TMZ.com Home

Naomi Osaka's decided to withdraw from the French Open and "take some time away from the court" rather than continue to be a distraction for her stance against speaking to the press ... the star tennis player just announced herself.

Naomi says she never intended to ignite a controversy when she cited mental health for skipping media conferences a few days ago, but she believes the best thing for her to do now is quit the tourney so "everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris."

Osaka goes on to explain that she's introverted and suffers from social anxiety, and reveals suffering from "long bouts of depression" since the 2018 U.S. Open and says she has struggled with coping.

Essentially, she's implying that her personal mental health struggles were her reason for skipping press conferences this tourney ... but she acknowledges her announcement created a distraction and will be better left addressing later on.

For that reason, Naomi says she's stepping away from tennis for now but when the timing is better ... she wants to "work with the Tour to discuss ways we can make things better for the players, press and fans."

As we reported ... Osaka was fined $15k after her opening-round win for her no-show at the post-match presser, and was at risk of more fines or even disqualification if she kept it up.

In her withdrawal announcement, Naomi also makes it clear she has no beef with the tennis press that has "always been kind to me" ... and apologizes to any journalists she may have hurt.

Scary moment today in Dallas, as folks visiting a mall on Memorial Day were swiftly evacuated after cops say witnesses reported hearing several gunshots ... that turned out to be someone banging a skateboard.

Videos of the mayhem show shoppers running out of the NorthPark Center or taking cover inside around 1:30 PM local time ... as alarm sirens blare all over the facility.

The frenzy resulted in several 911 calls ... so many that the line was busy.

Thankfully, Dallas police say there was never an active shooter at the mall, but rather a "mentally disturbed" person who was banging a skateboard ... which sounded like gunshots. Cops say the individual also made hand gestures as if he was shooting a gun, presumably setting off the panic and chaos.

Initially, cops were calling it a "shooting incident" and said they had someone in custody ... but later clarified there were no shots and no injuries.

Of course, the hysteria is understandable in America ... where deadly mass shootings continue to occur at an alarming rate in 2021.

President Biden's calling on Americans to reflect on one of the worst incidents of racial violence ever in our country in order to root out systemic racism ... 100 years after it happened.

The White House issued a proclamation acknowledging the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, in which a mob of white supremacists attacked a thriving Black neighborhood called Greenwood ... also known as Black Wall Street.

The massacre took place on May 31 and June 1, and as Biden states ... "Families and children were murdered in cold blood." As many as 300 Black Americans were killed as the white mob torched buildings, churches, businesses and homes ... destroying 35 square blocks of the district and leaving 10,000 Black people homeless.

The Prez says on this solemn anniversary, he's asking the American people to "reflect on the deep roots of racial terror in our Nation and recommit to the work of rooting out systemic racism across our country."

Though the Tulsa Race Massacre is one of the most horrific events in American history, it was mostly covered up and kept from the public for half a century. In fact, many hadn't even heard of it until the 2019 HBO series "Watchmen" included it as a storyline.

"Friends: The Reunion" was really awesome, but one of the stars is shining brighter than the others in a land far far away.

Matt LeBlanc has become the obsession of Ireland. Social media is all about Joey ... with fans ogling his look on the reunion, saying he looked like their favorite Irish uncle!!!

Irish fans have gone nuts over what they call Matt's jovial attitude, his look and his choice of clothing. They say Matt reminds them of their "da" ... that's how the Irish refer to a father or uncle.

They even changed Matt's famous line -- How you doin'?" -- to "How you getting on?" Sorry, that doesn't really work.

BTW ... Matt's not even Irish. He's Italian and French.

Timbaland and Swizz Beatz went head-to-head again Sunday night for a Verzuz rematch, and it did not disappoint!!!

The 2 founders of the super popular music competition squared off at Miami's Club LIV, and they dedicated the evening to the late DMX.

DaBaby, Nas, Rick Ross, Fabolous, Busta Rhymes and many more were on hand watching the 2 rap icons do their thing. And, Missy Elliott paid her respects to Swizz and Timbaland on video. Missy was effusive ... "First I want to say congratulations to you (Timbaland) and Swizz. And, thank y'all for creating Verzuz for us to relive some of the best moments in music." She then took sides, rooting for her fellow Virginia native, Timbaland.

The music was awesome ... songs that included collabs with Aaliyah, DMX, Missy, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Nicki Minaj, J. Cole, Drake, Lil Wayne, and on and on. 20 rounds in all.

BTW ... Timbaland and Swizz sold "Verzuz" to Triller earlier this year ... so that had to be a nice chunk of change.

Courteney Cox isn't quite done with the whole "Friends" reunion thing ... because she partnered with Ed Sheeran to recreate one of the greatest TV dances ever!!!

If you didn't know where this dance came from it would still be awesome ... but there's history here, folks.

You recall the dance where Monica and Ross appeared on Dick Clark's "Rockin' New Year's Eve" show? Well, Courteney hasn't lost her moves one bit ... and Ed was more than up to the task. BTW, the OG dance number was choreographed by Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin ... so, those are pro moves they're putting down!

Ed reflected ... "Had a reunion of our own this weekend @courteneycoxofficial #theroutine #iknow #friends4eva #obviouslybetterthanross"

There was one small technical error ... Courteney overshot the jump into Ed's arms and they crashed to the ground. Otherwise, perfect!!!

Chadwick Boseman wanted to get Howard University students up to speed on the entertainment biz early and often, which is why he came up with a great idea for his alma mater ... one it's now bringing to fruition.

HU Prez Wayne Frederick tells TMZ ... the university is going to be rolling out a masterclass template for the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts that's actually inspired by the man himself -- who presented his concept to head honchos before he passed away last year.

Here's how it'll work ... students enrolled in the fine arts college are going to be introduced to a tweaked curriculum in the near future, which will help them get familiar with their specific fields of study. We're told they'll be working with pros, currently working in the industry, who can share real-life experiences.

Now, Howard has always had professionals come by for guest lectures -- including famous alums -- and they already have a great mentorship program too. But, Fredrick says the masterclass is going to be more structured ... weaving the guests into day-to-day learning and coursework on campus.

Frederick tells us Chadwick wanted to help spearhead the program -- he actually signed paperwork to get it started -- and would've likely been very hands-on, if he were still alive.

Frederick says there's no question that CB's own experience at HU is a big part of what made him pitch this in the first place ... including the memorable tale of Denzel Washington once paying for Chadwick's tuition back in the day.

Simon Cowell has 86'd his plan to travel to Israel for his TV franchise ... and although he isn't saying specifically why, it seems the cancellation is due in part to the recent violence.

Simon was scheduled to be a judge on "X Factor Israel" but a rep for the production announced Simon would not be part of the show. As for why, the rep would only say Simon canceled "for his own reasons" which involved "legitimate concerns" -- this according to Variety. There was no specific reference to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, but it's not hard to read between the lines.

We tried reaching out to Cowell's rep ... so far, no word back.

As you know, Simon broke his back last year after hopping on his new e-bike and crashing to the ground. It's unclear if the back injury was a factor, but Simon has bounced back so it seems unlikely.

Representatives for Cowell did not respond to multiple requests for comment. A Jewish News report last week cited a source close to Cowell as saying that the media mogul was “bitterly disappointed” that he could not take part for “a number of reasons.”

Dr. Terry Dubrow says folks who want a bigger butt need to work their ass off in the gym instead of opting for a popular surgical procedure ... that actually has a good chance of killing you!!!

The "Botched" surgeon joined us on "TMZ Live" and schooled us on the dangers of the well-known Brazilian butt lift, telling us why he's NOT recommending it to his patients.

It's pretty scary ... the good doc says the BBL is the most dangerous surgery you can undergo, as far as mortality rate, and he tells us exactly why the fat transfer so often goes fatally wrong.

The BBL has been around for a long time, but Terry says folks are not being adequately warned about the dangers ... despite many doctors' wishes for the industry to sound the alarm.

As we first told you ... Tekashi's baby mama recently had a BBL and ended up having a medical scare. Based on Dr. Dubrow's warnings, sounds like she dodged a bullet.

Brandon Moreno, describe your rival, UFC champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

“I told you, the guy's not really smart,” Moreno tells TMZ Sports ... “He's an asshole and it's fine. I don't care. He's ugly, man the guy's so ugly, my goodness!”

There’s clearly bad blood between 27-year-old Moreno and 33-year-old Figueiredo ... who fought to a draw last December -- an absolute war -- for the UFC Flyweight title.

The fighters are set to square off again as the co-main event at UFC 263 on June 12 ... and we asked Moreno what he’d say to Figueiredo before they scrap for a 2nd time.

“He try to put attention on himself and it's fine. He wants to make some money, he wants to be the next Conor McGregor and you know, I don't really care because I just wanna get title.”

Moreno -- who hasn't lost since 2018 -- says after 16 years in the sports ... it’d be “a dream come true” to be the 1st-ever Mexican champ born in Tijuana.

Before this cheerleading child was reaching sky-high levels of fame as a teenager, she was just another cute kid showing off her pom-poms in Augusta, Georgia.

This sports fan moved from the sidelines onto the main screen when she was cast as the lead role in a Disney Channel original movie ... where she gets stuck with a famous celebrity played by "Saturday Night Live's" Taran Killam. With her experience as a superhero in another Disney movie, she was able to captivate audiences when she was featured recently in a few other comic book-inspired CW shows.

Lil Yachty's so pumped for live music festivals to make their return this summer ... he's ready to dive backflip right in.

The rapper says the absence of in-person concerts over the past year has been really tough, so just the thought of taking the stage with a packed crowd gets his blood pumping.

Yachty -- who's set to perform at Portugal's Rolling Loud festival in July and at Chicago's Summer Smash in August -- tells us the connection he gets with his fans at a live show is unique ... and he expects the energy to be 50 times as intense after the long COVID break.

The hip-hop star also weighed in on one of hip-hop's biggest feuds over the past few years -- one in which he landed smack dab in the middle of ... and is still trying to do damage control.

LY reminds us why he sided with Cardi B over Nicki Minaj back in 2018, but explains why it's not nearly as controversial as it's been made out to be ... or at least that's how he sees it.

Watch the video though ... sounds like Nicki's still not over it.

It looks like these stars are ready to get the party started ... they've been on a fizzy fix lately and have been sharing all their spirited snaps!

Diplo, Stassie Karanikolaou and Chanel West Coast are just a few of the celebs that have been getting lit and they're posting pics of what carbonated booze they've been chugging!

Even more famous faces such as Arielle Vandenberg, Chantel Jeffries and Dua Lipa have been extra bubbly lately in their snaps featuring their favorite boozy drinks.

Join in on all the fun by scrolling through our gallery of stars sippin' seltzers to see who else is getting their drink on!

Naomi Osaka doesn't seem to be sweating a hefty fine she's been issued after following through on her promise to skip the media after her matches at the French Open.

The star tennis player took to Twitter Sunday in response to news that FO officials had dinged her a whopping $15,000 for refusing to hit a post-match press conference after her opening-round win against Patricia Maria Tig ... which is standard practice.

She kept it brief and somewhat cryptic, writing ... "anger is a lack of understanding. change makes people uncomfortable." In our minds, that means she ain't gonna bend.

That's quite a gamble for Naomi ... because organizers of the tourney say if she continues to blow off questions after playing, she risks even more fines ... and, eventually, potentially being disqualified from the French Open altogether. Not just that, but she could even be suspended from future Grand Slam tournaments -- so there's a lot riding on this decision.

As we reported ... Naomi had already given everyone a heads up ahead of the start of this that she wouldn't be participating in any media events, citing mental health concerns.

Some have praised Naomi for standing firm on this issue and speaking out on behalf of pro athletes' well-being, noting that if this is really about the sport (in this case, tennis) ... then what difference does it make if they don't talk to reporters after the fact???

A body was dumped over a bridge into the water below in northern India -- an unthinkable act that 2 people have been arrested for ... but also, a testament to the siege the country is under during a second wave of COVID-19.

This wild video surfaced over the weekend, which purportedly shows two guys chucking a cadaver into the Rapti River somewhere in Balrampur ... which sits in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Local reports say police have identified the men and arrested them.

In the clip, you see the two people here struggling with what appears to be someone in a body bag ... hoisting them up onto the ledge, and then opening whatever enclosure they're in to unleash what's inside. One of the guys doing the deed is covered in full PPE.

According to India Today, a chief medical officer ID'd the body ... reportedly saying they'd been admitted to a hospital on May 25 after testing positive for COVID, only to die a few days later. The hospital released the body to the man's family for cremation, whom officials now claim are the ones behind him being disposed of in morbid fashion.

Bodies along river banks are sadly becoming a regular thing throughout India lately -- as they continue to battle rising COVID cases and deaths during a crippling second wave that has devastated citizens there. Mass burial sites have been formed in and around the Ganga River of late, with scores of dead people being lined up ... and in some cases, burned at a pyre.

Somebody posted a promise to kill in the City of Lakewood -- which has put the community, as well as local officials, on high alert ... although it appears to be a freaky hoax.

A user that goes by u/gastonmcwhinnie posted a lengthy message on the Lakewood Reddit thread over the weekend, which stood out as a red flag and caught the attentions of concerned citizens, and at least one City Council member ... not to mention law enforcement.

The message is slugged ... "MASS SHOOTING TODAY IN LAKEWOOD" going on to describe how this individual plans to go out on Sunday and gun down "minorities" at different parts of town with an AR-15 and a Glock 18 they claim to have. The user also posted a photo of a handgun to accompany the troubling open letter, plus a clip of ammo.

It's absolutely terrifying, as the note reads, in part ... "There is only one thing that I'm certain of; I f****** hate minorities." They go on to explain that they don't know where the hatred stems from, but that it's there nonetheless and they want to finally do something about it.

The person adds, "I don't see much of a future for myself, and I have an ongoing case, so I think I'm just going to end with a bang." They go on to explain that they'll be aiming for at least 10 "minorities" ... while sickeningly saying, "the more the better." They also say they'll be targeting Council members, and ends by saying there'll be a lengthier manifesto on his computer. The message ends on an even more ominous tone, with "See you in hell."

This started spreading like wildfire, with many warning residents of Lakewood and surrounding areas to be on the lookout. Lakewood Council Member Todd Rogers responded, writing ... "We are aware of the threat against Lakewood and city officials posted on social media. Law enforcement does not believe they are credible but an investigation is underway."

There doesn't appear to be any developments from this so far, so hopefully what Rogers insists here is true. Still, even if this is a prank -- it's absolutely diabolical, to say the least.