Nick Cannon Thanks Everyone for Support After Death of Baby Zen

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Nick Cannon sent a big thank you to everyone for the support, kind words and love sent after yesterday's emotional announcement where he revealed the devastating news that his 5-month-old son, Zen, passed away.

The "Wild "N Out" creator shared his gratitude on the "The Nick Cannon Show" Wednesday afternoon... "of course, everyone knows I'm not fine, but you all are making me feel better."

Nick says he feels a bit of guilt because he never wanted to exploit the news, but he is appreciative of the outpour of support ... "The onslaught of love is new to me, so thank you is all I can say."

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EMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Nick kept his son's diagnosis private for months out of respect for Zen's mom, model Alyssa Scott, and everyone in their family. Cannon says she's been taking things "5 minutes at a time."

As we previously reported, Nick announced Tuesday that his youngest child Zen died from a brain tumor ... after his brain tumor began to grow quickly around thanksgiving. Nick says he got to hold Zen for the last time by the ocean last weekend, after he made a trip to California to spend time with his baby.

Zen was Nick's 7th child and 4th of Nick's kids born in the last year and a half.

Nick says the love from all over the world was really unexpected, but doesn't want to make it about him ... he just wants to honor his son.

Tiger Woods I'm Back!!! ... Commits To Playing In Event With Son

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Tiger Woods is back ... the golf legend has just committed to playing again nearly 10 months after his car crash -- officially signing up for next week's PNC Championship with his son.

The event will take place beginning on Dec. 16 in Orlando, Florida ... and it's a huge deal -- considering it'll be the first time Woods has competed on the course since he horrifically broke his leg in a Feb. 23 car crash.

As we previously reported, Woods suffered comminuted open fractures in his right leg -- and he said last week the injuries were so bad, amputation was a very real possibility.

But, Tiger's made huge strides in his comeback -- swinging his golf clubs regularly ... and now, he clearly feels he's ready to compete in a tournament.

While the PNC Championship is certainly not the Masters -- it's still a 36-hole event that'll pit Tiger and his son, Charlie Woods, against some of the biggest names in golf -- including John Daly, Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson.

"Although it’s been a long and challenging year," Woods said of his impending return, "I am very excited to close it out by competing in the PNC Championship with my son Charlie. I'm playing as a Dad and couldn't be more excited and proud."

Tiger and Charlie previously competed in the event in 2020 -- finishing in seventh place.

Jamie Spears Britney's Team is Trying to Ruin Me ... I Just Want to Wrap Up Conservatorship

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Jamie Spears says he wants nothing more than to tie up loose ends and end Britney's conservatorship, but the people put in place on her side are dragging it out, and destroying his reputation in the process.

Spears just filed new docs in L.A. where he says he just wants a simple order ending the conservatorship, but that's been made impossible by what he calls Britney's "temporary conservators" ... whom Jamie says are only trying to continue a media circus.

He says Britney and her team mostly make "statements with no other purpose than to attack Jamie" and are trying to paint him as a "disgraced, suspended conservator."

What's more ... Jamie says he's been more than cooperative in handing over requested documents from the 13 years Britney was in the conservatorship. In fact, he says he's already handed over 58 boxes of docs -- totaling around 478,000 pages.

John Zabel, the guy put in charge of Britney's finances, will be in court Wednesday for a hearing ... so it'll be interesting to see if any of Jamie's concerns or wants are addressed before the judge.

Nick Cannon Shares Devastating News ... Youngest Child, Zen, Dead from Brain Tumor

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EMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Nick Cannon just shared some devastating news, his youngest child has died from a brain tumor.

An emotional Cannon made the announcement Tuesday on "The Nick Cannon Show," telling his audience his 5-month-old son, Zen, passed away. Nick says things took a turn for the worse around Thanksgiving, and the tumor began to grow very quickly.

Breaking down, Nick says he spent this last weekend in California with his son, and on Sunday they took a trip to the ocean where Nick held Zen for the last time, he died soon after.

Giving some background, Nick says when he was about 2 months old, Zen started to develop what they thought was a sinus issue, and they noticed his head seemed large. Doctors said fluid had started to build up in Zen's head, and they discovered a tumor, which required immediate surgery.

Zen was Nick's 7th child, born earlier this year with model Alyssa Scott. Zen was the 4th of Nick's kids born in the last year and a half, twins Zillion and Zion were born in June and his daughter, Powerful, last December.

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Prior to the tragic announcement, Nick and Alyssa had kept Zen's health issues private.

American Airlines Kicks Couple and Baby Off Flight

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American Airlines is on the hot seat for booting a couple off a flight after they got into an argument with 2 flight attendants that turned physical -- all while the mother was cradling their 7-week-old baby.

As you can see in the video -- shot Sunday on a flight from Charlotte to Philadelphia -- the mother was trying to explain her side of things to a flight attendant who came over after the initial argument ... which was all over a different AA staffer asking her to stand up to let another passenger get to his seat.

The father was recording video of the convo until a third flight attendant approached from behind and smacked the phone out of his hand. That's when things got way more heated, and the couple was eventually removed from the plane.

While in the Charlotte airport terminal, the mother involved in the incident says she did nothing wrong and was met with aggression and unfair treatment from the start.

Sources familiar with the situation say that the family was removed from the flight, and AA booked them on a later flight to Philly. A spokesperson for American Airlines tells TMZ... "We are investigating the incident and working to understand what took place."

The couple makes it clear ... for them, what happened was a flight attendant making "no attempt to be professional, no attempt to be kind."

'Rust' Armorer Dad Defends Her Training Pushes Possibility of Sabotage

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Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the lead armorer on the set of "Rust" has one weapons specialist and Hollywood veteran on her side -- it's her dad, who is backing his daughter's training and claiming she was sabotaged.

Thell Reed, whose career in movies spans several decades says Hannah was raised around guns, and learned gun safety from an early age. Reed says his daughter complained she had to carry both armorer and prop duties on the movie, and it was because she was doing prop duties that she was unable to be inside the church set when Halyna Hutchins was killed.

Thell told "Good Morning America" Tuesday he believes if Hannah was inside the church during the fatal scene, she would've checked the gun's chamber one more time and discovered the live round, potentially saving Hutchins' life.

What's more, Thell echoes the same message Hannah's attorneys have previously claimed ... believing Hannah was somehow sabotaged on set with the live ammo. Though, he doesn't really get into how or why that might've happened.

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I AIMED AS DIRECTED

Of course, it was just last week when Alec Baldwin claimed he never pulled the trigger on the revolver that killed Hutchins. Alec claims he cocked the hammer back and when he released it, the gun went off.

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LEARNING ON THE JOB

"Rust" was only Hannah's second movie as lead armorer. TMZ discovered a podcast she was on just before taking the gig when she explained she almost didn't take her first job -- a Nic Cage movie -- because she was afraid she lacked experience.

Aaron Carter Back Together with Melanie ... After CPS Call

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Aaron Carter is going back to square one with his baby mama -- trying to patch things up after a dramatic weekend ... which included a call to Child Protective Services.

Aaron tells TMZ ... he's back with fiancée Melanie Martin, and they're trying to work it all out for the sake of their family. He says he feels hurt by her being in contact with his estranged family, but also says everyone deserves a second chance.

You'll recall ... Aaron told us he discovered Melanie had been in touch with his sister, Angel, which he felt was a betrayal and caused them to temporarily split. He also thought she was in cahoots with his fam to try to get him under a conservatorship. He even dropped a new song about his estranged siblings called, "So much to say".

That's all water under the bridge now, it seems, but the reconciliation came with even more tension -- because we're told Aaron's fans called CPS on him after seeing Melanie put their newborn, Prince, in his bed ... which some felt was too rough for a baby.

Aaron tells us CPS came by his Lancaster, CA home to check on the baby and the general living conditions -- but found everything was in order and left without incident.

Going forward, Aaron says he wants a united front with Melanie ... and fend off their haters as a team.

Ben and Jen Field Trip with their Kids ... A little Licorice Pizza, Anyone?

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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez did a little blending Saturday ... as the love train chugged through Westwood.

Ben and Jen hit up the Regency Theater with his kids, Seraphina and Sam, and her daughter, Emme.

They took in a showing of "Licorice Pizza" and looked like a fam out for a day of fun.

They got celeb treatment for sure ... an attendant was right there to escort them in through a side door and warn them all to step away from some puddles.

The kids have been seen more and more with J Lo and Ben ... over Thanksgiving, they were all involved in a food drive in L.A. ... loading and unloading sacks of food. The event was part of Rise Against Hunger ... a problem that has reached crisis proportions in L.A. and many other cities.

As we reported, Ben and Jen have been house hunting for months now, even though both own homes in L.A. The hunt, we're told, is for the 2 of them to move in together, so getting the kids together in different combinations is clearly a smart idea.

Chris Cuomo Canned by CNN ... He Speaks Out

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UPDATE

3:11 PM PT -- Chris has responded, saying ... "This is not how I want my time at CNN to end but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother. So let me now say as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at Cuomo Prime Time and the work we did as CNN's #1 show in the most competitive time slot. I owe them all and will miss that group of special people who did really important work."

Chris Cuomo is without a cable news job -- the longtime CNN anchor just got fired ... and it sounds like there's more to the story on the help he offered his brother this year.

The network just announced Chris' termination, saying they retained a respected law firm to conduct the independent review of his conduct -- and in light of that digging, they say they found further evidence that they felt warranted kicking him to the curb.

CNN writes, "While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light. Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate."

This is a stunning turn of events, but perhaps not totally unexpected ... as the writing appeared to be on the wall here. The fact Cuomo had been suspended indefinitely raised red flags to many, who felt like his days at CNN were limited.

Of course, this all comes on the heels of an investigation by the New York Attorney General's Office ... which published its reports, plus transcripts, which suggested Chris' involvement in his bro's scandal back in the Spring was way more intricate than previously thought.

There are text messages he's purported to have sent to Andrew's staffers, including one that read "I have a lead on the wedding girl" -- pertaining to one of the ex-Gov's accusers.

Originally Published -- 2:26 PM PT

Lateche Norris Missing Indiana Woman Found Alive ... Petito Family Helped

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Lateche Norris -- the young woman from Indiana who vanished after taking a trip to San Diego to visit her BF -- has been found after being missing for weeks ... with an assist from Gabby Petito's family.

TMZ just spoke to the 20-year-old's father, Walter Callum, who tells us Lateche is currently with her mother, Cheryl Walker, somewhere in California. More importantly, we're told she is safe.

No other details about her recent whereabouts have surfaced just yet ... but we're waiting to hear back from Cheryl here in a bit.

If you hadn't heard about this story ... it's pretty crazy, and has echoes of Gabby Petito's case. Word is ... Lateche took a cross-country trip from Indiana in early November to visit her boyfriend, Joseph Smith, who had moved out west to California.

Lateche touched down in San Diego, but was reported missing not too long after ... as her parents lost contact with her, and the local authorities got involved. Her mom has said she believes there was some sort of fight between her daughter and Smith.

SD police posted surveillance video from a local 7-11, which apparently depicted Lateche inside. This is said to be the last time anyone had seen her, way back on Nov. 4.

There's also this ... we've learned that Gabby Petito's parents have actually been involved in helping Lateche's family. We're told Gabby's mom and dad have been giving Lateche's parents advice on how to deal with the media, and how to cope with the disappearance of their child. They've also been sharing the story a lot on social media.

We recently spoke to Cheryl and she told us she thinks this story hasn't gotten as much media coverage due to her daughter's race.

'Bachelor' Nation star Ivan Hall Brother Charged with Murder ... Allegedly Shot Man in Head

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The brother of 'Bachelor' Nation standout Ivan Hall -- who also made an appearance on Tayshia Adams' season of "The Bachelorette" -- has been charged with murder.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Gabriel Hall was arrested in October for the murder of Carlos Veliz Jr. in Abilene, Texas. Cops say Hall and Veliz were involved in some sort of verbal argument around 1:30 AM on August 31 ... and it ended with Gabriel shooting Veliz in the head, killing him.

Cops say they connected Hall to the crime with the help of surveillance footage in the area that linked a car he was renting to the scene. They also say they found a spent shell casing in the vehicle as well as evidence of gunshot residue on Hall's hands and clothing.

Ivan finished third as a contestant on Tayshia's season, and his relationship with Gabriel was a plot point on the show. During one episode, Gabriel surprised both Tayshia and Ivan when he joined them on the hometown date episode.

Ivan had previously shared with Tayshia that he helps raise Gabriel's 6-year-old daughter because Gabriel was regularly in trouble with the law.

Hall has been charged with murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of methamphetamines and a slew of other counts.

He's still currently being held on a $400,000 bond.

Master P Judge, Declare Me Single!!!

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Master P says he’s been separated from his estranged wife for over a decade and he's ready to start a new chapter ... so he wants the judge to step in and declare him single.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Master P says there's no reason he and his ex, Sonya Miller, should remain married any longer ... so he's asking the court to restore their single status ASAP.

Master P points out Sonya filed for divorce way back in 2013 after they separated in 2010, and he says they settled all their issues in 2016 and reached an agreement, but claims the paperwork was never submitted to the court.

So, to move things along, P has now filed legal docs requesting a bifurcation of his divorce ... legal speak for both parties getting single status now, and handling the rest of the divorce issues later.

It looks like Master P thinks the divorce has dragged on long enough and wants to move towards wrapping it all up at this point.

'America's Got Talent' Rocker Jay Jay Phillips Dead at 30 from COVID-19

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"America's Got Talent" standout Jay Jay Phillips -- whose big hair gained as much attention as his talent -- has died from complications related to COVID-19.

A family member tells us Jay Jay was battling the disease at home Thanksgiving week. We're told family and friends were continuously checking in with him over the phone, and he took a turn for the worse the day before the holiday.

Jay Jay's family urged him to go to the hospital, but he just told them he needed more sleep ... and that was the last time they heard from him.

We're told Jay Jay's girlfriend and her mom -- who is a nurse -- went to check on him Thanksgiving Day and found him dead. The family member tells us Phillips was not vaccinated, but just before he got sick had started to tell people he planned on getting the shot soon.

Phillips' dad, who he lived with, is currently hospitalized and fighting for his life on a ventilator.

Jay Jay first made an appearance on season 4 of the talent competition, but was eliminated early. He came back during season 12, but was eliminated in the judge cuts just before the quarterfinals.

Phillips was 30.

RIP

Tyson Fury 'A.J. Is A P***y!!!' ... Champ Shades Anthony Joshua With Song

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Tyson Fury's beef with Deontay Wilder is over ... but his feud with Anthony Joshua is clearly still raging on -- 'cause the heavyweight champ shaded the hell out of the boxer with an "A.J. is a p***y!" song on Thursday.

The vulgar lyrics all went down in England at the O2 Apollo during Fury's meet-and-greet "Homecoming" Tour -- when the 33-year-old hilariously called out the 24-2 British boxer.

You can see in footage filmed by a fan in the stands, Fury jumped on stage and began singing "A.J. is a p***y" loudly.

And, it didn't take long for the rest of the arena to join in ... with everyone in the venue singing along with the pugilist!!

Of course, Fury was supposed to fight Joshua back on Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia ... but the tilt was shut down when Wilder got a judge to rule in his favor that fury owed him a third fight due to a contract clause.

Fury went on to beat Deontay in an epic fight, but Joshua ended up losing his replacement match against Oleksandr Usyk on Sept. 25.

Joshua is set for a rematch with OU -- but Fury's actions on Thursday night show it's clear he eventually wants that scrap with A.J. to go down.

In the meantime, Fury is training his little bro, Tommy, for his Dec. 18 fight against Jake Paul.

Chris Cuomo CNN Suspends Him Indefinitely ... For Helping Bro, Andrew

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Chris Cuomo will be off the air for the foreseeable future on CNN's airwaves -- the cable news network just suspended the guy ... all over his efforts to protect his brother.  The question ... does Chris survive this at CNN?

CNN just announced they're benching Chris indefinitely over newly released evidence put out by the New York Attorney General's Office, which shows purported texts Chris sent to people on Andrew Cuomo's team in the middle of his sexual harassment scandal.

They say the new transcripts and exhibits that were dumped Monday "shed new light on Chris Cuomo's involvement in his brother's defense. The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions."

CNN goes on to add Chris told them he admitted he'd offered advice to his brother's staff, breaking their rules ... which the network acknowledged publicly some time ago.

A network rep says they understood where he was coming from at the time, but in light of this -- they say, "[T]hese documents point to a greater level of involvement ... than we previously knew." As a result, he's suspended pending further evaluation.

ICYMI ... Chris was revealed to have texted about specific accusers, including Anna Ruch -- who accused Andrew of kissing her at a wedding. CC allegedly wrote to a staffer of Andrew's ... "I have a lead on the wedding girl," which implies he was looking into her.

The NY AG docs also suggest Chris was reaching out to his media industry sources to get recon on who else might be coming forward with allegations against his bro.

As you know ... Gov. Cuomo ultimately resigned from his post, maintaining he never purposely did anything inappropriate. However, he has since been embroiled legally as well ... now facing criminal charges over some of the claims against him.

Cuomo's ratings have tanked over the last few months, and the fact CNN is characterizing his suspension as "indefinite" opens the door to the question ... will CC ever return to the CNN anchor seat?

Stay tuned

Ex-UCF Star Otis Anderson Jr. Allegedly Shot And Killed By His Dad ... After Fight Over Dog Bite

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Ex-UCF star football player Otis Anderson Jr. was allegedly shot and killed by his dad on Monday night ... after the two had gotten into an argument over a dog bite.

It's all spelled out in new police documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which cops say Otis Jr.'s mom, Denise Anderson, told them the whole, violent altercation started after her son's girlfriend's dog had bitten Otis Anderson Sr.

Cops say Denise told them Otis Sr. was so enraged over the bloody wound caused by the dog -- he and Otis Jr. proceeded to get into a verbal altercation.

Denise claimed the two were eventually separated when she told Otis Jr. to go upstairs ... but cops say she then got into an argument with Otis Sr., one in which Otis Sr. flipped over a recliner, causing Otis Jr. to come back downstairs to check on his mom.

When Otis Jr. made it back downstairs, cops say Denise told them the father and son "got into another verbal altercation and it appeared like they were going to fight."

It's unclear exactly what happened next -- the report was heavily redacted by police -- but in the docs, cops note when they arrived on the scene, they found Otis Jr. suffering from "at least one gunshot wound to the chest."

The cops also noted in the docs Denise was "suffering from multiple graze wounds."

Officers say Otis. Jr. was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while Denise was treated for her wounds at the facility and later released.

In the docs, cops say they eventually arrested Anderson Sr. and booked him on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Jail records show he's still currently in custody.

As we reported, the NFL community is mourning the loss of Otis Jr. -- who signed with the Los Angeles Rams earlier this season before getting cut in September -- with stars like Jalen Ramsey and Micah Parsons expressing sadness over the situation.

UCF has also commented on the tragedy, saying in a statement, "He was revered by his teammates, our fans, and everyone within Knight Nation."

"Our deepest condolences go out to everyone who loved Otis. He was taken too soon and will truly be missed."

The L.A. Rams added, "[Anderson Jr.] was a promising young man with a bright future. Our sincere condolences are with his family during this very difficult time."