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Los Angeles native Jason Hervey was only 16 years old when he shot to stardom after landing the role of the bully big brother Wayne Arnold -- who regularly ribs on his younger sibling Kevin and gives him rude nicknames -- on the iconic '80s television show "The Wonder Years."

Jason Hervey was cast alongside a now-classic group of actors including Danica McKellar as the girl next door, Winnie Cooper ... and of course Fred Savage as the awkward brother Kevin Arnold.

Before his break on "The Wonder Years," Hervey could be spotted in movies like "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure," "Back To The Future" and "Meatballs Part II."

'Platinum' Mike Perry -- a star in the UFC -- punched an elderly man in the face at a Texas restaurant Tuesday night in a violent, angry rage ... and the entire incident was caught on video.

Witnesses tell TMZ Sports ... the whole thing started when Perry got into a physical altercation with someone at his table at the Table 82 restaurant in Lubbock, TX around 10:30 PM on Tuesday night.

We're told a restaurant staffer approached Perry -- who had been ordering Berry Mojitos -- and asked him to leave the restaurant.

But instead of leaving, the witness says Perry PUNCHED the employee in the eye. We're told the employee suffered injuries.

That's when our video begins ... you can see people -- including Perry's girlfriend -- are trying to get Mike to leave the restaurant, but he won't go peacefully and drops several N-bombs on the way out.

It doesn't appear the N-word was directed at any Black people in the restaurant -- Perry is known to casually throw the word around in daily conversation.

As Perry and his GF left the dining area and walked outside, several men followed him out ... and things again escalated.

One of the older men got too close to Perry and Mike swung -- connecting with a haymaker from his right hand.

The older man went down -- and we're told he was later transported to a hospital with injuries.

As for Perry, he sat down on a ledge and challenged witnesses to call police -- which they did.

When cops arrived, we're told a report was taken but Perry was NOT arrested. We're still trying to get more info from law enforcement.

Aside from the alleged battery, we're told Perry also left without paying his bill and sources tell us the restaurant is considering pursuing a theft charge.

We reached out to Table 82 for comment and a rep for the restaurant told us, "Pending the criminal investigation, we prefer not to comment further because one of the victims was an employee of our company who had asked Mr. Perry to leave."

We reached out to Perry for comment but didn't hear back. However he did offer an official "no comment" on his Twitter page.

Perry is 14-6 as a professional MMA fighter -- defeating Mickey Gall on June 27 ... with his GF acting as his cornerman.

The whole incident reminds us of Conor McGregor -- who also punched an elderly man at a pub in Ireland back in 2019.

The driver who plowed into protesters on a Seattle freeway, killing one and seriously injuring another, was just charged with vehicular homicide.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office filed new charges Wednesday against Dawit Kelete for the fatal crash, which happened in the early hours of July 4 on a stretch of the I-5 that was closed to traffic.

Kelete is charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving. He is in jail after prosecutors asked a judge to hold him on $1.2 million bail.

Prosecutors say Kelete, who was initially arrested and charged with 2 counts of vehicular assault, could be hit with additional charges pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the State Patrol and FBI. His initial charges were upgraded Wednesday because one of the protesters died after the incident.

24-year old Summer Taylor is the protester who died later that night in the hospital. The other protester who was injured, Diaz Love, remains in the ICU in serious condition.

"I wonder why Senator Loeffler wants to even be involved with a brand that just doesn't align with her views."

That's 2-time WNBA champ Renee Montgomery talking about her boss -- Atlanta Dream co-owner Kelly Loeffler -- after Loeffler slammed the league for its plans to incorporate Black Lives Matter in the 2020 season restart.

As we previously reported, Loeffler -- a U.S. senator from Georgia -- is strongly against the WNBA's social justice plans ... and even penned a letter to the WNBA Commissioner explaining her position.

"I adamantly oppose the Black Lives Matter political movement, which has advocated for the defunding of police, called for the removal of Jesus from churches and the disruption of the nuclear family structure, harbored anti-Semitic views, and promoted violence and destruction across the country," Sen. Loeffler said in her letter.

"I believe it is totally misaligned with the values and goals of the WNBA and the Atlanta Dream, where we support tolerance and inclusion."

"The truth is, we need less -- not more politics in sports. In a time when polarizing politics is as divisive as ever, sports has the power to be a unifying antidote."

Montgomery -- who recently announced she's opting out of the 2020 restart to focus on social justice issues -- says she's read Loeffler's comments, and she has a question for the Senator.

"I'm just curious, I wonder why Senator Loeffler wants to be involved with a brand that just doesn't align with her views. I don't understand the connection," Renee said on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1).

"If the Republican views are very different than what the WNBA stands for, what the Atlanta Dream stands for, why do you want to be a part of it?"

Montgomery says she's trying to understand where Loeffler is coming from ... and hopes the two can sit down face-to-face and have a constructive conversation.

"Have your people call my people. For real. Let's talk about it," Renee says ... "I think that when people have such opposing views that maybe we won't agree, but we can come together and have an understanding. So, let's talk."

We asked Renee if she thinks players will boycott as a result of Loeffler's comments -- she doesn't think that will happen.

"I don't because l think that they know the coach doesn't feel that way, that the GM doesn't feel that way, that multiple coaches don't feel that way. So, I think that when the person you're talking to every day or working with every day is assuring you that they don't feel that way, I think the players will still continue to play."

A Black NYPD cop recorded himself making fun of societal calls for police to be more cautious during arrests -- and while he and his buddies thought it was hilarious ... D.L. Hughley says this guy's part of the problem.

The officer, whose video's been reposted on social media, does an impersonation of how he thinks cops are expected to act and carry themselves post-George Floyd.

Long story short ... he's basically doing the most to make it seem like cops have no power or authority anymore, and that they have to be totally soft on criminals they encounter.

The officer improv'd an entire skit for friends, presumably cops, who you can hear laughing in the background. He acts out making an arrest while taking extra care not to offend the suspect or handle them roughly.

D.L. found the video and reposted it himself, condemning the officer as delusional for his take.

He writes, "I guess he forgot that w/out that uniform he’s a #BLACKMAN in #America." D.L. continues ... "The delusion that, that uniform affords you the same privileges as your white counterparts, will probably catch up to your goofy ass one day. Ignorance is bliss and in cases like this, IT’S ALSO DANGEROUS!! YOU, OFFICER, ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!!"

Adam Lambert's finally saying sayonara to his crib in the Hollywood Hills ... cause someone else will be idolizing it after plunking down a good chunk-o-change.

The 2009 "American Idol" runner-up just sold his 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom crib for $2.92 million. You'll recall the singer put the house up for sale back in August 2019 ... five years after originally buying it. He had no problem finding a new spot ... dropping $6.5 million for an awesome new pad with home theater and wine cellar.

Back to the Hollywood Hills crib ... it's a perfect contemporary blend of style and private oasis. It features city light views from the main level with a sliding glass wall. Big wine drinkers will love the floor-to-ceiling climate-controlled wine wall as well as a home theater and gym. The backyard's sick too ... with 2 reflecting pools and a 10-person spa and fire pit. Friends not included ... but with this backyard, it won't be hard to make some.

George Floyd was startled by cops when they first arrived on the scene that led to his death ... because he claimed he'd been shot before.

Thomas Lane -- one of the former officers charged in Floyd's death -- is seeking to have his charges dismissed ... and included transcripts from bodycam footage as evidence.

The transcripts are from 2 body-worn cameras -- Lane's and his codefendant, J. Alexander Kueng -- and they show Floyd seemingly unsettled as Lane approached, briefly drew his weapon and told Floyd to show his hands.

According to the transcript, Floyd said ... "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. God dang man. Man, I got shot. I got shot the same way, Mr. Officer, before."

Lane then asked a woman who was in the car with Floyd why he was "getting all squirrelly" and not showing his hands right away, and "just being all weird like that?" ... to which the woman suggested maybe "because he's been shot before."

The transcript from Kueng's camera reveals he then helped escort Floyd from his vehicle across the street to sit down, at which time Floyd thanked him and gave his ID info then said ... "I got shot last time, same thing, man."

Kueng then informed Floyd he was being detained on suspicion of passing a fake bill, which led to a struggle by Kueng and Lane to get him into the back of a squad car ... which eventually led to him going to the ground and Derek Chauvin's involvement, as seen in the notorious video.

According to the transcript, while Floyd was on the ground, one of the officers said ... "Man, you going to die of a heart attack. Just get in the car."

As they continued to restrain Floyd on the ground, Lane asked, "Should we get his legs up?" ... but was shut down by Chauvin and Kueng. As the officers continued to debate whether Floyd was high on something, Floyd continued to plead that he couldn't breathe, saying ... "I can't breathe. Please, your knee on my neck. I can't breathe, sh*t."

According to the Kueng transcript, Floyd's final words were "I can't breathe," followed by "Please sir, please" and a final "Please." At this point, Lane asked if they should move him on his side but was again told no by Chauvin, who added ... "That's why we got the ambulance coming." Lane responded, "Okay, I suppose," but later expressed concern Floyd was about to pass out.

Lane filed a motion Wednesday to dismiss the charges against him -- aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter Wednesday -- arguing he "did not intentionally aid, advise, hire, counsel, or conspire with [Derek] Chauvin or otherwise procure Chauvin to commit second-degree murder."

Stanford University just announced it's eliminating a whopping 11 varsity sports after the 2020-21 school year ... and it's all thanks to COVID-19.

The school went public with its decision in an open letter Wednesday ... officially canceling the following programs: men's and women's fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men's rowing, co-ed and women's sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men's volleyball and wrestling.

FYI -- Stanford currently has the second-most varsity sports in the nation with 36 ... 4 sports shy of Harvard.

"This is heartbreaking news to share," Stanford officials said in the letter. "These 11 programs consist of more than 240 incredible student-athletes and 22 dedicated coaches."

"They were built by more than 4,000 alumni whose contributions led to 20 national championships, 27 Olympic medals, and an untold number of academic and professional achievements."

The school says it was already anticipating a $12 million deficit in 2021 ... and the pandemic increased its expectation to a $25 million loss ... forcing the cuts.

Stanford says it will honor all scholarships and contracts for the remaining students and coaches if they decide to stay at the school ... and will help those who decide to leave.

So, why these 11 sports?? The school says it took a number of factors into account ... with fan interest and Title IX requirements being part of the decision.

Aloe Blacc likes the fact the NFL is playing the Black National Anthem before every Week 1 game, but says the league needs to go much further to fight for equality.

The singer joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" and explained why there's so much more the NFL can do to create an even playing field. Still, Aloe ... who recorded the modern version of "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," says the symbolism of the league including the so-called Black National Anthem is important.

As in, an important step on the path to ending systemic racism.

Aloe told us, the anthem and the NFL's vow to donate $250 million to social justice organizations is mostly a conversation starter, and there's a real discussion that needs to be had on how to get more black head coaches, executives and quarterbacks in the league.

He did his homework, too, quoting stats that reveal the NFL's own systemic problems. It's true a black QB just earned the richest sports contract ever -- however, money isn't the issue Aloe's talking about here.

A former college football receiver just made a LIFE-SAVING highlight -- catching a 3-year-old child thrown from a burning building ... and it was all captured on video.

28-year-old Phillip Blanks -- who played at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA -- was at his home in Phoenix when he saw a nearby apartment was ablaze.

Blanks decided to check out the scene to see if he could help ... and noticed a 30-year-old mother preparing to throw her child off the balcony.

Blanks -- who is also a retired U.S. Marine -- immediately knew what he had to do ... and sprinted to the ground below to save the boy from hitting the ground.

"Instinct. There wasn't much thinking. I just reacted. I just did it," Blanks told ABC7.

"The guy who was there with me ... it looked like he wasn't going to catch him. So that's why I stepped in. I just wanted to make a better catch."

Blanks rushed the child to safety ... but the mother tragically passed away from the fire, according to ABC7.

"She's the real hero of the story," Blanks told the outlet. "Because she made the ultimate sacrifice to save her children."

The woman's 3-year-old and 8-year-old were taken to a nearby hospital, where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

BTW -- according to Blanks' college bio, he's related to Barry Sanders and Mike Conley.

It's impossible to make sense of the brutal, random act of violence against a 12-year-old dancing in the street, but humanity's shining through to help out the victim.

The tough kid's name is Ethan, and his mother, Stephanie Hagler, tells TMZ ... more than 400 people -- family, friends and strangers alike -- have raised more than $14,000 so far to cover his medical bills and more.

Ethan's mom says the remainder of the money raised will go toward his tuition at the Fingerprint Urban Dance Studio, in Cape Girardeau, MO for the next several years. The studio will get some improvements too -- like a new security system -- and Ethan wants to put some cash toward its annual festival.

As for his health, Stephanie tells us her son's still shaken up over the assault, and fearful to perform. She says he's afraid someone out there may try to hurt him again, and the disturbing ordeal is requiring daily therapy sessions.

Ethan's also dealing with the effects of a concussion -- dizziness and headaches -- but his mom says the "overwhelming support from friends and community members has been making Ethan feel better." We're told folks have been bringing him gifts, as well ... including a painting by one of his friend's parents.

As we reported ... Ethan was with his dance instructor, Micheal Curry, Friday night when he was sucker punched by a man police ID'd as Cedric Charles Moore Jr. -- who's been charged with felony assault and felony child endangerment for the attack. Cops are still searching for him.

Curry, who recorded the video of the assault and is the owner of Fingerprint, tells us his group of dance kids is hitting pause on all street performances for now.

However, Curry says he and Ethan are scheduled to perform a DJ set at a local joint in August ... and he hopes it will help Ethan regain his confidence, while giving the community an opportunity to show support.

He says he's worked with Ethan for 4 years, and he's thankful for the support they've already gotten -- but his main focus is helping his kids regain their trust in humanity.

Kanye West likened Planned Parenthood to a Satanic baby-killing cult put in place by racist forces, but the org is calling BS ... saying the real threat is talk like his.

ICYMI ... Kanye tackled the issue of abortion during his Forbes interview, saying ... "Planned Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work."

Welp, PP's response comes from Nia Martin-Robinson ... the Director of Black Leadership and Engagement at PP's national HQ. She tells TMZ, "Black women are free to make our own decisions about our bodies and pregnancies, and want and deserve to have access to the best medical care available."

Martin-Robinson adds, "Any insinuation that abortion is Black genocide is offensive and infantilizing. The real threat to Black communities' safety, health, and lives stems from lack of access to quality, affordable health care, police violence and the criminalization of reproductive health care by anti-abortion opposition."

Of course, Ye's expressed similar sentiments before ... in regards to the so-called Plan B pill.

What's interesting here is how at odds he appears to be with his wife, Kim Kardashian, who's publicly supported Planned Parenthood in the past -- notably, in 2017.

A group of Christian church members went to extreme lengths to remove a black woman peacefully sitting on "their" grass ... and it all played out on video.

The woman's name is Alex Marshall-Brown -- a stunt woman and voice actor here in L.A. -- and on Tuesday, she documented her North Hollywood encounter with the churchgoers ... who seemed to grossly overreact to her chilling out on church grounds.

She was working on her laptop, sitting under a tree and minding her business ... when a couple guys who apparently work for the church came out with a "No Trespassing" sign just for her. Alex questions why they're booting her, but they don't seem to have a good reason.

The men say they don't want strangers on their property, period -- insisting that them telling her to scram isn't anything personal ... that they're just doing their jobs and protecting the church.

But then it took a disturbing turn ... one of the guys dropped the ol' "All Lives Matter" on her.

Alex continued to point out she's not threatening anyone, and that escalating the situation by calling police -- which the men say was already happening -- wasn't necessary.

She noted she was asked by some bike cops to leave at first, or else she'd have a run-in with "Cop cops" -- but our law enforcement sources tell us no one in LAPD was even made aware of this. Instead, it sounds like Alex just had to deal with the church staffers.

She went on to say it's ironic a church, of all places, was being so unwelcoming.

Now, head honchos from this parish -- St. Paul's First Lutheran Church -- have already weighed in, and they say their workers on the ground got this one wrong. The church says they strive to spread the love of God, and they're saddened by the way this went down.

The feds in R. Kelly's case want to keep potential jurors protected -- even by armed guards, at times, because they feel Kelly's legal team poses a threat to jurors, but the singer's team's not having it.

The feds filed legal docs in the Eastern District of NY requesting the jurors remain anonymous and partially sequestered because they fear Kelly's team could mess with the jurors.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds say they want the jurors' identities, addresses and places of employment to be kept under wraps from the defense and prosecutors. They also want the U.S. Marshals to escort the jury in and out of the courthouse, and make the jurors eat lunch together so they're not bombarded by intense media coverage.

The feds insist the jurors' identities are not crucial to the jury selection process and argue "these measures are necessary to safeguard the jurors and the fair administration of process."

The prosecution claims Kelly and his associates have previously attempted to obstruct justice ... calling Kelly "the leader of a racketeering enterprise he created and used for decades to sexually abuse and exploit women and girls for his own sexual gratification, including through the use of bribery, kidnapping and forced labor." The judge has yet to sign off on the government's request.

Remember, the government in the past has contended Kelly "has a history of coercing women to write letters containing false and embarrassing allegations" so he can later use them as blackmail.

R. Kelly's lawyer, Steven Greenberg, tells TMZ ... he's all for the Marshals walking the jury in and out of the courthouse saying, "They don't have to put up with [the] circus of outside influences and agitators like the Weinstein jurors."

But, he also says, "It's absurd not to know where people are from or what kind of employment they are engaging in. Those are essential things to understand -- how people think and view things. Imagine if there's an FBI agent on the jury or a district attorney or someone who works for a battered woman's shelter. The stuff about Kelly tampering and being dangerous is just a regurgitation of their same argument which we disagreed with all along."

Kanye West says he's done supporting President Trump -- but there's even more he's spilling that's just as surprising in terms of his run for the White House. Oh boy, where to begin ...

Ye sat down with Forbes in a verrrry wide-ranging interview, but primarily about his Presidential campaign ... and the would-be candidate declared he's "taking off the red hat." The only specific he offered as to why was that he doesn't like what he heard about 45 hiding in a bunker recently.

He also says, "One of the main reasons I wore the red hat as a protest to the segregation of votes in the Black community." As Kanye's stated before, he hates the fact that Democrats assume all black people have to vote for them.

He added he was down with POTUS because "I like Trump hotels and the saxophones in the lobby."

As for HIS presidential run ... he says he IS serious, and that he's got some unconventional ideas to help get him there. Buckle in, 'cause this gets weird.

He told Forbes he's running as part of a new party called the Birthday Party, because ... "[W]hen we win, it’s everybody’s birthday."

He also says he's having Elon Musk help with his campaign and is considering using him for his own space program. He's already got a VP in mind ... a Wyoming preacher -- and showing a little campaign bravado, he kinda bashed Joe Biden as "not special."

Politics aside, Kanye says he contracted the coronavirus in February -- but didn't say if he learned that from getting tested -- and sounded like quite the anti-vaxxer. He called any coronavirus vaccine "the mark of the beast."

He goes on to explain, "They want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we can’t cross the gates of heaven."

One thing he didn't cover, but clearly relevant for a Presidential candidate, is his mental health. Kanye has publicly said he's been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and he's also said -- notably on "TMZ Live" in May 2018 -- he doesn't take his medication sometimes because it dulls his creativity.

A Disney accessory depicting a noose is now in slightly less circulation after a collectibles site took action -- but the question remains ... how did this ever get made in the first place???

Back in 2006, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" was released, the Mouse House also dropped a limited couture jewelry line as part of the promotional rollout. It featured rings shaped out of swords, pendants made to look like locks and keys ... basically, gimmicky 'Pirates'-themed bling that sold like hot cakes.

Now, one of those items was a 14k gold-plated 20" necklace with a noose pendant attached ... and it couldn't be any clearer as to what it is if you look at it for yourself.

Most of these 'Pirates' items sold out while being hawked at stores like Disney's online shop, Kitson and Nordstrom -- but some of the pieces are still floating out there ... including this noose necklace, which was recently spotted on the collectibles site, WorthPoint.

You can't buy anything from there -- it's a company that mines for old collectibles and antiques, providing stats, prices, and photos about any particular item -- including this noose.

When we reached out to WorthPoint to see why they were featuring the offensive and racist item, they told us they'd take it down immediately ... which they did. A rep went on to tell us it probably never should've been up, but might've slipped through their algorithm cracks.

Now, back to the real issue ... how something so racially charged could've ever found its way to the marketplace? We reached out to Disney ... radio silence.

The answer's probably in the movies themselves. If you've seen any of them, you know there are several scenes where people -- including Johnny Depp's character, Captain Jack Sparrow --  are set to be put to death by hanging. It's a recurring theme throughout the franchise.