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Ex-Knicks stud Chris Childs is going off on James Dolan ... telling TMZ Sports the New York owner mishandled the Spike Lee situation and is turning the team into a JOKE!!!

"This has to stop because it's starting to be the laughingstock of the league," Childs says. "And, I hate to see that."

If you missed it, Lee and the Knicks spent all of Tuesday fighting over the entrance the movie mogul used at Monday night's game. In fact, the beef got so bad, Spike vowed to not return to MSG again this season.

We spoke with Childs -- who played with the Knicks from 1996-2001 -- and he's laying the blame for all of the drama squarely at Dolan's feet.

"Spike Lee has been coming to these game forever," Childs says. "If he wants to land a helicopter through the roof, let him!"

Childs added, "He hasn't done anything, but support that franchise when they're at their lowest. So, how do you embarrass that man like that with your flashlight cops? Tell him he can't use that entrance? And, that only comes from the top."

Childs says Dolan is allowing his personal feelings to get in the way of properly running the team ... and tells us the guy's issues with Lee, Charles Oakley and combative fans at MSG prove that.

"So, let's stop playing games," Childs says. "Keep it a buck. Dolan, you're in your feelings right now and you're just picking on everybody."

"It seems that he's so sensitive. He has rabbit ears. He hears everything and it gets to him."

Of course, Childs has had his own battle with Dolan in the past ... remember, back in 2017, he was famously not invited to the reunion of the 1998-99 Knicks squad.

This cookie-selling cutie was born in a Chicago suburb, but raised in a city outside of Denver, Colorado.

Before she'd grown up to become a world-famous model, she was a gymnast and obviously ... a Girl Scout.

Her modeling career began when she was discovered at age 14 by a photographer. And, a few years later, she was featured in an Italian clothing label catalog and in Forever 21 ads.

A year after that, in 2014, she walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the first time at age 18 ... making her the youngest model in their rotation.

She's gone on to become the youngest VS Angel and has been listed as one of the 20 top-earning models in the world.

Oh, and she made her big acting debut in the 2016 film, "The Neon Demon."

THIS is some real-life superhero stuff here -- NJ State Troopers yanking a trucker to safety right as his 18-wheeler burst into a ball of flames ... and it's all on video.

It really looks like something straight out of a Hollywood action flick -- the officers encountered the burning rig on a highway in Bridgewater Township. Cops say the truck went off the road Monday afternoon and hit a guardrail while an officer was making a traffic stop nearby.

Trooper Robert Tarleton heard the crash and you can see in the video ... he immediately left the stopped car and bolted toward the truck, which was already on fire.

You gotta see Tarleton running at top speed, and when he got to the rig another officer -- Lieutenant Edward Ryder -- was there trying to free the driver from his cab. Together, they pulled him to safety with, literally, a second to spare.

Feathers are seriously ruffled over at Drake's company, OVO, after a couple of companies jacked their famous owl logo ... or at least that's what OVO's claiming in a lawsuit.

OVO is suing Australian-based Bellroy and L.A.-based Clae claiming the merch companies collaborated to create, among other things, a shoe featuring a bird which OVO claims is the spitting image of its famous owl ... and it's crying fowl.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, OVO claims Bellroy "changed the design of the owl by altering its posture, width, wings and feet in order to blatantly mimic the OVO owl." OVO thinks these changes were intentionally made to maximize similarities with Drake's brand.

Specifically, OVO gives a hoot because Bellroy first sold wallets, smartphone cases and small luggage, but recently added footwear and clothing which OVO says is the core of its biz.

OVO alleges Bellroy and Clae are misleading consumers into thinking they're in bed with OVO's world-famous brand.

It's suing for trademark infringement and is asking for an injunction to stop Bellroy and Clae from jacking its owl -- plus any profits it's made so far and damages.

President Trump had a strong message for the 3 ex-prisoners who visited him in the Oval Office alongside Kim Kardashian ... make an impact on society similar to Alice Marie Johnson.

Trump hosted Crystal Munoz, Judith Negron and Tynice Hall at the White House after commuting their prison sentences ... and Crystal says the Prez told them to find a way to make a positive impact on the community now that they're getting a second chance.

Crystal tells us Trump used Alice as a shining example. Kim brought Alice's case directly to Trump in 2018 -- she served 21 years for a nonviolent drug offense -- and after 45 commuted her sentence Alice became a key advocate for criminal justice reform.

During the 30-minute sit-down, Trump asked each woman about their story and shared his opinions on what they should do moving forward.

Crystal is taking Trump's call to action to heart ... telling us she's heading back to her home in West Texas to help her husband start his own screen printing business.

It was a whirlwind day for all the women -- hanging with Kim and Alice at the Four Seasons before being whisked off to The White House and noshing on fancy food.

R&B singer Pleasure P got into an altercation with a Checkers drive-thru worker that ended with his food on the ground ... and him hauled away in handcuffs.

The former Pretty Ricky member was arrested early Thursday morning around 5:15 AM in Miami Gardens, FL after he allegedly shoved a female fast-food employee in the chest with his bag of food through the drive-thru pickup window.

According to the police report ... the Checkers worker told cops the incident started when Pleasure P yelled at her through the intercom system for several minutes because there was a mix-up over $60 worth of grub he ordered.

The employee claims P yelled at her more as he was driving up to her window, before getting out of his vehicle and approaching her on foot. She says he handed her the money and she handed him his order ... but then he "pushed her intentionally with malicious intent in the chest with the food he received." That's when she called police.

Cops questioned the singer and according to the report ... he admitted there was a verbal altercation and he threw food, but claims it was not at the female worker.

The report says P reeked of alcohol and food was seen all over the floor near the drive-thru window ... and other employees corroborated their co-worker's story.

At that point, Pleasure P was arrested and his car was towed. He was taken into custody and booked for simple battery.

He posted bond of $1,500 a few hours later and was released from jail.

You may recall ... Pleasure P was the guy who got busted for DUI in December 2018, and asked to call Shaq as he was getting booked. No word if he made any such requests this time.

Demi Lovato is sending a message about 2 major events in her life -- one involving her ex-BF, Wilmer Valderrama -- but you're gonna have to watch her upcoming music vid very closely to get her point.

TMZ got a not-yet-seen snippet from her "I Love Me" vid, and we noticed a clear reference to the near-fatal overdose she suffered back in the summer of 2018. Demi walks past a parked ambulance and reaches out to touch a young woman on a stretcher.

The lyrics of 'Love Me' are all about self-love and empowerment, and the ambulance scene appears to be an illustration of what she's said in recent interviews: She's pulled through after the OD, and anyone else in her situation can do the same.

The Wilmer reference is more of an Easter egg. Watch for the shot of a bride and groom running across the street, right in front of Demi. Remember, Wilmer -- who dated Demi from 2010 to 2016 -- just got engaged in January to model Amanda Pacheco.

Demi's point here seems to be she's cool with Wilmer moving on because, again, she's got self-love to get her through. Remember, she and Wilmer remained close. He visited her frequently in the hospital during her recovery.

Andrew Yang's still got his eye on the White House ... because he'd be stoked to be Joe Biden's vice president.

The former presidential hopeful joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and we asked if he'd say yes to an offer to be Biden's running mate if Joe's the nominee. Andrew tells us he'd jump at the chance, and thinks he could bring a lot to the table.

The way Andrew sees it, he could help Biden in some areas where he could be lacking ... namely, appealing to younger voters. Andrew says the Yang Gang makes him feel young, even at 45. It could work on Biden too.

Remember ... Andrew had the most fun of any candidate on the campaign trail, hanging with Donald Glover and doling out whipped cream shots to kneeling supporters.

Andrew tells us he's still considering a run for mayor of New York City -- he wants a high-impact executive role somewhere -- but he knows being Veep gives him the best chance to make the country stronger.

FRESH CUT!!!

Drew Brees is showing off his brand new look -- a buzz cut -- and it's for a great reason!!

The New Orleans Saints QB took some clippers to the dome on Tuesday for the Saving By Shaving charity event for the Boston Children's Hospital ... and helped raise a TON of money.

For a guy who's pretty calm under pressure, Brees looked a bit nervous to try out the new 'do (or lack, thereof) ... but cracked a few jokes in the process!!

"It's gonna be a lot easier to wash my hair now!!," the 41-year-old said.

The best part?? Brees says Granite CEO Rob Hale made an incredible $7 MILLION donation during the event.

Pop Smoke's most ardent fans are out in droves in Brooklyn ... giving the late rapper one final, emotional sendoff.

The funeral procession is going down Thursday afternoon in the Canarsie neighborhood of the borough. Two horses are pulling the carriage and hearse, decorated with white curtains ... and Pop Smoke's casket can be seen through the glass.

The carriage made its way past a mural honoring Pop Smoke, and his good friend and mentor 50 Cent's Lamborghini was part of the procession as well ... though it doesn't look like Fiddy was behind the wheel.

There were barricades set up in the mostly residential neighborhood to keep fans on sidewalks. NYPD is also on hand to keep things under control.

TMZ broke the story ... 20-year-old Pop Smoke was gunned down last month in the Hollywood Hills in what appeared to be a targeted hit.

He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, but doctors couldn't save him, as he died from a gunshot wound to his chest, according to his death certificate.

Pop Smoke's family held a private ceremony last weekend for close friends and family. After today's procession ... he'll be laid to rest in a Brooklyn cemetery.

Ariana Grande's crib was visited by police after someone called 911 claiming shots were being fired on the property ... but we've learned it was nothing more than a swatting call.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops sent a couple units to the artist's L.A.-area home Wednesday night around 5 PM after someone called police claiming there was a shooting in progress.

Our sources say Ariana has been swatted at least once before, so police were skeptical when the 911 call came in, but they still sent 2 cars to check out the situation. We're told cops did not talk to Ariana -- they spoke to the property manager -- and law enforcement ultimately determined it was another instance of swatting and LAPD took a 911 abuse report.

Sources say LAPD will investigate because they want to stop swatting calls ... cops say it's dangerous because it takes away resources from where they're needed most.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry subscribe to the idea that when it rains ... smile and glow like hell.

Meghan and Harry returned to the UK for the first time together since announcing they're stepping down as Senior Royals and moving to Canada. The royal couple was in London Thursday evening to attend the 2020 Endeavour Fund Awards, an org that recognizes and supports wounded vets.

Meghan looked stunning in a baby blue dress while Prince Harry rocked the hell out of a navy blue suit. They were all smiles ... never mind their ongoing feud with Queen Elizabeth about their right to use the term "royal" as part of their brand.

As we reported ... Her Majesty the Queen blocked Harry and Meghan from using the term in their Sussex Royal brand following their shocking January announcement. Harry and Meghan beg to differ on the use of the term. It's been quite contentious, to say the least.

BTW ... Meghan and Harry have 2 more events scheduled in the UK -- a performance at Royal Albert Hall on Saturday night before joining the Queen at a Commonwealth Day service Monday. It marks their last official royal engagement before formally stepping down from their royal roles on March 31 and shutting down their office at Buckingham Palace on April 1.

It was fun while it lasted.

Taylor Swift is lending a huge hand to her home state -- she's making a million-dollar donation to aid in the aftermath of 2 deadly tornadoes ... TMZ has learned.

Swift says she donated to the Middle Tennessee Emergency Response Fund and is encouraging her fans to do the same to help out. Taylor wrote ... "Nashville is my home and the fact that so many people have lost their homes and so much more in Middle Tennessee is devastating to me."

The tornadoes moved through the central part of the state Tuesday, tragically killing at least 24 people and destroying hundreds of buildings before the sun came up. Many more people were injured or left without their homes.

Taylor's million bucks will help the Nashville area and its residents in wake of the disaster, much like her $500k donation did back in 2010 did following a major flood.

Swift, of course, launched her country career in her teens while living in The Music City, which eventually led to her superstardom. She currently owns a home in Hendersonville ... about 20 miles outside of Nashville.

"I'm getting a little bit of the meat sweats."

That's Joey Chestnut in the middle of pounding 32 Big Macs on Thursday ... and, yeah, it's the most disgusting/awesome thing you'll see all day.

The competitive eating legend posted the video on his social media ... saying he was having a cheat day and wanted to accomplish something he -- nor any other person -- had ever done.

So, the dude set out to grab a McDonald's world record ... and fired up his phone to get 15.36 POUNDS of Big Macs delivered to his crib.

What happened next is pretty graphic ... he slammed all 32 burgers -- pickles, lettuce, special sauce and all -- and sweated ruthlessly throughout the meal!!

But, in true Chestnut fashion ... he dominated the challenge -- setting the world record (it had previously been 30) -- and afterward, he looked pretty damn good for a guy that consumed 18,016 calories in less than an hour!!

Of course, Joey's used to these kinds of feats ... he owns the annual Nathan's Hot Dog-Eating Contest, eating a record 74 wieners back in 2018.

Nicolas Cage looked a bit outta place in NYC wearing a cowboy hat and boots. No, he wasn't shooting a modern western ... he was on a date.

Nic and his 26-year-old GF, Riko Shibata, enjoyed a horse-drawn carriage ride Wednesday in Central Park. The couple left the Italian joint Cipriani on 5th Avenue before embarking on their tour of the park. After, they hit up a bar for several hours enjoying some drinks.

It looked like a romantic date, and also pretty cliche. The hansom cab is one of those things every NYC tourist's bucket list. Still, the couple really did appear to enjoy the scenery.

The same cannot be said of their driver who seemed to be intensely glued to his phone. Y'know what they say ... those horses practically drive themselves. Take that Tesla!!!

Anyway, Nic and Riko -- who's 30 years younger than him -- have been spotted around the city quite a bit. A few days ago they hit up the American Museum of Natural History and then enjoyed dinner and a movie. Turns out Nic's kind of a traditionalist ... on dates, anyway.