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Brazilian soccer legend Pelé -- arguably the greatest football player ever -- has died.

The three-time World Cup winner passed away at a hospital in Sao Paulo surrounded by loved ones following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Pelé was initially diagnosed with the disease in 2021, and had been in and out of medical facilities over the past year to help him fight it. But, sadly, his condition worsened recently ... forcing him to spend the last two months in a hospital bed.

Pelé was able to watch the 2022 World Cup in his final days ... and even penned a congratulations post on his social media page to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe after the epic Argentina vs. France final last weekend.

He had also written an emotional note to Neymar after a huge performance for Brazil earlier in the famed tournament.

Pelé joined Brazil's national team when he was just 16 years old ... and won his first-ever World Cup at age 17 in 1958. He went on to lead Brazil to two more titles in the event, winning it all in 1962 and 1970.

He's widely regarded as one of the best goal scorers ever -- with Cristiano Ronaldo previously calling him "the greatest player in football history."

He was 82.

YFN Lucci is not a witness to be used against Young Thug in his RICO case ... this according to the rapper's attorney.

YFN Lucci’s attorneym Drew Findling, tells TMZ … Rayshawn Bennett, AKA Lucci, has not been named as a witness in the YSL case, whatsoever. He makes it clear that Lucci has never been interviewed or subpoenaed by law enforcement, the Fulton County District Attorney's office or any of the party's regarding the YSL case.

We're told, "Any party can announce for example that Abraham Lincoln is on their witness list, but those words alone are meaningless. So, to be 100% clear, Rayshawn Bennett (Lucci) will not be a witness in the YSL case."

In case you didn't know, Lucci is currently sitting behind bars and awaiting trial on murder charges. YT and YFN are both Georgia rappers, who are known to have beef for several years which caused folks on social media to suspect he might be working with Thug's prosecutors in order to cut his own plea deal.

However, Lucci's attorney says, "His focus, as it should be, is on his pending Fulton County case."

As we've reported, YT and fellow YSL rapper Gunna were arrested back in May on gang-related charges tied to a 56-count indictment.

Gunna was locked up for several months before taking a plea deal by pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge. He was sentenced to 5 years with one year commuted for the time he's already served. The other 4 will be suspended and replaced with community service and other demands.

On the other hand, Thug has been in custody for 7 months and he's slated for trial in January.

Nick Cannon is likely already reallllly good at changing diapers, but he's about to get even more reps in ... as he just welcomed baby number 12 to the world.

Alyssa Scott, who Cannon previously had a child with, broke the news Thursday -- revealing their daughter, Halo, was born on December 14. Scott says, "I will remember the sound of Nicks voice saying "it's a girl" and the look of everything we've been through flash across his face."

She continues, "I will remember the sound of her crying out with her first breath and feeling her heartbeat against mine. My sweet girl, I got my surprise!! We love you Halo Marie Cannon!"

Previously, Nick and Alyssa had a baby boy together named Zen, who died at only 5 months after brain cancer.

Scott remembered Zen in the announcement of Halo, writing, "Zen is in every breath I take. I know his spirit was with us in the room that morning. I know he is watching down on us. He shows me signs everyday. I will hold onto this memory forever."

Young Thug might soon be fighting more than charges ... as a COVID-19 outbreak has hit several of his codefendants in his RICO case.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a bunch of the defendants and attorneys in Young Thug's ongoing case have tested positive for COVID. The court order states Young Thug could also be at risk of getting COVID and says he must get tested.

The court order, stamped on 12/28, does not have results from Young Thug's COVID test.

As we reported, Young Thug has been in custody for more than 7 months ... he was arrested back in May on gang-related charges tied to a 56-count indictment. He's slated for trial in January, with jury selection beginning on January 5.

A disgusting verbal attack on two TikTokers eating at an In-N-Out has led to charges for one man after the video went viral.

The clip, filmed on Christmas Eve inside a California In-N-Out shows a Korean male and his female friend sitting at a table and trying various menu items from the fast food joint.

You hear a man -- seemingly unprovoked -- ask if the pair are filming themselves eating and then ask if they're Korean or Japanese. When the TikToker says he's Korean, the man goes into a racist and homophobic tirade, accusing the TikToker of having sexual relations with Kim Jong-un.

After the verbal exchange, the TikTokers claim the man waits for them outside for quite some time -- you can tell just how freaked out the two are during the video.

Turns out, San Ramon Police Chief, Denton Carlson, got wind of the video and not only tracked down the TikTokers -- but conducted to an investigation to find the man who was allegedly making the disgusting remarks.

Mark Wahlberg is all sun, smiles and muscles this holiday season -- hitting the beach with his family in tow.

Mark and his wife, Rhea Durham, were spotted in Barbados this week getting a little rest and relaxation before hitting the water to cool off. The two seem to be recharging before 2023 -- and what better spot to do it than on the Caribbean island.

Always a health junkie, the 51-year-old recently revealed he's altered his workout routine ... now waking up at 2:30 in the morning instead of 3:30 to complete his daily exercise.

Customers at a Texas Waffle House were treated to their own private WrestleMania over the holiday -- as fists and chairs flew between customers and some employees.

The video is insane, starting with some type of verbal argument between a female customer and restaurant staffer. The employee is seen throwing a plate from behind the counter and then all hell breaks loose -- with the customer jumping up on the counter and falling on employees.

From there, punches are thrown -- including several from one of the employees that connect with the original customer's head.

Finally, things seem to get under control, but only for a few seconds.

In what's probably the most insane part of the video, the employee catches a chair thrown by one of the customers in midair.

Tyler Sanders, a teenage actor with roles in big shows like "9-1-1: Lone Star" and "Fear the Walking Dead," died from the effects of fentanyl ... according to his autopsy report.

According to the report, obtained by TMZ, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner also notes the 18-year-old's death was accidental.

As we first reported ... Tyler was found dead June 16 in his Los Angeles home. Sources connected to the death investigation told us he had a history of drug use and police found a plastic straw and white powder in the room where he died.

In the autopsy report, the ME says Tyler told a friend in text messages the night before his death he was using fentanyl. The report says Tyler did not answer phone calls from the friend after sending the text about fentanyl.

What's more, the coroner says Tyler had no known medical problems but had a history of drug abuse ... including heroin, cocaine, LSD, mushrooms and Xanax.

Michelle and Barack Obama have talked for years about a rocky period in their lives -- when she was shouldering way more than him when it came to raising their kids -- but she's never been this blunt, saying for a third of their marriage, she "couldn't stand" the ex-Prez.

The former first lady was on a panel courtesy of Revolt TV, talking about the struggles of raising a family and balancing a career, and here's what she said ... "People think I'm being catty saying this: It's like, there were 10 years where I couldn't stand my husband. And guess when it happened? When those kids were little."

She's talked before about how BO was often absent when he was a state representative commuting from Chicago to Springfield, Illinois. During the discussion, she said, "And for 10 years while we're trying to build our careers and, you know, worrying about school and who's doing what and what, I was like, 'Ugh, this isn't even."

Michelle talked about persistence in a marriage, and that some people give up too early ... "... guess what: 10 years -- we've been married 30. I would take 10 bad years over 30 -- it's just how you look at it. And people give up ... five years, I can't take it."

And, there was some faint praise, too ... "Do you like him? I mean you could be mad at him but do you still look at him and go, 'I'm not happy with you, but I respect you. I don't agree with you but you're still a kind, smart person.'"

Congressman-elect George Santos would not know the truth if it hit him in the face, because now it's come out he lied about his mom dying from the 9/11 attacks.

Santos saw a post last year about a ridiculous 9/11 conspiracy theory -- that it was a victimless crime -- and responded, "9/11 claimed my mother's life, so I'm blocking so I don't ever have to read this again."

Here's the thing ... five months after posting that, he posted this ... "December 23rd this year marks 5 years I lost my best friend and mentor ... Mom you will live forever in my heart."

So, in the latest tweet, he's saying his mom died in 2016, 15 years after the attack.

Santos claimed on his campaign website his mom was in the South Tower on Sept. 11, adding she survived but passed away "a few years later" from cancer. But, 15 years?

This is the latest in a string of fundamental deceptions by Santos, including lying that he went to NYU and Baruch for college yet they have no record of him. Ditto his claims he worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. And of course, there's the lie that he was Jewish and he explained it by saying he was Jew-ish.

Where in the world is Kanye West?

Ye's ex-business manager says Kim Kardashian's ex has been playing a cat-and-mouse game for weeks, all over a lawsuit.

The biz manager, Thomas St. John, is suing Ye for $4.5 mil and is frustrated because he can't serve him with the necessary legal docs, this according to the US Sun.

The suit, over unpaid fees, can't move forward until Kanye gets served, either directly or through other means. St. John says he can't find a legit address on Ye.

Kanye has been spotted several times in the last 2 weeks ... both times in L.A.

TMZ broke the story, Kanye's been leading a nomadic life for months, traveling here and there and not really having a home base.

As for St. John and Kanye, that relationship blew up last January, according to St. John, when Ye screamed at him in aggressive fashion and pulled the plug on their relationship.

Jack the Ripper's face has finally been unmasked -- or so it appears -- after staying under wraps for more than a century, this according to a newly discovered artifact.

The chilling mug of one of the world's most elusive and infamous serial murderers was allegedly found carved into the wooden handle of a walking stick once owned by the London cop tasked with capturing the killer.

Scotland Yard Detective Frederick Abberline spent years trying to track down the mysterious butcherer, but failed to do so. He was gifted the cane after he got booted from the case. He retired from the police force in 1892 and died in 1929.

Just a little background on "the Ripper" ... He slaughtered five women across London's East End in 1888, slashing their throats and dissecting their bodies. He mailed part of a kidney from one victim to the investigators with taunting letters giving himself the moniker, "Jack the Ripper." Police believed he had a background in human anatomy because of his gruesome handiwork.

Back to the facial artifact ... Abberline's wooden cane was stored for years at the Police College in Bramshill, Hampshire, UK, but was thought to be lost after the institution closed in 2015.

Miraculously. the cane resurfaced at the College of Policing's headquarters in Ryton, West Midlands. Staff workers were recently looking through various memorabilia from the Bramshill shutdown when they stumbled upon the historic artifact.

Jack the Ripper's purported face has now been put on display to show new officer recruits advancements in police technology. At the time, detectives began experimenting with new techniques to solve the puzzling case.

Valerie Bertinelli is not about to become a crime victim ... because she's got an eagle eye on would-be burglars who are hitting her neighborhood and gave them a big surprise.

The actress/Food Network host lives in an area of L.A. where there have been a string of burglaries, including the house next door to hers.

Well, in the wee hours of Wednesday, 2 guys -- maybe the culprits in the neighborhood -- approached her door at separate times and started scoping out her home. One of the guys was carrying a backpack and several bags. He walks near the camera and apparently spots it, because he beats a hasty retreat. Mission accomplished!!!

The 62-year-old said, "I think he stops because he sees my camera lit up. The other one came an hour before him."

Eddie Van Halen's ex was honest ... "F***ing scary,"

She called the cops, who apparently are still on the hunt for these guys, and is doubling down on precautions ... "I'm installing more motion detector lights and thinking of putting barbed wire on my front fence. And of course my alarm gets set every night."

T.J. Holmes is officially pulling the plug on his marriage ... filing for divorce from his estranged wife Marilee Fiebig, weeks after his relationship with his 'GMA3' cohost Amy Robach went public.

The "Good Morning America" anchor filed docs Wednesday in NYC after 12 years of marriage and about a month after folks found out about his relationship with colleague Amy Robach. Interestingly enough, he and Amy were spotted traveling together over the holidays.

Amy and T.J. made major headlines after Daily Mail published a set of flirty photos of the two spending time out in NYC. It was later confirmed they'd been in a serious relationship for several weeks, but sources said it started once both had already split from their spouses.

While at first ABC kept them both on air, they were taken off after two days. Sources at the network told us honchos and ABC's legal team are conducting a review of their contracts and relationship to see if any policies were broken.

The upcoming season of the TV series "Super Sized Salon" is pushing forward despite the sudden death of its star, Jamie Lopez.

Sources who were close to Jamie tell TMZ ... the show's cast and crew hopped on a call this week with WE tv network honchos and everyone agreed they wanted to continue with the show, with the goal of continuing to tell Jamie's story.

Our sources say nothing is official yet, but there were discussions about making Jamie a multi-season offer before her recent death ... and now they envision some presence of Jamie in season 2 ... using old clips and interviews.

TMZ broke the story ... 37-year-old Jamie was hospitalized last weekend in Las Vegas and died due to heart complications.

"Super Sized Salon" premiered earlier this season on WE tv ... putting the spotlight on the staff and customers at Jamie's Babydoll Beauty Couture salon in Vegas.

Jamie owned 50% of the salon, with her partner and business manager JD Armelin owning the remaining half. We're told Jamie's cut will go to her next of kin. JD is already in the process of buying them out, with plans to give some equity to the other women who work at the salon.

We're told the plan is for JD to remain behind the scenes and eventually turn the salon into a franchise, while looking for another woman to become the spokesperson to continue Jamie's vision.

Drake is denying rumors from a woman who claims the rapper flew her out for a romantic night, but then gave her the boot once she started recording him.

The Canadian rapper issued a statement Wednesday on Instagram, apparently addressing the women's TikTok video about their alleged encounter. Drake wrote, "Never met. Never spoke. Never flew." He added, "I hope people start doing more with the one life we are given s*** is sad out here".

In her TikTok video, the woman states that Drake direct messaged her after she posted a story mentioning the music icon while she was clad in lingerie.

She says they began talking, which led to Drake booking her a flight to see him. Before anything went down between them, Drake made her sign an NDA or so she claims.

At one point she says, "he kept on rubbing on my stomach and asking me questions like 'do you want kids?'" She went on to say they started drinking and vibing ... and eventually, things escalated to them having unprotected sex.

The woman also claims Drake became angry when she began recording him ... saying he slapped her phone out her hand and kicked her out his crib.

Of course, the woman's video went viral  ... but the clip has been deleted now that Drake has entered the conversation, calling BS on her accusations.

But, the woman insists she has proof that what she says about Drake is TRUE!!!