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Dylan Scott was fatally shot in his car by a Florida police officer who tried for several minutes to get him to cooperate, but Scott's mother thinks the cop could have done more to save her son.

Pennie Kendrick tells TMZ ... even though Dylan refused to comply with the officer's orders, she believes other tactics -- such as tasing him -- should have been used instead of a gun.

Kendrick says they didn't have to kill him, and she's especially upset because she claims the cops knew her son was suicidal so they should have handled the situation differently.

As we reported ... Scott's mother called the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in July when he was wanted for burglary, saying her son left a note that he wanted to die by suicide by cop. She says at the time she urged cops not to shoot him given the circumstances ... and they were able to peacefully arrest him back then for outstanding warrants.

Kendrick claims his time behind bars left him traumatized -- she says he was beaten by other inmates and didn't complete his addiction treatment.

She tells us all this led to more problems, and ultimately he became broke and was living in his car. Scott's mother believes the reason he didn't comply with the officer is that he was scared to death ... but she thinks he would have peacefully surrendered.

Now that the vaccine is about to roll out, the question is -- how many takers will there be? Also, the fact Congress didn't help millions of Americans didn't stop some members from having a lavish, Xmas White House shindig. So, we gotta ask ...

If Tommy "Tiny" Lister died from COVID-19 -- as people close to him suspect -- it would have been his second bout with it, because TMZ's learned he fought it off months before his death.

The "Friday" star's rep, Cindy Cowan, tells TMZ ... "Tiny" tested positive around 4 months ago. He had many of the common symptoms ... he felt lethargic and struggled breathing, but his diabetes also made him high risk. She says he wasn't hospitalized but quarantined at home.

Fast forward to December 3 ... Cindy tells us Tommy was supposed to visit her home, but instead, he called and informed her he was feeling those painfully familiar COVID symptoms again.

She says he felt it was probably best for him NOT to enter her home out of fear of spreading whatever he had. Tommy's cause of death has not yet been determined ... but we've learned he feared he had contracted the coronavirus again.

TMZ broke the story ... Tommy sadly died the following week after the L.A. County Sheriff's Department conducted a welfare check and found him dead. Friends had been concerned when they hadn't heard from him since Wednesday night.

Tommy had been feeling so ill ... he was forced to cancel his first day of filming Sunday for a new movie with Sam Worthington. He also canceled a Zoom panel Tuesday.

He'd recently told Cowan he wanted to be one of the first in line to get the vaccine when it rolls out later this month. He just wanted things to go back to normal as much as possible ... and spend time with his daughter, Faith.

At this moment, it's unclear what funeral arrangements will be made, but look for some sort of celebration of life in early January, if possible.

Don't let these two almost identical images of Doja Cat have you starting to feel blue ... Cheer yourself up by proving that you have what it takes to spot the sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!

The singer was recently seen at an award show celebrating her win ... And we have made a few changes to the pic! Put your detective skills to the test and get a good look around these two photos! Try your best to find the differences between these two super similar snaps!

"[Conor McGregor] is one of the greatest fighters on Earth right now. He shouldn't be fighting kids that have f**king YouTube videos."

That's Dana White stomping all over Jake Paul's dream of fighting Conor McGregor -- telling TMZ Sports there's a "zero percent" chance that fight ever happens.

Remember, Jake Paul called out Conor McGregor after knocking  Nate Robinson out cold in the 2nd round of their Nov. 28 boxing match.

Jake later told TMZ Sports his team reached out to Conor's manager to begin talks about a possible fight -- and added, "I'm going in there to f**k Conor McGregor up."

And, with Jake's big bro, Logan Paul, scoring a boxing exhibition with Floyd Mayweather, seems anything's possible these days.

While Dana says he applauds both Paul bros for "injecting themselves into the fight world" ... he makes it pretty clear when it comes to fighting skill, they're not even on the same planet as Conor and Floyd.

"There's a market for these kinda fights. It's just not what I do," White says.

"There will be a day when Conor McGregor could do these types of fights and make a bunch of money," White adds ... but it ain't happening any time soon.

Johnny Manziel may not be done with pro football after all -- he's in "serious talks" to join a new league, TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told the 28-year-old is close to inking a deal with the new "Fan Controlled Football" league, which is set to debut in Feb. 2021.

FYI, the FCF is an arena football-style league consisting of 4 teams where almost everything -- including the play calls -- is picked by the fans.

So far, HUGE names like Quavo, Mike Tyson and Marshawn Lynch have all signed on to be team owners and the league has a deal for the games to stream live on Twitch.

Our sources tells us Manziel is currently in talks with comedian Bob Menery -- who co-owns the Zappers team with Mets pitcher Trevor May.

Obviously, it'd be a huge get for the league ... Manziel was one of the most electric college football players EVER -- and was a former Browns first-round pick in 2014. He also brought viewers to the TV in record numbers during his stint in the Canadian Football League.

But, Manziel hasn't played ball since 2019 -- and just a few months ago, he told TMZ Sports he was officially retired from football and moving on with his life.

Manziel apparently had a change of heart -- hey, he's allowed -- and this week, even posted about the opportunity on social media.

"Currently the starting QB of [Bob Menery's Zappers]. Time to tear old town down in my owners honor."

Getcha popcorn ready!

Winter weather has brought a chill over Hollywood and these cool babes are ready for the change in temps by breaking out their hot sweaters!

From knits to button-downs, there's a couple of ways these sexy stars are preppin' to keep warm ... And they're covering up just enough to still keep things hot!

Cozy up to these cuties by scrolling through our gallery of babes in big sweaters ... And while you are taking a look at all of these photos, see if you have what it takes to guess which lovely lady is all snug in the snap!

The youth football coach who smacked a 9-year-old player TWICE will be hit with child abuse charges, prosecutors announced.

"The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office along with our local state attorney’s office have reviewed this case and the decision has been made that charges for child abuse will be filed, regardless of parent’s decision not to press charges," Maj. Jacob Ruiz said.

"The actions of this person are despicable and there is zero-tolerance when it comes to the abuse of a child."

As we first reported, law enforcement already launched a child abuse investigation into Gerrell Williams over the Dec. 7 incident that took place at a youth football event in Kissimmee, Florida.

During the course of the investigation, officers spoke with the victim's mother who said she did NOT want to move forward with criminal charges against Williams.

It can be tough for prosecutors to get a conviction without a cooperating victim -- but in this case, officials feel the video and witnesses will be enough to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Williams was fired from his job as a counselor at the Chatham County Sheriff's Office detention center as a result of his actions in the video.

He later issued a video apology -- in which he admits to smacking the child and says, "I’m gonna apologize for my actions."

Ex-'Smallville' Star Allison Mack -- who made international headlines for her role in a sex cult -- has filed for divorce ... TMZ has learned.

Mack, who starred as Chloe Sullivan on "Smallville," filed docs in Orange County Friday to divorce her wife Nicki Clyne. The now-estranged couple got married back in 2017, and they don't have any kids together.

Mack, of course, pled guilty to 2 counts of racketeering conspiracy and racketeering back in April 2019 after prosecutors said she was the pimp for the NXIVM sex cult. She could face up to 40 years behind bars.

Huge. Scary. Terrifying. Take your pick ... they all apply for the wave you're about to see -- and yet, surfer Peter Mel totally owned this insane wall of water!!!

Surfers flocked this week to Mavericks -- the big wave mecca in Northern California -- for what many of them called the best conditions in years, and this footage backs that up.

No jet ski tow-in for Peter, who fearlessly (we think) paddled in and bombed down a wave witnesses estimated to be at around 50 feet high. You gotta watch how it unfolded -- to an amateur's eye it didn't look good for him halfway through, and "not good" at Mavericks can mean broken bones or worse.

Dude's got a brass pair though, because he positioned himself perfectly for the "ride of the day" ... according to other surfers who watched in amazement.

Peter, an OG at Mavericks, tells TMZ Sports it was the "best feeling" wave he's ever caught in his 29 years surfing there. He says he knew it was something special when he heard cheers from family, friends and fellow surfers.

Let's be honest ... just surviving a wave like that makes it plenty special.

Veteran photog Bo Bridges had a front-row seat for Peter's epic ride, capturing it from start to finish, and check out his office for the day. Watching from a dingy like that looks only slightly safer than surfing the waves.

Blue Ivy Carter is in the running for her first Grammy -- but the timing of her nomination is a little mysterious.

Blue's voice is featured in the beginning and end of Beyonce's single, "Brown Skinned Girl," which received a Grammy nom for best music video. However, when the nominations were announced November 24, Blue's name wasn't mentioned.

Seems like someone made a call, because Blue's name has now been added as a nominee thanks to a recent update on the Grammy's website. Nigerian singer Wizkid was also added for the track.

The mystery is ... who made the decision or the phone call to add her to the online list??? Hmmm.

Anyway, it's not the first possible slip-up for the award show in the last few weeks. You'll remember, fans and artists alike were outraged when The Weeknd's "After Hours" album and single "Blinding Lights" were left off the nomination list.

Lil Wayne just pled guilty in federal court to illegally possessing a loaded weapon while traveling to Miami on a private jet.

The feds say an anonymous tip led them to Wayne's PJ at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on December 23, 2019, and when they boarded to speak to the passengers ... Wayne told them he had a gun in his bag.

Police say they found a gold-plated Remington 1911, .45-caliber handgun loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition. They also claim they found a bag containing personal use amounts of cocaine, ecstasy, and oxycodone.

Lil Wayne pled guilty to the gun charge Friday in Miami, and his sentencing is scheduled for next month. Weezy, who was convicted of a felony gun charge in NY back in 2009, is now facing up to 10 years in prison.

However, he's likely to get leniency. Our sources say Wayne agreed to the guilty plea and in exchange, the government agreed to recommend a lighter sentence because he's accepting responsibility. Ultimately, his sentence will be up to a judge, but it's a good sign for Tunechi.

Sarah Paulson and Beanie Feldstein appeared on set for the first time as Linda Tripp and Monica Lewinsky, and all that's left to say is ... bravo.

Sarah and Beanie unveiled their transformations Thursday in L.A. ... as the stars of "Impeachment: American Crime Story." The resemblances are uncanny -- even with masks -- making season 3 of the franchise that much more must-see viewing.

For the babies who don't know ... Tripp betrayed Monica's confidence by secretly recording her phone calls as Lewinsky unloaded on her long-running affair in 1998 with Bill Clinton ... an affair that began when she delivered a pizza to the Prez when she was a W.H. intern.

Tripp, who died in April, or we should say her recordings, played a pivotal role in the impeachment of Clinton.

Mark Cuban is disgusted by the images of members of Congress showing up to the White House in ballgowns and tuxedos ... when millions are homeless, starving and unemployed.

The "Shark Tank" star was irate when he saw our video of Steve King, Jim Jordan, Doug Lamborn and others yukking it up Thursday night before entering the White House.

It's really outrageous ... Democrats blame Republicans, Republicans blame Democrats for the stalemate, but their job is to reach agreements -- to compromise, but that hasn't happened for months. As a body, Cuban and others think the entire Congress has acted shamefully.

Dionne Warwick's calling on her A-list friends to help celebrate her 80th birthday ... which is doubling as a fundraiser for an important cause.

The legendary singer hopped on "TMZ Live" Friday to dish deets on her Holiday Musical Birthday Celebration ... a virtual party and concert, going down Saturday, her 80th birthday.

Dionne's using the occasion to lift spirits with her angelic voice while also raising money for Hunger Not Impossible ... an org connecting kids and families in need with prepaid, nutritious to-go meals from nearby restaurants.

Some of Dionne's pals joining the festivities include Aloe Blacc and country stars John Rich and the Oak Ridge Boys -- but anyone can join through her website, where fans can buy packages with cool perks. Aside from getting entry to the virtual event, you can get a private Zoom meet-and-greet with Dionne and a special shout out from her.

And, Dionne's still making new friends ... she told us all about the friendship she's formed with Chance the Rapper since she playfully checked him on his stage name.