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Matt James is clearly trying to look on the positive side of life despite his recent split ... smiling through his difficult breakup with Rachael Kirkconnell on a trip to Nashville.

TMZ has obtained pictures of the reality television star out in the popular Southern City Sunday ... walking through the streets in a bowler cap with a couple of pals.

James looks like he's talking amiably with friends in the photos ... though eyewitnesses say he seemed like he wanted to keep to himself.

Offended by Antonio Brown's X page? The former NFL star says you shouldn't be ... telling TMZ Sports all of his crass content is supposed to be "comedy."

The ex-Pittsburgh Steelers wideout has found himself in hot water repeatedly over the last year or so over some commentary he's made on Elon Musk's app.

He's ruffled feathers with Tayvis supporters, Caitlin Clark fans, Tom Brady lovers ... and even those who enjoy Philadelphia 76ers star Jared McCain's content.

Governor Chael P. Sonnen ... coming shortly to the Oregon state capitol building?!

Hell yes, if you ask the MMA legend, who matter-of-factly told TMZ Sports this week ... "I will be governor soon!"

47-year-old Sonnen was born and raised in Oregon -- where he lives to this day.

A Kansas City three-peat would thrill an entire region, but according to former New York Giants star Brandon Jacobs, it would NOT give the Chiefs claim to the title of GOAT dynasty.

In a sit-down interview with TMZ Sports this week, the former tailback said Tom Brady's New England Patriots squads will still have a leg up on K.C. in his mind ... even though they never won three Super Bowls in a row.

Jacobs says it simply comes down to Brady's Pats rosters doing more with less ... explaining, "I think Patrick Mahomes' team is better than Tom Brady's team."

Justin Baldoni is pulling out all the stops in his war with Blake Lively ... because he's got a new tool designed to present JB's side of the story.

The "It Ends With Us" star just published a new website dedicated to the Blake case ... and he's defending himself against Blake's allegation he sexually harassed her when they were making the movie.

The website currently has two links on it ... one to the amended complaint filed by Justin Baldoni and his studio against Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds -- and the other showing a timeline of relevant events in the case.

Don Lemon has a strong take on Wendy Williams' guardianship -- based on his recent convo with her -- and it's totally in line with a judge's latest decision regarding her immediate future.

We spoke to Don Friday at LAX, where he told us he believes the guardianship is "too strict," and "she should be able to see her family."

Just a few hours after we spoke to him, TMZ broke the story -- the judge in the guardianship gave Wendy permission to go visit her father in South Florida to celebrate his 94th birthday.

2/1 -- 1:32 PM PT -- A spokesperson for the New York Times tells TMZ ... "The Baldoni/Wayfarer legal filings are rife with inaccuracies about The New York Times, including, for example, the bogus claim that The Times had early access to Ms. Lively's state civil rights complaint. Mr. Baldoni's lawyers base their erroneous claim on postings by amateur internet sleuths, who, not surprisingly, are wrong."

"The sleuths have noted that a version of the Lively state complaint published by The Times carries the date 'December 10' even though the complaint wasn't filed until more than a week later. The problem: that date is generated by Google software and is unrelated to the date when The Times received it and posted it. A look at the metadata from the posted document correctly shows it was posted after Ms. Lively filed it with the California Civil Rights Department."

Justin Baldoni says he now has cold hard proof Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds had it out for him several months before she dropped her Christmas surprise lawsuit against him ... so, now he's updating his lawsuit against them.

Finesse2tymes allegedly put his street team in harm's way where bullets were flying ... and it's all spelled out in a new lawsuit filed by his former driver.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained legal docs filed by Ernest Flores, who is suing Finesse2tymes and others over the June 18, 2023 shooting outside the now-shuttered nightclub Cosmopolitan Premier Lounge near Atlanta, Georgia.

Flores says he was employed by Finesse2tymes for the local Hot 107.9 radio station's after-party during its annual Birthday Bash Weekend concert.

LiAngelo Ball is looking to capitalize off his newfound success in the music industry ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to drop a project with NBA YoungBoy!!

We caught up with the baller-turned-rapper at LAX on Thursday ... just hours after Ball dropped a music video for his viral debut song, "Tweaker."

Gelo -- who signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Def Jam -- has been getting looks from a ton of names in the rap game who want to work with him in the booth ... but when we asked him who's at the top of his own list, he's got one name in mind.

Anyone sliding into Saraya's DMs better not hold their breath ... 'cause the AEW star tells TMZ Sports she's not looking to rush back into a relationship following her breakup with Ronnie Radke.

We caught up with the 32-year-old out in L.A. recently ... and she backed what the "Falling in Reverse" rock star said last week -- there's no bad blood between the two, it was just time for them to end things romantically and remain friends.

Now that she's single for the first time in six years, Saraya plans to take some time to herself.

Adam Vinatieri isn't hiding it -- he'd really love to be a Hall of Famer ... and he tells TMZ Sports if he's officially inducted next week, he'll be doing some gymnastics!!

The Pro Football Hall of Fame is slated to announce its 2025 class on Thursday ... and Vinatieri is one of 15 modern-era finalists vying for as many as five spots.

The competition is super stiff -- some of the other 14 names looking to get the call include Eli Manning, Luke Kuechly, Antonio Gates, Torry Holt, Terrell Suggs and Reggie Wayne.

Jason Oppenheim is sounding off on federal prosecutors' latest allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs, saying the indictment makes it sound like it's illegal for men to lavish significant others with expensive items.

Check it out ... the "Selling Sunset" boss said his piece on Friday's "TMZ Live" -- which he co-hosted -- and questioned the case against the mogul, specifically the feds' claim Diddy provided 3 women money to cover their living expenses, and gave them career opportunities.

Jason says that sounds like prosecutors are "criminalizing half the relationships in Hollywood" ... because that's just what rich men in showbiz tend to do for GFs. He says it sounds like the prosecutors' case is pretty "thin," if that's all they have.

Big Sean is in shambles over the Detroit Lions' early playoff exit, straight up telling TMZ Hip Hop, he doesn't know what the f*** happened to his squad!!!

We caught up with Sean this week at the signing of his new "Go Higher" self-help book, but the Detroit MC didn't have much advice for his squad ... better luck next year?!?

The team's January 18 Divisional L against the Washington Commanders went viral in the face of LiAngelo Ball's "Tweaker" performance ... causing Cam'ron to question the Lions' marketing brand -- and their choice not to use Eminem or Big Sean!!!

Wendy Williams will remain locked up indefinitely, but she got good news Friday ... a judge will allow her to fly to Miami for her father's 94th birthday.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the judge has authorized private security to accompany Wendy from NYC to Miami, where her dad will be celebrating with friends and family. Wendy will be there for 2 days and then fly back to NY ... where she is confined in a studio apartment at an assisted living facility.

TMZ has interviewed Wendy for a new Tubi documentary -- "Saving Wendy" -- and in it, we raise serious questions about why she is still in a guardianship that gives her virtually no freedom. She calls her apartment a "luxury prison," where she rarely gets to breathe fresh air, has no internet access, and virtually no visitors ... no one can even call her.

Blake Lively has been targeted with a massive troll campaign amid her legal war with Justin Baldoni ... her Instagram profile is flooded with porn.

A source with knowledge tells TMZ ... Blake had no idea she had been targeted with the smut ... and it's now gone -- her security settings have been updated.

Daniel Roberts, Meta spokesperson, tells us ... “This kind of online harassment is wrong and we condemn it. We are removing the content that violates our policies and will continue to monitor for additional violating posts."

Scott Storch is absolutely shocked by his ex Florence Mirsky's racist rant ... and he's telling TMZ he wants nothing to do with the hateful stuff she went viral for spewing.

The hip hop superproducer tells TMZ Hip Hop he's disgusted by the video of Mirsky hurling racial slurs at several valet members, making it clear that racism is not in his DNA, and anyone who knows him can vouch for that.

Scott reiterates he doesn't have a racist bone in his body and says he's deeply upset that Florence is someone he's still associated with -- but makes it clear they haven't been together in more than 6 years.