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Marlon Wayans publicly supporting his transgender son and being open about his own learning process as a parent is earning him praise from leaders in the LGBTQ+ community.

The comedian is being applauded by honchos at the National Center for Transgender Equality, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and the LGBT Centers in San Francisco and Los Angeles ... they say he's setting a great example for parents of transgender people.

Remember, Marlon recently revealed his eldest child is transgender and now identifies as a male with the 23-year-old transitioning from Amai to Kai.

Marlon's calling Kai his son ... and says it took quite a bit of education to go from complete denial to loving and accepting his kid.

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, the Executive Director for the National Center for Transgender Equality, tells TMZ ... "We celebrate Marlon Wayans supporting his trans son and showing parents everywhere that acceptance is possible, even when it's hard ... let your child know that you love and support them, no matter what. It's amazing for Marlon to model that for other parents out there who may not understand it yet."

As you know, trans rights are a lightning rod right now ... making Marlon's acceptance even more important in the eyes of LGBTQ+ groups.

Dani Siragusa, Director of Development and Communications at the SF LGBT Center, tells TMZ ..."Marlon's unconditional support of Kai is so powerful because in the face of anti-trans hate, society needs to continue seeing examples of beautifully diverse families, and our communities need to continue uplifting stories of trans-affirming love between parents and trans children and vice versa."

Meanwhile, Shannon Minter from the NCLR tells us ... "In the current political climate -- with so many anti-transgender bills being pushed by hostile legislators -- being the parent of a transgender child can be lonely, difficult, and even frightening. By publicly embracing his transgender son, Wayans has provided a much-needed beacon of hope and light for these families. He is a powerful reminder that all young people need adults to support and protect them."

Closer to home, Marlon's being praised by the L.A. LGBT Center for not only being open about his transgender son, but also tackling the topic on his new comedy special, "Rainbow Child."

Try not to get "Lost" in THIS "Kingdom" of "Aquaman" hunk Jason Momoa ... who always brings his own flare to the fashion table. Decked out in holes, boots and scarves, it seems the only item he left at home were his stripes!

The actor has been in New York City, gearing up to host this weekend's "Saturday Night Live" and was snapped signaling to the paparazzi in front of a Benz earlier this week in NYC.

Can you capture the changes made to the images? This is your kingdom now!

Chuck E. Cheese is getting rid of its kiddie robot characters in the near future -- except for one location -- and people think it's because of this new horror movie ... but it ain't so.

Alejandra Brady -- the head of communications for Chuck E. Cheese -- tells TMZ ... all the speculation about the discontinuation of its animatronic creatures -- affectionately known as "Munch's Make Believe Band" -- being a direct result of "Five Nights at Freddy's" is total bunk.

While it makes sense some might think one directly led to the other -- seeing how the videogame-inspired flick came out 2 weeks ago, and it's all about killer animatronic robots at a defunct Chuck E. Cheese-like play place -- Brady says nothing could be further from the truth ... this decision to phase out the machines has been in the works for a while.

Brady tells us the CEC brass have been wanting to pivot into the 21st century for a while here -- believing that having live performers do their Chuck E. Live! Show will be a better experience for guests ... and it'll be completely state-of-the-art and interactive.

Whereas the old bots would just stand there and jerk around with levers and pullies -- this new show is going to be completely rebranded ... and more importantly, it's been the game plan for years now, dating back to 2017 when Chuck E. Cheese first announced this move.

The latest news folks heard the other day about ditching all the animatronics was actually just to let 'em know that the old school robot show is gonna happen at only one location going forward ... and that would be Northridge, CA -- which they call the "residency" show.

Of course, people conflated that announcement with the release of 'FNAF' ... and figured Chuck and co. were running scared based on the flick -- again, it shows murderous bots.

That's not the case, though ... Brady assures us they've been looking for a change for years now -- and it just so happens to going down during this 'FNAF' craze -- call it coincidence!

AD is in utter disbelief Snoop Dogg is quitting smoking THC for good but if Dogg has officially puffed his blunt, he can count on AD's support -- spiritually and physically!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught AD at LAX, and he tells us he's fully prepared to assist Snoop in his smokeless journey, especially with the family being involved in his decision.

Snoop threw everyone for a loop on Thursday when he announced he's done with "smoke" and immediately got the backing of his son Cordell.

The post had an interesting choice in wording ... Snoop's abandoning "smoke" -- not "smoking" or "weed" -- leaving many fans to believe his post is really about switching to some sort of vape or edible alternative.

The 'Cuhmunity' podcast host tells us he's confident Snoop has the willpower to pull it off, and doesn't think he'll get hate for it ... 'cause how could anyone hate on the legend?

Fall so hard for these luscious ladies showin' off their long legs who are bound to catch you way off guard! These boots were made for walking guessing, so kick off your weekend with famous chicks in thigh-high kicks!

From actresses to singers to models and everything in between, strut into our gallery where you'll see bountiful baddies in boots. And, while these famous faces may not be wearin' much ... their gorgeous gams are definitely kept cozy and covered!

Paula Jai Parker is questioning Cassie's sexual abuse allegations against Diddy ... and now she's getting tons of backlash for doing so.

The actress shared her 2 cents on Cassie's explosive lawsuit with a series of tweets ... and at one point said, "I'm sorry but I don't get it, I used to be 19 and I was in the industry and I was quite capable of saying no."

As you know ... Cassie is accusing Diddy of rape and human trafficking, among several other claims, in a federal suit ... and a lot of folks are already taking her side.

But, Paula's taking a more skeptical stance. She says she's sexual abuse survivor and adds ... "By 19 we're all strong enough to make choices that affect the rest of our lives. If you can't say no you're not built for it. Take that midnight train now before you get yourself in trouble."

She also says ... "I'm trying so hard to see the victim here, but do sex slaves usually get to pick their sex partners in 5⭐ hotels?😩🤷🏽‍♂️."

On social media, folks are ripping Paula for "victim blaming" ... and people are throwing out alleged NDAs, threats and fear as potential reasons why it took Cassie so long to speak out.

The new Speaker of the House dropped a huge batch of videos recorded inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 -- and some conspiracy theorists will, no doubt, say they prove confirmation bias.

Speaker Mike Johnson just released a massive cache of surveillance footage from inside the Capitol that was shot on that fateful day -- and you can imagine, it shows varying moments of activity as demonstrators broke in and stormed the premises.

Yes, there are instances when rioters are casually strolling through the grounds once they get inside ... and in some cases, they're actually walking right past police officers and other security personnel -- which, obviously, isn't a great look for law enforcement.

You can even see some elected officials shuffling through the halls ... and they're not necessarily sprinting as they're being escorted by armed guards. Par for the course -- a ton of conservative personalities are latching on to this as evidence Jan. 6 wasn't actually an insurrection ... but rather, a peaceful protest that's been blown out of proportion.

While those conservatives might think their point is made in this video dump -- fact is, there's even more video -- which we've all seen -- depicting the utter chaos and violence that actually unfolded.

There are countless videos of rioters squaring up and fighting cops outside -- with batons being swung, and mace being sprayed. Also not in dispute, Capitol Police officers lost their lives in the line of duty that day ... and one protester, Ashli Babbit, was shot and killed inside. So, this wasn't some kumbaya get-together.

It's interesting that Rep. Johnson -- who's known to be very Donald Trump-friendly -- was the one who ended up releasing these. Previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy had a lot of pressure on him to do the same before he was ousted, but ultimately never did.

Suni Lee -- the Olympics star who won gold in Tokyo in 2020 -- just revealed her kidney issues this year caused her to gain 45 pounds.

The 5-foot gymnast made the revelation in an interview with USA Today this week ... just a few months after she left Auburn to get a handle on the ailment.

"I couldn't fit into any of my clothes," Lee told the outlet. "My eyes were swollen shut. It was just so scary."

Thankfully, Lee says she's doing better now ... and, according to USA Today, she looks "very much like the gymnast" who competed in the Games nearly three years ago.

"I haven't had a really bad day in a while," Lee said. "But in the beginning it was like I was waking up swollen. My fingers were so swollen they wouldn’t fit into my grips and I couldn't hold on to the bar."

She added, "My whole body was swollen because I was retaining water, so I couldn’t do a flip. … So it was really different and I had to learn how to work through it."

Lee said she's made some changes to her diet -- eliminating a lot of her sodium intake -- which has allowed her to reignite her pursuit of more medals at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

"We're still working on trying to figure out how to balance all of it because I do have good days and bad days," Lee said. "But with the good days I just take advantage of what I'm able to do, and on the bad days I just do basics and try and stay as safe as possible."

Russ says he's the victim of a home burglary in Georgia ... telling cops thieves made off with five guns, a pair of designer purses and his girlfriend's Mercedes-Benz.

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, the Roswell Police Department says the rapper called them a little before 1 AM Friday and reported seeing burglars on his home security camera.

Cops say when they got there the front door was open and the place had clearly been ransacked ... though the alleged burglars appeared to be long gone.

Russ, who was not home at the time, got on FaceTime with the officers as they toured the home ... telling them 5 firearms were taken, as well as two purses and his girlfriend's 2020 Mercedes-Benz C-Class AMG.

Police say the "Losin Control" rapper told them the guns taken included a pair of Glock 19s, a CZ Scorpion and two Walther handguns ... all 9mm firearms.

As for the designer bags ... Russ claims thieves made off with two Chanel purses, a pink one valued at $15k and a black one valued at $9k.

Cops say an initial review of surveillance footage shows at least two people entering the home from the basement patio door around 10:15 PM Thursday ... before walking right out the front door around midnight with backpacks and suitcases.

News flash ... lab-grown diamonds are REAL diamonds and there's really no difference between man-made rocks and their natural counterparts ... according to a famous jeweler.

Jean Dousset, a descendant of Cartier founder Louis Francois Cartier, joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday and schooled us on lab-grown diamonds ... explaining why they are indeed a diamond in every sense of the way.

JD says even the most seasoned gemologists cannot tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds ... and they're both graded on the same scales under the same rules and principles.

It's pretty interesting to consider ... seeing as there's controversy surrounding engagement rings these days. Based on what Jean's telling us here, it sounds like a man would be able to safely pass off a lab-grown diamond engagement ring as a natural one and the woman would never know.

Of course, Jean says most couples are shopping together for rings nowadays and he's not advocating for people to get engaged on a lie ... but the window of opportunity is definitely there.

Jean's got his own jewelry store in West Hollywood and this year he started selling only lab-grown diamonds. He's previously designed engagement rings for Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria and Amy Adams and says couples can get more bang for their buck with lab-grown diamonds.

Rosalynn Carter, the former first lady and wife of former President Jimmy Carter, is in hospice care at the family's Georgia home.

Rosalynn is 96 years old and earlier this year she was diagnosed with dementia. It's been a rough year for the Carters ... back in January, the 99-year-old former Prez also started receiving hospice care.

In a statement Friday, the Carter Center says Rosalynn and Jimmy "are spending time with each other and their family. The Carter family continues to ask for privacy and remains grateful for the outpouring of love and support."

The Carters live in Plains, Georgia ... where they were both born and raised.

Rosalynn and Jimmy have been married for 77 years, they got hitched way back in 1946 ... and she served as First Lady from 1977 to 1981 during Jimmy's 4 years in the White House.

Bill Cosby is facing yet another lawsuit over alleged sexual assault -- only this time, it's from a woman who years ago had an infamously awkward interview with Don Lemon about her claims.

The comedian is named in a new suit that was filed by Joan Tarshis -- who's an actress and former comedy writer -- and she outright accuses Cosby of rape ... this after claiming he drugged her on two different occasions back in the early '70s.

In her docs, obtained by TMZ, Tarshis says she first met Cosby at the age of 19 through a mutual friend ... and got invited to the studio where they filmed the 'Cosby Show' for a one-on-one writing session.

She claims while alone with Cosby in his private bungalow there on the lot, Cosby gave her a drink, which she accepted and consumed ... only to start feeling dizzy shortly thereafter. Tarshis says she quickly passed out, and woke up to Cosby undressing her.

Tarshis says she was disoriented while she tried fighting Cosby off, and claims he overpowered her ... forcing his penis into her mouth without consent.

About a year after this, Tarshis claims Cosby reached out to her again in NYC ... offering to take her to a music fair he was performing at -- which she says she reluctantly agreed to.

Tarshis alleges she was given another drink while traveling with Cosby to the venue and she says she again started to feel weak ... and eventually lost consciousness. Tarshis claims she woke up naked in bed next to Cosby ... and that she felt she'd been penetrated vaginally and anally.

Tarshis is alleging assault, battery, infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment ... and seeking major damages. Cosby's rep had no comment.

It goes without saying ... this is far from his first allegation. He's been sued numerous times over by countless women -- and even went to trial in Pennsylvania a few years ago ... where he was found guilty of assaulting Andrea Costand, only to have his conviction later reversed.

Shaquille O'Neal continues to give back ... this time the Big Fella refurbished a basketball court at a Boys & Girls Club in Los Angeles, and then spent the afternoon hangin' with the kids, and they were over the moon!

TMZ Sports was there at the BGC of Metro LA when the Hall of Famer, local officials, and Icy Hot (Shaq's longtime partner) reps opened the Comebaq Court ... an initiative launched by the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation which aims to fix courts and fields for kids across the country.

"I came here one time and I saw the court need to be refurbished," O'Neal told us on Thursday, adding, "I asked about the refurbish. They told me 'yes' and this is the result."

"If we can help one, if we can help 100, we can help 'em all"

FYI, this is Shaq's fifth Comebaq Court to date ... he also has fixed up courts in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, in addition to several other places like Atlanta, Miami, and Las Vegas, where he's spent significant time.

And, there's more to come.

O'Neal may get most of the credit from the media, but Shaq is quick to recognize his less-famous partners who made this possible, including Icy Hot and various counselors who helped contribute.

"Those counselors, the one who volunteers every day, they actually should get most of the credit," Shaq said.

"If you need computers, you need laptops, fresh paint -- then you call Uncle Shaq."

The NBA legend made nearly $300 million over his 19-year career in NBA salary money alone. That's not counting all of the endorsements, and lucrative business moves O'Neal has made during and after his basketball playing days.

So, he's got the money, but this is about much more than writing a check. Shaq cares about the kids' well-being ... and that's awesome. At the end of the day, it's things like this that make Shaq one of the most lovable athletes of all time.

With the holidays coming up, we asked the 51-year-old what he was doing for Turkey Day... and in true Shaquille fashion he told us ... "I don't do anything in my house."

12:22 PM -- Joe Burrow just met with media members to discuss the injury ... and he said he felt "a pop" while he was throwing the touchdown pass to Joe Mixon.

As for the brace he had on his hand when he landed in Baltimore earlier this week, he told reporters it was simply a compression sleeve to keep some of his other "bumps and bruises" in check.

"This is a completely different thing," he said.

Burrow added that he's planning to still be around the team the rest of the year despite being out for the remainder of the season.

The Cincinnati Bengals will have to try to win a Super Bowl this season without Joe Burrow.

The team just announced its star quarterback suffered a significant wrist injury that will keep him from playing the rest of this year.

According to Cincy head coach Zac Taylor, Burrow appeared to sustain the ailment just before throwing a touchdown pass to Joe Mixon in the second quarter of the team's Thursday Night Football game against the Ravens.

Burrow tried to play through the pain ... but cameras inside of M&T Bank Stadium showed he just simply couldn't grip a football -- and sat out the rest of the contest, which the Bengals lost, 34-20.

Taylor said his 26-year-old star will "likely" need surgery to fix the issue.

The team, meanwhile, could find itself in hot water over it all ... as the NFL is reportedly investigating whether or not the Bengals knew about a potential problem with Burrow's wrist leading up to the big "TNF" matchup.

Burrow was seen getting off the team plane in Baltimore wearing some kind of brace on his hand -- yet he was not listed on the team's injury report heading into the game.

Regardless, losing Burrow is obviously a huge blow for Cincinnati ... as the signal-caller is widely considered one of the five best quarterbacks in the game right now.

The Bengals -- now 5-5 -- will turn to Burrow's backup, Jake Browning, to try to save their season.

The guy who's been tapped to play Superman in the new installment has looked a bit gangly and awkward to some since his casting was announced ... but not anymore.

David Corenswet -- who's playing the Man of Steel in James Gunn's forthcoming 'Superman: Legacy' -- got snapped in a gym pic by fitness trainer Paolo Mascitti ... who's apparently working with DC to get him nice and hunky for the titular role.

Based on what we can see here ... their regimen is working, 'cause Dave's looking swoll!

You don't see the guy's face here -- but you can definitely get a sense of how his body's shaping up ... and he certainly looks a bit more Superman-ly now. It's a bit of a 180 from what we saw earlier this summer, when Dave hit the beach and bared his hot dad bod.

There was certainly nothing wrong with what he was working with then -- especially below the equator -- but let's just say ... he wasn't nearly as muscled out as he is right now.

Now that Dave seems to have the Clark Kent physique down ... it would appear he's checking all the boxes fans of the franchise want to see in their Superman. He definitely has the face and hair department on lock -- not to mention height -- and now ... he's ripped too.

Time will tell what he ultimately looks like in the blue and red suit ... but this is a sign things are headed in the right direction. Filming for 'Superman: Legacy' is set to get underway in Spring 2024 ... and the flick's being released in Summer 2025.

50 Cent is in the clear, for now, for chucking a microphone into the crowd during his L.A. show back in August ... an incident that left a spectator with multiple lacerations to her head and face.

Power 106 radio host Bryhana Monegain filed a police report following the incident on August 30 ... and cops originally presented the case to the L.A. County D.A. as a felony -- but the D.A.'s Office later kicked it to the L.A. City Attorney's office.

Now, the City Attorney's office tells TMZ no criminal charges have been filed against the 48-year-old rapper, and won't be filed as long as he keeps his nose clean.

We're told the case will remain open for 1 year from the date of the incident ... and it could be re-evaluated for possible criminal charges should there be any further incidents between 50 and Bryhana.

This all started when 50 Cent performed at L.A.'s Crypto.com Arena, and video showed him angrily throwing his mic into the crowd ... and it smashed Bryhana in the forehead so badly, she needed medical assistance.