TMZ Sports

Tragedy has struck NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin ... his dad has died following a devastating house fire in North Carolina that also left his mother critically injured.

On Monday evening, Gaston County EMS confirmed 75 year old Dennis Hamlin died from injuries suffered in the blaze. Hamlin's 69 year old mom, Mary Lou Hamlin was injured in the fire and remains in critical condition.

A worker at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas got the shock of her lifetime when Taylor Swift dropped a massive tip ... a gesture so shocking, the suite staffer had to frame one of the six fresh Benjamins.

TMZ has learned a viral Facebook post from a stadium employee named Robyn Gentry talking about the superstar's Xmas generosity is legit ... TS indeed tipped $600 to the unsuspecting worker.

As Robyn tells it ... TS was at the Christmas game to watch fiancé Travis Kelce play maybe his last NFL game ... and superstar was so appreciative of staff working on the holiday, she was handing out her own gifts ... that being cold hard cash.

One of the biggest sports video game franchises in the world is seemingly distancing itself from D4vd as the Celeste Rivas death investigation continues ... with the singer's song getting quietly pulled from "Madden NFL 26."

The controversial artist's "What Are You Waiting For" was initially part of the popular football game's soundtrack when it was released back in August ... and was sandwiched between BIA and Alex Warren on the playlist.

Now, it's nowhere to be found.

The tragic crash that injured Anthony Joshua claimed the lives of two people close to the boxing superstar -- his trainers and longtime friends, Sina Ghami and Kevin "Latif" Ayodele, according to the president of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The politician shared his condolences in a statement released minutes ago ... saying he spoke directly with AJ regarding the devastating losses.

In their conversation, Tinubu said Joshua assured him he is receiving the "best possible care."

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Hit the comment section as Lucas, Mojo, Luca, and the whole crew break down the most important topics of the day ... and we'll be interacting with viewers throughout the program between 1 and 2 PM PT.

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After a promising start to getting the rehab he desperately needs, former 'Ned's Declassified' star Tylor Chase is back on the streets, TMZ has learned.

"Mighty Ducks" star Shaun Weiss tells TMZ ... Tylor was evaluated by a mental health crisis team after Jacob Harris -- the owner of Shipwreck Barbershop in Riverside, California, who has been a major advocate for Tylor -- called them. The crisis team placed Tylor in a 72-hour involuntary psychiatric hold, but they inexplicably released him, according to Shaun.

Shaun says, "They were supposed to hold him and then transport him to a detox facility that we had arranged. Instead, they let him out without contacting any of us."

According to Shaun, when Jacob found Tylor back on the street in Riverside late at night last week, the crisis team was called again. This time, they once again assessed Tylor to be a danger to himself -- Shaun tells us he was told Tylor was "smoking meth during the evaluation with no shoes or jacket in the freezing cold."

But Shaun says they still left him out on the street. Shaun also tells us ... despite some fans' well-meaning gestures to help Tylor out by giving him money on the street, that's been working against his recovery.

WNBA star Skylar Diggins is reflecting on a drama-filled year ... opening up about raising her kids all on her own for more than a year amid her divorce from Daniel Smith.

The Seattle Storm guard vented on her Instagram on Sunday ... reflecting on the challenges she's faced in 2025 -- and expressing pride in how she was able to handle them mostly on her own.

"Been doing everything BY MYSLF (sic) for over a year now," Diggins said. "Just me and my babies (and the help of my mom/dad.) THAT'S IT!"

Bad news out of the boxing world ... renowned heavyweight fighter Anthony Joshua was reportedly injured in a deadly car wreck in Nigeria -- just 10 days after he knocked out Jake Paul in the ring.

The accident occurred on the congested Lagos-Ibadan expressway in Ogun State in southwest Nigeria on Monday, when Joshua's vehicle "collided with a stationary truck," according to media reports, citing a police statement.

Joshua was a backseat passenger in the vehicle with 3 other people -- two of whom were killed, according to the reports. The boxing superstar was reportedly taken to a hospital for treatment after suffering minor injuries

Videos posted on social media show Joshua sitting dazed inside the car moments before being pulled out by Good Samaritans.

10:50 AM PT -- One of the two victims has died, according to local outlet WJZY-TV. Neither victim has been identified. The cause of the fire remained under investigation Monday.

Two individuals were hospitalized for potential smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at a home owned by NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin in Stanley, North Carolina on Sunday night.

Lucia Riverbend Fire Chief David Toomey told The Athletic the fire was reported at 6:19 PM ET. Flames were still visible on the home's roof at 9:30 PM, and emergency personnel apparently started winding down operations about two hours later.

Toomey said roughly 40 to 45 percent of the home was burning when first responders arrived at the scene, and he said personnel from more than 10 fire departments arrived due to the lack of fire hydrants near the home in a heavily wooded area.

He also said several "really expensive cars," as well as various pieces of racing memorabilia, were located in the home's garage and were saved by first responders.

Rob Gronkowski is dropping some words of wisdom as Travis Kelce decides his NFL future ... telling the Kansas City Chiefs tight end to "listen to your gut feeling" before making anything official.

The future Hall of Famer shared his advice on "Good Morning America" on Monday ... saying while he feels Kelce would have a productive season if he returned in 2026, he understands it all comes down to what Travis wants to do -- as he's been in a similar place in his career, too.

"The only advice that I would give him, because I've been in this situation before, is listen to your gut feeling. If you truly love the game of football and you feel like you belong out there on the football field, well then go back. Look at your options, see what's presented to you on the table and weigh it all out and take your time."

Even though it's been a foregone conclusion for months, Deion Sanders is finally confirming his romance with Karrueche Tran by taking a meaningful step in their relationship -- going Instagram official.

Coach Prime shared a pic to his IG Story on Sunday, flashing his pearly whites with Tran cozied up on his shoulder sporting a smile of her own.

Of course, Prime's post came after his son, Shilo, already spilled the tea on his YouTube channel ... where he shared a nearly 15-minute home video of the family's Christmas at Deion's mansion.

Cardi B and the B stands for brrrr -- the rapper was no match for the cold temperatures as she supported her man, Stefon Diggs, during his game against the Jets on Sunday ... leaving the Patriots star wondering if she bailed!!

The "Outside" rapper took shelter during the New England's 42-10 win over New York at MetLife Stadium ... where Diggs secured 101 receiving yards and one touchdown, earning himself a $500K contract bonus in the process.

Diggs, 32, wanted to celebrate with this girlfriend on the field ... but realized she was MIA.

Philip Rivers hopped off the couch just to go 0-3 in his surprise NFL comeback at 44 years old ... but the Indianapolis Colts quarterback isn't lamenting his decision -- telling reporters he'd do it all over again.

The formerly-retired star met with reporters after losing 23-17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday ... and he explained he has just one regret about his return to the field after five years away from the game.

"I told you guys I wasn't going to have any regrets about coming back -- and I don't," Rivers said in his postgame presser. "Other than us not winning, it's been an absolute blast for three weeks. If I go back and say, 'All right, now you know everything's going to happen, what are you going to do?' I'd do it all again. It's been absolutely awesome."

One of Shawn Porter's kids might be following in his boxing footsteps -- the former champ tells TMZ Sports his two-year-old son is already showing signs he's got the bug!!

Porter opened up on his fam with us ...  claiming out of all his kids, his youngest is the one who puts on the gloves and throws punches.

"The other two, I think they're gonna move on into some other things," Porter said, "But, this baby right here, he might be a scrapper."

Izabel Goulart seems more into white sandy beaches than a traditional white Christmas ... living it up in the Caribbean with her fiancé.

The model and former Victoria's Secret Angel soaked up the sun and surf in St. Bart's Saturday ... flaunting her curves and toned tummy in a tiny white bikini.

Goulart grabbed a paddle and played some games with friends on the beach ... running across the sands and smacking the yellow ball back and forth with the crew.