Exclusive Details

The G.O.A.T. is on a boat -- Michael Jordan is competing in a massive fishing tournament this week ... and he's doing it in style, on his "Catch 23" yacht!!!

Our solid fishing sources (yeah, we've got those) tell TMZ Sports ... His Airness took his talents to Ocean City, Maryland for the White Marlin Open where he's facing off against some of the best anglers in the WORLD!!!

FYI -- this event is huge and there's more than $6 MILLION in prize money at stake. The competitors are fishing for everything from white marlin to blue marlin along with tuna, wahoo, dolphin (usually mahi-mahi) and shark.

The 56-year-old NBA legend hasn't had much luck so far -- the official stats show his boat has yet to reel in anything.

As for the Catch 23 yacht -- it's 80-feet long and decked out in MJs famous elephant print from his Air Jordan 3 sneakers.

There's still time though -- the tourney goes through Friday ... and if we know anything about this guy, it's that he always comes through in the clutch.

Rich the Kid made sure the viral one-legged Lollapalooza guy didn't have to hop any fences to party his face off at the festival ... by hooking him up with a four-day artist pass!!!

The one-legged dude who went viral after getting busted by cops trying to sneak into Lollapalooza Friday during a massive stampede is Mekailo Woodfork. He tells us Rich gave him the star treatment over the weekend in Chicago after learning of his plight.

Mekailo, an 18-year-old from the Chicago suburbs, tells us he went to the festival with every intention of sneaking in with his buddies. The cops infamously cut his first attempt short, but he says police let him go and he made another attempt to jump a fence -- which he somehow did -- only to have security waiting on the other side.

Enter Rich the Kid ... we're told the rapper saw the viral footage of Mekailo getting busted by a cop, so his manager reached out to the teen over Instagram and hooked him up with backstage access!

Hey ... is that Cam Newton in the canned food aisle?! YEP!!!

Turns out, the Carolina Panthers QB doesn't just wear his bizarre outfits to training camp, he also rocks the look at Walmart!!!

Newton was spotted at the store in Charlotte recently -- where the person who shot the pics told us Cam was cruising the aisles for about an hour before checking out.

Shoppers initially weren't sure if the man in the overalls, scarf and funky hat was actually Cam -- but, yeah ... that's definitely him. Who else would it be?!

Cam prides himself on his fashion ... nice to see the entire world is his runway, including supermarkets.

Damian Marley is joining the heated protests over new construction atop Hawaii's tallest mountain ... and he's doing it with some Bob Marley classics.

Damian and thousands of protesters continued putting on the pressure to halt the construction of a 30-meter telescope on Mauna Kea. Damian, who has been visiting Hawaii for nearly three decades, visited the base of the mountain over the weekend to put on a show.

We're told Damian spoke to the masses and reminded them the work they're doing is immensely important. He also told them he can relate ... due to a similar situation that went down in Jamaica when some Rastafarians were pushed out of their sacred land.

As we reported ... Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson joined the group last week. Native Hawaiian groups are worried the construction will harm a site they consider sacred.

We're told Damian, who had recently performed shows in Maui and Oahu ... decided to get over to the Big Island to hang with protesters for several hours. He performed some of his own songs along with some of his father's legendary tracks, including "Get Up, Stand Up" -- a worldwide anthem for human rights. He also performed "Crazy Baldheads" and "Positive Vibration."

NASCAR legend Tony Stewart straight-up socked a heckler in the jaw at a racetrack Friday night ... and the entire incident was caught on camera.

48-year-old Stewart -- a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champ -- was driving in a sprint car race in Jackson, Minnesota when he claims his engine blew out on him after just one lap.

A ton of fans flocked to the track to see the race star drive that night -- the Jackson Motorplex even advertised it as "Tony Stewart Night" -- so Tony stuck around afterward to sign some autographs.

That's when a heckler came up to Stewart -- and according to one eye witness, Brandon Woehl -- began cussing out Smoke for "quitting" only one lap into the race.

"F*ck you, Tony," the heckler allegedly said ... "You piece of sh*t. You come here and basically race for one lap and quit, you piece of sh*t."

That's when Woehl says Tony responded, firing back, "I blew my engine, you f*cking asshole. Do you want to pay for it?"

The two traded a few more barbs ... with Stewart deciding to unleash a single-barrel salute to the heckler with his left hand.

In the video, you can hear the heckler's response, because he screams back at Stewart, "Hey, Tony, I got two of them" while flipping him off with BOTH hands.

Stewart immediately lost his cool and went after the guy ... and in the video, you can hear Tony's left fist collide with the heckler's face!!!

Woehl claims Tony said after the punch, "F*ck, I broke my hand."

Woehl also says members of Tony's camp took him away from scene almost immediately after the incident ... while the heckler was ushered away by event security.

Cops tell TMZ Sports they were NOT called to the scene ... and, instead, they say the matter was handled internally by race track officials. They say no formal complaints against the driver have been filed.

We've reached out to Tony's camp multiple times, but so far, no official comment.

Stewart -- who retired from NASCAR following the 2016 season -- now spends a ton of time racing in small events throughout the country. He's also the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Tony is set to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.

WWE legend Jerry Lawler thinks officials in Tennessee and a local sheriff are responsible for his son's 2018 death ... and now he's "seeking justice" in a new $3 MILLION lawsuit, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Brian Christopher Lawler -- AKA Grandmaster Sexay -- died by hanging himself in his jail cell in July 29, 2018 following an arrest for DUI and evading police. He was only 46.

But, Jerry claims his death could have easily been prevented -- if officials would have followed proper protocol when dealing with a person they KNEW had a history of suicide attempts.

Lawler's attorney, Jeffrey Rosenblum, tells TMZ Sports ... Brian -- who suffered from depression -- told officers during his 2018 arrest that he had attempted suicide in 2013 and 2015.

But, when Christopher was put in a jail cell for the 2018 arrest, officials at the Hardeman County Sheriff's Dept. made no effort to protect him from himself, Rosenblum says.

Rosenblum says Christopher was attacked by another inmate during his confinement -- and suffered a head injury, left eye gash and a possible concussion. But, Rosenblum says officials refused to get him medical help.

Instead, Lawler was allegedly placed in solitary confinement with his shoes and shoe laces -- and the cell had two large bolts sticking out of a high point on one of the cell walls.

Lawler ultimately used his laces and the bolts to hang himself, Rosenblum says.

Before his death, Rosenblum alleges that Lawler repeatedly cried out for help and screamed that he needed to go to the hospital ... but never received the medical attention he requested.

Rosenblum says the family has filed a lawsuit in the hopes of holding officials accountable -- and any money they are awarded will go toward supporting Brian's son.

He also wants an apology from the Sheriff's Dept. and a court order "requiring Hardeman County to correct their unconstitutional deficiencies so that no other family has to go through what this family has had to endure over the past year."

As for the $3 mil, Rosenblum says that number is for compensatory damages "with an additional award of punitive damages to be determined by the jury for the benefit of Brian’s minor son."

Bill Cosby has settled a defamation lawsuit filed by Janice Dickinson ... and he's NOT happy about it.

Dickinson claimed Cosby's lawyer slandered her when he said her claims of sexual assault by the comedian were false. She also claimed the lawyer made his remarks at Cosby's behest.

Cosby fought the lawsuit, but now his insurance company, AIG, agreed to settle the lawsuit over Cosby's strong objections.

Cosby continues to maintain the lawsuit was without merit and he never authorized the statement made by his lawyer ... this according to his spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt.

We're told this is the third case in recent months AIG settled a case over Cosby's objections, and Cosby's side believes it's illustrative of the insurer's bad faith and is "robbing Mr. Cosby of the opportunity to clear his name in a court of law."

Cosby's legal team says he's confident if the case went to trial, a jury would have found the statements made by Cosby's former attorney -- which were allegedly never spoken by Cosby himself -- were not defamatory ... as Dickinson claims.

Dickinson's lawyer, Lisa Bloom, has called it a "major, final, legal victory."

Bloom will be holding a news conference with Dickinson Thursday at 9 AM PT ... and TMZ will live stream.

If you blinked, you might've missed the fact Justin Bieber's got himself a new set of diamond whites in the form of a grill ... and it costs a fortune.

The Biebs showed off his new bling Tuesday on Instagram, but only barely. You gotta look close, but he's got the grill laid out over the lower half of his teeth -- he left his upper deck untouched, but that bottom row sure is shiny when you see it up and close.

JB was a bit modest in showing it off, but we got you covered!!!

The grill was commissioned by an L.A.-area jeweler who goes by Gold Teeth God -- with a name like that, he's gotta be pretty good, right?!? He is, 'cause Justin gave him a buzz.

We're told JB asked for the grill two weeks ago, and just got it delivered this week. It's called an "Invisible Set Princess Cut Diamond Grill" ... which means the teeth aren't individually outlined and appear flush. It ain't cheap -- it runs about $50,000.

It comes fully loaded too -- we're told the grill was designed to cover 8 teeth with white gold and white Vs1 diamonds at a clip of 7.65 carats total.

This is at least Bieber's second grill -- you'll recall ... he got an all-pink one made for him a couple years back that ran a clean $15k (top and bottom too at the time).

Channing Tatum is now legally protected from a woman who broke into his home and squatted there for more than a week.

The woman made herself comfortable in Tatum's crib for 10 days back in June ... and on Tuesday a judge ordered her to stay 100 yards away from Channing, his estranged wife, Jenna Dewan, and their child, Everly. The intruder can't make contact with them either. Channing's current girlfriend, Jessie J, is NOT one of the protected parties.

As we reported ... one of Channing's personal assistants discovered the woman making herself comfortable at Channing's home while he was out of town. His assistant performed a citizen's arrest until cops were able to arrive and take her away.

Authorities say the woman had some personal belongings in the crib. Channing acknowledged the woman had paid him a visit before, claiming she knew him.

Attorney Blair Berk was in court on Channing's behalf, as Tatum is currently in London. Berk provided an email that the woman sent, in which she claimed that she had a relationship with Channing, and that she believed he communicated with her via music.

Fighter on Saturday. Politician on Sunday.

Less than 24 hours after beating Keith Thurman in a welterweight championship fight, Manny Pacquiao boarded a private jet bound for the Philippines to try and attend the State of the Union.

Pacquiao is a senator back home in the Philippines -- and has previously floated the idea of running for President one day.

And, with this being a crucial week in terms of Filipino politics, Manny knew he couldn't waste time celebrating his victory in Las Vegas.

A rep for Pacquiao tells TMZ Sports ... "He left at 6 p.m. PT [Sunday] via private jet. One stop in Anchorage than straight to Manila."

Unfortunately, Pacquiao didn't make it back home in time for the SOTU -- but he's hoping to participate in other important Senate functions this week.

FYI, Manny reportedly made at least $10 million for the Keith Thurman fight ... with the potential to make a lot more based on pay-per-view buys and other factors.

After the fight, multiple senators in the Philippines issued official statements congratulating their colleague ... including Senator Sonny Angara who said:

"One solid win by Pacman, one giant celebration for his countrymen. This vintage Pacquiao win shows why his people love him to the moon and back."

"By Monday, my friend and colleague will step again into the Senate ring to join the fight against our ancient enemies - hunger, joblessness, poverty. Expect him to the bring the same spunk he had shown in boxing to this unfinished fight of his life."

Sen. Cynthia Villar said ... "I join the Filipino community around the world in celebrating the victory of our Pambansang Kamao, Manny Pacquiao."

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra partied like it's 1982 ... celebrating her 37th birthday.

Nick, Priyanka and friends hit up David Grutman's Komodo Restaurant in Miami for a late dinner ... followed by a raucous celebration at LIV Nightclub. We're told once the lovebirds got settled inside LIV ... a video appeared on the LED screens with a special birthday message from none other than Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, who are on their honeymoon in the Maldives.

Priyanka -- wearing the hell outta an elegant red sequin dress -- also enjoyed a $5,000 four-tier birthday cake by Divine Delicacies that could probably rival her wedding cake. BTW ... Joe and Sophie weren't the only ones to show Priyanka some love on her big day.

Kevin Jonas' wife, Danielle, also posted a pic on Instagram and gave her a huge shout out ... captioning the pic, "Happy birthday @priyankachopra. I hope your day is as bright and beautiful as you. love you!"

Not to be outdone ... Nick also showed his wifey some love on social media. His message was succinct but incredibly thoughtful ... writing, "Light of my world. My whole heart. I love you baby. Happy birthday."

R. Kelly was arrested Thursday night for multiple federal sex crimes in 2 different states.

Kelly was arrested Thursday in Chicago on charges contained in a 13-count indictment returned in the Northern District of Illinois. The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Northern District says the indictment includes charges of child porn, enticement of a minor and obstruction of justice.

He was arrested in Chicago while walking his dog. Various law enforcement officials assisted in the arrest, including Homeland Security and Chicago Police.

But, that's not all. There's a second federal indictment out of Brooklyn, where Kelly is reportedly charged with various crimes, including sex trafficking. That indictment is expected to be unveiled Friday.

The singer will be arraigned in Illinois and then taken to New York where he will face a judge in that case.

R. Kelly was in court in Chicago in June on new state charges, where he pled not guilty to 11 felonies related to sexual assault and various abuse in Illinois. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office charged him with 5 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, 4 counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault and 2 counts of criminal sexual assault.

In those legal docs, Kelly is accused of forcing contact between his penis and the alleged victim's mouth and committing an act of sexual penetration on a victim listed only as "J.P." The alleged incident occurred in January 2010, when the victim was under the age of 18.

Todd Gurley was the life of the party at a swanky event in Beverly Hills this week ... sippin' on expensive booze and posing with even more expensive luxury cars!!

The L.A. Rams superstar was celebrating his cover of the Haute Living Los Angeles magazine at Mr. C on Monday ... and everybody in attendance was drinking Louis XIII cognac -- which runs around $3,000 a bottle!!

If that ain't enough ... the main centerpiece decoration of the party was a Rolls-Royce Phantom, which starts at around 450k!! Oh yeah, and Gurley also pulled up to the party in a different Rolls for good measure.

The 24-year-old was gifted a custom piece of artwork by artist Crime ... which featured cool details about TG's life on and off the field.

How's Christian McCaffrey training to repeat his record-breaking 2018 season??

By spinning like a bunch of clothes in the dryer ... with a laser pointer in his hand!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Carolina Panthers superstar has been hitting up NeuraPerformance in Denver in order to get his brain right for his 3rd NFL season.

We're told the way the training works is Christian shows up for a 30-to-45-minute session ... and as part of the workout, he vigorously tosses around in a machine designed to help his mind.

Clinic director Shawn Caldwell tells us it's a $200,000 device -- one of only 15-20 IN THE WORLD -- and the goal is to hit targets with a laser while spinning in rounds of 60 seconds.

Caldwell says the machine trains the brain to process information faster ... and can also lead to improved balance.

McCaffrey has been using it for a while ... and he's gotten so good at it, we're told the RB views it as his "secret weapon."

Tough to argue with the results ... Christian's a beast on the field.

Plus, it hasn't seemed to hurt his off-the-field game, either ...

Miranda Lambert's playing fairy godmother to a bunch of dogs and cats desperately seeking homes ... and they're finding 'em thanks to ML's surprise donation.

The country star gifted a few thousand dollars to Scituate Animal Shelter in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. It might not sound like a lot, but executive director Maryann Regan tells us Miranda's donation is allowing them to waive adoption fees, and that's getting a lot more people in the door to find pets.  

The unexpected boost to biz was set in motion when Maryann was sifting through her mail back in March when she happened upon a letter and certificate personally signed by Miranda.

The letter was from Miranda's MuttNation Foundation ... a nonprofit the Grammy winner co-founded with her mom 10 years ago to promote the adoption of shelter animals. It also donates money and other resources to well-run shelters.

Scituate is a first-time recipient of Miranda's generosity, and Maryann says they earmarked the donation to help increase adoptions during the summer, which is typically when shelters are most packed.

Maryann says during summer time the shelter's lucky if it can get 2 animals into forever homes a day -- however they're tripling that rate, thanks in large part to Miranda's donation which eliminates fees ranging from $100 to $250. The special kicked off last week and runs through next week. 

Lamar Odom's highly anticipated basketball return has come to a screeching halt -- the ex-NBA superstar has been kicked out of the BIG3 league ... and our sources tell us it's because he simply wasn't ready to play.

Ice Cube's organization announced the move on Wednesday ... saying LO -- as well as Baron Davis, Jermaine O'Neal and Bonzi Wells -- would be deactivated for the remainder of the 2019 season.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Odom was nervous about being embarrassed on the court because he wasn't prepared to compete with his fellow ex-NBA hoopers ... and there was little hope it would work out.

As the league stated in the news release ... the org wanted to "maximize competition," so it was an easy decision to part ways with the Lakers champ.

"As the premier professional 3-on-3 league in the world, we are always striving to improve the quality of both the live and broadcast experience for our fans as well as the level of competition," the statement read.

Odom had barely played for the Enemies team ... posting 2 points and 4 rebounds in the season.

It's been a tough road back to the hardwood for Odom following his 2015 drug overdose that left him in a coma ... and those around him said he was laser-focused on getting back in shape and competitive again.