Tiger Woods Declines TV Role At U.S. Open ... 'He Didn't Want To Do It'

Tiger Woods isn't ready to golf yet ... and apparently, he ain't ready to talk about the sport on TV yet either.

The sport's biggest star -- who's still recovering from a gnarly February car crash -- declined an offer from NBC Sports to help break down next week's U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in CA, according to broadcaster Dan Hicks.

"We were all thinking how good that would be, who better, if he couldn't be there to play it, to voice it and have him a part of the show, but we were rebuffed," Hicks told media members Wednesday ahead of the event's June 17 start date.

"He didn't want to do it, and I totally understand his situation. There is a lot going on in his world right now and there's also a part of Tiger that doesn't want to become this, I don't want to, for lack of a better word, a sideshow at an event where we should be concentrating on what's happening."

Hicks added, "I understand that what’s going on in his world that he wanted to kind of keep it low-key and stay out of the limelight for this one and just hopefully he’ll enjoy it at home watching it on TV."

Tiger -- who won the U.S. Open the last time Torrey Pines hosted the event back in 2008 -- has avoided the spotlight ever since he crashed his ride in Los Angeles County on Feb. 23.

He's hardly spoken about the incident -- revealing only that rehab has been "more painful than anything I have ever experienced" -- and he's only posted one picture of himself since the crash.

As we previously reported, Tiger shattered multiple bones in his leg and required several complicated surgeries and a metal stabilizing rod to fix the issues.

It remains unclear if Woods will ever play competitive golf again.

Singer Montana Tucker H.S. Bullies Made Me Eat in Bathroom ... Inspired My New Song

DON'T LISTEN TO THE BULLIES
TMZ.com

Montana Tucker's dropping a new single that's all about self-confidence, but make no mistake ... she has vivid memories of bullies tearing down her confidence and forcing her into bathroom stalls.

The singer dug into her pain locker to reveal what fueled "Be Myself" ... her new single featuring Todrick Hall. The track aims to inspire self-acceptance and inclusivity ... something Montana says she works hard to convey on social media, and in real life.

On Thursday's "TMZ Live" she told us high school bullies called her MAN-tana because she was "a little bit bigger than the rest of the girls."

The bullying got so out of hand, Montana tells us she was relegated to sitting in the bathroom for lunch every day.

Her official "Be Myself" music vid -- which includes a flash mob routine in Times Square -- drops Friday, and Montana says it will also draw on some of those experiences she and Todrick had in school.

As for cyberbullying these days ... Montana told us how she deals with hate now, and she has an interesting take on people who hide behind keyboards to talk smack.

Dr. Dre I'm Officially Single!!!

Dr. Dre is officially a very eligible bachelor ... because a judge just restored his single status, legally speaking.

The judge just signed off on the music mogul's request to become officially divorced from Nicole Young. That's not the end of the story. Both Dre and Nicole will now battle it out over the validity of the prenup, which will determine their property settlement.

Nicole wants the prenup declared invalid, and also claims Dre agreed he would not enforce it. Dre says that never happened and the prenup is ironclad.

We broke the story ... Dre asked the court for single status back in March, saying his split from Nicole had reached the point of no return.

As we've told you ... the contentious split has dragged on through abuse claims, diss tracks and allegations of mistresses and love children.

But now, Dre and Nicole are at least officially single in the eyes of the law.

Jam Master Jay, Biggie Smalls Daughters Dough'ing it Right ... Bring NY Pizza to L.A. with Dope Twist!!!

A SLICE OF NY
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Tyra Myricks believes she has a solution to a notorious L.A. problem -- she's bringing New York-style pizza to the West Coast, and tells us she's making it with the right ingredients.

Tyra -- an entrepreneur and daughter of Jam Master Jay -- has teamed up with T'yanna Wallace, daughter of The Notorious B.I.G., to launch Juicy Pizza ... named after the latter's smash 1994 hit track.

Myricks says she came up with the idea when she was struggling to find good NY-style 'za in L.A. -- a common gripe, especially for transplanted NYers. So, she hit up T'yanna with her plan, because Biggie best represents that Brooklyn vibe she wants for their pizza joint.

Tyra took us through the New York-inspired menu when she was on Thursday's "TMZ Live," and revealed their secret ingredient -- real NY water in their dough. You gotta watch to see how they're getting that agua out west.

If you're still not sold, there's also this -- Juicy's gonna have a members-only cannabis lounge in the back ... to attract celebs and turn the place into a Hollywood hot spot. The fun begins real soon, because Juicy Pizza is opening its doors for dinner Saturday night.

For the full interview with Tyra ... check out Thursday's episode of "TMZ Live."

Kid Rock Doubles Down on Homophobia ... Repeats Anti-Gay Slur in Response to Video

Kid Rock's hatefulness is showing again, and he seems pretty damn proud of it -- while responding to the video of him hurling a homophobic slur, he's choosing to repeat the word and attack his critics.

The singer publicly addressed the video TMZ posted of him using the epithet at a Tennessee bar last weekend by tweeting this ... "If Kid Rock using the word f***** offends you, good chance you are one."

He attempted to put a friendly spin on it by adding, "Either way, I know he has a lot of love for his gay friends and I will have a talk with him. Have a nice day."

Kid credited the comment to Bob Ritchie -- his legal name -- in what seems to be a warped use of the third person to excuse his behavior or dismiss the backlash he's getting.

Either way, it's an incredibly bad look, but he clearly doesn't care much what anyone thinks.

6/5/21
CAMERA SHY
TMZ.com

We broke the story ... Kid was on the mic Saturday night at FishLipz Bar & Grill when he dropped the homophobic slur in the middle of a rant about the crowd recording him with smartphones.

It's all pretty on-brand for the rocker, as he's made it a habit to blurt out whatever he's thinking onstage, or anywhere else.

Kanye West & Irina Shayk Together for Months ... First Clue at DMX Tribute

Kanye West and Irina Shayk were an item long before their romantic getaway to France ... and the DMX memorial service was an early sign Ye was on the rebound.

Sources connected to the new couple tell TMZ ... Ye and Irina have been together for months, seeing each other as early as March. In fact, one of the new couple's prior hangout sessions happened in New York City in late April, when Kanye was there for DMX's celebration of life.

There were signs then that Yeezy and Irina were an item ... she was spotted wearing a custom DMX memorial shirt before it was even in the hands of the general public.

Remember ... the custom X shirts were designed by Balenciaga and commissioned by the Yeezy brand, and Kanye helped raise over $1 million for DMX's family with the profits.

As we first told you ... Ye and the supermodel were hanging in France on his 44th birthday Tuesday before hopping on a private jet Wednesday and flying back to the States together.

This is the first public dating we've seen Kanye or Kim Kardashian do since she filed for divorce back in February, but he and Irina have a bit of history ... professionally speaking.

Kanye rapped about her in "Christian Dior Denim Flow" saying, "I wanna see Irina Shayk next to Doutzen" -- and she was also in his music video for "Power." It's a good bet, though, they've been doing a lot more than reminiscing about the old times.

6-Year-Old Boy Shot In Arm Alleged Shooter Back In Custody After Outcry Over Low Bond

CRIES FOR HELP
UPDATE

11:20 AM PT -- 6/10 -- The angry neighbor who allegedly shot a 6-year-old boy is back in custody after a massive outcry over his initial release on a $10k cash bond.

UPDATE

Prosecuting attorney Eli Savit joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us what it took to get the alleged gunman back behind bars ... and it sounds like the justice system moved swiftly here.

UPDATE
WE WANT LIFE IN PRISON
TMZ.com
UPDATE

Eli says the boy could have easily been killed in the incident and breaks down the argument he made Thursday in court to get bail increased to $100,000.

A 6-year-old boy was nearly killed when his neighbor allegedly opened fire as the kid picked up his bike from the sidewalk -- and the man's already sprung from jail after posting a shockingly low bond.

The incident went down over the weekend in Ypsilanti, Michigan -- about 35 miles outside Detroit -- where the boy, Coby, is lucky to be alive after the neighbor allegedly chased him with a sledgehammer, and then fired a gun, hitting him in the arm.

The neighbor, Ryan Le-Nguyen, was reportedly pissed Coby and a friend had left their bikes in front of his home's sidewalk. The boy's father, Arnold Daniel, told FOX2 when the boys returned to get the bikes ... Le-Nguyen went after Coby with the hammer.

Coby told FOX2, "He tried hitting me with a sledgehammer but that's not going to work because I'm too fast. (Then he) got a gun and BOOM shot me right here."

As you can see from the video ... the kids, understandably, panicked and fled when they heard the gunshot. You can hear Coby wailing in agony while another kid's screaming "Coby got shot!!!"

Coby's father said the bullet went through his son's arm, but doctors told him had it been an inch in either direction it likely would have killed Coby.

Le-Nguyen, who's reportedly beefed with the family over bicycles in the past, was arrested and charged with assault with intent to murder. He posted a $10k bond on Tuesday ... prompting Coby's angry father to ask how the bond could be so low after Le-Nguyen allegedly tried to kill his son.

Even prosecutors say they requested a $100k bond, but were shocked the judge gave Le-Nguyen $10k cash bond. Prosecutors have since filed an emergency motion to cancel the bond.

As for Coby ... he's home and thankfully expected to make a full recovery.

Originally Published -- 6/9 1:36 PM PT

El Chapo's Wife Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking

El Chapo's wife is following his footsteps to a federal prison ... she's pled guilty to drug trafficking charges.

Emma Coronel Aispuro appeared in federal district court Thursday in Washington D.C. and pled guilty to 3 charges, including money laundering and conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana.

According to the judge, Emma could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison -- just like Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman -- and the drug trafficking charge alone carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars. So she's looking at hard time.

As we reported ... El Chapo's wife was busted at Dulles International Airport back in February and the feds charged her with conspiracy to distribute 5 kilos or more of cocaine, 1 kilo of heroin, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 1,000 kilos or more of marijuana for importation into the U.S.

El Chapo, meanwhile, is rotting in prison as part of his life sentence ... so he may never see his esposa again.

We know what you're thinking, and there's no way they end up in the same prison ... especially with his history of breakouts.

Paul Mooney Letterman, Haddish, Tucker Playing Huge Roles in Memorial Service

Some comedy giants are pitching in to help memorialize Paul Mooney ... including David Letterman, Tiffany Haddish and Chris Tucker.

The late comedian's memorial service is slated to go down June 23 at the Roosevelt Hotel's ballroom. We're told Tiffany and actress Marla Gibbs have confirmed they'll attend.

As for the former 'Late Night' host, we're told Letterman -- along with the Angela & John Witherspoon Foundation -- are just some of the peeps who have contributed toward the cost of the memorial service.

Actor Tim Reid ... along with comedian J. Anthony Brown and Richard and Tina Lawson have also contributed to cover costs.

Chris Tucker and George Wallace are some of the comedians who can't attend the service, but instead will send a video tribute. We're also told invitations have been extended to Eddie Murphy and Dave Chappelle.

TMZ broke the story ... a star-studded tribute went down for the late comedian at the famed Hollywood Laugh Factory last month. The City of Oakland also honored him after Paul's sudden passing.

Digital Underground's Shock G Died From Accidental OD ... Fentanyl, Meth and Booze

Shock G died in a Tampa hotel room from a deadly mix of drugs and alcohol ... according to the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner.

A rep for the medical examiner's office tells TMZ ... the Digital Underground rapper died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol (alcohol) and methamphetamine.

We broke the story ... Shock G was found unresponsive in his hotel room in April, and there were no outward signs of trauma. Shock was last seen the day before he died, by a hotel manager ... who then found him in the room on April 22.

The manager had grown concerned after Shock -- famed performer of the 'Humpty Dance' -- missed check-out time, and immediately called 911.

The Hillsborough County ME says Shock G was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:20 PM ET.

As we first told you ... the iconic rapper's funeral was held May 1, and his Digital Underground family was well represented at the service.

Aussie Swimmer Madeline Groves Backs Out Of Olympic Trials Due To 'Misogynistic Perverts'

Australian silver medalist swimmer Maddie Groves is making a powerful statement and pulling out of the Olympic trials ... ripping the "misogynistic perverts in the sport" in the process.

26-year-old Groves -- who finished second in the 200m butterfly and 4x100 medley at the 2016 Games -- has been calling out the swimming community for months ... claiming men have made her feel uncomfortable by staring at her swimsuit or making "creepy" comments.

Now, Groves says she's fed up -- going OFF as she explained her decision to sit out the trials in Adelaide.

"Let this be a lesson to all misogynistic perverts in sport and their boot lickers," Groves said on Twitter Wednesday.

"You can no longer exploit young women and girls, body shame or medically gaslight them and then expect them to represent you so you can earn your annual bonus."

"Time’s UP."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Groves previously tweeted in November 2020 about an experience she had when she was 20 ... saying, "Just remembering the time a well known coach (not mine) asked me about [university] and I told him one of my subjects was ‘Love, Relationships and Sex’ and he said in this creepy af voice 'oh, you’d know allllllll about that.'"

She added the man later apologized, but believes it was because he was ordered to do so by the team psychologist.

Groves also shared in December she previously made a complaint about "a person that works at swimming" staring at her swimsuit.

Swimming Australia released a statement on Groves' claims ... saying it reached out to her for more information, but she declined.

"All allegations concerning child abuse or sexual misconduct are taken seriously by Swimming Australia" the org. said in a statement.

"We consider the welfare, safety and wellbeing of children and young people as paramount, and we have a duty to make inquiries to uphold the standards of our sport."

Groves isn't quitting the sport completely, however -- she says she will be back competing later this year.

Justin Bieber Flaunts His Futuristic Rolls ... On Date Night with Hailey

ROLLIN' IN STYLE
BACKGRID

The car that made Justin Bieber cry is now his date night ride ... and it looks like all his tears were worth it.

JB took his wife, Hailey, out for dinner at Matsuhisa in Bev Hills Wednesday night, and he got to show off his futuristic whip -- a custom 2018 Rolls-Royce Wraith that was 3 years in the making.

The 2 arrived in style, and ya gotta think the valet driver Justin handed his keys to was pumped to give the RoboCop Rollie a spin. Or maybe he was racked with nerves.

Later, Bieber gave everyone a good look at the car's sick wheel covers and spaceship-looking features as the couple left the restaurant. Note how super careful he was not to bottom out this time!! Live and learn.

February 2021
ONE OF A KIND
West Coast Customs

As we first told you ... the crew over at West Coast Customs masterminded the Biebs' jaw-dropping ride, and when they first showed him the finished product earlier this year ... he got a little emotional.

Can't blame him -- this thing's a unique work of art.

'Ring of Fire' First Solar Eclipse of 2021 Puts on Stunning Show!!!

The greatest show on Earth is in the sky above it in the form of the year's first solar eclipse -- and the "Ring of Fire" is pretty awesome to see.

The solar eclipse -- when the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth to create a so-called "Ring of Fire" effect -- started early Thursday morning. The best views are in Canada, from north of the Great Lakes to northeastern Canada, on up to the Arctic Ocean.

It later passed over the North Pole before ending in northeastern Siberia.

NASA said other countries in the Northern Hemisphere -- like the UK and Ireland -- were also able to see a partial eclipse, but only saw a fingernail-shaped shadow.

Some parts of the U.S. ... including northern Alaska, the southeast, Midwest and northeast caught a glimpse too. Although, most Americans didn't get the full "Ring of Fire" effect ... it still looked pretty badass.

For instance, one of the coolest shots of the eclipse came out of the NY area with the Statue of the Liberty in the foreground. Wow!

If you missed this eclipse, don't fret. There will be another one on November 19 -- a partial eclipse of the moon viewable in North America and Hawaii.

There's also a total eclipse of the sun slated for December 4, but that one won't be visible in North America.

Safaree New Beef with Erica ... I Don't Wanna Miss Our Baby's Birth!!!

Safaree's got more bones to pick with Erica Mena as they fight over child custody in their divorce ... he wants to be present when their new baby's born, and he's running to court hoping to make it happen.

According to new docs, obtained by TMZ, the 'Love & Hip Hop' star says his estranged wife is due to give birth in July, and he's afraid she won't let him be with her for the delivery.

In the docs, Safaree makes it clear he wants to witness his child's birth, but firmly believes the only way he can assure that happens is for the court to step in and force Erica to allow it.

Obviously, he's afraid she'll freeze him out, if given the chance.

As we first told you ... Erica filed for divorce last month after less than 2 years of marriage, and she's gunning for primary custody of the kids, but Safaree's already filed docs to challenge her on that.

Safaree was there when Erica gave birth to their first child, Safire ... and he claims it's in the best interest of their next kid for him to be there at the birth so they too can start bonding right away.

Chris Johnson Derrick Henry's Gonna Ball Out In 2021 ... After Julio Jones Trade

PERFECT PAIRING
TMZSports.com

Chris Johnson says he's straight-up jealous of Derrick Henry ... telling TMZ Sports the Titans running back is going to FEAST in 2021 after the Julio Jones trade!!

"I wish I could've played there when we had that GM," the former Tennessee halfback said. "They doing what they got to do to win games."

As for why CJ2K sees Henry exploding ... Johnson says it's simple -- with Julio and A.J. Brown now on the outsides, Chris says it's not possible for defenses to just key in on Derrick.

"There's no way you can put 8, 9 in the box on Henry," Johnson tells us. "You got Julio on the outside. You got A.J. on the other side. So, you can't stack the box or anything like that."

"It's like, man, it's crazy."

It's a scary scene to think about -- especially for AFC South teams -- 'cause Henry was ALREADY a beast in 2020.

The 27-year-old monster ran for 2,027 yards, 17 touchdowns AND he added 114 receiving yards.

But, Johnson sees it going even better for Derrick with Julio on the team ... telling us, "I wish they would have made them moves when I was there."

"You love that move," Chris said of the blockbuster trade. "You don't want to continue to run against 8 and 9 in the box. You don't want to do that."

BETTER THAN THE REST
TMZSports.com

Johnson -- who by the way is opening up a chain of coffee shops in Florida that he hopes can compete with Starbucks someday -- says the move officially makes the Titans real contenders in 2021 for the Lombardi Trophy.

"Everything look good on paper," Johnson said. "We got to go out there and prove it."

Guess Who This Biker Boy Turned Into!

Before this sporty sprout was known as an Olympic figure skater, he was just another kid riding around the neighborhood!

This talented tot grew up to be one competitive star ... after years of training and figure skating competitions, he joined the Olympic team at the Winter Games in South Korea in 2018. During the games, he won a bronze medal in the team event. That same year he was cast on "Dancing with the Stars" and even won The Mirrorball Trophy. He ended that year by announcing his retirement from figure skating.

He has since made appearances on shows such as "RuPaul's Drag Race" and was even featured in Taylor Swift's "You Need To Calm Down" music video.

Can you guess who he is?

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