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Kanye West turned one of L.A.'s most famous indoor venues into an outdoor oasis as fans gathered to hear his new album, "Jesus is King."

Yeezy faithful flocked to The Forum Wednesday to get a listen to Ye's latest project ... the floor of the arena was covered in long grasses to resemble the field where he first started Sunday Services.

The event -- which was a no-phone zone (except for Kim) -- started out with a screening of Kanye's "Jesus is King" IMAX film ... a 30-minute glimpse inside the Roden Crater with sounds from a gospel choir.

Then, Kanye appeared on a makeshift stage in the middle of one of the patches of long grass to play his album. Fans went nuts, crowding around Ye to vibe to the new music.

As for the album ... the production is top-notch, as expected, but the lyrics are noticeably different than Kanye's other stuff. It's totally gospel-based, with mentions of Jesus and being saved throughout ... there's also minimal -- if any -- cursing.

And yes, there was merch ... fans lined up deep to grab $170 sweaters and $45 hats.

Greatest first pitch in World Series history!? Maybe!

Simone Biles took the mound -- and busted out a twisting backflip!!! -- before grabbing the ball Wednesday and heaving it to Houston Astros player Jake Marisnick.

The crowd went absolutely wild for the Team USA gymnastics star as Jake grabbed the ball and signed it before handing it back.

Unfortunately for the home team, the Astros proceeded to get DESTROYED in a 12-3 shellacking at Minute Maid Park in Game 2 against the Washington Nationals.

Houston is now down 0-2 in the series and if you know how superstitious baseball players are ... Biles might never get asked back to throw another pitch!!!

22-year-old Biles wasn't born in Texas -- but she moved there when she was 3 and was essentially raised in the Houston area. She still lives and trains there.

Biles told NBC Sports she was nervous about throwing out the pitch ... saying, "Gymnastics is the only sport I’ve ever done, so when it comes to anything else, I’m literally terrified.

"So, I get more nervous doing this stuff than competing, which is really weird. So, yeah, hopefully I don’t end up on celebrity fails."

She didn't. It was awesome.

BTW, Biles has a history of CRUSHING first pitches at baseball games ... back in 2016, she busted out a crazy front flip thingy while tossing the first pitch in an Astros vs. Mariners game!!!

Now that the baseball game is out of the way, the 4'8" Biles can focus back on dominating everyone at the 2020 Olympics!!!

#USA #USA #USA

Vinny Guadagnino's book signing for his new Keto cookbook got stormed by carb-loving protesters ... led by his good buddy, Pauly D.

The 'Jersey Shore' star's devotion to the keto diet -- which cuts carbs in favor of quality high-fat foods -- has helped him shed some serious weight and look great ... and got him dubbed the "Keto Guido" on the first season of "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation."

Vinny also put out a cookbook as a guide for fellow Keto lovers, and held a signing in Vegas Wednesday night ... which was the perfect opportunity for Pauly to strike.

Pauly and the others marched outside the bookstore holding signs with photos of Vinny eating pizza and other carb-loaded dishes ... accusing him of cheating on the diet. The signs read, "Cheato Guido," "My Carbs My Choice," and "Ain't Nothin Keto About This Guido."

The protest then made its way inside the store and Pauly kept the chants going right in Vinny's face ... all in good fun, of course.

Cameras were on hand too ... so it's safe to assume Pauly's antics will be covered on the show.

MMA fighter Justin Wren was sick to his stomach when he saw video of kids repeatedly beating up a 12-year-old boy with special needs ... so he decided to do something about it!

The horrifying footage of Rayden -- who's autistic, diabetic and deaf in his right ear -- is going viral ... showing a bunch of kids mercilessly beating and mocking him. It got so bad, Rayden began scribbling suicidal messages on his arm.

Wren's blood began to boil when he heard about the story -- so he got in contact with Rayden's family to see if he could help out and they gladly accepted the offer.

Besides rallying celebrities, pro fighters and the public to show support for Rayden, Wren -- who runs Fight For The Forgotten -- also brought him to a hyperbaric treatment center to help Rayden recover from his injuries.

"Been with Rayden over 20 days now. Taking him to Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy because he was diagnosed with a concussion," Justin tells us.

"We are organizing something to help him and his family with medical bills and maybe something else really amazing!"

WWE legend Mick Foley also sent a video message to Rayden -- saying, "I am standing with you."

"If there is anything I can do to help you and make your day a little better, I sure will."

Foley added, "I am the father of a child on the autism spectrum, so you are a part of my extended family. I'll do anything in my power to help you."

Bellator champ Rafael Lovato Jr. also met up with Rayden -- and let him wear the championship belt!!!

Kevin Hart is slowly getting back to work and hanging with famous friends. But, his first public appearance will have to wait.

Sources close to the comedian tell TMZ ... Kevin and Eniko Hart are being honored Thursday night by the Los Angeles Mission for their work with the organization, but Kev and his wife won't be on hand to accept their award because he's still recovering from last month's horrifying crash.

Nick Cannon is hosting the L.A. Mission's 9th Annual Legacy of Vision Gala ... and we're told he will also accept the hardware on behalf of Kevin and Eniko when it comes time to recognize them.

Our sources say Kevin and his wife only recently found out about the gala, and it was the family chef who actually accepted their invite. We're told Kevin wishes he could be in attendance, but his body is not quite up to the task.

As we've reported ... Kevin continues to receive intensive outpatient therapy. He's been progressing enough to shoot promos for "Jumanji: The Next Level," and to grab dinner with Jay-Z ... but he's still not 100 percent yet.

Pete Davidson is taking full advantage of his single life, grabbing a bite with a smoking-hot model ... who happens to be Cindy Crawford's not-so-little girl!!!

The comedian was spotted Tuesday at Sadelle's in New York City ... grabbing lunch with 18-year-old Kaia Gerber.

We know, we know -- no food on their plates. Spare us the model jokes ... their grub probably hadn't come out yet. But yeah, models aren't known for massive appetites.

The lunch outing is interesting because Pete was reportedly seen leaving Kaia's apartment Wednesday. We don't know yet if it's a romantic hook-up or just a friend-zone thing -- but either way, Pete's been doing just fine since his split from Ariana Grande.

As we've reported ... Pete and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actress Margaret Qualley were super tight in Italy last month. They've since broken up ... if you can call it that after just 2 months of dating.

Before that, Pete was all boo'd up with Kate Beckinsale -- so yeah ... he's good.

Ditto for Kaia ... Cindy and Rande Gerber's daughter's blown-up in the modeling world in the last year. It makes perfect sense she and Pete would, at the very least, be running in the same circles.

Billie Eilish is one major step closer to being reunited with the ring she believed was "stolen" at Austin City Limits ... because a concertgoer says she's turned it over to event staff.

Here's the deal ... Billie was performing at ACL earlier this month when she came down off the stage and started hugging and singing with fans. But, at the end of the song she ran back onstage and told the crowd, "Somebody stole my f**king ring!!!"

Now, a video circulating on social media shows a woman asking security to pick up the ring off the ground and hand it over to her ... which he did.

We spoke to the woman in the video, and she acknowledges the footage looks shady -- as if she did pocket the teen singer's ring -- but she claims she simply took a picture with it and then turned it over to an ACL staffer. She says she hoped it would be returned to Eilish.

As it turns out, Billie's missing ring isn't super expensive bling ... it's actually costume jewelry from Adina's Jewels, and costs less than $100. Probably why she wasn't all that busted up about it onstage.

Conor McGregor just announced his return to the Octagon -- saying he WILL fight on Jan. 18 in Las Vegas ... but his opponent is still shrouded in mystery.

The UFC star just held a media event in Russia, where he's promoting his Irish whiskey, and of course the conversation turned to his fighting career.

After trashing Khabib Nurmagomedov and telling reporters he would NOT wait around for Khabib to agree to a rematch, Conor said he's ready to move forward with his career.

"I would like to announce the return of The Notorious Conor McGregor will take place on January 18 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada,” McGregor said.

"That is my comeback fight. It’s 12 weeks this Saturday. I’m in prime physical condition. I have agreed the date with the company. As far as the opponent, I have the opponent’s name, but for me, the game I am in and from experience, if I was to give you people the name, which I would love to do, I know the UFC would flip it because they’re a crafty company."

Conor says to ask the UFC to reveal the opponent because "I don't give a f**k who the opponent is."

McGregor says the Jan. 18 fight will be "the beginning of my season" ... as he teased more fights in 2020.

"I will then look to compete against the winner of Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal for the Bad MotherF**ker title. Obviously, I have history with Nate Diaz, we are set to make the trilogy bout, so we will see how that goes."

"Then I will seek [a] Moscow bout and it will be against the winner of Tony Ferguson and .  Khabib Nurmagomedov."

Conor botched the pronunciation of Khabib's name ... but told reporters, "I can't even say the guy's name. Who gives a f**k what the guy's name is."

Conor adds of a possible fight with Khabib -- "The people of the world deserve this bout to take place. It is an inevitable rematch. It is a rematch that I will come in sharp, fresh, I will have no injuries, I will have no alcohol, I will have no outside influences, I will be fully focused -- exactly what the people deserve. Exactly what the fans deserve, and we will settle it once for all."

Luann de Lesseps is giving things another chance with her ex-boyfriend ... telling us she's officially back together with her talent agent.

We got the 'Real Housewives of New York' star Wednesday at Hunt & Fish Club in New York City ... and Luann told our guy she's once again dating Rich Super.

Luann was actually on her way to meet Rich for a romantic dinner and Broadway show when she told us things are going great the second time around.

You'll recall ... Luann and Rich first started dating back in 2018, when he was in the middle of divorcing his wife. The pair dated for a short while, until Rich dumped her right before her stint in rehab.

Luann tells us she still has a strong connection with Rich ... and not only because he's helping her become a rising cabaret star. Although, it's clear she's really happy with her nationwide tour, so far.

As for what many call a major no-no -- mixing business with pleasure -- Luann's enjoying it. One woman's taboo is another's treasure.

If Jon Jones really wants a piece of Francis Ngannou, The Predator tells TMZ Sports he's 1 million percent down to clash with the UFC superstar!!!

Of course, it's not that simple ... Jon's the light heavyweight champ and currently fights at 205 lbs. Francis is the #2 ranked heavyweight ... and negotiations haven't even gotten started yet.

But, Ngannou says the bottom line is that he's game ... IF Jon's serious about moving up a weight class and actually signing on the dotted line.

"Listen, let's be clear about something. If that's what you want to know, if I would fight Jon Jones if he goes up to heavyweight, of course. I would say the same thing as he says, it's inevitable if Jon Jones goes to heavyweight. I'm gonna fight him."

Francis is referring to a tweet Jones sent Tuesday night ... when a fan asked him if he could ever imagine himself fighting Ngannou.

Jones -- who recently said none of the light heavyweight contenders excite him -- responded ... "I feel like that fight is inevitable."

During our conversation with Ngannou, he also revealed the UFC offered him a crack at Alexander Volkov on November 9 -- with only 18 days notice -- but says he rejected the fight 'cause he didn't have time to prep and fighting a lower-ranked guy didn't make sense.

Greg Hardy -- who we spoke to about the match on Tuesday -- ultimately accepted the fight.

While he waits, Ngannou -- coming off KO's of Curtis Blaydes, Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos -- is clearly frustrated with the UFC ... 'cause he thinks they're dragging their feet booking him a fight.

"I just want to tell the UFC to pay me some respect and give me a damn fight, that's what I'm asking for. I was expecting to have a fight by December to make my Christmas and New Year for my family," Francis tells us.

"Hey, man ... I need a fight. I need to make money."

Cash ... well, a Jon Jones fight would make hella money.

This little backward-hat-wearing girl earned stardom almost immediately. She appeared in over 100 TV commercials and, at just 12 years old, sang at the White House. She burst to stardom starring in the Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and as Sharpay Evans in "High School Musical."

Her acting gig's just part of her massive success. Thanks to her singing chops ... she went on to land a record deal with Warner Bros. and released her debut album, "Headstrong," in 2007. That album earned her a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

"I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020”

This is what MLB umpire Rob Drake's Twitter account posted and quickly deleted on Tuesday night, according to ESPN ... and now the league has launched an investigation into the situation.

Drake -- who has been outspoken over his frustrations with the House of Representatives impeachment proceedings with President Trump -- has since deactivated his Twitter account.

Before tweeting his plans to buy the assault rifle, Drake also said "You can't do an impeachment inquiry from the basement of Capital Hill without even a vote! What is going on in this country?" earlier in the day.

FYI -- Drake umped his first MLB game in 1999 and joined the league's full-time staff in 2010. He's been involved in many major events including the All-Star Game and playoffs, although he is not on the current postseason roster.

It's important to note -- Drake didn't break any laws with what he said, but clearly the tweet is concerning enough from a PR standpoint that the league wants to get in front of it.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro won't face any felony charges for the nasty incident with baby mama Jen Harley that left him tased and in handcuffs.

Law enforcement sources tell us the L.A. County District Attorney's Office kicked Ronnie's case down to the City Attorney on Wednesday. Only the DA has the power to charge Ronnie with a felony ... the CA will now decide whether or not to hit him with a misdemeanor.

The DA's decision is the second turn the case has taken in less than a week. TMZ broke the story -- while Ronnie was originally arrested for kidnapping -- the case didn't meet the DA's criteria for the charge.

Sources told us the LAPD was instead pushing for a felony domestic violence charge ... but clearly, the DA didn't think that was necessary either.

If the City Attorney does hit Ronnie with a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, the maximum penalty is 1 year in county jail.

It was earlier this month when cops were called to a home Ronnie and Jen were staying at in L.A. for a domestic dispute. Jen alleged Ronnie had gotten physical with her, and their 18-month-old daughter, Ariana, was right in the middle of it all.

Congressman Matt Gaetz sure is feeling himself after leading the blitz of House Republicans into private impeachment hearings -- delaying them for hours -- and he's glowing about scoring brownie points with POTUS.

We got the Florida Rep. on Capitol Hill, shortly after members of his Freedom Caucus ignored protocol and barged into a secure facility Wednesday, where Adam Schiff was conducting a closed-door deposition as part of President Trump's impeachment inquiry.

Gaetz compared his move to the Spartans in the the 2006 movie, "300." Seriously, you gotta see how pumped he was -- we fully expected him to shout, "This ... is ... Washington!!!"

Gerard Butler Matt adds that he thinks their mission was accomplished for now. He says they demonstrated the Prez deserves due process, and Dems should provide transparency.

As for Trump, Gaetz says he hasn't spoken to him yet about the stunt he pulled with fellow Republicans, but he expects a strong reaction from the Oval. He went beyond gushing when we asked about his and Trump's relationship.

We asked if he's planning more demonstrations, and if he's willing to get arrested. Gaetz didn't flinch and, in fact, made a laughing reference to his 2008 DUI bust.

One thing he was NOT down to joke about ... comparing his sit-in protest to the so-called Brooks Brothers riot during Florida's 2000 election recount.

Joe Francis was nearly taken in Mexico when several men with guns busted into a home, took everyone's money ... and attempted to kidnap Joe and a group of friends.

Sources close to the "Girls Gone Wild" founder tell TMZ ... he was at the home of one of his neighbors in Punta Mita on October 16 -- with about 20 other people -- when at least 5 armed men stormed in, threatening to take hostages.

We're told Joe and the others, mostly staff working at the house, were tied up with wire and robbed. Our sources say shortly after this, neighborhood security had a scuffle with the gunmen, who fled the area ... until police spotted them.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... cops got an anonymous call that morning from another residence near Joe's, claiming 4 suspicious-looking people were spotted inside the home.

We're told 2 patrol cars with armed officers were sent to the scene and found 4 people making a run for it. Cops gave chase, but 3 of the 4 perps got away. It's unclear if the captured suspect was arrested or charged yet.

Our sources say military personnel also responded to the incident, and discarded guns and masks were discovered at nearby property. We're told the robbery victims believed the assailants planned to kidnap them.

Rapper Blueface can breathe a sigh of relief ... he will NOT be prosecuted in his felony gun case ... TMZ has learned.

Blueface appeared in an L.A. court Wednesday afternoon where a court official tells us his case was tossed due to insufficient evidence. That's obviously great news for the rapper ... who had his suspicions about the case from the get-go.

TMZ broke the story ... Blueface claimed the LAPD targeted him because he's black. LAPD had initially said they were in DTLA patrolling an area ravaged by burglaries and they were there to offer protection. The concern, cops said, was that there were robberies in that area by gang members and cops were worried the rappers were easy targets.

LAPD had said Blueface and several others scattered and tossed their guns when they saw cops arriving ... but Blueface from the start called BS. His lawyer said Blueface was never in possession of a firearm.

Bottom line ... it's now case closed.