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Amber Heard's team is lashing out at Johnny Depp as she braces for cross-examination, saying she expects Johnny's lawyer to do classic victim shaming.

Heard is finishing up her direct testimony, but before Johnny's lawyers have their chance, her team tells TMZ, "Today, we expect Depp's attorneys will instead pound away on the victim. We fear it will be equal parts shameful and desperate. And, the overwhelming evidence -- the truth -- is not on Depp's side."

They continued ... "The one thing we suspect Depp's attorneys will avoid is the central issue of this trial: does Amber or any woman have the First Amendment Right of freedom of speech."

The freedom of speech argument is a little off, because this is a defamation case, and the law is clear ... if someone lies bout someone else and that lie causes damage to a person's reputation, it's not protected speech. That's the issue before the jury.

The case was put on ice for a week ... unusual since it was in the middle of Amber's testimony.

Kevin Samuels' family says an imposter is behind a GoFundMe created to raise money for his funeral expenses, and even though they were offered the cash ... they won't accept the money.

Social media was buzzing after the fundraising page popped up, many calling Kevin's family hypocrites for seeking financial help ... as he always preached a message of financial independence without handouts.

However, a source with direct knowledge tells us they reached out to Kevin's family to verify the account and learned the family did NOT create it ... so GoFundMe scrubbed the fundraiser from its platform.

Not only that, our sources say GoFundMe offered Kevin's family the few hundred bucks raised on the fake page ... but they refused to accept it, so it was returned to donors.

TMZ broke the story, the woman Samuels was with desperately tried to save his life -- performing CPR as she dialed 911 -- but unfortunately, he didn't make it. It's believed Kevin suffered a heart attack.

New York Knicks legend Willis Reed's warmup jacket from Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals -- one of the most famous moments in basketball history -- is about to hit the auction block, and is expected to sell for a huge chunk of change!

TMZ Sports has learned the infamous jacket Reed wore during the "Willis Reed Game" ... as he limped onto the Madison Square Garden court for the deciding contest against the Los Angeles Lakers will soon go to the highest bidder.

Remember, Reed tore his thigh muscle in Game 5 of the series against L.A., and missed Game 6 because of the serious injury.

With Willis out, Wilt Chamberlain went off, dominating the Knicks, and forcing a deciding game 7.

The Knicks appeared to be in big trouble ... as almost no one expected Reed to play in game 7, despite the Knicks being just 4 quarters from a title.

But, after receiving medical treatment on his torn thigh, Reed somehow hobbled onto the court at MSG ... and fans couldn't believe it.

Reed, who was severely limited during the game, scored just 4 points and collected 3 rebounds ... but it was about more than just his contribution to the box score.

Willis, now a College and Basketball Hall of Famer, inspired his teammates with his heroics, leading the Knicks to a game 7 win and an NBA championship.

Fellow Knicks legend Walt "Clyde" Frazier scored 36 points, and dished 19 assists in one of the finest game 7 performances of all-time.

Throughout the historic night, from the time he ran on the court to while he sat on the bench and watched the game, Reed wore his NYK warmup.

Now, that jacket is soon to be available at Grey Flannel Auctions ... with a starting bid of $10K.

The closing price will be significantly more money.

GFA tells us the warmup jacket has been photo-matched to ensure its authenticity. Experts examined several images of Willis in the jacket, including stills from his interview with legendary broadcaster Howard Cosell during the team's championship celebration.

The size "48" and "L" jacket has the Knicks' "NY" logo in orange and blue on the left chest ... and the words "New York" are on the back in the same colors as the front.

Reed's iconic jacket officially goes up for auction on May 16.

French Montana just got screwed by his pooch -- because a jury just awarded his pool guy a bunch of money over French's dog biting the man.

A California jury found French's German Shepherd, Zane, was the culprit in the gnarly attack against Juan Lomeli -- the dude who sued FM way back in 2018.

You'll recall ... Lomeli alleged at the time French's pet lost it on him while he was doing his job on the grounds, lunging at him and sinking its teeth into his arm, causing a nasty and painful injury.

Lomeli -- who was represented by attorney Brad Wallace -- testified the injuries were severe enough for him to miss a substantial amount of time working ... which he claimed cost him serious dough he would've otherwise made.

Looks like this case has been working its way through the legal system ... and now, a jury has weighed in -- awarding Lomeli a whopping $129,500 in damages.

Here's how the judgment breaks down -- $39,500 in past economic loss, $60k in non-economic loss (pain/suffering etc.), and another $30k for future non-economic loss.

President Biden has been trying to take credit for lowering inflation, or offer suggestions on how to reduce it -- but in both cases, Jeff Bezos is calling BS ... in pretty public terms.

The Amazon founder fired off a couple of scathing tweets this weekend aimed at the Biden administration, or in some cases ... at Joe himself. This is all about the sky-high prices we're all experiencing at the moment, and Jeff doesn't think the Prez is being forthright.

On Friday, he called for the newly-formed Disinformation Governing Board -- which is supposed to combat fake news, etc. -- to fact-check one of Biden's own tweets, which suggested wealthy corporations paying their fair share would lower inflation.

Jeff responded, "The newly created Disinformation Board should review this tweet, or maybe they need to form a new Non Sequitur Board instead. Raising corp taxes is fine to discuss. Taming inflation is critical to discuss. Mushing them together is just misdirection."

Come Sunday, he was going after Biden again ... this time as it relates to the national deficit -- for which Biden was trying to take credit, but was rebuffed by a random Twitter user.

Well, Jeff wasn't having it ... pointing out that Biden and co. were trying to pump more stimulus money into an economy that was already overheating on the inflation level.

He writes, "In fact, the administration tried hard to inject even more stimulus into an already over-heated, inflationary economy and only Manchin saved them from themselves. Inflation is a regressive tax that most hurts the least affluent. Misdirection doesn’t help the country."

Seems Jeff takes issue with Biden seemingly trying to spin things his way -- which is typical of any politician, regardless of party -- but he's going in hard ... and not being shy about it.

Floyd Mayweather remains at the top of Logan Paul's s*** list -- the YouTuber-turned-fighter tells TMZ Sports he STILL hasn't been paid in full for the bout in June ... saying he's out MILLIONS.

It's been 11 months since the social media superstar faced off against Floyd in the ring ... and as each day goes by, Logan is getting more and more upset over the situation.

When we caught up with LP at Hard Rock Cafe in NYC this week, he said he is still fighting to get what he deserves ... and he's done talking -- it's time to see him in court.

"No, he has not paid me in full," Logan tells us. "That is a fact. Short a few mil."

When we asked if he's been trying to talk things over with Floyd's camp, Logan makes it clear it's too late for all that.

"Nah," Paul added. "We're taking this one to court."

"See you in the courtroom. Congrats on going to prison, Floyd."

Remember, the Floyd vs. Logan fight was a big success ... and Logan previously told us in February he was going to take legal action if he didn't get his cut.

Madison Beer is not done making big girl moves -- the 23-year-old influencer just unloaded her L.A. area mansion for a sweet 7-figure bundle.

Maddie sold her 5-bed, 6-bath, two-story home in an off-market sale this week ... according to our real estate sources. We're told she snagged the property in November 2020 for $5.6 million ... so, the $7 mil she's getting for it will net her a tidy profit.

The 6,484 square foot Encino home comes with all the bells and whistles, including a chef's kitchen, movie theater and dry bar.

There are even more treats outside -- simply chill by the zero-edge pool and spa, or get some exercise on the in-ground trampoline or full-sized basketball court.

Parking space won't be an issue for the new owner, because there's room for more than a dozen cars in the driveway.

In case you didn't know, Madison's career took off in 2012 after Justin Bieber posted a link to her singing a cover. She was only 13 at the time, but the rest is history. She's still making music, but lately, she's becoming more famous for being a social media influencer.

For Kane Hodder, the actor in the Jason Vorhees mask in the 'Friday the 13th' movies, there's nothing unlucky about a Friday the 13th ... he says the day changed his life.

Kane, who has played the killer character in four of the franchise's 12 installments, tells TMZ ... the so-called bad luck day is actually a transformative occasion in his Hollywood career.

As Kane explains, 'Friday the 13th' took his career to the next level ... transforming him from a stunt man into a horror movie star who signs autographs for adoring fans.

Kane says he's had nothing but the best luck on Friday the 13th ... a feeling that's quite uncommon and he adds the worst thing that's ever happened to him on the 13th was when he was burned when a fire stunt went wrong, but it wasn't a Friday.

It's not just the movie role brightening Kane's Friday the 13th experience ... he says this Friday, which fell on May's 13th, saw him fatten his pockets ... thanks to a spike in his requests on Cameo.

Pacman Jones says he's siding with Antonio Brown on at least one thing from the wideout's Colin Kaepernick rant ... telling TMZ Sports he, too, has questions about Kaep's charity work.

Speaking with us out at LAX just a few days after Brown ripped Kaep, Jones -- who actually watched Kaepernick throw last month and then had a sitdown interview with the quarterback -- said he also isn't entirely sure what Kaepernick has done for his community since settling his lawsuit with the NFL back in 2019.

"As far as the community part, I think AB is right," Jones said. "We haven't heard anything that Kaep did for the community or given back to the community after the settlement."

You'll recall, Brown wondered out loud in a conversation with "Cigar Talk" about Kaepernick's foundation and its results ... saying, "I'm being real. What superhero he enforce? Who he put on? Who he help?"

Jones is clearly wondering the same thing ... telling us straight-up, "That part of the question, I do think AB is right."

As for the rest of Brown's thoughts on Colin -- Pacman did appear to disagree with the NFL free agent on most of those.

The former Tennessee Titans superstar told us after watching Kaepernick practice for 2.5 hours in April, he doesn't think the QB is "trash" like Brown does. In fact, Jones said Kaepernick's arm talent is still certainly there.

Jones also told us, unlike Brown, he believes Kaepernick does still have a desire to play.

"I just think it's hard for a guy to fairytale for 2.5 hours, three hours every day throwing the ball if you don't want to play," Jones said. "I think he wants to play. Do he deserve to play? That's another question. But, do he want to play? I do think he wants to play."

Iggy Azalea's obsession with Zillow has also translated to the real world ... she just found a buyer for her Hidden Hills home.

Azalea, who has said the home buying and listing website is her "actual addiction" ... has accepted an offer for her 5-bedroom, 5-bath pad for $5.949 million -- slightly less than the $6.2 million she listed it for back in January -- but a nice little bump from the $5.2 million she paid less than a year ago.

The home is perfect for entertaining, with a giant backyard and swimming pool ... not to mention a playground and basketball court. And, it's Kardashian-adjacent!

Funny enough, shortly after listing the home, Iggy tweeted, "I keep selling my house so I have an excuse to Zillow. I'm obsessed. It's my actual addiction." Seattle Seahawks star receiver, Tyler Lockett, who got his real estate license in the offseason, even offered his services to help her find her next home.

Besides her obsession with Zillow, another reason Iggy could have been looking to sell was to get away from her neighbor. Right after moving in last year, she was already feuding with them over renovations.

If Floyd Mayweather or Oscar De La Hoya are looking for exhibitions down the road ... former boxing star Fernando Vargas tells TMZ Sports he's down to get back in the ring with both!

Of course, it's been 15 years since the 44-year-old fighter has been in the ring ... but with ex-champs like Mayweather, Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. making comebacks for big money -- we had to ask if Vargas has got any interest.

And, he said yes ... emphatically.

"I'm ready," Vargas said. "My phone is open."

The 26-5 boxer said Floyd would be his ideal opponent ... but rekindling an old rivalry with De La Hoya would also intrigue him.

"Floyd knows my number," Vargas said. "Even if it's not Mayweather, it can be Oscar. Exhibition with me and Oscar. Let's go. I'm ready. Let's go, Oscar. We can make it happen!"

But, before Vargas can even set that up, he'll watch his three sons, Fernando Jr., Amado and Emiliano square up in their own bouts on the undercard of Triller's Fight Club on Saturday.

Emiliano -- the youngest of the three -- will be making his boxing debut ... while his brother, Vargas Jr., is 5-0 (5 KOs). Amado, meanwhile, is 3-0 (2 KOs).

"I know they came from me so they got their DNA from their father," Vargas said. "So, it's a blessing to be able to be here and to see them do what they love."

Vargas -- who trains his kids -- expects a win from each of them ... saying, "All of 'em by knockout. I know they got it, so we're definitely excited."

Kendrick Lamar’s new Apple and Spotify-crashing album ”Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” isn’t even 24 hours old and it’s already creating major shockwaves in rap and live music!

The 18-track effort features Ghostface Killah, Summer Walker and Baby Keem, with beats from Pharrell, Alchemist, Boi-1da and, as the "TMZ Hip Hop" crew will tell you ... it’s a lot to unpack.

As we reported, he opened up a conversation about transgender tolerance, an extremely rare topic in hip hop, addressed the COVID-19 controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving -- and, on the song "Worldwide Steppers," revealed his new baby boy's name is Enoch.

He's the little guy K Dot's wife, Whitney, is cradling on guy on the cover.

'Mr. Morale' marks the first Kendrick album in over 5 years, and he's apparently ready to be outside -- partnering with Amazon Music and CashApp to announce The Big Steppers Tour, which will co-star his PGLang artists Keem and Tanna Leone for 65 dates.

Talk about a grand return. He'll be on the road from July to December!!! The tour will make stops in in Atlanta, L.A., NYC, Chicago, and also jet overseas to Australia, the U.K. and other parts of Europe.

Matt Hamilton's famous locks are no more -- the U.S. curling legend just chopped them off ... but, don't worry, he got the cut for a VERY good cause!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... Hamilton -- who won a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics -- hit up a Great Clips salon in Madison, Wisc. on Friday in order to cut his luscious hair and donate it to kids who have experienced hair loss due to medical issues.

It's a sizeable donation from Hamilton ... considering Matt's had the long hair for FOUR years. And, we're told as of chopping time, it had reached over a foot in length!!

Hamilton also got the cut to help raise awareness and money for brain cancer research.

As for how the good deed turned out aesthetically ... check out the before and after -- Hamilton sure looks good to us!

'Bling Empire' star, Kane Lim, says he's not really here for all the drama, but he might have some convincing to do ... on not one, but two reality shows.

Kane Lim joined TMZ live Friday, and talked about the new season of the hit Netflix show, "Bling Empire" ... as well as joining the cast of "Selling Sunset".

Kane tells us, he's finding himself in the middle of a lot of heat from folks on social media ... stemming from 'Bling Empire's new season. Regardless, he says he's just rolling with the punches and hopes he'll warm up to people on the Internet.

Kane also acknowledged his arch-nemesis, Dorothy Wang, who is on "Bling Empire" now ... and as expected, he didn't give her glowing reviews.

In case you didn't know, Kane recently joined The Oppenheim Group as a real estate developer ... so he'll be making appearances on "Selling Sunset."

Legendary West Coast spitter Xzibit -- aka Mr. X to tha Z -- chopped it up with "TMZ Hip Hop," dropping a plethora of updates ... including a few methods behind Dr. Dre's music-releasing madness.

Dr. Dre has been teasing new music on Instagram these past few months, posting up with several icons -- like Flavor Flav, Grandmaster Flash and Diamond D -- but hasn't announced an album ... which may or may not be called "Detox."

According to Xzibit, Dr. Dre's superpower lies in timing, and he has the intuition to know when to push the release button ... no matter how much fans clamor for new tracks.

As far as his business affairs go, X has been one of Hip Hop's leading cannabis entrepreneurs for years -- getting his feet wet with the Brass Knuckles brand, and booming again with his Napalm strains.

That's come with some controversy ... his Napalm brand got looped into the Stop Asian Hate movement (due to the infamous Vietnam War weapon), but X to the Z says that's all water under the bridge, and explained how he made good with the community.

He could make lots of new friends at the next Comic-Con, based on a few priceless Marvel collectibles he showed us. Trust us, Xzibit is all about "Wakanda forever" ... for real!!!

Make sure to check out "TMZ Hip Hop" on the following stations, or nationally on Fox Soul.

Kyrie Irving might not have to worry about having "trash" shoes anymore ... Nike is reportedly "unlikely" to renew its signature shoe deal with the Brooklyn Nets star after next season.

Irving's relationship with the company could change "dramatically" in the future, according to ESPN ... but his (potentially) final shoe release is slated to go down as expected in the fall.

If the report is true, there is a possibility retro Kyrie shoes could still be released in the future ... but as of right now, it sounds like the Kyrie series is getting shelved.

Remember, the 2016 NBA champ -- who's been a Nike athlete since 2011 -- went off on the Swoosh back in July ... calling leaked pics of his "Kyrie 8" sneaker "trash."

He claimed he was not part of the design or marketing of the kicks ... saying, "I have Absolutely nothing to do with them!"

Irving later admitted he handled things poorly ... and he was working with the shoe giant to fix his issues with the 8s.

Of course, Irving has been at the center of a ton of controversy over the last year ... missing half of the NBA season after he refused to get vaccinated for COVID. It's unclear if the coronavirus drama is playing a part in Nike's impending decision, considering they already had beef to begin with.

Nike elected not to confirm or deny the claims ... telling ESPN, "We don't comment on contracts or rumors or speculation. Kyrie remains a Nike athlete."