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Day One without Ezekiel Elliott as his teammate hasn't exactly gone smoothly for Dak Prescott ... the Cowboys star quarterback said he's awfully sad his BFF won't be playing alongside him in Dallas again.

Dak spoke publicly about Elliott's release to media members for the first time on Thursday afternoon ... admitting he's "hurt" the running back was cut on Wednesday.

"I really can't imagine taking the field without him," Prescott said. "It's something that I don't know if it's completely hit me yet."

Prescott and Elliott joined the Cowboys together back in 2016 -- Elliott was a 1st-round pick, Dak was a 4th-rounder -- and the two quickly became inseparable.

In their rookie seasons, both had amazing years -- and helped the Cowboys get to the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs.

Dak said since that season, the two have grown "up as men" together.

"I'm hurt," the QB said. "I'm sure he is. But it's more important for me to be able to support him. I know he's got more opportunities coming his way. And I love that guy. Proud of him. No. 1 supporter for him no matter what."

The Manhattan restaurant where a couple claims they found an entire rodent in their food delivery order has been forced to hit the pause button on serving meals ... the Health Department has closed the joint.

Gammeeok, a Korean restaurant at the center of a recent lawsuit, got shut down Wednesday after an inspection .... according to Fabien Levy, a rep for NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

TMZ broke the story ... a couple filed a lawsuit this week claiming they ordered food from Gammeeok over the weekend and discovered a dead rodent in their soup, an allegation the restaurant disputes.

Levy tells TMZ ... "No New York City restaurant is authorized to have mice or rats on the menu and we are investigating further. Our top priority is protecting the health of New Yorkers and if a restaurant has conditions that threaten our city's diners, they will be shut down."

The restaurant already has signage up on the door showing they've been closed by the Health Department. The eatery also appears to have put up its own sign claiming they are shuttered because of "maintenance."

Our sources say Health Department inspectors found rat droppings at the restaurant, and food was not being stored at the correct temperature. We're also told the eatery did not have a trained supervisor on site.

The restaurant will have to jump through some hoops to open back up ... we're told Gammeeok will need to correct all the violations they got dinged for, plus pay any fines imposed by the city.

Our sources say Gammeeok was also operating without the proper permits, despite multiple warnings from the Health Department to renew their paperwork.

In the lawsuit, the couple also claimed Gammeeok had gotten a C grade from the Health Department in January, the worst possible letter grade.

Rats are a big problem in the Big Apple ... so much so, Mayor Adams wants to hire a "rat czar" to rid the city of rodents.

L.A.'s new "mansion tax" is about to go into effect, forcing sellers to cough up a ton of cash if their property sells for at least $5 million ... and Josh Altman is one of many real estate agents who think it's absurd.

Josh joined us Thursday on "TMZ Live," and immediately dumped on measure ULA ... calling it "the dumbest tax ever put through in the history of Los Angeles." Passed on the ballot last November, it slaps a 4 percent tax on homes selling for $5 mil and up, and 5.5 percent on those selling above $10M.

Josh points out the ridiculous ways agents would have to work around the taxes if they wanted to, including listing it for cheaper than its actual value ... just to dodge the additional tax.

The selling point to voters who supported the tax was the funds would go toward battling the homeless crisis in L.A. by developing more affordable housing -- it's projected to bring in $1B annually.

Josh tells us he's all for helping the unhoused, but just doesn't believe they'll get a dime from the new taxes.

Prosecutors say Joe Mixon's sister's boyfriend fired 10-to-11 rounds at a teenager outside of the NFL star's home earlier this month -- striking the boy once in the foot -- and now, the man is facing serious prison time over it all.

Hamilton County prosecutor Melissa Powers held a news conference on Thursday afternoon to give an update on the case ... revealing 34-year-old Lamonte Brewer, Shalonda Mixon's BF, has been hit with four criminal charges, including felony assault, after investigators say he shot at a 16-year-old who was playing with a Nerf gun near Joe Mixon's house in Ohio on March 6 at around 8:30 PM.

Powers said surveillance footage, obtained via search warrant on Joe Mixon's home, showed Brewer and Joe Mixon in the Bengals star's backyard as teens were outside of it playing a game called "Nerf wars."

She said video showed Brewer at one point open fire on a 16-year-old who was running near the yard with a toy gun ... nearly hitting the boy in the head.

"It's a miracle he was not killed," Powers said.

Video, the prosecutor claimed, showed Joe Mixon was in the yard at the time of the shooting and did have a gun on his person too, but never drew the weapon, and "as a legal gun owner, [Joe] Mixon had the right to possess the firearm and did not commit a crime."

She said the NFL player had been concerned for his safety recently after receiving death threats on social media.

She did say, though, that the video showed Shalonda Mixon -- Joe's 34-year-old sister -- picking up shell casings in the yard ... before she took off with Brewer in a car.

Powers said cops eventually stopped the vehicle -- and found the gun, a Zastava M92, that was used in the shooting earlier in the evening in the ride's trunk.

Powers said in addition to the four charges they've filed against Brewer, they also hit Shalonda Mixon with one count of tampering with evidence and one count of obstruction of justice. Powers said Brewer is facing up to 20 years behind bars if convicted, while Shalonda Mixon is facing four.

"It's unbelievable that something like this could happen," Powers said. "It's hard to fathom how anyone could aim a gun at a child, let alone fire 10 to 11 rounds at him."

Joe Mixon's agent, Peter Schaffer, released a statement following Powers' news conference ... saying the Cincinnati tailback "witnessed an individual carrying what appeared to be a rifle racing directly towards his property as the individual continued to bark instructions."

"When another individual discharged a firearm, Joe interceded to stop the person discharging a firearm. Joe hates that a young adult was injured during this incident."

Paris Hilton is getting a lot of things off her chest in her new memoir, now revealing she felt a great deal of shame after Pink mimicked her infamous sex tape in her music video.

Paris says she felt unsupported when the singer parodied her 2003 sex tape with her ex-bf, Rick Salomon, three years after its release, in the music video for "Stupid Girls".

PH explains in "Paris: The Memoir" she felt pressured to film "One Night in Paris" with Salomon, who was 33 at the time while she was just 19. She says Pink didn't help things, only making her feel ashamed years later, when the noise and slut-shaming had mostly died down.

Paris writes, "When everyone was buzzing about a sex tape of a certain teenage girl from a soon-to-be-hit TV show – a girl who said emphatically over and over that she did not want the tape out there – the takeaway was Stupid Girl".

She also doubled down on the fact that she had no clue the tape would be made public, and only agreed to film it because she was "tipsy and tired." She says Rick threatened he would find someone else to do the tape if Paris refused.

You'll recall, Rick sued Paris for defamation, however, she countersued and was awarded around $400K in damages.

Terrible news for New York Mets fans -- Edwin Díaz is most likely out for the season ... after the star closer tore his patellar tendon while celebrating a big win at the World Baseball Classic.

Díaz suffered the injury on the field Wednesday ... as he and his Puerto Rico teammates were congratulating each other on their 5-2 victory over the Dominican Republic.

Edwin struck out Teoscar Hernández to end the game ... and once the final out was recorded, players from Puerto Rico surrounded the two-time All-Star and jumped up and down.

During the celebration, Díaz collapsed to the ground and started writhing in pain ... causing his teammates to be overwhelmed with emotion as they feared the worst possible scenario.

The Mets said the 28-year-old will undergo surgery on Thursday ... and will update fans on how the procedure goes shortly after.

Mets GM Billy Eppler added Díaz will likely miss at least 8 months with the injury.

Edwin's injury is a huge blow -- the Mets made the playoffs last year and were entering the 2023 season optimistic they could contend for a World Series title.

In his fourth season with the Mets, Díaz recorded 32 saves and had 118 strikeouts to accompany a stellar 1.31 ERA.

DJ Khaled can now add "model" to his always-growing résumé ... after making his runway debut at Hugo Boss’ fashion show last night in Miami.

Khaled bravely risked becoming a trending topic as he floated across a wet and slippery catwalk ... but never lost his footing, even while he escorted supermodel icon Naomi Campbell to the finish line.

After the show, Khaled celebrated with his team like they just won a championship, but he was likely most happy not to fall on his face.

The "We The Best" mogul shared the runway with other high-profile figures ... Pamela Anderson, Amber Valletta, Candice Swanepoel and celebrity stylist Law Roach ... who made his first public appearance after announcing his retirement due to "political corruption" within the fashion industry.

Vogue magazine praised everyone for braving the event's high winds but Khaled has officially been bit by the model bug.

Expect him to be back!!!

A "Family Feud" contestant gave prosecutors a big clue in their case against him for allegedly murdering his wife ... his response to the "biggest mistake you made at your wedding."

Timothy Bliefnick, who was arrested Monday and charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of a home invasion, taped an episode of the 'Feud' back in 2019. Steve Harvey put him on the spot when it was his turn to answer the question -- "What's the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?" His answer -- "Saying 'I do.'"

Fast forward to late last month, when his estranged wife Rebecca Bliefnick was found dead inside her home. Timothy has been charged with breaking into her home and shooting her multiple times. The couple was living apart and in the process of divorcing.

Bliefnick's answer triggered gasps from the audience as he quickly added he loves his wife. As you know, the answers are based on 100 members of the studio audience and, incredibly, "I Do" was the second most popular answer.

Rebecca had reportedly filed for a restraining order against her estranged husband ... it's unclear if was in effect at the time of her death.

Ariana Madix is finally speaking out since calling things off with Tom Sandoval after discovering he'd been having an affair with Raquel Leviss ... and she's leaving an ominous warning -- for Tom.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star shared her thoughts Wednesday night -- first, thanking everyone for the "outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks."

She goes on to call this time in her life her darkest hours, adding "to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement" ... but she's grateful to have a killer support system as she trudges through it.

She ends with a clear warning -- "What doesn't kill me better run" ... which almost undeniably suggests payback.

It's been a whirlwind in the 'VR' family for a couple weeks -- Tom and Raquel have already apologized for the cheating scandal, and Ariana escaped the noise by going to Mexico.

Conor McGregor got so fired up about revealing a donation to a charity he loves on Wednesday night that he straight-up dropped an F-bomb live on TV!!!

The UFC superstar appeared on Fox News' "Hannity" to announce a $1 million donation to Tunnel to Towers -- a charity created following the 9/11 tragedy to help families of emergency responders who died in the line of duty -- when he got a little too excited.

Speaking with the org's CEO, Frank Siller -- the brother of 9/11 hero Stephen Siller, who lost his life trying to save others in the World Trade Center attack -- McGregor couldn't help but utter a cuss word.

"Frank, I'm honored to support you," he said just seconds after he was introduced by Hannity on the show. "I wanted to say, your brother Stephen is a f***ing -- excuse me, is a hero."

"He's a hero. You're a hero."

Despite the PG-13 language, the audience loved it -- as did Frank, who told Conor, "You had it right the first time!"

Conor then presented the giant check to Frank, who vowed to use some of the money to pay off the mortgage for a family that recently lost a loved one who died while fighting the recent deadly fire in Buffalo.

McGregor later said he was sorry for swearing, telling Hannity, "I would have to curse on Fox. I apologize. I apologize."

But, Hannity told him, "Don't worry about it. It's the one place you can!"

Dramatic new video was released Thursday showing a Russian fighter jet downing an American surveillance drone over the Black Sea ... and it destroys Russia's claim they didn't do it.

Check out the footage, which was declassified by U.S. European Command, showing the back propeller of the MQ-9 Reaper drone encountering the fast-approaching Russian Sukhoi SU-27 fighter jet in international airspace. As it got ever so close, the Russian jet showered the drone with fuel.

The Russian plane circled back for another pass and dumped even more gasoline on the drone. Then the Russian fighter tried one last fly by, but collided with the drone, damaging the propeller. As a result, the U.S. was forced to bring down the drone in the Black Sea.

For their part, Russian officials reportedly denied the crash even took place. Guess they haven't seen the video of the 30-to-40 minute mid-air battle.

But, a senior Biden administration official told CNN the video "absolutely confirms" the incident occurred, but the Russian pilots' motives remained unclear.

John Kirby, a rep for the National Security Council, said the drone had not been retrieved yet and it may never be recovered.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant is sharing his side of the altercation at his sister's volleyball game that led to a police investigation ... saying he only showed up to the event to make sure she was safe.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- Morant, his family and a group of adult men were investigated for simple assault in September ... after they were accused of confronting a high schooler who allegedly called his sister a "bitch."

Morant was asked about the incident in an interview with ESPN's Jalen Rose on Wednesday ... and he's adamant he only acted out of fear his sister could be in danger.

"That's my baby sister," Ja said in the sit-down with Rose. "I received a call and was checking on her safety."

Ja claims once he knew his sister was okay, he left the school ... but says it was made out to be a bigger deal because he's a recognizable NBA player.

"Obviously, I realize Ja showed up and that's all everybody needed to paint whatever picture they want," he added. "I realize now that's a problem and I put myself in those situations."

Ja and his family were ultimately not charged for their involvement in the incident.

Morant is currently serving an 8-game suspension for flashing a gun at a Colorado strip club earlier this month ... just the latest off-court issue he has faced in his short career.

Def Leppard's one-armed drummer Rick Allen suffered a head injury after cops say he was violently assaulted by a teenager in an apparent sneak attack at a South Florida hotel.

According to an arrest report, obtained by TMZ, Allen was puffing on a cigarette as the suspect was lying in wait behind a pole outside the Four Seasons Hotel in Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Police say the teen suspect, Max Hartley, then ran toward Allen at full speed, striking him and knocking him backward and slamming his head on the ground.

The report says a woman came out of the hotel to try to help Allen, but Hartley also knocked her to the ground.

The woman got up and tried to run back into the hotel, but cops say Hartley grabbed her by the hair and dragged her back outside.

Hartley fled to another hotel nearby, but was ultimately arrested after he allegedly damaged numerous cars in a parking garage. The 19-year-old was booked for elder abuse, battery and criminal mischief. He was later released after posting bail.

Def Leppard and their 59-year-old drummer were in South FL to co-headline a Sunday concert with Mötley Crüe at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

You might recall ... Allen's left arm was severed in a 1984 car accident. Doctors initially reattached his limb, but then had to amputate it because of an infection. Using his right arm and both feet, Allen has continued on as the band's drummer.

It's like Fashion Week ... for space, as NASA unveils the freshly designed spacesuits its astronauts will be rocking on the moon.

Axiom Space designed the new look, and NASA proudly flaunted it Wednesday at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX -- the sleek new suits were primarily designed for the Artemis lunar missions scheduled for 2025.

The new suit is called Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or AxEMU, and it's way more flexible than the old bulky suits worn for over 50 years -- and they can be worn by men and women. Big diff from the Apollo missions of the '60s and '70s.

Fun fact: NASA says the new suits would fit at least 90% of the folks in the U.S.

You'll recall, NASA initially pulled the plug on the first all-female spacewalk back in 2019 ... all because the existing suits couldn't fit the 2 women heading to space.

Although they eventually did make the spacewalk in October 2019, it was clear the space agency needed a new vision for its spacesuits.

NASA enlisted Axiom last year to fix the problem, and they sound thrilled with the end result.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says, "Axiom's next generation spacesuits will not only enable the first woman to walk on the Moon, but they will also open opportunities for more people to explore and conduct science on the Moon than ever before."

BTW, don't get used to that black and orange color pattern ... Axiom noted that's just to show off its logo. The final version will likely be all-white to reflect the intense heat astronauts are exposed to in space.

Mod Sun has seriously loyal fans who have his back in the breakup with Avril Lavigne ... and they proved it in NYC with a profanity-laced chant toward Avril's new love interest, Tyga.

Rapper Travie McCoy set it off when he got onstage during Mod's Wednesday night show at Irving Plaza. Before they rocked out to the Gym Class Heroes hit 'Cupid's Chokehold,' Travie called his buddy Mod one of the most loyal dudes he knows.

Seemed to be going in a sweet direction, but then Travie couldn't let the opportunity to blast Avril's new guy pass -- he yelled, "F*** Tyga!"

Mod ran to the back of the stage in shock, but with a big smile on his face ... and then the crowd joined in, chanting Travie's choice of words -- which might perfectly reflect Mod's feelings.

TMZ broke the story -- Avril broke off her engagement last month to Mod Sun just a few days after he kicked off his tour ... and soon after, she immediately started a new romance with Tyga.

We're told Mod was completely blindsided by the breakup -- and that goes double for her quick jump to Tyga.

Mod's fans are doing their best to hold him up.

"Vanderpump Rules" fans are salivating at the thought of Tom Sandoval, Ariana Madix and Raquel Leviss all coming face-to-face for the show's reunion ... but TMZ has learned Raquel has major reservations about joining.

Sources close to production tell us Raquel iced out 'VR' honchos most of last week, and was telling people close to her she had no plans of participating in the reunion taping ... in-person or remotely.

However, we're told things started warming this week, and she's started talks with producers about appearing ... and doing so in person, no less.

Of course, there is one small hurdle -- Raquel currently has a restraining order against fellow cast member Scheana Shay, but we're told the network is willing to work that out to ensure everything happens without violating the order.

Obviously, having Raquel at the reunion would be much more than a small victory for Bravo ... it's the whole ball game as her presence is what fans are dying to see. It'll be interesting if they're forced to push Shay out to ensure Raquel's on board.

TMZ broke the story ... Raquel accused Scheana of punching her after finding out she and Tom cheated on Ariana. Raquel's temporary restraining order is good until at least the end of the month when the case will be heard in court.

Scheana's attorney, Neama Rahmani, told us, "This case is a fabrication by a known liar and a cheat who has betrayed everyone close to her. Scheana never punched Rachel (Raquel), period."

As for Ariana, she recently landed back in L.A. with a friend after they attended a wedding down in Mexico. We know she's shot at least one scene with Tom since we broke the news of the split.

While Bravo hasn't yet announced a specific date to shoot the reunion, our sources say it's supposed to happen at some point next week in Los Angeles.

On Wednesday's episode of "Watch What Happens Live," Andy Cohen assured the audience there would be a 'Vanderpump' reunion.