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The National Transportation Safety Board will formally announce Tuesday the probable cause of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others.

Investigators have been working the case for more than a year ... but the NTSB says it will formally announce its findings at a virtual board meeting that will be live-streamed to the public on Feb. 9.

In the days following the crash, the NTSB said preliminary findings showed no outward evidence of engine failure.

Months later, NTSB officials said the pilot, Ara Zobayan, may have been disoriented when the aircraft was caught in deep fog.

The NTSB said in June it found evidence showing Zobayan thought he was ascending over the fog, when in reality, the helicopter was going downward.

Autopsy results showed Zobayan was NOT on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and NTSB investigators said Zobayan’s girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

Unclear if there's new evidence to refute the earlier theory, but it seems likely to us the NTSB will confirm its earlier findings.

Along with Kobe and Zobayan, seven others -- including Kobe's daughter, Gianna, and friends Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester and Sarah Chester -- perished in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash.

Some guy allegedly lost it over his chicken dinner -- holding up L.A.'s most famous chicken and waffles joint because he was refused service when he refused to wear a mask.

The guy hit up Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles in Pasadena Wednesday evening, and surveillance video captured the moment he pulled out a gun, cocked it ... and demanded they hand over fried chicken and waffles in a bag. Cops say he left without taking any money or physically injuring anyone.

We're told he'd initially walked in without a mask, and got into an argument with staff when they asked him to put on one. Cops say he refused, and did leave when the staff asked him to do so.

But, when he returned armed ... he walked through the back kitchen and demanded the cook put the food in a bag. And, get this ... on his way out the door, the suspect allegedly grabbed extra syrup for his meal.

Cops tell us they have solid leads on the suspect ... whose face is, ironically, totally visible on camera due to his refusal to wear a face mask.

JoJo Siwa's beaming after coming out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and she's giving a lot of credit to her "perfect, most beautiful girlfriend in the whole world."

The YouTube star revealed her recent decision to go public was a very scary thing, and talked about it Wednesday night on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

JoJo says working on a TikTok at the "Pride House" got her thinking about outing herself, and she decided to just go for it ... with some extra encouragement from her girlfriend.

She says she was FaceTiming with her GF when she posted that photo -- the one where she's wearing the "Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever." t-shirt -- and then went right back talking to her like it was no big deal.

Kevin Hart's new muscle car is packing more power under the hood than his last one that wrecked ... and this souped-up ride's got some critical, upgraded safety features.

Kevin's new set of wheels -- a revamped 1970 Dodge Charger dubbed "Hellraiser" -- has an insanely powerful 1,000-horsepower Hemi engine. And, with all that HP it has potentially life-saving, 4-point racing seat belts and a roll cage.

Remember ... Kevin's 1970 Barracuda did not have a 5-point harness and roll cage, which car experts say could have spared him the horrendous injuries he suffered in Sept., 2019, when his friend crashed in the Malibu Hills. KH needed spinal surgery and lengthy rehab.

Sounds like the "Hellraiser" could leave Kevin's old Barracuda in the dust ... his new ride has power for days under the hood ... a 7.0-liter Hellephant 426 Hemi Crate engine with 950 lb-ft of torque routing through an 8-speed automatic transmission!!!

Panic! At The Disco's original bassist is in a heap of trouble out in Sin City -- because the guy's facing multiple felonies for drugs and possession of a gun.

According to a Las Vegas Metro PD report, obtained by TMZ, Brent Wilson was pulled over on Jan. 22 after cops say he crossed 3 lanes of traffic without a turn signal, cutting off oncoming traffic.

During the stop, the officer says he saw a bag with a white substance inside sitting out in the open in Wilson's center console.

Ya know what that means ... time for a search, and cops say they discovered substances consistent with coke and heroin in his pockets and in the car, as well as a scale and a lot of little baggies.

On top of that, the police say they found a loaded handgun too. Plus, they say Wilson was already on probation for a previous offense. They hauled him off to jail, and he's been charged with possession with intent to sell and possession of a gun by a prohibited person.

His attorney, Dustin Marcello, tells us it's too early to make a call on the merits of the case.

If Deshaun Watson is indeed traded, keep an eye on Denver as a landing spot -- 'cause the QB's former teammate, Kareem Jackson, tells TMZ Sports the disgruntled NFL star has "interest" in the Broncos.

Jackson -- who played with Deshaun in Houston in 2017 and 2018 -- says he's spoken with Watson amid all his turmoil with the Texans ... and the Broncos All-Pro corner tells us the QB is definitely listening to the Colorado pitch.

"I had a couple of conversations with him," Jackson said of Watson. "Just with him saying that Denver is a place that's he's interested in landing."

Of course, Houston would have to be willing to trade Watson for the move to ever go down ... and so far, the team is holding firm it won't trade him -- not even for a king's ransom.

But, Watson is reportedly mulling a season-long holdout to try to get his trade wish ... and Jackson tells us landing the quarterback would be HUGE for the Broncos.

"I mean, if Deshaun Watson goes anywhere, they are automatically contenders," Jackson said. "If he has pieces around him, he's an automatic contender."

Don't get it twisted ... Jackson says the Broncos LOVE Drew Lock and the progression he's made -- the defensive back just says Deshaun is that "special."

"He can turn any franchise around."

By the way, as one of the few guys in the NFL who's played against BOTH Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady recently ... we had to get Jackson's take on this weekend's Super Bowl matchup.

Before this mini-man on the microphone was up late cracking jokes to a live audience, he was just another funny fella repping a mullet in Bay Ridge, New York.

This singing star is best known for his quirky comedy, topical impressions, and hilarious musical stylings -- which he showed off effortlessly in an audition that launched his career. This weekend gig was just the beginning ... he caught the bug for the big screen but eventually shifted back to late-night entertainment.

Now, you can catch him letting his hair down in sketches and interviewing some of your favorite celebrities as a television host.

Ice Cube is continuing his mission to help create jobs and new business opportunities for Black Americans, and he's about to chop it up with President Biden.

Cube says the Biden Administration reached out to him Tuesday, and they're hashing out a time and a place for a meeting about his "Contract With Black America" ... which Cube's been pushing since before the election.

The rapper/activist was a guest on the Ryan Cameron Uncensored radio show on Majic ATL Wednesday when he revealed his plans to sit down with the new Prez ... and he's hoping the meeting goes down this month.

Cube says he's hoping they can make it a face-to-face meeting where he can also bring in some of his experts and specialists on the subject.

The fallout continues for Morgan Wallen after hurling the n-word ... he's now ineligible for any awards from the Academy of Country Music.

The org announced Wednesday it informed Wallen it put the brakes on eligibility for this year's ACM Awards. In announcing the news, the ACM said it "does not condone or support intolerance or behavior that doesn't align with our commitment and dedication to diversity and inclusion." The ACM says Wallen will have no involvement in the awards show.

The ACM Awards are slated for April 18 in Nashville. Morgan was likely to bring home several awards. He recently dropped "Sand In My Boots" and "7 Summers" ... both receiving critical acclaim and has been #1 on Billboard for 3 straight weeks.

The news of his ouster from this year's ACM Awards comes just hours after his label dropped him ... as did major radio and streaming platforms. As we reported ... iHeartRadio and Cumulus Media -- the largest and second-largest radio broadcasters respectively -- pulled the plug on him.

Pandora also stopped streaming his music and Country Music Television shelved him as well. Many of his peers denounced him after TMZ posted video of him dropping the n-word.

O.J. Simpson is still DEEEEEEEP in the hole to the Goldman Family -- only paying $132,849.53 ... despite reportedly owing more than $70 MILLION.

... it's all according to new court documents filed by Fred Goldman in Nevada in the hopes of collecting from the ex-NFL star in the state where Simpson now lives.

Of course, back in 1997 ... O.J. was ordered to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman family after he was found liable in the killing of Ron Goldman, who was slashed to the death along with Nicole Brown Simpson in Brentwood, CA in 1994.

Interest has caused the initial $33.5 million to balloon -- it was at $57 mil in 2015, according to Goldman and there are reports that number has now cracked $70 mil.

Simpson spent several years in prison for a 2007 armed robbery -- but in 2018, after he was released, Fred Goldman claimed O.J. had resumed making money from signing autographs for collectors and he wasn't handing over the proceeds to satisfy the judgment.

So, he's filed new court docs in Nevada to keep the heat on Simpson, who regularly flaunts a carefree life on social media which shows him bouncing from golf course to golf course in the Las Vegas area, instead of hunting for "the real killer."

Former Ohio police officer Adam Coy, who shot and killed Andre Hill in his own garage, has been indicted for murder.

A grand jury just indicted Coy for murder in the commission of a felony and felonious assault, plus two counts of dereliction of duty and failing to turn on his body cam.

Coy was arrested Wednesday and his first court appearance is set for Thursday.

As we reported ... Coy, a 19-year veteran of the Columbus Police Department, fatally shot an unarmed Hill inside his own garage Dec. 22 while responding to a non-emergency call.

Coy and the other responding officer allegedly did not turn on their body cams before the fatal shooting, but the body cams have a feature capturing the minute before it's turned on ... and that's how the shooting was recorded, though there's no audio.

The body cam video shows Coy and the other officer waiting 10 minutes before helping a dying Hill.

Chris Pratt's been trending for posting horribly bigoted tweets from back before his Marvel Universe days, but he says the backlash is unwarranted ... because the tweets are phony.

A spokesperson for the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star tells TMZ ... he never posted the offensive messages that began circulating Wednesday morning. They appeared to be from 2012 and 2013, with one saying "calling another n***a a 'n****r' is hilarous idc" ... and the other "Muslims scare me so much."

You can see why fans would be upset, but Pratt's rep says, "Chris never tweeted the offensive things that are being circulated today. Any suggestion that he did is not only totally false but also defamatory."

Twitter, where the fake tweets have trended all day, was also suspicious, and a senior exec for the platform says they "strongly believe these [tweets] to be fake."

There were 2 other tweets circulating, but they were relatively innocuous jokes. Pratt's rep confirms one of them -- suggesting all the Miss America contestants are super skinny -- is real.

Floyd Mayweather says he's ALL THE WAY DOWN to scrap with 50 Cent -- telling the rapper to get in line and he'll beat his ass at the end of 2021.

The 43-year-old boxing legend just laid out his schedule for the year ... assuring his fans the postponed exhibition bout with Logan Paul will DEFINITELY happen before the end of the year.

But, Floyd also touched on other boxing challenges ... and responded to 50 Cent who went on V-103's "The Morning Culture" last week and said he'd love a crack at Floyd.

Remember, 50 expressed concern that Floyd is too small and wouldn't agree to a catchweight -- since Floyd usually fights at 150 lbs and Mr. Cent is closer to 180.

Now, Floyd says size doesn't matter one bit -- he'll happily accept 50's challenge.

"I also heard that 50 cent would fight me but claims I'm too small," Floyd said on IG ... "If he wants to lace up at the end of the year we can do an exhibition then."

"I don't care about weight class with any of these guys. The Paul brothers will make great money with the events, but with 50 cent It has to be Winner Takes All.'"

WHO WOULDN'T PAY TO SEE THAT?!?!!

There's more ... Floyd also says he's down to fight Logan's little bro, Jake Paul, but only if he defeats his upcoming opponent, Ben Askren, when they face off in April.

Also on the schedule, 43-year-old Mayweather says he plans to take another exhibition fight in Tokyo -- just like he did back in 2018 when he beat the dog snot out of undefeated kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa.

Taylor Swift's new album is creating a major mix-up between folks looking for her tunes, and those looking to get their goblin on ... at least according to a fantasy park.

The owners of the Utah-based park called Evermore are suing Tay-Tay for trademark infringement -- claiming they own the rights to the name “evermore,” and saying Swift trampled said rights when she started selling merch with that branding to promote her album by the same name.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the Evermore park camp claims it's poured many millions of dollars into building the facility, branding and selling its own gear since the park was conceived in 2014 and, of course, when it opened in 2018.

The park owners say they've got 'Evermore' trademarked for a number of different purposes -- including clothing and other merchandise they sell ... all of which they claim was diluted once TS dropped 'evermore' in late 2020.

Evermore park brass alleges since the record came out, their search results are way down in Google, and that it's legitimately causing confusion in the marketplace ... which they say is hurting their bottom line.

They also allege Tay's team was aware that the trademark for 'Evermore' was snatched up, but proceeded with their own campaign anyway ... figuring they'd drown out the park.

Donald Trump no longer has the privilege of using Marine One whenever he pleases ... so his exclusive helipad at Mar-a-Lago is getting the boot.

According to new building permits -- obtained by TMZ -- the formal process of removing the helipad from the former President's favorite resort has begun ... and it looks like the job will cost about $15,000.

Trump's helipad is apparently an exception to the rule in Palm Beach, FL, which doesn't normally allow helicopters or helipads in the city. It approved it for Trump's use early in his term though ... "for business relating solely to the office of the president."

However, according to reports, now that he's no longer Commander in Chief ... the helicopter trips no longer qualify.

Sean Penn's going full Sean Penn on a pair of anonymous whistleblowers who say they're part of his nonprofit helping in L.A.'s vaccination drive ... and are getting worked to the bone.

The Oscar-winner reportedly sent a 2,200-word internal letter to his CORE employees this week -- which was leaked to the L.A. Times -- and in it he unloads on them for remarks in the comments section of a recent NYT article about Penn/CORE's efforts at Dodger Stadium.

Penn reportedly went in on the 2 alleged CORE staffers who claim the work conditions at the stadium are exhausting, and possibly illegal ... as they allege they're barely getting breaks and grinding through near 24-hour shifts.

The Times says he referred to their comments as "shameful entries" and "obscene critiques." That was the kindest part, because Penn added ... "And to whoever authored these, understand that in every cell of my body is a vitriol for the way your actions reflect so harmfully upon your brothers and sisters in arms. I have taken counsel and here will refrain from using the words with which I would otherwise choose to describe the character of your actions."

Penn might have censored his language, but you can tell there's a Tom Cruise-esque rant simmering inside of him.

He did acknowledge some CORE workers might have been working longer hours lately, saying these are unprecedented times that call for extra manpower... and it was his call.

He also added this for any of his employees who are "predisposed" to complaining or "whining" ... "It’s called quitting. Quit for CORE. Quit for your colleagues who won’t quit. Quit for your fellow human beings who deeply recognize that this is a moment in time. A moment of service that we must all embody sometimes to the point of collapse."