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12:45 PM PT -- Bird released a statement apologizing for the incident, saying, "I'm taking some time away from the team as I deal with my legal and medical issues. I apologize to my family, the Celtics organization, my teammates, the fans and the NBA for the unnecessary distraction that I have caused."

"The information that has been released does not tell the full story. I do not condone violence against women. I am hopeful that in due time and process, I will be able to regain everyone's trust."

Boston Celtics guard Jabari Bird choked out his girlfriend so badly during a Sept. 7 incident that she lost consciousness ... according to prosecutors.

24-year-old Bird appeared in court in Boston on Thursday where prosecutors laid out the case against him ... and the allegations are horrifying. WBZ-TV's Beth Germano got a photo of Bird in court.

Officials say the alleged victim claims Bird terrorized her for 4 hours at his Brighton apartment -- where she tried to get away from the NBA player by hiding under her bed and locking herself in her bathroom.

During the alleged altercation, the woman claims Bird strangled her at least 12 times.

She claims she tried to escape, but Bird grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her away from the door.

Officials say Bird appeared to be having "seizure-like" symptoms during the end of the attack -- and that's how she was able to leave.

Afterward, she claims Bird texted her that he would kill himself if she didn't return to the apartment.

He was eventually arrested for assault and battery, strangulation and kidnapping.

Bail was set at $50,000 -- and he's been ordered to pay in cash, as that's all the court accepts.

We spoke with the Suffolk D.A., Dan Conley, who tells us, "Anyone living in fear of domestic violence can count on our office for a safe, supportive, victim-centered environment."

"As this case illustrates, a trusted figure in a survivor’s life can make disclosing abuse to law enforcement easier."

Country star Gretchen Wilson just caught a break after being hauled off a plane in cuffs last month, because the criminal charges against her were just dropped.

A court clerk tells us Gretchen appeared in Enfield Superior Court in Connecticut Thursday and had a misdemeanor breach of peace charge dismissed. We're told the charge will be officially dropped in 13 months, as long as she stays out of trouble in that jurisdiction ... and if she donates $500 to a charity for injured crime victims. Gretchen agreed to the conditions.

TMZ broke the story ... Gretchen was busted in August after getting into a bathroom-related confrontation with another passenger. Gretchen allegedly got into a shoving match with someone she thought was taking too long in the john ... and continued to make threatening gestures throughout the flight.

Law enforcement sources told us she demanded she be arrested after State Police confronted her at Bradley International Airport. So, cops did exactly that.

Eminem isn't sure how he's gonna fire back at Machine Gun Kelly in their heated feud -- but he is making one thing crystal clear ... MGK needs to "shut the f*** up."

In an interview with Sway, Em says he wants to "destroy" MGK but he doesn't want to make Kelly bigger by giving him attention or extra publicity.

It's a little too late for that.

Shady took a deep dive into his beef with MGK ... saying it all started 6 years ago when MGK sent a tweet saying Eminem's 16-year-old daughter, Hailie, was "hot as f***" ... and ignited again when Kelly took a direct shot at Em on a collab with Tech N9ne.

Eminem feels like he's being forced to respond to MGK's diss track, "Rap Devil," and says the entire situation is "f***ing weird."

Eminem is wary of firing back at Kelly ... 'cause that will open the gates to more beef with "every f***ing body" he dissed on his new album, "Kamikaze."

John Schneider's bills keep piling up, but that's not his estranged wife's concern ... she's demanding he cut a HUGE check to cover her legal expenses.

Elvira Schneider filed new legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- asking the judge to order the 'Dukes of Hazzard' star and new "Dancing with the Stars" cast member to cough up $348,999.50. That staggering amount is how much she says her divorce attorney and accountants are charging her.

According to the docs, Elvira's legal team will walk if they don't get paid ASAP. She claims John earned at least $1 mil last year and has no doubt he can cover the nut.

John has claimed he's not that flush with cash -- as we've reported, he's still on the hook for tons of spousal support, and even went to jail for 3 days for failing to pony up that dough on time. You'll recall ... he recorded and posted his journey to jail.

Mac Miller's friend knew the rapper was in a desperate state when he made the call to paramedics after finding Mac's body.

In the heavily redacted 911 call -- obtained by TMZ -- a male caller can be heard pleading with the operator to get a unit to Mac's home as soon as possible. At one point, the caller begs, "Please hurry."

Later on in the audio, you can hear the caller hysterically crying, and then the call is dropped.

We broke the story ... Mac was pronounced dead at his San Fernando Valley home last Friday from an apparent overdose. Cops found a tiny amount of white powder in the house, but believe the place was wiped clean of any drugs or paraphernalia. Law enforcement sources tell us it appeared Mac had been dead for hours before his body was discovered.

The rapper's cause of death remains a mystery as toxicology tests are pending.

His body was put on a plane Wednesday en route to his hometown of Pittsburgh for his funeral. We're told there will be a Jewish service for him at a chapel in the city later in the week.

He was 26. RIP

9/14 -- Revolve issued an apology, saying, "We messed up big. We are SO SORRY for hurting and offending you." They go on to say they have canceled the line and are donating $20k to Girls Write Now -- the charity that was going to benefit from sales of the sweatshirt.

Lena Dunham is backing up the bus over Revolve ... saying the company essentially stabbed her in the back when it put her "Fat is not Beautiful" sweatshirt on a skinny white chick.

Lena says she had teamed with Revolve to roll out the shirts which read, "Fat is not beautiful it's an excuse." She says the intent was to reclaim the hateful phrases Internet trolls use -- a la rappers using the n-word.

But, she says that all backfired when the clothing company "presented the sweatshirts on thin white women." Lena says that destroyed any attempt to reclaim the phrase because ... well, now it just seems mean. She's right. It ain't a great look.

The backlash was immediate, and even though plus-size model Tess Holiday seemed to laugh it off -- Revolve pulled the ad featuring the skinny white model ... then started the damage control. It says it's donating $20k to a young women's charity.

By the way, the sweatshirt cost $168 and had already sold out by the time the ad was pulled.

We haven't seen a clothing retail PR disaster this big since way back in early 2018 ... when H&M pulled this racist "monkey" business.

Young Thug's got a brand new mug shot after surrendering to cops in Georgia to face multiple drug possession charges.

The rapper turned himself in Tuesday and remains behind bars. He's been held without bail, but will get to face a judge Thursday afternoon during a hearing to decide if he'll be allowed to post bail.

As TMZ first reported ... there was a grand jury warrant out for Thug's arrest in DeKalb County after he was indicted on 8 felony charges ... including possession and intent to distribute meth, hydrocodone and weed.

President Trump is prepping for Hurricane Florence by boasting about his sparkling record fighting super storms -- especially in Puerto Rico, where he insists less than 100 died, and NOT 3,000.

As Florence's winds started whipping the Carolinas' Outer Banks, 45 recalled Hurricane Maria's devastation in P.R., saying ... "AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths. As time went by it did not go up by much." He tweeted that it was only later that Democrats inflated the death toll to "really large numbers, like 3000" just to make him look bad.

You'll recall, Trump triumphantly arrived on the island a month after Maria ... and touted the fact there were only "16 people certified" dead. He also joyously tossed paper towels to a crowd of residents.

POTUS seems to be forgetting the fact there was almost ZERO electricity or clean water on the island for several months -- factors that increased deaths according to several investigative reports. Last month, Puerto Rico released an official death toll of 2,975.

But, the President might have revealed the true root of his Puerto Rico beef yesterday on Twitter.

He ripped the Mayor of San Juan for allegedly playing the political game. In any event, he vows the government is ready for whatever Florence brings to the Carolinas.

Mac Miller was dead for many hours before his body was discovered in his bedroom and 911 was called, TMZ has learned, and there's now a spotlight on the party at Mac's home the night before.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... when cops and paramedics arrived at the rapper's home last Friday, it was clear he had died long before they got there.

TMZ broke the story ... friends came over the night before Mac died to hang out, and we're told they stayed until the early hours of Friday morning, Sept. 7. Mac's body was found Friday around noon.

We broke the story ... Miller died of an apparent overdose at his San Fernando Valley home. Cops say no one has come forward claiming they saw Mac alive after Thursday night.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, after someone at his home called 911, saying Mac wasn't breathing and was unresponsive. The emergency dispatch call came in as "cardiac arrest," but apparently that's because the person who found him may not have realized he was already dead.

Our sources say only a tiny amount of white powder was found when cops searched the home. Our law enforcement sources tell us cops believe the house was swept clean to hide evidence of drug use.

The rapper's cause of death is yet to be determined ... according to his death certificate. The Coroner is awaiting toxicology results, which typically take 4 to 6 weeks.

9/13 -- The interview just aired, and it's clear to see ... Wendy was stunned.

Tamar Braxton just made a stunning and unexpected confession during a taping of Wendy Williams ... telling the talk show host she was molested as a child.

Braxton sat down with Wendy Wednesday, and the two talked about the Braxton sister's recent visit with Iyanla Vanzant to help settle some family beef. Tamar stormed out of the meeting with Iyanla, but her reason for leaving was unknown.

We're told Wendy pressed her and that's when Tamar revealed she'd been molested by members of both sides of her family. Our sources say both Wendy and the audience were stunned.

It's unclear if something during the meeting with Iyanla triggered Tamar's memory, or if she just felt comfortable talking to Wendy about the incident.

Our sources in the audience say Williams -- who is in premiere week of her 10th season -- didn't ask for details about the alleged molestation. Tamar never named names.

We're told Tamar also chatted about her prior relationship with Vincent Herbert and revealed she's been dating a new man for several months.

The full interview will air Thursday on "The Wendy Williams Show."

If there was a lingerie superhero league, Gigi and Bella Hadid would be the most dynamic duo, with their powers being ... getting you weak in the knees. Duh!

The supermodel sisters threw on some racy lingerie for Rihanna's Savage X Fenty fashion show in Brooklyn. Exactly what NY Fashion Week needs. Thanks, RiRi!!!

Gigi wore racy lingerie with fishnet stockings and a cool cape that'll have you asking ... Superwoman who? Not to be outdone ... Bella wore some lace bottoms and slipped on some sheer gloves. Deadly touch. She's been on fire lately ... slaying over the weekend with busty ensembles.

A letter Madonna penned about her infamous appearance on David Letterman's show in the '90s is up for grabs, and the rant is likely to fetch big $$$.

Boston-based auction house RR Auction is putting Madge's handwritten note from May 1994 on the auction block at the end of the month. What's puzzling ... she apparently published the letter on her fansite ICON, but no one took notice.

As for what the letter said ... she wrote about "how sexist the world we live in really is" following her disastrous appearance on 'The Late Show,' when she dropped the f-bomb 14 times in an excruciatingly awkward interview with David Letterman. It made censorship history.

She rants in the letter that, had Andrew Dice Clay or Snoop gone on the show and done something similar, "no one would have given a f***."

She goes on ... "In this country you are not allowed to be a girl, look good, have a point of view and have a good time all at once. Need I say more."

The auctioneers say they expect the letter will fetch $2k-$3k ... but we know the drill. If the bidding gets hot, it will go way higher.

We're getting our first look at Rachel McAdams as a new mom ... and she fits the part!!!

Rachel and baby daddy Jamie Linden took a family stroll Wednesday in Los Angeles, giving everyone their first glimpse at the couple's 5-month-old son. Rachel kept her pregnancy on the down low and secretly gave birth in April.

The suspense was killing us, but the wait was totally worth it ... just look at that happy fam!!!

Rachel seems to have this mommy thing down pat ... and Jamie looks extremely pleased to be pushing a stroller -- wouldn't you if "The Notebook" star was your baby mama?!?!

That Erin Andrews can let the dogs out is a mini-miracle ... and the wizard behind that magic is Cesar Millan.

We got the "NFL on FOX" star reporter Wednesday at LAX and had to ask about calling in the Dog Whisperer of all Dog Whisperers. Seems her pooch, Howard the Golden Retriever, had some issues with leash aggression.

Cesar's been working with Howard for a few weeks now and as Erin tells it ... the good boy's not the only one in need of some dog training.

School's also in session for beloved dog owners ... like her and hubby Jarret Stoll. Check it out ... Erin can't get enough of Cesar ... praising the hell outta the guy.

Oscar De La Hoya just got his first MAJOR political endorsement -- with former Mexico president Vicente Fox telling TMZ Sports, "I'm with you all the way!!!"

"Breaking news! Oscar De La Hoya is running for President of the United States. Bravo Oscar! You will make it," Fox told us.

Technically, Oscar isn't running yet -- but he told TMZ earlier this week he was putting together an exploratory team to see if he could get enough support to make a serious run for the White House in 2020.

Enter Fox -- who was President of Mexico from 2000 to 2006 -- who strongly believes Oscar is the right man for the job.

"You are honored and respected all over the world. You are well known in California, supported by all which you've done. You are a fighter. You are a warrior. You do fight for human rights. You do protect and fight for Hispanics and Mexican Americans rights in the United States ... that's you, Oscar."

"I'm with you all the way. You will make it ... President or 'Future President of the United States.' Fight. Win. That country needs people like you."

Not everyone has been as supportive, with Eric Holder and Jim Gray scoffing at the idea of President De La Hoya.

But, Oscar insists he's serious ... and this might be just the support he needs to get things going.

Good luck!

Virgin Colton Underwood's down to get down in the fantasy suite with all 3 finalists on "The Bachelor" ... should he reach that tipping point.

Sources close to Colton tell TMZ ... the possibility of him losing his virginity on the show is very likely, and he'll be willing to pull the trigger if he feels one of the finalists is THE ONE. Thing is ... Colton will have a shot at banging as many as 3 finalists ... if they accept his invitation to the fantasy suite and consent.

As you know ... Colton -- a former tight end who spent time on practice squads with the Chargers, Raiders, and Eagles -- became famous after dropping the virgin bombshell on Becca Kufrin's season. He's previously said he was too busy with football to do the deed. It's not a religious or waiting-for-marriage type of deal either, we're told.

And, get this ... Colton's not expecting the one to be a virgin (not that there's anything wrong with that). He'll be an equal opportunity doer ... but if past seasons are any indication, producers could cast a virgin.

Remember Rachel Lindsay, the first African American 'Bachelorette?' -- of her 31 suitors, 11 were black and nearly half were non-white. What are the odds Colton's mix includes virgin? Likely, it seems.

Whoever wins, to the victor goes the spoils.