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Track star Sha'Carri Richardson took responsibility for taking to weed which is a violation of Olympic rules, but goes on to say she did it after suffering emotional trauma.

Sha'Carri appeared on "Today" Friday and said squarely, "I want to take responsibility for my actions, I know what I did. I know what I'm supposed to do, [what] I'm allowed not to do and I still made that decision."

She then asked for a little understanding ..."Don't judge me because I am human."

Richardson came in first in the 100-meter race last month at the U.S. Track and Field Trials, but she later tested positive for marijuana and was stripped of her win and it's now unclear if she'll be barred from participating in the Tokyo Olympics.  She was a favorite to win, which would be the first U.S. gold medal for the event since 1996.

As for why she crossed the line and used weed, she explained the day she did a reporter came up just before the trials and told her her mom had died.

A reporter had told her her biological mother had died right before the trials.

Finally .... it looks like the black family whose descendants were terrorized by the KKK and screwed over by L.A. County will be getting their land back.

There's now a detailed plan to restore ownership rights to the Bruce family, whose land was taken out from under them in 1929. L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn has been leading the charge, declaring, "I am committed to getting this done and setting an example for governments nationwide for how we can begin to right the historic injustices committed against African Americans in this country."

ICYMI ... back in 1912 Charles and Willa Bruce bought a parcel of land in Manhattan Beach for $1,225. They bought some adjacent lots and then turned the properties into a beach resort for Black families ... something that didn't exist along the shores of L.A. County.

The resort didn't sit well with some racist white residents, who harassed the members and vandalized the property. The KKK got involved and terrorized resort members.

The government was right behind the racists and used its power of eminent domain to condemn the property in 1929, claiming they needed it to build a park. And, that was the end of the resort and the Bruce family lost the property.

The land actually sat vacant for decades ... finally, in 1960, the County realized it had a legal problem, because the whole park-plan looked like a ruse, so they turned the area into a park.

In a hollow gesture, in 2006 the County renamed the area "Bruce's Beach" to somehow appease the Bruce family.

Well, now -- thanks largely to Supervisor Hahn -- there's a plan in place to return the land to the Bruce family.  The plan was released earlier in the week and requires the County to assess the property value, figure out who's entitled to the land and restore it to them.  The County also has to figure out where to put the lifeguard station that's sitting on the property.

Master P's son, Hercy Miller, isn't wasting any time ... 'cause the incoming college freshman hoops star tells us he JUST signed a multi-million dollar deal.

TMZ Sports caught up with P and 19-year-old Hercy in Beverly Hills ... a day after the NCAA announced they'll allow athletes to make dough off their image and likeness.

"It was a 2 million dollar deal. It's incredible. This is gonna change the way college athletes want to stay in school," P says.

Remember, a few months back Master P told us he lined up this deal ... and was just waiting patiently for the regulations to change.

Well, rule changed, check ... and Hercy didn't wait long before signing his name on the dotted line.

"I signed a deal with an American technology company. Like my dad said, it's a blessing," Hercy -- an incoming freshman at Tennessee State -- tells us.

A teenage with a couple milli in the bank ... so what's Hercy gonna do with all that cash??

"I learned from my dad, I'm gonna start off by giving back to the community and everyone around me. I have a camp July 21," Hercy says.

"I'm giving back to the kids. Giving school supplies."

Hercy says he's also going to treat himself to a Tesla.

Make way for these sexy singles that have headed into this summer solo!

Stars such as Khloe Kardashian, Colton Underwood, and La La Anthony are only a few of the stars to name that are on the market and clearly have a lot to offer ... and we're sharing with you all the best pics that these celebs have posted!

You're definitely going to wanna scoop 'em up after getting a look at these hot shots!

See more famous faces showing off their independence such as Alex Rodriguez, Kim Kardashian, Kristin Cavallari, Miley Cyrus and plenty more by scrolling through our gallery of sexy singles!

Shawn Stockman is raising money to help families pay for all the expenses that come with raising an autistic child ... with the help of an awesome watch.

The Boyz II Men singer joined us on "TMZ Live" and told us about his charity, Micah's Voice, and how it provides hope and resources for families affected by autism.

Shawn says he found out firsthand how difficult it can be for average families to raise a child with autism when he and his wife, Sharonda, added up all the bills for their autistic son, Micah, and saw a staggering figure.

The pandemic only made things more difficult for families and autistic children, and Shawn's partnering with SEVENFRIDAY to create and sell a limited edition watch to raise money for families struggling to get their kids the care they need.

Before this posing princess was one of the highest-paid child stars of her day, she was just another mini model working it for the camera in Los Angeles, California.

This little lady rose to fame with a breakout role starring alongside an ensemble of musically talented students ... led by a very tenacious teacher. Soon after, she scored a spot as a nosy little sister on a Nickelodeon television show. It was such a hit that when it ended, she became the lead of her very own show -- which was just rebooted last month.

Richard Branson is closing in on winning the billionaire space race with Jeff Bezos -- because Virgin Galactic now has a flight planned for next weekend, and the British billionaire will be onboard.

Richard's company announced plans Thursday to launch the rocket-fueled flight July 11 ... just 9 days before Bezos plans to travel to suborbital space July 20 with his Blue Origin mission.

Virgin Galactic says Branson will be joined by 2 pilots and 3 other astronauts on the spaceflight, with Richard "testing the private astronaut experience" ... a fancy phrase for the views from space, the cabin, seating and zero gravity.

Richard's company says the spaceflight on Virgin Galactic's VSS Unity SpaceShipTwo rocket plane will stream live on social media, and the mission's been dubbed "Unity 22."

If all goes according to plan, Virgin Galactic and Richard will beat Blue Origin and Bezos by a healthy margin.

Remember, when Jeff announced his launch, back on June 7, Branson hadn't even publicly mentioned a date for his trip. That changed within a matter of days.

Georgina Chapman and Adrien Brody are looking like a new modern family just in time for some holiday weekend travel.

Harvey Weinstein's ex-wife and the Oscar winner are in L.A. -- they touched down at LAX Tuesday, as a party of 4. The new couple's traveling with Georgina and Harvey's 2 kids, India and Dashiell.

Having the little ones tag along didn't stop them from a slight bit of PDA -- so, it's pretty obvious her children are comfortable with Mom and Adrien's relationship.

That makes sense ... although they just made things publicly official last week -- attending the Tribeca Film Festival together -- Adrien and Georgina have reportedly been dating for 2 years now.

Georgina, a successful fashion designer, filed for divorce from Weinstein in 2017, and word is she and Adrien hooked up romantically a couple years later.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are planning to say their vows soon -- like, potentially, July 4 weekend soon.

The engaged singers applied for their marriage license Tuesday in Oklahoma ... according to the Johnston County Court Clerk. The clock's now ticking for Blake and Gwen to walk down the aisle -- in Oklahoma folks have 10 days from the date they file for a marriage license to tie the knot.

Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... Gwen and Blake are set to marry Saturday at Blake's Oklahoma ranch.

We're told the couple has an entire weekend of activities and celebrations planned, but they're staying a bit flexible due to the weather forecast. If mother nature cooperates, the ceremony will be held in an outdoor chapel on the ranch.

Our sources say Gwen, Blake and their kids are already in OK ... we're told they flew out from Los Angeles last Friday after Blake finished filming for "The Voice."

We're told the couple is sending their private plane from Oklahoma to L.A. Thursday to pick up Gwen's immediate family and whisk them to the heartland.

While the wedding is going down on a holiday weekend, sources say it will not be very big ... we're told only close friends and family will be on hand.

The L.A. Dodgers are planning to start Trevor Bauer as scheduled on Sunday ... this despite the star pitcher being accused of violently choking and punching a woman during two recent sexual encounters.

Team manager Dave Roberts just made the announcement Thursday ... explaining to reporters MLB has advised him and the Dodgers to play Bauer while a league investigation into the allegations moves forward.

"It's actually out of our hands," Roberts said. "Regardless of what direction the organization wanted to do, it's something that -- this is what has to happen. And so it's out of everyone's hands."

Roberts continued, "I'm in the position of following the lead of Major League Baseball."

"Their recommendation was for us to use our scheduled Sunday starter and to move forward and have him start that game Sunday."

It's a surprising take from MLB, Roberts and the Dodgers ... considering the allegations against Bauer are highly disturbing.

Bauer and his camp have strongly denied the allegations ... claiming the encounters were entirely consensual and that the pitcher's accuser actually enthusiastically encouraged the rough sex.

In fact, Bauer and his reps say the Dodger has text message proof that the woman was elated by being choked and had even asked Bauer to "gimme all the pain."

In court docs filed this week, a woman claims that during hookups with Bauer in California in April and May ... the 30-year-old Cy Young winner strangled her unconscious and had anal sex with her while she was out.

The woman also stated Bauer punched her in the head and face ... leaving her bloodied, scratched and black and blue.

Police say they are currently investigating it all.

Kevin Garnett just sold his massive Malibu property for $16 million bucks ... but the lucky buyer is gonna be shelling out even more dough -- 'cause the house isn't even finished!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the NBA Hall of Famer purchased the estate when he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2003, but decided to start a massive renovation project in 2013.

But, KG never got around to finishing the huge project -- hey, he's a busy guy -- before listing the pad a few years ago for $19.9 million.

The place is HUGE -- the house is 11,000 square feet, has a gated entrance and sits on 7 acres right on top of the Pacific Ocean ... which means #views.

There was a bit of drama tied to the place -- as we previously reported, KG's neighbor sued him in 2014 over trees blocking his sight of the Pacific ... claiming Garnett refused to trim them down.

The neighbor also complained in the suit that KG didn't have the proper permits to add-on to the home ... but ultimately, the case was dismissed.

The Washington Football Team is getting hammered with a staggering, and record-setting, $10 MILLION fine after the NFL wrapped up its sexual misconduct investigation of the organization ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The punishment was determined and handed down Thursday after the league investigated claims that high-ranking figures within the team sexually harassed and verbally abused female employees repeatedly and rampantly over the last decade.

At least 15 women came forward with the allegations last year ... saying the NFL's team workplace was toxic and demeaning toward females.

In a bombshell 2020 Washington Post report, one of the women -- former marketing coordinator Emily Applegate -- said she was told to wear revealing clothes "so the men in the room have something to look at."

Another woman -- who wished to remain anonymous, according to the report -- alleged men in the team's football facility would stand at the base of a staircase near the entrance in order to stare up women's skirts.

The league's fine of the team is historic -- it's the largest The Shield has EVER slapped on a team or individual.

Worth noting, the WFT and its owner, Dan Snyder, just announced sweeping and progressive changes to the organization ... including naming Snyder's wife, Tanya, the new co-CEO. Other changes, some put in motion 18 months ago, include changing the cheerleading squad to a co-ed dance team and installing a more racially diverse front office.

Snyder, who was not personally fined by the league, says ... "I feel great remorse for the people who had difficult, even traumatic experiences while working here. I'm truly sorry for that."

"I can't turn back the clock, but I promise that nobody who works here will ever have that kind of experience again, at least not as long as Tanya and I are owners of this team."

The financial institution appointed by the judge to become co-conservator of Britney Spears' estate is bowing out before it even gets started ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... Bessemer Trust has decided it does not want to get involved because it's become gun-shy over all the controversy surrounding the conservatorship.

As one source put it ... Bessemer feels the circumstances surrounding Britney's conservatorship have become a "hornet's nest" ... so it's bailing.

Our sources say Bessemer doesn't want to deal with Jamie Spears, but there's more. It has issues, we're told, with Britney's lawyer, Sam Ingham, along with all of the public outcry over her case ... especially after Britney's courtroom cry for help last week.

That means, at least for now, Britney's dad will remain sole conservator of her estate.

We broke the story ... the judge denied attorney Ingham's request to suspend Jamie from estate conservatorship duties back in November. However, the judge did approve Bessemer being made co-conservator along with Jamie, but it still hasn't taken effect yet because Ingham waited until a few days ago to file the necessary documents for that to happen.

It'll all be a moot point now ... because Bessemer's getting out.

Bill Cosby is huddling with his legal team Thursday, and a potential lawsuit against Montgomery County will be the hot topic on the table.

Sources close to Cosby tell TMZ ... the comedian and his wife, Camille, are angry he's been incarcerated for the last 3 years, and they're exploring his options for legal recourse, including potentially suing the county in Pennsylvania where he was tried.

We're told Cosby and his lawyers are looking into a possible lawsuit for abuse of process, and that's just one of several potential options they're discussing.

Legally speaking ... abuse of process refers to the improper use of a civil or criminal legal process for an unintended, malicious, or perverse reason. In other words, it means Cosby could argue the prosecutor deliberately misused the criminal justice process to prosecute him, despite the fact it meant breaking a promise to Cosby from the previous District Attorney.

As we reported, Cosby was released from prison Wednesday after Pennsylvania's Supreme Court overturned his conviction ... in part because it ruled he should have never been criminally prosecuted based on the agreement he made with former Montgomery County D.A. Bruce Castor.

"Jackass" is jumping the shark -- like, for real -- by joining Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" spectacle, and based on this first look ... we'd say someone's bitten off more than they can chew.

Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius and a couple new jackasses are returning to TV later this month for the "Jackass Shark Week Special," and as you can see ... they are up to their same old antics.

Steve-O's said the guys "went all out" for the special, adding "there were consequences" for doing so, and based on our sneak peek, those consequences were pretty severe.

Check it out ... a new 'Jackass' member named "Poopies" appears to get attacked by a shark after a jump attempt. Someone's heard yelling for medical assistance and a tourniquet as the teaser ends.

Yikes.

Meghan McCain is leaving "The View," and the reason why is absolutely because of a series of nasty back-and-forths with her cohosts ... TMZ has confirmed.

Sources tell TMZ ... Meghan felt it was too hard for her being the only conservative voice on the show and it had become too challenging, as she felt she was getting ganged up on every day.

We're told McCain will address her departure Thursday on the show. It's unclear exactly what reason she'll give the audience for her departure, but make no mistake ... it's about the politics. Remember, she gave birth to a daughter back in September, so it's possible she may also mention wanting to spend more time with her baby girl.

The news comes a little over a month after Meghan and Joy Behar's last major on-air blowup -- the one that prompted ABC News President Kim Godwin to step in and call a last-minute meeting demanding all of the 'View' cohosts chill with personal attacks.

Our sources at the time also said ABC was getting flooded with pleas to fire Meghan over her latest tantrum and attacks on Joy ... which is what sparked the virtual meeting.

We were also told Godwin told the staff their personal attacks are coming off as toxic to the audience. The issue, we were told, weren't the debates ... but the attacks between the cohosts.

This is the latest shakeup in daytime talk shows. Remember, their competition over at "The Talk" just had to blow up their show, firing Sharon Osbourne after her very personal on-air battle with Sheryl Underwood.