Kids

This is ridiculous ...

A black high school wrestler was told by a white referee that he needed to cut off his dreadlocks or forfeit an important match ... and the whole incident was captured on video.

Andrew Johnson was about to compete for Buena Regional High School in New Jersey -- and was wearing a cover over his dreadlocks ... when referee Alan Maloney stepped in.

Maloney told Johnson his hair cover was not sufficient and gave him 2 choices -- chop off the locks or lose the match.

Johnson reluctantly chose the haircut -- but you can see he's visibly upset.

Johnson destroyed his opponent -- but he's clearly devastated about the hair cut ... even when the ref raises his hand in victory.

His teammates tried to console him but Johnson wasn't really having it.

Now, it's been revealed the ref has a history of racist behavior -- using a racial slur toward a black man during a social gathering in 2016 ... and getting his ass kicked in the process.

The offended party (an African American man) was so pissed, he slammed Maloney to the ground following the slur.

Maloney later apologized for the incident and the body that oversees high school wrestling in New Jersey ordered him to complete a sensitivity training class.

John Cena once again transformed himself into Make-A-Wish's biggest hero ... treating a bunch of kids to a private screening of his new blockbuster flick.

The WWE superstar (along with the good folks at Make-A-Wish) rented out a private theater for 21 kids to see "Bumblebee" in NYC on Thursday ... and judging from the footage, everyone was stoked!

Each kid got swag bags, snacks and drinks and some time to hang with their favorite action hero/wrestling star.

Some of the kids even busted out Cena's legendary "You Can't See Me" move with John right on the red carpet!!

Later on, Cena took some of the kids to the Empire State Building where they posed for more pics -- took in the sights -- and hung out with John's "Bumblebee" costar, Hailee Steinfeld.

Kodak Black wasn't kidding when he said he was getting more involved with charities ... he's done it again, this time bringing smiles with tons of Christmas gifts.

We're told the rapper hit up Paradise Childcare in Broward County, Florida earlier this week and delivered a bunch of toys that'll go to 150 kids. The non-profit group assists parents with childcare and other needs.

On top of the gifts ... we're told Kodak also dropped around $5k for the org's Christmas party.

A rep for Paradise Childcare tells TMZ ... they're grateful for Kodak's contribution, and the toys will be divided between 2 Paradise locations.

In addition to his gift-drop ... we're told Kodak took part in something called the "Gifts of Chai" with Rabbi Scheur Kaplan. Participants give or receive gifts in multiples of $18 ... which is considered good luck. Kodak donated $180.

Rabbi Kaplan tells us, "It isn't the amount of money that matters. Kodak sent the gift of Chai 10x which is amazing. This is very special and we are thankful."

Ex-Little League baseball phenom Mo'Ne Davis is all grown up -- and she's signed a letter of intent to play college softball at Hampton University in Virginia.

Remember, Davis SMOKED EVERYBODY with her insane 70 mph fastball during the 2014 Little League World Series -- becoming the first girl to toss a shutout in post-season play. She was only 13 at the time.

Now, she's a senior at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia -- where she's still murdering the competition on the softball field, the soccer pitch and the basketball court.

Davis has been recruited by a ton of major college programs -- but ultimately decided on Hampton because of the prestigious communications department, according to her parents.

Davis will reportedly be a middle infielder at Hampton. Unclear if she'll play basketball too, but we know she's a BALLER on the court.

Back in 2015, Mo'ne was drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters after COOKIN' Kevin Hart in a celebrity basketball game.

A buncha kids got a SWEET pre-Christmas surprise Wednesday -- 'cause Kobe Bryant brought the gift of Mamba -- and a bunch of books -- to a school in Southern California!!

The Lakers legend dropped by Oxford Prep Academy in Mission Viejo and hung out with a bunch of kids for a great cause.

Kobe's got a new podcast called "The Punies," -- a pod about kids who learn lessons through sports -- which Mamba hopes real-life children can draw from.

Turns out ... one of the teachers at the school is turning those podcasts into an actual curriculum -- so Kobe had to swing by to see it all in person.

We're told Bryant brought the kids books, played games ... and actually watched the kids present projects they'd been workin' on.

Best signing day announcement ever!!!

High school football star Cooper Dawson -- a top defensive end at Hanahan High in South Carolina -- didn't feel right holding a press conference by himself on Wednesday to announce his college plans.

So, he brought a friend with him ... a guy who's been his inspiration while he recovers from an ACL tear -- Kingsley Feinman.

Kingsley has cerebral palsy -- and Dawson explained that he's learned a major life lesson from his friend, "The only disability is a bad attitude."

And, when the big moment came, Cooper whispered his college destination into Kinglsey's ear so he could make the announcement to the media.

What ensued is just awesome ... and props to WCIV's Scott Eisberg for capturing the whole thing on video.

The only sad part ... is Cooper didn't pick the school Kinglsey had hoped he would attend.

Still, guessing KF will learn to root for a new team.

Congrats!!

Remy Ma is back in the hospital days after welcoming a baby girl, due to complications from giving birth ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell us Remy was suffering from excessive bleeding Tuesday night and went right back to the hospital. The post-birth complications necessitated emergency surgery.

As we reported ... Remy and Papoose announced the birth of their daughter on social media, but didn't disclose her name. Papoose called it "tough labor." Mind you, Remy went into labor at age 38 -- Papoose is 40 himself -- and revealed last year she had recently suffered a miscarriage.

Amazingly, we're told she delivered her new baby naturally.

As for how things went on the operating table, Remy received blood transfusions ... and the good news, we're told the surgery was a success. We're told she's doing well, and she's expected to be released in the next day or so.

Get well soon, RM. And, of course, congrats on the kid.

The child Dikembe Mutombo brought to the United States for a surgery to remove a life-threatening tumor on his face, went into cardiac arrest during the operation ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the surgery tell us, at around 6 PM Sunday, more than 6 hours into the operation, 8-year-old Matadi went into cardiac arrest and was immediately taken to the Intensive Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. We're told he's now in stable condition and is slowly recovering.

The emergency came toward the end of the surgery, which began at 11:30 AM.

We do not know if the surgeons had completed the surgery, but if it went according to schedule it should have been wrapping up.

Matadi and his family were staying at the Ronald McDonald house in Los Angeles leading up to Sunday's procedure. Mutombo, who met the little boy during a visit to the Congo, greeted the boy and his family when they landed Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Didn't take long for AJ McCarron to get over the Raiders loss Sunday ... 'cause dude had the happiest reunion with his son at the airport -- and the vid is adorable.

AJ's been away from his 2-year-old and his model wife, Katherine Webb, for a few weeks ... but the QB flew back to 'Bama after Oakland's game -- and his reunion with his son couldn't have been cuter.

Tripp is held back until his pops strolls through the door ... and then the baby boy unleashes all his love for AJ with a "DADDY!!!!" yell and a big hug.

"When you’re reunited with your BFF #5weekswithoutdaddy," Katherine posted on social media.

So, why's AJ back in town when the Raiders still have two weeks left in the season??

Webb is SUPER pregnant with the couple's second child ... and says the new baby is actually due TODAY!!!

AJ and the Raiders don't play again until Monday ... so timing is great -- McCarron's got an extra day off this week.

Congrats!!!

JWoww told police her estranged husband, Roger Mathews, was harassing her by filming her without consent, which is why he got kicked out of their home ... sources close to the couple tell TMZ.

As we reported ... cops hauled Mathews out of the family home early Friday morning per a restraining order JWoww got in the dead of night. Roger claimed the 2 had a disagreement earlier in the evening, but he did nothing wrong and was blindsided by police when they demanded he leave.

We're told the 'Jersey Shore' star waited until later in the night when Roger went to bed to contact authorities to claim he was harassing her ... which was enough to get him booted.

Surveillance video from inside their home during the incident shows JWoww telling cops Roger's "not a bad dad" and presumably wants the restraining order to only cover her. But, apparently cops said the temporary order bars Roger from contacting the entire fam, and if she wants it limited she'll have to take it up later in court.

Snooki hinted at harassment allegations when she claimed Roger was taunting JWoww by recording her with his phone to get a rise out of her. Mathews admitted recording JWoww on his phone, but only because his attorney advised him to do so.

We're told Roger is hoping more surveillance footage from the incident at their home gets released because he has nothing to hide and believes it will vindicate him.

Our sources also say the 2 have been doing couple's counseling for the past 3 months and Mathews was hoping to work things out, but JWoww told him recently she had no intention of reconciling ... and was only trying to keep things civil for the kids over the holidays.

We're told Roger's in the same boat now -- it's all about the kids ... not saving the marriage.

The little boy who came over from the Congo -- with a major assist from retired NBA star Dikembe Mutombo -- is on the operating table right now, and by day's end, he could be tumor free.

TMZ has learned 8-year-old Matadi went into surgery Sunday at 11:30 AM PST at Children's Hospital in Los Angeles. We're told the operation is expected to last around 6 hours. His family is at the hospital waiting on word from doctors.

The operation is being led by Dr. Ryan Osborne from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in L.A. Dr. Osborne has volunteered his services, after being inspired by the good work of Mutumbo.

The family has been staying at the Ronald McDonald House since arriving in Los Angeles Wednesday. TMZ was there at Mutombo greeted the little boy as he got off the plane from Africa.

As we reported, Mutombo met the boy during a trip to the Congo and was so moved by his story he arranged to have him brought to the US for surgery.

This picture was taken shortly after Matadi arrived at Ronald McDonald. In case you didn't notice, Dikembe is on the right.

The large tumor on Matadi's face is not only life-threatening, it created a horrible set of circumstances. He has been shunned in his community, removed from school and has basically lived in his room. The surgery, hopefully, will be life-changing.

Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Jen Harley have put their relationship drama, police reports and claims of domestic violence to the side ... to snap some sweet holiday photos.

The 'Jersey Shore' star, Harley and their 8-month old daughter got into the Christmas card spirit this week, and by the smiles on the faces of Ronnie and his baby mama ... you'd never know how nasty it's been between them this year.

We're told the volatile couple posed for these portraits at his Las Vegas home, and Jen's older son joined them for a shot with the family in matching Xmas jammies.

Gotta say ... baby girl Ariana Sky steals the show.

As we reported ... Jen allegedly punched Ronnie in the face and hit him with a phone back in October, giving him a nasty black eye. There was also a domestic incident at Ronnie's home after a fight over their daughter.

All this on top of the violent, bloody car dragging incident in June ... and it's quite a shock the 2 are so full of holiday cheer.

Diddy was all about celebrating his family Friday night ... the twins and his beloved Kim Porter.

Diddy threw an early birthday bash for his twins, D'Lila and Jessie, who will turn 12 on December 21. Waiting for the actual day would be dicey since people flee for the holidays.

The 80's-themed party looked awesome. It went down in L.A. at World on Wheels. The girls were dressed in neon outfits and Diddy was rocking a neon "Sean C" sweatshirt.

This has gotta be a tough time for the family. Kim Porter's birthday 48th birthday would have been Sunday. TMZ broke the story, Kim was found dead at her home last month. The L.A. County Coroner is still trying to determine cause of death.

Diddy paid tribute to Kim, declaring it Kim Porter Day WORLDWIDE.

We got Diddy and the girls coming in and leaving the party. They seemed in good spirits.

Remy Ma and Papoose are now proud parents ... after an emotional struggle to have a child.

Remy gave birth to a baby girl Friday night, after going through what her hubby said was a "tough labor."

The 38-year-old Remy and 40-year-old Papoose have not revealed the name, but have been calling the little girl, "The Golden Child" ... shorthand for a miracle baby.

Remy has made no secret about the difficulty they've faced in have a baby. She revealed last year she'd recently suffered a miscarriage and had been taking steps to ensure a successful pregnancy.

The little girl joins their blended fam ... Remy has an 18-year-old son named Jason, and Papoose has a 15-year-old daughter named Dejanae, along with 2 other older children.

Cardi B and Offset might officially be on the outs, but Daddy wants to come home for Christmas.

Sources close to the couple tell us ... Offset wants to spend the holidays with Cardi and their little girl -- specifically, Xmas Eve and day as well as a few days leading up to that. We're told Offset knows how important spending Kulture's first Christmas with his daughter will be, and wants to be there.

Our sources also say Offset won't be coming over empty-handed. As a notoriously generous gift giver, we're told he'll have lots of presents for his new baby ... and, of course, some things for Cardi as well (assuming she accepts them, and we're guessing she will).

Sources close to Cardi tell us the "Bodak Yellow" rapper hasn't yet made up her mind if she'll allow Offset to celebrate the holidays with her as a family ... and the plans haven't been discussed.

We're told Offset plans on seeing his other kids too -- he's got 3 others from previous relationships. In other words, Papa will be on the move.

As we've already told you ... Offset wants Cardi back, plain and simple. He feels like his haters are standing in his way ... but he's determined to win back her heart. That feeling might be mutual. We're told Cardi still feels love for him, despite her publicly saying otherwise.

No word on whether they'll rekindle their relationship and stave off a divorce, but our sources say that people close to both of them think there's a reasonable shot they can work it out.

There's no better time for some magic like that than the holidays. Ya listening, Santa?

Tommy and Brandon Lee seem to have made up ... after an ugly 2018 between the father and son that began with Brandon knocking him out during an argument.

The Motley Crue drummer shared a photo around midnight of the 2 embracing, captioned simply ... "I love you son." Brandon also posted a video of his dad with him in the studio late Wednesday night ... it looked like they were having a good time.

It's unclear what led to the reconciliation, but it's quite a surprise considering the physical attack that went down in March followed by a criminal investigation ... and a nasty war of words.

As we reported ... the father-son beef culminated when Brandon coldcocked Tommy in the middle of the night, claiming it was self-defense because his dad was drunk. The knockout came on the heels of Tommy taking a shot at Brandon's mom, Pam Anderson, on social media.

Tommy shared a photo of his injuries after the knockout punch, saying he gave his kid everything and he still turned on him.

Cops launched a battery investigation after the incident, but the case was ultimately rejected by the D.A. because Tommy chose not to cooperate.

Still, the 2 continued to go at each other on social media -- especially on Father's Day -- suggesting they were far away from having a loving relationship again.

But, as they say ... time heals all wounds. Or, maybe Brandon just doesn't want to miss Tommy's upcoming wedding.