RIP

Lamar Odom says he still feels the presence of his late friend and former teammate, Kobe Bryant ... telling TMZ Sports, "He comes to me in dreams."

Odom, wearing the incredible Kobe and Gigi tribute pendant he got as a gift earlier this year on the anniversary of the duo's tragic death, told us out at LAX this week that it actually happens "often."

"[He's] just talking to me all the time," Odom said of the dreams. "'Hang in there. Keep fighting.' A lot of s***."

LO -- who played with Kobe from 2004-2011 and stayed good friends with him in retirement -- tells us the dreams he has with the Mamba usually involve them shooting around, sometimes even in actual games.

"His spirit, it's so strong," said Odom, who also has a tattoo of Kobe on his neck. "To me, he's like not too far away. Especially when you're dreaming of someone, and they talk to you in that dream, you're definitely going to remember it."

Lamar tells us Kobe continues to inspire him to this day ... and added that the NBA legend is a big reason why he loves flying into the City of Angels.

Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Jaylon Ferguson died last month due to "the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine," officials announced on Friday.

In a statement to TMZ Sports, a spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, Maryland added the death was ruled an accident.

No further details were made available.

As we reported, Ferguson was found unresponsive at a Baltimore residence on June 21 and, according to cops, never regained consciousness. He was pronounced dead by medics on the scene.

At the time, cops did not suspect foul play ... and added they were investigating the possibility that Ferguson had suffered an overdose.

He was just 26 years old.

Jaylon was selected by the Ravens in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft ... and played in 38 total games for the team the last three seasons, tallying 4.5 sacks and 67 tackles.

He had previously starred at Louisiana Tech, where he set the NCAA record for most career sacks.

A serious head injury caused by a freak baseball accident changed Jeremy Giambi's demeanor in the six months leading up to his death, a new medical examiner's report reveals.

According to the documents, obtained by TMZ Sports on Thursday, the ex-MLB player was struck in the head by a baseball while working as a pitching coach in August 2021.

The accident caused a serious injury -- investigators say he suffered a fractured zygomatic bone, and required surgery to fix the issue.

But, according to the report, witnesses told them that in his recovery from the injury, Giambi became "very emotional, very negative and would let the smallest things ruin his day."

Another witness, according to the docs, had described Giambi as "very emotional, depressed, and paranoid" in the months following the surgery. It was noted Giambi "had scans done and saw a neurologist but was not diagnosed with anything."

Giambi -- the brother of ex-MLB star Jason Giambi -- killed himself roughly six months after the injury on Feb. 9 at his parents' home in Claremont, Calif. Officials said he left a suicide note at the scene.

Investigators wrote in the docs that Jeremy had a past history of drug use, but he was not believed to be abusing any drugs in the months prior to his death. Lab results show he had no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of his passing.

Jeremy -- who played six years in the MLB and gained national fame for his time as an Oakland A -- was just 47 years old.

Sonny Barger, the founder of Hells Angels, has died.

The news broke on his own Facebook page Wednesday night, with a post that read, “If you are reading this message, you’ll know that I’m gone. I’ve asked that this note be posted immediately after my passing."

He says what he enjoyed most from his life was the time spent with his club brothers, family, and friends ... he signs off, saying, "Keep your head up high, stay loyal, remain free, and always value honor."

Born in Modesto in 1938, Sonny had a tough life growing up ... raised by his alcoholic father after his mother left the family when he was only 4 months old. He got suspended from school multiple times for fighting, and ultimately dropped out in 10th grade.

He enlisted in the Army at 16, but was honorably discharged a year later -- the military found out he forged his birth certificate in order to join.

Sonny joined a few biker gangs before starting up the Oakland Hells Angels in 1957 -- the group just hit their 65th year back in April. The next year he became the National President of the org, after his predecessor went to jail. Sonny moved the headquarters to Oakland.

There were stories of racism within the Hells Angels over the year. Sonny said in a 2000 BBC interview, "The club, as a whole, is not racist but we probably have enough racist members that no black guy is going to get in."

He had been arrested and locked up a couple times -- once in 1973 for possession of narcotics and a weapon, and in 1989 for conspiracy ... they found several firearms and explosives in his possession, believing he was set to hurt a rival gang.

In 1979, he and 33 others were indicted on charges that violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ... the legislation, signed by President Nixon, aimed to get rid of organized crime in the country -- he was acquitted the next year after a split verdict.

Sonny was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1983 due to excessive smoking, forcing him to get his vocal cords removed. He also had surgery in 2012 to have his prostate removed as a result of prostate cancer.

He is survived by his wife Zorana, and several close family members.

He was 83.

Nipsey Hussle's alleged killer, Eric Holder, got jumped by other inmates on his way to court ... and the beatdown was so bad he apparently needed stitches to close his wounds.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Holder was waiting Tuesday to catch the bus to court for his murder trial when he got jumped, causing the trial to be delayed.

We're in the courtroom today, and Holder showed up with stitches running up the back of his head. Holder also appears to have a slightly swollen left eye, plus more stitches cutting their way through his hair.

It's interesting ... Holder and his defense attorneys are all wearing face coverings, which they generally have not done in the past.

The jury is in the courtroom too, but no one has so far addressed Holder's injuries ... the judge, prosecution and defense are just moving forward as if nothing happened.

Actress Mary Mara's drowning may have resulted from a serious head injury ... this according to her rep.

Mary's rep Craig Dorfman tells TMZ ... investigators informed her family about new evidence ... that she may have died after slipping and hitting her head following her swim in the town of Cape Vincent.

They say she took a dip in the St. Lawrence River Sunday morning -- one of her favorite places to swim ... and after getting out of the water, investigators think she slipped and hit her head, causing her to fall in the water and drown.

Their reasoning ... when they recovered her body she had face abrasions.

So far there's no working theory on what object injured her head ... but they believe the only logical explanation is she came in contact with some object that either rendered her unconscious or debilitated.

As we reported, her rep says investigators have ruled out foul play -- it's unclear why they are certain the trauma to the head was accidental. Dorfman says he and Mary's family believe drugs or alcohol did not play a role in her death.

The terror of Vladimir Putin firing missiles on innocent civilians is on vivid display in these new videos showing the shopping mall Russia just destroyed.

Monday's missile strike in the central Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk destroyed the mall, sending fireballs into the sky and unleashing a shockwave on a nearby park. In the video, you can see citizens strolling peacefully when suddenly they have to run for their lives.

Some people took cover behind trees, while others jumped into a pond seeking cover from shrapnel and rocks that were sent flying. A massive piece of concrete from a building landed in the park, but luckily it didn't hit anyone.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said there were more than 1,000 people in the mall at the time of the strike -- and the latest death toll stands at 18, with nearly 60 injured and another 36 people still missing.

As rescuers continue digging through the rubble, President Zelensky is labeling the missile strike "one of the most defiant terrorist attacks in European history."

Actress Mary Mara drowned in the St. Lawrence River during a swim ...  according to New York State Police.

The "Ray Donovan" actress was discovered Sunday morning in the town of Cape Vincent.

Troopers responded to a call for a possible drowning in the river at around 8 AM ... when they arrived they found her body in the water. Officials say she had been visiting her sister and jumped in the River for exercise.

Mara, a Syracuse native, went on to act in a number of TV shows and films. She appeared in 20 movies and 40 TV shows. Among her TV credits ... “ER,” “NYPD Blue,” “Law and Order” and “Lost."

She also starred in "Mr. Saturday Night", “The Hard Way”, and “Love Potion #9″.

The preliminary investigation showed no signs of foul play. Her body was taken to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

Mara was 61.

Marlin "The Magician" Briscoe -- the first black quarterback to start in the American Football League  -- has passed away. He was 76.

Briscoe's daughter, Angela Marriott, confirmed the tragic news on Monday ... saying Marlin was hospitalized over poor circulation in his legs prior to dying of pneumonia at a Norwalk, California hospital.

Briscoe kicked off his career as a star quarterback for Omaha University in the 1960s. He led the team to three conference titles and set 22 school records including passing yards (4,935) and touchdowns (52).

The Omaha native was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 14th round of the 1968 AFL draft ... and the team tried to convert him into a cornerback.

But, after Denver's starter got hurt and the backup showed inconsistencies at the beginning of the 1968 season, the Broncos put Briscoe at QB1 ... making him the first black quarterback to start in the AFL.

Briscoe thrived in the opportunity ... setting a Broncos rookie record that year with 14 passing touchdowns.

During his 8-year NFL career, the Pro Bowler played for the Bills, Chargers, Lions, Patriots, and Dolphins, where he won two Super Bowls.

He was a member of the 1972 Miami team that went undefeated.

Post-NFL career, Briscoe worked as a director for a Boys and Girls Club in Long Beach and launched a football camp for kids.

The University of Nebraska Omaha unveiled a statue in his honor in 2016.

Kanye West popped up for a rare appearance ... this time at the 2022 BET Awards ... to pay tribute to his favorite artist -- Diddy.

Kanye made a surprise appearance Sunday night, at L.A.'s Microsoft Theater ... dressed head to toe in black.

Ye took the stage to honor Sean "Diddy" Combs, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Kanye gave a lengthy speech ... calling Diddy his favorite artist and talking about the impact he's had on his own life.

Kanye said, "I go to him for advice to this day. He inspires so many of my choices, so many of my life choices. My wife choices". He also let folks know he's taking a hiatus and wanted to "declare myself dead" .... but says, he wanted to make sure he was there for Diddy.

Of course, Kanye has mainly been off the grid, since April ... after pulling out of Coachella.

Moments after the intro from Kanye and Babyface, Diddy took the stage. He dedicated the moment to his ex, Kim Porter, who died back in 2018. He said, "I just want to say thank you to Kim."

Travis Scott is getting dragged for his latest purchase, a $5.5 million luxury car ... the family of a 9-year-old who died at Astroworld says it's just not a good look.

Bob Hillard, the attorney for the family of Ezra Blount, tells TMZ ... Ezra would still be alive today, enjoying his summer, if Travis would've spent half of what he paid for the Bugatti on simple safety measures at the deadly music festival.

As we reported ... Ezra, who was trampled at Astroworld, sued Travis before he died from his injuries ... and Travis recently splurged on a new Bugatti Veyron Chiron Super Sport despite the mountain of lawsuits he's facing.

While Ezra's attorney says Travis has every right to live life as he sees fit, including buying what he wants, Hillard rips Travis' choices as "excessive" ... and says everything Travis does should be questioned because of what happened at Astroworld.

Ezra's lawyer also has some choice words for Travis' camp ... ripping them for trying to make Travis look good with a $5.5 million car in his driveway as the Astroworld litigation heats up.

We reached out to Travis' reps ... so far no word back.

Another mass shooting, this time in Oslo, Norway, where 2 people were shot to death and 19 were injured outside of 2 bars in an area of the city that is the hub of gay nightlife.

It was a horrendous scene ... you hear the gunshots in the video as 40 witnesses looked and ran in horror. Police captured a suspect just minutes after the attack. A police spokesman would not identify the alleged shooter or motive. Cops believe there was only one gunman.

One witness told a Norwegian media outlet, "I saw a man arrive at the scene with a bag. He took up a gun and started shooting."

Norway is celebrating gay pride this month, and Saturday -- literally just hours after the attack -- a parade was supposed to start as the highlight of the 10-day festival.

Norway is considered a progressive country ... gay couples have had the right to marry since 2009.

Norway's Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, called the shooting a "cruel and deeply shocking attack on innocent people."

Shaq's generosity knows no limits -- the NBA legend is donating the $50,000 he was set to make from a DJ'ing gig in Buffalo to the family of one of the shooting victims.

"DJ Diesel" has been making his rounds on tour ... and was naturally reticent about continuing on with his scheduled show in Buffalo in the aftermath of the mass shooting that took place last month, sources tell TMZ Sports.

But, the Hall of Famer and 4X-NBA champ decided to still do the show ... knowing how much the event meant to those who attended.

Before Shaq got busy on the ones-and-twos ... he met with the widow and son of Aaron Salter Jr., the retired police officer who was shot and killed while heroically trying to stop the gunman inside Tops supermarket in Buffalo from killing more innocent people.

We're told ... not only did The Big Aristotle have some one-on-one time with members of the Salter family, but he also agreed to give the money he was going to make to them in wake of the heinous tragedy.

The lives of many in the Buffalo community were altered and affected ... when an armed gunman senselessly executed at least 10 people in a vile hate crime.

We've seen countless people step up -- like the Buffalo Bills org. led by star quarterback Josh Allen -- in the city's time of need ... and Shaq, who's no stranger to charitable deeds, is the latest example.

Back in December, O'Neal raised $2 million in charity for his "Shaquille O'Neal Foundation" -- which provides resources and opportunities to the youth in this country without access to either -- by selling unique NFTs of himself.

The upcoming movie on the Gabby Petito murder looks super intense ... judging by the scenes being filmed right now, including a heated argument between Gabby and Brian Laundrie.

Lifetime's "The Gabby Petito Story" is shooting scenes just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. This scene, shot Thursday, shows Gabby and Brian's characters squaring off in a screaming match at a campground before Brian storms off in the infamous white van.

It's clearly an emotional scene, with Brian hurling expletives over Gabby being on her phone ... and the actor playing Brian looks like a dead ringer for Gabby's fiancé and murderer.

The timing is eerie ... as we reported, Brian's notebook was just made public ... and he confesses to murdering Gabby and reveals his handwritten excuse as to why he killed her.

In his 8-page confession, Brian admits to taking Gabby's life ... but claims he killed her out of compassion ... after she allegedly suffered an injury while they were on a hike in Wyoming.

As for the Lifetime movie, production will continue in Utah ... and it's set to premiere later this year.

Brian Laundrie's notebook confession to murdering Gabby Petito is now public for the first time ... revealing his handwritten excuse for why he took her life.

In the 8-page confession, first obtained by Fox News, Laundrie admits killing her, but claims he only did it after Gabby sustained an injury while they were hiking in Wyoming.

He thought what he was doing was "merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock."

Laundrie also seemed to be ready to take his own life at the point of writing his confession ... saying "From the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her."

As you know, the notebook was picked up with the rest of his bag in Florida's Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park by FBI agents back in October when the hunt for him was in full swing.

The pages suffered some significant damage, although his writings remained legible -- it had been underwater for roughly 5 weeks.

Bill Bellamy says he's being forced to make an impossible choice after the deaths of his father and father-in-law -- due to an "unauthorized" memorial service planned by his sister.

The comedian and actor's going through an incredibly painful period ... with his father-in-law dying May 17, and then his own dad passing on June 8.

That would be gut-wrenching enough, but TMZ has learned things got even worse. While Bill was out of the country ... we're told his sister, Karen, made plans to lay their father, William, to rest today, June 24 -- the same weekend Bill and his wife had already planned his father-in-law's service in a different state.

According to documents filed in New Jersey, Bill actually attempted to get a restraining order which would force Karen to change the date, but he was denied -- there really is no legal standing for a judge to get involved in this sort of family dispute.

The obvious rift with his sister has left Bill in an unenviable position. He tells TMZ ... "In the span of less than a month I lost both my father William Bellamy Senior and my father-in-law Bernard Baker Junior. These two wonderful men that have impacted my life and my family's lives in ways that are beyond words."

He continues, "My effort to stop an unauthorized memorial service for my father, which was planned without my knowledge, was not successful. I am devastated my family has to choose to miss one service for another, no one should ever have to be in this position. My father-in-law's memorial service was confirmed back in May when he passed.

There are no words to express how disappointed I am to not be a part of laying my father to rest but I look forward to celebrating my father's life and legacy with my wife, his grandchildren and our close friends in our own time.