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Gay marriage, which is on the U.S. Supreme Court's chopping block, may have gotten a reprieve, because the United States Senate just voted to create significant same-sex marriage protections into federal law ... and even a number of conservatives gave a thumbs up.

The vote was lopsided --  61-to-36 -- with 12 Republican senators voting in favor during Tuesday night's vote. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was NOT among them.

The House of Representatives has already passed a bill protecting gay marriage, but the Senate added a provision that religious organizations won't have to open their door for gay marriage. The bill now goes back to the House to approve the change.

The House is expected to approve the change and it will then go to Biden's desk for signature. Biden said earlier this month ... "Love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love."

The bill does not create a mandate that all states must legalize same-sex marriage. What it does is require every state to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. So, Alabama does not allow gay people to marry within its borders, but if 2 gay people got married in California and moved to Alabama, they would have all the legal protections that a straight couple would have.

The clock has been ticking ... Republicans will control the house in January, so the fate of the bill would be dicey ... and that's why there's a swift move to sign the bill.

Iconic comic book writer Peter David is in a hospital, recovering from a series of extremely debilitating strokes ... TMZ has learned.

Kathleen David tells us ... Peter tried getting out of bed last week, but instead he slid off because he was unable to use his legs. Kathleen was able to get him standing and take him downstairs, but after he was unable to get off the couch for 5 hours, she called 911.

We're told paramedics took him to a hospital, noting he was gray when they arrived. Kathleen says she later learned Peter had suffered a mild cardiac event and a major stroke ... followed by a few smaller ones.

Kathleen says her husband -- who's written for Marvel and DC's biggest superheroes -- is still hospitalized and undergoing tests to determine the next steps.

A couple of positive signs ... she says he's able to speak, and is already complaining about still being laid up in a hospital.

She tells us the medical bills are stackin' up pretty high for Peter ... and says a friend has started a GoFundMe for anyone looking to help them out.

Dwyane Wade is going after his ex-wife again over her decision to try to block their daughter's name and gender change ... this time calling Siohvaughn Funches-Wade's objection to the court petition both "libelous" and "nonsensical."

Wade spelled it all out in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying his 15-year-old daughter, who is transgender, should be allowed to legally change her name and gender ... despite Funches-Wade's objection filed earlier this month.

Wade argues in the docs it's all in Zaya's "best interest" ... saying, "A court order affirming her identity will allow Zaya to live more comfortably and honestly in all aspects of her life -- from simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver's license and filling out college applications."

He added in the docs, "This petition is about allowing Zaya to take on the milestones of being a young adult with confidence and joy."

Earlier this month, Funches-Wade argued in court documents that the move should barred ... alleging, among other things, that Dwyane "may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies."

Dwyane called the allegations B.S. in a social media post shortly afterward ... and he expounded on that opinion further in Tuesday's filing.

"Siohvaughn's allegations are libelous at their core, and are, at best, nonsensical," Wade's attorneys wrote in the docs. "Dwyane filed this Petition because Zaya asked him to."

Rapper/entrepreneur Omi In A Hellcat is taking a stand, a very expensive one ... burning tens of thousands of dollars worth of Balenciaga gear amid its child BDSM photo shoot scandal.

Omi flushed his house of all things Balenciaga on Tuesday, piling up dozens of sneakers and several articles of clothing and torching them ... all while cursing anyone still willing to support the brand, and warning them to stay away from his kids.

The newfound closet space freed up room for his own Omi sneaker brand ... of which he prepared a massive shipment for his customers.

Omi also lashed out at commenters demanding he sell off the luxury goods instead of burning them, reaffirming that he wanted to rid the world of Balenciaga ... permanently.

Many high-profile hip hop artists have remained mum on their beloved fashion house’s scandal … which showed toddlers photographed with stuffed bears wearing apparent BDSM gear, and legal documents referencing child pornography.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have settled their divorce ... TMZ has learned.

The former husband and wife have resolved both child custody and property-related issues.

According to the settlement, Kim and Kanye will get joint custody with "equal access" to their 4 children. Although the docs say equal access, sources with direct knowledge tell us Kim will have the kids the lion's share of the time. Even Kanye has acknowledged Kim already has the kids 80% of the time.

According to the settlement, Kanye will pay Kim $200,000 a month in child support. Our sources say Kanye's not footing the full bill for child support -- that's just his share. In addition, he's responsible for 50% of their kids' educational expenses, including tuition. He's also responsible for 50% of their children's security expenses.

Now, this is interesting ... if there's ever a dispute regarding the children, Kim and Kanye agree they will participate in mediation. If one of them fails to participate, the other gets to make the decision in a dispute by default. Not hard to read between the lines.

As for the $200k ... it's due the first day of each month and must be wired into her account.

As for property, the division of assets is in accordance with their prenup. And, according to the prenup, both Kim and Kanye waived spousal support.

Our sources say Kim has walked a tightrope over the last year, with Kanye going off the rails and refusing to participate in resolving the divorce. As we reported, he's gone through half a dozen lawyers and has blown off depositions. As one source put it, "Kim's patience was tested, but she handled things calmly and ultimately Kanye came around."

The secret weapon in settling -- Disso Queen Laura Wasser, who played Henry Kissinger (Google it) ... going back and forth to resolve the outstanding issues.

TMZ broke the story ... Kim filed for divorce in February 2021 after 7 years of marriage. The divorce stalled because Kanye refused to engage, and Kim went to court last March to get an official decree ending the marriage, with both custody and property to be resolved at a later date.

The settlement came Monday, on the eve Kanye was scheduled to have his deposition taken in case the matter went to trial next month.

The book is now closed on the marriage of Kim and Kanye.

Model Ivana Knoll -- known as the "World Cup's Hottest Fan" -- believes Qatar's harsh clothing guidelines have been completely relaxed while hosting the soccer competition ... telling TMZ Sports her attention-grabbing outfits have been a fan favorite with the locals.

Knoll has been sporting her own sexy custom wardrobe at the stadium throughout the opening stages of the tournament ... leaving many to question whether she'd face punishment for showing too much skin.

We spoke with Knoll about her fashion statements at the World Cup ... and she says she meant no disrespect to the Qatari people with her designs. Instead, Knoll feels like everyone should have the decision to wear whatever fits within their own culture.

Qatar sees it completely differently, though ... and the tourism site specifically states men and women visiting the area are "expected to show respect for local culture by avoiding excessively revealing clothing in public."

Taking that into consideration, the businesswoman says she first tested the waters by wearing a long dress with cleavage to Croatia's first match on Nov. 23 ... and after she made it through the whole contest without a hitch, she knew she'd be able to wear a more revealing outfit on Sunday.

Eventually, Knoll -- who has more than 900k Instagram followers -- felt comfortable enough to wear a bikini to the beach ... and despite how popular her posts on social media became, she says she faced zero issues with authorities or the public eye.

"The locals confirmed to me that I can wear whatever I want," Knoll tells us. "But I didn't know that my video in a bikini walking by the sea would be such a big deal. The whole country is speaking about it. Everybody knows me here, and I saw that I was accepted."

Knoll explains she was not worried about any consequences with the country ... adding, "I was never afraid to be arrested to be what I am, and I don't think I can hurt someone wearing a bikini. And if that deserves to be arrested, then arrest me."

British-American actress Alice Evans was 32 years old when she was cast as Chloe Simon -- the probation officer and owner of dogs Dottie, Dipstick and their three puppies -- in Disney's adventure/comedy film "102 Dalmatians" back in 2000.

Evans shared the big screen with Glenn Close as the main antagonist who is rude and mean, Cruella de Vil, Ioan Gruffudd as the Second Chance animal shelter owner and Chloe's boyfriend, Kevin Sheperd, Tim McInnerny as Cruella's right-hand man (not necessarily by choice), Alonzo and Gérard Depardieu as the fashionista helping Cruella make her puppy fur coat, Jean-Pierre Le Pelt.

Kanye West spent $4.5 million to buy the house next door to Kim Kardashian after she filed for divorce, and now he's decided to give it up in their settlement.

According to the divorce settlement, obtained by TMZ, Ye will transfer the title of the 3,650 square foot, 5 bedroom home to Kim -- and she'll now be responsible for all expenses related to the property. The home borders Kim's lot, so she'll likely just tear it down -- as it needs a ton of work -- and add to her acreage.

Remember, Kanye said he bought the house in order to be close to his kids, but the divorce settlement states they'll have equal access to the kids -- so he'll still be able to see them whenever he'd like.

The settlement also states Kanye will keep his $60 million home on the beach in Malibu, 2 ranches in Wyoming, 300 acres in Calabasas, a home in Belgium and his childhood home which he bought in Chicago.

Kim will retain property she owns in Idaho and of course, the $60 million Hidden Hills estate that she and the kids call home.

TMZ broke the story, Kim and Kanye were supposed to go to trial next month -- nearly two years after she first filed for divorce -- but hammered out a settlement Monday night. Kanye will pay $200k/month in child support and they'll split education and security expenses for the kids.

Joe Biden was so pumped America was able to pull out the win in the World Cup on Tuesday -- he straight-up led an old-fashioned "U-S-A!" chant at a political event!!

POTUS was out in Michigan while the must-win game against Iran was going down in Qatar ... and after the 1-0 contest ended, he grabbed the mic to gloat to the room.

Audio issues missed the first part of his impromptu winner's speech -- but it all clicked on just in time to hear him egg on a pro-U.S. shout.

"That's a big game man!" Biden said as the "U-S-A!" chants rang out in the room. "When I spoke to the coach and the players, I said, 'You can do this!' and they said, 'Ahh' -- they did it!"

"God love 'em!"

Back home in D.C., meanwhile, those still at the White House made sure they were showing love to the USMNT ... posting a "Go Team USA!" sign out in the yard.

As for the on-the-pitch action ... U.S. had to win the game over Iran in order to advance out of the group stage -- and after Christian Pulisic scored a goal late in the first half, they held on long enough to do just that.

Up next is the Netherlands on Saturday -- and the U.S. is already being billed as a HUGE  underdog in the game.

Cops investigating the murder of a 15-year-old girl's grandparents and mother don't believe the teen was complicit in their killings in a stunning catfishing case ... and are urging other possible victims of the man responsible to come forward.

Riverside PD Officer Ryan Railsback tells TMZ his department has no reason to believe the publicly unidentified teen who came into contact with Austin Lee Edwards last week is anything other than a victim at this time given her age and the evidence they've gathered.

RPD won't yet say whether the teen was abducted or went voluntarily with Edwards, as they don't have enough information.

As for Edwards -- a cop from Virginia who's said to have driven cross-country to meet the girl -- Railsback doesn't believe it was his first time committing a catfishing-type crime.

We're told the cops think there could be some pattern of behavior from his past that could help explain things ... so they're investigating any digital fingerprints that he may have left on his phone, computer, or any social media sites he used.

At the moment, we're told cops don't know how Edwards first connected with the teen, or what may have caused him to kill her family and set their home on fire.

Edwards was involved in a shootout with cops Friday after a 911 call came in about a distressed teen in his car ... he was killed in the gunfire, and the teen was uninjured.

Autopsy results have not yet been released regarding the girl's mother's and grandparents' cause of death.

Washington Commanders star Brian Robinson's big hat resulted in some BIG sales for the company behind the massive lid ... 'cause TMZ Sports is told their business saw a whopping 2,000% increase in orders!!

Robinson's hat quickly went viral after Sunday's 19-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons ... and the running back hilariously told reporters -- "If you want a big hat, let me know."

Noggin Boss -- the company that sells big hats starting at $75 -- tells us the impact was immediate ... with Monday being one of the biggest days in the brand's history.

As it turns out, NB says a bunch of major television networks hit them up to get Noggins for their on-air talent following Robinson's appearance ... but ESPN's Scott Van Pelt was one of the lucky ones who got one "years ago" -- and he wore it on "SportsCenter" Monday night!!

If the look seems familiar, Noggin Boss co-founders Gabe Cooper and Sean Starner appeared on "Shark Tank" earlier this year. The guys were seeking $50k for 25% of the company ... and ended up sealing the deal with Daymond John for 30%!!

Robinson's hat -- customized with the Commanders' logo -- was a gift from a family friend ... and the dude almost certainly started a trend in the sports world, with teams even photoshopping big hats onto their players.

Kanye West says Donald Trump credits him with freeing former federal prisoner Alice Marie Johnson ... but Alice doesn't see it that way.

Alice tells TMZ ... she's convinced she'd still be behind bars if it weren't for Kim Kardashian lobbying the White House on her behalf. That's not to say Kanye deserves no credit, but Alice is steadfast ... Kim was her angel.

Alice says Kim leveraged her relationship with longtime friend Ivanka Trump to strategically make a case for Alice's freedom. Kim knew Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, carried unique power and influence, and spent hours on the phone and in person with Jared, making her case.

Once Jared was on board, Kim was more than game to meet Trump in the Oval Office to lobby for Alice's release. What's more, Kim knew she'd be criticized by lots of her friends and fans for interacting with Trump, but she believed in Alice and did so anyway.

It worked ... just days after that meeting, Trump announced he would commute Alice's sentence. Short story -- Alice would probably be behind bars were it not for Kim.

Alice was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 1997 on drug conspiracy and money laundering charges -- her first offense.

Alice says Ye could have very well influenced Trump's decision... but Kanye and Alice did not speak while she was incarcerated -- she only spoke with Kim. She says Kanye was on her side, and when they met shortly after her release he was in tears.

Iran officials have reportedly threatened the families of their national soccer team's players ahead of their huge game with the U.S. -- insisting if they don't "behave" for the contest, "violence and torture" could ensue back home.

CNN, citing a World Cup security source, reported Monday that members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps met recently with its country's players to get the point across.

Iranian players had previously shown support for protestors in their home country by refusing to sing its national anthem before its game against England back on Nov. 21. But, before their game against Wales just days later, players once again participated in the song.

According to CNN, the IRGC has made it clear to players it expects no further protests in the World Cup -- including when the team kicks off its hugely important contest with the U.S. on Tuesday ... or the consequences could be dire.

Circumstances surrounding the group stage matchup had already been tense ... after the U.S. altered an Iranian flag on social media this past weekend to show support for the protests in the foreign country.

Iran's state media had asked FIFA to boot the U.S. out of World Cup action over it all.

USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter ended up apologizing Monday for the posts ... but insisted he and his team had nothing to do with them, and were solely focused on Tuesday's game.

The contest is set to kick off at 11 AM PT.

Will Smith says the Oscars slap on Chris Rock was an explosion of anger that was years in the making ... but also seemed to partially put the blame back in CR's court.

The actor was on "The Daily Show" with Trevor Noah Monday and once again tried breaking down what led up to him storming the stage to strike Chris across the face during the live broadcast. He says flat out ... it stemmed from rage going back to his childhood.

Will explains how he went back to being the little boy who used to watch his father beat his mother, and that he was going through things that night ... which erupted in violence.

He also makes a plea to the audience, telling them to be nice to each other ... because you never know another person's troubles, which almost felt like an excuse for the slap -- before WS explicitly noted, it doesn't justify his behavior.

Trevor, who admits some bias as Will's pal, ate it up.

Trevor says he doesn't believe what Will did is a reflection of who he really is -- and in the end, puts a bow on the convo by saying everyone makes mistakes. Will got emotional.

The reason he's going around talking about it again is because he's on a press run for his new movie, "Emancipation," which may well see him in contention for another award next year.

Of course ... the question of whether it's too soon for Will to make a comeback is top of mind, but he's forging on with his 2023 Oscar campaign anyway -- asking Hollywood to forgive and forget. The flick comes out in December.

A top Qatari official just made a shocking admission ... estimating between 400 to 500 migrant workers died while working on projects tied to the FIFA World Cup, significantly higher than previous official figures indicated.

Hassan Al-Thawadi -- chief of the iconic soccer event -- disclosed the amount during an interview with Piers Morgan on TalkTV Monday ... saying hundreds of migrant workers died as a consequence of World Cup labor.

"Between 400 and 500," Al-Thawadi told the British reporter in a response that appeared off the cuff, adding, "I don't have the exact number. That's something that's being discussed."

"One death is too many. It's as simple as that."

Prior to Al-Thawadi's interview, the death toll was said to be around 40 ... with a large majority of those coming being non-work related deaths (think sickness instead of worksite accident).

It's possible Qatar is still not being forthcoming with the true statistics. In fact, other reports have estimated thousands of workers have died during W.C. prep. The conditions under which the mostly foreign-born work staff operated were also reportedly abysmal.

Despite admitting to the hundreds of deaths, Al-Thawadi claims the health and safety standards have improved since they won the bid to host in 2010.

"I think overall the need for labor reform in itself dictates that yes, improvements have to happen."

"This was something that was recognized before we bid. The improvements that have happened aren’t because of the World Cup. These are improvements that we knew that we had to do because of our own values"

The mother of the alleged Club Q mass murderer was arrested just after the shooting ... for going ballistic in her apartment and then going off the rails with cops.

Laura Voepel was allegedly screaming at the top of her lungs at 3:30 AM ... 3 1/2 hours after authorities say her son took a rifle and killed 5 people at the LGBTQ nightclub and wounding 17 others.

According to official documents, cops were on scene at her apartment when she was "warned multiple times to stop yelling or she would be arrested for disorderly conduct."

Cops say she continued her rant, and when officers tried to arrest her she became combative and physically resisted them.

Voepel was charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.