Hailey Bieber on Halyna Hutchins 'Heartbroken' for All Involved ... Director & Hubby Speak Out

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Hailey Bieber is speaking up on the accidental shooting that claimed Halyna Hutchins' life -- meanwhile ... her own director and husband have something to say as well.

Alec Baldwin's niece shared some somber words on behalf of all affected parties, taking to IG to write ... "Sending all my love to the family of Halyna Hutchins. This is a truly unimaginable and devastating tragedy."

She adds, "My thoughts are also with Joel Souza as he recovers. I am absolutely heartbroken for everyone involved." No explicit mention of Alec -- to whom she has a direct tie -- but it's obvious why Hailey's weighing in ... as this is a family affair.

As Hailey sent her own thoughts ... Joel Souza -- the director of the Baldwin flick, "Rust," who was also injured during the accident -- has broken his silence on the tragedy. He tells Deadline, "I am gutted by the loss of my friend and colleague, Halyna. She was kind, vibrant, incredibly talented, fought for every inch and always pushed me to be better."

He adds, "My thoughts are with her family at this most difficult time. I am humbled and grateful by the outpouring of affection we have received from our filmmaking community, the people of Santa Fe, and the hundreds of strangers who have reached out. It will surely aid in my recovery." Souza was reportedly released from the hospital Friday with a shoulder injury.

Finally, Hutchins' widowed hubby, Matt, also shared some thoughts publicly for the first time -- writing, "Thank you to Halyna's friends and mentors at AFI for establishing a scholarship to honor her memory and support aspiring female cinematographers."

He continues, "Anyone seeking to honor her memory, please direct your giving to this fund."

Alec had previously said he was in contact with Matt ... and was cooperating with law enforcement to figure out how exactly this might've happened. There are already some clues, however, that have surfaced in a warrant -- which said an assistant director handed Alec the hot gun, thinking it was "cold."

There are still a ton of questions -- the ultimate being ... who's responsible for this?

DMX Estate Battle Grows ... As Alleged 15th Child Comes Forward

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There is a full-on battle royale over DMX's estate, because another woman has reportedly come forward claiming she's one of X's kids, and wants in on the estate.

Raven Barmer-Simmons has contacted some of the kids of the late rapper, saying she is among them ... this according to Page Six, which broke the story.

If she is indeed on of DMX's kids, she could be #15. A battle is shaping up over who gets what as assets get divvied up.

A judge appointed 3 of X's sons, Xavier, Tacoma and Sean as temporary administrators, but that's clearly not sitting well with everyone.

X's fiancee, Desiree Lindstrom, has been trying to get an acknowledgment she was his common-law wife, but the judge rejected her claim. She wants to become the administrator of his estate, but now that seems like an uphill climb.

There will almost certainly be DNA tests to determine who's entitled to the estimated $1 million estate. Remember, though, there are also future earnings from his music that can replenish the estate.

There will also be lots of discussions over where all the money went. X sold more than 70 million albums and not only had a career in music but movies as well ... so on the surface the remaining assets seem out of whack.

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THANK YOU, DAD

DMX died of an OD which triggered a heart attack back in April. He was 50.

Blueface MOM ALLEGEDLY ATTACKED IN HOME ... Cops Think He Might Have Been Target

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Blueface's mom and stepdad say they were attacked in a violent home invasion at a place her son owns ... and it sounds like the alleged attackers were there to go after the rapper.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Blueface's mom, Karlissa Saffold, and her husband got into a physical altercation with 4 men who broke into the Santa Clarita home where they stay.

We're told the men shattered a back window around midnight, but were scared away for some reason, and Blueface's mom and stepdad called the cops, who took a report.

It's pretty scary ... we're told the suspects returned a few hours later and somehow got inside the house, and Blueface's stepdad heard something downstairs and went to investigate.

We're told the stepdad bumped into one of the suspects and they started fighting. Our sources say another intruder joined the altercation, pointing an object at the stepdad before striking him in the head with it.

We're told the stepdad suffered a concussion and injuries requiring 10 stitches near his left eye ... and his face was a bloody mess.

Our sources say the 4 suspects fled and Blueface's family called the police, who brought the stepdad to the hospital for treatment. He's since been released.

A second police report was filed and we're told the Santa Clarita County Sheriff's Office is investigating ... but there have been no arrests so far and nothing appears to have been taken from the home.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... one working theory is Blueface was the intended target ... but he wasn't home at the time, and doesn't live there.

We're told there are no suspects yet and law enforcement is still seeking cooperation from all involved.

Brian Laundrie No Cause, Manner of Death Identified Bones Going to Anthropologist

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Brian Laundrie's autopsy has been completed without answers, and now his bones will be shipped off to an anthropologist for further evaluation ... TMZ has learned.

Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, tells us the coroner just wrapped, and no matter or cause of death could be identified through his remains. Bertolino says the next step will be to send his bones to an anthropologist to be examined.

Bertolino tells us he's not sure why the anthropologist is getting involved, but online studies say the experts are brought into cases when bodies are too far along in the decomposition process to determine a cause of death using soft tissue.

As we reported, Laundrie's remains were first found off of a Florida trail Wednesday near his backpack and notebook. The FBI positively identified the bones found as Brian thanks to dental records.

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DELIVERING THE NEWS

Investigators say it appears Brian's body had been decomposing in the area for several weeks, and prior to their discovery, the remains had been in an area that was underwater.

Gabby Petito's family has not made an official comment on the findings.

Jamie Lynn Spears' Book Claims Parents Controlled Her, Pushed Abortion ... Warned Giving Birth at 16 Would Ruin Career

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Jamie Lynn Spears says she went through hell when pregnant at 16, and her parents and team were a driving force behind her misery ... pushing adoption, abortion and going to great lengths to hide her from the public.

We've obtained several snippets from Spears' upcoming book "Things I Should Have Said" where she lays out the events that followed her telling her parents and management she was pregnant in 2007.

In one passage, Spears says people from her inner circle, "... came to my room trying to convince me that having a baby at this point in my life was a terrible idea … 'It will kill your career. You are just too young. You don’t know what you’re doing. There are pills you can take. We can help you take care of this problem … I know a doctor,'" adding, "everyone around me just wanted to make this 'issue' disappear."

Jamie Lynn says flatly, "...everyone was certain that termination would be the best course of action."

Spears says her phone was taken away to stop her from communicating with people outside her immediate circle ... the goal being to keep everything on the down-low.

Jamie Lynn claims she wasn't even allowed to tell Britney she was pregnant, saying, "I needed her more than ever and she wasn’t able to help me in my most vulnerable time … To this day, the hurt of not being able to tell my sister myself still lingers.”

At one point, Jamie Lynn says she and her dad Jamie got into a fight over the unborn baby, "slinging words and tossing insults" when he pushed adoption.

Spears says eventually her team made an exclusive agreement with OK! Magazine to break the pregnancy story, and give them the first images of Jamie Lynn's baby.

Jamie Lynn says she and her mom went to some cabin in where she thought was Connecticut to hide until the article came out. The two spent Thanksgiving there together, where "Momma wore her disappointment like her favorite jacket."

Jamie Lynn has come under a lot of heat lately from Britney fans who feel she's taking advantage of Britney's current situation to make a buck off the book, but if the snippets we've obtained are any indication ... she's also got a lot to say about how she was raised and her parent's tactics.

The book comes out January 18, 2022.

We talked about it on the latest episode of the TMZ podcast.

'Hacksaw' Jim Duggan Released From Hospital After Emergency Surgery

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Great news for "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan ... the wrestling legend has been discharged from the hospital following emergency surgery, the wrestler announced.

"After 2 nights in the hospital and emergency surgery yesterday, guess who just came home? Thank you to the amazing doctors and nurses at Kershaw County Medical Center which is now, MUSC," Duggan's wife, Debra, wrote on Instagram.

As we previously reported, the 67-year-old WWE Hall of Famer underwent the emergency surgical procedure on Wednesday in a South Carolina hospital.

It's not clear what medical condition the docs were treating.

Thankfully, the surgery was successful ... and after recuperating for a night, Hacksaw was allowed to go home.

FYI, It's not the first time Jim has dealt with health issues over the past few years. Back in 2018, he spent time in the ICU after his heart went into atrial fibrillation (aFib), an irregular heartbeat that can lead to a bunch of serious heart-related health issues.

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SCARED FOR MY LIFE

At the time, Duggan told us he feared he was going to die ... and felt fortunate for doctors who he said saved his life.

Duggan ended his post by thanking the hoards of WWE fans, family and friends who reached out and showed love to the wrestler while he was recovering.

"Thanks to Brittani for wheeling Jim out! Thank you for your prayers, vibes, texts, calls and messages. Now home to fully recuperate."

During his days in the ring, Hacksaw was one of the biggest wrestlers in the world ... even winning the first-ever Royal Rumble in 1988. Duggan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2011.

Get well soon, Hacksaw!

Lisa Rinna Amelia Pulled Plug on Scott Disick ... 'Housewives' Dance on His Grave!!!

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Scott Disick's getting steamrolled by his ex-GF's mom and all her friends ... as Lisa Rinna reveals what really led up to his breakup with her daughter, Amelia Hamlin.

Lisa spilled the tea during the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" reunion ... telling Andy Cohen it was Amelia who broke up with Scott, and not the other way around. The smile and laughter when she said it was pretty telling too.

As for why her 20-year-old daughter ditched the 38-year-old Lord Disick ... LR said Scott didn't help matters with his DM diss of Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker.

While Lisa didn't say Amelia had an issue with the age difference ... it's clear it mattered a lot for Lisa and all her 'RHOBH' costars -- who, one-by-one, teed off on Disick dating such a young woman.

Kyle Richards was asked if her pals in the Kardashian family ever confronted her about all the jabs she'd made about Scott. She said they didn't, but admitted, "I did feel bad about it right after, because, you know, I do know all of them."

But watch, she revealed why she's ride or die with Lisa on the subject of Amelia and Scott.

NIKOLAS CRUZ Victims' Families Not Buying Apology ... Give Him Death Penalty!!!

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Nikolas Cruz -- the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High mass shooter -- doesn't deserve a second chance ... according to his victims' families, who want him sentenced to death.

The fathers of 2 of Nikolas' 17 victims tell TMZ ... they're not buying the courtroom apology Cruz offered Wednesday, and they say he shouldn't get another shot as his trial looms.

Max Schachter, the father of 14-year-old victim Alex, says straight-up ... Cruz "is a sadistic murderer and he deserves to die." Max also says his plea for a second chance is "laughable" and believes he should get the death penalty.

Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter Gina was among those gunned down, doesn't accept Cruz's apology either, saying ... "If he wanted to do something for our families, he would've not killed our loved ones."

The way Tony sees it ... Cruz didn't give his daughter a chance when he shot her 4 times, so why should he get a second chance at life???

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ADDRESSING THE FAMILIES

As we reported ... Nikolas changed his plea to guilty Wednesday and told the families of his victims he was sorry and he loved them, while begging for a second chance and making it clear he doesn't want a death sentence.

Tony, who was in court to listen to Cruz, says the mea culpa was "ridiculous" and "painful" ... and he wants Cruz prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as a way to deter future mass shootings.

Cruz is facing life in prison or the death penalty after pleading guilty to 34 counts -- 17 premeditated murder and 17 attempted murder -- and while he thinks it should be up to the families to decide his fate ... it sounds like Cruz might not like their answer.

Tawny Kitaen Died From Heart Disease ... Opioids a Contributing Factor

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Tawny Kitaen, the late actress who starred in "Bachelor Party" and whose personal life was filled with radical ups and downs, died from heart issues ... this according to her autopsy.

According to the Orange County Coroner's Office, Tawny's official cause of death is dilated cardiomyopathy ... the most common type of heart disease.

Other contributing factors include clogged arteries, antidepressants, sedatives, Tylenol, nerve pain medication and opioids.

TMZ broke the story ... Tawny died May 7 in Newport Beach, CA and cops told her family there was nothing found at the scene suggesting alcohol, drugs or pills were a factor in her death, nor were there any signs she took her own life.

Tawny's death came not long after her father passed, and her brother told us their father's loss was simply too much for her to handle.

Her family and close friends recently gathered to remember her one last time with an intimate celebration of life in Newport ... and she's been cremated.

Tawny lived a pretty storied life -- she acted in films like the one mentioned above, and has credits in flicks like "The Perils of Gwendoline" and "After Midnight" -- as well as several hit TV series, such as "Santa Barbara," "The New WKRP in Cincinnati," "Eek! the Cat," "Hercules," "Moms Anonymous," and many, many more over the years.

And, Tawny famously was featured in some music videos ... notably Whitesnake's "Is This Love," and "Here I Go Again."

Tawny was 59.

Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli Ask Permission for Cabo Pt. 2 ... Tenemos Una Boda, Juez!!!

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UPDATE

8:19 AM PT -- 10/21 -- The judge just granted the couple permission to travel.

Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli are gunning to head south of the border once more -- only this time, its for a wedding ... but first, they'll need to get the all clear from court.

The convicted couple just filed legal docs asking for permission to take a week-long trip down to San Jose del Cabo next month ... where they say they plan to be in attendance for someone's nuptials. Lori and Mossimo say they'd be gone from Nov. 5 to Nov. 12.

As for why they should be allowed to go, the pair note they've been compliant with the terms of their supervised release since getting out of prison. Lori cites the $150k fine she had to fork over as part of her sentence and says she's done with her community service.

Mossimo, for his part, says he's paid his $250k fine and says he's making progress on the community service. In other words ... we've paid for our college admission scandal sins.

Worth noting, this is is the exact same reasoning as last time -- remember, they went to Cabo back in June, and cited the same rationale, which a judge approved. So, ya gotta figure they'll be given the green light again.

Lori and Mossimo also claim their probation offices have their back in the ask -- which should help get it approved.

The judge has yet to rule.

Originally Published -- 10/20 3:32 PM PT 

Dick Vitale Plans To Call Games During Chemo ... 'My Best Medicine of All'

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GONNA BEAT THIS THING

Dick Vitale says cancer will not get in the way of his passion for college hoops -- explaining in an emotional video he's still planning to call games despite chemotherapy treatments.

The legendary broadcaster revealed his lymphoma diagnosis earlier this week -- and said Wednesday he's been prescribed steroids and six months of chemo to try to eradicate it.

But, Dickie V -- who's been providing commentary on games since the 1970s -- made it clear he's going to do everything in his power to stay on the air during the treatment process.

"They're going to try to plan the chemo so I can be free to do some games," Vitale said. "Which I've got to do -- that's my best medicine of all."

The 82-year-old says he's been overwhelmed by the amount of love he's received since announcing his diagnosis ... nearly breaking down in tears while thanking everyone for their support.

"I'm going to beat it because I got a great team," Vitale said. "Great family, my second family ESPN, all my colleagues have been so kind and so good and I have a great team of doctors who are all involved."

He then guaranteed that he will win his battle with the disease ... adding, "Take that to the bank. There's no doubt in my mind."

Get well soon, Dickie!

Lil Yachty He's a First-Time Father!!!

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Lil Yachty's celebrating a major life milestone -- and likely losing sleep -- because he's on daddy duty now!!!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the "Yacht Club" rapper is father to a baby girl who was born in the last couple weeks in New York City.

We're told Lil Yachty is in the Big Apple right now, where he's spending some time with the child.

It's unclear who the mom is ... to us, anyway. Obviously, Yachty knows, but he has had a few different girlfriends recently. Stay tuned.

We reached out to his reps, but so far ... no word back.

Congrats, Yachty, enjoy being a #GirlDad!!!

Karl-Anthony Towns Praises Jordyn Woods ... She Helped Me Cope With Mom's Death

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Karl-Anthony Towns says Jordyn Woods got him through the darkest moment of his life ... crediting the model for helping him cope with the sudden and tragic loss of his mother.

The Minnesota Timberwolves star praised his girlfriend repeatedly on Taraji P. Henson's "Peace of Mind with Taraji" show ... explaining Woods meant everything to him after his mom died from COVID-19 in April 2020.

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"A woman that meant so much to me in my life left my life to be replaced by another woman to take that spot," KAT said of his mom and Woods.

"I feel like in a way, when my mom passed, she was like, 'I'm not going to leave you alone. I'm going to make sure you know who you're supposed to be with.'"

Towns said because Woods had dealt with similar tragedy -- she lost her father several years ago -- he used her shoulder to allow him to process the hurt.

"I leaned on her because she's one of the only people who would actually know how I was feeling and what was going through," KAT said. "Because she was super close with her father just like I was super close with my mother."

KAT and Jordyn didn't officially start dating until around Sept. 2020, nearly five months after KAT's mom's passing, but it's clear the bond they formed following her death springboarded them into their romantic relationship.

And, they've been nearly inseparable since, vacationing all over the globe, speaking glowingly of each other ... and, as was the case with Jordyn's birthday last month, showering each with expensive gifts.

Army Soldier Surprises Son During Coin Toss After Return From Overseas

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Grab a tissue, 'cause this video will hit you right in the feels.

A soldier came up with the ultimate surprise for his son after returning from overseas ... by suiting up as a referee and revealing himself prior to a high school football game this week -- and it's amazing!!

Army Major Fred Grooms Jr. is back home for 30 days after reportedly being deployed in Kuwait for the past year ... and as his son Fred III and the Helena H.S. JV team showed up at the 50-yard line for the coin toss, he pulled down his mask to show his identity.

Fred III was clearly shocked ... walking up to his pops and shaking his hand before embracing him with one of the warmest hugs you'll ever see.

Naturally, the surrounding refs loved the touching moment ... and the crowd in the stands clapped and cheered as they watched.

Fred Jr. now gets to spend the next few weeks making even more memories with his son before being redeployed for another year.

Awesome ... and thank you for your service, Major!!

Jamie Lynn Spears Dissed by Charity ... We Don't Want Your Book Money!!!

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Jamie Lynn Spears' money is not welcomed by a charity she chose to support, and it seems undeniable the reason has to do with her big sister.

The charity is called This Is My Brave ... and Jamie Lynn made it clear it was near and dear to her heart by pledging a share of the profits from her upcoming memoir to the org.

Well, the charity said no thank you ... "We hear you. This Is My Brave was recently recommended to be a beneficiary organization for the proceeds from Jamie Lynn Spears' upcoming book. We have made the decision to decline the offer of receiving proceeds from the book sales."

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Britney has now famously railed on her sister for leaching off her fame and not helping her when she was down. Britney seemed very upset Jamie Lynn was writing a book at all, the working title of which was "I Must Confess" -- a lyric in Britney's "Hit Me ... Baby One More Time." The book is now titled, "Things I Should Have Said" ... still a clear reference to Jamie Lynn's relationship with her sister.

Britney has warned her little sis and her parents that they should be nervous if she does an interview.

Page Six tried getting in touch with Lou Taylor, Britney's former business manager who still works for Jamie Lynn ... but Taylor has not yet responded.

Britney Spears Sam and I Went Hog Wild!!!

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SUNSET CRUISING

Britney Spears had a blast Saturday night riding a motorcycle with her fiance, Sam Asghari.

Britney seemed super happy as she returned home from their ride. That said, she's been warning her fam she may put them on blast soon, as the conservatorship appears to be winding down to an end after 13 years.

She posted ... "Lord have mercy on my family's souls if I ever do an interview!!!" As you know, Britney feels abandoned by her entire family, which she says has leached off of her for decades.

What's interesting ... what Britney will do once the conservatorship ends. She's understandably scared, because she's been under the thumb of the conservatorship for the majority of her adult life. She says "I'll just be honest and say I've waited so long to be free from the situation I'm in… and now that it's here I'm scared to do anything because I'm afraid I'll make a mistake!!"

Britney went on ... "For so many years I was always told if I succeeded at things, it could end… and it never did!!! I worked so hard but now that it's here and getting closer and closer to ending I'm very happy but there's a lot of things that scare me."

Britney also gave her fans a heads up, that she'll be taking a break from social media ... "I won't be posting as much in a world where it's our liberty to be free, it's a shame!!! I started experiencing that when I got the keys to my car for the first time 4 months ago and it's been 13 years!!!!"

There's definitely a measure of bitterness ... "I haven't done anything to be treated the way I have for the past 13 years!!! I'm disgusted with the system and wish I lived in another country!!!"

Britney also said she's going to celebrate Xmas early this year. Good idea, given the supply shortages, although we're guessing that's not the reason.