Controversial S#!T

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is a part of "Fast & Furious" franchise once again ... despite previously claiming he's permanently put the brakes on when it comes to Vin Diesel's flicks.

Spoiler alert, folks -- but according to TheWrap, Dwayne makes an appearance in a post-credit scene for the latest installment, "Fast X," which hits theaters next week. It's unclear exactly what goes down, or who he appears with, but it's safe to say good ol' Luke Hobbs isn't done drivin' fast cars.

It's a shocking cameo, though ... because as we reported, Dwanye wanted nothing to do with the franchise back in 2021 after Vin publicly begged him to come back to the 'Fast' family -- asking Dwayne to "not leave the franchise idle you have a very important role to play."

Dwayne called him out soon after, telling CNN the Instagram plea was just a bunch of "manipulation" -- adding he spoke to Vin privately about his decision and there was absolutely "no chance I would return."

Of course, there was some bad blood between the 2 over the years on set ... with Dwayne saying some of his male costars on those movies  -- with all signs pointing to Vin -- didn't act like "true professionals."

Kenyon Martin has a bone to pick with Julius Randle ... and it's a weird one -- the former NBA star says it irks him when the Knicks forward kisses his wife after playoff games.

Martin unleashed the bizarre tirade against Randle on the "Gil's Arena" live stream on Thursday ... hours after the NY star was seen smooching Kendra Randle following the Knicks' Game 5 win over the Heat.

"I saw something last night at the end of the game and it bothered me," Martin said on the show. "We just got done playing a hard-fought game in a playoff series, and the first thing you do is you go kiss your wife."

"Like," he added, "that's the first thing you do?! Where's your mind at?!"

Martin said Julius should have been more focused on celebrating the victory at Madison Square Garden with his teammates ... instead of loving on his significant other.

"I'm sitting there watching the game with my wife, and I'm like, 'I love you to death,'" the 15-year NBA veteran said, "'but ain't no way in that instance I'm going to walk over. I'm going to be with my guys -- we just got done winning. I'm not even thinking about you.'"

For what it's worth, there weren't many others on the show that seemed to agree with Martin's take ... they pointed out to the 45-year-old that Kendra is Julius' most ride-or-die supporter, and deserves the postgame love.

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson is breaking her silence on her 9/11 rap lyric controversy ... apologizing for her song -- and vowing to do better moving forward.

Johnson was initially hit with backlash earlier this month ... when she made a reference to the Twin Towers in her remix to Latto's hit, "Put It On Da Floor."

In the tune, Johnson sang, "In this 911 blowing smoke just like them towers." The bar was a double entendre -- it was a play on riding in a Porsche ... and the 2001 terrorist attack that killed more than 2,000 people.

Many on social media called her out over it all -- saying it was insensitive ... and in an Instagram story video late Thursday night, Johnson finally addressed the issue.

"I just want to come on here and let ya'll know by no means would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone," said the 19-year-old, who has a legitimate budding rap career off the basketball court.

"My whole goal in music is to push positivity and spread love. So, in no way shape or form would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone."

LSU previously commented on the song earlier this week, saying Johnson "expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding." The school added that the song's music video has since been pulled from the internet.

Johnson -- who wasn't born until 2003 -- insisted she'll "learn from this moving forward."

"I just thank ya'll for ya'll continued support," she said.

For more, tune into the TMZ Sports Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

It's official -- Dan Snyder is selling the Washington Commanders ... and he's handing over the reins to Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris, NBA legend Magic Johnson and David Blitzer.

Both sides confirmed the move on Friday ... announcing they have entered a purchase and sale agreement.

As previously reported, the final price tag for the franchise was $6.05 billion -- shattering the record for an American franchise sale.

All NFL owners will now have to vote on the transaction ... but it's expected to be approved without issue.

Dan and Tanya Snyder said they are both "very pleased" with the outcome ... especially considering Harris is from the area.

"We look forward to the prompt completion of this transaction and to rooting for Josh and the team in the coming years," the Snyders said in a statement.

Magic -- who also has ownership in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Sparks and LAFC, also addressed the big move ... saying, "I could not be more excited to be a partner in the proposed new ownership group for the Washington Commanders."

"Josh Harris has assembled an amazing group who share a commitment to not only doing great things on the field but to making a real impact in the DMV community. I’m so excited to get to work on executing our vision for the Commanders and our loyal fanbase!"

Daniel Penny has just been criminally charged in the death of NYC subway rider Jordan Neely, who died after Penny put him in a chokehold on a train.

The Marine vet surrendered to police at a Manhattan station house Friday morning and was booked on a charge of second-degree manslaughter. After posing for a mug shot and getting fingerprinted, Penny will go before a judge to be arraigned on the felony charge in criminal court.

His attorneys from the law firm Raiser & Kenniff issued a statement Thursday night, saying they were "confident that once all the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident are brought to bear, Mr. Penny will be fully absolved of any wrongdoing."

Penny was a passenger in a subway snaking through the Manhattan underground on May 1 when he and other riders encountered Neely, who was allegedly in the throes of a mental health episode. Penny's lawyers say Neely was aggressive and threatening.

Neely was reportedly screaming that he was hungry and thirsty and didn't care if he went to jail. He also allegedly ripped off his coat and threw it on the ground.

In what he says was self-defense, Penny placed Neely in a chokehold while a witness started filming. Over the next several minutes, Penny and Neely grappled on the floor until Neely's body went limp and he was pronounced dead.

The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide due to "compression of neck."

Pat McAfee says he's no longer fighting with Brett Favre in the courtroom ... the media personality claims the NFL legend is withdrawing his lawsuit against him.

Favre initially sued the ex-Colts punter back in February ... alleging McAfee defamed him when he spoke on his "The Pat McAfee Show" earlier this year about Favre's alleged role in a welfare funds scandal in Mississippi.

Specifically, Favre took umbrage when he claimed that McAfee said on-air that the former Packers QB was "stealing from poor people."

McAfee strongly denied that he was defaming Favre with any of his comments about the scandal ... and pushed back against the Hall of Famer's suit at nearly every turn in the case.

Finally, on Thursday, McAfee said Favre agreed to drop it all.

"My statements, expressed in comedic style," he said, "were based solely on public information and allegations. As I have previously stated, I respect the hell out of Brett Favre the football player and his Hall of Fame career on the field, and I have no personal knowledge about any case involving Brett in Mississippi."

McAfee insisted there was no settlement money paid to Favre to get to this point.

"I would much rather talk about sports than lawsuits," McAfee said. "So I'm glad we have all of this behind us. We now move on."

In addition to McAfee, Favre also sued Shannon Sharpe for comments he said the former Denver Broncos player made about him on FS1 earlier this year. It's unclear if that suit remains ongoing.

Important warning for all Internet pranksters -- licking ice cream and putting it back in a grocery store freezer can have serious consequences, as cops are now investigating a recent viral clip showing just that.

A spokesperson for the Portsmouth Police Department in Virginia tells us a ton of pissed-off people recently made them aware of the video of Tequan Hines and his gf, Asia, grabbing a quart of Blue Bunny ice cream and licking it.

The rep says cops are currently investigating the video to figure out which store the incident might have occurred at, adding, "Thus far no business has come forward as a victim in our jurisdiction."

However, the consensus online is Hines and Asia live in the Portsmouth area ... as indicated in their social media profiles.

As we reported, the video -- first posted and then deleted by Tequan -- blew up on social media, with many calling for the pair to be arrested and charged for the disgusting act.

It's still unclear as to whether or not Tequan and Asia eventually paid for the ice cream, but they clearly felt the heat online ... deleting their original posting.

BTW ... if the couple ends up getting in trouble, they wouldn't be the first.

Back in 2020, D’Adrien L’Quinn Anderson pled guilty to criminal mischief for licking some Blue Bell ice cream and was sentenced to 30 days behind bars.

Bob Huggins has been punished for using a homophobic slur twice during a radio interview earlier this week ... getting hit with a three-game suspension and a $1 million annual salary reduction.

The news came out just minutes ago ... with WVU announcing the coaching legend will NOT lose his job over the comments, but will spend a bit of time away from the team.

The punishment also includes sensitivity training ... which will now be a requirement for all current and future coaches at the university, according to the release. On top of that, Huggins' contract has been reconstructed to a year-by-year agreement ... and he's being kept on a short leash.

"We have made it explicitly clear to Coach Huggins that any incidents of similar derogatory and offensive language will result in immediate termination," WVU prez Gordon Gee and athletic director Wren Baker said in a statement.

The $1 million that has been pulled from Huggins' checks will now be used to support the university's LGBTQ+ Center and other organizations that help marginalized communities.

Huggins will also make a donation to Xavier's Center for Faith and Justice ... as well as the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.

Of course, Huggins faced a ton of backlash after referring to Xavier fans as "Catholic f**s" while speaking to Bill Cunningham on 700 WLW in Cincinnati.

Huggins apologized for his comments ... saying there is no excuse for what he said, and he would accept any punishment handed his way.

"I am ashamed and embarrassed and heartbroken for those I have hurt," Huggins said Monday. "I must do better, and I will."

FYI -- Huggins was making $4,150,000 a year before the punishment ... and his contract had options that ran through the 2027 season.

"We will never truly know the damage that has been done by the words said in those 90 seconds," Gee and Baker said in the joint statement. "Words matter and they can leave scars that can never be seen. But words can also heal."

Xavier president Colleen Hanycz went in on West Virginia men's basketball coach Bob Huggins for his use of homophobic slurs earlier this week ... calling his comments "repulsive" and "offensive."

Hanycz addressed Huggins' controversial radio remarks about Xavier fans during a speech at a school event on Wednesday ... and she didn't hold back.

"The deplorable, mischaracterization, and homophobic slurs directed towards our LGBTQ+ and our Catholic communities were repulsive and offensive," Hanycz said on campus.

"To those in our Xavier family who were directly targeted and harmed by these hateful words, be assured you are invaluable members of our Xavier family, and you belong here. Your presence makes us better."

Huggins found himself in hot water on Monday after he referred to Xavier fans as "Catholic f**s." The 69-year-old ultimately apologized to the Xavier, Cincinnati and West Virginia communities ... saying he was "ashamed" and "embarrassed."

Huggins -- who was reportedly handed a suspension and $1 million salary reduction by WVU as punishment -- said he was "heartbroken" over the hurt he caused by his words, and vowed to do better moving forward.

Two ice-cold lovebirds are currently getting dragged through the mud after bringing back an infamous and dangerous social media trend that left a bad taste in people's mouths.

Here's the deal -- content creator Tequan Hines recently uploaded a clip of himself and his boo, Asia, sticking their tongues deep in a carton of ice cream in a grocery store before putting it back and fleeing.

They've since taken the video down, but you know how the Internet works ... it's been recirculating online, including on Reddit, where folks are laying into the couple.

Angry commenters are all singing the same tune, more or less -- "A**holes like this should go to jail," and "Looks like they are also pretty proud of their act. F***ing idiots" ... were just a few expressing outrage.

One even wrote, "I'm so glad these people had the intelligence to film and upload themselves to the internet for the benefit of law enforcement."

If it rings a bell, that's because the same thing was going down in the summer of 2019 -- when people were seeking social media clout by licking ice cream out of containers and putting them back on the shelves.

Those looking for quick fame didn't get a happy ending at the time, BTW -- some got arrested and charged, like D’Adrien L’Quinn Anderson ... who pled guilty in 2020 to criminal mischief for licking some Blue Bell ice cream and was forced to do 30 days behind bars.

LSU is apologizing for Flau'jae Johnson's lyrics referencing the 9/11 terrorist attacks in her new rap song ... saying the hoop star never meant to offend anyone in the now-deleted music video.

The 19-year-old, 5'10" guard dropped the September 11th line in a new remix to Latto's hit, "Put It On Da Floor" ... saying "In this 911 blowing smoke just like them towers."

Of course, when Johnson says 911, it's got double meaning ... the Porsche, and the 2001 attack. The next line refers to the Twin Towers smoking before they collapsed, tragically killing over 2,000 people.

The music video has since been deleted, but not before it was captured and shared across social media platforms.

The university got word of the controversial lyrics ... and said they spoke with the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year about the remix on Tuesday.

"While she never intended to offend or upset anyone with her lyrics, she expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding and immediately took the video down," LSU told FOX News in a statement.

"We will learn and grow from this experience together."

Johnson -- who wasn't born until 2003 -- has yet to release a statement herself.

Of course, Johnson -- who's signed with Roc Nation -- takes her rap career seriously. She even performed her song "BIG 4" in front of fans after the Tigers' NCAA championship win last month.

George Santos has just been arrested for a variety of alleged misdeeds, including lying.

Santos has been charged with 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives.

Santos was taken into custody by the FBI and is expected to be arraigned later today.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said when the indictment was unsealed, he "seeks to hold Santos accountable for various alleged fraudulent schemes and brazen misrepresentations," adding, "He used political contributions to line his pockets, unlawfully applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and lied to the House of Representatives."

Santos has been caught in a web of lies since his election victory last November. Some of his Republican colleagues wanted him expelled, but the leadership was radio silent on the issue.

According to the indictment, 2 of his supporters each transferred $25,000 to an account that was supposed to go to his campaign but was then transferred to a personal account. Santos allegedly used the funds to buy designer clothes and withdraw cash for personal debts.

It'll be interesting how Speaker Kevin McCarthy deals with Santos now.

Belal Muhammad doesn't plan on waiting for Leon Edwards and Colby Covington to fight ... the UFC star, coming off a decisive win over Gilbert Burns, tells us he wants to jump "Chaos" and scrap with "Rocky," and he knows precisely when and where.

UFC 294, October 21, Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. UAE.

"I’m still hoping and praying that since Leon wants to fight in Abu Dhabi and he wants to fight in October that they’ll just let me fight him because that makes the most sense in the world," Belal told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

"There’s not a bigger fight they can make in Abu Dhabi than me fighting for the belt in Abu Dhabi."

Dana White previously said Colby would get the next title shot. Assuming the UFC prez sticks with his original plan, we asked Belal if he's been told he has next.

"Yeah, for sure," Muhammad said, continuing ... "I saw Dana in the back. He said, ‘Yup, you got it, man. You earned it. You got your spot now.’ When you hear it from the boss’ mouth that’s all I need to hear. That’s like freakin' -- the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. You’re like, ‘Uh, got it, finally.’"

Of course, 34-year-old Muhammad beat Burns by unanimous decision at UFC 288 ... and is now the 3rd ranked welterweight, behind the champ, Edwards, former champ Kamaru Usman (#1), and the aforementioned Covington (#2).

FYI, Belal's resume is about as strong as it gets. He's won 9 fights in a row and hasn't lost since January 2019 (Geoff Neal). Over the course of the win streak, Muhammad has beaten the likes of Demian Maia, Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, and Vicente Luque, amongst others.

Muhammad already fought Edwards in 2021 ... but the fight was stopped near the start of the 2nd round after an inadvertent eye poke forced Belal out of the fight. The bout was ruled a "no contest."

Belal believes he's done more than enough to run things back with Leon ... who is coming off a victory over Usman, the welterweight G.O.A.T.

"I’ve done everything I can do. I have five ranked wins. What else is there to do? There’s nothing else."

Check out the clip ... there's much more with the UFC star, from his breakdown of the fight with Burns to his plans to train with Khabib Nurmagomedov later this month.

E. Jean Carroll just released a statement, saying, "I filed this lawsuit against Donald Trump to clear my name and to get my life back. Today, the world finally knows the truth. This victory is not just for me but for every woman who has suffered because she was not believed."

Donald Trump was found liable in his battery and defamation trial involving E. Jean Carroll.

The jury of 6 men and 3 women reached the verdict Tuesday after deliberating for a mere 3 hours. They found the former president liable for defaming Carroll and sexually abusing her ... but not liable for rape. As a result, Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages.

As you know ... Carroll sued Trump for battery and defamation, claiming Trump raped her back in 1996 in a Manhattan department store dressing room. She said she was attacked by Trump after they ran into each other at the store and shopped together.

Trump maintained Carroll's allegation was just a "hoax" and claimed he wouldn't have raped her because she wasn't his type.

As we reported ... Carroll's attorney grilled Trump about his general treatment of women when he sat for a deposition as part of the suit.

In the depo, recorded on video last October, Trump clarifies his hot mic comments during his 2005 interview with Billy Bush, where he infamously said ... "And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, grab them by the p****. You can do anything."

Carroll's attorney asked Trump if that's indeed what he said, and without blinking he responded, "Well, historically, that's true with stars. If you look over the last million years, I guess that's been largely true."

Trump then shockingly adds ... "Unfortunately or fortunately."

While Trump never appeared in court during the trial, he ripped Carroll as a "whack job" and a "nut job" in his deposition.

It will be interesting to see if Trump references the verdict tomorrow during his CNN town hall.

ESPN anchor John Anderson issued a mea culpa on Tuesday ... after he made an on-air joke about the last name of an NHL player who's of First Nations descent.

Anderson cracked the quip during an episode of "SportsCenter" on Monday night ... when he was reading over highlights of the Las Vegas Golden Knights' playoff win over the Edmonton Oilers.

As LV defenseman Zach Whitecloud was putting a shot in the net on the screen, Anderson said, "Zach Whitecloud -- what kind of name is Whitecloud?"

"Great name if you’re a toilet paper," he added.

The comment was immediately hit with backlash -- with many dragging Anderson for poking fun at Whitecloud, who, according to NHL.com, is "the first Indigenous NHL player from the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation."

Social media users called it offensive and crass -- and on Tuesday morning, Anderson said in a statement he was sorry about it all.

"This is totally on me and I sincerely apologize to Zach, the Golden Knights, their fans and everyone else for what I said," Anderson wrote. "It's my job to be prepared and know the backgrounds of the players and I blew it."

He added, "I will be reaching out to the team to personally apologize and hope to have the opportunity to speak to Zach as well."

Ex-NBA player John Amaechi is calling out West Virginia basketball coach Bob Huggins over the anti-gay comments he made earlier this week ... telling TMZ Sports everyone involved in the conversation is straight-up "disgusting."

As we previously reported, Huggins used homophobic slurs during a Cincinnati radio appearance on Monday ... referring to Xavier fans as "Catholic f**s" while speaking with Bill Cunningham on 700 WLW.

Amaechi -- who came out as gay in 2007 -- got wind of what the coaching legend said ... and he believes, unfortunately, Huggins isn't the only one in a sports leadership role who would use such a term.

"I don’t know the man -- but he sounds like a dinosaur," Amaechi tells TMZ Sports. "College (and indeed pro) sports are littered with them."

But Amaechi isn't just disappointed in Huggins -- he continued to speak out against the show's hosts ... saying they "are also disgusting and to blame for egging this conversation on and calling him 'the best' after he said those words."

"It's hardly surprising that some people still think it’s OK to say these words," he added. "As to whether he should be an educator (as a coach or otherwise), I would remind people that the vociferously anti-trans and anti-gay usually sit in a constellation where many other minority groups (including Black and Brown people) are also held in contempt."

Amaechi -- who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz over the course of 5 seasons in the Association -- has become a voice for the LGBTQ+ community since coming out ... and has also built a career as a psychologist and professor at a Russell Group university.

He was recently honored for his work at an event ... where he gave a powerful monologue that actually ties in with Huggins' controversy.

"I won an award the other day from the Sports Industry, and in my acceptance speech, I talked about sports being an empty vessel that people fill with who they are -- if you imagine what this man fills his sport with, it's hard to imagine that the human outcomes will be positive, even if sporting success occurs," Amaechi says.