RIP

NY Knicks player Taj Gibson is stepping up to help finance the funeral of Davell Gardner Jr. ... after the 1-year-old boy was tragically shot and killed in Brooklyn last week.

Gardner was shot around 11:30 PM on July 12 when two gunmen opened fire on a family barbecue at the Bedford-Stuyvesant playground. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died a short time after.

Gibson -- who also organized a peace walk against gun violence in Bed-Stuy after Gardner's death -- will pay for the pay the funeral and wake, a rep for the NBAer told the Brooklyn Paper.

The report also says the 35-year-old will work through his Taj Gibson Foundation to provide Gardner's family with additional financial support while dealing with the tragedy.

Gibson has been vocal against gun violence in his home city ... and uses his charity to help provide "resources and inspiration to the youth of New York City to help keep them healthy and to help them reach their full potential in life," according to its website.

The grave of Alonzo Brooks -- who was mysteriously found dead after a 2004 party in Kansas -- has been dug up on the heels of "Unsolved Mysteries" bringing new attention to the cold case.

Alonzo's body was exhumed Tuesday morning in Topeka after the FBI recently reopened the case. The new Netflix series covered Alonzo's disappearance and death -- and his family says tips have been coming in since the new docuseries dropped.

For those who haven't seen it ... 23-year-old Alonzo went to a party in La Cygne, KS in April 2004 with some friends, where he was believed to be one of few black people. Witnesses described the crowd as mostly white, redneck and racist types.

His friend says Alonzo nearly got into a fight with one guy over a girl -- but still stayed at the party, even after his friends left. He never made it back home.

The following day, Brooks' boots and hat were found across the road from the house party property. However, his body wasn't discovered until May 1, 2004 in a nearby creek.

Initial medical reports listed his death as inconclusive due to the advanced decomposition of the body, and authorities were left with little concrete evidence. However, those close to him were certain he did not commit suicide or accidentally drown ... they believed he was murdered.

Teresa Giudice is heartbroken for the New Jersey judge who sent her and her hubby to prison ... after what appears to be a targeted murder at the judge's home.

The 'RHONJ' star's attorney, James Leonard, tells TMZ ... Teresa was "devastated" by the news this weekend -- namely, that a gunman disguised as a FedEx employee made his way into Judge Esther Salas' home and shot and killed her son. Judge Salas' husband was also shot but survived.

Leonard says, "Knowing Teresa the way I do, I think if she were to have an opportunity to see Judge Salas, I think she would hug her and pray with her." He doesn't believe his client will attend the funeral but says Judge Salas and her family are in Teresa's thoughts.

He adds, "This is such a horrific tragedy, I know that the entire legal community is shocked and devastated and praying for Judge Salas and her family."

Judge Salas, who was not injured in the gunman's attack, presided over Teresa and Joe Giudice's criminal cases back in the day -- sentencing her to 15 months in prison, and Joe to 41 months behind bars.

Marilyn Monroe's pearls from her last ever photo shoot could be sitting in your collection -- the historic jewelry is hitting the auction block.

Marilyn wore faux pearl earrings and slipped on a faux pearl necklace for the photo spread -- famously known as the "Last Sitting" -- with legendary fashion photog Bert Stern.

The pics were snapped just 6 weeks before her death, and they're going up for sale through online auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll, where they're expected to fetch a pretty penny.

The jewelry is cool, but so is the Nikon camera Bert used to take thousands of photos that day, and it's also up for auction. While Vogue Magazine supplied the props, clothes, jewelry and accessories ... the camera was Bert's personal one.

Marilyn even used the camera as a prop, spontaneously grabbing the Nikon while Bert grabbed a spare camera and kept snapping away. The auction house expects the Nikon to fetch $60,000 due to its place in pop culture.

The pearls are expected to bring in $50,000 for the earrings and $8k for the necklace.

Some of Marilyn's extensive wardrobe is also part of the auction ... we're told a gown and shawl is estimated to go for $40k and a pair of black and white checkered pants could fetch $15k. MM owned and wore the clothing.

The auction opens July 22 ... good luck!!!

Nick Cannon seemed to have contemplated suicide ... calling 2020 the most "f***ed up year I've ever witnessed," talking about his friend who he says took his own life, adding, he was in "dark contemplation of continuing my physical existence on this planet," and admiring his friend who "had the balls to do it."

It's an alarming message, but not totally surprising. Nick's been called out from all sides, it seems, this week, after his anti-Semitic comments he made on a podcast, for which he apologized. Although Nick says he's trying to educate himself as he meets with rabbis and others, he's now being attacked for apologizing. On top of that, Viacom fired him from 'Wild 'n Out.'

Nick recounted the story of his friend, Ryan Bowers -- an up-and-coming rapper who Nick signed to his label -- who was shot in his own home last year by a San Diego cop.  Nick says Ryan was in a coma for months and Nick was by his side. Cannon says his friend fought hard, re-learning basic functions like walking.

Nick says on the surface, Ryan seemed to rebound ... returning to perform to sold-out crowds. But, behind the veneer, Ryan was hurting, whispering to Nick, "Everything still hurts."

Nick says, "I can't help but think if I wasn't so engulfed in my own bulls*** I could've been there for you when you finally took your life after several attempts ...F*** this place!! #CantWin #ForLosing🙏".

We have checked and the Medical Examiner tells us a Ryan Bowers died Saturday.

Pop Smoke's alleged murderers were tracked down by LAPD detectives the old-fashioned way ... there were no shortcuts or easy breaks.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the big break in the case leading to the arrests of 4 men allegedly connected to the rapper's death didn't come from a tipster, but instead from LAPD detectives pounding the pavement and knocking on doors.

We broke the story ... Pop Smoke was gunned down back in February by at least 4 masked gunmen after what appeared to be a home invasion robbery at his rental property in the Hollywood Hills.

Detectives went back to the basics because, as we reported, they hit a roadblock back in February when potential witnesses wouldn't cooperate, and combing social media turned out to be a bust.

Our sources say detectives used video from citizens and businesses in the area to help track and ID the suspects, who were slapped with murder charges last week and could face the death penalty.

Sources also tell us cops believe Los Angeles street gang members were involved in Pop's murder, but they say the case doesn't appear to be a gang hit or an East Coast-West Coast beef -- Pop was from NYC.

Instead, police believe the tragedy was a robbery gone wrong after the alleged killers saw Pop's posts on social media in the hours before the fatal shooting. Pop shared his address, and flexed with huge wads of cash.

We're told, even though the arrests have been made, the case remains under active investigation as detectives search for more evidence.

Marco Rubio made a flub in his tribute to Rep. John Lewis -- mistaking him for another African-American congressman who passed away last year ... Elijah Cummings.

The Senator from Florida posted a heartfelt message about his iconic colleague on House side of Capitol Hill, in a since-deleted Twitter post, writing ... "It was an honor to know & be blessed to serve in Congress with JohnLewis a genuine & historic American hero."

He added, "May the Lord grant him eternal peace." Marco attached a photo of himself with ... not John Lewis. It was former U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings, who died in 2019.

It would appear he and/or his staff quickly noticed the error -- because they took it down and replaced it with a post featuring a pic of Marco and the real John Lewis.

MR owned up to the mistake, writing ... "Earlier today I tweeted an incorrect photo. John Lewis was a genuine American hero. I was honored to appear together in Miami 3 years ago at an event captured in video below. My God grant him eternal rest."

Congressman John Lewis, a central and powerful figure in the Civil Rights movement, is dead after a 7-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Rep. Lewis, who represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District for 17 terms, died Friday. He had been diagnosed as stage 4 in December 2019. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, "Today, America mourns the loss of one of the greatest heroes of American history."

She referred to him as the "Conscience of the Congress."

Lewis had been in Congress since 1987, but had already had an inspiring impact on American history long before that -- having marched, shoulder-to-shoulder at times, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the fight for Civil Rights.

In 1961, Mr. Lewis was part of a protest against segregated buses in the South which became know as the Freedom Rides. He spoke at the landmark March on Washington in 1963, where Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech, and marched for voting rights in Alabama in 1965.

John was one of the protesters brutalized by cops during the march from Selma to Montgomery, AL. As he led several hundred marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, John was clubbed in the head by a state trooper -- fracturing his skull and leaving a scar he carried for the rest of his life.

His second-to-last tweet, back on July 7, commemorated his release from prison after he'd been arrested during a Freedom Ride in Jackson, Mississippi.

Recently, the Distinguished Gentleman from Georgia had become a nemesis of President Trump. Rep. Lewis did not attend Trump's inauguration, openly called him a "racist," and they would frequently trade barbs in the media.

Former President Obama awarded the Congressman the Medal of Freedom in 2011. During the ceremony he said, "Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind -- an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time; whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now."

Rep. Lewis was 80.

RIP

Naya Rivera's ex-fiance, Big Sean, has been silent about her tragic death ... until now.

Sean posted a tribute to his ex, saying, "Rest in Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul! Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. You are a hero!  Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn't achieve that on their own."

He goes on ... "I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person. I'm still grieving and in shock, I can't believe this is real."

As you probably know, Naya and Sean were engaged in 2013 after dating for only 6 months. They had a bad breakup 5 months later. Naya says the end of the relationship was hurtful ... "We'd been fighting for five straight days while he was traveling, and then on the one day he was back in LA, he said he didn't want to see me."

George Floyd's set to be honored in an historic way, and the City of Minneapolis just got some funding to move the process along.

The city was recently awarded the "Vision Grant" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, through its African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, to help preserve the memorials that have sprung up for George since his death.

The fund was created in 2017 to preserve sites and stories of Black history, and clearly ... Minneapolis has been a significant spot lately.

So, along with preserving the murals and other tributes already created for Floyd ... we're told the city is discussing plans to honor him permanently.

A Minneapolis city official tells TMZ ... they've held more than 40 listening sessions, inviting community members and local government workers to share thoughts on how to best memorialize George.

We're told the city is specifically designating 38th St. and Chicago Ave. -- the location where Floyd took his last breath -- as a location for a special tribute. A makeshift memorial popped up there shortly after he died at the hands of police.

So far ... street names, memorial plaques or statues and a community center are all being discussed as official ways to honor George with the new grant money, but nothing's set in stone yet.

BTW, $1.6 million was awarded to 27 different sites and organizations by the AACHAF ... Minneapolis got $50k.

The National Trust's Brenda Jones tells us the planning grant could potentially lead to "other opportunities to invest in the preservation and protection of African American history in Minneapolis, including the murals commemorating the sacrifice of George Floyd."

One of Elvis Presley's most famous guitars is hitting the auction block ... and acquiring it may require a king's ransom.

Elvis' historic 1942 Martin D-18 guitar -- which The King owned between 1954 and 1956 -- will be up for auction over at Gotta Have Rock and Roll, and no doubt it'll go to a serious collector with huuuuge pockets. The minimum bid starts at a whopping $1.2 million. It's expected to fetch up to THREE MILLION BUCKS.

The investment's totally worth it ... because the instrument oozes musical history. For starters, the guitar is often referred to as Elvis' "Sun Sessions" guitar. Elvis recorded at the iconic Sun Studios in Memphis, TN and also performed with the guitar onstage.

The King of Rock 'n' Roll bought the guitar at O.K. Houck's Piano Store in Memphis, trading in his Martin 000-18 model. He then went on to decorate the body of the guitar with adhesive metal letters spelling out "ELVIS." Today, the guitar's missing the "S." The extensive wear visible on the guitar, no doubt, is due to Elvis' hard strumming and the guitar's frequent use.

And, get this ... during the time Elvis owned the guitar, he also recorded the classics "That's Alright (Mama)," "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Good Rockin' Tonight," to name a few.

The new owner of this guitar will get TONS of paperwork proving the authenticity ... from a photocopy of the receipt from O.K. Houck Piano and photocopies of correspondence from the curator of the Country Music Hall of Fame to a historical note about the guitar ... which has been reported to be Elvis' first guitar. The auction opens on July 22. Good luck!!!

The 3 men charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery entered not guilty pleas in court and one of the defendants wants potential jurors to be asked probing questions in a private setting.

Gregory and Travis McMichael, along with William "Roddie" Bryan, all pled not guilty Friday in court. Bryan's attorney also requested bond for Bryan, but the judge denied the request citing a slew of concerns, including a sex crimes investigation by the GBI at the request of the Glynn County Police Department. That investigation is active and ongoing.

Arbery's mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones, and Arbery's father, Marcus Arbery Sr., gave statements requesting the court deny bond.

Bryan's attorney had brought up the coronavirus pandemic as another reason why his client should get bond ... claiming Bryan's in the high-risk category. Prosecutors countered saying the Sheriff's doing his part keeping things safe behind bars. The hearing's currently in a recess.

Bryan's attorney also filed a motion to submit certain questions to potential jurors in an attempt to weed out biases.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Bryan's attorney submitted a list of more than 50 questions for potential jurors to answer ... including: "What in your opinion is the principal cause of crime in America today?"

Another question ... "What steps do you think people who are frightened about crime should take to protect themselves?" as well as "Have you ever heard the statement, he looks like a cirminal? If yes, do you think that if someone 'looks like a criminal' they are probably guilty if they are arrested for a crime? Why/why not?"

Bryan's attorney wants everyone examined separately and privately, claiming there are "sensitive and potentially embarrassing questions exploring the prospective juror's bias and prejudice, especially with respect to matters of race."

Then there's this ... Bryan's attorneys also want to inspect all of Arbery's probation docs, any medical or mental health records, any juvenile court records, any DCFS records and any board of education records.

The issue of citizens arrest was also brought up in docs ... Bryan's attorney claims there was enough evidence to establish probable cause that Arbery had committed the offense of criminal attempt to commit burglary. According to the docs, this allowed McMichael to attempt a citizens arrest and then, when Arbery fought back, to defend himself.

Bryan's attorney also argues someone running in an attempted burglary case allows you to presume criminal intent ... and he notes that Arbery was running. Bryan's attorney also claims Arbery knew he was a convicted felon on probation for shoplifting ... so an objective observer would have reason to believe he was trying to commit a burglary when he ran from the house.

As we reported ... the men were all indicted by a grand jury for Arbery's murder on June 24. They are each facing 9 felony charges -- 1 count of malice murder, 4 counts felony murder, 2 counts aggravated assault, 1 count false imprisonment and 1 count criminal attempt to commit false imprisonment.

The 3 defendants have been in custody since their arrests in May, and last appeared in court in early June for a probable cause hearing ... where a judge concluded there's enough evidence to move forward with the case.

During that hearing, a GBI detective testified he found no evidence Arbery stole anything from the construction site he walked through before he was shot and killed. Gregory McMichael had claimed Arbery matched the description of a burglary suspect, which is why they were after him.

Gregory's son, Travis, fired the fatal shots during a struggle with Ahmaud on February 23. The GBI detective also testified Bryan told cops he heard Travis refer to Arbery as a "f***ing n*****" right after he shot him.

Travis and Gregory were arrested and charged with murder on May 8. Authorities allege Bryan -- who recorded the incident -- was working with the McMichaels to trap Arbery. He was arrested and charged 14 days later.

Grant Imahara is getting a TV memorial, of sorts, from the TV networks where he became a famous and beloved host.

Honchos at Discovery and Science Channel tell TMZ ... the networks are paying tribute to Grant this weekend with a marathon line-up of his favorite "MythBusters" moments and other engineering programs.

As you know ... Grant, a brilliant electrical engineer, became a TV star with Discovery as one of the hosts of "MythBusters."

Discovery says some of Grant's favorite "MythBusters" moments from his 10 years on the show include episodes where he and his team tested "armor" made of folded paper, and tried to see if a hotel room shower curtain could be transformed into a life-saving parachute.

Imahara was a BattleBots champion, and the networks are also airing Grant's appearance in "Killer Robots: Robo Games 2011," when he served as a tour guide for the international competition.

As we reported ... Grant died suddenly this week at just 49 years old from a brain aneurysm.

The tribute marathon airs from 8 AM to 1 PM Friday on Discovery, and picks up Saturday on Science Channel from 3 PM to 9 PM ... ending with one of Grant's other famous hosting gigs, "White Rabbit Project."

Undefeated boxing star Travell Mazion -- known as "Black Magic" -- was killed Wednesday in a car crash in Austin, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

He was only 24.

Details about the crash are unclear -- we're working on it.

Mazion was 17-0 as a pro -- most recently defeating Fernando Castaneda at the Alamodome in San Antonio back in January.

It was an impressive 58-second victory for Mazion -- who won the NABF 154 pound title in the process.

Travell was a talented guy with tremendous potential. He was once backed by NFL star Von Miller.

Tributes are already pouring in from the boxing world.

Boxer Vergil Ortiz Jr. said, "I can’t believe it, R.I.P Travell Mazion."

"For those who don’t know him or never met him, he was a very talented boxer and one of the coolest people I knew. Always enjoyed watching him fight. Love you bro, watch over us."

NFL star Tyrann Mathieu has paid for the funeral costs of a 9-year-old boy who was killed in a horrific shooting in New Orleans, TMZ Sports has learned.

Devante Bryant was shot in the head on July 13th in a mysterious attack on a bunch of kids. Two other teenagers -- 13 and 16 -- were also shot, but they survived.

Cops are investigating but so far, they don't seem to have any idea about why someone would commit this horrible act.

When Tyrann -- who's from Louisiana -- found out about the killing, he wanted to help the family and felt paying for the funeral costs would allow them to focus on grieving for their son.

"Young black children should not be dying from gun violence," the Kansas City Chiefs superstar tells TMZ Sports.

"Devante didn’t even have a chance to live his life before it was tragically taken away from him."

"My goal is to help stop the violence and help my community to show and empower children from my community that there is another way, one child at a time."

"I wanted to help the Bryant family because I am from the 7th Ward and I felt that pain. I have a 7-year-old son that lives in New Orleans and I couldn’t imagine something happening to him at that age. He is only 2 years younger than Devante."

"My heart goes out to the Bryant and Howard Family."

If you have any information about the shooting -- please reach out to the New Orleans PD.

The City of Minneapolis caused George Floyd's death by allowing officers to operate under a lie -- that neck restraints are not fatal -- so says the Floyd family in a new civil lawsuit.

Famed civil rights lawyer Ben Crump just unveiled the lawsuit, and the stakes are enormous. The family is suing the 4 officers who are now criminally charged with Floyd's death.

The reality is this ... the officers don't have the kind of money that typically makes a civil lawsuit worthwhile. Enter the City of Minneapolis, which actually has limited immunity in these cases, meaning it can't be sued UNLESS it's approved the policy either explicitly or by way of custom.

Crump says in the lawsuit ... the City long trained its officers to use neck restraints, claiming they were an "authorized form of non-deadly force."

The fact is this ... it's simply not true that it's non-deadly force, and the City would have to be blind not to know that. Fact is ... the technique has been used since 2012 on 428 people nationwide, and 14% lost consciousness. And, if City officials turned on the news, they'd know some of these cases were fatalities. So ... it IS lethal force.

The suit also slams the City for poor training and discipline. As you know, Derek Chauvin had 17 citizen complaints, yet there's no evidence the Internal Affairs Dept. of the P.D. ever connected the dots as they investigated all of them.

And, one more thing ... the suit claims that probationary officers like Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng were NOT allowed to question their supervisor. That works against the City, but it's the argument the 2 rookie cops are making in the criminal case.

The civil lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages the family is seeking.

Chauvin, who is still in jail, has been charged with 2nd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter.