petty this is getting ... Daryl even thinks John timed the Primary Wave deal to coincide with start of Daryl's tour to "ambush" and distract him, potentially screw up his performance ... and intentionally "cause me the maximum amount of harm."

As for why Daryl's saying "I Can't Go For That" with Primary Wave -- in the docs, he says the company has a rep for exploiting copyrights and trademarks of artists after purchasing their catalogs. Bottom line, he doesn't want PW controlling his name and likeness.

He wants the dispute to be settled in arbitration, and until it is ... he wants a judge to block Hall's sale to PW.

If you wanna know just how nasty this split is, consider this -- it's almost a carbon copy of what Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are going through in the war over their French winery ... where she tried to sell her half to a Russian oligarch, pissing off Brad.

Jay-Z and the Brooklyn Public Library are auctioning off a one-of-a-kind trophy case to highlight each of his albums ... but the piece has now caused many to speculate Hov has another project on the way.

Roc Nation and Christie's introduced the limited edition Jay-Z treasure from his "Book of HOV" Wednesday ... a black leather case made by Pinel et Pinel, and personally autographed by the Grammy-winning rapper himself.

Proceeds for the auction will directly benefit the Brooklyn Public Library and any Hov stan.

The case features 13 metal library cards sporting all of Jay's solo studio albums but has 14 slots, the empty space can be seen next to Jay's last released album "4:44" ... which arrived 6 years ago.

Gayle King recently quizzed Jay on the possibility of his releasing new music ... which he says he intends to -- the rollout just has to have a bigger meaning.

There's a chance Jay's next release could coincide with his biblically-themed film "The Book of Clarence" which drops in January 2024 -- much like he did with his album inspired by the 2007 film "American Gangster."

The "Book of HOV" has a nice album title ring to it all the same. 🤔 We reached out to Roc Nation for comment on the missing puzzle piece ... no word back yet!!!

The "Bayou Barbie" is slated to return this week -- LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey just announced Angel Reese will be back on the court this Thursday ... ending her mysterious 4-game absence.

Mulkey made the revelation during her press conference ahead of the Tigers' key matchup against 9th-ranked Virginia Tech ... telling reporters, "She will play tomorrow."

It's unclear whether Reese will start or come off the bench.

What also remains fuzzy is why exactly Reese wasn't playing in the first place ... as Mulkey has been consistently tight-lipped about the details surrounding her absence.

Reese's time away started when the 6-foot-3 forward was benched in the 2nd half of LSU's win against Kent State on Nov. 14 ... and she missed the next few games, including the Cayman Islands Classic tournament.

Rumors were circulating around social media that it may have been her grades, while Outkick reported she was suspended for an "attitude adjustment." Neither rumor has been confirmed.

"That’s what coaches do. Sometimes y'all know about it and sometimes you don't," Mulkey said of the situation last week. "Sometimes you want to know more than you're entitled to know."

Zedd has snagged Encino's most expensive sale this year ... putting down a hefty $18.4M on the one-of-a-kind architectural masterpiece.

Real estate sources tell TMZ the DJ dropped a pretty penny on the 40,075 square foot property named ODIN by celeb designer Jae Omar and developer, JVE Development ... the same visionary behind his other Encino sanctuary he purchased from Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner in 2021.

Zedd's clearly a loyal enthusiast of Omar's work, and it's not a stretch to see why.

The Scandi/Japanese-inspired pad has all the modern touches you could ever think of ... angled wooden rooms to diffuse light perfectly, floating architectural staircases and meditative water features.

Of course, the 8-bedroom abode comes with all the celeb musts ... a guest house, Olympic-sized swimming pool, indoor/outdoor wellness spa, fitness area, bowling alley and more.

Zedd's lavish purchase comes after he off-loaded his Beverly Hills pad for $18.5M earlier this year ... with the new homeowner bagging a discount after it was initially listed for just under $23M in June.

Rachel Goldberg, whose son is one of the unreleased Israeli hostages, thinks Elon Musk's visit to her country was a sincere effort to better understand what she and so many other families are going through.

Rachel Goldberg joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" to discuss the ongoing release of women and children held by Hamas for more than 7 weeks. Dozens have been returned to Israel in recent days, during a temporary ceasefire that's currently set to end this week.

Her own son, Hersch Goldberg-Polin, has yet to see freedom -- and yet, Rachel has continued to be a front-facing unofficial spokesperson on behalf of all the hostage families ... a painstaking reality she says she struggles with daily.

Rachel says that while Hamas still has her own flesh and blood captive, she recognizes the value of serving as a voice for everyone else -- and thinks it's her duty to continue doing so.

As for Elon -- who's been criticized for using Israel in a cold PR move after he was accused of antisemitism -- Rachel tells us she actually believes his heart's in the right place, and, to her, he came across as earnestly interested in learning/sympathizing.

Rachel was among a few family members of hostages who showed them footage from Oct. 7 ... including the horrifying moment Hersch was snatched up by Hamas after his left arm was blown apart during the attack.

She also talked about the ongoing protests in the U.S. and beyond ... namely, pro-Palestine ones, where people have decried Israel's response in Gaza, and its treatment of innocent Palestinians caught in the middle of the war.

Rachel's response might surprise some ... she says she actually feels for the innocent Palestinians -- and even says Palestine does, in fact, have a right to operate as its own state with dignity and freedom.

Aaron Rodgers has taken yet another step toward making an improbable comeback this season ... returning to Jets practice Wednesday -- albeit in a very limited capacity.

Rodgers got back on the New York training field with his teammates just minutes after head coach Robert Saleh revealed the star quarterback has now been cleared for "functional football activity."

However, the sight of Rodgers on the field doesn't necessarily mean he's anywhere close to game action ... as Saleh told reporters that, for now, it's just another small jump in his rehab progression.

The 40-year-old, who now has 21 days to return to game action after his practice was opened, is expected to do little more than simulate in-game dropbacks and throw to teammates during workouts over the next few days. Still, it's a good sign for the Jets nonetheless, considering Rodgers tore his Achilles less than three months ago.

Saleh, meanwhile, stressed they will not push the signal-caller too hard, even if he looks good.

"There's certain things that he's been cleared that we are going to allow him to do," Saleh said ... before adding, "Aaron is not going to do anything to put himself in harm's way."

For Rodgers' part, he said on Tuesday on the "Pat McAfee Show" that he'll only return to in-game action this season if he's healthy enough ... and if the Jets are in playoff contention.

Police investigating the Nardo Wick fan beatdown say they are honing in on 2 suspects ... releasing photos of the men they believe carried out the brutal attack captured on video.

The Tampa Police Department tells TMZ ... the men in the photos are suspects in their ongoing investigation, and they are accused of having direct involvement in a felony battery.

Cops tell us tips from community members helped lead them to the suspects, and they've ruled out one previous suspect.

Police say they want to talk to any witnesses, and are, once again, asking the public for help investigating the case.

TMZ broke the story ... video shows Nardo Wick fan George Obregon Jr. walking up to the rapper after his Sunday night show, and getting sucker punched by 2 members of NW's entourage.

George's mom says her 20-year-old son was just asking Nardo for a photo when he was ambushed.

Nardo's apologized for the attack ... saying he didn't know that's how his entourage would react, and he's upset about the whole incident.

Mark Cuban says there's "no chance" he's trying to campaign his way into the White House ... following speculation he might run for President in 2024 after selling a majority stake in the NBA's Dallas Mavericks.

Comments of the supposed political move flooded in on X ... though the billionaire tells TMZ that a presidential campaign trail for next year was "galaxies off" and adding, "family would disown me."

Remember ... after years of building his empire, Mark is putting family first -- announcing on the Showtime podcast "All The Smoke" Monday he was leaving "Shark Tank" after 16 seasons as it conflicts with his personal time.

And of course ... becoming President -- arguably the busiest job in the world -- wouldn't do a whole lot to clear up his schedule.

However, he's entertained the idea before, divulging to Harvey on "OBJECTified" in 2017 that he'd run as a Republican to challenge Donald Trump. In 2019, Mark told us his family "voted down" his serious desire to run for President in 2020.

The renewed political chat gained traction after TMZ Sports confirmed Mark was selling his majority stake, reportedly valued at $3.5B, to Miriam Adelson ... getting a massive return on the investment after buying the team in 2000 for $285 million.

He'll retain some shares and be the lead decision-maker when it comes to basketball ops -- but billionaire widow/heiress Adelson has some plans of her own for the Mavs ... mainly building a new arena and casino -- if a gambling bill passes in Texas.

11:33 AM PT -- The NBPD just released a statement on the Josh Giddey investigation ... saying officials are actively seeking more information and pursuing all leads and evidence to get the facts of the case.

NBPD says the investigation remains active ... and is working to conduct a "fair and thorough" process.

The inquiry into whether Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey had an inappropriate relationship with a minor has hit a roadblock -- TMZ Sports has learned the alleged teen and her family are refusing to cooperate with officials.

Law enforcement sources tell us police would obviously like to speak with the purported female and those close to her to gather more information regarding the social media claims that made rounds over the weekend ... but as of right now, no one is talking.

It's a significant component to the whole situation ... as a lack of cooperation will make it much more challenging for officials to determine whether any laws were broken.

As we previously reported, Giddey is being accused of having an intimate relationship with an underage girl from California ... with photos and videos allegedly depicting them together.

The NBA is "looking into" the matter ... but Giddey has continued to play for the Thunder following the bombshell allegations.

The 21-year-old was asked about the claims at practice on Friday ... but elected not to speak on it.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault also shot down a question regarding the inquiry prior to Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves ... saying he would not discuss anything off-court related in reference to Giddey, and he will continue to play.

Giddey played 28 minutes and scored 10 points in the loss to the Wolves ... and fans at the Target Center showed their disproval by booing him relentlessly throughout the contest.