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Lamar Odom is going to war for the Kardashians ... saying anyone who believes men are suffering from a "Kardashian Curse" after relationships with the sisters are straight-up "dumbasses."

The ex-NBA star was asked this month how men -- including himself and guys like Kanye West -- seemingly fall apart after getting into serious relationships with the Kardashians ... and that's when he raced in to defend the famous family.

"That's stupidity,” Odom said of the "curse" during an interview with Vlad TV that aired over the weekend. "Because everybody goes through s***, you dumbasses."

Odom continued, "If I had your family on tape, and see all the s*** your family was going through, people would be like, 'This f***ing family is crazy!' People would see all the drug addicts, all the sex, they share their life with you, so you see everything."

Odom was married to Khloe Kardashian from 2009 to 2016 ... and the former Lakers player had far more downs than ups during the relationship.

But, Lamar says NONE of that has to do with the circus that surrounds the Kardashians ... explaining he feels he's actually "lucky" to have been at one point accepted by the family.

"I know in some ways it's the reason why I'm still relevant to this day," the 41-year-old said. "'Cause I'm not playing ball no more. Ain't no more highlights on me no more."

Odom continued, "The looks that I still get is due to -- a lot of it is because of the love that they gave me ... And f**k anybody that goes against that."

Odom and Khloe officially divorced back in December 2016. He's since apologized publicly for the way he acted toward her during the relationship, even saying back in 2019, "I couldn't believe how I was treating that queen."

TMZ now knows what was on Derek Chauvin's hand ... he wanted to make sure he had his lawyer's phone number in case he was convicted and sent directly to jail.

Chauvin's lawyer, Eric Nelson, tells TMZ, his client wrote the number ahead of the conviction, because the convicted former cop knew if the jury found him guilty of second-degree murder he'd almost certainly have his bail revoked and he'd be remanded to custody.

Chauvin clearly knew given his former profession, he would have limited access to a phone but would be allowed to call his lawyer ... thus the scribble on his left hand. Chauvin has been in court many times, so he clearly knew a conviction would lead to swift incarceration, with no opportunity to speak to his lawyer in court after the verdict.

Nelson didn't say what the nature of such a call might be, but clearly, Chauvin wanted to discuss the next steps with his attorney. There are issues of sentencing and appeal that the defense will certainly address.

We're guessing Chauvin wrote the phone number on his hand because he was concerned if he wrote it on a piece of paper it might be confiscated when he was booked into jail.

The Las Vegas Raiders tried to enter the chat after the Derek Chauvin verdict on Tuesday -- but they're getting torn apart on social media for what some are saying is an insensitive post.

After Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd on Tuesday, the Raiders' social media account tweeted out, "I CAN BREATHE" with the date and the team logo.

The problem ... people feel it's very tone deaf because Floyd told officers, "I can't breathe" more than 20 times while being forcefully detained by Chauvin, who at the time was a member of the Minneapolis Police Department.

On top of that ...  while the verdict is a step in the right direction, there's clearly so much work to be done.

The reaction to the Raiders' social media post has been overwhelmingly negative ... with THOUSANDS of responses piling in on Twitter.

Here's a sampling ...

-- "Wow this is a huge miss"

-- "Delete this s**t."

-- "Donate money to the inner cities of Oakland & delete this post."

-- "Delete this wtf is this omg"

-- "This is what it looks like when u try to join the 'woke' side of social media and fail miserably"

NBA guard Isaiah Thomas also voiced his displeasure ... saying, "Y’all can’t be serious."

NFL receiver Torrey Smith added ... "Folks get paid to avoid stupid stuff like this smh delete this @Raiders"

Emmanuel Acho -- "I keep double checking to see if the @Raiders verified account actually tweeted this."

The tweet is still up as of 5 PM PT ... but given the backlash, that could change.

Swae Lee is finally hearing from his brother facing a first-degree murder charge in his father's death ... and TMZ has the first look at their phone call from jail, and it's powerful.

The rapper and his mother, Bernadette Walker, got super emotional as they dialed up her son, Michael Sullivan, as he sits in a Mississippi jail and asked about the night in January 2020 when Swae's stepfather -- who helped raise him -- was gunned down.

The emotional jail phone call is part of Swae's new docuseries on Snapchat, "Swae Meets World," which premiered last Saturday and features Swae talking about his stepfather's death on camera for the first time.

Michael, who suffers from a mental illness requiring medication, tells Swae what was going through his head the night his father, Floyd Sullivan Jr., died ... and it sounds pretty intense.

TMZ broke the story ... Swae and Slim Jxmmi's half-brother was arrested for murder the day after their stepfather was shot to death, and Michael's been charged with murder and is facing life in prison if convicted.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dolores Catania knows how to sniff out a good party ... and she's all about chipping in for it too!!!

Dolores was apparently hanging out around the Liberty House at the Liberty State Park in Jersey City on Sunday, where -- full disclosure -- one of our NYC camera guys, Jeremy, was having his wedding reception.

We're told the NJ 'Housewife' popped in around 8:30 PM and stayed for over an hour, mingling and snapping pics with the bride and groom and other guests who are big 'RHONJ' fans.

Dolores showed up solo and left by herself too ... but not before gifting the happy couple $250 via Venmo. We're told they were ecstatic about her surprise appearance ... truly a memorable moment.

BTW -- this was actually Jeremy's second wedding ceremony ... you may recall he had a small, socially distant affair last year in the early pandemic days that was memorable for totally different reasons.

YouTube star Kyle Foregeard learned the hard way that allegedly pretending to be a Paul Blart has consequences ... like getting arrested.

So, get this ... Kyle, who is widely known in the YouTube and social media world for pulling off incredible pranks, is alleged to have impersonated a mall security officer at the Grapevine Mills Mall in Tarrant County, Texas.

What's more ... according to the police report, cops say Kyle even had his own segway. Word of the arrest eventually made it on social media after Kyle's prank group, the Nelk Boys, tweeted Monday that one of their own had just been taken into custody.

It wasn't long before the Nelk Boys' legion of fans made #FreeKyle a trend on Twitter. According to police records ... Kyle was taken into custody Tuesday but it wasn't long before he was released after posting a $750 bond.

Draymond Green says it's "great" that Derek Chauvin was convicted in the murder of George Floyd -- but warns the fight against bad cops is far from over.

TMZ Sports spoke with the Golden State Warriors star in Washington D.C. on Thursday afternoon -- moments after the Chauvin verdict was revealed.

Our photog was a little nervous when he approached Green, but essentially tried to ask if the conviction is good for the country on the whole.

"I think it's great that we finally saw a cop get tried," Green told us ... "The challenge to the country now is to make sure [police officers are] being held accountable."

Our photog also asked Green if he thinks the Chauvin case will have an overall impact on the way cops across the country treat Black people.

"I think that's a totally different story ... when you look at the way these officers treat Black people, we're not treated as human. We're treated as a threat by your skin color."

Before this shocked tot was a Disney star stealing the screen in musical adventures, she was just another blonde beauty growing up in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

This short haired sweetie has proved her acting chops and powerhouse singing skills throughout her career ... starring in leading roles for television, film, and live musicals. She has also scored success with her songs on the Billboard charts.

Now, this surprised star has just started filming for an iconic new live-action series -- she will be playing a super sweet member of a colorful trio based off a 90s cartoon.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris just reacted to the guilty verdict that was handed down in the Derek Chauvin murder trial ... and they say it's a catalyst for ending systemic racism.

Biden says he told George Floyd's daughter, Gianna, her father "changed the world" ... and he's calling on Americans to unite behind the guilty verdict and help make the country a better place where folks don't have reason to fear law enforcement.

POTUS says Floyd's murder in broad daylight ripped the blinders off and allowed the world to see the systemic racism rooted in America ... and Biden says the verdict is a step towards changing the country's trajectory.

Harris says the guilty verdict offers a bit of relief, but it can't bring back Floyd or take away his family's pain ... and she says now's the time to reform policing in America.

In the courthouse hallway moments after the verdict, Biden called the Floyd family and expressed his feelings that justice was served.

As you know by now, a Minneapolis jury just found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder and third-degree murder for killing Floyd during his arrest on May 25, 2020. Chauvin was also found guilty of second-degree manslaughter.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Prez commented that he had checked in on Floyd's family and told them he was "praying the verdict is the right verdict." He also called the Chauvin case "overwhelming."

The Chauvin verdict does not mean the overwhelming nature of the case is over ... as the 3 other officers involved in Floyd's arrest are due to stand trial soon as well.

Derek Chauvin -- the former Minneapolis officer who pressed his knee on George Floyd's neck for more than 9 minutes during his fatal arrest on May 25, 2020 -- has been found guilty of 2nd-degree murder.

The jury delivered the verdict after more than 10 hours of deliberation. The maximum penalty for 2nd-degree unintentional murder is 40 years in prison. Sentencing will be handed down in 8 weeks. Chauvin's bail was revoked and he was remanded into custody.

The jury also found Chauvin guilty of 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter, but the 2nd degree takes precedence since it was the highest charge.

The Floyd family attorney, Ben Crump, tweeted just minutes after the verdict was read, "GUILTY! Painfully earned justice has finally arrived for George Floyd’s family. This verdict is a turning point in history and sends a clear message on the need for accountability of law enforcement. Justice for Black America is justice for all of America!"

Crump continues, "We thank AG Keith Ellison & his team, along with our legal team, for fierce dedication to justice. But it does not end here. We still have work to do! We must pass George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to hold police accountable & prevent unjustified killings of marginalized POC."

The decision came after the jury heard from 38 prosecution witnesses, including the Minneapolis Police Chief and use-of-force experts who criticized Chauvin ... and medical experts who explained Floyd died from more than 9 minutes of pressure from Chauvin's knee.

The defense called 7 witnesses, but Chauvin did not take the stand himself as he invoked his 5th Amendment right.

Chauvin was the first of the officers involved in Floyd's arrest to stand trial for the incident. He was charged with killing Floyd less than a week after video of him pressing his knee into Floyd's neck spread like wildfire online, and sparked nationwide protests and riots.

Chauvin's main defense in the case was that Floyd allegedly died from drugs and a heart condition and not from the ex-cop's actions. Chauvin's lawyers claimed Floyd "put drugs in his mouth" to conceal them when confronted by cops, and the drugs exacerbated his heart condition and caused his death.

But, prosecutors insisted drug use was a bogus defense, and Floyd was killed by Chauvin's unforgiving knee ... which he held to Floyd's neck as he struggled to breathe for more than 9 minutes.

Several witnesses supported the prosecution's theory, including Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, who took the stand to testify Chauvin's actions "absolutely" violated police policy.

Chauvin, however, defended his actions at the time by telling a witness he and the other cops had to stay on top of Floyd to control him because he's a "sizable guy" and because he was "probably on something."

During the trial, a couple paramedics testified Floyd's heart had already stopped by the time they arrived on scene. The ER doctor who pronounced Floyd dead at the hospital testified he believed oxygen deficiency was "one of the more likely" causes of his death.

Floyd's family already got a measure of justice when the City of Minneapolis settled a wrongful death lawsuit, agreeing to pay the family $27 million.

Michael Richards allegedly pulled off a caper some people might call Kramer-ish -- cutting down a neighbor's 30-year-old trees ... but they're not laughing, in fact, they're suing the "Seinfeld" star and his wife.

Maxine Adams is suing Michael and his wife, Beth Skipp, claiming they sauntered over to her Pacific Palisades property on April 2 and "maliciously cut mature Brazilian Pepper Trees and underbrush" on her property.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Adams says her property is right next door to the Richards' -- they share a border which is only separated by a narrow public walkway.

Adams says Michael and Beth had no business chopping down her two 18-foot trees just to improve their ocean views. Adams says the trees were 30 years old and providing significant privacy and shade.

Adams claims the couple cut down the trees knowing full well they didn't have Adams's consent in order to "significantly enhance the value of their home as it would increase their view to the Pacific Ocean."

And, get this ... Adams claims she can't crane in new large box trees and instead will have to plant much smaller ones that'll take 20 years to reach the height of her old ones -- and will cost her more than $62k. She's suing for that amount, plus at least another $200k for the loss of aesthetic value to property.

George Floyd's family is feeling joy, relief and gratitude in the wake of Derek Chauvin being found guilty of murder, but they also understand the impact of this moment is greater than them ... and say it's a reminder to keep fighting for justice.

George's brother, Philonise Floyd was in the courtroom Tuesday when the ex-cop was found guilty of 2nd-degree murder, 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter ... and says he had faith a guilty verdict would come through.

Philonise says he feels relieved today, but reminded everyone this has been a long journey that didn't start with the video of his brother's murder, but way back with the 1955 slaying of Emmett Till.

He adds that this sort of injustice continues with the killing of Daunte Wright as a recent example -- and it's a reminder to keep fighting -- but says at least for today, "We can breathe again."

George's other brothers, Terrence and Rodney, also spoke ... with Terrence calling the verdict a "monumental" moment in history. Terrence and Rodney both called it a victory for humanity and thanked all of the protesters and advocates who fought and marched for justice.

As you know ... George was killed on May 25, 2020, when Minneapolis police officers attempted to arrest him for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill -- and Chauvin pressed his knee on George's neck for more than 9 minutes, and George pled for his mother.

Chauvin was arrested and charged with killing George less than a week later ... and the video of the fatal incident sparked nationwide protests and riots.

Chauvin's sentencing will happen in 8 weeks, with the maximum penalty for 2nd-degree unintentional murder being 40 years in prison. Chauvin's bail has already been revoked and he's been remanded into custody.

The teenager whose video was seen 'round the world of George Floyd being murdered by Derek Chauvin has spoken on the guilty verdict that just came down ... and she's elated.

17-year-old Darnella Frazier just reacted to the news Chauvin was found guilty on all 3 counts, and now faces a max sentence of 40 years. She says, "I just cried so hard😩This last hour my heart was beating so fast, I was so anxious, anxiety bussing through the roof. But to know GUILTY ON ALL 3 CHARGES !!!"

Darnella shared her emotions on Facebook ... the same platform where she first posted the infamous 9 minute-plus video, which was the critical piece of evidence in Chauvin's trial.

She added, "THANK YOU GOD THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU😭🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽George Floyd we did it!!🥺❤️❤️❤️❤️justice has been served✊🏽"

Darnella elaborated even further on IG, saying ... "My heart goes out to George Floyd’s family!❤️🙏🏽Although no amount of charges will bring back a loved one, justice was served and his murderer will pay the price. We did it❤️❤️✊🏽#justicewasserved."

It's no exaggeration to say Chauvin's conviction is due in large part to the fact Darnella captured every painful minute his knee was on George Floyd's neck ... nearly 10 minutes.

Her video was played almost daily during Chauvin's trial and, in the end, clearly helped the jury reach its unanimous decision in under 11 hours.

It's been a long road for Darnella -- you might recall, she was going through a hard time in the immediate aftermath of the video going viral -- with some people questioning her motives and even asking why she didn't do more. She and her fam told us she might need therapy.

Magic Johnson believes justice has been served in the Derek Chauvin case -- thanking God after the former police officer was found guilty in the murder of George Floyd.

"Thank God ... guilty! Justice has been served," Johnson tweeted.

Chauvin was found guilty of 2nd-degree unintentional murder, 3rd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter stemming from the May 2020 incident in Minnesota.

Moments after the verdict was read and Chauvin was taken into custody, athletes from all over the world spoke out on social media.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver also issued a joint statement with the executive director of the NBPA Michele Roberts.

"George Floyd’s murder was a flash point for how we look at race and justice in our country, and we are pleased that justice appears to have been served."

"But we also recognize that there is much work to be done and the National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association, together with our newly-formed Social Justice Coalition, will redouble our efforts to advocate for meaningful change in the areas of criminal justice and policing."

LeBron James had a one-word reaction to the verdict ... tweeting, "ACCOUNTABILITY."

Renee Montgomery -- former WNBA player turned co-owner of the Atlanta Dream said, "Let’s make this the new normal. Accountability is served."

Mike Tyson -- "Guilty. Justice served."

Matt Barnes -- "Condolences to the Floyd Family. This is just the first step of starting to change a broken system."

Reggie Miller -- "Thank you JURY!!! ACCOUNTABILITY"

Matt Forte -- "I don’t celebrate the demise of another persons life no matter what they’ve done but I do celebrate JUSTICE, TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS because for so long that has been void of the criminal justice system in America for black and brown people."

Josh Hart -- "Put his ass under the jail."

Torrey Smith -- "I can’t believe what I just saw. They finally got one case right. GUILTY!!! Prayers up for the Floyd family."

Ex-NBA star Isiah Thomas -- "Crying hard tears right now, maybe things are changing in America?"

Karl-Anthony Towns -- "Justice and Accountability! Things I never thought I would see. There’s much more work to do, but this is an amazing start working toward the reform this country NEEDS!"

The Minnesota Timberwolves also issued a statement saying the team is "hopeful that today's decision will serve as a step forward, but it does not ease the physical and emotional pain that continues in an environment where systemic racism exists."

"To our BIPOC community, the Timberwolves and Lynx remain committed to influencing change, promoting impactful action, and using our platform to help heal and unite in pursuit of liberty and justice FOR ALL."

President Biden saying he's "praying the verdict is the right verdict" in Derek Chauvin's murder trial is a breath of fresh air for Rev. Al Sharpton, who believes the Prez didn't do anything wrong by weighing in ... and showing he's human.

The Rev. joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday shortly before it was announced the Chauvin jury had reached a verdict in his trial for murdering George Floyd. Obviously, collective anxiety is high in the country -- which is why Biden's comments Tuesday morning were surprising to some. But Sharpton notes ... the President has a connection to Floyd's family, which the Rev. says makes his remarks appropriate.

Not only that, but Al says Joe should be allowed as President to show some empathy about a case that has greatly impacted the Black community and the nation as a whole. He says he welcomes empathy over contempt, which he accuses former President Trump of consistently demonstrating.

Sharpton also points out ... Biden waited to comment on the Chauvin trial until the jury was sequestered, so his comments couldn't have an influence on the outcome of the trial.

Finally, he takes issue with Chauvin trial Judge Cahill going off on Rep. Maxine Waters in court Monday. Rev. Al told us he thinks the judge was out of line and totally misconstrued Waters' remarks about protesting if the jury returns a not guilty verdict.

Eric Nelson is defending Derek Chauvin in trial -- but another attorney with the same name as Chauvin's lawyer is getting mistaken for him... and it's causing a whole lot of grief, and potential danger.

Eric C. Nelson -- a Minneapolis-based family law attorney -- tells TMZ ... people think he's the Eric Nelson defending Chauvin against murder charges right now. It's easy to see how this happens -- same names, same profession and practicing in the same area.

Still, Nelson tells us he wants to set the record straight ... because the deluge of hate and harassment he's getting a result of the mistaken identity is becoming overwhelming, both personally and professionally.

We're told Nelson has been getting BLOWN-UP lately -- both online and over the phone. He says about 95% of calls coming in these days are from randos who think he's the other Nelson, and just wanna talk about the case. Nelson says he's also getting nonstop hate mail.

Be it via email or phone, Nelson tells us he's getting a mix of unsolicited advice from would-be experts ... plus, a ton of hateful voicemails too.

Speaking of those ... TMZ has obtained samples of the messages being left on Nelson's phone, and they're ominous to say the least. People have called him a "piece of s***" and levied veiled threats against his practice ... suggesting he's running a crooked business.

Nelson says he reported that latter message to cops, because he found it a bit too dubious and threatening -- but nothing ever came of it. Adding insult to injury -- Nelson tells us his ratings online have taken a gut punch because of the false assumption he's THAT Eric Nelson.

He says his Google stars went from 5 to 1 in a heartbeat -- but, fortunately, Google saw it was a big misunderstanding and fixed the issue themselves.

As for what Nelson's doing to deal ... he's been sending out automated replies to make it clear he's NOT the Eric Nelson everyone's coming for. His website even blares that warning. Oh, and Nelson's also considering tweaking his biz name to feature his middle name, Carlyle.