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Amber Heard is closing the book on the defamation case brought by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp -- a decision that's going to cost her 7 figures.

The actress just issued a lengthy statement announcing that she's settled with Johnny -- this as opposed to going through with her appeal -- which she just recently filed. Amber says, in part ... "This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Amber is going to shell out just $1 million to Johnny -- but we're told it'll be money from her insurance company, not her own pocket.

As for what she has to say about it further ... Amber explains she never chose this, and that all she ever did was defend and speak her truth -- which she notes has destroyed her life ... via vilification through social media and beyond, which she calls a humiliation she can't relive again. AH says she did this to move forward and emancipate herself from this saga.

Amber also makes sure to mention the fact that she has lost faith in the American legal system -- having been found liable for defaming Johnny, whereas in the UK ... the verdict came in her favor. She says she has exhausted almost all of her resources in fighting this thing here -- and in the end, it seems she's decided it was going to be a losing battle.

One other thing ... Amber says she's going to now focus on things that matter to her life, including working for causes she believes in, not to mention time with her daughter.

She adds, "I will not be threatened, disheartened or dissuaded by what happened from speaking the truth. No one can and no one will take that from me. My voice forever remains the most valuable asset I have." Amber ends by thanking those who've backed her all along.

Johnny, for his part, hasn't addressed the settlement.

A dog-walking couple says they bumped into something pretty terrifying -- a creepy-looking figure crossed right in front of them in the dark, and although they caught it on camera, they have no clue what the thing is.

Hannah and Dave Rowett were strolling with their pups through Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, England this month when they nearly bumped into the shadowy creature ... you can see it seemingly appear out of thin air, and cross their path before disappearing.

The couple posted the spooky clip on Facebook, where it's gotten some serious buzz ... and people are torn as to whether or not this thing is legit, or just a well-edited video.

Dave even referred to himself as a skeptic of ghosts ... but says this encounter made him a believer.

FYI -- Clumber Park is supposedly haunted by a spirit called "Grey Lady" ... known as a woman in a long coat, often described as a demon, crawling on her long limbs -- which lines up pretty well with the hunched-over thing seen in the clip.

Word of advice for the Rowett's -- there's gotta be another park to walk your dogs!!!

The Grateful Dead has become the target of a lot of criticism after many are calling out the poor timing of the band's recently released "Idaho is Dead" shirts in light of the 4 college students murdered in the state.

The band just posted new shirts on their official IG account. The caption read, "Check out the new Idaho United States Of Dead T-Shirt with artwork designed by @dreyfus.art. Available now at dead.net!"

As you might imagine, some folks immediately called out GD for being insensitive ... pointing to the fact that 4 college students from the University of Idaho were brutally murdered at an off-campus house, last month. Of course, that case remains unsolved.

One user wrote, "With the recent Idaho tragedy the first shirt is totally insensitive" ... another said, "Weird timing of a play on words considering the idiho4 😢🥺".

Grateful dead is selling similar shirts for other respective states on their website. For example, they are already selling "California Dead" shirts on their site.

Robert De Niro almost became a victim of the real-life Grinch -- a home intruder who was legit trying to steal the dude's Christmas presents ... just days before the holiday.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor's NYC home was broken into early Monday, at around 3:30 AM, by what cops say was a 30-year-old woman who pried his door and slunk inside. Not quite Dr. Seuss-esque (down the chimney) -- but still scary nonetheless.

We're told the woman was caught red-handed in the act ... cops say she was attempting to clean out the bottom of RDN's tree of gifts -- but Bobby D himself, who we're told was home with family, came down to confront her when he heard all the commotion.

As you can imagine, the police were called ... and NYPD says they recognized this perp immediately. Apparently, she's been arrested pretty recently for similar crimes -- we're told her long-running M.O. is to case houses and break-in, much like she did at De Niro's.

In this case ... they caught her, arrested her and took to her to jail. Sounds like they didn't wanna wait for her heart to grow three sizes and realize the error of her ways.

A dog owner's going through a ruff patch ... because she's gettin' called out for alleged animal abuse after making her pup look like the mean one himself, Mr. Grinch.

The TikToker showed off her dog's transformation, going from its natural color to getting dyed green -- and even red and white to resemble the titular character's Christmas sweater.

The now-viral clip's captioned "When your groomer slays making your dog into the Grinch," but it might've gained traction for all the wrong reasons -- because people are up in arms over the supposed mistreatment of the animal.

The comment section ran wild ... with some saying "Kinda looks like animal abuse to me," "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should," and "Poor Puppy." Some were in the owner's corner though -- mentioning some dyes are pet safe.

However, some puppies have skin allergies and could get severe reactions in the process, but it's unclear if this doggo fits that bill.

The owner clapped back to all the noise ... showing the dog chillin' on the bed with the sarcastic caption "He's super abused."

Elon Musk seems to have heard all the Twitter criticism loud and clear -- which is why he's leaving his position at the company in the hands of the people ... quite literally.

The Chief Twit took to his favorite platform Sunday, and started off by apologizing for what sounds like Twitter's no-more-personal-promotion policy ... in which they'll ban anyone who plugs other social media profiles of theirs on Twitter.

He wrote, "Going forward, there will be a vote for major policy changes. My apologies. Won’t happen again." After that, he posed a question and interesting proposition, asking ... "Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll."

It's a simple Yes/No poll, and as of this writing ... nearly 6 million people have weighed in, with about 58% in favor of Yes, and 42% saying No. There's still about 10 hours left to vote.

In a somewhat ominous and cryptic follow-up post, he wrote ... "As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it." To us, that means he will, in fact, abide by the outcome ... like he previously has in other polls. Bringing Trump back comes to mind.

Now, there are some cynics who feel like this an empty promise from Elon -- as they suspect he'll simply install a sock-puppet CEO ... while he continues to pull the strings BTS. He will still be the majority owner of Twitter, after all -- so he could still presumably call the shots.

He did recently allude to that type of carte blanche rule earlier this year when he was discussing his Content Moderation Council -- basically saying, what I say goes, period.

Elon, however, appeared to shoot this notion down -- saying he doesn't have somebody else in mind for the gig ... and that there is no successor. He says no one would really want this job. Time will tell if he follows through, and what that'll mean for Twitter at large. 👀

Vox Populi, Vox Dei!

There's now a very lucky (and wealthy) 'E.T.' fan with one of the coolest pieces of memorabilia from the film in their collection.

The one-of-a-kind original mechatronic model -- used to bring the alien to life -- sold for $2.5 million at Julien's Auctions. The piece was used as the #1 filming model "actor" for the movie's main character in the 1982 classic flick "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

In all, the model has 85 points of movement and was created by "The Father of E.T." Carlo Rambaldi ... basically, it's a real engineering masterpiece.

That's not all... other unique memorabilia from the film sold, including the original E.T. maquette model made for director Steven Spielberg, to approve the E.T. design. It went for $125K.

Hanukkah is upon us, and these celebs have lit the menorah and honored the holiday in style -- some with their closest loved ones!

Andy Cohen had the huge honor of lighting his neighborhood's massive menorah this year ... while 'Catfish's Nev Schulman snapped a pic of him doing the same from the comfort of his own home.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff lit the first candle together, too ... and looked pretty happy doin' it!

Mayim Bialik was smiling from ear to ear, rockin' a festive sweater and some earrings to match -- while "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" star and creator Rachel Bloom put on a paper crown with some stern words against the Nazi party.

Even sister-rock group Haim posted a Hanukkah-themed TikTok over the weekend, putting a hilarious holiday spin on a viral trend.

Thousands of people flooded Buenos Aires streets to celebrate Argentina's World Cup victory on Sunday ... and the wild scene was all captured on breathtaking drone video.

The party went down just minutes after Lionel Messi and the Argentinians beat France in penalty kicks -- with a sea of people packing into the country's capital to celebrate the W.

In the drone footage, you can see fans lining streets for what appeared to be miles ... all going crazy over the big victory.

Some waved flags, some chanted and cheered ... and all, clearly, had a blast.

No word on when -- or if -- the party died down ... but the country's supporters had every right to throw the bash, seeing as it was the nation's first World Cup title since 1986.

The game, meanwhile, is being considered by many to already be the best in W.C. history ... it was a nail-biter that featured 6 goals followed by intense PKs.

Messi scored two total, and buried his lone penalty kick attempt. Later he was given the tournament's Golden Ball -- the award for best player at the event.

Mama June's ex-BF Geno Doak has relapsed, TMZ has learned ... this after spending 9 months trying to get better in rehab.

Geno tells TMZ ... he left his South Carolina rehab facility after hitting 9 months clean back in June. He says he left in good standing with a certificate of completion -- but regretfully relapsed on alcohol last week.

As for why, Geno says the addict in him told him a drink wouldn't hurt, adding he convinced himself he was doing good -- the fact it was alcohol and not drugs seemed innocent enough to him.

He tells us he hasn't had another drink since last week's incident, and doesn't plan on having one -- but adds he isn't going back to rehab. Instead, Geno says he's going to continue to apply what he learned and continue to attend AA meetings.

As we reported, Geno told us he tried to kill himself last year by chasing 90 blood pressure pills with a liter of Jägermeister ... and says after telling June about the OD, she referred him to the SC rehab center.

He has an active arrest warrant from 2021, after failing to show up to his community corrections program -- part of his sentence in a 2019 crack cocaine case. Macon County Sheriff André Brunson told us while Geno was in rehab, they weren't going to pull him from the program.

Since leaving, the Macon County Court Clerk confirms his criminal case is still active ... and Geno says he's working on a resolution.

"Below Deck" star Captain Lee Rosbach is doing boatloads better after telling his crew he had to step off the boat due to serious health issues ... now he's liftin' weights like a champ!

"The Stud of the Sea" was seen Wednesday pumping some major iron at the gym ... lifting 175 lbs on a chest press -- just a couple of days after his departure announcement aired on the Bravo show.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the bombshell announcement on the most recent episode was shot back in February, and he was in pretty bad shape at the time -- but he's made nothing but progress ever since.

We're told Rosbach's been working with a team of experts to help with his mobility -- and he's been hittin' the gym every day to get his strength back.

Leaving the boat was one of the hardest mountains he ever had to climb. Nonetheless, Captain Lee isn't ready to hang it up -- and he hasn't ruled out a return to the luxury yacht life.

Amar'e Stoudemire was arrested this weekend for domestic violence -- this after he allegedly beat his teenage daughter.

The ex-NBA star was booked early Sunday morning in Miami on one count of misdemeanor battery and one count of domestic violence. He posed for this mug shot on the way in -- but as of late Sunday morning, he appears to have been released from custody.

According to the arrest report, obtained by TMZ, Stoudemire is alleged to have struck one of his teen daughters -- one is 17 and another is 14 -- across the face at least twice ... once with a closed fist, which was described by the girl as a punch, and another being a slap.

The report states that his daughter was left bloodied from the hits, and goes on to say the alleged victim described him as continuing to strike her body after the blows to her face.

The reason he allegedly snapped ... per cops, Amar'e described disciplining her after she responded with "attitude" to her grandma (Amar'e's mother) when she called for her at his house, which caused Amar'e to confront his kid ... and allegedly dole out a "whooping."

The daughter is reported to have contacted her mother, Alexis, with photos of her alleged injuries -- which spurred the 911 call and subsequent arrest. Sounds like Alexis came to pick up the rest of their 3 kids and left with them all as well when police took Amar'e away.

Dozens of people were injured during a Hawaiian Airlines flight that required medical transport of at least 20 individuals -- this after several passengers were rocked in the air.

The scary news was announced Sunday and confirmed by the airline themselves. They say HA Flight 35 -- which was flying from Phoenix to Honolulu this AM, with 288 people onboard total -- experienced major turbulence that reportedly sent people flying every which way, including upwards toward the ceiling.

There are photos and videos circulating online right now that show some of the upper luggage compartments crushed ... presumably due to bodies crashing into them.

All in all, 36 people suffered injuries ... and 20 needed to be taken to the hospital, with 11 of them being listed in serious condition. There's video of some of these passengers being attended to on the ground -- you can see them in neck braces, getting gurneyed away.

The turbulence is reported to have hit about 30 minutes before the plane landed -- it's unclear what exactly caused it. A mix of passengers and crew members are said to have been harmed -- and the youngest of the bunch is reported to have been just 14 months old.

The plane was obviously able to land in the end, and HA says they're keeping tabs on everyone affected. They add, "Medical care was provided to several guests & crewmembers at the airport for minor injuries while some were swiftly transported to local hospitals for further care. We are supporting all affected passengers & employees and are continuing to monitor the situation."

The injuries sound intense, especially for the 11 who were utterly thrashed. They're described as bruises, lacerations, head injuries and even loss of consciousness for some. EMS workers responded to the incident as a "mass casualty emergency" upon touchdown.

Undefeated Rough 'N Rowdy champ Bobby Laing says a fight against Frank Gore is a real possibility ... telling TMZ Sports the ex-NFL star heard his call-out loud and clear -- and he wants to scrap.

"Lights Out" is fresh off beating 12-year vet Adam "Pacman" Jones for the second time at Barstool Sports' RNR 19 last Friday .. and right after having his hand raised, Laing said he wanted a piece of Gore.

We spoke with Laing about potentially squaring up against the 49ers great ... and he tells us the two sides have been talking for a LONG time in hopes of setting up a bout.

In fact, Bobby and Frank have been trading DMs a lot recently ... and Laing's post-fight interview after beating Pacman again reignited talks of a matchup.

"It's definitely an option on the table," Bobby says. "I want to do it. He sounds like he wants to do it. It's just a matter of if Barstool is gonna set it up or not."

FYI -- Frank has two pro fights under his belt ... going 2-0 after losing to ex-NBA star Deron Williams via split decision back in 2021.

Bobby says he expects to keep his undefeated record in tact against Gore ... and claims Pacman was just "step one" of getting into bigger, higher profile matchups.

"I gotta keep beating these people that have more clout than I have," Bobby says. "And then eventually, after a few more wins, maybe then I'll be the guy that people will be like, you gotta beat me to get more clout."

Jack Johnson has gotten legal protection against a female fan he says poses a serious and alarming risk to his safety.

The "Better Together" singer testified at a hearing in Los Angeles Thursday about a woman he says keeps popping up at his shows and hotels, trying to get close to him.

Jack called into the hearing and the judge was convinced the woman is dangerous enough to warrant a 5-year order of protection.

TMZ broke the story ... Jack got a temporary order of protection two months ago, claiming the woman has been hounding him for years, with things escalating to the point where she recently confronted him at a hotel he was staying at on tour. He says she got in his face and it was so frightening cops came and detained her.

Before this gleeful child got all of her grown-up teeth and was on stage rocking out to 'Jingle Bell Rock,' she was just growing up in Allentown, Pennsylvania and putting her two front teeth at the top of her Hanukkah list.

After getting her feet wet in the soap opera world, this actress started her career in film work and started to soar in the mid-2000s. She's appeared in an abundance of popular movies, including "Dear John" and "Mamma Mia."

Need one more hint? She wound up deferring her college acceptance, after landing a role in "Mean Girls."