Britney Spears & Elton John 'Hold Me Closer' Rockets to #1 ... Incredible Comeback for Britney

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UPDATE

9:51 AM PT -- Elton just posted about the track, saying, "I'm thrilled with the response to Hold Me Closer. I wanted to do a fun, happy summer track so was ecstatic when Britney Spears agreed to be a part of it! She truly is an icon, one of the all-time great pop stars & I love her dearly. I hope you all love it!"

UPDATE

Britney Spears has made one of the most remarkable comebacks ever in music ... exactly one year ago she was locked in a contentious conservatorship -- one year later she's shot to the top of the music charts in spectacular fashion.

Britney's collab with Elton John -- "Hold Me Closer" dropped Friday and immediately shot to #1 on iTunes in the U.S. The song is #1 in 35 countries, including England.

Britney shared her feelings about the release on Twitter and said, "Okie dokie … my first song in 6 years 🎶 !!!! It's pretty damn cool that I'm singing with one of the most classic men of our time … @eltonofficial 🚀!!!! I'm kinda overwhelmed… it's a big deal to me !!!"

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

It's Britney's first release since the termination of her conservatorship in 2021 ... with heavy involvement by her former agent and current manager, Cade Hudson. She hasn't released music in 6 years.

It's also a brilliant move on Elton's part ... as you know, he released "Cold Heart - PNAU Remix" with Dua Lipa a year ago which was also a monster hit. He's found a way to take some of his amazing songs and put a spin on them with younger artists, and it's clearly working.

Sources with direct knowledge of the process of making "Hold Me Closer" tell TMZ, Britney was "all over the song," heavily involved in the sound and the mixing. There was a little drama during the post-production, but all worked out.

Britney's conservatorship lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, tells TMZ, "It's been a privilege working with her. She's been thorough a lot. Regardless of what comes next for her and what she chooses, I am so very proud of her."

Originally Published -- 6:18 AM PT

Mississippi H.S. Football Wild Fight Breaks Out In Stands ... Man Left Bloodied

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A wild fight broke out in the stands at a high school football game in Mississippi Thursday night ... leaving one man bloodied, and the chaotic scene was captured on video!!

It all went down during a football game between the Wayne County War Eagles and the Quitman Panthers ... when two men began screaming at each other during the contest.

In the clip, a man wearing a blue Heidelberg football shirt stood up and told the other guy, who appeared to be wearing a navy shirt, "I'll whoop your ass," as the two went back and forth.

The video shows the guy responding by saying, "Come on out to the parking lot. Come whoop my ass" ... and that's when all hell broke loose!!

The guy in the Heidelberg football shirt walked down the stadium stairs, and that's when the guy in the navy shirt attempts to pick him up and unloads a series of punches.

It's unclear how many punches were thrown, but the fight left one guy bloodied ... as spectators nearby tried to separate the two parties and restore some semblance of peace.

We reached out to Wayne County H.S. and Quitman H.S., and they tell us they have no reason to believe either individual seen fighting in the video was affiliated with either H.S.

The Chief of Police with Wayne County School District's Police Department told us he had "no comment" at this time.

The Mississippi High School Activities Athletic Association told us they are aware of the fight ... and are actively investigating the incident.

Bald Eagle Umm, I'm the National Bird!!! No Pass, Screened at TSA

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IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE ...

One bald eagle's giving its own wings a break, and hopping a commercial flight instead -- but even being the U.S. national bird won't get you through TSA any faster.

This particular screening eagle, named Clark, was boarding a flight in North Carolina earlier this week ... and as you might imagine, Clark caught a lot of eyes in the airport. Eat your heart out Bennifer!

While he might seem like an unlikely passenger, TSA said the airline made them aware ahead of time that Clark would be a passenger, and agents handled biz as they would for any other animal.

No favors for this guy, either. You'd think being on the cover of every U.S. Passport might get you some celeb treatment, but Clark and his handler still had to wait in line and go through TSA screening. Like everyone else.

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BRITNEY'S SUCCESSES AND STRUGGLES

Apparently, the eagle is trained to spread his wings on command. TSA agents tweeted about the cool moment ... saying the eagle "showed off a bit during screening" and flapped his wings briefly.

According to the World Bird Sanctuary, Clark is "one of only four bald eagles who travel to fly at different venues throughout the United States”. It's up to each airline to decide which animal is allowed on a plane ... per the FAA website.

Talk about flying to new heights!

Kangaroo Fight 'Roo Takes a Broosin'!!! Gets Tossed Through Fence

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A brawl between 2 kangaroos ended quicker than expected when one went straight WWE on the other -- shoving the opponent straight through a metal fence!!!

The 'roo rivalry went down at Canberra Nature Reserve in Australia ... a passerby started filming the animals getting into it. After a few moments of hand-to-hand combat, one delivered the crushing blow ... hurling the loser into a not-so-solid wall.

The "winner" even looked shocked ... seemingly staring down his bounding buddy to make sure it stayed down after the violent tumble.

Don't worry, the fence-crasher's doing just fine -- a witness told Storyful it was later seen jumping down the road like nothing happened, but good luck with that, buddy.

Y'know how kangaroos gossip, bro. Word's gonna get around.

Seriously, though ... don't mess with these 'roos! Remember, a man squared off with one a few months back, even grabbing a stick to defend himself ... but that didn't seem to phase the animal.

Talk about thunder down under!!!

Australian Rules Football Teammates Engage In Sex Act At Bar ... Team Promises Punishment

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Two pro Australian rules football teammates are now in hot water ... after they were captured on video engaging in a wild, public sex act at a bar earlier this month.

According to multiple reports, the footy competitors -- who play for Glen Waverley Football Club in Melbourne -- made a bet during a day of heavy drinking on Aug. 14, requiring the loser to perform oral sex on the winner.

Shockingly, the man who lost the wager completed the sexual task in the middle of a bar -- all while patrons stunningly looked on.

The footage soon went viral ... and this week, reps for the Glen Waverly Football Club -- which competes in the Eastern Football Netball League -- were outraged, and said the guys would be disciplined.

"The Club is taking immediate action to address the serious breach of our culture and values that has occurred within this incident," team officials said.

"The individuals involved, along with the broader playing group will be both disciplined & educated and if need be, counselled in the type of conduct expected by members of our Club, along with the physical & emotional impact this has had on the families involved, club members, players and the wider community."

The men have yet to be publicly ID'd.

"There is no further comment at this time," the team added in its statement, "and we request that the well-being of those involved be respected as they deal with the impact, from the incident."

Charli D'Amelio Mom & I Putting On Our Dancin' Shoes ... Joining 'DWTS' Cast

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TikTok star Charli D'Amelio and her mom are goin' toe-to-toe ... by competing against each other in the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars."

Production sources tell TMZ ... Charli and Heidi both signed on to join season 31 of the dancing competition series. We're told this won't be a team effort, though -- they'll appear as separate contestants -- competing against one another, as well as the other celebs.

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Charli's clearly claimed her title amongst the other celebrities that will join her on the show, although her fame might be different from others -- she's gained a hefty 145.7M followers on TikTok over the years, and 49M on Instagram. Heidi also just celebrated 10 million followers on her own TikTok!

She's also been dancing since she was a little kid -- needless to say, she might make it pretty far this season. Although we've seen dance experience on the show not always translate into the ballroom.

The rest of the cast has yet to be announced, but the series has moved on from its spot on ABC after 17 years on the network -- it'll premiere live on Disney+ in September.

The social media star's already got some experience with Derek Hough -- she did a "Dirty Dancing" routine with him and his sister Julianne on their show, 'Step Into...The Movies.'

He vouched for her getting on 'DWTS' in an interview last year, saying "I think it'd be really cool to see one of the D'Amelio sisters on there. Charli's a really talented dancer and she's obviously crushing it in the content, TikTok world. I think she would be really good."

Maybe dancing is in the genes ... it'll be exciting to see the mother-daughter duo compete against each other and see what they both can do!

Olivia Rodrigo 'Uptown Girl' with Billy Joel!!! Surprise Appearance at MSG

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Olivia Rodrigo wasn't alive when Billy Joel was making his hits -- but she clearly appreciates the piano man's work, as she joined him onstage for one of his classics, and one of hers! #Respect

Sure, he could easily be her grandfather, but Wednesday night Billy and the 19-year-old singer rocked together at Madison Square Garden ... where he's had a residency for almost 9 years! They performed "Uptown Girl" and then followed up with her hit "Deja Vu" -- a song where she name-drops Billy.

While the crowd was definitely older than Olivia's usual audience, fans went wild when she took the stage -- even singing along to her track, which dropped last year.

Olivia's the latest surprise guest Billy has welcomed over his years at the Garden -- he's also brought on Miley Cyrus, Jon Bon Jovi, and Tony Bennett ... to name a few.

His MSG show came in the middle of Harry Styles' 15-show run at the legendary arena, and Billy playfully thanked the singer for movin' out, saying ... “I’d like to thank Harry Styles for taking the night off, so we can kind of squeeze in here.”

TikTok Star Gabbie Hanna Cops Called for Welfare Check After String of Bizarre Posts

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TikTok star Gabbie Hanna's page became a hub for a series of bizarre and emotional videos, clips that got her friends and fans so worried about her well-being they called the cops.

Gabbie -- who has more than 7 million followers and goes by the name "TraumaQueen" on the popular app -- posted close to 100 videos of herself Wednesday. The videos, all just a few seconds long, showed Gabbie in her home hysterically laughing, crying, yelling, at times declaring herself the smartest person on Earth and even claiming someone had broken in.

LAPD sources tell us the disturbing videos led to an influx of calls from people worried about Gabbie's well-being, and asking for officers to go and check on her.

We're told Gabbie greeted officers at her door and chatted for a few minutes before officers called for a psychological evaluation team.

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Our sources say medical professionals had a long chat with Gabbie and determined she didn't pose a threat to herself or anyone else ... so they allowed her to remain in her home. We're told Gabbie was also given resources for the next time she may become upset.

As for what led to the wave of videos ... it appears trolls on Gabbie's account may have played a role ... recently mocking her for claiming she wanted to "save the world."

The posts from Gabbie seemingly stopped after the police and psych team left her home.

Terrell Owens, 48 Yrs. Old Shows Off Wheels In Race ... Runs Sub 4.5 40-Yard Dash!!!

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AGED SPEED

48-year-old Terrell Owens has still got it -- the Hall of Famer just ran a 40-yard dash in under 4.5 seconds!!

The former Dallas Cowboys star accomplished the insane feat minutes ago while racing against two Fan Controlled Football league receivers ... and the video is impressive as hell.

T.O. took on the two wideouts -- 27-year-old Zappers star James Harden (not "The Beard") and 25-year-old Glacier Boyz star Andrew Jamiel -- at a park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., after we're told the guys had been talking smack about a potential race for months.

In fact, Terrell and James raced at practice last season ... where T.O. was allegedly disqualified for jumping early. So, today was the day to run it back, and figure out once and for all, who's faster?

And, you can see in the clips, Owens edged the dudes outright at the finish line.

The former NFL player looked amazing, showing off a chiseled physique, and he was apparently moving so fast during the sprint ... some at the track had him clocked at 4.38!

T.O. immediately trash-talked following the race -- repeating over and over again, "I do this s***!"

Owens has insisted repeatedly over the last couple years that despite not playing a down in the NFL since the 2010 season, he could still suit up for an NFL squad today.

If Wednesday's race is any indication -- he clearly ain't lying!

rabid fox attack Chomps on Woman Over and Over ... In Gnarly Video

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FEISTY FOX

Any rabid animal -- like this fox -- is nothing to mess with ... but the woman it attacked is no slouch either, as this surveillance video shows her putting up one hell of a fight and likely saving her life.

The wild incident went down in July in Ithaca, NY ... you can see the fox doesn't even hesitate as it sneaks up on her as she's chatting on the phone in her yard, and starts chomping on her leg nonstop.

She gives the animal a powerful kick, launching it into the air, but it doesn't give up ... eventually clamping its jaws down on her hand and doesn't let go while she tries to shake it off. A neighbor eventually shows up and scares it away.

Her hand seemingly got the worst of it, as these gnarly pics after the attack show. She must've gotten some extremely painful rabies shots, too.

According to her husband, who uploaded the video, the fox attempted to do the same to someone else nearby, but it was killed ... the body was taken to the vet lab at Cornell University, where they discovered rabies was in its system.

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BOBCAT TOSS

Rabies is no joke when it comes to animals attacking humans ... a bobcat was hurled across a lawn last year in North Carolina -- it was shot and later died, testing positive for rabies.

Missing CA Teen Cops Confirm Kiely Rodni Found Dead

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UPDATE

1:04 PM PT -- 8/23 -- The Placer County Sheriff's Office confirms that the body found inside a submerged vehicle is Kiely Rodni. Cops say they're in contact with her family and that the investigation is ongoing.

Authorities have broken their silence for the first time since a submerged vehicle with a body inside was discovered ... letting the public know they believe it to be Kiely Rodni.

The announcement was made Monday, almost 24 hours after a YouTube search and rescue team first claimed they had located Kiely's vehicle in Prosser Lake, upside down in about 14 feet of water.

Remember ... Dog the Bounty Hunter told us he was getting flooded with tips on Kiely's potential whereabouts, but he was reluctant to dive into the high-profile case as a result of all the backlash he got from the Gabby Petito case.

16-year-old Kiely was last seen alive Aug. 6 near Truckee, CA, where she and about 100 other teens were partying at a campground in the Lake Tahoe region ... and went missing late at night.

Police have not said how Kiely ended up in a car sunk in the lake, or if foul play is suspected.

Originally Published -- 8/22 11:12 AM PT

Little League World Series White Player Also Had Cotton On Head ... New Photo Shows

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A Black Little League World Series player was, indeed, not the only one wearing cotton on his head during an MLB game on Sunday night ... a new photo shows a white player had the toy stuffing placed in his hair as well.

The photo, taken by someone who appeared to be just feet away from the Little Leaguers who were playing with the stuffed animal's filling during the MLB's Little League Classic game in Williamsport, Penn., was posted to social media on Tuesday morning.

In the pic, you can see a white player and a Black player both had cotton on the top of their heads. The Twitter account that shared the picture said the kids were simply trying to mimic a fellow Little Leaguer, who's gained fame for a white hairdo.

"Many of the teammates were participating, Black and white," the Twitter user said as a caption on the photo. "They were imitating the stud pitcher from Hawaii who has an awesome white-dyed Mohawk."

The user also shared a video of the Black player smiling and flexing while showing off the cotton on his head.

As we previously reported, several members of the Davenport, Iowa, Little League team -- who are white -- took the stuffing out of giveaway toys at the stadium during the Red Sox vs. Orioles game and placed it on a Black teammate's head.

Viewers were outraged over the imagery -- which was shown for nearly 30 seconds on ESPN's broadcast of the game -- but Little League World Series officials said in a statement Monday they were assured there was "no ill-intent" behind the actions.

"After speaking with the team, as well as reviewing photos, multiple players on the Midwest Region team were taking part in this while enjoying the game," officials said. "As only one player appeared on the broadcast, Little League International understands that the actions shown could be perceived as racially insensitive."

"We have spoken with the player's mother and the coaches, who have assured us that there was no ill-intent behind the action shown during the broadcast."

The Davenport Little League team will take the field for the first time since the controversy later Tuesday.

Elton John Previews Britney Spears Collab ... 'Hold Me Closer' Out Soon!!!

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Elton John is pulling back the curtain early -- giving fans a sneak peek of his new collab with Britney Spears -- and judging by the crowd listening, it's a hit.

The rock icon was recently at a restaurant in Cannes, called La Guérite, where patrons were dancing up a storm. EJ got up on the DJ booth to preview his forthcoming single, "Hold Me Closer," by playing the entire song and posting it to his Instagram account.

At times, Elton was singing along to the song which plays like a dance track, heavily incorporating his original lyrics from "Tiny Dancer" as well as lyrics from his song "The One" ... and of course, Brit's added vocals.

As we've reported, Brit and Elton didn't actually meet in person to work on the tune -- but it sounds seamless. She met with producer Andrew Watt to lay down her portion of the record, which only took her a few hours to do ... as Elton beamed in via Zoom for direction.

This is Britney's first musical project in a long time -- even more meaningful since she's now out of her conservatorship. Sounds like she's still got it and then some ... the song drops Friday.

Sporting K.C. vs. Timbers Fan Drilled In Head By Free Kick

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UPDATE

10:09 AM PT -- A rep for Sporting K.C. confirmed the fan suffered a concussion, as well as a bruised retina and iris ... but is looking forward to returning to a game soon.

Frightening scene at the Sporting Kansas City vs. Portland Timbers game on Sunday ... when a fan in the stands was hit in the head by a stray free kick -- but luckily, word is she's doing better.

The incident went down during K.C.'s 4-1 win over the Timbers at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City ... when a Portland player lined up to take a free kick, but his attempt sailed over the net.

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The ball then rocked the Sporting K.C. supporter in the side of the face ... knocking her over and forcing her to lose her balance as she fell into the seats.

The fans in the crowd then gasp and show concern for the woman ... with several people rushing over to help out.

We've reached out to Sporting K.C. for a status update on the fan ... so far, no word back.

The person who posted the original TikTok of the incident says he made contact with the woman and claims she suffered a concussion.

The poster also says the woman is "getting better" ... so here's to a speedy recovery.

Originally Published -- 7:03 AM PT

Arkansas Police Brutality Homeless Man Beaten By Cops Wants Justice Searching for Attorney

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HORRIBLY BEATEN

The homeless man beaten down by cops in Arkansas is now on the hunt for justice of his own, speaking with multiple attorneys to possibly represent him moving forward.

Sources connected to 27-year-old Randall Worcester tell us family members bailed him out of jail Monday in Van Buren, AR.

We're told he met up with his family hours after his release to talk strategy ... particularly where they'll go, legally, from here.

Our sources say Worcester has spoken with several attorneys already, and his family has been in contact with Bobby DiCello, an attorney out of Cleveland whose website claims he's "earned multimillion dollar verdicts for victims of civil rights abuses, catastrophic injuries, and defective products."

Bobby tells us he's making travel plans to be with Worcester and his family soon, and that everyone involved is shocked and appalled by the now-viral video ... and they're eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get Randall some justice.

As for what that justice might entail, nothing is off the table ... but first, Bobby tells us he's hoping for open dialog between cops and Worcester's family to talk about what happened and how to solve it.

The video, recorded Sunday at a gas station, is stunning ... you see 3 officers punching, kicking and slamming Worcester's head on the pavement. Cops reportedly were called to the scene because Worcester threatened a gas station clerk.

As a result of the investigation, 2 Crawford County Sheriff's deputies have been suspended and an officer from the Mulberry Police Dept. has been put on administrative leave.

DiCello, who also represents the family of Jayland Walker -- the man shot by cops 46 times -- says the suspensions are a good start.

Clearly, there's a long way to go.

Little League World Series Black Player Covered In Cotton ... Officials Say 'No Ill-Intent' Behind Actions

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A Little League World Series player's head was covered in cotton during an MLB game on Sunday night -- and while Little League officials acknowledged it "could be perceived as racially insensitive," they said they've since been assured there was "no ill-intent" behind the actions.

The incident happened in the eighth inning of the Red Sox vs. Orioles Little League Classic game in Williamsport, Penn. ... when several members of the Davenport, Iowa, Little League team -- who are white -- took stuffing out of giveaway toys and placed it on a Black teammate's head.

Many on social media were outraged by the visuals on the ESPN broadcast ... considering the Black player did not appear to be laughing about it at all.

But, reps for the LLWS said in a statement Monday that after speaking with the Black child's mother and coaches, they've been assured "that there was no ill-intent behind the action shown during the broadcast."

"After speaking with the team," officials said, "as well as reviewing photos, multiple players on the Midwest Region team were taking part in this while enjoying the game."

"As only one player appeared on the broadcast, Little League International understands that the actions shown could be perceived as racially insensitive."

The Davenport squad is not slated to play again until Tuesday. It's currently just three wins away from securing a place in the final of the United States bracket at the World Series.