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Rachel Nichols has been AXED from covering the NBA Finals ... with the ESPN reporter losing her sideline gig following her controversial comments regarding Maria Taylor.

Nichols sparked outrage after leaked audio from 2020 went public over the weekend ... when she claimed the decision to have Taylor host Finals coverage was due to ESPN "feeling pressure" about adding more diversity among on-air talent.

In the audio -- which was leaked by an ESPN employee to the New York Times -- Nichols is heard saying, "If you need to give [Taylor] more things to do because you are feeling pressure about your crappy longtime record on diversity -- which, by the way, I know personally from the female side of it -- like, go for it."

"Just find it somewhere else. You are not going to find it from me or taking my thing away."

While Nichols apologized for her comments and praised Taylor on Monday, ESPN has decided to keep her on the bench for the 2021 Finals between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.

The network announced rising star Malika Andrews -- who's been an NBA insider since 2018 -- will take over the mic starting Tuesday night ... saying, "We believe this is the best decision for all concerned in order to keep the focus on the NBA Finals."

It's unclear if the move is permanent, but ESPN says Nichols will continue to host "The Jump."

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello had an unwanted visitor swing by a pad of theirs that's under construction, and he had a message for Sof -- whom he considers "mom" ... so say, cops.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the police were called early Monday morning to the site of Sofia and her hubby's L.A.-area property -- one which we're told is being worked on with major renovations ... including a new paint job that had just been completed.

The once-over of their home was absolutely ruined, we're told, by a guy cops say was on-site when officers arrived ... whom our sources say fessed up to some major vandalism on the exterior ... which he told the police he'd just completed prior to their arrival.

Our sources say the dude used orange paint to write AND etch his social media handles all over and into the walls, plus what we're told were messages for SV ... whom, like we mentioned, this guy believes is his actual mother, and wants to get a hold of her via IG or something.

There doesn't appear to be any truth to the man's claim ... Sofia's only got one kid from a previous marriage, and this person does not seem to have any connection to her. Of course, the police arrested him and hauled him off to jail. It's unclear what charges he's facing.

As for what this mess will end up costing Sofia and Joe (or their insurance company) ... our sources say it was estimated to be well over $100k in damages that the man had left behind. The couple was not home at the time, and Joe showed up later to deal with cops.

This is not the first time they've had to deal with weirdos showing up at their crib, BTW -- Joe and Sofia have had run-ins with alleged stalkers on at least 2 occasions, where the police were also involved. Scary stuff, indeed.

Britney Spears is hangin' up the mic and intends to retire from the music business ... so says her longtime manager, Larry Rudolph, who just submitted his resignation.

Rudolph sent an email Sunday night to Britney's personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, and the conservator of her estate, Jamie Spears, saying, "It has been over 2 1/2 years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus. Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire."

Rudolph went on to say he's not part of the conservatorship and in the dark regarding lots of details, adding, "I was originally hired at Britney's request to help manage and assist her with her career. And as her manager, I believe it is in Britney's best interest for me to resign from her team as my professional services are no longer needed."

Rudolph's resignation comes on the heels of Britney's testimony in which she said she was forced to perform and never wanted to do the European tour.  TMZ broke the story ... sources connected to the conservatorship say it's the opposite -- she begged to go on the tour and there are allegedly emails and other communications to support that.

Nevertheless, if Britney is really retiring, there's no need for a music manager.

Rudolph ended his email with this ... "I will always be incredibly proud of what we accomplished over our 25 years together. I wish Britney all the health and happiness in the world, and I'll be there for her if she ever needs me again, just as I always have been."

Kim Kardashian makes just about everything look so easy and effortlessly. But, wakeboarding? Not so much.

Kim K tried channeling her inner Robert Kelly Slater during a wakeboarding sesh while on a long holiday weekend in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho ... giving the water sport a decent shot.

You can see Kim getting instructions on the fly ... and she ultimately paid the price with a gnarly wipeout after the waves got a little too bumpy for her equilibrium to handle.

It took a couple tries, but eventually Kim gets up ... and, not just that, she eventually mustered the courage to let go of the rope and ride a wave. She threw her arms up in celebration.

It's that time of year -- when Magic Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson and LL Cool J team up to remind us how insanely rich they are ... by cruising on a yacht that costs MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS A WEEK!!!!

Of course, the group of buds gets together every year to celebrate all their accomplishments ... making their way through the Italian waters on expensive ass boats.

The Lakers legend returned to the incredible 281-foot Aquila for this year's bash ... which as we previously reported, is as baller as it gets.

The boat comes with a gym, jacuzzi, movie theater, spa, it's own nightclub ... and reportedly a whopping $1.1 MILLION price tag per WEEK (even higher than its previous rate of $950k a week in 2019).

Rodney and Holly Robinson Peete are also along for the ride ... but there's no sign of usual attendee Steve Harvey yet.

LL has been documenting the whole trip -- showing off incredible views of Capri, Porto Cervo and more -- and the gang has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

Claudia Conway's breathing a sigh of relief, and it sounds like her mom, Kellyanne Conway, is too -- the update on their relationship status is they're a-ok ... but probably still complicated.

The teen daughter of Trump's former advisor -- not to mention a rising TikTok star in her own right -- took to her fave platform to give her followers the lowdown on where things stood between dear old mom and her. As you know, they've had a tumultuous relationship over the past year and change.

Check it out ... CC says they're getting better with one another, explaining they've both gotten help they each needed, and are working through their differences. It's actually super encouraging to hear -- seems like the mother-daughter duo have had some solid heart-to-hearts of late.

Claudia also provides a bit of context on Kellyanne herself -- without getting into the nitty-gritty -- about stuff she herself has been through in her own life ... something her daughter appears to appreciate now, and which could possibly explain some of their blow-ups.

Their rocky run-ins are well documented. Between Kellyanne appearing to snatch Claudia's phone away mid-sentence (and subsequently grounding her from electronics) last October to the even more shouting matches Claudia captured in January ... it's been a wild ride.

The latter situation sparked a brief criminal investigation into what was going in the household, but nothing serious ever came of it. They did seem to make a bit of peace when Claudia auditioned for and actually competed for a bit on 'American Idol' -- and Kellyanne appeared on the show to support her.

WWE star Jimmy Uso has been arrested for DUI again ... after cops say he was driving in Florida with a BAC of .205, TMZ Sports has learned.

According to police docs, Uso -- real name Jonathan Fatu -- was pulled over at around 10:35 PM on Monday in Pensacola after cops say he ran a red light after being clocked going 50 MPH in a 35 MPH zone.

In the docs, officers say during subsequent questioning ... they smelled booze on the 35-year-old, so they asked him to exit his Dodge Charger.

Cops say when Uso got out of his vehicle, he was noticeably swaying ... and claim that Uso had told them he had consumed "multiple" beers before getting behind the wheel.

Officers say Uso went on to bomb field sobriety tests ... so they arrested him.

In the docs, cops claim Uso's BAC breath tests came back at .202 and .205 -- well above Florida's legal limit of .08.

According to jail records, Uso was booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge, and he's currently still behind bars. Police docs show Uso was also hit with citations for speeding and running a red light.

His bond is currently set at $500, jail records show.

This is the second time in the last two years that Uso has been accused of drunk driving ... he was booked for DUI in Pensacola back in July 2019.

But, a jury later found Uso not guilty in the case ... despite police video that appeared to show Uso swerving and stumbling during his arrest.

Uso was also arrested earlier in 2019 after he allegedly got into a drunken dispute with cops in Detroit.

A woman in search of something thinks she may have found it in cosmetic surgery -- all in an effort to look like Barbie ... a journey that's not complete without tweaks to her vagina.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Nannette Hammond is set to appear on a reality show called "Lookalike Love" -- which documents her plans to transform (yes, even more so than where she's currently at) into a de facto human Barbie doll.

Here's just a smidge of what we're told Nannette is getting done ... a bigger butt (via implants) as well as having her vagina tightened (labiaplasty) -- procedures that'll cost somewhere in the ballpark of $75k to $90k. No word on who's actually footing the bill, BTW.

As for why she's looking to get her lady parts cinched ... our production sources say it has to do with the fact Nannette's had 7 kids and is looking to spruce things up so she can feel (and look) young again ... a la Barbie. Production isn't underway yet due to COVID, but we're hearing the cameras should hopefully be rolling again soon to capture all this.

We should also note ... this isn't her first rodeo under the knife -- Nannette has spent upwards of $500k on surgeries, all for this seemingly never-ending desire to be an actual Barbie. That includes 3 boob jobs/lifts, lip fillers, veneers and semi-permanent makeup.

As for the Barbie obsession ... our sources say Nannette just loves the idea of Barbie, and always has since she was a kid. She says she won't stop going down this rabbit hole until she's at least 70 ... which, if true, she's got a ways to go. The woman's just 47.

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are hitched -- tying the knot in a private ceremony this weekend in Oklahoma ... and TMZ's got one of the first shots of the bride in her dress, as well as what appears to be their first dance!

The longtime 'Voice' couple said "I do" Saturday during an intimate gathering at Blake's OK ranch, where he's said to have built a chapel just for this occasion. Unclear just how many people were in attendance ... but it appears to have been a pretty small guest list.

As for Gwen ... well, she was glowing in her white gown, a photo of which we've obtained from the day of. As you can see, she was quite ecstatic ... throwing up her arms as if she'd just won a race. Considering how long they've been dating -- that may well be true.

Gwen and Blake first got together back in 2015, after having met on the singing competition show ... where they both serve as judges. It might have been love at first sight ... because they were pretty much tied to the hip after that, finally getting engaged just last year.

Blake popped the question in October ... and they just showed their cards on when they planned to walk down the aisle. TMZ broke the story -- the Sheltons obtained a marriage license last week ... which indicated they'd be getting married any day now.

Looks like they did it the day before 4th of July ... as Blake had singing duties to attend to on the holiday itself. A delayed honeymoon, no doubt -- but we're sure they'll be off somewhere soon enough. They sure looked madly in love during a dance between the mister and missus on Saturday, so something tells us they're gonna wanna get back to that feeling ASAP.

Oh, and we forgot to mention ... there's a stealthy photobomber here in these shots --  tell us if you can spot 'em. They may or may not be on all fours somewhere near the ground. 🐶

Anyhoo ... congrats!!!

Sam Ingham, the lawyer who has represented Britney Spears in her conservatorship, is resigning ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Ingham -- who has repped Britney for 13 years -- will file legal docs as early as today ... asking to be dismissed as Britney's court-appointed lawyer.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ, Ingham is extremely upset at Britney's statement in court ... that she never knew she could end the conservatorship. We're told Ingham regularly gave Britney options, including requesting that the conservatorship should end, but she never wanted to pull the plug.

Our sources say Britney did talk to Ingham about removing Jamie, but she never wanted to end the conservatorship. We're told the last straw was when Britney told the judge Ingham never told her what he's legally required to do ... namely inform her of her options.

We're told Ingham will not go into detail in his filing, because of attorney/client confidentiality.

Ingham will follow Larry Rudolph, Britney's longtime manager, who resigned Monday, saying he was informed Britney was retiring from performing, so there was no reason to continue as her manager. Britney accused Rudolph of forcing her to perform during the 2018 European tour, but as we reported, we're told there were a number of communications, including text messages at the time, in which Britney "begged" to go on the tour.

Our sources say there will be more resignations this week as well. We're also told at the next court hearing later this month, members of the conservatorship team will present evidence to the judge disputing many of the things Britney said in court.

As you know, Britney says the conservatorship has all but ruined her life.

The violent robbery of NBA's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, as well as the attempted robbery of Fashion Nova CEO Richard Saghian that turned into a deadly shoot-out, could be connected ... according to our law enforcement sources.

TMZ's learned police are investigating the 2 June incidents -- along with multiple others that have been reported in L.A. lately -- to determine if they're part of a larger crime ring.

We're told in both cases and other similar cases, it's believed the victims were followed home after a night out and once they arrived ... they were approached by the suspects and robbed of their valuables at gunpoint.

As we reported ... one such incident went down in the Hollywood Hills in the early morning hours of June 25, where cops say 3 suspects tailed a Rolls-Royce taking the Fashion Nova boss home.

After Saghian went inside, we're told the suspects ordered 2 men who were traveling with Richard to the ground and took jewelry ... but then Richard's security responded and a shootout ensued.

Security and the suspects exchanged fire, and one of the suspects was shot and killed. Another suspect was critically injured. The security guard was shot as well. The third suspect was unharmed.

A week earlier -- as TMZ Sports first reported -- the Lakers guard was robbed at gunpoint by 3 suspects while he was in his driveway around 4 AM talking with friends. We're told the thieves made off with about $150,000 worth of loot, including a Rolex, jewelry and an iPhone.

Before this adorable tot went on to be a seven-time Grammy Award winner, she was just another kid growing up in Ottawa, Canada.

This talented star released their first album in 1991 and later ended up on tour, opening for Vanilla Ice. She has since released a total of nine studio albums and has now headlined a number of tours.

Aside from work within the music industry this famous face has made guest appearances on several television shows, "Sex and the City," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Mad TV," and "The Voice," are just a few of the shows to name.

A man unleashed a racist diatribe against a Black neighbor -- and even invited protesters to his front door ... but he might not have expected them to show up in droves, especially when he was being hauled off to jail.

Check out this wild encounter that was captured in Mount Laurel, NJ Friday, which led to an even crazier follow-up Monday ... when scores of people landed on this guy's driveway to decry a rant he'd gone on days earlier, who let him know what they thought of his venomous words.

The perp has reportedly been identified as Edward Cagney Mathews ... and he now faces criminal charges for a heated confrontation he had with one of his Black community members -- including alleged harassment and bias intimidation, over which the cops arrested him.

As for the initial face-off itself ... it's truly something to behold (in a bad way, we mean). Mathews hurls just about every epithet he can at the Black neighbor, including multiple uses of the n-word, "monkey" ... and even questions whether the man knows America's laws, saying "this isn't Africa" ... seemingly mocking what he perceived as a foreign accent.

It's unclear what exactly this was all over -- but in any case, you can tell Mathews took things way too far in what might amount to one of the most bigoted moments we've seen in a while. Even when what appears to be a security guard (or possibly even a cop) shows up to calm things down, he ratchets up the tension again ... demanding the guard put the "n******" in their place.

He told the person filming exactly where he lived, and encouraged people to show to find out "what (he's) about" ... and sure enough, they came rolling deep -- apparently protesting him for the past couple days ... to the point cops had to come escort Mathews away in custody.

That didn't stop people from unloading, though ... and we mean that literally. They chucked water bottles, garbage and debris at both Mathews and the police as they got into the squad car and drove away.

Paul Rudd once gave Seth Rogen a massage -- which might sound goofy ... but there's a twist that makes it all the more hilarious, the details of which Seth shared to much fanfare.

The actor/director dished on the hilarious story out of nowhere Monday on Twitter, telling the tale of the time his good pal, Paul, cloaked himself as a masseuse at a parlor Seth was at ... which he didn't really realize until well into the back rub.

In Seth's own words, he writes ... "Once I was in the spa in a hotel in Vegas getting a massage. When I finished I turned over and to my shock Paul Rudd was massaging me."

He goes on to give the nitty gritty of how the heck PR might've been able to sneak his way into such a scenario, adding ... "He saw me go in and convinced the masseuse to let him take over, thinking I'd notice immediately. I didn't, and Paul did the entire rest of it."

If that sounds like something Paul Rudd would do in a movie, turns out ... it's actually a stunt he'd pull in real-life as well. As the internet has pointed out, it's very on brand for him (and maybe for Seth too).

Of course, it'd be remiss of us not to mention that these two guys have some famous history with massage/beauty parlors ... perhaps most notably from "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" -- when they watched Steve Carell get his chest hair waxed off, a majority of which was real.

Shortly before Tom Holland and Zendaya were smooching in a car for the whole world to see -- they were breaking bread on what appears to be a date ... and TMZ's got the photos.

Check out these pics we obtained of Spider-Man and MJ themselves playing out their onscreen romance in real life just 5 days ago  ... when they hit up a Thai joint near Universal Studios -- on the outskirts of Central L.A. -- for a little late-night snack mid-week.

Eyewitnesses tell us the newly-announced couple -- who made their public debut Friday, when photos surfaced of a steamy make-out sesh from Thursday -- rolled into the place around 9ish, separately at first, one after another ... both wearing masks, which we're told they removed once seated near the very front of what appeared to be a pretty empty dining room.

That worked out great for them ... as it seems they were trying to maintain a somewhat low profile. Still, they got spotted by what few people were there -- and it seems the cat was almost out of the bag, which may very well have prompted their loose lips the following day.

Up until now ... it was only rumored Tom and Zen were an item -- something they've constantly denied over their filming career together -- but now, it's official ... the comic book movie chemistry we've all seen in the last two flicks is, indeed, real. Shippers can rejoice!

Anyway, as for this outing here ... no word yet on what they might've chowed down on exactly. We're also told they didn't show any obvious signs of PDA in the restaurant itself -- but they did appear to be engrossed in quite a stimulating conversation ... which you can probably tell from Zendaya's big hand gestures and Tom's focused look on his boo.

Maybe they were talking about how awesome it's gonna be when the world finally realizes Tobey Maguire AND Andrew Garfield both appear in the multi-verse sequel coming out later this year ... and that Tobey hits Tom with an Uncle Ben reference that causes waterworks.

Rachel Nichols has apologized to fellow ESPN colleague, Maria Taylor, on national television -- this after a bombshell NYT report -- and ex-NBA stars Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson were there to add their two cents.

The veteran NBA anchor took a moment Monday on "The Jump" to address the Times' story from this weekend -- which shed light on drama at the sports network over the past year ... this following recorded controversial remarks Rachel made surrounding Maria, who's Black.

Right off the bat, RN acknowledged she didn't like that she'd become the story ... but owned up to it nonetheless, saying she was deeply sorry to anyone she let down with her comments, especially Maria. Rachel added she was grateful to be part of the ESPN team.

Perk and Rich took it from there ... with the former chiming in first, thanking Rachel for taking responsibility for her actions, and relaying to the audience that he knew her heart -- while also pointing out he'd always felt comfortable in her presence. He also shouted out Maria, whom he said was deserving of every opportunity that came her way ... and that he hoped they could all support each other going forward. RJ echoed those sentiments as well.

He ended on a somewhat sobering note though, saying he, Rachel and others at ESPN have had hard convos of late in regards to this ... and that they'll continue to have hard convos. Rachel thanked them for their POVs, and they continued on with NBA Finals coverage.

The response comes on the heels of surfaced audio, which depicts Rachel having a candid conversation with LeBron James' PR advisor, Adam Mendelsohn, last year during the playoffs ... during which Rachel expressed frustration that ESPN was looking to have Maria share hosting duties with her during the Finals -- something Rachel likened to a "diversity" move.