Religion/ Spirituality

NBA YoungBoy released 8 full-length projects in 2022, but it doesn't look like he'll be cosigning his own catalog in the near future.

In a new revelation to Billboard, the Louisiana-born rap star is showing remorse for the content of his lyrics, and looking to turn over a new leaf ... by converting to Mormonism and changing the direction of his raps.

YoungBoy says it troubles him to know fans, kids included, might have heard his music and been influenced to harm other people ... and he holds himself accountable.

The 23-year-old admits he can't lyrically rewrite all his wrongs as a street rapper ... but vows to take it day by day to get the job done.

YoungBoy shocked fans shortly after the new year with the bombshell -- he married his longtime girlfriend and mother of 2 of his kids and doesn't seem to be done with divinity.

He's been on house arrest for several years but found newfound peace while residing in Utah and getting close to missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints ... and plans on getting baptized with them once cops clear him to be outside without monitoring.

Tyre Nichols' life and memory were honored Wednesday at a public funeral held in Memphis after he was brutalized by police officers there ... and a lot of powerful sentiments were shared, including the notion that change needs to come in the form of legislation.

The funeral was held at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, just outside downtown Memphis, where Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized Tyre. His remarks had just about everybody in attendance on their feet by the end of it ... and for good reason.

RAS started by shedding a spotlight on the families of other victims of police brutality, including the Floyds, the Garners, the Taylors and others -- who traveled to make an appearance, and who know what it's like to go through this. He also shouted out the Veep and other elected officials -- both locally and federally -- who showed face for the funeral.

Moving on to Tyre, the reverend made an analogy to the parable of Joseph in the Well -- as told in the Bible -- and said the 5 officers who beat him that night were just like Joseph's brothers ... thinking that throwing him in the pit would solve their problems and quiet him down.

He went on to describe a point of heartbreaking irony about this tragedy happening in the city of Memphis -- where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in 1968 during a trip where he worked towards getting Black people the right to join the public sector workforce... including the right to work in sanitation, as well as the police force.

He says the fact these 5 Black cops took the work MLK literally died for, and betrayed it by taking the life of one of their brothers is the ultimate slap in the face, aptly saying ... "How dare you?" He said they were "acting like the folks we had to fight against to get you there."

Sharpton hit the point home by saying Dr. King would be astounded to see how far African Americans have come in this country -- citing VP Kamala Harris' position -- but he would be outraged to see this instance of fellow Black men acting in this way. Finally, the Reverend's speech reached a crescendo when he said he was a mountain climber ... citing what kept him going.

VP Harris also shared words at Tyre's memorial after being introduced by Rev. Al Sharpton. She spoke directly to his parents, nodding to their strength and courage in the face of the tragedy ... a moment that drew a huge standing O.

She also talked about mothers around the world praying to God that their babies remain safe for the rest of their lives ... noting that Tyre's parents' own prayers were broken with the loss of his life. She condemned the police officers involved in his death in the strongest of terms ... saying their violence that night was not in line with the pursuit of public safety.

The Veep then called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act ... saying it was overdue. Her remarks were brief, but powerful -- and her presence there was strong.

Civil rights attorney, Ben Crump spoke at the podium as well, and he pointed out something interesting -- praising the fact that the officers were fired/charged so quickly ... but noting, that needs to be the norm any time this happens ... regardless of the race of the officers.

Crump went down a list of people who've died at the hand of police, and said swift justice was needed in all of those instances too -- which wasn't always the case, as we know.

Of course, Tyre Nichols' family members gave emotional testimonials -- two of his sisters, two brothers and his parents spoke ... including his mother, who was weeping at the mic.

One sister noted how polite Tyre was, even while being brutalized -- and another sister read a moving poem she wrote about going home. His brothers said they had been robbed of the opportunity to know their sibling better ... but said his memory would live on.

Finally, his stepfather and mom addressed the congregation. His stepdad thanked everyone who had supported them through this time ... while also calling on legislative change so that this doesn't happen again.

Tyre's mother, RowVaughn Wells, hit that home firmly ... specifically saying the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act needs to be passed ASAP -- otherwise, she said, the next person to die in a similar fashion will have died in vain ... and their blood will be on Congress' hands.

The celebration of life comes just weeks after Tyre was pulled over in a traffic stop ... resulting in a foot pursuit and a horrific beating at the hands of 5 police officers. Body cam and surveillance video that was subsequently released shows the merciless treatment of Tyre as he pled for help.

After they were done with him, the officers left Tyre propped up on one of their squad cars and waited for EMTs to arrive ... who delivered slow and less-than-adequate assistance.

Tyre was hospitalized, and died from his injuries days later.

In the aftermath, the 5 cops were fired and then criminally charged by a grand jury -- they all face second-degree murder charges ... as well as a slew of others, including kidnapping. Another two officers who are said to have been involved in the incident have since been suspended ... and some of the medical personnel who responded that night have been fired.

Protests and demonstrations have erupted nationwide after the footage was released, and a conversation about meaningful police reform in the country has been sparked anew.

Pusha T is firing back at Consequence's latest interview that painted "disgust" on his recent departure from Kanye West's GOOD Music, in a theological fashion ... with a quote from the Bible that outlines his views on the entire debacle.

The "It's Almost Dry" rapper took a page outta 1 Corinthians 6:7 ... quoting "suffer yourselves to be defrauded," a call for Cons to focus on the bigger picture and not attempt to clean up Ye's mess.

Push is heavily rumored to be restarting his Clipse duo with brother No Malice, who's a devout Christian, which probably explains why he's rattling off bible verses like they live on Genius.

Push started his 2023 off Kanye-free ... having cut ties with Ye and GOOD Music after years by his side over his antisemitic rants, but Consequence says his reasoning was total BS.

Cons says Kanye prevented Push from getting on stage at a Donda performance in Chicago and has been on some taking-his-ball-home-ish ever since!!!

Cons says Push's real loyalty is to Pharrell, but he expected more outta the Virginia rapper, after hanging around all these years.

He also blamed Push for bringing tensions with Drake into Good Music, revealing he's actually been to Drake's crib but never stepped foot inside Push's house!!

Kanye West's GOOD Music is a dub as we know it -- Push, Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Desiigner -- have all departed with less than stellar things to say about Ye and Consequence wants to know where's the loyalty!!!

Nancy Pelosi tried to excommunicate evil spirits from her San Francisco townhouse after the vicious attack on her husband in October.

The former House Speaker and her daughter, Alexandra, sat down with the New York Times and made a stunning admission about holding their own private exorcism.

Alexandra said Nancy sought the help of priests after Paul Pelosi was bludgeoned by a hammer-wielding assailant, who broke into the couple's stately home.

"I think that weighed really heavy on her soul," Alexandra said, referring to Nancy. "I think it really broke her. Over Thanksgiving, she had priests coming, trying to have an exorcism of the house and having prayer services."

Pelosi (D-CA) said it will take three to four months before Paul is "really back to normal."

Paul's attacker, David DePape, was arrested and charged by state and federal authorities with attempted murder, attempting kidnapping, burglary and assault with a deadly weapon.

Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to show up for his team's warmups on Tuesday night ... boycotting Philadelphia's decision to have its players wear rainbow-colored jerseys that supported the LGBTQ+ community.

Provorov, who ultimately ended up playing in the game after the Flyers switched back to their normal uniforms, said after the contest he made the decision due to his Russian Orthodox beliefs.

"I respect everybody and I respect everybody's choices," the 26-year-old said. "My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That's all I'm going to say."

Reporters attempted to ask Provorov further questions about the decision ... but he shut them down, saying, "Did you not hear what I just said? Can you respect that?"

Flyers head coach John Tortorella, meanwhile, seemed to back his player's choice ... telling media members after the game he never once considered not playing Provorov, despite the pregame protest.

"It's one thing I respect about Provy," the 64-year-old manager said. "He's always true to himself. And, so, that's where we're at with that."

The Flyers opted to wear the pregame kits -- as well as wrap their sticks with rainbow-colored tape -- in order to promote inclusivity in a sport that's historically struggled with diversity. Philly auctioned off its players' pregame items after the game, donating proceeds to groups who are helping grow hockey in diverse communities. Provorov was the only Flyer who didn't have memorabilia up in the auction.

The team spoke generically about the issue in a statement just before the game ... saying, "The Philadelphia Flyers organization is committed to inclusivity and is proud to support the LGBTQ+ community. Many of our players are active in their support of local LGBTQ+ organizations, and we were proud to host our annual Pride Night again this year. The Flyers will continue to be strong advocates for inclusivity and the LGBTQ+ community."

The NHL has yet to comment on it all.

Provorov ended up playing a team-high 22:45 minutes in the game against the Ducks, which Philadelphia won, 5-2.

Former Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has died after a battle with health issues due to his advanced age.

95-year-old Benedict passed away on New Year's Eve morning inside his home at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in Vatican City, just outside Italy.

The Vatican did not provide a specific cause of death ... but several days ago the current Bishop of Rome -- Pope Francis -- publicly stated Benedict was "very sick."

Benedict's body will be on display in the church of Saint Peter's Basilica the morning of January 2 ... "so the faithful can bid farewell," a Vatican official said. Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in the coming hours.

Benedict was elected pope in 2005, but he stepped down from the papacy in 2013 at 85, citing his old age and fragility. He was the first pope in 600 years to resign from the office. But, he was also the longest-living pope, springboarding over Pope Leo XIII in 2020.

During his tenure, Benedict was best known as a top theologian in the church and was branded "God's Rottweiler" because of his staunch conservative Roman Catholic beliefs. He was adamantly opposed to secularizing the church, promoting women as priests and "normalizing" homosexuality.

In addition, he took an historic trip to Ground Zero in NYC to pray with the families of the victims who perished during the 9/11 attacks.

After his retirement, Benedict continued to advise his more liberal successor Pope Francis, who had shown an interest in helping the LGBTQ community. In 2016, Benedict's conservative influence seemed to take hold of Francis, who, suddenly, became a hard-liner on the issue of schools teaching kids they can choose their gender.

“We must think about what Pope Benedict said — ‘It’s the epoch of sin against God the Creator,’” Francis said at the time.

Born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on April 16, 1927, Benedict grew up under Nazi rule in Marktl, Germany. He was against Hitler, but, as a teen, forced to join the "Hitler Youth" and subsequently enlisted in the German army. He was sent to the front lines to fight in World War II, but he deserted his post as Germany fell to the Allies.

He returned home and entered a seminary, starting him down the path toward becoming the pope. He was ordained as a priest on June 29, 1951.

He was 95.

The Jewish Federation of L.A. is fighting antisemitism with billboards all over the city ... and the org.'s CCO believes it can help thwart the proliferation of hate.

Rob Goldenberg joined us on "TMZ Live," telling us all about his org.'s new campaign -- focusing on harmony and love, while looking to shut down hate toward Jewish people.

He underscores the negativity's ramped up in recent years, and believes now's the time to bring positivity into the equation.

FYI -- the Federation's billboards use ancient Jewish texts as inspirational messages ... and with L.A. having the 2nd largest Jewish population outside of Israel, they've partnered with Outfront Media to spread the word.

Whoopi Goldberg is rolling out a much-needed apology ... after making claims about the Holocaust that many found incredibly antisemitic.

Whoopi offered her "sincere apologies" Tuesday, telling Rolling Stone, "It was never my intention to appear as if I was doubling down on hurtful comments, especially after talking with and hearing people like rabbis and old and new friends weighing in."

She says she's still learning -- but confirms, "I believe that the Holocaust was about race, and I am still as sorry now as I was then that I upset, hurt and angered people.”

As we reported, Whoopi faced severe backlash after recently telling The Times Jewish people themselves are divided on whether they're actually a race or not, even quoting one Jewish friend as saying ... "Not for nothing is there no box on the census for the Jewish race. So that leads me to believe that we’re probably not a race."

Whoopi went on to double down on the notion that the Holocaust wasn't about race, from her POV, by saying ... "Remember who they were killing first. They were not killing racial; they were killing physical. They were killing people they considered to be mentally defective. And then they made this decision.”

Pope Francis' Christmas message was loud and clear from the Vatican -- he condemned greed in all forms ... citing Jesus as the exact opposite of that, downright destitute.

The pontiff delivered his Christmas Eve homily in Rome on Saturday ... and the overarching theme was decrying what he sees as a power-hungry society that's far too focused on consumerism and collecting wealth ... especially at the expense of others.

PF said, "While animals feed in their stalls, men and women in our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors, their brothers and sisters. How many wars have we seen! And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with contempt!"

He added, "As always, the principal victims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable."

Pope Francis went on to invoke JC's humble beginnings to hit his point home, explaining ... "This Christmas, too, as in the case of Jesus, a world ravenous for money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones, for the so many unborn, poor and forgotten children. I think above all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice."

He also said that Jesus' birth in a manger proves that "the true riches in life are to be found: not in money and power, but in relationships and persons." The Pope said this to a group of about 7,000 worshippers who flocked to attend the mass that Francis presided over.

He ended with, "Dear brothers, dear sisters, at Christmas, God is poor: let charity be reborn!" PF also encouraged folks to “not let this Christmas pass without doing something good."

Nothing is holy in 2022 -- not even a plastic baby Jesus around Christmas time ... just ask cops in Fort Worth, who are looking for a Grinch-y thief.

FWPD posted surveillance footage of what they say is a crook making off with the centerpiece of a life-size nativity scene Saturday morning that was set up downtown -- and sure enough, you can see the dude making a clean getaway with young JC himself!

The man casually strolls up to the outdoor exhibition around 2 AM, picks up the baby doll from its basket ... and then saunters away like nothing even happened.

Unfortunately for him, his mug shows pretty clearly on camera ... and the cops have a solid view of who they're looking for. Fort Worth police say he was later seen jumping into a tan or silver Chevy Tahoe (or a Pathfinder, perhaps) -- leading them to think he ain't alone.

They're asking the public for any help in identifying this fella, and go out of their way to call him a not-so-wise man. Tips can be sent to 817-392-3956, with Report# 2200325146.

People are calling out The New York Times for a recent crossword layout shockingly in the shape of a swastika, and to make things worse, it debuted on the first night of Hanukkah.

Sunday's tone-deaf puzzle debuted with a ton of criticism -- featuring a massive swastika in the dead center of the grid. The puzzle's designer described it as a simple "fun whirlpool shape," but obviously not everyone had the same thoughts.

Many blasted NYT for the antisemitic design -- regardless of whether or not it was intentional ... with one saying, "How did this get approved without somebody noticing?" and another noting, "A hidden Happy Chanukah message in today's @nytimes crossword?"

Even Donald Trump Jr. blasted the news org ... writing, "Disgusting! Only the New York Times would get Chanukah going with this is the crossword puzzle."

One of Kris Jenner's grandkids is officially a man, at least in Jewish culture, because Mason Disick was bar mitzvah'd Saturday!

Mason turned 13 just a few days ago, so on Saturday he stepped up and read a passage from the Torah, at least that's what we're assuming.

We don't know which temple did the honors, but Kourtney and Scott hosted a reception at Offsunset in L.A. Saturday night.

We're told a number of Kardashians joined in the celebration, including Kris, Kim and Kylie.

We don't see Travis Barker in the photos, so we don't know if he was there or if it was just too weird given the "situation."

As for Scott and Kourtney ... we're told they got along fine.

Scott arrived hand-in-hand with Reign, who is younger but shares a birthday with Mason.

Kourtney posted a throwback pic with the caption ... "December 14th … one of the best days of my life, twice and forever. my birthday boys ❤️❤️"

Kanye West's 2019 gospel album "Jesus Is King" made Billboard history several times over -- but gospel music legend Marvin Sapp is sympathetic to other artists who, he says, fell victim to Ye's immense celebrity!!!

Marvin thinks gospel music is far too welcoming ... something he lamented with VladTV, saying the genre jumps to include artists in its ranks just because they happen to make a song or 2 about God.

He also cited Lil Nas X's country music controversy over his "Old Town Road" hit as an example.

Marvin called Kanye's popularity at the pulpit "unfair" ... suggesting Ye doesn't actually live out the lifestyle that reflects gospel music.

"Jesus Is King" became the first album to top the Billboard 200, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rap, Christian and Gospel albums charts at the same time ... and many artists saw their efforts totally erased from memory upon its release.

Marvin released his fifteenth studio album "Substance" back in June ... and as you can probably guess, it didn't get anywhere near the amount of attention as "Jesus Is King."

Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete ... a spokesperson for the company announced Monday.

Irving, whose future with the retail giant was in question after they suspended him for tweeting about a controversial, antisemitic film ... has cut ties with the NBA star, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.

As we previously reported, Nike put its relationship with Ky on ice on November 4 ... suspending Irving. Despite satisfying the team and league with his apology, as well as other steps, the Swoosh indicated their relationship with Irving was probably done after the suspension.

In an interview with CNBC, Phil Knight, cofounder and chairman of the manufacturing conglomerate, said Irving's relationship with the company was "likely over."

"Kyrie stepped over the line. It's kind of that simple," Knight said. "He made some statements that we just can't abide by, and that's why we ended the relationship. I was fine with that."

Kyrie joined the Nike family in 2011 ... releasing his signature Kyrie 1 basketball shoe in 2014 as a member of the Cavs in his third NBA season.

Sacha Baron Cohen did his classic 'Borat' bit to go after Kanye West during the Kennedy Center Honors, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband was among those applauding ... as he made his first public appearance since he was attacked.

The actor/comedian reprised his iconic role for a speech Sunday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C., where George Clooney, Gladys Knight, U2 and a few other artists were honored.

During the ceremony, SBC came out dressed as the misunderstood Kazak journalist and went right after Ye's antisemitic remarks, saying ... "Before I proceed, I will say I am very upset about the antisemitism in US and A. It not fair. Kazakhstan is number 1 Jew-crushing nation. Stop stealing our hobby. Stop the steal! Stop the steal!”

He added, "Your Kanye, he tried to move to Kazakhstan and even changed his name to Kazakhstanye West. But, we said: No, he too antisemitic, even for us."

If you're unfamiliar, the 'Borat' character is known for making antisemitic jabs -- but everyone knows it's ironic humor, because Sacha is Jewish.

He even sang a parody of U2's "With or Without You," changing the lyrics to "With or Without Jews."

Later in the evening, Borat got lost and Sacha reappeared as his normal self.

Now, while his standup was certainly a highlight from the night, seeing Paul Pelosi in the building, alongside Rep. Pelosi was just as eye-opening.

It marked his first public outing since an attacker struck him with a hammer, back in October, inside the Pelosis' San Fran home.

Paul's skull was damaged, and required surgery ... but at the Kennedy Center, he seemed to have recovered well. He was wearing a hat, possibly to conceal his injuries.

Bella Thorne is not only friends with Elon Musk, she's also a big fan of his decision to temporarily kick Kanye West off the platform for spreading antisemitic hate.

We caught up with Bella in Miami, where she's hitting Art Basel, and asked about her relationship with the Chief Twit, and her thoughts about him shutting down Ye. Although Elon's said he wants Twitter to be HQ for free speech ... she's certain Ye's Thursday ranting is NOT that.

Bella says Elon has every right to ban the rapper's account, because IF that's what free speech is then he shouldn't have it ... and neither should anybody else.

You'll recall, Kanye was suspended from Twitter for inciting violence ... after posting a highly offensive mashup of a Nazi swastika with a Star of David. Of course, that came immediately on the heels of countless other vicious remarks he's made.

ICYMI, Elon and Bella had people talking about their unlikely friendship when he hit up her Halloween party with his ex-wife Justine Wilson.

Bella made it clear she's fond of the guy, calling him "very cool."