Athletes

Aldon Smith -- the former NFL star whose dominant pass-rushing ability made him one of football's most feared defenders -- has died. He was 36.

Smith died Saturday morning ... but details surrounding his death were not immediately available.

The San Francisco 49ers confirmed the news in a statement ... saying they were "devastated by the sudden and tragic passing" of the former first-round pick. The team remembered Smith's remarkable talent, standout rookie season and the infectious smile that "lit up every room he walked into."

A dream vacation turned tragic in Thailand ... an up-and-coming Australian sprint star has died after a motorcycle crash. She was just 25.

Jemma Stapleton was reportedly riding a motorcycle on Thailand's Koh Samui island Wednesday when disaster struck ... with authorities pointing to rainy weather as a possible factor in the crash. Her family was traveling just behind her when it happened.

The tragedy comes just a little over a week after Stapleton celebrated her 25th birthday and months after another standout season on the track. The Melbourne native finished third in the prestigious Stawell Gift in 2025 and returned to the final again this year -- cementing her status as one of Australia's rising sprint talents.

Hank Azaria is not happy that Taylor Swift was courtside for the Knicks game ... while he had to watch their insane win from the nosebleeds.

"The Simpsons" voice actor went on "The Dan Le Batard Show" Thursday to complain that the pop star was taking up not one, but several seats on Celebrity Row for Game 4 Wednesday.

He told the show's hosts ... "I'll tell you, the one that bothered me was Taylor Swift." "The Birdcage" star noted that while TS was front row, he was "way up in what they call the Cisco Suites," which he says are practically on the ceiling.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are getting hitched at Madison Square Garden ... and some businesses in the area fear the grand spectacle will be a pain in the ass for them.

TMZ reached out to several independent joints around the Garden -- all bars and restaurants -- and not a single one has received any information about the upcoming wedding, including security issues that might occur for such an epic event.

A few places even told us they were dreading the wedding ... because if it's anything like the area being locked down for President Trump at the Knicks game, July 3 will be a "disaster."

David Beckham scored one of Hollywood's biggest honors ... officially getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ... and while one of his sons wasn't there to celebrate him, he got support from Tom Cruise.

The soccer legend was all smiles Friday as he unveiled his new star alongside wife Victoria Beckham and children Harper, Romeo and Cruz -- plus longtime pal Tom, who was practically honorary family for the day.

Brooklyn Beckham was noticeably absent ... but that's hardly a surprise ... given the family's ongoing drama.

Taylor Swift found herself a pretty high-profile cameraman ... because Steven Spielberg was literally directing her from the sidelines during a hilarious moment at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ... and it's all on video.

The singer was at NYC's Marriott Marquis Hotel with fiancé Travis Kelce, vibing to John Fogerty and his sons performing "Fortunate Son" when she started striking poses for her phone ... before handing it to the Oscar-winning director sitting right beside her.

The legendary director didn't disappoint. Instead of a quick point-and-shoot, Steven had Taylor fully sell the scene ... leaning in, hamming it up and serving main-character energy while he filmed from his chair.

Serena Williams' big return to tennis had a lackluster ending ... with the legend being forced to exit the HSBC Championships tournament due to her partner's injury.

44-year-old Williams and Victoria Mboko's journey at the Queen's Club was off to a hot start -- they won in straight sets earlier in the week ... but the 19-year-old suffered a knee ailment in a singles match the next day, which was too much to overcome.

Mboko, 19, had to withdraw from that contest ... and on Thursday morning, the tournament confirmed her doubles match is off, too.

Taylor Swift scoped out her and Travis Kelce's wedding venue Wednesday night ... because she rolled up to watch Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden.

Here's the catch ... she arrived at the game without her hubby to be and with her girls Alana and Este Haim.

Taylor is wearing a fitted blue Knicks tee with an adorbs matching bow and black jeans. Of course ... she is sporting her classic red lip, too.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding guest list isn't just packed with celebrities, athletes and Hollywood power players ... plenty of everyday folks made the cut too.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the couple invited people who aren't famous and, in some cases, barely know Taylor and Travis. We're told some guests have only crossed paths with Taylor a few times while working on various projects over the years.

In fact, we're told some invitees were even shocked when they got the call.

Game 4 of the NBA Finals is about to be a star-studded showdown ... because Taylor Swift is expected to attend the game at her upcoming wedding venue, Madison Square Garden.

According to Page Six, Taylor's a huge New York Knicks fan and is planning to roll up to the game with some friends.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … she’s expressed interested in going and is expected to be in the stands tonight. But it's unclear if Travis Kelce will be with her.

Stefon Diggs is being ordered to finally explain how he knows the man accusing him of sexual assault ... because a federal judge says calling him an "acquaintance" just isn't good enough.

According to new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, the judge ruled on a series of discovery disputes last week in Diggs' ongoing legal battle with Christopher Blake Griffith ... the man who has accused the NFL star of drugging and sexually assaulting him in 2023 ... allegations Diggs has repeatedly denied.

One of the biggest rulings centers on how Stefon must answer a basic question: How did Diggs and Griffith know each other before the alleged incident?

The knife Karmelo Anthony allegedly used to fatally stab Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet wasn't illegal under Texas law ... according to a police detective who testified in Anthony's murder trial.

The testimony came as Anthony's defense team wrapped up its case, with jurors hearing from Detective Beau Riley -- a member of Frisco PD's Crimes Against Children unit who responded to the scene of the fatal stabbing.

One of the key moments came when Anthony's attorney had Riley confirm the knife Anthony carried that day was legal to possess in Texas ... and legal to bring into a stadium.

Brooke Hogan isn't celebrating the Clearwater Police Department closing the book on Hulk Hogan's death investigation ... telling TMZ she believes authorities botched the case from the very beginning.

After police announced there has been no evidence to indicate Hulk's death was anything other than natural, Brooke tells TMZ she was stunned to see the department publicly thank her for her cooperation ... 'cause she says she felt like an outsider throughout the entire process.

Brooke says ... "There's been a lot of inconsistencies from the BEGINNING. I think CWPD missed the mark by not IMMEDIATELY making this a big investigation and not questioning everything and everybody out the gate. This should have been treated as a taped off, locked down, thorough investigation from day one."

She also says the department's public acknowledgment felt like "a slap in the face." Clearwater police have declined to comment on her statements.

Olivia Culpo is positively glowing as she shows off her second pregnancy during a sun-soaked getaway to Los Cabos for husband Christian McCaffrey's milestone 30th birthday celebration.

While the trip was technically all about her NFL star husband's big day, Olivia had no trouble stealing the spotlight in a tiny royal blue bikini that put her growing baby bump front and center.

The model looked radiant and relaxed as she and the San Francisco 49ers running back hit the water ... soaking up the sunshine, and embracing full vacation mode during their Mexican escape.

Brooke Hogan called the police days after her father Hulk Hogan’s death to ask about his autopsy ... TMZ has learned.

According to a Clearwater Police Department report, obtained by TMZ, Brooke contacted an officer to see if an autopsy would be done on her dad following his July 2025 death.

The police told Brooke the decision would be made by the Medical Examiner.

Simone Biles says she nearly died this week after suffering a health scare that shook her to her very core!

The gymnast, who has snagged 11 Olympic medals and 30 world championship medals, posted a message on Saturday to her Instagram Story, offering scant details on her medical crisis.

While Biles did not go into the nature of the problem, she said she was resting in bed and would explain more sooner or later, adding that "almost dying wasn't on my bingo card earlier this week."