Family

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is a trailblazer -- so says the Hollywood Critics Association that labeled him as such -- but D.J. says the real trailblazer was his pops.

Johnson accepted the HCA's Trailblazer Award Friday night via Zoom, of course, and he got pretty emotional.

Dwayne says he felt super lucky to be in a position of privilege where he could make people feel good. He's done that in a big way, working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for a long, long time. He was also honored for the donations he's made to frontline workers and first responders.

The former wrestling champ dedicated the award to his dad, WWE Hall of Famer Rocky Johnson, who passed away a year ago at age 75.  Dwayne called his dad a real trailblazer, and then went on to describe their relationship as "complicated" -- "Father and son, tough love, tough love." Dwayne says his dad did all he could do to make people go home feeling happy.

Amanda Nunes and Nina Ansaroff -- the most powerful couple in MMA -- tell TMZ Sports they're LOVING being new parents ... and they're already down to expand their family again!

As you may know, Nina -- the #5 ranked UFC strawweight -- gave birth back to the couple's daughter back in September.

Amanda -- widely considered the greatest female MMA fighter of all time -- says motherhood has been "amazing" so far ... "It's an experience that makes me very happy."

In fact, Amanda says it's been easier to parent their daughter than the 3 dogs they own!

"My 3 dogs worse than having a baby," Amanda said ... "She's a very good baby. She's really a good baby so that helps a lot."

But, the burning question ... when both of your parents are MMA stars, is the kid destined for a career in the octagon?

Nina admits she REALLY hopes their kids find another sport!

"I want her to play soccer or study or whatever she wants and really hoping she doesn't want to fight."

"Of course, will be easier for her because she has us as guidance but I don't wanna see her get punched in the face! Look at this little face! I think we're good with anything other than that."

Nina is slated to return to the octagon in April to fight Mackenzie Dern -- and she's STOKED to get back to work!

Karl-Anthony Towns' newest car purchase features an incredible tribute to his late mother ... with the NBA star having her signature embroidered into the headrests.

KAT's mother, Jackie, tragically passed away back in April 2020 after a lengthy battle with COVID-19.

The Minnesota Timberwolves center's GF, Jordyn Woods, revealed his new red Maybach in an Instagram video Thursday ... showing off the touching honor to Jackie in the interior of the high-end whip.

"Baby boys new car 😍," Woods said. "Proud of him. One of the most intelligent and hardest working people I know!!"

The car appears to be a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600, which reportedly comes with a $200k price tag ... that is, without all the bells and whistles that KAT likely added.

It's been a tough year for KAT, to say the least -- several family members have died from COVID, including his mother.

Karl and his father Karl Sr. later tested positive for the virus -- but they have both since recovered.

Plus, Karl was also hit by a drunk driver before the 2020-21 season ... he recovered from that as well.

So, yeah ... we're happy to see KAT happy. You deserve it. Enjoy the new car.

Sad news out of Canada ... Wayne Gretzky's father, Walter Gretzky, has died after a battle with Parkinson's disease. He was 82.

"It's with deep sadness that Janet and I share the news of the passing of my dad," Wayne said in a statement late Thursday evening.

"He bravely battled Parkinson's and other health issues these last few years, but he never let it get him down."

"For me, he was the reason I fell in love with the game of hockey. He inspired me to be the best I could be not just in the game of hockey, but in life."

The stories about Walter Gretzky's role in Wayne's career are legendary -- he served as The Great One's personal coach growing up, hammering home the fundamentals of the game.

One of his most famous lessons for Wayne focused on ANTICIPATING the action -- skate to where the puck is going, not where it's been.

Walter loved hockey -- but never played at the pro level. He played junior and senior hockey growing up in Canada but realized he wasn't good enough to make a career out of it.

His son, however ... well, we all know how that turned out.

In fact, Walter basically built a shrine to his son at the family home in Ontario -- which somebody actually burglarized back in 2020.

Family members reported roughly $500,000 worth of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia was stolen from the home .. including game-used sticks, jerseys, gloves, pants and even a Player of the Year award.

But, the story had a happy ending for Walter ... after a 3-month investigation, cops recovered a bunch of the items.

Wayne concluded his tribute to his father by saying the family is at peace knowing Wayne has been reunited with his late wife, Phyllis, who passed away in 2005.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nursing home controversy just added another layer -- a woman claims she can't see her husband, even though they're both vaccinated ... so, now she's suing.

Mary Mauro is desperately trying to see her husband of 60 years, Mario, who is a U.S. veteran with advanced Alzheimer's disease ... according to the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ.

In the docs, Mary claims Cuomo's statewide COVID-19 policies are prohibiting her from entering the Long Island State Veterans Home nursing facility where Mario's lived since January.

According to the suit, Mario's lost more than 30 pounds because Mary's not able to help feed him, and as a result, his life's in danger. She also says she's unable to make proper medical decisions for him, and adds ... they're being kept "from ever seeing each other again in a meaningful way."

Mary thinks Cuomo's COVID mandates make no sense in her case because both she and Mario are both fully vaccinated -- plus, Mario already had COVID and recovered.

As we've reported ... Gov. Cuomo's been in hot water for weeks after a report came out claiming his administration severely undercounted COVID-related deaths in nursing homes. Cuomo called the claims a political attack.

Anyone comparing the talent of Beyonce to the talent of Chloe Bailey is an "Idiot. Period." ... at least according to Mathew Knowles.

The Queen B's father is incredulous over comparisons of his daughter to the up-and-coming singer -- who's one-half of the R&B duo Chloe x Halle with her sister -- so much that it appears to hurt him to talk about it.

Mathew says considering Chloe to play Beyonce in a biopic is understandable, but for somebody to be "idiot enough" to liken her talent-wise??? Bey's daddy's not down with that.

He calls the comparisons downright insulting to Beyonce -- he thinks Barbra Streisand is more her level -- and finally tells the interviewer he wants to move on to the next topic.

Mariah Carey's estranged brother says she's falsely accusing him of being a violent person ... so now he's suing her over the claims she made in her memoir.

Morgan Carey claims in new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Mariah damaged his reputation when she wrote about an allegedly violent struggle he had with their father, and an alleged attack against their mother, in her 2020 book, "The Meaning of Mariah Carey."

According to the suit, Mariah's book includes a passage that reads ... "It took twelve cops to pull my brother and father apart. The big bodies of men, all entangled like a swirling hurricane, crashed loudly into the living room. I was a little girl with very few memories of a big brother who protected me. More often, I felt I had to protect myself from him, and sometimes I would find myself protecting my mother from him too."

Morgan says her description of the struggle paints him as a violent man ... he claims actual fights with his father never happened when Mariah was a child. In any event, he says there's no way 12 cops would respond to a domestic violence report.

According to the docs, Mariah's book also alleges ... "Suddenly there was a loud, sharp noise, like an actual gunshot. My brother had pushed my mother with such force that her body slammed into the wall, making a loud cracking sound."

Morgan claims this is another lie ... he claims tons of folks witnessed the "deep affection" between him and his mother -- and he adds, Mariah contradicted herself later in the book when she recounted her mother once saying, "Morgan is the only one I love."

He's suing his baby sis for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and it looks like he wants big damages.

The Univ. of Tennessee is one step closer to having another Manning on campus ...

Peyton Manning's alma mater just reaffirmed its full-ride scholarship offer to the NFL legend's star quarterback nephew, Arch Manning ... according to 247 Sports.

The Vols had previously offered Arch -- Cooper Manning's son, Eli Manning's nephew, and the top quarterback recruit in the 2023 class -- but the scholarship disappeared when the school cut ties with former head coach Jeremy Pruitt in January.

Now, though, new head man Josh Heupel has reportedly wasted no time getting Tennessee back in the mix for the QB ... re-sending the offer Tuesday.

It's a big deal ... many believe Tennessee could be a top option for Arch throughout his recruitment because of Peyton's family ties -- so getting the offer in a couple years before he has to make his college decision is huge for the Vols.

Of course, Arch is going to be one of the most heavily recruited H.S. players EVER ... the dude -- who just wrapped up his sophomore season -- is considered a QB prodigy and already has a ton of suitors.

In fact, Eli Manning's alma mater -- Ole Miss -- has also reportedly thrown an offer Arch's way.

Dr. Seuss' books should NOT be yanked from shelves -- because all they need is a little context on page 1 ... so says a woman who was raised by the man himself.

Leagrey Dimond -- one of Dr. Seuss' stepdaughters -- tells TMZ she doesn't think his work needs to be censored or stored away from public view ... which is essentially what Dr. Seuss Enterprises did on Monday.

Instead, Dimond suggests adding a disclaimer to the 6 books in question ... something a lot of media companies have been opting for lately for questionable or outdated material with racist depictions. The same thing should happen here, in Dimond's eyes anyway.

She also has this to say about Seuss' work -- yes, some of his earlier publications and illustrations DID feature racist imagery, but his legacy shouldn't hinge on that alone ... as she insists the full breadth of his literature shows he's a good guy and evolved over time.

Dimond says Seuss publicly regretted some of his earlier work -- such as ads, comic strips and political cartoons he helped craft during the WWII era -- which featured blatantly racist drawings of Black people and Asian people.

But, there's a bigger reason the org bearing his name should hold off, per LD ... nobody who runs the place knew him personally.

Dimond says since coming into Seuss' care at age 9, she never once experienced any hatred, hate speech or bigotry of any kind ... which she says was emblematic of his character at large. The fact people are judging him in death, she says, doesn't sit right with her.

You'll recall -- the Enterprise announced it was ceasing further sales of 6 Seuss children's books -- including "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," "Scrambled Eggs Super!" "If I Ran the Zoo," "McElligot’s Pool," "On Beyond Zebra!" and "The Cat’s Quizzer"

Some examples of the problematic imagery -- from 'Mulberry' and 'Zoo' -- feature Asian stereotypes ... like referring to one character as a "Chinaman ... with sticks."

Britney Spears got some quality time in with her teenage sons ... and shared a rare photo of them all together as a memento.

Britney posted the pic Monday of her and her 2 boys -- 15-year-old Sean and 14-year-old Jayden -- standing in an open field together ... and she looks happy as can be.

She marveled at how big her kids are now and how time flies, saying ... "it's very hard for any mama especially a mama with boys seeing them grow up so fast !!!!"

Brit's also very proud of her sons, adding ... "I'm extremely lucky because my two babies are such gentleman and so kind that I must have done something right !!!!"

The singer says she hasn't posted any photos of Sean or Jayden in a while because -- well, they're teenagers -- but they let her post this one ... including an edited version with a more intense background.

As you know ... Britney's relationship with her sons -- who she had with Kevin Federline -- has been rocky at times, and Kevin has custody of them the majority of the time.

Snoop Dogg is introducing his grandson to the culture -- the classic car culture -- while also staking his claim as the coolest grandpa on earth!!!

The Doggfather and his grandkid, Zion, hit up Mel's Drive-in on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood for some serious family bonding ... checking out the whips and jamming to Snoop's classic, "My Heat Goes Boom."

Little Zion here is the spawn of Snoop's oldest son, Corde Broadus, and he's already getting schooled in all things West Coast ... complete with low riders and g-funk music. Zion's Uncle Cordell, aka Snoop's 2nd born, was also there for the Sunday meet-up.

Abigail Breslin's dad had died from COVID, and the actress has shared her grief.

The "Zombieland" star posted 78-year-old Michael Breslin passed away Friday, adding, "Hard to write this. Harder than I thought. I'm in shock and devastation ... my sweet, perfect, amazing, heroic, wonderful dada passed away after my family and I said goodbye. It was COVID-19 that cut my sweet daddy’s life too short."

Michael had been suffering from COVID this month and his condition deteriorated ... he was eventually placed on a ventilator and several days ago lost consciousness.

24-year-old Abigail's siblings, Ryan and Spencer, also shared thoughts about their dad.

Michael worked in telecommunications and worked as a computer programmer and a consultant.

He was 78.

Vanessa Bryant just got the perfect assist from daughter Capri -- who gave a sneak peek of the new Kobe Bryant 6 Protro "All-Star" kicks ... weeks before they're set to drop.

"These shoes are about to be released next," Vanessa said on IG ... "They're Kobe's All Star drop."

The new sneakers are an updated "Protro" version of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI 'All-Star' shoes, which were originally released back in 2011.

Capri was rockin' mommy's size 7 -- just a little too big for the 1-year-old ... but she'll grow into 'em. Even [Uncle] Pau Gasol weighed in on the adorableness -- saying, "So Cute!"

The new Kobes will reportedly come with a $180 price tag and are set to drop on March 8 -- the day after the 2021 NBA All-Star game.

But, you can expect these shoes to sell out QUICKLY and then fetch monster prices on re-sale sites.

As we've reported, the demand for all things Kobe has exploded over the past year -- with collectors paying record prices for everything from autographs to jerseys to basketball cards ... even the car he used to drive around.

Prince Harry says he moved his family to L.A. to protect his family like any husband and father would -- and blamed the media for "destroying my mental health."

Harry's episode with James Corden for 'The Late Show' finally aired Thursday night and while riding an open-air double-decker bus -- COVID-safe -- he denied leaving the Royal family.

In his eyes, "It was never walking away. It was stepping back rather than stepping down. It was a really difficult environment. As I think a lot of people saw, we all know what the British press can be like, and it was destroying my mental health. This is toxic. I did what any husband, any father would do. I needed to get my family out of here."

Just last week, Buckingham Palace said Harry and Meghan had "confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family."

James and Harry, who are mates off-camera, also talked about Netflix's "The Crown" ... with Harry saying even though the series is clearly fictional it's loosely based on the truth.

Kim Kardashian made sure she stood out on her first night out as a single lady ... in a skintight dress ... and nothing on her ring finger.

Kim -- along with her sister, Kourtney, gal pals La La Anthony and Stephanie Shepherd and Jonathan Cheban for good measure -- hit up Matsuhisa in Bev Hills Tuesday night ... and Kanye West's ex looked ready to mingle.

Though she wasn't wearing her wedding ring, Kim was blinged up just a bit to accessorize with a super cool neon green dress ... and she looked pretty happy with her friends.

Of course, Kim's outing comes just days after we broke the story ... she filed to divorce her famous husband of nearly 7 years after several turbulent months that started right around the time he announced his run for president.

As we told you ... everything seems to be amicable -- Kim's asking for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's 4 kids, there's a prenup neither side is contesting, and Kim and Kanye are committed to co-parenting.

Mr. Potato Head is catching up with the times, he's now just Potato Head ... and it's all about getting rid of traditional gender norms.

Hasbro is dropping the "Mr." and rebranding its iconic spud toys this fall, giving children a blank canvas to create a potato family however they see fit.

The toy giant says it wants to move away from the nuclear family and give kids a chance to go with what feels natural to them ... build whatever kinda potato fam ya want, and those spuds can wear whatever they want.

It's a huge shift for Hasbro ... the company launched the OG Mr. Potato Head way back in 1952, and followed it up the next year with a Mrs. Potato Head complete with her own set of accessories. Plus, it was only 8 years ago that Hasbro celebrated the original potato couple's 60th anniversary with a special box set.

Now, Hasbro says the new toy sets won't present kids with the same family structure you played with as a tyke.