Family

Khabib Nurmagomedov is NOT retiring from MMA, despite reports to the contrary -- and he WILL fight Justin Gaethje before the end of 2020, so says his manager.

We spoke with Ali Abdelaziz, who manages both Khabib and Justin -- and he tells us straight-up, both guys are on board.

"We have a blockbuster main event [Khabib] versus Justin Gaethje. Two of the best lightweights in the world today in the recent era."

There have been questions about Khabib's fighting future ever since his father passed away from COVID earlier this month.

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov wasn't just Khabib's father -- he was also his coach, mentor and best friend.

"Everybody understands how close Khabib and his father were," Ali says ... "We lost something very important and the UFC's been so awesome, especially Dana. He's been communicating with Khabib, the whole team has been amazing."

Ali says Khabib is "heartbroken" -- "but at the end of the day, Khabib's father has a legacy he wanted Khabib to accomplish."

In other words, Ali says Abdulmanap would WANT Khabib to continue fighting ... to share his talents with the world.

And, Ali believes Justin Gaethje is the perfect opponent.

"We see what Justin Gaethje did to his last opponent. He dismantled Tony Ferguson, he made him look an absolute amateur."

"Mob Wives" star Drita D'Avanzo wants the judge in her husband's federal gun case to cut him a little slack come sentencing, and she fired off a handwritten letter to make her case.

Drita wrote to Judge Kovner, pleading with him to show leniency on Lee D'Avanzo because he's a caring family man who needs to come home to his wife and kids.

In the handwritten letter, obtained by TMZ, Drita says Lee is an amazing father to their children who "never missed a soccer game and was very involved in our kids school work and any activities they were involved in. He is a family man and is missed!"

Drita adds ... Lee "has a family that is fully supporting him and hoping he comes home soon!"

Lee pled guilty to gun possession charges in March after the NYPD raided the family home and allegedly found 2 loaded handguns. Drita was eventually cleared of all charges.

Acting Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Seth D. DuCharme prosecuted the case against Lee, and the sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.

The #FreeBritney movement has re-emerged in a big way, with lots of people spinning conspiracy theories that she's being held against her will ... but they got the story wrong.

Folks on social media have been alarmed by Britney Spears posting a gaggle of dance and fashion show videos. They're odd, to say the least ... she's dancing, pacing back and forth and looking not quite put together.

So then, fans started sending Britney secret messages -- "wear black if you need help," and "wear pink if you are in trouble." Well, she wore pink shorts with black polka dots in a dance video, and that's all she wrote.

She also crossed her arms in an "X" fashion and folks interpreted that as saying, "I'm not okay." Well, people went nuts online, again suggesting her conservatorship -- led by Britney's dad, Jamie -- was holding her against her will.

Here's the reality. We've reported for the last 2 years ... Britney is struggling. Her meds stopped working and doctors were having trouble finding the right combination. Sources with direct knowledge tell us she's not been easy to deal with ... she sometimes complains she wants more freedom. Short story -- she hasn't been especially stable managing her mental illness.

There's collateral damage in all of this ... Kevin Federline has had their 2 kids considerably more than Britney -- and it all relates back to her mental state.

The conservatorship has been around for 12 years -- an incredibly unusual amount of time for a conservatorship to last, but this one's different. Our sources have said for years ... Britney's mental illness requires this conservatorship -- probably for life.

Lots of people think this is all Jamie lording over his daughter, but it's not the case. There is a slew of people involved in the conservatorship -- doctors, lawyers, therapists and a judge. There is no way Jamie could go rogue without one of the others taking it to the judge.

Caitlyn Jenner wants Kanye West to keep his presidential bid in the family ... and she's already positioning herself to be Yeezy's vice president!!!

Caitlyn was walking back to her car after grabbing some Starbucks in Westlake Village, CA when she was asked if she'd be voting Kanye for Prez in the 2020 election.

It's pretty funny ... Caitlyn says she's already texted Kanye about being his running mate!!!

Caitlyn thinks they'd make a pretty awesome combination on the Birthday Party ticket ... and while it sounds like she's joking about being Ye's veep, ya can't exactly rule it out, not with the way Kanye's entered the race at the last minute.

We broke the story ... Yeezy filed a second set of docs Thursday with the Federal Election Commission -- a Statement of Candidacy, which shows he's spent or raised over $5,000 in campaign-related expenses, officially elevating him to candidacy status under the federal campaign law.

Ye previously filed legal docs qualifying him to get on the ballot in Oklahoma, though he missed Wednesday's deadline in Florida, a battleground state.

Kanye tabbed Michelle Tidball to be his running mate in his instantly infamous interview with Forbes, but she comes with a lot of baggage and has yet to formally accept the invitation.

Caitlyn's seizing the opening and shooting her shot ... and now the ball's in Kanye's court.

Donald Trump drops the n-word and hurls anti-Semitic slurs in the presence of his family ... this according to Mary Trump, the President's niece.

Mary, who rips her uncle in her new book, "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man" wrote it was pretty much normal to hear the n-word and anti-Semitic slurs bandied about in family settings.

In an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, which aired Thursday night, Mary says back in the day she personally heard her uncle use the n-word as well as anti-Semitic slurs.

Mary, a clinical psychologist, didn't hesitate when asked if Trump uttered the hurtful words in her presence ... and she says it shouldn't come as a shock to anybody "given how virulently racist he is today."

As we reported ... in her tell-all book, Mary also alleges Trump cheated on the SAT by paying someone to take the college entrance test for him, and claims her uncle developed "twisted behaviors" while growing up in a rich and notorious real estate family lead by Fred Trump Sr.

Zion Williamson has left the NBA bubble Thursday to deal with an "urgent family matter," this according to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The 20-year-old plans to return to the bubble if possible, but no word on a time table.

"Zion Williamson departed Orlando this morning to attend to an urgent family medical matter," the team said.

"He intends to rejoin the team in Orlando for the NBA restart at a later date."

Pels Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin added, "We fully support Zion’s decision to leave the NBA campus to be with his family."

"Out of respect for the Williamson family, we will have no further comment at this time."

The Pelicans are 10th in the west and would need to go a crazy winning streak during the NBA's 8-game regular season in the bubble to have a shot at the NBA playoffs.

They're a talented young team -- and it's clear the NBA was hoping to spotlight Zion and his teammate Lonzo Ball during the restart.

Put this down as the first loss of the season for Florida State ...

Deion Sanders' top QB recruit son, Shedeur Sanders, announced Monday he's committing to play football at FAU in 2021 ... spurning his dad's Seminoles in the process.

It's pretty big news ... Shedeur is considered one of the best high school QB prospects in the nation -- and most had him pinned to follow in his dad's footsteps in Tallahassee.

But, the 6'1", 198-pound rising senior told ESPN this week he wanted to blaze his own trail in Florida ... opting to play for Willie Taggart and the Owls instead.

"I wanted to write my own legacy, FAU gave me a opportunity to do that!" Shedeur said. "I trust the staff ... Willie Taggart was the first coach to offer me a opportunity to play at the next level."

Shedeur is a monster on the football field ... in his junior season last year at Trinity Christian School in Texas, he threw for 3,477 yards and 47 TDs to just 4 INTs. He also rushed for 225 yards.

Of course, Shedeur has also gotten some tips from the greatest quarterback of all-time ... he famously worked out with Tom Brady last month and said he "soaked" in all the GOAT knowledge.

Lisa Marie Presley's son and Elvis Presley's grandson, Benjamin Keough, has died of an apparent suicide ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us Ben appears to have died Sunday in Calabasas from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Not much is known about him other than the fact that he's got a super-famous family. He's the son of Lisa and musician Danny Keough -- and his sister is actress Riley Keough, who's been in a number of indie and horror films over the years, including 2019's "The Lodge."

Of course ... his grandparents are Elvis and Priscilla Presley.

Ben has kept a low profile throughout the years, but the one thing he's well-known for is looking almost identical to his famous grandfather, The King himself.

Lisa addressed the similarity, saying ... "Ben does look so much like Elvis. He was at the Opry and was the quiet storm behind the stage." She added, "Everybody turned around and looked when he was over there. Everybody was grabbing him for a photo because it is just uncanny." She even wrote a song about Ben called "Storm and Grace." Storm's his middle name.

He was also a musician ... he even struck a record deal back in 2009 worth $5 million. He's got a couple acting credits under his name, but aside from that, not much else is known about him publicly. He has few social media accounts.

One of the last times he was seen out with the family was during Elvis' 40-year death anniversary during a vigil at Graceland.

Benjamin was just 27.

RIP

CNN's Bakari Sellers says bias in the health care system forced his family to make a critical decision -- one he believes helped save his wife's life hours after she had their twins.

Bakari joined "TMZ Live" on Monday and talked about why they chose black doctors instead of white ones when he and his wife, Ellen, were expecting. It's a fascinating story from his new book 'My Vanishing Country.'

The former South Carolina state legislator didn't mince words ... saying, "the pain that black folk go through is not looked at with the same urgency as white folk in this country." Case in point ... the day his twins, Stokely and Sadie, were born in January 2019. A mere 5 hours after Ellen gave birth, she passed out after hemorrhaging 7 units of blood.

Check out the video ... Bakari says it's a known fact black women are 3 times more likely to die during childbirth than white women.

In his book, he explains the thought that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam was a physician -- who infamously wore blackface while in medical school -- gave him pause about the kind of bias that exists, even in medicine.

Kelly Preston's quiet battle with breast cancer has ended -- the actress died Sunday ... according to a family rep.

The rep said John Travolta's wife of nearly 29 years was diagnosed with cancer about 2 years ago, but chose not to reveal that to the public. The rep told People, "Choosing to keep her fight private, she had been undergoing medical treatment for some time, supported by her closest family and friends."

Kelly is probably best known for her role in "Jerry Maguire" as Jerry's girlfriend, Avery Bishop, who he dumps -- but not before she gave him a few body shots.

She also starred opposite Kevin Costner in "For Love of the Game" and had roles in "The Cat in the Hat," "Battlefield Earth" and "What a Girl Wants."

Kelly and John met in 1987 on the set of the film, "The Experts" and eventually got married in 1991. Her last film was "Gotti" in 2018 ... when John played the mob boss and she played his wife, Victoria Gotti.

John and Kelly had 3 kids together ... Jett, Ella Blue and Benjamin. Jett, who had autism, died in 2009 after suffering a seizure.

The family rep added, "She was a bright, beautiful and loving soul who cared deeply about others and who brought life to everything she touched."

Kelly was 57.

RIP

Naya Rivera's ex-husband, Ryan Dorsey, made his way to Lake Piru Saturday, and the emotion was palpable.

Ryan, whose son was on the boating trip when Naya disappeared last Wednesday, ventured out into the water -- just like Naya's dad -- as if to gain a connection to her. He then sat by himself as authorities continued their search for Naya's body.

Naya's father, George, and her brother also went into the water and stood, as if to pray.

As we reported, Naya and her 4-year-old son, Josey, were on a boating outing when they jumped in for a swim and she disappeared ... this according to what he told authorities.

Naya Rivera's mother and brother visited the place their loved one disappeared to help find her -- and the image of them looking out at Lake Piru beforehand is devastating.

Sometime over the last day or so ... Naya's mom, Yolanda, and her younger brother, Mychal, were at the dock where Naya's boat departed Wednesday -- only Yolanda was on her knees with her arms stretched out toward the water, and her pain is palpable.

Mychal stood by, stoically staring out as well. The "Glee" actress and singer has one other younger sibling, Nickayla, who didn't appear to be present. On Saturday, the two of them boarded a boat and put on life vests to help with the search.

It goes without saying ... the Rivera family is incredibly close.

As of Saturday afternoon, Naya's body had not been found. Ventura County authorities say she is presumed dead -- this after she took the boat out Wednesday with her 4-year-old son, Josey, but never returned. Josey was later found in the boat by himself.

Josey told officials that his mother had gone into the water but never came out.

Remotely operated vehicles are now being used to search the lake in the recovery mission ... but the task is extremely difficult given the debris, vegetation and trees that litter the water.

The lake itself is 1,200 acres and can reach depths of up to 130 feet.

Armie Hammer and his wife, Elizabeth Chambers have both just filed for divorce.

Elizabeth filed the divorce petition, and Armie filed his answer at the same time, so it was clearly coordinated.

There are differences. Elizabeth wants sole physical custody of their 2 children -- 5-year-old Harper Grace and 3-year-old Ford. Armie is asking for joint legal and physical custody.

Elizabeth cites the usual -- irreconcilable differences -- as the reason for the divorce.

Sources connected to the couple tell TMZ ... there is NO PRENUP. Based on the documents it appears Armie will pay spousal and child support. The date of separation is interesting ... Armie lists January and Elizabeth lists July. This is a crucial difference ... if the judge accepts her version, they would have been together as a married couple for just over 10 years, and that could affect spousal support. If January is the date, it's under 10 years.

Armie said earlier today ... "Thirteen years as best friends, soulmates, partners and then parents. It has been an incredible journey, but together, we’ve decided to turn the page and move on from our marriage."

He adds ... "As we enter into this next chapter, our children and relationship as co parents and dear friends will remain our priority."

His Instagram post concludes with, "We understand this news lends itself to public dialogue, but in the interest of our children and our family, we’re asking for privacy, compassion and love during this time."  Elizabeth shared the same IG post at the same time as Armie.

At the end of May, Elizabeth posted this -- "TEN years married, twelve together, thirteen years as best friends. Happy Anniversary, my love. I’m beyond grateful for you, this decade, our family and the dreamiest Friday night anniversary sunset." Notice the all caps on "TEN" ... sure seems like she wanted to emphasize, in her eyes, they'd reached that crucial mark.

Armie, Elizabeth and their kids have been quarantining together in the Cayman Islands ... where Armie spent some of his childhood.

It's the first marriage for both Armie and Elizabeth.

Armie is repped by disso queen Laura Wasser, and Elizabeth is repped by Kristina Royce.

Here's a dad trying to drain his RV's toilet after a camping trip with his family ... and the disgusting video turns into a total s**t show!!!

The guy's got a hose hooked up to the bottom of his RV, and he's trying to empty the toilet into a street drain, but things turn ugly in the blink of an eye.

All of a sudden, the hose comes loose, spilling tons and tons of dark brown sludge onto the ground and sending the family running and screaming for their lives!!!

The kids and their father can barely breathe as they document the disgusting episode ... and in the end, the ground is covered in poop. Cleanup on aisle 6!

Gotta hand it to one child ... the little fella seemed to have an idea dad's foolproof plan was doomed from the start, but sadly no one listened to his warning.

This dad's a regular Robin Williams in his unforgettable 2006 movie, "RV." Yes, there was a similar poop incident too.

Kanye West is in the throes of a serious bipolar episode, our Kanye sources say, and those around him are concerned it has impacted his decision-making and some of the things he's said in the last week ... sources close to Kanye tell TMZ.

Our Kanye sources tell us, he suffers a serious bout with his bipolar disorder, usually once a year ... and our sources say Kanye's in the midst of one now.

As you know, Ye announced he's running for president via Twitter over the weekend, and also did a rambling interview with Forbes ... which drew harsh criticism, confusion and concern.

Our sources say his family and those close to him are worried, but they believe things will stabilize as they have in the past. The problem here, we're told -- Kanye's proclamations are causing problems.

Of course, Kanye's apparent bipolar episode hasn't kept him from garnering presidential campaign support from the likes of Elon Musk ... who hung with the rapper just days prior to his announcement.

Others are much more skeptical, and that skepticism likely grew in the wake of Kanye's wide-interview with Forbes ... in which he dumped Trump, slammed Biden, revealed he's running as part of a new party called the "Birthday Party," claimed he had COVID-19, pushed an anti-vaxx narrative and talked a lot about God.

What the interview didn't touch on, weirdly, was Kanye's mental health.