Fights

Shocking scene at a high school track meet in Florida over the weekend ... when an athlete sucker punched a runner in the head during a race.

The incident went down at the Tohopekaliga Tiger Invitational in Kissimmee on Saturday ... when witnesses claim the athlete in a black uniform was standing on the track as the runner in white and red was circling around and leading the pack.

Witnesses say the runner in first place yelled at the athlete in black to move ... but when the next lap came around, the guy appeared to purposely get in the way of the runner by standing on the track.

According to witnesses, the runner in first then pushed the athlete in black to get him out of the way. In response, the athlete chased down the runner and punched him from behind.

The runner who was attacked then fell to the track ... but it's unclear if he suffered significant injuries or if he finished the race.

We reached out to the host school for comment ... but it claims no Osceola County students were involved.

However, we're told law enforcement and the Florida High School Athletic Association were notified of the incident.

We reached out to cops, but they've yet to provide us any further information.

O.J. Simpson apparently sees a little bit of himself in Will Smith after his Oscars slap -- saying that he, too, wanted to put hands on people back when he was in the spotlight.

The Juice sounded off on the whole saga, and his main takeaway is in his Twitter caption ... "He was wrong but I understand the sentiment." In the video, he elaborates ... explaining, yeah, Will made a mistake -- but he kinda sympathizes with him.

Check it out ... O.J. says he's also been through a lot of "crap," and on the other side of that -- presumably in reference to his acquittal in the '90s -- was often the butt of tons of jokes.

He makes no bones about how he felt about those "O.J. routines," saying he wanted to "b-slap" at least a couple of those comedians -- but acknowledges he restrained himself, almost drawing the contrast between him and Will ... which, to many, is the ultimate irony.

Bottom line ... O.J. defends Chris Rock here, saying it's comedy -- and no matter how it makes you feel, you (and Will by extension) have to accept it.

Now, here's the kicker ... O.J. theorizes that if he woulda pulled the same stunt after his Las Vegas arrest/conviction -- he believes he would've gotten life in prison without the possibility of parole, seemingly pointing out that Will's getting a pass because he's Will Smith.

Jalen Ramsey is finally speaking about his infamous brawl with Golden Tate ... saying he knew their on-field fight was bound to happen after his breakup with the wide receiver's sister.

Ramsey and Tate threw hands after the Rams beat the Giants in October 2020 ... starting a huge pileup between both teams at midfield. The scene was shocking, but Ramsey says he knew the altercation was inevitable.

"We knew what we was gonna do," Ramsey said on The Pivot podcast. "I mean that's his sister, that's what he supposed to do, too. But you mind your business, too."

"He a protective brother and like, yo, this is me though," he added. "This my family now."

Remember, Ramsey ended his long-term relationship with Breanna Tate while she was pregnant with their second daughter in 2019.

Not too long after that, the 27-year-old corner went Instagram official with a Las Vegas Raiders dancer ... which made many believe Ramsey left Breanna for another girl mid-pregnancy.

This infuriated Tate to the point where he went to social media to lash out at Ramsey ... leaving comments like "he know he gonna have to see me" on Jalen's posts.

But, Ramsey says everybody got the situation all wrong ... saying he and Breanna both felt they were better off as friends and broke up on good terms.

"We ain't feel like we needed to announce it to any and everybody," he added.

"Golden had tweeted something about it and that's when it got super public. I ain't like that. I was hot about that."

"That's where I was like, yeah, I don't rock with him, for sure."

In fact, Ramsey says him and Tate were never cool to begin with -- even when he was dating his sister. So, it should come as no surprise they actually came to blows.

While there's lots of POVs on Will Smith's slap -- one person has a take we haven't heard, and that'd be Bill Maher ... who sees it as a microcosm of society at large these days.

We got the HBO host and legendary comic Tuesday on "TMZ Live," and he kept it as honest as ever when dishing his thoughts on the whole Oscars saga. Long story short ... BM seems to think Will's reaction was literally faux Twitter outrage encapsulated in, well, 'Real Time.'

Check out Bill's perspective ... because it really feels spot-on as far as what exactly happened, or at least what we all saw anyway.

Bill gives the play-by-play, explaining that Will laughed at Chris Rock's "G.I. Jane" joke at first -- apparently finding some humor in it, or so it would seem -- but then changing his tune on a dime, which looked to be in direct response to how Jada Pinkett reacted ... AKA, not well.

It was then that Will got up and did what he did, which Bill says was a total overreaction -- not dissimilar from what he believes a lot of Twitter justice warriors do on the daily.

In his mind, a lot of folks might think something is funny at first (privately) but then look around the room and realize they aren't "allowed" to actually feel that way ... and then pivot accordingly, oftentimes resulting in overblown indignation.

That's what Bill thinks Will's episode amounted to -- him realizing Jada was more offended than he was, and taking on her cause in the most outrageous way possible ... going up and striking Chris, whom Bill defends to no end here -- even calling him the "hero" of the day.

There's more that Bill gets into here with us ... including the fact that he was actually at the same after-party that Will and co. eventually flocked to, and he's got some tea about how a prominent figure in the Black community analyzed Chris' reaction ... or lack thereof.

Jim Carrey is verbalizing what a lot of people have on their minds after Hollywood collectively gave Will Smith a standing ovation following his Chris Rock slap ... saying the whole thing was disgraceful.

The comedian and actor tore into everyone who got on their feet Sunday after Will won for Best Actor ... and after delivering a lengthy and emotional speech, which touched on both his work in "King Richard," but also seemed to address the slap moment just minutes earlier.

Check out Jim's take, he's got some pretty choice words while chatting with CBS's Gayle King -- calling the Academy/the attendees "spineless" ... and showing how stars often preach one thing but demonstrate another.

He doesn't finish there ... Jim says if he were in Chris' shoes, he'd sue Will.

JC went on to call the whole thing sickening and sad, especially since it overshadowed pretty much the entire ceremony and everyone else who went on to win that night. And, as many have since argued -- Will could've opted for any other way to express his objection to Chris' words ... but that he had no right to resort to violence.

Jim also pointed out that there seemed to be something deeper bothering Will -- beyond just the joke about his wife's hair loss -- and it would appear most agree with that as well ... in other words, this was about way more than just being offended over a tasteless crack.

As we've reported, Will finally apologized to Chris and to everyone else -- but he did it in a social media statement ... as of Monday, our sources said the two had not spoken personally.

Will Smith is an adept face-slapper, even teaching youngsters the ropes on how to wind up and deliver.

TMZ has obtained footage shot back in November showing Will and his "King Richard" costar, Aunjanue Ellis, on a junket. There was a Q&A and a little guy named Chris -- yes, that wasn't lost on us -- asked how to fake fight in flicks.

Will decided to show Chris some movie moves, calling the kid up on stage and showing off his slapping skills. Of course, Will didn't strike this Chris ... rather, he repeatedly showed him how to make it appear that someone is slapped, narrowly missing each time.

We've seen Will before when he wasn't acting, and slapping seems to be his go-to when he's angry.

Back in 2012, Will was at the premiere of "Men in Black 3" in Moscow, when a prankster named Vitalii Sediuk tried to kiss Will on the lips. Will unloaded on him with a backhand slap ... not that he wasn't justified, but it shows slapping is in WS's wheelhouse.

Of course, everyone knows by now, Will unloaded on Chris Rock Sunday night. What's interesting ... you see Will walk up to the stage with clear intent, and it seems it was an intent to slap, because there were no hesitations in his moves.

As we reported, the LAPD beelined it for Chris Rock after the incident and asked if he wanted to file a police report, because it was an undeniable assault and battery. Chris declined, so that should be the end of it.

Jada Pinkett Smith's husband may have tried to avenge Chris Rock's jab about her hair, but Jada herself said she couldn't care less what people think about it ... just days before the Oscars.

The "Red Table Talk" host posted a TikTok video just 4 days before Sunday night's ceremony, and it was all about hair ...  "Being a Black woman and dealing with hair in Hollywood, in the era I came up in, having your hair look as European as possible was always the thing, and that was really challenging because I liked my hair out wild and curly."

Jada says ... "I feel the freedom today. I don't give two craps what people think of this bald head of mine. Because guess what? I love it."

So, now the question ... if that was Jada's mindset going into the Oscars, was Will's reaction really about hair, or was it about simmering anger toward Rock? As you know, during the 2016 Oscar ceremony, Chris took potshots at both Will and Jada ... trashing Will's movie, "Wild Wild West," and calling Jada irrelevant after she said she was boycotting the ceremony.

Sources connected to both Will and Chris tell TMZ, there was love lost between Chris and the Smiths, and when Will and Jada watched Chris they were braced for another shot.

Will Smith just apologized directly to Chris Rock, saying slapping Chris was "unacceptable and inexcusable."

Will did not apologize to Chris Sunday night during his Best Actor acceptance speech ... but now he's acknowledging, "Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive."

He still tried to justify his anger, saying, "Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally."

TMZ broke the story, contrary to media reports, Chris and Will did not speak Sunday night after the slap. He's chosen to do his mea culpa on Instagram, saying, "I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness."

Will has taken an enormous amount of heat for hijacking the Oscars and ruining it for other winners. He said, "I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us."

Cedric the Entertainer made Will Smith the butt of a joke at an Oscars after-party ... keeping Jada Pinkett Smith's name out of his mouth, and warning Will impersonators.

The joke is all on video, and it's great ... just watch Cedric do his thing. Maybe Chris Rock could take a few pointers.

While Cedric doesn't mention Will, Jada or Chris by name ... it's obvious what he's referencing here ... everyone saw what happened at the Academy Awards, and this is an after-party.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences isn't dropping Sunday night's Oscars incident with Will Smith and Chris Rock ... opening a formal review of what went down and further condemning Will's actions.

The Academy made a statement Monday, saying "The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show. We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our Bylaws, Standards of Conduct and California law."

The Academy usually holds a post-Oscars meeting that goes over what happened during the show ... odds are, this review will be a big topic of discussion. It's unclear what's on the table ... it could be anything from taking Will's Oscar back, to banning him from future awards shows. Or, it could just be a reprimand.

As you'll recall, Chris Rock was announcing the award for Best Documentary when he made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head, comparing her to "G.I. Jane."

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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."

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."