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Kelly Stafford returned to the hospital days after a scary, 12-hour brain surgery ... saying the pain had gotten too much to handle as she recovers from the serious procedure.

The Detroit Lions superstar QB's wife had surgery to remove a brain tumor over the weekend ... and managed to return home in time for Easter Sunday.

Kelly -- who has been very open about the challenges she's faced since the tumor was discovered -- says she was taken to the emergency room Wednesday morning ... after experiencing "pain and massive headaches."

"I thought I could power through the pain and massive headaches that were challenging me throughout the day," Kelly said.

"I thought I could do it. They told me tapering off the steroids was going to be very difficult."

Kelly says she looked to her husband for support and thought his strength would help her get through the suffering ... "I told myself the pain would succumb to me, I wouldn’t succumb to it."

"I was so wrong. The pain got so far ahead of me I couldn’t keep anything down, including meds. I ended up in the ER very early this morning, back on steroids and pain medication."

"At first, I felt like I had failed, like I couldn’t handle it.. but what I really failed at was listening to my own body. A lesson I feel like I am going to have to keep reminding myself of."

Kelly says she'll stay in the hospital overnight -- hopes to return home Thursday -- and thanks everyone who has reached out with kind words during her recovery.

This is the GREATEST reaction to Damian Lillard's game-winning shot Tuesday night -- his sister storming the court while screaming "That's my brother" ... and she got the whole thing on video!!!

LaNae Lillard was sitting courtside at the Moda Center in Portland to watch the Trail Blazers take on the OKC Thunder in Game 5 of their NBA playoff series.

And, almost like she KNEW Dame was gonna sink that buzzer-beater, she busted out her phone and began recording the whole thing to her IG story.

Dame shot. Dame scored. LaNae went WILD -- rushing over to the celebratory pile in the middle of the court while yelling at the top of her lungs, "THAT'S MY BROTHER! THAT'S MY MOTHER F**KING BROTHER!!!"

It's an amazing video -- the shot clinched the playoff series for the Blazers, eliminating Russell Westbrook and company ... which must have been especially sweet for Dame, considering the two had been going at it the whole series.

Congrats to the whole Lillard family -- amazing night!!!

Tom Brady wins EVERYTHING ... including fans' credit cards -- 'cause the NFL says the Patriots legend is its leader in merch sales AGAIN!!!

So, the big question ... where does the league's HIGHEST-paid player rank on the list? Russell Wilson isn't even in the Top 10!

The NFL Player's Association just dropped the numbers which show fans spent more money on TB12 items from March 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019 than ANY other player.

How does the rest of the list shake out? It's interesting ...

#2 -- Dak Prescott

#3 -- Carson Wentz

#4 -- Ezekiel Elliott

#5 -- Patrick Mahomes

#6 -- Saquon Barkley

#7 -- Aaron Rodgers

#8 -- Deshaun Watson

#9 -- Khalil Mack

#10 -- Drew Brees

Some other notables on the list ...

Baker Mayfield was #12, Odell Beckham clocked in at #13 ... and Russell Wilson was all the way down at #19 behind guys like Mitchell Trubisky and Adam Thielen.

Some other shocking numbers ... JJ Watt was down at #34, Cam Newton was down at #39 and Matthew Stafford was at #43.

Jimmy Garoppolo -- who's only played 26 games in 5 years -- was #23 on the list ... though it might have to do more with people supporting his off-the-field game!

Ex-Baylor superstar and NFL prospect Shawn Oakman says legal expenses from fighting a false rape allegation broke him ... so much so that he had to sell one of his Bowl game champion rings.

The defensive end was accused of sexual assault in 2016, just days before the NFL draft would've likely made him a millionaire. He went undrafted and hasn't stepped foot on an NFL field yet.

Shawn was exonerated back in February -- with a jury deliberating just 45 minutes before finding him not guilty, citing evidence that the sex was consensual.

Oakman recently sat down for an interview with Ben Raymond for a special called "Shawn Oakman: The Rebirth" and opened up about what the entire ordeal cost him, and the cost was HIGH.

"I went through two paid lawyers. The second lawyer, it got all the way to trial. The week before she needed $60k just to step in the courtroom. I already gave her $60k ... but she needed $60k just to step in the courtroom, so she dropped my case. I didn't have it."

"That's when I got a public defender," Oakman said.

Shawn, who had yet to sign a pro contract, went on to describe exactly the way he came up with the cash for his defense.

"Before that, basically I had one of my bowl game rings. I sold my bowl game ring on eBay to pay for my lawyer."

Oakman is now 27, has lost three insanely important years of his career, and might not ever get his NFL chance ... but he insists he's not at all depressed about the situation.

Justin Bieber PRAYED TO GOD his Toronto Maple Leafs would emerge victorious in Game 7 of their NHL playoff series ... so, when they lost, he REALLY needed comfort from his wife Hailey Baldwin.

Justin and Hailey were sitting in a private VIP box at TD Garden in Boston to watch his Canadian team take on the Boston Bruins.

Before the game, Justin offered up a prayer for his players on IG -- saying, "Dear lord please be with Austin Mathews, Mitch Marner and all of the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight as they play game 7 against the Boston bruins."

JB's prayers went unanswered -- his Maple Leafs got SHELLACKED in a 5-1 blowout.

You can see video of Hailey rubbing Justin's shoulders as she quickly realizes things aren't going his way ...

After the game ... Boston Bruins star David Pastrnak rubbed the win in Bieber's face -- tweeting, "Not today [Justin Bieber] #BostonStrong."

And, get this ... Justin's out of Canadian teams to root for in the NHL playoffs -- the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames were both eliminated, too.

It's over for Marshawn Lynch -- and this time, it's for good!

Beast Mode is reportedly hanging up his football cleats ... again ... retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons in the league, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The Oakland Raiders running back just turned 33 years old this week -- which is old for an NFL running back -- and "is not planning to play football again."

The timing is interesting ... the 2019 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday and now Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and GM Mike Mayock can focus on bringing in a fresh set of legs to take over the role.

Lynch is a legend -- he racked up 10,379 rushing yards in his incredible career and 93 total touchdowns ... which would have been 94 if Pete Carroll would have called a RUN PLAY at the end of Super Bowl XLIX!!!!

Marshawn has retired before ... he stepped away from the Seattle Seahawks back in 2016 -- and around that time, we tried to ask him if he would ever come back to the game.

His response is one of the best burns on a TMZ photog ... EVER!!

4:57 PM PT -- We asked if there was any video or photo evidence to help prove Tennant's case, and her attorney essentially told us no.

4:53 PM PT -- When asked what they want to get out of the case, Tennant's attorney says they have no particular sum in mind.

4:49 PM PT -- Tennant says she did not go to law enforcement because she feared it would jeopardize her career.

Tennant's attorney says they do not intend to file a police report because they do not want to put Walton in jail.

4:43 PM PT -- Tennant says she didn't come forward at first because, "I was scared."

"I was scared for my job, my safety and what my job would be like."

She claims she's spent years trying to move past the incident and "bury it" -- but she couldn't. She says she finally mustered up the courage to tell her story.

4:40 PM PT -- Kelli Tennant got emotional while telling her story ... recounting how she felt Walton was "going to rape her" during the hotel encounter.

Tennant says she begged Walton like crazy to let her go but he ignored her pleas ... until finally giving up and letting her out of the hotel room.

"This type of behavior cannot be condoned," Tennant said.

4:33 PM PT -- Kelli says the alleged sexual assault took place in 2014, when she was 25-years-old.

Her attorney says she was uncomfortable coming forward back then but she's comfortable now.

Kelli says she met Luke Walton about 10 years ago through the volleyball community.

The woman accusing Luke Walton of sexual assault will speak with the media at 4:30 PM PT ... and TMZ Sports will be live streaming the whole thing.

Kelli Tennant and her attorney, Garo Mardirossian, will hold a press conference at his office in Los Angeles, they announced. They are both planning to speak.

Mardirossian has just issued a pre-press conference statement saying, "By way of this lawsuit, Ms. Tennant is speaking out and saying #timesup to the culture of abusing women in the NBA."

We broke the story ... Tennant -- a longtime sports reporter -- claims Walton sexually assaulted her in a Santa Monica hotel room while he was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.

Walton has lawyered up and adamantly denied the allegations -- with his attorney attacking the accuser as an "opportunist."

There are TONS of unanswered questions ... what was the date of the attack? Is there any photo of video evidence? Witnesses? Etc.

Nearly $12 MILLION worth of fake championship and team rings are now OFF the market ... so say U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials -- who say they just seized 177 counterfeit pieces!

CBP officials announced Tuesday they found nearly 200 fake rings during an inspection of a March 11 shipment from China to the U.S.

The faux bling included Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots Super Bowl rings, New York Yankees World Series rings and much more.

And, we gotta say ... they do look pretty awesome.

But, officials say they caught the stuff before it could be sold to Americans -- claiming they saved U.S. consumers $11.7 MILLION with the seizure!!!

"This most recent interception of counterfeit sports rings demonstrates the ongoing vigilance and commitment to the mission by our CBP Officers and Import Specialists," officials said.

11:05 AM PT -- Mark and Tina tell TMZ, "At first we thought this comical legal document was a parody. Instead, this so-called lawsuit by the brothers is more of their lawyer driven nonsense, and a desperate attempt for them to stay relevant and further profit from an attack they admit they perpetrated."

They continue, "While we know this ridiculous lawsuit will soon be dismissed because it lacks any legal footing, we look forward to exposing the fraud the Osundairo brothers and their attorneys have committed on the public."

9:43 AM PT -- Ola was out and about Monday afternoon in Chicago ... looking carefree a day before he his brother, Abel, filed a lawsuit in federal court. Ola's asked if he thinks Jussie owes the City of Chicago an apology. He seems more psyched hanging out with his boy and their exotic pets.

8:35 AM PT -- The presser just ended and NOBODY asked why Abel and Ola are NOT suing Jussie. The brothers' attorney, Gloria Schmidt, read a statement on behalf of the brothers ... saying they can no longer sit back and watch lie after lie being fabricated about them.

7:45 AM PT -- The brothers' attorneys are holding a news conference in Chicago, and we'll be live streaming. The big question, of course ... WHY didn't Abel and Ola sue Jussie Smollett???

The 2 brothers who allegedly faked the Jussie Smollett attack are suing the actor's lawyers, Mark Geragos and Tina Glandian, for defamation, claiming the attorneys lied to the media and tried to make it appear Ola and Abel Osundairo were the culprits in a real, homophobic and racist attack.

The brothers filed the case in Chicago federal court, claiming Jussie "used his clout as a wealthy actor to influence [the brothers] who were in a subordinate relationship to him and were aspiring to 'make it.'"

The suit says when Tina Glandian went on 'GMA,' "Today" and the Reasonable Doubt podcast after the charges against Jussie were dismissed, she told a string of lies ... including the brothers wore whiteface during the attack and the brothers were involved in an illegal Nigerian steroid trafficking ring.

The lawsuit also claims Glandian falsely claimed one of the brothers "engaged in fornication with Mr. Smollett."

As for Geragos, the suit claims he "repeatedly indicated that plaintiffs conspired to criminally attack Mr. Smollett, and by doing so, implied plaintiffs committed perjury" to the Grand Jury and conspired to make false statements to the Chicago PD.

The suit doubles down and says the brothers never knew Jussie would go to the cops ... rather, he was staging the "attack" for social media.

The brothers say as a result of the alleged defamation they suffered extreme emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, damages to their reputation, and damages to current and prospective business relations.

As we reported, Ola and Abel have had a tough time finding work, both as actors and personal trainers, in the wake of the scandal.

One final thing ... it's interesting the brothers did not sue Jussie, who also claimed they were the culprits in the alleged racist and homophobic attack.

7:45 AM PT -- A judge ruled Mingbi will be released on $5,000 bond on the condition she surrenders her passport and does not work in the spa/massage industry.

Cops have arrested another woman in the Robert Kraft prostitution case -- a 58-year-old who allegedly performed a sexual act on the Patriots owner with another woman at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.

Jupiter Police arrested Shen Mingbi -- who cops say was in the massage room with Kraft on January 19, 2019.

According to the police report, Kraft was joined in the massage room by 2 women -- one of whom was Mingbi.

Officials say the encounter was captured on surveillance and shows both Mingbi and Lei Wang using their hands on Kraft's penis.

Officials say Mingbi was also involved in sexual acts with several other men at the spa.

Wang had already been arrested and charged in the case -- but now, officials have busted Mingbi too.

Mingbi has been formally charged with 1 count of deriving support from prostitution and 8 counts of offer to commit prostitution. She's in court right now (Tuesday) to face the charges.

As for Kraft, he's got a hearing on Friday where he'll continue to fight to block officials from releasing the spa video to the media.

Kraft has claimed the release of the video would hamper his ability to get a fair trial because it would taint the jury pool.

Ronda Rousey says her wrestling career is up in the air -- admitting she could quit WWE forever after having her baby ... but she hasn't made up her mind yet.

As we previously reported, Ronda is taking a hiatus from WWE to work on starting her family with husband Travis Browne. In other words, they're humping with a purpose these days.

The two just gave a video update on RondaRousey.com -- Travis says there have been multiple attempts to get Ronda pregnant ... and they might be pregnant right now. They don't know yet.

As for Ronda's future, she opened up during the video ...

"As for WWE plans in the future, we want to have a baby first. I don’t know what it’s like to have a baby," Ronda said.

"I could look down at this beautiful child and be like, ‘F*ck everything, I don’t care about anything else other than this baby.’ And, you’ll never see me again."

"Or, I could be like my mom, who she trained until she was 8 months pregnant and then won the U.S. Open [of judo] 6 weeks after giving birth. Which was unbelievable."

"I don’t think I’m going to try and aspire to her level. But, I’m just saying, you never know, I don’t want to make any promises about the future when I don’t know how I’m gonna feel in the future."

Translation -- Ronda isn't making any promises either way ... which should probably scare Vince McMahon and Triple H because she's become one of the biggest stars in wrestling.

Teammates that go to hockey games together ... feed each other???

That's exactly what happened when Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott hit up the Dallas Stars game Monday night ... 'cause the QB fed his running back a whole bucket of popcorn!!

It all went down in Dallas' playoff game against the Preds ... when cameras caught the two Cowboys stars taking in the action.

Zeke, of course, had to hit the jumbotron with his famous "Feed Me!" celebration ... so Dak obliged -- making an entire bucket of popcorn rain all over the RB's face!!

Seems the guys on the ice were motivated by the gesture ... 'cause the Stars finished off the series upset over Nashville, winning the game in overtime just a few minutes later.

Luke Walton has lawyered up in his sexual battery case -- and now the NBA coach and his attorney are blasting his accuser as a lying "opportunist."

TMZ Sports broke the story ... sports reporter Kelli Tennant is suing the Sacramento Kings head coach claiming he sexually assaulted her back when he was an assistant with the Golden State Warriors.

Now, Walton has hired attorney Mark Baute, who issued a fiery statement slamming Tennant's allegations.

"Luke Walton retained me to defend him against these baseless allegations," Baute said.

"The accuser is an opportunist, not a victim, & her claim is not credible. We intend to prove this in a courtroom."

In the suit, Tennant says Walton tried to force himself on her in a Santa Monica hotel room -- but she was able to escape.

The Warriors say they had no knowledge of the alleged incident during Walton's employment. Same with the Lakers and the Kings.

We spoke with Shannon Sharpe about the situation -- and reiterated the importance of withholding judgment until we hear both sides.

Ezekiel Elliott will NEVER forget what he looked like when he dominated the NFL ... 'cause the Dallas Cowboys superstar got his own mug tatted on his leg!!!

The NFL's leading rusher just got the ink done this month ... and it's massive -- taking up nearly all of the outside of his (very muscular) calf.

The pic is a twist on a famous shot of a helmet-less Zeke ... with zombie eyes and a crown on top of his trademark afro.

Seems Zeke LOVES the artwork ... he put it on full display while hanging out with Von Miller and Erroll Spence at Miller's charity event this past weekend.

Of course, Zeke has some pretty unique ink all over his body -- there's an Ohio State logo on his shoulder, a portrait of his mom on his chest and even one of his dogs on his forearm.

Think Olivia Culpo is gonna let her ex-BF shame her out of posting hot photos on social media?

HELL NO!!

Just a few days after Danny Amendola bitched about Olivia's obsession with posting her life on Instagram -- the former Miss Universe doubled down ... posting another bikini pic on IG.

Remember, Amendola said Olivia's choice to live her life in the public eye was a "fundamental difference" in their relationship.

"Olivia chooses and wants to be noticed on the internet and in Hollywood to make money. Which was hard for me to understand but quickly had to learn," Amendola wrote.

But, Culpo wouldn't be detoured ... and Monday morning, posted an Easter pic from her family trip to Palm Springs ... and she just so happens to be in a bikini.

You want attention? You got it!

Amendola deleted his giant rant -- and replaced it with a message that read, "Fake people have an image to maintain. The real ones jus don't care."

That's when Amendola's former Patriots teammate, Julian Edelman, decided to chime in -- "Get off Instagram please ... thanks."

That post has been removed too.

A former UFC fighter was hit by a car and killed in Brazil after officials say he got into an argument with his rideshare driver.

The fighter is 26-year-old Rodrigo de Lima -- who fought Neil Magny in 2014 and Efrain Escudero in 2015 during his stint in the UFC. He lost both of those fights.

Rodrigo was a passenger in a car in Belem, Brazil when he got into an argument with the driver. According to reports, the driver stopped the car and booted de Lima from the vehicle.

Once outside the car, the driver allegedly drove away from the scene -- then turned around and struck de Lima from behind, killing the fighter.

There are reports the driver was working for Uber at the time of the incident. We've called Uber to confirm but so far, no word back.

Officials are currently on the hunt for the driver. De Lima is survived by his wife and two young children.

De Lima was 9-3-1 as a pro -- and earned the nickname "Monstro" (which means monster) -- due to his fighting style.