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Conservative commentator Michael Knowles tore into Gov. Gavin Newsom on "TMZ Live" -- ripping his response to the L.A. ICE protests and claiming it was such a mess, Trump had no choice but to step in.

Knowles pointed to torched cop cars, assaulted officers, and even an 'illegal alien' allegedly tossing a Molotov cocktail as proof L.A. was in serious trouble -- blaming the chaos on Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass' failure to act accordingly, which forced Trump to bring in the National Guard and send in the Marines.

When our hosts pushed back -- noting the chaos was limited to one small area -- Knowles doubled down, saying Trump’s actually showing restraint in the matter... and this kind of tough crackdown is exactly what voters are begging for.

Blake Lively's lawyer says his client isn't backing down in her legal battle now that Justin Baldoni's lawsuit has been dismissed ... 'cause she's taking this one all the way to trial.

We spoke with Michael Gottlieb on "TMZ Live" Wednesday ... and, we asked him about Bryan Freedman -- Baldoni's top attorney -- claiming Blake's team is celebrating too soon.

Remember, Bryan came on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and said he and his team absolutely plan to refile the four claims against Lively that weren't dismissed with prejudice ... and repeatedly said he looked forward to deposing Lively sometime this month, provided she doesn't drop her lawsuit.

Rumors of Ryan Gosling being eyed to take over the Marvel role of Black Panther have spread like wildfire online ... but there is not a vibranium ounce of truth to it, TMZ has learned.

An insider with direct knowledge tells us ... Ryan has not been cast -- nor has he been eyed -- to play an iteration of Black Panther ... the iconic African superhero first played on the big screen by the legendary Chadwick Boseman.

Rumors of the brazen casting have swirled out of control -- even generating headlines -- and it seems this all started from a meme of Ryan's face photoshopped onto Black Panther posted back in 2018 ... and used by haters taking shots at Disney's diversity casting for historically white roles.

David Thibodeau -- a survivor of the infamous 1993 Branch Davidians siege in Waco, Texas -- is giving Justin Bieber some sage advice on religion, as some of his former friends question his association with Churchome.

Justin's inner circle's been getting smaller, and we're told part of the reason is former friends believe Churchome, the Christian church he attends, is a cult, and Thibodeau has a lot of experience in that area, having been a member of the Branch Davidians -- the David Koresh-led cult that had a weeks-long standoff with the feds before their Waco compound burned to the ground, killing more than 80 members.

Thibodeau told us he sees a lot of good and some bad in the case of Justin and Churchome. He says one major positive is the org is nowhere near as hardcore as the Branch Davidians were.

Kamaru Usman is in the midst of the worst stretch of his career -- at least as far as wins and losses go -- but the Nigerian Nightmare says don't get it twisted ... he's still the best 170 lb. fighter in the world's top MMA promotion!

The former longtime welterweight champ, now ranked 5th, joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... just days before his highly anticipated scrap with 7th-ranked Joaquin Buckley.

Kamaru says, despite a 600+ day layoff, he's ready to go.

Jenn Tran and Sasha Farber have called it quits, but there’s no bad blood between the two ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the former couple tell us the breakup was pretty recent and amicable. We're told that despite parting ways romantically, "The Bachelorette" alum and "Dancing with the Stars" pro remain very good friends.

The two first sparked romance rumors in September 2024, shortly after they were partnered together on Season 33 of the ABC show. Fans quickly took notice of their chemistry on and off the ballroom floor, fueling speculation the partnership had blossomed into something more than a friendship.

Justin Baldoni's lawyer is taking shots at his client's legal nemesis Blake Lively ... blasting Blake for what he says is a premature celebration.

Bryan Freedman joined us on "TMZ Live" Tuesday and we asked him how he and Justin reacted to Blake's big legal win Monday, when a judge tossed out Baldoni's defamation claims in a $400 million lawsuit against Blake and her husband, Ryan Reynolds.

While it seemed like the end of the legal beef, Bryan tells us this still has a long way to go ... which is why he thinks it's rich Blake is on what he calls a "false victory tour."

Feds are poking around a home owned by the two suspects charged with kidnapping and torturing an Italian man for weeks inside a swanky multimillion-dollar New York City townhouse in an alleged scheme to obtain a Bitcoin password.

Cryptocurrency investor John Woeltz and his alleged accomplice, Swiss businessman William Duplessie, own an estate in Kentucky ... and the property is currently crawling with law enforcement.

Federal agents from the ATF and officers from the Kentucky State Police and the New York Police Department are currently executing two warrants at the property ... sources with knowledge have confirmed to TMZ.

The chaos erupting in L.A. is less about politics and more about a serious leadership problem, according to a Texas congressman.

Rep. Wesley Hunt didn't hold back on "TMZ Live" Tuesday -- telling us the federal government had to deploy 700 Marines and thousands of National Guard troops to restore order in the City of Angels ... because it's all about protecting American streets from looking like a war zone.

Wesley makes it clear to us this isn't about red vs. blue states -- it’s about who's actually leading with backbone, and in his eyes, Texas is setting the bar.

06/10 10:28 AM PT -- Roll out the pink carpet ... Skyh Black and KJ Smith revealed they're having a girl at the 2025 BET Awards!!!

"All the Queen's Men" actor Skyh Black says he was in the dark about his wife KJ Smith's fertility issues ... and things stayed that way until they saw those two little blue lines on the stick.

His wife refused to believe the doctor's expertise!!!

TMZ caught up with Skyh outside the Waymakers Men’s Summit last week ... and he's a few months out from putting a nice blue or pink bow on his fairy tale romance.

Tragedy in Nashville -- an elderly woman was hit and killed by a truck this weekend ... and we have learned the driver was country singer Conner Smith.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Conner was behind the wheel of a Chevy Silverado heading north on 3rd Ave when 77-year-old Dorothy Dobbins was crossing the street Sunday -- and that’s when tragedy struck.

We're told Dobbins, a local resident, was in a marked crosswalk around 7:30 PM when she was hit. She was rushed to Vanderbilt Medical Center ... but sadly didn’t make it.

Jermaine Dupri is set to crank up the heat when it comes to the R&B sector, but he can't believe his ears regarding Timbaland's robotic moves!!!

TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the So So Def founder on Friday, still dripping with the ink from the new deal he signed with his protégé and HYBE America CEO Scooter Braun.

JD is pushing Drake's former OVO R&B act dvsn to the forefront as his flagship artist ... there are plenty of opportunities for them to create a splash to get the R&B music popping again, and he's exploring all of them!!!

The National Guard has descended on Los Angeles under President Trump's orders to respond to violent protests against ICE immigration raids ... and TMZ has learned what troops are currently authorized to do amid the chaos.

A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ … troops deployed in L.A. are operating under the "standard rule for use of force" -- and that means de-escalation is the primary focus and goal.

We're told troops are authorized to use force ONLY in self-defense ... and deadly force is NOT authorized.

11:47 AM PT -- The temporary restraining order Taylor filed has been granted.

Taylor Swift says an ex-convict keeps showing up at her house uninvited, falsely claiming she's the mother of his child ... and she says he even changed the address on his driver's license to her Los Angeles residence.

The pop star beelined it to court Friday and filed for a temporary restraining order against a 45-year-old man named Brian Jason Wagner ... who he claims has been harassing her for years, starting when he was incarcerated.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Taylor claims Wagner showed up at her L.A. estate on consecutive days in May, asking to see her and telling her security team he was there to check on a friend ... which Taylor says is a bunch of baloney.

Brittany Furlan and Tommy Lee haven't always had a fairytale romance -- she even confessed to turning to ChatGPT when things got lonely. But now that they’re back on, a sexpert tells TMZ Brittany can keep using A.I. -- this time with the famous drummer -- to spice things up in the bedroom and beyond!

Psychotherapist and sex guru Vanessa Marin says Brittany’s not alone -- tons of people are turning to ChatGPT for a little extra connection ... and there’s zero shame in the game.

In fact, she’s all for couples jumping on the A.I. bandwagon... claiming it could bring them closer than ever.

The young fan who got ragdolled by security for rushing Lionel Messi late last month also got a tongue-lashing from cops, TMZ Sports has learned.

Check out Fort Lauderdale Police Department body camera footage we obtained this week ... just after Ramsey Khatri was thrown out of Inter Miami Stadium on May 25 for getting too close to Messi at a youth soccer event -- police chastised him for the boneheaded move.

One of the responding officers at first wondered why the 18-year-old even tried to get near the footballer ... before he laid into him for dialing 911 afterward to report how security had manhandled him.