TMZ Sports - Page 6

Atlanta Falcons defensive end James Pearce Jr. just got handed a hefty punishment as a result of his domestic dispute with WNBA star Rickea Jackson ... as the NFL just suspended him without pay for nearly half of the 2026 season.

The news dropped minutes ago via NFL insiders ... with Ian Rapoport noting JPJ will be able to participate in all preseason activities, as the eight-game ban will start on Aug. 30.

He will be eligible to return on Nov. 2.

Marcellus Wiley's estranged wife Annemarie wants him to pay up ... she's asking a Los Angeles court to order him to start paying child and spousal support ... plus over $200,000 in legal fees amid their nasty divorce proceedings.

Annemarie's legal team submitted the docs Thursday, which were obtained by TMZ ... and she's requested he continue paying for the lifestyle she and their kiddos were accustomed to ... at least while the divorce is pending.

This, she said, included private-school tuition, driving luxury vehicles, living in a fancy home worth at least $7 million, and more.

She did not request a specific amount of support ... but calculated the children's monthly costs alone between childcare, private school, and healthcare are $20,800 per month ... and said the mortgage on their home is another $18,000 per month, bringing just those expenses to around $40,000.

The New England Patriots did it big for Mike Vrabel's birthday ... surprising the coach with one of the team's biggest superfans -- Bon Jovi!!

The Super Bowl champ turned the big 5-1 on Friday ... and while he had a loud 2026 with all things Dianna Russini, the vibes were much better with a celebration at training camp.

Pats owner Robert Kraft led the charge ... enlisting the rookie class to serenade Vrabel with a rendition of "Happy Birthday," with the team mascot, Pat Patriot, standing nearby.

Allen Lazard and his fiancée, Camila Escribens, have called off their engagement and gone their separate ways ... less than a year after having a baby together ... TMZ has learned.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... the former New York Jets wide receiver and former Miss Peru have split and are no longer planning to walk down the aisle.

They have an infant daughter, and we're told they already sent out wedding invitations.

Geno Auriemma isn't buying the latest culture-war freakout surrounding the WNBA!

The legendary UConn women's basketball coach chopped it up with Babcock this week ... and the Hall of Famer chalked up the trans athlete debate as a manufactured non-story, insisting there's nothing to see.

"Well, not to belittle it at all because I don't mean to because listen, you know, people have a right to their opinion. I get it," Auriemma said. "But why are we making a big issue over an issue that doesn't exist?"

Orlando Brown Jr.'s ex-GF, Holly Means, is taking the NFL star to court over property she claims he won’t return ... accusing him of acting out of "anger and spite," ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ obtained court docs filed by Holly -- who claims Orlando has refused to return her belongings since their long-term relationship ended.

Holly says she lived with Orlando and their two kids in his Ohio home until their June 2025 breakup, when she claims he forced her out without notice before she could collect all of her property.

Former boxer Prichard Colón, once a rising star, died after more than a decade battling the devastating effects of a traumatic brain injury suffered in the ring.

He was only 33.

Colón's dad and former trainer, Richard, announced the heartbreaking news on social media, writing ... “Good morning, everyone. I regret to inform you of the passing of my son Prichard from this earthly world. He is now in a better place.”

He continued ... "Thank you for so many years of love and prayers. As much as you can, please keep us in your prayers."

Saucy Santana is sharing his thoughts on the ongoing debate over transgender women competing in women's professional sports ... calling on the WNBA to make a decision.

We got the rapper in New York City and asked him about the possibility of trans women playing in the WNBA ... and he told us, "trans women are women."

We dug deeper and asked whether a trans woman should be allowed to play in the WNBA ... and Santana told us he believes that decision should ultimately be left to the league and its eligibility rules, which aren't clearly defined.

Ryan Lochte's ex-wife, Kayla Reid, is opening up about a painful part of their divorce ... when she discovered a "friend" was allegedly seeing the Olympic swimmer behind her back.

Kayla -- who filed for divorce from Ryan in March 2025 -- tells People she discovered Ryan's now-fiancée, Molly Gillihan, was both comforting her amid their split but also secretly seeing Ryan ... though Ryan and Molly dispute the timeline.

Ryan's ex-wife filed to end their marriage on March 26, 2025 ... and Ryan and Molly's anniversary is April 9 -- just a 2-week gap.

Kayla admits she was never best friends with Molly ... but says they ran in the same social circles in Gainesville, FL and exchanged invites to social gatherings. Kayla said she even helped Molly with plans to open a children's café. Plus, she claims she confided in Molly about the demise of her marriage to Ryan in a 90-minute phone call.

Freddie Freeman gave Dodger Stadium a full-blown heart attack Wednesday night.

The Dodgers' first baseman went full Superhero mode in the top of the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals in L.A., tracking an Isaac Collins popup ... and wound up face-planting into the visitors' dugout.

Freeman had a bead on the ball, which continued to drift further into foul territory ... and he looked ready to snag the ball for the second out of the inning.

The WNBA is blasting "bad-faith efforts" to push a narrative about transgender women competing in the league ... after ex-NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White claimed they're women and vowed to enter next year's WNBA Draft.

The WNBA held an anti-hate task force meeting Wednesday to discuss trans athletes ... and afterward, a league spokesperson said general managers and presidents came to the conclusion that there "are no immediate eligibility matters affecting the WNBA," adding ... "we strongly denounce the bad-faith efforts to use these topics to demean or marginalize others."

So, it sounds like Enes and Royce won't be entering the Draft after all.

The WNBA noted they will "continue to engage all league stakeholders in the coming weeks and months" and "will approach these important conversations thoughtfully and in alignment with the values of our league."

Islam Makhachev is shutting down any retirement talk ahead of his UFC 330 title defense against Ian Garry.

The welterweight champ chopped it up with Babcock this week and made it crystal clear ... he's not walking away anytime soon, showing no hesitation at all when asked about potentially laying his gloves down in the Octagon.

"No, no, no. I told you I like to be UFC champion and we're still going."

Alex Cooper says there's no bad blood between her and Dave Portnoy ... even after he claimed she was planning to make bogus sexual assault allegations to get out of her Barstool Sports contract.

The popular podcaster went on CNBC's "Squawk Box" to clear the air, kinda, about her "complicated" relationship with her former boss.

Asked to comment on Dave's claims, the "Call Her Daddy" host dodged and said ... "Dave's got his version and I've got my version, and we're all good."

Russell Westbrook just closed the book on his legendary NBA career in the most Hollywood way possible.

The 37-year-old former MVP posted an emotional video on social media on Wednesday, titled “The Museum of Unspoken Answers,” narrated by his buddy Michael B. Jordan.

The clip begins with Russ walking through a gallery of his greatest hits, from thunderous dunks to triple-doubles ... and a gang of other career highlights.

Westbrook captioned the clip ... “Sometimes you don’t even know when you’ve already watched the end. You had to be there. And now it’s over.”

08/12/2026 4:00 PM PST -- Marcellus Wiley tells TMZ ... At the time in question, I was with our children during a supervised visit with NO issues and NO violations. Yet, once again, Annemarie is making allegations against me. This marks the THIRD attempt to have me arrested for an alleged restraining order violation. She’s now 0 for 3. This latest accusation looks like a panic filled distraction from the facts that are getting impossible to ignore. The State of Florida dropped the case, and the public conversation quickly shifted toward questioning her allegations, contradictions, and gaslighting. When one narrative collapses, another accusation suddenly appears. Welcome to another episode of ‘The Real HouseLies of Annemarie’ Three attempts. Three failures. At some point, it stops looking like protection and starts looking like a pattern. #AnnemarieFatigue

Marcellus Wiley's estranged wife, Annemarie Wiley, called police on the ex-NFL star ... hours after criminal charges against him were dropped ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Annemarie contacted cops Tuesday to report a potential domestic violence restraining order violation.

We're told officers responded to the former couple's marital home in Los Angeles, which Marcellus is barred from entering under the TRO, but determined no crime was committed ... so no arrests were made.

Alex Rodriguez tried to get the word out about a new meal prep company ... but we're not sure anyone heard about their protein-packed options -- because they were distracted by his meat.

The former MLB star jumped on social media to push premade meals from a company called Tempo ... and while his lips were moving in his video, the noticeable bulge in the front of his pants was really doing all the talking.

His A-Rod was barely being contained by his tight jeans -- and the comments quickly filled up with chatter about his little slugger.