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Tom Brady appeared to react to Gisele Bündchen's recent divorce comments by sharing a mysterious quote from a famed American poet on social media -- one that referenced dealing with "the betrayal of false friends."

Brady posted a Ralph Waldo Emerson passage on his IG story Thursday morning ... some 24 hours after Gisele's comments to Vanity Fair about their breakup dropped.

The post was all about the definition of success ... and in a part of it, it said in order to win at life, ya gotta "endure the betrayal of false friends."

Of course, it also explained success means laughing a lot, appreciating beauty, leaving the world a better place and more ... but the "betrayal" line stuck out most.

Unclear if it was a response to Gisele -- who told Vanity Fair that her split from Tom was due to a myriad of issues the couple had, including his football career -- but many are interpreting it that way. And, let's be honest ... Tom's a smart guy, and he knows what people are going to think.

Brady has yet to directly comment on the interview -- but he did include three heart emojis when he shared the post.

As we reported, Brady and Gisele officially divorced in October 2022 after 13 years of marriage. Bündchen has been seen in Costa Rica with jiu-jitsu instructor Joaquim Valente often in wake of the split, though they've denied they're dating.

Stephen Smith's mom fired off a letter to the FBI about the mishandling of her son's death investigation, saying he was murdered for being gay and naming Buster Murdaugh as a possible suspect.

Sandy Smith sent the 4-page letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2016, hoping the agency would take over the case from local South Carolina authorities, whom she believed had covered up critical evidence in the case.

As you know, Stephen was found dead in the middle of a country road in Hampton County near the Murdaugh family estate on July 8, 2015. Police initially thought Stephen's death was a "homicide" because there were no signs he'd been struck by a vehicle. Yet, the pathologist who performed the autopsy ruled that it was a hit-and-run, but Stephen's manner of death was left undetermined.

In the letter, obtained by FITSNews, Sandy wrote Stephen's older brother, Christopher, was told by a classmate that Buster Murdaugh allegedly killed Stephen with a baseball bat because Stephen was gay. Buster is the eldest son of convicted killer Alex Murdaugh, who is serving life in prison for murdering his wife and younger son.

Sandy said Buster and the classmate were smashing mailboxes around town when they came upon Stephen, and Buster "seized the opportunity."

Sandy also claimed Buster threatened to kill the classmate if he spoke out about what happened. The information was allegedly turned over to local investigators, but nothing ever materialized.

What's more, Sandy said Stephen was apparently dating "someone from a prominent family in the county who was hiding his sexuality." But, Stephen kept the person's name under wraps.

Sandy alluded to a secret romance between Buster and Stephen in the letter. The same allegation was highlighted by their former schoolmates in a recent Netflix series about the Murdaugh murders.

And then there's this ... Alex Murdaugh's brother, Randolph, called Stephen's dad immediately after his son's death, asking to work the case pro bono and act as an intermediary between the Smith family and police, according to Sandy. Randolph was the county solicitor at the time.

Sandy said Stephen's father accepted the offer, although he was confused as to why Randolph wanted to help and how he found about the case before his son's body had been identified. But, Sandy said, Randolph stopped calling her family after a few interactions and wound up not representing them.

In a recent twist, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division officials announced they're now investigating the case as a homicide.

As for the feds, it's not clear if they acted on Sandy's letter and looked into Stephen's death.

NFL free agent Foster Moreau says he has cancer ... revealing Wednesday he was diagnosed following a routine physical with New Orleans Saints team doctors earlier this month.

Moreau explained on his Twitter page that he had been down in Louisiana talking with New Orleans brass about potentially signing on for the 2023 season ... when Saints medical personnel discovered he had Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a type of cancer that attacks the body's immune system.

The former Las Vegas Raiders tight end called the news "life changing" ... and he said he will now have to step away from football to fight the disease.

The 25-year-old, though, vowed to beat it ... writing in his statement, "I'll go kick this thing's ass and get back to doing what I love!"

The news sucks for Moreau ... the former fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft had just played out his entire rookie contract, and seemed to be in line for a big payday in free agency.

But, he appeared upbeat in his social media statement nonetheless ... telling all of his fans he has a huge support group that'll help him on his road to recovery.

Get well soon, Foster.

Paris Hilton is reveling in motherhood ... now that she's had one, she can't get enough!!!

We got the reality star/entrepreneur Wednesday at the Grove in L.A. for a book signing, and it's apparent from the crowd that braved really crappy weather -- people are into her and her story.

Paris says it feels incredible to have a son -- Phoenix Barron Hilton Reum -- and she was very open with our photog ... the kid's opened the floodgates for more babies.

It's interesting ... PH almost always holds her cards close to her vest, rarely opening up publicly about her intentions ... so it was a little surprising she played her hand.

Paris hubby Carter Reum announced they had a baby back in January after struggling to get pregnant ... and after tying the knot during a luxurious 2021 wedding weekend.

The "Simple Life" star can clearly keep a secret, even from her mom. No one knew she was having a baby until after the kid was born.

Gunter Nezhoda, famous for appearing on A&E's hit show "Storage Wars," is dead after losing his battle with cancer.

"Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda tells TMZ ... his father died Tuesday night in his sleep in Salt Lake City as a result of complications from lung cancer.

Rene says his dad was diagnosed in September, and the chemotherapy caused holes in his lungs. We're told Gunter recently flew to Utah for emergency surgery, but doctors determined there was nothing else they could do. His youngest son, Ricky, was by his side when he died.

Gunter appeared on seven episodes of "Storage Wars" from 2015 to 2019 ... we're told he filmed an episode with Rene for the upcoming 14th season.

In addition to his reality TV work, Gunter also acted in a handful of movies ... and he played bass with musicians like Kevin Dubrow, George Lynch, Michael Schenker, Pat Travers and Leslie West, just to name a few.

Gunter, who was born in Austria and grew up in Germany before moving to Las Vegas, was also a professional photographer, working with big-name companies like Ford, Microsoft and Big-O Tires. Some of his photos were published in magazines and advertisements.

Gunter was 67.

Jax Taylor is offering up his thoughts on Tom Sandoval's affair with Raquel Leviss ... saying he believes Tom's been cheating on Ariana Madix for years -- and Tom's famous business partner knew all about it.

The former "Vanderpump Rules" star spilled the tea with his wife Brittany Cartwright on Wednesday's "Watch What Happens Live" -- telling Andy Cohen he wasn't shocked at all when the Scandoval drama came to light. He also claims he was practically a witness for the infamous Miami incident years ago.

Fans of the show remember the long-standing rumor that Tom cheated on Ariana with a girl in Florida at the very beginning of their relationship ... and Jax says he was in the next room when it went down.

He's certain this has been a frequent thing with Tom, but still won't go into specifics on what he knows.

Jax also talks to Tom's business partner Tom Schwartz on the daily, and claims the guy knew about all of this, too -- swearing on his own child and even quoting what Schwartz told him.

Brittany and Jax go on to connect some dots from the past that seemed harmless at the moment ... stuff like going to the same parties together. Jax even recalls a time when Ariana told Tom her grandma wasn't doing well while he was at a party with Raquel, but he chose to stay instead of leave and comfort his GF.

For what it's worth, this is all coming from Jax -- someone who's known as the OG cheater on the Bravo series, and he seems to recognize that irony, too.

There was clearly no love lost for Ja Morant in Memphis during his recent suspension ... 'cause the second he returned to action for the Grizzlies, he was greeted with a massive standing ovation.

Ja -- after sitting out nearly the entire month of March for posting a video that showed him brandishing a gun at a Colorado gentleman's club -- made his long-awaited return to the NBA hardwood on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets ... and the crowd went crazy after seeing him.

He came off the bench with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter ... and the nearly 18,000 fans at FedExForum in Memphis got on their feet to show they still supported him.

And, it didn't take long for the star point guard to give them more to cheer about -- minutes after he checked into the game, he dunked all over Houston's Kenyon Martin Jr.

Some of Ja's family was in attendance for the big night -- including his father, Tee, who wore a sweatshirt with an image of Morant and the word "Redemption."

Morant ultimately played 23 minutes in the game, scoring 17 points ... helping lead Memphis to a 130-125 victory.

Rick Ross can now add top-shelf cannabis distributor to his résumé, thanks to his new partnership with brand High Tolerance, TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

The MMG rap star's strain will be called "Collins Avenue" -- after his old Miami-Dade stomping grounds -- and he's put a boss-like stamp on the product.

"High Tolerance is the best flower for all the ones who like to blow that good gas," Rozay tells TMZ Hip Hop. "This is the best flower in the world ... this is why I decided to team up with High Tolerance. They have the best flower on the streets. Shout out to Manny, the biggest."

HT's co-founder Manny also showed excitement for having Rozay on board ... telling us the rapper is "a true cannabis connoisseur."

Rozay's strain drops June 1st and he now joins the storied rapper ranks of Jadakiss, Jim Jones, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Dave East, Juelz Santana, 'BMF' star Lil Meech, Ghostface Killah, Beanie Sigel, Millyz and the late Draco the Ruler as HT ambassadors!!!

The news comes on the hooves of Rozay making headlines after his livestock escaped from his 235-acre estate ... but he's going the distance to prove his animals are harmless!

Rozay reported live from his Promise Land estate Tuesday and introduced his followers to his pet bison "Timbuktu" while feeding it a couple of apples.

At least one person believes in Cam Newton after his Pro Day workout this week ... Auburn wideout Shedrick Jackson, who caught passes from the QB during the sweat sesh, tells TMZ Sports he thinks the dude can definitely still get after it in the NFL.

Newton made a surprise appearance at the Tigers' showcase on Tuesday ... in an effort to restart his pro football career after not playing in the 2022 season.

The 33-year-old threw around 30 passes in front of NFL scouts, rolling out for some while standing in the pocket for others, and afterward, some on the scene seemed to see it as a bit of a mixed bag.

But, when we talked to Jackson on Wednesday -- he appeared to be convinced Newton could help out an NFL team this season.

"He's done it before at a high level in college and in the pros," the Auburn wideout said, "so, I think he still has it."

Jackson -- the nephew of NFL legend Bo Jackson -- said he was particularly impressed by the touch on Newton's footballs.

Before this New York City baby was starring on a hit television series, she was just teething on her baby socks, growing up in a household of actors and taking the subway to the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan.

At just 7 years old, this cute kid started her acting career, and you may have seen her as Molly in the 1999 rendition of "Annie." There's no question that her biggest role to date was when she was part of a "Modern Family."

Need one more clue? Her costar Jesse Tyler Ferguson officiated her wedding in 2022!

Wayne Swinny, founding member and guitarist of the band Saliva, is dead after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

A rep for the band tells us, "It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Wayne Swinny, the guitarist of Saliva. Wayne passed away this afternoon from a spontaneous brain hemorrhage while on tour."

The tragic news comes only hours after the band revealed Wayne was in the ICU after having the medical emergency.

Bobby Amaru, Saliva's lead singer, says, "I’m not even sure what to think or how to feel right now. My heart aches for Wayne’s family, his friends, and anyone who had the joy of being around him. My heart aches for his daughter Nikki. He loved that little girl so much ... He would go out of his way to make sure you had a good time. I’m grateful that I got to share almost 12 years of my life with Wayne on the stage and most importantly off the stage."

Amaru continues, "He was the older brother I never had. I learned so much from him and we had a f***ing blast together! I will cherish it all for the rest of my life! God Bless you Wayne. I know we’ll meet again!!"

As we reported ... Wayne had been battling for his life in the ICU. He was rushed to a hospital Tuesday and diagnosed with a spontaneous hemorrhage in his brain.

Wayne was one of Saliva's founding members, helping to start the band way back in 1996.

The wife of Saliva's former lead singer, Josey Scott, also posted about Wayne's death, saying the band is in "complete shock and heartbreak."

She says Josey referred to Wayne as his "musical soulmate" and she's remembering him for having a great sense of humor.

Wayne was 59.

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix knows how to keep herself satisfied following a messy split from her boyfriend ... because she signed a deal with a sex toy company.

Ariana made the announcement Thursday with a social media post, telling fans they can get a free vibrator by signing up for her giveaway.

The reality TV star is partnering with Bellesa Boutique ... and she says she's changing up her vibe following her breakup with Tom Sandoval.

As you know ... Ariana and Tom were together for a decade, until she recently found out he had been cheating on her with fellow cast member Raquel Leviss.

We haven't seen Ariana move on with any new romantic partners ... and with her new deal, she doesn't need to rush out to find a man for sex.

The men allegedly involved in the brutal beatdown of Tekashi 6ix9ine appeared to have had a plan in place to get to the rapper ... as evidenced in new surveillance footage from the gym.

Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing one man already inside the South FL LA Fitness location chatting on his cell phone. The man approaches the front door of the gym to let another man in, and after a brief convo with the front desk employee, they beeline it to the gym's restroom and sauna area joined by a third man.

It certainly looks like the two men were in on some sort of plan ... but it's still unclear if they knew Tekashi was going to be at the gym all along, or if one man possibly saw 6ix9ine and called his buddy to help.

TMZ broke the story, Tekashi was rushed to a hospital Tuesday night after the attack, suffering from injuries to his face, back, ribs and jaw. Sources close to Tekashi tell us he's still receiving treatment in the hospital.

Video from inside the gym's sauna area shows a group of men punching, kicking and cussing out the rapper for being a snitch.

Raquel Leviss must not find the airport to be too conducive for conversation -- 'cause while she was mum there about the drama ... she sang like a canary at a nail shop.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star was greeted by a photog Wednesday outside of Blush Nail Bar in Valley Village, CA -- just outside of North Hollywood. She was sitting there all by her lonesome ... and was certainly ready to answer questions, unlike earlier in the morning.

Remember, she was caught on camera at LAX not too long before this ... and was radio silent on the cheating controversy, only giving courtesy nods and waves to paps.

Here, though, she's fully opening up about ... well, everything. It's interesting to hear her perspective -- the first time we're really getting her side of the story, and how things stand.

Check out the convo ... RL addresses everything from taking accountability for her actions -- which she says she's prepared to do at the reunion taping tomorrow -- to an attempted reconciliation between herself and Ariana Madix, which doesn't sound like it went well.

Of course, she's teasing the big reveal ... which will undoubtedly be aired on Bravo in the near future. But even with the obvious promo involved, she's quite transparent here.

Raquel touches on where things are with her and Tom Sandoval -- and one line of hers is revealing ... she says they're not labeling things and not sure if they'll stay together. At the moment she says they're on a "break" ... and they'll see where they go from here.

Another topic that's addressed ... the alleged attack from Scheana Shay, which Raq seems to be implying did in fact happen -- if the scar on her eyebrow is to be believed.

There's more Raquel dives into ... Tom Schwartz and his rumored knowledge about all this included. Give it a watch -- it's fascinating how much she actually spills on camera.

The Securities and Exchange Commission is cracking down on Crypto companies ... and some big-name celebs -- including Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan and Soulja Boy -- who praised the currency companies while getting paid without disclosing it ... and they've agreed to cough up some dough to make it all go away.

Jake and Lindsay are among the celebs named in the SEC's filings Wednesday ... they're charged with illegally touting Tronix and BitTorrent. Others charged include Lil Yachty, Ne-Yo, Austin Mahone, Kendra Lust and Akon.

The SEC says these celebs failed to disclose they were getting paid for promoting these companies.

Almost all of the celebs agreed to pay a total of $400K to settle the charges.

Raquel Leviss has touched back down in Los Angeles ahead of the big "Vanderpump Rules" reunion ... likely bracing herself to take the scorching heat that is all but certain.

Raquel was at LAX Wednesday, the day before the cameras are set to roll -- she's been in Arizona recently, which is known for its heat, but it's nothing compared to what's in store for her tomorrow.

She doesn't have a lot to say ... no word on whether she's talked with any of her 'VR' peeps. We're guessing producers have told her and the other cast members not to blab ... they're saving it for the reunion.

Raquel shot only 1 scene since the Scandavol broke, and there was a real question on whether she'd even show up for the reunion show, but she just revealed she will be there -- front and center.

Production sources tell TMZ ... Scheana Shay will also be there ... and it's super complicated since Raquel has a restraining order against her, so where they're gonna sit seems a little problematic. We talked to Scheana who wouldn't spill on how it'll be handled.