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A woman -- crowned one of Alabama's teachers of the year -- is in hot water with the law after allegedly whipping the s**t out of her child with a belt on video.

Nicole Staples -- who teaches second grade at Cottage Hill Christian Academy in Mobile -- was charged Wednesday with willful abuse of a child under 18, according to the county Sheriff's Office.

The video is startling ... Staples appears to hit her adolescent son on the backside upwards of 20 times after hurling a flurry of curses at him for not cleaning up after himself. She appears to grab him by the hair before seeming to smack him again.

Chadwick Boseman was honored with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday, and his widow Simone Boseman spoke to us about his legacy and what this honor does for it.

As you know, Chadwick made history with his portrayal as T'Challa in "Black Panther" ... but Simone tells us its impact reached beyond just that film franchise.

She pointed out he blazed a trail for all future Black superheroes ... "He made space and now there can be more and more and more ... he set it up. He played the role he was meant to play."

Can you guess which Hollywood hottie put her iconic curves on full display in these eye-popping shots?! Thirsty Thursday is comin' in hot with this celeb breakin' a sweat!

Whether makin' headlines for criminal justice reform ... or turnin' heads with her fierce fashion, she and her famous sisters keep it real!

Fugees member Pras Michél has been hit with a 14-year prison sentence ... handed down after his conviction on conspiracy and illegal foreign lobbying charges.

The verdict came down Thursday in a D.C. federal court -- slapping Pras with three years of probation on top of his 14-year stint. He already got hit last month with a massive $64 million forfeiture tied to the alleged scheme.

The hip hop lyricist got slapped with 10 guilty counts back in April 2023 -- everything from messing with campaign finance laws during Obama’s 2012 run to allegedly cozying up with the Trump administration in 2017.

The mystery surrounding the benching of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens Monday night in Las Vegas has finally been solved ... as Lamb says the star wideouts missed team curfew after having dinner at a nearby resort.

The Cowboys' All-Pro wide receiver made the revelation while speaking with reporters in Dallas, saying the guys grabbed some grub and a few drinks at Red Rock Casino, about 20 minutes from where the team was staying for the Raiders game.

The explanation comes after rumors were circulating online indicating Lamb was spotted not just hanging out at the Casino on game day at 7:30 AM, but also throwing up.

"Love & Hip Hop: Miami" star Sukihana -- AKA "Suki with the Good Coochie" -- apparently got some good d*** last night ... that's what she told us when we caught her at LAX in a wheelchair.

In the middle of a pretty wholesome conversation about her recent birthday, our photog just casually acknowledged the wheelchair Suki was sitting in.

Without hesitation, she blurted out, "I got f****d so hard last night. I'm not gonna lie, I got some good birthday d***, so I can't walk or nothing."

Megan Thee Stallion took the stand Thursday in her defamation case against blogger Milagro "Gramz" Cooper ... and broke down crying while talking about a PSA she once did for suicide prevention!!!

The superstar rapper was being questioned on the stand about the night of the Tory Lanez shooting, when she was shown a bit from a documentary she did with mental health nonprofit org, Never A Bother.

Megan tearfully told jurors she knows what it feels like to "not want to live anymore" and went into detail about the toll the ordeal with Tory and Milagro has taken on her.

Honesty is the best policy ... at least according to Karoline Leavitt, who brazenly defended Donald Trump calling a female reporter "piggy," telling White House journalists they should appreciate the president's honest and direct approach.

Strap in -- the White House Press Secretary went full ride-or-die at Thursday’s briefing, doubling down on Trump’s jab and basically saying, hey, at least he was open and honest, which in her universe counts as "respectful."

When the Washington Post’s Natalie Allison pressed her on it, Leavitt elaborated -- saying Trump’s "frankness" is basically why he got re-elected, and insisting he only gets cranky when reporters lie and spread "fake news." And she claimed Trump's rudeness is preferable to the Biden administration's press dealings.

Jelly Roll is going with a new look ... because he just shaved off his beard ... and it's the first time he's done away with the facial hair in a decade.

The rapper just showed off his new look in a new video he uploaded to YouTube ... and he also got rid of his mustache and goatee.

Jelly Roll leaned in hard on the big reveal, filming himself shaving in the mirror and blurring his face until it was all gone. He then came into his kitchen and showed his daughter Bailee Ann what he'd done ... and her reaction is priceless.

Sia's laid out the witnesses she plans to call at her upcoming spousal support and custody hearing ... and she's listed herself as chief among them.

According to a new filing, Sia says she expects to take the stand at a hearing for approximately 2 hours on issues such as spousal support, custody, visitation, attorney's fees, and more.

Sia also lists her estranged husband, Daniel Bernad, who she expects her lawyers to cross-examine on various issues like custody ... and accountant Tracy Katz, who she says will testify about child support and other financial issues.

Marciano Brunette from "Vanderpump Villa" made a return cameo in "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," stirring up some drama this season ... and he says he's feeling regret for some of his lies about the scandal.

Marciano claimed he and Jessi Ngatikaura had a sexual affair after meeting on their crossover episode ... and now he's feeling ways about that action. We caught up with the reality star leaving SUR in West Hollywood -- showing some support for former boss Lisa Vanderpump -- and he tells us he has regrets about coming forward about the affair in the way he did.

He said he feels bad for his contribution to the rockiness of Jessi and Jordan Ngatikaura's relationship ... asked where his relationship stands with Jessi now, Marciano hesitates -- check out the video for more about their current status.

2:20 PM PT -- Elon Musk has responded to everyone noticing his A.I. creation Grok lavished him with over-the-top praise, and he's blaming mean trolls.

The X owner tweeted on his account ... "Earlier today, Grok was unfortunately manipulated by adversarial prompting into saying absurdly positive things about me.  For the record, I am a fat r*****." He went with the full R-word in his post.

Elon Musk's creation is staying loyal to its maker ... even asserting the X owner's in better physical shape than LeBron James -- though many online aren't buying it.

Here's the deal ... a social media user asked the A.I. chatbot which of the two men is in better physical shape -- at first trying to be judicious by claiming James dominates in raw athleticism and basketball talent while Elon edges him out in "holistic fitness."

Grok cites Musk's intense work schedule and the pressures of his job as keys to his claim to the fitness crown ... finishing off the message by adding "Elon's building the future while LeBron plays [a game]."

Keith Urban is not letting a silly controversy about his recent Mar-a-Lago performance faze him ... 'cause the country star's too busy raising bank for sick children.

Here the deal ... KU just headlined a benefit concert at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida on Tuesday ... and he helped raise a record $2 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

It's a big deal for a few reasons ... obviously, the dude has a huge heart -- actively supporting St. Jude for years -- and he also just performed and presented at last night's CMAs. But there was a snag over a song he played at a private gig.

TMZ Sports is going live from the newsroom to discuss the day's biggest stories ... but we don't just want folks to watch and enjoy the conversation, we want y'all to get involved!!

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.

So tune in, make fun of us, share your two cents, sound off about your favorite team ... nothing is out of bounds.

Lisa Rinna may've slayed first ... but her youngest daughter Amelia Gray may just be givin' her hot mama a run for her money! Both lovely ladies were feelin' the faux fur ... but which gal is demure, and whose look took a bad turn?!

The question here is: Who'd You Rather?!

It seems like Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are done for good ... following speculation they reconciled after their split in September.

Chase had fans doing a double-take Thursday when he posted cryptic messages that appeared to be about a relationship gone wrong ... taking to his Instagram Story to say he's "blocked" and "did nothing wrong." He also apologized, adding ... "I tried."

He added more fuel to the speculation with a second post, writing ... "I'm sorry for those who believed in us. It is what it is. Onwards and upwards."