Chris Rock Hasn't Spoken to Will Smith ... Didn't Know Jada Has Alopecia
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3:01 PM PT -- A source in Diddy's camp tells us he never claimed Chris and Will met up -- he spoke with them individually -- and then reiterated what he said on stage, the two are brothers and "it's all love."
Diddy, who came on stage just after the slap, said, "Will and Chris, we are going to solve that like family at The Gold Party. But right now, we are moving on with love."
Will Smith and Chris Rock have not buried the hatchet, despite reports to the contrary ... in fact they haven't spoken since the slap.
A source with direct knowledge tells us Chris and Will haven't settled anything, despite a claim from Diddy saying everything was cool. In fact, we're told the whole thing stunned Chris ... who went straight to his dressing room after the slap and there has been no communication since between the two men.
We spoke to a close friend of Chris who was at The Oscars ... who tells us even before the incident with Will, he had "no intention of staying" ... he went to his dressing room and then left the building.
Then there's this ... the source says Chris had no idea Jada had alopecia and that he "doesn't have a mean bone in his body."
Chris' joke that sparked the smack was directed at Jada's short hair, telling her he couldn't wait for "G.I. Jane 2."
Our source says Chris was left "shaken and bewildered" by Will, but he still went to Guy Oseary's Oscars After Party to try and have some fun before the night ended.
As for Diddy, we're told he was backstage when the whole thing went down, but he told Page Six at the Variety after party, "That’s not a problem. That’s over." Our Chris Rock source says that's absolutely not true ... and the two haven't spoken.
Originally Published -- 10:59 AM PT
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Celeb Designer Sheila Bridges Will & Chris Played into Stereotypes ... 'A Loss All Around'
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While everyone's busy choosing sides after Will Smith slapped Chris Rock ... Sheila Bridges says she's disappointed in both of 'em, because their actions reinforced stereotypes about Black men.
The interior designer famously suffers from alopecia, something she discussed one-on-one with Chris for his 2009 documentary "Good Hair" -- but Monday on TMZ Live she said it feels like CR forgot their convo when he decided to joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's hair.
Sheila says it's already difficult for Black women to navigate in a hair-obsessed world, and moments like this just make it harder ... noting that society often ties a woman's worth to her hair. And, intentional or not, she feels Rock's joke played into the idea Black women can and should be disrespected publicly.
That being said, Sheila's hardly giving Will a pass for getting physical. She says his reaction played into the violent Black man stereotype -- so, overall, she sees everyone involved taking an "L."
Jada has been vocal about her battle with alopecia and shaved her head after getting a bald spot, back in July. However, TMZ broke the story ... a close friend of Rock's, who was at the Oscars, tells us he had no idea Jada's dealing with the condition
While Sheila wasn't happy with how things went down, she surely felt Jada's pain.
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Will Smith Smacks Chris Rock at the Oscars ... 'Keep My Wife's Name Out Your F****** Mouth!!!'
8:01 PM PT -- Will Smith seems to have some people in his corner ... including Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who were seen comforting him after the show went to break.
During the commercial break, Will Smith is pulled aside and comforted by Denzel Washington and Tyler Perry, who motion for him to brush it off. Will appears to wipe tears from his eyes as he sits back down with Jada, with Denzel comforting Jada and Will’s rep by his side. pic.twitter.com/uDGVnWrSS2
— Scott Feinberg (@ScottFeinberg) March 28, 2022 @ScottFeinberg
The two actors could be seen chatting to WS off to the side, and they eventually led him back to his table ... where he was embraced by someone else. Will is said to have been apparently wiping tears from his eyes.
It's unclear if he'll be allowed to stay for the rest of the show.
In a truly shocking moment, Will Smith just smacked Chris Rock in the face after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith at The Oscars.
Chris was up on stage Sunday presenting for Best Documentary, but before he started naming the nominees ... he was firing off zingers to the crowd, and eventually landed on Will and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Chris made a comment about Jada's shaved head ... saying he couldn't wait to see 'G.I. Jane 2' -- which got some groans from the crowd, to which he just sorta shrugged off.
Chris didn't think he'd crossed a line, but Will clearly did ... because he stormed the stage and literally socked the dude in the face. A stunned Rock exclaimed, "Wow. Will Smith just smacked the s*** outta me."
The American broadcast on ABC muted, and even froze, but in other countries it continued ... and Will shouted "Keep my wife's name out your f****** mouth" twice to Chris.
Chris eventually gained his composure again and carried on with handing out the Oscar, but the room was left tense with a sense of unease.
Jada has been public with her alopecia diagnosis for a good while, documenting her struggle with hair loss.
As of now ... Will and Jada are still sitting in the crowd.
Originally Published -- 7:50 PM PT
Nick Lachey Goes Off On Photographer ... Tries To Snatch Phone From Her Hands
MARCH 2022
10:53 AM PT -- Nick tweeted about the incident, saying, "Last night, after enjoying a great dinner with my wife and our dear friend, the paparazzi harassed us as we walked back to our hotel. I clearly overreacted. I've been in this game long enough to know that their antics are sadly part of the deal. Stupid of me. Done."
Nick Lachey got violent toward a photographer during his night out ... reaching in her car and trying to rip the phone out of her hands.
Nick and his wife, Vanessa, went out to eat at Mastro's in Beverly Hills Sunday night ... after seeing a photog taking pics of him from her car, he made his way across the street, allegedly punching her window and calling her a "p**** mother f*****." Vanessa was yelling for her to open her car door.
After he walked away, the photographer puts her window down and asks him what's his problem, making him dart back to the car. After noticing her filming him, he quickly reaches into the car and tries to pry the phone from her hands.
Later in the night, Nick was with Vanessa and another woman, walking back to a hotel ... Nick was yelling and sticking his middle finger up to photogs as they walked by.
The photographer claimed she could smell alcohol on his breath ... a possible factor in his erratic behavior.
Sunday night showed a similar situation with celebrity violence ... as you recall, Will Smith walked on stage at the Oscars, slapping Chris Rock across the face after a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith set him off.
We reached out to Nick's rep ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 7:50 AM PT
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Will Smith Getting Jiggy With It At After-Party ... Following Chris Rock Slap
Big Willie Style was in full effect after Will Smith won an Oscar and slapped Chris Rock on live TV ... Will was dancing to his famous hit and holding his award at an after-party.
This is Will Smith dancing with his Oscar. It's all love baby 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/ALZa29LX2s
— Bestbrain🥇 (@Bestbrainnn) March 28, 2022 @Bestbrainnn
Ya gotta see this video of Will on Oscar Sunday ... no, not the one where he slaps Chris for joking about Jada Pinkett Smith ... this one, where he's dancing to his song, "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in Hollywood.
There's a huge circle around Will, and a ton of cameras in his face ... and it certainly doesn't look like he's bothered by what went down on stage with Chris ... cutting loose on the dance floor, singing his own lyrics and showing off his Oscar for his work in "King Richard."
It's quite a mood swing for Will, who only hours before was taking major issue with Chris for making fun of his wife. Guess winning an Oscar will do that for ya.
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Ex-NBA Star Charlie Villanueva Goes At Chris Rock For Alopecia Joke 'I Stand With Will & Jada'
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Former NBA star Charlie Villanueva, who's famously battled Alopecia, ripped Chris Rock for his Oscars barb about the autoimmune disease ... adding that he's "proud" of Will Smith for defending Jada Pinkett Smith.
Villanueva took to Instagram to express his thoughts on the Smith-Rock altercation at Sunday night's Academy Awards ... saying as someone who's had to deal with Alopecia, he knows what Jada is going through.
And, he said he can understand why Smith reacted the way he did following Rock's "balding" G.I. Jane quip.
"She voiced that she struggled with [Alopecia], and Chris Rock thought it was cool to crack a joke," Villanueva said. "We are not with Jada everyday to know the level of the struggle, but Will does."
"As I don’t condone violence, Im proud that Will Smith stood up for his wife."
Villanueva added, "As a fellow Alopecians, I stand with Will and Jada."
Villanueva -- an ambassador for National Alopecia Areata Foundation -- also took to Twitter to send a personal message to those battling Alopecia as well as to Jada ... writing in a tweet, "Remember, you have Alopecia, Alopecia doesn't have you. Don't give up on yourself. Life is just as beautiful as you."
According to The National Library of Medicine, Alopecia affects 1 in every 500-to-1,000 people in the United States ... and can affect men and women equally of any ethnic background.
Villanueva wasn't the only sports figure to praise Will for his reaction Sunday ... former UFC star Tyron Woodley also said on social media that he supported Smith's slap -- saying, "i fight over women, especially the women in my family, Sisters, & Daughter."
Smith did apologize for the outburst in an acceptance speech later Sunday evening.
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Chris Rock Refused to File Assault and Battery Police Report After Will Smith Smack
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Chris Rock is NOT going to file a police report -- at least for now -- against Will Smith after the latter smacked him squarely across the face ... but the window is still open.
LAPD brass said Sunday night that they were aware of an incident during the 94th Academy Awards between two individuals ... in which one person slapped the other. Obviously, they're referring to Will and Chris -- but they also note ... CR declined to press charges.
They add ... if Chris wants to file an investigative report at a later date, he can do that -- and they'll be all ears.
Now, as for how exactly the cops got involved in this has been a bit of a mystery until now -- namely, nobody really knew if they were called or if they actually spoke to Chris directly. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... there were LAPD officers on site during the actual incident, whom we're told witnessed the hit -- and then approached Chris' team thereafter.
Essentially, they watched what they believed to be a crime ... otherwise, they wouldn't have approached him. Since Chris said he wasn't interested in pursuing it, it's routine in a case like this for cops to stand down.
Presumably ... Will could be dinged on assault and battery, but at the moment -- it doesn't seem he's going to face any repercussions for what he did. It's also unclear if the Academy will hold him accountable.
As you know by now, Will struck Chris on stage during the live broadcast following a joke the comedian cracked about Jada Pinkett -- which was about her shaved head ... a direct result of the alopecia she suffers from.
Not too long after that, Will won an Oscar for Best Actor ... and gave a bizarre speech in which he seemed to defend his actions -- all while fighting back tears.
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Will Smith and Chris Rock Smackdown Justified or Not???
Will Smith certainly hijacked the Oscars by smacking Chris Rock in the face, but the question ... was he justified??? You be the judge.
Jake Paul Hey, Will and Chris ... Box Out The Beef For $15 Million!!!
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Jake Paul wants in on the Will Smith vs. Chris Rock feud -- the YouTuber-turned-fighter is offering both actors $15 MILLION to take their beef to the boxing ring!!
Shortly after the slap heard around the world went down at the Oscars, "Impractical Jokers" star Sal Vulcano joked about how much the Most Valuable Promotions founder would cough up to get both legends in the ring for an epic event for the ages.
The 25-year-old fighter -- who previously offered Pete Davidson and Kanye West $30 milli each to face off in the ring -- delivered on his new proposition late Sunday night ... claiming he already has $30 million set aside for a Smith vs. Rock bout.
"I got $15m for Will Smith and $15m for Chris Rock ready to go," Paul tweeted ... adding he already has a date in mind.
Over/under on how much Jake Paul is gonna offer Chris Rock and Will Smith for a boxing PPV?
— Sal Vulcano (@SalVulcano) March 28, 2022 @SalVulcano
"Let’s do it in August on my undercard."
FYI -- The biggest Pay-per-view ever is 4.6 million buys for Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao in 2015.
A Will vs. Chris fight would undoubtedly be successful, but don't hold your breath on it ever happening -- after all, both guys have all the money in the world and it would be quite the height/weight disadvantage for Rock ... but Jake's got the financial backing to make it happen.
So ... Never say never??
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Will Smith, Trevor Noah Hugging It Out At After-Party Following Chris Rock Slap
Will Smith's got people in his corner following his on-camera altercation with Chris Rock ... getting a big hug from Trevor Noah at the Vanity Fair after-party, having a long, and private, conversation.
Will was still emotional when he got to the party Sunday night in Bev Hills, taking pictures with tears in his eyes ... which is when Trevor came up to the Best Actor winner.
They embraced for quite a while -- more than 1 minute -- clearly trying to have a conversation over the loud music blaring in the room. When it was all said and done, they smiled at each other and posed for some photos.
There's no doubt what they were discussing for so long ... Will slapped Chris Rock after his "G.I. Jane 2" jab at Jada Pinkett Smith.
The crowd, and even Chris, was stunned ... things got more real after Will continued to shout "Keep my wife's name out your f****** mouth" from his seat.
Trevor tweeted after the slap heard, and seen, 'round the world ... saying, "Wtaf????? That wasn’t scripted?????"
Safe to say he had some questions, and maybe got them answered when he and Will hugged.
Will went to the after-party with the whole family surrounding him -- Jada, daughter Willow, and sons Trey and Jaden.
As the night went on, the D.J. blasted Will's 1997 hit, "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," with the crowd making a circle around him to watch him get down. What a night.
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Will Smith Celebs React to Chris Rock Slap ... Son Jaden Approves
Will Smith's slap heard-round-the-world seems to have Hollywood kinda split on whether it was right or wrong -- but there's one person who's firmly in the guy's corner ... his son.
The entire world seems to have reacted to Will's violent behavior, and celebrities are no exception -- with several high-profile stars weighing in online ... and some even defending WS and Jada Pinkett by extension, including Nicki Minaj.
The rapper had a lot of thoughts on the matter, writing ... "You just got to witness in real time what happens in a man’s soul when he looks over to the woman he loves & sees her holding back tears from a “little joke” at her expense. This is what any & every real man feels in that instant. while y’all seeing the joke he’s seeing her pain."
She adds, "Imagine what it must feel like to be losing your hair to the point where you have to shave it bald. You think that’s easy to deal with for anyone?"
So, clearly ... Nicki is team Will/Jada. But, there are far more who condemned the assault -- including Judd Apatow, who was emphatic. Judd wrote, "He could have killed him. That's pure out of control rage and violence. They've heard a million jokes about them in the last three decades. They are not freshmen in the world of Hollywood and comedy. He lost his mind."
Others seemed to be either baffled or amused by what had occurred ... Billy Eichner, Jodie and Conan O'Brien fall into that category. But, the most telling response came from Will and Jada's own flesh and blood.
Jaden Smith sounded off in the aftermath, writing ... "And That's How We Do It," apparently co-signing what his old man had just done.
It would also seem that Jada herself appreciated Will getting up there -- because as soon as the broadcast went to break ... a photo shows Chris Rock leaning down from the stage trying to talk to both of them, with none other than Denzel Washington standing in between them.
In the pic, you can see Will and Jada holding hands ... appearing to put on a united front.
There's also a lot of chatter today about "toxic masculinity" and whether Will is a personification of that. Many feel he is, but there seems to be an opposing group who say he was simply doing what a good partner/man should do to defend his woman.
Something tells us this is going to be discussed and debated for a long time to come. In the meantime ... we're just left with the surreal moment itself, which is going down in history ... for all the wrong reasons.
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WWE's Charlotte Flair Ronda Rousey Has To Prove Herself ... I'm The Champ!!!
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Charlotte Flair is putting Ronda Rousey on notice ... telling TMZ Sports the former UFC superstar is in for a rude awakening when she steps inside of the squared circle with her at WrestleMania 38 in Texas.
We spoke with the WWE Smackdown Women's Champion -- and daughter of legend Ric Flair -- out in NYC this week ... and she tells us the damage she caused to Ronda on Smackdown is a preview of what the former MMA star can expect when they collide.
Charlotte and Ronda came to blows in the leadup to WrestleMania ... with Charlotte getting the best of Rousey in front of her hometown crowd in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In the aftermath of their fight, Ronda said she was having difficulty talking on a gaming stream ... and she explained she suffered a torn labial frenulum -- the tissue in your mouth that connects your lip to your gums.
While the "Baddest Woman On The Planet" didn't specify how she sustained the injury, you have to assume the attack she suffered at the hands of Charlotte (with help from a kendo stick) played a role.
The good news is "Rowdy" Ronda fully expects to be 100% by the time Mania rolls around ... and Charlotte is looking forward to colliding with her on the grandest stage of them all.
"If that hurt her, [I] can't wait to see Mania," the champ said.
Rousey won the women's Royal Rumble match back in January ... which gave her the right to fight either Charlotte or Raw Women's Champion Becky Lynch.
Ronda chose Charlotte, paving the way for the two women to share the ring again ... in hopes of resolving their longstanding feud.
WrestleMania, the Super Bowl of pro wrestling, is an event that makes stars ... but Charlotte says Ronda still has to make a name for herself in the biz.
"I don't think I have anything left to prove. It's Ronda who has something to prove, not me."
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Jake Paul Dead Serious About MMA Fight W/ Conor ... I'll KO Him First Round!!!
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Jake Paul tells TMZ Sports he's dead serious about an MMA fight with Conor McGregor ... saying even in an Octagon, under UFC rules, he'd KO the Irish star.
Paul has called out McGregor a bunch of times over the last couple years ... but now, more than ever, he seems ready to make the tilt actually happen.
And, this time, he tells us he's willing to go onto Conor's turf to do it.
"Conor is on a downhill spiral," Jake said. "His limbs are all broken. So, stand-up game, I'm coming out and knocking him out, first round."
Paul tells us he and McGregor weigh the same now, and he's legitimately looking into leaving boxing for MMA to make the fight.
Jake also said he wants to throw down with McGregor in the UFC in order to try to persuade Dana White to give more of the company's revenue to fighters.
"If I win, then Dana has to increase the minimum of fighter pay," Jake said. "If I lose, then they can take all of the money and whatever and so be it."
"But, I know I can beat Conor."
If the matchup with Conor doesn't happen, there's still a chance Jake heads to MMA for his next fight regardless. He tells us he's been in talks with Bellator and PFL -- "and other MMA entities" -- to try to hammer out some kind of deal to potentially fight in a cage.
Paul, though, tells us no matter what, he wants his opponent to be someone that can draw as many Pay-per-views as he can.
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Colby Covington Going To Cops Was 'Some Bitch S***' Says UFC's Daniel Rodriguez
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"You gotta expect that out of f***ing Colby Covington. He's a bitch for pressing charges. And, if I got a message for him it's 'snitches get stitches' around here homie. That's some bitch s**t."
That's 35-year-old rising UFC welterweight star Daniel Rodriguez going in on Colby Covington ... after the #1 ranked 170 lb. contender cooperated with police and pressed charges against Jorge Masvidal for allegedly attacking him and cracking his tooth outside a fancy Miami restaurant earlier this week.
"I'd do the same thing," D-Rod told us Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles.
Of course, Masvidal allegedly attacked Colby as he was leaving Papi Steak in South Florida Monday night. Police responded, and took a report for battery.
Days later on Wednesday, Jorge turned himself into a local jail around 10 PM local time, and was hit with several charges, including felony battery, which can carry a lengthy prison sentence.
Some fighters, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, believe Colby was out of line for going to the cops -- especially after some of the trash talk the men engaged in leading up to their UFC 272 fight -- and you can count Rodriguez in that group.
"I respect Khabib for that. He's always been that kind of fighter that doesn't disrespect, especially family. Trying to promote, trying to sell a fight is one thing. But, when you throw family in the mix, it's kind of personal. So, ya know, I'm not mad at Jorge Masvidal for this incident where he ran up on [Colby] in Miami."
It remains to be seen if fellow welterweight fighters will heed Khabib's advice and not fight Covington. However, it's almost impossible to imagine fighters passing on an opportunity to take on the consensus 2nd best 170 lb. fighter in the world.
We also talked to Daniel, 6-1 in the UFC, about his health.
D-Rod previously busted his hand ... and required surgery. He's getting close to making a return to the Octagon, and he has some opponents in mind.
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Hayden Panettiere & BF Brian Massive Bar Brawl Fists, Feet Fly Outside Sunset Marquis!!!
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Hayden Panettiere and her boyfriend Brian Hickerson look less like lovers, and more like tag-team partners after getting into a huge melee at a famous Sunset Strip hotel.
We got this insane video from Thursday night outside the Sunset Marquis where HP, and mostly Brian, threw down with a large group of people. At one point, security was able to calm the situation ... but then Brian broke free, ramping things up again.
An eyewitness tells us everything started inside at the hotel bar, where some sort of argument started between Hayden, Brian and some other patrons. We're told one of the people from the other group claimed Brian spit on them, and the manager kicked everyone out ... leading to this wild scene on the street.
During the fight, you can see Hayden do her best to try to pry Brian off the others -- and it even appears she gets kicked in the face while she was in the scrum. She's heard yelling, "Brian, jail!" ... likely warning him what could happen if cops show up, because he's on probation until 2025.
Once everyone finally gets separated -- Brian and Hayden head back into the hotel -- where she apologizes to staff, and the other group leaves.
Hayden and Brian certainly have a tumultuous history -- he's been arrested for domestic violence and assault for alleged attacks against the actress. Last night, at least, they were a united front.
Law enforcement got a call for a fight at the hotel, but by the time they arrived, everyone had left and no report has been filed.
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Jorge Masvidal Pleads Not Guilty To Two Felony Charges ... After Alleged Covington Attack
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2:08 PM PT -- Court records, obtained by TMZ Sports, show Masvidal was charged with one felony count of aggravated battery with a mask and one felony count of criminal mischief on Thursday over his alleged attack on Covington.
The records show Masvidal pleaded not guilty to the charges. He's due back in court for a hearing on the matter on April 21.
6:10 AM PT -- 3/24 -- Masvidal bonded out of jail early Thursday morning ... and hid his face from cameras as he was whisked into a car near the station.
Jorge Masvidal is in jail in Florida ... he's been arrested over his alleged attack on Colby Covington.
Jail records, obtained by TMZ Sports, show the 37-year-old UFC star was booked in Miami at 10:27 PM ET on Wednesday, where he posed for a mug shot.
The records show he was booked on two charges -- aggravated battery with a mask, and criminal mischief. His bond has been set at $15,000, the records show.
WPLG Local 10 News shot video of Masvidal as he entered the jail in cuffs. The footage shows he sprinted into the station without taking any questions from reporters.
Exclusive @GamebredFighter headed to jail on an aggravated battery charge after his alleged attack on @ColbyCovMMA Exclusive video and story on @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/HGJhTz25Kj
— Rosh Lowe (@roshloweWPLG) March 24, 2022 @roshloweWPLG
As we previously reported, Masvidal has been accused of punching Covington twice as his UFC rival was leaving popular restaurant Papi Steak on Monday night.
In police documents, cops say Covington told them Masvidal hit him in the mouth and the eye -- causing him to fracture a tooth.
Cops also say Covington suffered an abrasion on his wrist and a damaged watch.
In video we obtained shortly after the alleged incident, Covington can be heard appearing to describe the attack, saying, "He's over here swinging, trying to come at me, and I ran ..."
Covington has yet to comment publicly on the incident.
Story developing ...
Originally Published -- 3/23 7:52 PM PT