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Cops say Robert De Niro's grandson ingested fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, and even though his alleged dealer knew the pills could kill ... she sold them anyway.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, investigators found several pills at the death scene of 19-year-old Leandro De Niro. They say they went through the teen's phone, and discovered he had exchanged texts with a 20-year-old woman named Sophia Marks about purchasing counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax just days before his death.

Most disturbing, cops say during one exchange Marks asked, "do you really need them? I don't wanna kill you." She continued, "I just don't like serving u them cuz they not script."

Eventually, the two struck a deal for 3 of the fake oxycodone pills and two tablets of Xanax for $105 ... and Marks allegedly texted (about the Oxy), "don't go overboard with these."

The drugs were delivered by car to De Niro around 9 PM July 1, and at 1:50 AM July 2 cops say Marks texted the teen, "u good?" ... De Niro never responded.

De Niro was found dead of a suspected overdose on July 2 ... investigators found one bag of cocaine, one straw with residue, two blue pills with "M" and "30" (the oxycodone) and seven rectangular tablets -- believed to be Xanax.

Shockingly enough, cops say Marks continued to sell after De Niro's death -- selling an undercover agent 25 pills for $500 on July 9 ... allegedly telling the undercover, "please be careful with these. don't do more than one at a time. my friend just died."

Investigators say further analysis revealed both the pills found at the De Niro scene as well as those sold to the undercover all contained traces of fentanyl.

Lil Baby is officially a restaurateur now, after cutting the ribbon on his own Seafood Menu Restaurant & Lounge in his hometown!!!

The Quality Control rapper was flanked by a huge audience of supporters as Atlanta City Councilman Byron Amos commended Baby for opening the establishment in his old neighborhood ... which, if you're in the ATL, is located at 880 M.L.K. Jr Dr. SW.

Baby was holding his son Loyal and nodded as others received their credit for enduring the construction obstacles that delayed and threatened the restaurant's creation.

Baby's said to have been inspired by many restaurants' resilience to stay open during the trying times of the pandemic and created a spot custom to his tastes.

Baby and his partner Chad Dillon intentionally want to disrupt the local scene, and the restaurant's hook is its 7 unique custom sauces, with Baby particularly raving about the Caribbean jerk.

Lil Wayne was undeniably a vital part of this year's ESPY Awards ... the Young Money rap star had every athlete in the building rocking when he opened the event with a sports-themed rendition of his classic banger "A Milli!!!"

The electrifying performance peaked when Wayne went into the crowd and bounced with reigning Super Bowl champ Travis Kelce, but the hip-hop legend wasn't done highlighting the festivities.

Weezy F. Baby later introduced WNBA 🐐 Sue Bird to the podium and linked up with Angel Reese, 2 Chainz and NBA champ Jamal Murray throughout the evening.

Backstage, Wayne and Quavo dapped it up, and we're told it was the first time they've seen one another since Lil Weezyana Fest last year -- which, tragically, was Takeoff's final show before he was killed.

We're also told Wayne's choice of attire was intentional -- he repped for the late Kobe Bryant in a "Mamba Mentality" sweater, and also donned an LSU hat to signify women's accomplishments ... most notably Angel and Flau'jae Johnson, who has a song collab with Wayne dropping soon.

Shaquil Barrett paid tribute to his late daughter in a touching way this week ... getting the 2-year-old's face tattooed on his forearm -- just three months after she tragically died in a drowning accident.

The NFL star turned to Tattoo Red to get the piece of little Arrayah done ... and the homage came out perfectly.

The ink features an image of the little girl from her second birthday party ... as well as some stars and a ray of light shining through clouds.

Tattoo Red -- who's been inking athletes and musicians for 14 years -- tells TMZ Sports ... it all took about five hours to put down. The artist also said Barrett's wife, Jordanna, got a tattoo on her wrist in honor of Arrayah too.

"Knowing what an emotional piece this was for the family made me feel honored," Tattoo Red said. "I wanted to give them the best piece I could."

Jordanna -- who also has three other kids with Barrett -- recently announced they are expecting another baby ... saying in the big reveal, "Arrayah had a special hand in picking this sweet girl to add to our family!"

Forget diamond pendants ... Univ. of Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels pulled up to Big 12 Media Day with something far cooler around his neck -- a mini-TV that plays his highlights!!

The Jayhawks signal-caller paired it with a crisp, tan suit and red tie ... telling reporters his whole inspiration for the chain was to pay homage to his journey to stardom at KU.

"Just a reminder to everyone I'm walking around, this is what I do," he said as the piece showed him piling up yards. "I like to play football. I like to play quarterback. I like to score touchdowns."

TMZ Sports has learned ... Daniels got the bling from Ivy J Jeweler in Los Angeles -- after the QB's dad saw store owner Gambit wearing a similar one earlier this year.

Gambit said Daniels hit him up just after his pops told him about it ... and the jeweler got to work right away on creating the junior a custom piece.

We're told Jalon's drip is made with 18 carats of VS diamonds ... and also features his "JD6" logo. It all sits on a Cuban link ... and according to Gambit, it cost around $50K.

As for the live pendant, Gambit tells us it's interchangeable -- saying Daniels can upload up to four minutes of any video he wants on it. It all charges like an Apple watch too, Gambit added.

"You can literally have a new chain every day," he said.

Gambit said Daniels -- who threw for 2,014 yards and 17 touchdowns last season -- is the first college athlete to rock his tech chain ... though he has made several other similar pieces for NBA players and UFC stars. He's now hoping the attention Daniels' piece gets opens the door for more football-playing clients.

Ronald Acuña Jr.'s "too small" chain he rocked before the All-Star Game was anything but that ... and TMZ Sports has learned the flashy piece is worth a whopping $145k in diamonds!!

The Atlanta Braves star certainly turned heads prior to his fourth ASG appearance on Tuesday ... rocking an all-pink 'fit with an iced-out mini version of himself doing his famous celebration around his neck.

Gabriel the Jeweler -- go-to guy for some of the biggest names in sports -- tells us the piece is made of 80 carats total ... and the one-of-a-kind accessory was designed in collaboration with Xample Brand, Acuña's agency.

We're told Xample likes to treat Acuña to a new chain for every ASG appearance ... with each one documenting a new characteristic of Ronald's game.

Of course, Acuña's known to do the "too small" gesture whenever he hits homers ... so this year's jewelry was a no-brainer.

The chain itself is Gucci style and composed of brilliant diamonds and baguettes ... and we're told Ronald's family was also gifted smaller versions of the piece as well.

"I am blessed to be selected to play in this year's All-Star Game, and thank everyone who supported me on this journey and believed in me," Acuña Jr. tells us.

LaMarcus Aldridge just got a new massive back tattoo featuring an image of the Joker ... and check it out -- it's so seriously awesome!!!

The former NBA star hit up Andres Ortega and his Onder Ink team last month to get the piece done ... and after sitting under the needle for 10 hours, most of the backside of the hooper's 6'11" frame was completely covered in ink.

On the bottom of the tattoo, Aldridge got Batman's nemesis tatted because, according to Ortega, the former San Antonio Spurs forward said there was a time in his life when nobody believed in him -- and this was his way of laughing at those detractors.

Aldridge also got images of a lion and its cub to represent the relationship he has with one of his children. The skyline of Dallas -- Aldridge's hometown -- was also added to the top of the artwork.

The 7-time NBA All-Star got his jersey No. 12 inked too ... and Ortega tells TMZ Sports he added religious imagery to honor his faith as well as family members who have passed.

Dennis Rodman took the saying "tattoo my name so I know it's real" to the extreme ... getting a portrait of his girlfriend's face inked on his cheek!!

The NBA legend hit up 'Black Ink Crew's Van Johnson on Thursday, getting tattooed at the artist's home. Dennis shared video of the new tattoo on social media.

As for anyone who thinks the ink is fake, Johnson tells TMZ Sports it's "really real," saying the job took a little over an hour to finish.

"He was a champ, he sat through it," Johnson says. "Pretty random, but he love the hell out that girl."

We're told Dennis and his GF love the piece, but not everyone feels the same way ... some fans in the comments weren't exactly loving the new artwork, with one person writing, "You should have tried to talk him outta that my G."

Another person wrote ... "His girlfriend should have been against that. Shows her immaturity to NOT STOP him from doing this."

Though, it's a safe bet Dennis, who has a ton of tattoos and has never been shy when expressing himself, isn't losing sleep over a few negative Instagram comments.

The felony child pornography charges against Jalen Kitna have been dropped, TMZ Sports has learned ... after the ex-Univ. of Florida quarterback reached a deal with prosecutors on Wednesday.

Jalen, the son of ex-NFL star quarterback Jon Kitna, appeared in an Alachua County, Fla. courtroom to enter a guilty plea to two misdemeanor counts of breach of the peace, disorderly conduct ... and in exchange, the five felonies he was facing were dismissed.

Jalen spoke in court after making the plea ... apologizing to his family and friends -- while adding, "The valuable lessons that I’ve learned through this whole deal have been very helpful. I’m looking forward to applying those things and moving forward.".

Judge Susan Miller-Jones placed Kitna on six months' probation for each count but did not levy a fine.

As we previously reported, the 20-year-old former college football player was initially hit with five counts of possession of child porn back in November 2022 ... after authorities alleged he had shared images of exposed pre-pubescent females on a popular social media messaging platform.

Jalen, according to his rep, had insisted throughout the case that he believed the females in the images were of legal age.

Jalen's attorney, Ron Kozlowski, said in a statement following Wednesday's plea deal that it was all "a correct and fair result in this case, and the state clearly agrees."

We've reached out to prosecutors for comment ... and a spokesperson for the state attorney's office told us they're "happy we've come to this conclusion based on the law."

Seems like Avril Lavigne and Tyga are still gettin' along pretty well after their split ... because the 2 were spotted kicking it at a club in Sin City only weeks after calling it quits.

Avril and Tyga appeared to be in good spirits in pics and video, obtained by TMZ -- we're told Avril performed Saturday with Marshmello at the Encore Beach Club inside Wynn Las Vegas, and Tyga hopped onstage later that night.

We're told the rapper watched Avril's set from his VIP section of the DJ booth ... and she went over to him after her performance, where the two were spotted laughing and smiling together.

The pair eventually left the club together with their posse ... but not before Avril snapped pics with fans while Tyga waited next to them.

TMZ broke the story, sources told us the split was a mutual decision, with both believing the relationship simply ran its course. You'll recall, they went public in March -- a month after she called off her engagement to Mod Sun.

De Niro's grandson, actor Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

The 19-year-old was found dead sitting in a chair, inside a New York City apartment Sunday afternoon, law enforcement tells TMZ. We're told there were no obvious signs that led to his death. He was found by a friend who hadn't heard from him in a few days and was checking in on him.

His mother, Drena De Niro, confirmed her son's passing on Instagram Sunday night.

"My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life. I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don’t know how to live without you but I’ll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you. 😞 Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy."

Leandro appeared in the 2018 film, "A Star is Born." He played the son of Bradley Cooper's best friend, George "Noodles" Stone, played by Dave Chappelle. Leandro also appeared in "Cabaret Maxime" in 2018.

Drena was adopted by Robert De Niro in 1976, after marrying Diahnne Abbott.

Leandro's dad was artist Carlos Rodriguez.

There will be two versions of Oneil Cruz out on the diamond when the Pirates star makes his return later this season ... TMZ Sports has learned he just got a few new tattoos put on his body -- including one of himself!!

We're told the Pittsburgh shortstop -- who's been out since April while dealing with a broken leg -- wanted to commemorate his meteoric first few seasons in the Big Leagues with some tats ... so he hit up Jaime Ortiz to get the art put down.

The 24-year-old baseball player -- regarded as one of the brightest young stars in the sport -- sought to get a photo of himself, a lion, and an MLB ball ... and Ortiz certainly delivered.

Check out the images -- the super realistic lion and the tat of Ortiz sit side by side on Cruz's (ultra valuable!) right shoulder. The photo of the baseball, meanwhile, was placed on one of his forearms.

Ortiz, a Zen Ink Tattoos artist, tells us ... Cruz wanted the lion because it symbolizes leadership and being a protector -- while maintaining humility at the same time. The image of Cruz in a Pirates jersey, Ortiz said, represents a reminder of his roots and his prime.

As for the baseball, Ortiz tells us that was "all about his passion to the game!"

"It describes it all by itself," he added.

Cruz sat for 14 hours over two days to get it all done ... and he was clearly thrilled with the end result, posting it to his social media page earlier this week.

Cops were dispatched to the Duggar home in Arkansas just hours after Jim Bob's uncle died of a heart attack ... TMZ has learned.

Officers arrived at Jim Bob and Michelle's compound around 8:30 Sunday morning for a "follow-up investigation" about 2 hours after Jim Bob's uncle Tommy died.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ, officers spoke to Tommy's husband, Lawrence, who told them Tommy had felt ill the night before and had fallen over multiple times. Lawrence claimed 75-year-old Tommy refused to go to the hospital because he was afraid he'd be put in a nursing home.

However, when he was in the bathroom Sunday morning, Lawrence claimed Tommy yelled for help before collapsing against the door unresponsive. Tommy was pronounced dead at home, and the report states he died of natural causes.

What's puzzling is why police went to Jim Bob and Michelle's home if Lawrence was already aware of the death. In fact, we've never known a case where cops paid a visit to other than next of kin to inform them someone died.

Kodak Black made a pit stop Monday at a Florida jail for around an hour … but his lawyer says it's actually a good thing for the rapper.

Bradford Cohen, Kodak's lawyer, tells TMZ ... Kodak's been on a tight leash during his pretrial release for his prescription drug case and he's supposed to regularly check in with authorities and take mandatory urine tests, but he failed to check in recently and they went to court Monday over the issue.

Kodak went on Instagram Live Sunday night and complained about his situation ... leading to concern among fans.

Anyways, Kodak's lawyer says he argued in court to get rid of the stringent pretrial supervision ... and the judge agreed but also ended up increasing his bond from $75,000 to $250,000 ... and we’re told this is why Kodak had to go through the booking process again at the jail.

We’re told Kodak ended up posing for a new mugshot at the Broward County jail and posted the new bond before being released from custody. We're told Kodak was in and out of jail in under an hour and he had to pay $175k, the difference between his original bond and his new bond.

Kodak's attorney sees it as a win for Kodak because now the rapper will be able to travel and tour without the headache of checking in with pretrial services.

As we reported ... Kodak was arrested in July 2022 and charged with trafficking oxycodone after police say they found 31 oxycodone pills in his car.

At the time, Kodak posted $75,000 bail and was released with pretrial restrictions in place ... including mandatory drug tests.

Mets star Edwin Diaz won't be on a mound this season, but that doesn't mean he won't still be looking fly -- TMZ Sports has learned he's just copped a sweet new necklace ... that's worth a quarter of a million dollars!!

The closer -- who's currently on New York's injured list after tearing up his knee during the World Baseball Classic back in March -- hit up Victor Rodriguez, aka Tajia Diamonds, for the piece recently ... and the jeweler just finished the product this week.

And, check out the images ... it came out awesome!!

The pendant features a trumpet -- a nod to Diaz's famous "Narco" walkout song -- as well as his jersey number 39 ... and it's completely iced out.

Rodriguez tells us it has 75 cts of VS diamonds and F color stones.

As for the chain it sits on ... Rodriguez says that's decked out too -- with 100 cts of VS diamonds.

The pitcher also got a custom bracelet to go along with the drip for his neck ... and it's got his No. 39 all over it.

In total, we're told the bill came out to $250K ... but don't worry, Diaz can certainly afford it -- he just inked a five-year, $102 million contract this past offseason.

The U.S. Navy is getting ahead of the game in the search for the Titanic sub that's gone missing ... sending a deep ocean lifting system in the hopes the vessel is found and can be retrieved.

According to a Navy spokesperson, the maritime force is deploying the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System -- along with experts in the field -- to hopefully find OceanGate Expeditions' lost Titan vessel and strategize how to bring it to the surface.

The Navy's machinery is a lift system that's designed to provide "reliable deep ocean lifting capacity for the recovery of large, bulky, and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels."

The Navy adds the experts and system should arrive in the area as soon as Tuesday night.

As you know, the Titan lost communication with the support crew a couple of hours into its expedition over the weekend ... with the Coast Guard launching a search and rescue for the vessel and the 5 passengers onboard.