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Ernie Hudson is filling in for the late Carl Weathers by voicing Combat Carl in the upcoming "Toy Story 5" ... but Ernie told us he was the last to know!

We caught up with the 80-year-old actor Monday outside NBC in NYC, where we asked him when he found out he was taking over for Carl.

He answered ... "Not until I actually started working. And the studio didn't tell me but the fans did. The fans are amazing. They know more than I do."

Having watched all of the "Toy Story" movies, Ernie said, "I was very happy to be included but I didn't know I was stepping in for Carl, who was a good friend."

Laila Edwards' family will get to watch her in the Olympics thanks to a huge donation from Travis and Jason Kelce -- and the hockey star tells TMZ Sports she can't thank the brothers enough for the assist.

The University of Wisconsin standout was named to Team USA's roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics earlier this month ... and a GoFundMe was launched to help some of her family get to Italy to see her compete.

The Kelce brothers pitched in $10K, which got her way over her goal -- something she said was unbelievable.

'Love Island' contestant Cashel Barnett copped a plea deal in his domestic violence case ... and it looks like he's going to spend the next year behind bars.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Cashel agreed to plead guilty to one count of third-degree felony aggravated assault and one count of third-degree felony domestic violence in the presence of a child. In a separate case connected to the prior, he agreed to plead guilty to second-degree felony forcible sexual abuse.

Cashel is scheduled to be sentenced March 16 in a Utah court ... and the docs show prosecutors will push for him to get a year in jail and then probation.

3:20 PM PT -- Quinton Aaron's wife Margarita tells TMZ ... "He opened his eyes today and gave a thumbs up."

Quinton Aaron -- the actor who played Michael Oher in "The Blind Side" -- is on life support after being hospitalized following a collapse at his home ... but there are some positive signs for his recovery.

Quinton's wife, Margarita, tells TMZ ... the medical devices helping keep Quinton alive aren't doing all the work, and he's partially breathing on his own, which gives the family hope.

We're told Quinton's been hospitalized for 4 days now ... and with each passing day, he shows more signs of improvement.

Quinton's wife says he has a blood infection and doctors are still running a battery of tests to determine the source of the issue.

Ryan Wedding made his first court appearance following his arrest last week in Mexico City ... with the alleged international drug kingpin pleading not guilty to all 17 felony charges against him, and his attorney urging the public to keep an open mind.

Wedding appeared before Judge John D. Early on Monday afternoon in a Santa Ana courtroom. On top of his not guilty plea, he was ordered jailed without bond and will remain in U.S. custody.

Speaking with TMZ Sports outside the courtroom ... Wedding's attorney, Anthony Colombo, fired back at FBI Director Kash Patel's claim that the Canadian Olympic snowboarder is a modern-day El Chapo and Pablo Escobar.

The Department of Homeland Security has no plans to steer clear of the Super Bowl, despite tension and unrest after the shootings in Minnesota ... telling TMZ Sports, "Those who are here legally and are not breaking other laws have nothing to fear."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement were reportedly set to carry out immigration enforcement at Super Bowl LX on February 8 in Santa Clara, CA ... but with the controversy surrounding the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, would Homeland Security back off?

6:18 PM PT -- Sydney just posted additional footage on her Instagram showing her sneaking up an L.A. mountainside to the Hollywood Sign, where she's seen lacing the iconic landmark with bras from her new lingerie line, Syrn. The newly released video also shows Sydney and her production team loading a van with black duffel bags and driving up dark, winding streets toward the hillside beneath the famous sign to carry out her new project.

2:18 PM PT -- The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce just responded to TMZ's question -- would they file a police report for vandalism and/or trespass. The Chamber answered this way ... "We are still investigating how and under what authority (if any) the Sweeney production accessed the site of the Sign." Translation -- a police report could be filed if circumstances warrant.

Sydney Sweeney snuck up an L.A. mountain a few days ago, climbed the iconic HOLLYWOOD Sign, and laced it with bras ... and she may have gotten in trouble with the law.

TMZ obtained video of the "Christy" star scaling what appears to be the "H" with a handful of bras. A production team is filming as Sydney makes her way up under the cloak of darkness.

Sydney and her crew made their way to the top of the letters and strung up a clothesline of bras. Sweeney is gleeful as she surveys her handiwork.

As for why she did it ... sources say it's a video to promote the launch of her new lingerie line. As TMZ reported, Jeff Bezos is one of its investors, so it's well-funded for sure. This is the Bezos connection that got her an invite to the Bezos/Sanchez wedding last summer.

Now the problems ... we've learned Sydney got a permit from FilmLA to shoot the Hollywood Sign, but she did not have permission to touch or climb the sign itself ... and, like the bras, the permit had strings attached.

Dean Cain is swooping in to defend the federal immigration agents who killed Alex Pretti ... like Superman coming to rescue Lois Lane.

The 'Lois & Clark' star joined us on "TMZ Live" Monday, and we asked him about Saturday's fatal interaction between Pretti and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis.

Dean, who is volunteering for ICE and helping with recruiting, doesn't have a problem blaming Pretti ... he says the nurse was playing with fire by, in his eyes, resisting and impeding Border Patrol while armed with a handgun.

Paul Pierce has been hit with a paternity lawsuit from a woman who says he is the father of her unborn child ... and now she's asking for a DNA test to back up her claims.

Princess Santiago, who works as an event director in L.A., filed the suit on January 12 and TMZ Sports has obtained a copy. In the docs, Santiago is asking the court to compel the 48-year-old to take genetic testing to determine whether he is the father of the child.

"I filed for paternity papers after multiple attempts to resolve this privately," Santiago said in a statement. "Paul Pierce is the father of my son, King, and I am simply asking for a paternity test so the truth can be confirmed."

Margot Robbie is cruising full-speed on her "Wuthering Heights" promo tour with Jacob Elordi ... and if their interview rounds don't already scream chemistry, these TMZ pics definitely do!

Peep these B&Ws snapped by street photographer Rene Mascarenas, who just happened to be stuck in traffic with them on L.A.’s famed Sunset Boulevard -- he asked for a pic, and they happily obliged ... 'cause LBR, when you look that good together, you never pass up free proof.

The pair looked every inch the movie stars -- Jacob behind the wheel, his fellow Aussie riding shotgun, both in a great mood ... especially after Rene told Jacob he crushed it in "Frankenstein" and tossed Margot a compliment for good measure.

12:32 PM PT -- Portnoy won't have to break out his "dead fish" after all -- the NFL tells us he's good to go to the Super Bowl as long as he buys a ticket.

Consider this beef squashed.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy fully expects to be inside Levi's Stadium when his beloved New England Patriots take the field for Super Bowl LX ... but if the NFL wants him gone, he'll be ready to channel his inner "dead fish."

El Presidente's beef with Roger Goodell goes back to Deflategate ... when Portnoy and three other Barstool employees (known as the Brady Four) were arrested for protesting the Tom Brady suspension at NFL headquarters.

Ever since, he's been persona non grata at the Big Game ... and was even kicked out when he tried to fly under the radar with a disguise when the Patriots won it all in 2019.

Zac Brown scored a major federal court victory ... a judge just ordered his estranged wife to return the documents she took when the country star fired her from his company.

A Georgia federal judge ruled in Zac's favor last week ... finding Kelly Yazdi breached her employment contract by taking and retaining more than 170 confidential business emails and files possibly containing info the judge said she could use to publicly attack Zac.

According to the ruling, obtained by TMZ, the judge granted Zac Brown Collective a permanent injunction, ordering Yazdi to return all confidential materials within seven days, certify under oath that she's done so, and permanently stop using or further disclosing any of Zac's business information.

Garcelle Beauvais had a terrifying situation blow up at her Los Angeles home over the weekend ... after someone made a bogus 911 call claiming there was a man with a weapon at the actress' Los Angeles home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... on Sunday night, police received a call for a possible assault with a deadly weapon and shots fired. We're told the caller claimed he was Garcelle's ex-boyfriend, and said he was armed with a sawed-off shotgun.

When officers arrived at the scene, the caller was still on the phone, but they refused to meet cops. After searching the property, police found no evidence of a crime and determined the incident was a "swatting."

People have had a lot to say about Spencer Pratt running for mayor of Los Angeles ... but he told us he has literally nothing to lose!

We caught up with the reality TV star outside of CBS Studios in NYC Monday, as he continues his press tour to promote his book, "The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions from a Reality TV Villain." When asked if he's nervous about running for office, he gave a facetious response, saying, "What, are they gonna burn my house down again?"

Gotta say ... that's one of the best barbs a politician has come up with in a long time.

Former NFL player Jeff Faine just listed his Florida pad for $3.9 million ... offering up a rare mix of luxury and country living in the Sunshine State!!

TMZ Sports has learned the 10-year NFL vet put the estate on the market this week with Marlene DeCespedes of Douglas Elliman ... and it's a stunning farmhouse built with a modern design.

The 5,772 square-foot property is located in Gotha, about 11 miles west of Orlando. The architecture is amazing ... with vaulted ceilings, custom wood beams and marble interior.

Quinton Aaron -- the actor who played Michael Oher in "The Blind Side" -- has been hospitalized after collapsing at his home .. TMZ has learned.

A manager for the actor tells TMZ ... he's been hospitalized in Atlanta for the past three days. We're told Quinton was walking up the stairs in his apartment last week when his legs suddenly stopped functioning, causing him to collapse. He was rushed to the hospital.

According to a GoFundMe page, organizers claim Quinton is "on life support due to a severe blood infection." However, his manager tells us he's stable, communicating with his family and team, and receiving precisely the care needed at this time.

His manager tells us doctors are still running tests and evaluating Quinton's condition, and at this time, there's no definitive word on what caused the fall.