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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora says he will NOT join the team to visit Donald Trump on Thursday ... and several Red Sox players are boycotting with him.

The team was invited to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to be honored for winning the 2018 World Series -- and it's all set to go down on Thursday -- but Cora says he ain't going.

The 43-year-old issued a statement in Spanish saying he doesn't feel "comfortable" visiting Trump after the way POTUS handled recovery efforts in his native Puerto Rico after the 2017 hurricane.

"Puerto Rico is very important to me," Cora said ... "Unfortunately, we are still struggling, still fighting. Some people still lack basic necessities, others remain without electricity and many homes and schools are in pretty bad shape almost a year and a half after Hurricane María struck."

"Even though the United States Government has helped, there’s still a long road ahead and that is OUR reality."

"I’ve used my voice on many occasions so that Puerto Ricans are not forgotten and my absence [from the White House] is no different."

"As such, at this moment, I don’t feel comfortable celebrating in the White House."

Cora said he told Red Sox officials about his decision before informing the media.

Other Red Sox stars who will NOT go to the White House include shortstop Xander Bogaerts, David Price and Mookie Betts.

Trump has hosted a bunch of athletes recently -- including NASCAR champ Joey Logano.

The guy who was suing the Duffer Bros. for allegedly stealing the idea for "Stranger Things" from him is doing a complete 180 and yanking his lawsuit ... right before their trial was set to begin.

Charles Kessler reportedly withdrew his suit against Matt and Ross Duffer Sunday, issuing a statement as well that completely recanted any and all claims of plagiarism he'd made against them over the past year.

His reasoning is a bit odd, as it seems he just realized he had no case against them. Kessler wrote, "After hearing the deposition testimony this week of the legal expert I hired, it is now apparent to me that, whatever I may have believed in the past, my work had nothing to do with the creation of Stranger Things."

He added, "Documents from 2010 and 2013 prove that the Duffers independently created their show. As a result, I have withdrawn my claim and I will be making no further comment on this matter."

TMZ broke the story ... Kessler sued the Duffers back in April of last year, alleging that he'd met with them in 2014 to pitch an idea similar to "Stranger Things" but never heard back -- only to see a show incredibly similar to his idea get greenlit by Netflix courtesy of the bros.

He claimed that his 2012 short film "Montauk" was the inspiration for the show, but he never got any credit ... or cash. The Duffers, meanwhile, fired back saying they had documented evidence that they'd been working on "Stranger Things" since at least 2010.

We reviewed some of those documents -- emails that the Duffers were sending back and forth -- and sure enough, it appeared to prove they were, in fact, developing a "Montauk"-like series well before Kessler came into the picture.

Netflix chimed in on the news as well Sunday, saying ... "We are glad to be able to put this baseless lawsuit behind us. As we have said all along, Stranger Things is a ground-breaking original creation by The Duffer Brothers."

The studio continued, "We are proud of this show and of our friends Matt and Ross, whose artistic vision gave life to Stranger Things, and whose passion, imagination and relentless hard work alongside our talented cast and crew made it a wildly successful, award-winning series beloved by viewers around the world."

"Teen Mom 2" just suffered another casualty -- this time in the form of an advertiser -- Greenies pet treats has cut ties with the MTV show.

In a statement Friday, Greenies announced, "We have zero tolerance for animal cruelty and we can now confirm that as a result of this incident, our ads will no longer run during Teen Mom programming."

Greenies joins a mountain of companies who have pulled the plug on their relationship with "Teen Mom." Chipotle, Dove Chocolates, TWIX and Persil ProClean are among some of the brands who have also cut ties.

TMZ broke the story ... "Teen Mom 2" star Jenelle Evans' husband, David Eason, is under investigation for animal cruelty after he allegedly pummeled and then shot his family dog. Both the local Animal Control and Sheriff's Department is working on the investigation.

Can you spot the G.O.A.T.?!

He's behind the dude in SWAG pink suit!

Check this out ... a bunch of NFL stars are hanging together in Kentucky right now -- gearing up for the Kentucky Derby.

Baker Mayfield's front and center -- with an incognito Tom Brady blending in behind him.

Indianapolis Colts QB Jacoby Brissett -- Tom's former backup -- is in the bottom left ... standing next to Julian Edelman.

Also in the mix ... ex-Patriots' Lonie Paxton and Dan Koppen.

TB12 is a regular at the Derby -- so is his coach, Bill Belichick. Unclear if Bill has made it to Churchill Downs yet.

We already reported L.A. Rams head coach Sean McVay is in town with his smokin' hot girlfriend.

Here's Sean McVay and his smoking hot girlfriend to get you ready to horse around this weekend!!

The L.A. Rams head coach and Veronika Khomyn (did we mention she's gorgeous?) are in Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday ... and they're already showin' off their derby drip!!

The Derby is one of the biggest events in sports and gives celebs and athletes an opportunity to flex with their outfits and party all weekend ... and this year will be no different.

Veronika (still hot) put on her floral print dress and a big ass hat for the occasion ... and McBae went with a blue plaid suit. V swaggy.

Remember ... Bob Baffert told us MONTHS AGO who he thought was gonna win the big race tomorrow ... and if you haven't placed your bets yet, we don't know what else we could do to help.

If horses aren't your thing, grab a mint julep and scroll through these great pics.

It's GREAT to be Cam Newton these days ... dude just officially opened up his own cigar shop -- AND he's having another baby!!!

Oh, and his hat game is still as strong as ever!!!!

The Carolina Panthers superstar was out in Atlanta on Thursday flaunting how amazing his life is ... posing with his mom and brother for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for "Fellaship"

It's a bar/lounge/club that's supposed to be awesome -- a cool hangout spot for drinks and cigars ... and Cam's been stoked about it for months.

Newton -- as always -- was dressed to the nines, rockin' an awesome hat and a fitted suit for its official opening ... and the place already looks like a hit, receiving tons of great reviews.

It's just the latest cool moment for the QB ... the NFL superstar's girlfriend announced just hours before the ceremony began that the couple is expecting their fourth child.

Cam's shoulder also seems to be doing better after the offseason surgery ... he had no problems moving around the venue with all his friends and fam.

Stephen Jackson is giving some solid advice to D'Angelo Russell following his weed bust earlier this week ... telling the NBA star to keep his head up and be SMARTER with his pot moving forward.

As we previously reported ... DLo was cited for marijuana possession Wednesday at LaGuardia airport after TSA found a fake can of Arizona iced tea in his checked bag ... with green stashed away in a secret compartment.

Stack is now going to bat for Russell ... essentially saying it's NBD because ganja's practically legal everywhere now, but laws are laws and the young hooper can't be getting in trouble.

"Thinking bout @dloading stay strong kid," Jackson says. "They rather u take man made stuff so they can benefit."

Jackson added, "Gotta be smarter DLo but remember it’s a 'PLANT' not a drug. Facts. Do your homework."

FYI -- Jackson is a big marijuana advocate ... and has teamed up with fellow ex-NBA great Al Harrington's Viola cannabis company to share the benefits of weed as an alternative to prescription pills for pain relief.

Stack says although it's on its way to being legal everywhere, it's still a crime ... "It’s only a prob having it if u successful and black. It’s dam near legal."

Houston Astros star George Springer has been disciplined by the MLB ... and it's over a homophobic slur he mouthed at an umpire after a strikeout.

The incident went down back on April 23 during the Astros-Twins game -- when Springer was called out on strikes by umpire Angel Hernandez on a pitch GP clearly thought was WAY too low.

As Springer was venting about the call in the dugout ... cameras caught the outfielder mouthing the words to Angel, "f**king c*** sucker!"

Now, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has issued a statement to Outsports ... saying the MLB has internally punished the 'Stros star for the vulgar language.

"This inappropriate behavior was addressed with Mr. Springer and the Houston Astros,” Manfred said ... “and he has been disciplined.”

Unclear what the punishment was for Springer ... but he has NOT been suspended for the altercation.

Neither Springer nor the Astros have yet to comment on the situation.

Tom Brady says there are TWO good reasons he's not the highest paid player in the NFL ...

1) He'd rather have the Patriots use the cash to pay other good players

2) HIS WIFE'S ALREADY SUPER RICH!!!

It's true ... TB12 explained the whole thing on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" when Jimmy pointed out that Brady (who's won more Super Bowls than any other QB ever) is the 18th highest paid QB in the NFL.

Don't worry, he ain't exactly poor -- Brady is slated to make $15 million in 2019.

But, Tom broke it down this way ...

"I think the thing I've always felt for me in my life, winning has been a priority. And, my wife [Gisele] makes a lot of money."

Brady continued ... "I'm a little smarter than you think. Actually, it's a salary cap. You can only spend so much and the more that one guy gets is less for others. And, for a competitive advantage standpoint, I like to get a lot of good players around me."

He's not kidding about Gisele ... she's made a FORTUNE over the years as the highest paid model on the planet.

According to Forbes, the Brazilian raked in $42 million in 2013 alone -- though that number has gone way down over the years.

She reportedly only made $10 mil in 2018.

HOW WILL THEY SURVIVE ON THAT MEASLY SALARY?!!?

Tyreek Hill is adamantly denying he's ever abused his 3-year-old son ... and says his fiancee is the one who's gotten physical with the boy in the past -- and he has text messages to prove it.

It's all in a letter reportedly sent to the NFL on Thursday by Hill's attorneys, who say Hill has NEVER "punched" his son and was in no way responsible for the boy's recent broken arm.

As we previously reported ... Hill's fiancee, Crystal Espinal, accused the Chiefs superstar of abusing their son in leaked audio tapes ... but Tyreek strongly denied those allegations.

Now, Hill's attorneys -- per ESPN -- are not only saying Tyreek's never beaten his son ... they're alleging it's actually Espinal who's harmed the child in the past.

Per the letter, Tyreek has text messages from Espinal that read:

Tyreek: "Crystal you know I didn't cause any bruising or harm to [our son]. But for some reason I still may be charged."

Espinal: "I know you didn't. I did. I hurt [our son]. I'm the one that did it. I was hurt and mad at you so I blamed you for everything."

Hill's attorneys in the letter also say the only times Hill has ever put his hands on his son are to either calm him down or to play with him.

The attorneys also say Tyreek's son is by no means "terrified" of the Kansas City superstar ... saying they have eyewitness accounts that "[their child]'s eyes light up when he sees" Tyreek.

The attorneys add that Tyreek is currently going through both family counseling and individual counseling ... and is "looking forward to having the opportunity" to speak with the NFL regarding the allegations.

Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge was treated after suffering a mild heart attack in Milwaukee on Tuesday ... and luckily, he's expected to make a full recovery.

The Celtics released a statement on Thursday ... saying the ex-NBAer received immediate medical attention and will be able to return to Boston, although it's unclear if he will be able to attend tomorrow night's Game 3 matchup in the Eastern Conference semis against the Bucks.

Ainge has had health issues in the past -- he also suffered a mild heart attack in 2009.

The 60-year-old won 2 titles with the Celtics during his 14-year career before taking his talents to the front office. He's widely considered one of the best execs in the league ... and helped put together Boston's 2008 title-winning roster.

Tom Brady, Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel bro'd down over some sushi in Beverly Hills ... they're super rich and super famous ... so, question is, who footed the bill???

The power trio hit the town after shooting a bit for "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Wednesday ... getting a table at Yazawa Japanese BBQ.

Of course, Brady's been all over La La Land this week ... he was spotted throwin' the pigskin with some UCLA players earlier in the day before joining the stars for dinner.

So ... who pays the tab?! Let's break it down:

Kimmel -- Jimmy just had Brady and Damon on his show ... so a few sushi rolls as a thank you for coming on his show ain't out of the question.

Damon -- the actor's a HUGE Pats and TB12 fan ... so a congrats on winning a 6th SUPER BOWL dinner is definitely not out of the question.

Then there's Brady ... the dude's made more than $212 MILLION in his career -- and that's just his football salary -- and uhh, we might have our winner.

Regardless of who whipped out the wallet ... that's one helluva power table.

RIP to Yasiel Puig's bat ... the Cincinnati Reds slugger snapped his lumber over his knee like the Hulk on Wednesday ... and it looked incredibly easy.

Puig Your Friend is no friend to the wood -- the dude is known for destroying his bat after frustrating plate appearances... and he put his special talent on display during the 4th inning of the Reds vs. Mets game after striking out swinging.

If you're not impressed by this ... pick up a wooden bat and try to do it yourself and NOT be in a world of pain after. Actually, don't do that ... just trust us.

Puig's been known to break bats during his career ... so he was able to regroup and walk back to the dugout without so much of a limp.

Sorry, Tom Brady ... Rob Gronkowski looks like he's OFFICIALLY moved on from football -- and onto acting -- 'cause the retired Pats star killed it as a fake cop at the Billboard Music Awards!!

It all went down Wednesday night ... when Gronk kicked off the BBMA show as a "security guard" who was bouncing Kelly Clarkson.

The skit was pretty funny ... Gronk pretended to kick KC -- who he called a "seat filler" -- out of her spot to let Florida Georgia Line take her place.

When Clarkson eventually moved on to sing her opening number ... Gronk came back for more -- pretending to drag her off the stage!!

Gronk later presented an award to Cardi B with Terry Crews -- and even joked about his potential next career there ... saying he wanted to be a TV host just like TC!!!

Oh, and the guy had amazing seats -- proving Hollywood is totally down to accept him -- 'cause he was sitting in the second row just behind Taylor Swift!!!!!

Of course, Rob's no stranger to Hollywood ... he's had plenty of movie cameos, he's done skits for the WWE, and he even hosts the show "Crashletes" on Nickelodeon.

By the way, Rob also brought his smokin' hot GF, Camille Kostek, to the awards show ... which begs the question, could there be some wedding bells along with a future acting career soon???

Robert Kraft still has some very powerful allies during his Asian Spa case ... including Jay-Z and Meek Mill.

Of course, Kraft has been friendly with both rap superstars for a while -- but teamed up with them on Wednesday as part of a meeting for the REFORM Alliance, dedicated to reforming the criminal justice system.

CNN's Van Jones -- who's the CEO of REFORM -- was also on hand along with Philadelphia 76ers co-owner Michael Rubin.

During the meeting, the group discussed everything from reform policy goals to employment rates and crime rates.

Earlier this year, the group pledged $50 MILLION in hopes of achieving their goal of getting 1 MILLION people released over the next 5 years.

For Kraft, his appearance at the meeting is interesting considering his lawyers in Florida had been battling all day long to keep officials from releasing surveillance footage in his spa case.

The guys could have easily asked Kraft to keep his distance from the group during his legal case because it could be viewed as a distraction -- but clearly, they don't feel that way.

Kraft not only had a seat at the table, but posed for a pic with the group -- everyone had big smiles.

Robert Kraft has been ordered to appear in court IN PERSON in his prostitution case -- and it's all going down in 3 weeks.

Kraft has been sending his legal team to Florida over the past few months to battle it out with prosecutors in his place ... in an effort to block officials from releasing the graphic footage from inside the spa.

Kraft's legal team have been grilling investigators over the past few days -- and Wednesday, they made their closing arguments as to why the video should never see the light of day.

As we previously reported, cops say they have graphic surveillance footage from inside the massage room at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida showing the 77-year-old New England Patriots owner receiving sexual acts from two spa employees.

Kraft has already apologized publicly for his actions -- but he's entered a not guilty plea in his solicitation case and plans to fight the charges. His attorneys have argued the footage was illegally obtained PLUS the release of the video would taint a potential jury pool and ruin his chances for a fair trial.

On Wednesday, the judge said he would make a decision soon that would impact the fate of the video -- and set a hearing date for May 21 ... ordering Kraft to appear in person.

Unclear why he wants Kraft to attend since the hearing is only listed a "calendar call" -- which generally just a status update in a case.

It would be the first time Kraft would appear in court for this case -- something he's clearly been trying to avoid since the information went public back in February.