Drake Lawsuit Calls Out Alleged Victim ... Not Too Depressed for 'Love Island'!!!

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Drake's legal team is calling BS on injuries a man claims he suffered in a beatdown, because as they put it ... the guy wasn't too depressed or injured to appear on a reality TV show.

As you might recall, Bennett Sipes claimed he suffered a concussion, back injury, physical injury and depression after a March 2018 fight at Delilah nightclub with Drake, Odell Beckham and others. Sipes filed a lawsuit over the fight, but Drake's attorneys filed docs pointing out Sipes not only appeared on "Love Island" recently ... they also claim he attended music festivals and did backflips off rope swings while on vacay in Mexico.

As they say in the docs, obtained by TMZ, Sipes "appeared anything but depressed."

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THE BRUTAL BEATDOWN

The legal docs include a declaration from Sipes' ex-GF, Sommer Ray Beaty, saying he started working with her after the brawl. She claims he carried her camera equipment without difficulty. She also claims Sipes seemed fine after his visible injuries healed -- and they traveled together to Mexico, Maryland, Colorado, England, France, Italy and Japan. She claims they also attended Coachella, Stagecoach and Rolling Loud Festival.

Drake's team also says Sipes deleted a bunch of text messages with Beaty ... which they say is a big no-no while the lawsuit was pending. They suspect the messages could have shed some light on Sipes' alleged injuries or the incident itself.

TMZ broke the story ... Sipes sued Drake, OBJ and Kourtney Kardashian's ex, Younes Bendjima, back in January 2019 claiming Younes attacked him along with members of Drake and OBJ's entourage. Sipes' ex said in her declaration both Drake and OBJ were standing at the back of the group and "appeared to simply be observing what was happening and following the group out of curiosity. Neither of them seemed to be instructing others or encouraging others to do anything at all."

Sipes had alleged Drake made a "throat slash" gesture and that's what triggered his crew to beat Sipes to a pulp. But, Sipes' ex contradicts that ... claiming she did not see any "throat slash" gesture "nor did I observe Drake encourage anything at all."

Drake's team is asking a judge to throw out Sipes' lawsuit.

Chadwick Boseman Died without a Will But Made Sure Wife Was Protected

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Although Chadwick Boseman knew for years he had terminal cancer, we now know he died without writing a will, but he made a key move months before his death to financially protect his wife.

The "Black Panther" star's widow, Taylor Simone Ledward, has filed probate docs, obtained by TMZ, in which she asks to be named administrator of Chadwick's estate. Taylor has to file the docs in probate court because he did not leave a will.

That seems odd considering Chadwick was diagnosed with colon cancer 4 years ago, and knew it was terminal. However, that also puts his marriage to Taylor, who he reportedly dated since 2015, in a new light ... and here's why.

They got engaged in late 2019, and reportedly tied the knot at some point in 2020. That's important because when a person dies without a will and without children, their surviving spouse inherits all the assets of the probate estate.

According to the docs, Taylor gets nearly $1 million in personal property and assets, but that's not a true reflection of Chadwick's wealth and success. Most likely the majority of his assets are held in separate private trusts.

In the docs, Taylor notes Chadwick is also survived by his 2 parents.

As you know, he was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016 and it progressed to stage IV as he silently battled through it. Chadwick died in his home surrounded by his wife and family.

Tyler Perry Let's Rock the Vote in Florida ... $500k Campaign to Mobilize Black Voters

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Tyler Perry's part of a massive campaign targeting 25 counties and 250k Black residents in Florida ... in a push to get them to the polls.

The entertainment mogul's teamed up with a Black-led nonpartisan group called Equal Ground Education Fund on its half a million-dollar "Park & Praise" initiative. The campaign includes a series of events where voters can drop off mail-in ballots while hearing from church leaders, musical acts and gospel choirs.

Perry's helping fund the effort -- dubbed as bringing "Souls to the Polls" -- to increase Black voter engagement and turnout in the state. Equal Ground adds that its mission is to combat Florida’s long history of voter disenfranchisement and help build Black political power.

Of course for this election, the organization says it must adapt to the pandemic ... so it's retooling the popular voter tradition by taking proper precautions to "meet the moment of social-distancing."

The non-profit's founder, Jasmine Burney-Clark, says ... "Our work to provide robust voter education and ensure that accurate information reaches our communities is the highest priority and is exactly what this partnership with Tyler Perry is going to do."

Kourtney Kardashian 'Vote Kanye' ... Endorsement Pisses Off Fans

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Kim Kardashian hasn't endorsed a candidate for the Presidential election -- despite the fact her husband, Kanye West, is running -- but now her sis, Kourtney Kardashian, is endorsing him and catching major heat for it.

Kourtney posted a photo sporting a "Vote for Kanye" hat Thursday ... seemingly encouraging her more than 100 million social media followers to get behind a candidate who will only appear on the ballot in 12 states. She also included a link to his merch website where fans can purchase that hat for $40.

The move pissed a lot of people off who felt Kourtney's using her platform to distract from the 2 candidates who actually have a shot ... Joe Biden and President Trump. Not to mention the shameless promo for his gear.

One user wrote, "How sad 2 c that U support Kanye. A vote 4 him is a vote 4 Trump. I thought U may b the only Kar-Jenner that had some intelligence. I was wrong! U must b enjoying the enormous tax breaks & stimulus checks. U r a multimillionaire w/out a conscience! How sad 4 your children,& your soul!"

Kourtney is the first person from the Kardashian/Jenner fam to publicly support Kanye's run for Prez. Earlier Thursday, Kim posted a photo on IG thanking her fans for getting her to the 190M follower mark and encouraging them to vote ... she did not endorse a specific candidate.

Kanye recently released his first campaign ad, a video with a strong emphasis on religion.

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HITTIN' THE AIRWAVES

As we reported ... during his rally in South Carolina, he wept on stage while telling the story of considering abortion when Kim was pregnant with their daughter, North. The moment triggered serious problems in Kim and Kanye's marriage, which as of late, seems to be on the mend.

Cardi B My Relationship Isn't Abusive ... It's Really About THIS!!!

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Cardi B getting back with Offset has some of her fans accusing her of staying in a mentally abusive relationship, but Cardi's firing back ... as only she can.

The rapper posted a video late Thursday to remind fans, and haters alike, she's gonna live life on her terms no matter what anyone thinks about her reconciling with her husband.

Cardi mocked the comments she's seen online, saying ... "Twitter users be like, 'Cardi, you're in a mentally abusive relationship. Oh my gosh. We gotta save you."

Then she made it clear they've got it all wrong ...  "I be, All right, but can I f**k him today? Because I need to have sex."

Cardi also made a totally sarcastic apology to her fans saying, "Imma just give ya an apology because ya want me to apologize for living MY LIFE the way that ya live YOURS. Im sorry. Im not perfect I don’t want to be neither."

You get the point ... she's sick of getting flak for getting back with Offset. She's already denied doing it for attention, and said the real reason she's been flip-flopping is because she's a "crazy bitch."

BTW, she also gave a hilarious shout-out to all the guys sliding into her DMs.

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OFF AND ON
@bobbylytes, @theestallion, @achontishanise / Instagram

Donald Trump I Can't Denounce QAnon ... I Know Nothing About It!!!

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Donald Trump says he's always denounced white supremacy despite his stumbling block on the debate stage, but he won't denounce the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Trump refused to condemn the bizarre QAnon theory during Thursday's town hall on NBC with Savannah Guthrie ... and his reasoning -- he doesn't know anything about it.

Quick refresher ... QAnon claims, among other things, the world is being run by a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who are moving against Trump at the same time they operate a global child sex-trafficking ring.

Trump says he can't denounce it, or tell the American people it's all bogus, because he's not up to speed on the theory ... other than knowing QAnon is against pedophilia just like he is.

POTUS brushed off several points Guthrie made ... like the fact GOP Sen. Ben Sasse has already ripped the theory as "nuts" and said real leaders call out conspiracy theories.

Guthrie also pressed Trump on his hesitation to denounce white supremacy at the debate, and he claimed he's always denounced white supremacists ... despite the fact he told the Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by."

Trump got super defensive, then attacked Guthrie and the media.

There are a few things Trump says he's well versed on and happy to denounce ... "Antifa and the radical left."

Allison Janney Wanted on 'SNL' ... Please Play Woman Who Gushed Over Trump!!!

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The woman who praised President Trump for his smile and called him handsome is ripe for parody on "Saturday Night Live," and Twitter's already decided who should play her -- Academy Award winner Allison Janney.

In case you missed it ... the Prez was fielding questions during his Town Hall Thursday night from voters who apparently are still undecided, when a woman named Paulette Dale stole the show by fangirling out.

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WINNING SMILE

Paulette -- a registered Republican who indicated she's leaning toward voting for Joe Biden -- decided to shoot her shot with Trump before asking her question ... by telling him he has a "great smile."

This prompted an awkward smile and a "thank you" from Trump before Paulette really went for it, telling him ... "You're so handsome when you smile."

Like we said ... perfect 'SNL' material.

The awkward exchange unsurprisingly spread all over social media, and many Twitter users quickly came to the conclusion that Janney would be the best choice to play her in the inevitable sketch this weekend.

It's unclear if the "Mom" star's willing to do it, but you'll recall ... Brad Pitt ended up playing Anthony Fauci after the good doc personally advocated for that casting.

So, keep an eye out for Allison as Paulette on Saturday night.

Mike Tyson Shows Off Insanely Shredded Bod ... In New Training Vid

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Uhhhhh -- heads up, Roy Jones Jr. ...

Mike Tyson is getting ABSOLUTELY JACKED for his November comeback fight with RJJ ... he revealed his new bod in another training video -- and the boxing legend looks ridiculous!!

The clip ain't long ... but in the few seconds where you see Tyson shirtless -- you can tell the guy has done nothing but prepare for his Nov. 28 bout with Jones Jr.

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He's got abs. He's got biceps. He's got pecs. And, he looks as ferocious as ever!

The vid caught the attention of a bunch of famous people ... The Rock liked the clip and UFC superstar Tyron Woodley even reposted it to his social media page.

It all begs the question ... is Jones Jr. absolutely sure he wants to go through with this fight???

In addition to getting his body back in fighting shape, 54-year-old Tyson has also repeatedly posted videos showing he's still got knockout power too!

Only about 1 more month 'til Tyson's return to the ring ... can't wait!

Thomas Jefferson Byrd Man Arrested for Murder Of Spike Lee Films Actor

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UPDATE

11:43 AM PT -- Police just released footage, taken from a drone of Rhynes' arrest ... you can see him come out of his room with his hands up.

UPDATE

An Atlanta man has been arrested and charged with murder of Thomas Jefferson Byrd ... the popular actor known for several roles in Spike Lee joints.

The Atlanta PD says they followed evidence and tips that led them to identify the suspect, Antonio Demetrice Rhynes. An arrest warrant was issued for Rhynes Wednesday and he was arrested Friday morning.

He's facing a felony murder charge for the shooting, which occurred near Byrd's Atlanta home. It's still unclear what led to the killing.

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As we reported ... 70-year-old Byrd died on October 3 from multiple gunshot wounds to the back, and Spike broke the news himself on social media after learning of his murder.

Byrd had notable roles in several of Spike's films, such as "Clockers," "Get on the Bus," "Bamboozled," "He Got Game," "Red Hook Summer," "Chi-Raq" and more.

Originally published -- 7:34 AM PT

TLC's T-Boz The Biz Turned On Us After Left Eye Died ... But it's All Good!!!

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Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins says there's no doubt the industry abandoned TLC after the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, but she wants to make it clear she's got no beef with anyone ... except maybe one guy.

T-Boz -- one half of the popular girl group which still includes Rozanda "Chilli" Thomas -- tells TMZ ... the recent comments she made on a podcast aren't as incendiary as they seem, she was just stating facts fans might not know about the biz.

Her remarks, on "Hollywood Unlocked," especially took aim at famed record exec L.A. Reid for allegedly bailing on the group. T-Boz isn't backing down from that, but says it wasn't because Reid didn't believe in the group.

Check out her explanation, and what's perfectly clear is she hasn't gotten over whatever went down between Reid and her.

As for the rappers T-Boz called out -- Drake, T.I. and Nelly, among others -- for backing out of the 2014 Super Bowl Blitz with TLC ... she says that was actually a blessing.

If you don't remember, that SB performance was a major TLC comeback, and T-Boz says she doesn't blame the artists for not wanting to rock with them at that time.

And, this should rock TLC fans -- T-Boz told us she just found out 2 days ago that "No Scrubs" is now ... 5-times platinum!!!

Lil Tay Custody Battle Looms ... Career Hangs in Balance

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Lil Tay could be returning to the limelight soon, but her future career hinges on a custody battle between her parents that's about to come to a head.

Sources close to Lil Tay tell TMZ ... the foul-mouthed kid rapper is home in Vancouver where her parents, Angela Tian and Christopher Hope, are locked in a court battle for custody of Lil Tay and full control over her life and career.

We're told Lil Tay's parents have been duking it out in court since late 2018, and they're expecting the judge to make some big custody rulings in the coming weeks. We're told they currently share custody.

Lil Tay's future will be heavily impacted by the judge's decision ... our sources say her parents both want her in entertainment, but they have very different plans for her to stay relevant.

We're told Lil Tay's mom wants to let her do whatever she wants to do -- even if that means dropping lots of trash-talking videos on social media.

Perhaps not surprising ... remember, Mom used her boss' Mercedes as a prop in one of Lil Tay's infamous trash-talking videos, and quit her job when her boss caught on and got pissed.

On the other hand, we're told Lil Tay's father prefers the more traditional career path of acting and singing.

In the past, Lil Tay's father has expressed concern about her social media antics and felt others were taking advantage of her just to profit for themselves.

As you know ... Lil Tay has been absent from social media since way back in June 2018, after her father got a court order requiring her to return to Vancouver and stop posting on her Instagram account, which has 1.8 million followers.

Sounds like she could be coming back soon ... so stay tuned.

We reached out to Lil Tay's dad, who said he did not want to comment on the pending legal matters but says he loves and wants what's best for his daughter. Tay's mom had no comment.

Kodak Black Transferred From 'Torture' Prison ... After Filing Lawsuit

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Kodak Black is digging his new digs ... he's been moved out of the Kentucky prison where he claimed he was being tortured.

The rapper's attorney, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... Kodak was recently transferred to USP Thomson, a high-security prison in Illinois, where KB says the guards are treating him better than in Kentucky.

Kodak's change of scenery comes after we first reported on his lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons for alleged torture ... he claimed his life was a living hell at Big Sandy maximum security prison.

The BOP tells us Kodak was transferred from Big Sandy to FTC Oklahoma City on Oct. 5 --- just 2 weeks after Kodak filed his lawsuit -- and a few days later, Kodak was transferred to Thomson.

BTW ... the BOP tells us FTC Oklahoma City acts as a transfer center, which is why the feds moved Kodak again shortly after his arrival.

Kodak's attorney says he spoke with KB on the phone Wednesday, and KB told him he was glad to be out of Big Sandy. One reason -- Cohen says Kodak told him the guards at Thomson are more professional.

We contacted prison officials to find out the reason for the transfer, but they would not comment.

While Kodak's attorney says the rapper is in a better situation than before, it's still not ideal ... he's now 1,500 miles away from his family in Florida, which will make it harder for them to visit, should they ever get the chance.

We're told Kodak's still not happy about his visitation and commissary situation, claiming he's only been able to speak to his legal team after last year's fight with guards in a Miami prison.

Kodak's attorney tells us he hopes to get the rapper's privileges fully reinstated within the next several months.

Stay tuned.

Justin Gaethje Khabib Fight is Life-Changing for Me ... 'I Won't Go Out Like a Bitch'

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I'LL PROVE THE HATERS WRONG

Justin Gaethje says he knows his upcoming fight with UFC champ  Khabib Nurmagomedov can change his life forever -- and to steal a line from Hamilton, he's not throwing away his shot.

"The stakes are huge," Gaethje tells TMZ Sports ... "This is life-changing for me. I go out there and get a dub?! This is life-changing."

And, for all of the critics who think he'll get smoked by the undefeated Dagestani, Justin offered up this message ...

"I am prepared and you can bet your bottom dollar I will not go out like no bitch!"

Justin and Khabib -- two friends who share the same manager, Ali Abdelaziz -- are scheduled to throw down for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 254 on Oct. 24 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

Wanna hear Justin's fight plan?

"I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna try and break his face, I promise you."

That simple.

We asked Justin what he believes will be the biggest challenge in the fight -- and his response was interesting.

"Right now, this man is gonna be very hard to beat. With the passing of his father -- for people like us that is a driving motivating factor. He's going to be 100% motivated but I do believe ... that I can beat him."

Justin says he knows he has to punish Khabib early and often -- explaining, "If he takes 8 clean shots I truly believe that he will understand that he doesn't want to take this damage."

Justin says the UFC is flying his parents out for the fight -- and when he wins the belt, they'll be the first people he seeks out to celebrate with.

"When I win, I'm gonna go find them and give them a huge hug because we f*cking did it!"

We also asked Gaethje about Conor McGregor -- and if he still wants to fight the Irishman after all of the back and forth over the years.

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NOT WORRYING ABOUT CONOR

"When I get this belt, the target will be on my back and I will have no need to call anybody out," Gaethje says.

"Honestly it wouldn't matter who I fought after Khabib. This will cement my legacy and that's the only thing I'm here for."

Frances In 'Don't Look Under The Bed' 'Memba Her?!

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Oregon actor Erin Chambers was 20 years old when she landed the role of the super-smart Frances Bacon McCausland -- who is tasked with defeating the Boogeyman with her real (and imaginary) friends -- in the 1999 Disney Original Movie "Don't Look Under The Bed."

Erin Chambers shared the small-screen for the children's scary movie with Jake Sakson as the younger brother, Darwin, Nathan Stevens as the older brother, Bert, Steve Valentine as the trouble-maker from under the bed, Boogeyman ... and of course Ty Hodges as Frances' best imaginary friend, Larry Houdini.

Guess what she looks like now at 41 years old!

Chrissy Teigen & John Legend Slowly Getting Back to Normal Life ... Time for Some Errands

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John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are returning to the daily grind, slowly but surely ... venturing out together and running some errands, two weeks after their family tragedy.

The couple went on a grocery run Thursday at a Bristol Farms in L.A., the latest indication they are getting back to some semblance of a normal life.

As you know, Chrissy and John's son, Jack, passed away moments after his premature birth, due to complications with the pregnancy ... including severe bleeding from the placenta.

John poured his heart out Wednesday night during the Billboard Music Awards with a moving performance of his song "Never Break" ... which he dedicated to Chrissy.

Great to see the couple's feeling well enough to head out for groceries. They were both wearing face masks, as required in stores.

As we hope they've seen on social media ... ALL of Chrissy and John's fans are pulling for their family to heal. This outing is a good sign.

2020 Election I'm Ready to Vote No Matter What ... 'Ain't S*** Gon' Stop Me!!!'

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If you're gonna vote -- and you should -- take a lesson from this American ... who's loaded up and ready for long lines, heat and anything else standing between her and the polls.

The voter showed off her version of an early voting survival kit in a video that caught the attention of Sen. Kamala Harris' niece. As the woman, who goes by @queenbv59 on TikTok, put it ... she's got her "grown folk's hair on," her "savage" clothes and it's time to vote.

Her hilarious, and patriotic, preparedness is going viral ... and it's easy to see why. She can wait 15 hours because she's got a chair. She could even stretch it to 24 hours because she's got snacks.

As she eloquently puts it -- "ain't s*** gonna stop me!!!"

Meena Harris, the VP hopeful's niece, shared the video on her Twitter account ... and it's already racked up 2.5 million views and counting.

Lots of folks are asking why the woman keeps saying "jush," and we've got your answer -- it's just another way of saying living your best life.

Now, ya know, and as QueenBV says ... go get your jush and your vote on!!!