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The Cleveland Indians game got rained out on Friday ... but there's still a lot to celebrate, 'cause Carlos Santana was officially sworn in as United States citizen!!

The Dominican slugger took his oath of citizenship in front of his family and friends in federal court in Cleveland early Friday ... after passing all the requirements to get dual citizenship.

Santana ain't the only Tribe player to earn his citizenship ... his teammate Hanley Ramirez -- who is also from the Dominican Republic -- was sworn in at a ceremony last week.

The best part?? Santana and Ramirez's teammates held a little party to congratulate them after passing their tests last week ... presenting the guys with their own patriotic cake!!

“I hope I can get a home run for this special day today,” Santana said on Friday (before the game got rained out) ... but now he'll have 2 chances in a doubleheader against the Braves.

11:57 AM PT -- A rep for Banks tells TMZ Sports the allegations are simply not true -- adding, "Evidence exists that proves this false."

Ex-NFL player Brian Banks -- who was famously exonerated in a previous rape case -- is facing new allegations of sexual assault in a lawsuit ... TMZ Sports has learned.

Banks is being sued by a woman who claims the former Atlanta Falcons player hired her to clean his apartment in Feb. 2018 -- and while she went to work, he pulled out his penis and started masturbating in front of her.

In her suit, the woman claims Banks showed her porn on his computer and asked her to join in -- and when she refused, he got up and started forcing himself on her.

The woman claims Banks forcefully kissed her breasts and began groping her butt. She also claims Banks forced her to touch his penis while she "repeatedly" asked Banks to stop and let her go.

Eventually, the woman left -- and now she claims she was so traumatized, she can no longer clean homes out of fear she might be assaulted or raped.

She's suing Banks for $10 MILLION for assault, battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

We reached out to Banks for comment -- so far, no word back.

Brian's story is famous -- he was a high school football phenom when a classmate accused of him of rape in 2002. He eventually served 5 YEARS in prison.

But, after he was released, the accuser admitted she LIED -- and a judge overturned the conviction in 2012.

Banks resumed his football career and even signed a contract with the Falcons in 2013.

A Brazilian MMA fighter says she was forced to stop a sexy beach photoshoot this month -- when she saw some creepo rear-naked chokin' his own chicken while watching her from the bushes.

Oh, and then she proceeded to BEAT HIS ASS!!

The woman is Joyce Vieira -- a 27-year-old amateur fighter and swimsuit enthusiast from Brazil. Her IG page is FIRE.

Vieira claims she was posing for pics with her photog crew when noticed a guy watching her nearby -- and when she approached him, Joyce claims his penis was out and it was obvious he was pleasuring himself.

Vieira reportedly told Brazilian news outlets the guy was making noises and groaning -- and when she told him to cut it out he replied, "Why? You don't like it? Come here!"

So, she punched him.

Vieira reportedly filed a police report -- and when cops spoke with the alleged whackjob, he claimed he was NOT doing the ol' 5-knuckle shuffle ... but rather innocently peeing in the bushes.

The case is reportedly still open and cops are continuing the investigation.

Lorraine Warren, the real-life paranormal investigator whose work inspired the 'Conjuring' horror franchise, has died.

Lorraine died quietly and peacefully earlier this week, according to her grandson, Chris McKinnell. He said, "Last night my grandmother, Lorraine Warren, quietly and peacefully left us to join her beloved Ed. She was happy and laughing until the very end."

Lorraine and her husband, Ed, who died in 2006, were world-renowned paranormal investigators whose casework sparked James Wan's horror film franchise. Lorraine's character was played by Vera Farmiga.

Lorraine -- born on January 31, 1927 -- and Ed investigated scores of paranormal cases, but none more famous than what went down in Amityville, NY. That creepy case inspired the 1977 book, "The Amityville Horror" ... as well as the 1979 horror flick and the 2005 remake.

In "The Conjuring," Lorraine's character investigates a haunted Rhode Island farmhouse, but not before the film introduces the audience to the infamous Annabelle doll in the opening scene -- showing 2 roommates getting tortured by the doll with creepy messages on the walls.

Years later, Lorraine and Ed would go on to create a museum featuring the haunted objects they had kept from their investigations ... including the real Annabelle doll.

Kobe Bryant is setting the record straight on that old footage of his 1-on-1 game with Beyonce's dad ... saying he totally CRUSHED the guy ... and didn't let him score another basket!!

The 20-year-old footage surfaced last week ... showing Kobe and Mathew Knowles playing a quick pickup game on the set of Destiny's Child's "Bug a Boo" video shoot ... with MK scoring an easy layup on the Laker legend.

Mamba is finally addressing the highlight ... making it clear that even though the move was nice, he LET Knowles score ... and then he started playing forreal.

In natural Kobe fashion, Bryant wants people to know he ended up coming out on top ... even if the footage makes it look like he lost to a dude who didn't play a lick in the NBA (although Knowles hooped in college).

Kobe cops to trash-talkin' with Knowles ... and says agreed to hoop with Mathew after he mentioned playing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

We also talked to Knowles about the viral footage ... and he wants another shot at Kobe, saying he'll "kick your ass" again!!

What do ya got going on, KB?? Let's make the rematch happen!!!

Detroit Pistons guard Langston Galloway is goin' prehistoric with his sneaks on Saturday ... copping a sick pair of Fred Flintstone shoes for his big playoff game!!

TMZ Sports has learned -- the 5-year vet wanted to do something extra special with his Q4 EM-55 kicks for Game 3 of the first round of the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks.

We're told Galloway hit up Marcus Rivero -- AKA Soles By Sir -- to whip up a one-of-a-kind pair for the big game ... complete with the orange and black pattern of Fred's iconic outfit.

It's pretty much a do-or-die moment for the Pistons, who are down 0-2 in the series ... so maybe they'll give the squad some extra motivation.

As for Soles By Sir, he's the guy behind Montrezl Harrell's Nipsey Hussle kicks from last week ... and has worked with other athletes like Christian Yelich and Baker Mayfield.

**WARNING -- VIDEO CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE**

Snoop Dogg is already counting the Clippers out of the playoffs -- saying they SUCK -- and they'll never be as good as the Lakers.

The rap legend went OFF after the Clips got destroyed by the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night -- saying the series is a wrap already ... even though L.A. is only down 2-1.

"So what y'all made the playoffs, n**** , y'all ain't doing nothing," Snoop said ... "Same ol' Clippers."

Snoop is a hardcore Lakers fan -- and even though the Lake Show didn't make the playoffs, he still thinks it's WORSE to be a Clipper.

"Y'all still our little brothers, n****! Clippers gonna always be our little brothers ... No banners. No flags. Nothing!"

On the flip side, the Lakers have 16 championships and 31 conference titles ... plus, they've retired jerseys of some of the greatest players in NBA history -- from Magic to Kobe.

Floyd Mayweather gave his neck a workout at the Clippers vs. Warriors game at Staples Center on Thursday ... busting out 4 HUGE GOLD CHAINS to floss in front of a star-studded crowd.

Mayweather -- who paired his chains with some funky checkered shorts -- sat courtside to watch Steph Curry and Kevin Durant put the smackdown on L.A. in a 132 to 105 blowout in Game 3 of their NBA playoff series.

There were a TON of celebs at the game ... including Meek Mill, who wore a shirt honoring rapper Nipsey Hussle.

Terrell Owens was also in the building along with Billy Crystal, Scottie Pippen, John Calipari, Maverick Carter and more.

Tyreek Hill's 3-year-old child was temporarily placed in another home during an investigation into allegations the boy was physically abused at the NFL star's home ... this according to KCTV in Kansas.

The Kansas City Chiefs WR appeared in court on April 5 for an emergency hearing in the matter -- and that's when officials removed the child from Hill's care and placed him in another home, the report says.

Hill returned to the courthouse on April 17 -- holding hands with his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, the mother of the 3-year-old child.

The two did not comment when questioned by KCTV about the custody situation or the allegations of abuse.

We know Hill and Espinal were named in a police report filed on March 5. Cops described the incident as "child abuse/neglect."

According to police documents, neither Hill nor Espinal were prosecuted.

Another police report was filed regarding a March 14 incident -- cops responded to a call for a battery on an unnamed juvenile. Hill is not named in the report. Espinal is listed as an "involved person."

Both incidents occurred at Hill's home in Overland Park, Kansas.

Now, the Kansas Dept. for Children and Families is investigating the allegations at Hill's home. That investigation is expected to wrap up soon.

The Johnson County D.A.'s office is also investigating. Unclear where that investigation stands at this point.

Nipsey Hussle's friend who was shot during the fatal attack is about to get sprung from jail.

As we first reported ... Kerry Lathan -- a 56-year-old man who was shot in the back when Nipsey was killed outside his The Marathon clothing store -- was arrested days after because one of his parole conditions is not associating with known gang members. You'll recall cops said Nipsey was a member of the Rollin 60s Crips.

Lathan was transferred to Men's Central Jail in downtown L.A. but a rep with L.A. Superior Court tells us the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation withdrew its petition to revoke his parole.

It's unclear why the Corrections Department is making this move but as you know ... Nipsey's been celebrated as a hero in his community by everyone from L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti to President Obama.

In fact, Nipsey was supposed to meet with city officials the day after he was brutally gunned down ... to hold a gang violence summit with LAPD.

Forget coming back from a 2-year baseball career to win an NBA championship ... Michael Jordan says Tiger Woods' Masters victory last weekend is the greatest comeback of all-time!!!

"He had to change his game; he had to change his perspective a little bit," M.J. told The Athletic ... "To me, it was the greatest comeback I’ve ever seen."

Of course, Michael knows a thing or two about comebacks ... he ended a 2-year MLB career to return to the hardwood to win 3 straight NBA titles in the 1990s.

But, even Jordan admits that can't compare to what Tiger did this past weekend ... returning from all kinds of injuries and off-the-course issues to be the best golfer in the world again.

"I never thought he’d get back physically,” Jordan said ... “He didn’t think he’d get back physically. But he did it. No one expected him to be back the way he is now."

M.J. added, "He’s probably the only person who believed he could get back. To me, that’s a major accomplishment. To me, it’s unbelievable."

Jordan ain't the only one feeling that way ... everyone from Donald Trump to Tom Brady to Michael Phelps commented on their amazement over TW's 15th major championship win.

As for the debate between who's the greatest athlete of all time between Tiger and Jordan ... we actually asked Scottie Pippen that this week -- and you'll wanna hear his answer ...

Jordan Clarkson is following up on his passionate nightclub speech on the late Nipsey Hussle with a more permanent tribute ... honoring the slain rapper with a tattoo on his body.

As we previously reported ... the Cleveland Cavaliers guard gave an emotional tribute to Nip at a Scottsdale nightclub hours after Hussle was murdered ... calling for an end to gang and gun violence.

Clarkson decided to go one step further to show love for Nip ... getting the rapper's face tattooed on his left arm on Wednesday ... along with "TMC," for Hussle's "The Marathon Continues" slogan.

JC already has a bunch of body art -- he's almost fully covered now -- but this one has to mean a lot to the baller, hitting up Canada-based artist Steve Wiebe for the job.

You've probably seen Wiebe's work before -- he also works with stars like Future, Kelly Oubre Jr., Rita Ora and P.J. Tucker.

Clarkson joins fellow NBAer J.R. Smith with the permanent tribute to Nip ... who also paid homage with body art.

#RIP

9:54 AM PT -- HBO has responded to Trump's tweet, saying, "Though we can understand the enthusiasm for 'Game of Thrones' now that the final season has arrived, we still prefer our intellectual property not be used for political purposes."

Jon Snow's got nothing on President Trump ... just ask 45, who's using "Game of Thrones" again to celebrate the release of the Mueller Report and what he considers total vindication.

POTUS was on his Twitter game moments after Attorney General William Barr held a news conference to say Mueller found nothing on Trump. The Prez posted a 'GoT' styled meme, stating, "Game Over." He included a pointed jab, "For the haters and the radical left Democrats."

Trump was ripped by HBO when he did this same thing back in November to bark about imposing sanctions on Iran. The cable network was pissed he ripped their font for his "Sanctions are Coming" meme.

It's a good bet, Trump really doesn't give a crap what HBO thinks this morning (or any morning, for that matter) ... he's in victory lap mode.

Fun Fact: "Game over" is also the calling card of Jigsaw from the "Saw" horror movies ... not that we're making any comparisons.

Scary moment for Green Bay Packers fans ... when Aaron Rodgers almost got TRUCKED Wednesday night at the Milwaukee Bucks playoff game!!

Don't worry ... he's fine. But, good lord.

The Packers QB was sitting courtside with girlfriend Danica Patrick at Fiserv Forum in Wisconsin to watch the Bucks take on the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 of their NBA playoff series.

All of the sudden, Bucks shooting guard Pat Connaughton came charging toward the sideline ... and nearly crashed into Green Bay's $134 MILLION man.

Scary considering Rodgers just revealed he played most of the 2018 season with a broken bone in his leg ... and EVERYONE wants a healthy Rodgers this time around.

... especially Packers legend Brett Favre, who recently told us he thinks Rodgers is the best player in football -- better than Tom Brady -- and he's expecting BIG things from the QB in 2019.

If this isn't the most Gronk story to date ...

Rob Gronkowski made sure to leave his mark on the Patriots before retiring from the NFL ... putting a HUGE dent in their 6th Lombardi trophy while trying to use it as a baseball bat.

Yes ... Gronk used a freakin' Super Bowl trophy to try to hit a baseball because ... we don't know why he would do this, actually.

It all went down when the Patriots were honored at Fenway Park before a Red Sox game earlier this month ... when players like Gronk and Julian Edelman were having some fun and *pretending* to hit baseballs while using the trophy as a bat.

Gronk must've missed the memo about PRETENDING ... 'cause the dude switched up his batting stance to bunt the ball ... and he made contact.

The bunt resulted in a massive dent in ol' Vinny ... and the Patriots hilariously released a mini-mockumentary to give the play-by-play of the whole thing.

12:21 PM PT -- Temporary victory for Robert Kraft ...

Florida 15th Judicial Circuit Court Joseph Marx has BLOCKED the release of the Kraft video -- for now -- kicking the matter down the road. A hearing has been set for later this month.

Florida prosecutors say they WILL release pixelated video of Robert Kraft and other men inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa where they allegedly received illegal sexual services ... but Kraft has filed an emergency motion to block the release.

The Assistant State Attorney in Palm Beach County has filed new court docs saying he is obligated to release the footage shot inside the Day Spa to the media as a matter of law.

The New England Patriots owner has been battling like hell to keep the video under wraps for weeks arguing several angles -- he claims the footage was illegally shot and also says the release will taint a potential jury and prevent him from getting a fair trial.

But, prosecutors say in Florida ... state law requires disclosure of this type of evidence when requested by the media -- even though it includes explicit sexual images.

As we previously reported, prosecutors say the footage -- shot by a surveillance camera inside a massage room -- shows Kraft receiving sexual services in exchange for money on two separate occasions.

Officials say the cameras were covertly installed as part of a sting operation investigating possible human trafficking at the Day Spa.

Kraft claims the prosecutor had previously assured the court the video would not be released until a judge had an opportunity to analyze the issue ... and now he clearly feels prosecutors have mislead the court about their true intentions.

So, what does it all mean? The case will go in front of a judge TODAY at 11:30 AM PT -- and the judge could rule from the bench immediately.

And, there's more ... one of the patrons of the Day Spa who claims he was unknowingly recorded by the surveillance cams while receiving a legitimate massage has also filed docs seeking to block the release. He claims he had disrobed in the room and fears that private footage will humiliate him.