Author Salman Rushdie Attacked On Stage Stabbed in Neck

UPDATE

9:41 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the NY State police tells TMZ Rushdie was stabbed in the neck, he also suffered a minor head injury His condition is not yet known.

Novelist Salman Rushdie, who has received death threats for years because of his work, was just attacked and possibly stabbed during an event.

The author, who was formerly married to "Top Chef" host Padma Lakshmi, was set to give a speech Friday at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Reports say Rushdie was on stage, when someone jumped up and struck him multiple times. Reports say Rushdie was stabbed during the incident.

His current condition is unknown, but the attacker has reportedly been taken into custody.

Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses," sparked tons of controversy in the 80's ... with the book getting banned from Iran for being deemed blasphemous, as it had references that mocked the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic culture as a whole.

In 1989, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini called on Muslims to kill the Indian-born writer and his publishers because of what he wrote.

Originally Published -- 9:05 AM PT

Terrell Owens Dispute W/ Neighbor Could've Turned Deadly

COULD'VE ENDED DIFFERENTLY
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"I honestly could have died."

Terrell Owens says even though the incident with his neighbor ended without violence, the interaction could've easily taken a deadly turn, and TO says that's why he won't simply move on as if nothing happened.

The 48-year-old Hall of Famer joined the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where Owens addressed his neighbor calling the cops on him for allegedly speeding near his home in Florida Wednesday night.

Prior to police arriving, Terrell and the woman got into a verbal dispute. The woman claimed TO threatened her, and was heard saying, "You're a Black man approaching a white woman!" The NFL legend is adamant he didn't threaten anyone.

8/3/22
HARRASSED AT HOME

Owens explained why he believes he was lucky.

"If the wrong type of cops came out, if they got the wrong type of information. Her, you saw the video, she started crying, you never know how that situation could've turned."

And, that's something TO says he was "very aware" of in the moment. He stayed calm because he feared for his safety.

"I could've died. Honestly, I could have died and the storyline would be totally different."

Thankfully, that didn't happen. The officer who responded maintained order, and everyone ultimately went on their way.

911 AUDIO

But, now that he's had time to reflect, Owens believes his neighbor should face repercussions.

"I'm hoping the people here in Florida, they're monitoring what has transpired," TO says, specifically saying he hopes the state's [Attorney General] examines the situation.

"I'm hoping that maybe [Ashley Moody] can get on this and see what can be done because like I said this could've turned really, really bad and like I said, this could've been a situation where you guys may not have been talking to me live here today, but been talking about me in another way."

Lil Pump I'm a Gas-hole When I Fill Up ... And I'm Not Changing!!!

GASSIN' UP
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Lil Pump doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks about his shenanigans at gas stations ... he's gonna keep lighting up while filling up, because he firmly, and wrongly, thinks it's all good!

We got the rapper leaving Hyde nightclub in L.A. and asked him about the dangerous stunt. He recorded himself smoking a blunt while holding on to a gas pump handle. The move's pretty brazen cause y'know ... smoking means fire, and fire plus gas fumes equal BOOM.

TWO LIL PUMPS

But, check out the clip ... Pump -- who went shirtless with a red fur coat for the night -- couldn't care less. He admits the video he posted wasn't his first time pushing the limits while he's at a gas station.

He also told us he's baffled by the typical response to the video, which goes something like ... "What's wrong with you?"

TBH, Lil Pump, having seen plenty of explosive gas station videos on the news ... we're wondering the same.

Prince George Getting Security Fit For A King Post-ISIS Threat

The Royal Family isn't taking any chances in wake of the terrorist call to action targeting Prince George ... TMZ has learned he'll be getting added protection at his school and on outings around London.

Sources tell us Thomas's Battersea, George's school in London, will have beefed-up security. More officers will also follow Prince George on outings with his mom and his grandma, Carole Middleton, who often cares for him.

As for this weekend's Trooping the Colour ceremony at Buckingham Palace ... we're told it's business as usual. George will appear with the rest of the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony, but there'll be a bigger security presence than usual.

As we previously reported, the Royal Family is refusing to retreat from the public eye after 32-year-old Husnain Rashid encouraged ISIS to attack the boy at his school.

Pro Surfer Makua Rothman Insane Wipeout Attempting Historic Wave

ROUGH RIDE

Here's the craziest video you'll see today -- pro surfer Makua Rothman wiping out HARD while attempting to ride one of the biggest waves ever documented ... and somehow the dude escaped (mostly) unharmed.

The 33-year-old Hawaii native was at Maxing Cloudbreak in Fiji this past weekend when he went one-on-one with the massive wave ... and Rothman tells TMZ Sports it would result in "a thrashing of a lifetime."

THRASHED BY THE GNAR
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And this wasn't just any wave ... it's being called "one of the waves of the century," and even surfing legend Kelly Slater said, "This stuff is like people going to the moon ... by tomorrow people will say it didn’t happen," when talking about the swell.

Rothman breaks down the wipeout ... saying, "It just shook the living daylights out of me. I can't really explain what it felt like ... maybe if Godzilla or King Kong grabbed you and was just shy of ripping you in half."

But somehow the 2015 Big Wave World champ survived without injury ... and ended up getting right back on his board.

Unreal.

Yo Gotti Shooting Erupts Outside Concert ... 1 Dead

Yo Gotti's concert Friday night was interrupted by the sound of nearby gunfire, and a person was shot dead.

It happened near the Uptown Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. The rapper was on stage at around 11:30 PM when police got a call that someone had been shot in a nearby parking lot.

EMERGENCY AUDIO
TMZ.com

Police and paramedics raced to the scene and when they got there they pronounced the victim dead.

Witnesses say a fight had broken out and in the middle of the melee someone fired a gun.

Law enforcement can't say for sure if the people involved in the fight and shooting had attended the concert, but given the time of night and the proximity to the venue it appears there's some connection.

WE HAVE TO DO BETTER

Dwayne Bowe, who performed with Yo Gotti, took to Instagram to express his frustration over the violence.

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