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"Heated Rivalry" star Hudson Williams is pulling back the curtain on his DMs ... revealing he’s been getting messages from pro athletes who say they’re still in the closet.

Speaking on "Andy Cohen Live," Hudson -- who plays Shane Hollander in the steamy queer hockey drama -- said it hit him just how deep the show was landing when he started getting a flood of anonymous DMs from secretly gay pro athletes.

Hudson said the messages haven't been coming from just one sport ... he’s heard from athletes in hockey, football, and basketball -- many of whom also reached out to the show’s author, Rachel Reid, who then passed along the love.

Spencer Tepe's friends rushed to his house when he didn't show up for work on December 30 ... and we've obtained the dramatic audio from when the bodies were discovered.

As you know, Spencer and his wife, Monique Tepe, were found with gunshot wounds inside their Columbus, Ohio home after Spencer's coworkers called in a welfare check.

The dramatic incident plays out in a series of phone calls ... when Dr. Mark Valrose -- one of Tepe's friends -- calls the cops to request a welfare check, telling them it's super unlike Tepe to miss work and not communicate with the staff.

10:43 AM PT -- Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says prosecutors are confident a jury will find Nick Reiner guilty of murdering his parents, no matter who he has as a defense lawyer.

10:32 AM PT -- Alan Jackson just held a brief news conference where he said there's one thing everyone can take to the bank -- "Nick Reiner is NOT guilty of murder."

Jackson said the circumstances under which he had to withdraw from the case were beyond Nick's control. TMZ broke the story ... Nick was diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder and there are issues regarding his meds that could lead to a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

10:06 AM PT -- A spokesperson for the Reiner family released a statement on Nick's change of legal representation saying ... "They have the utmost trust in the legal process and will not comment further on matters related to the legal proceedings."

A source told The New York Times the change had nothing to do with Alan's "performance" and that he had been a pro.

9:52 AM PT -- Nick Reiner's new attorney is public defender Kimberly Greene, who has 19 years' experience.

The judge signed off on Nick's change of legal representation and set a new arraignment date for Feb. 23. Nick spoke up in court, saying, "Uh, yeah I agree with that."

Nick's leaving the courtroom and going back to jail -- he still has no bail -- and Alan is about to address the media ... tune into the live stream above.

Nick Reiner's lawyer is off the case, TMZ has learned, and Nick will -- at least for the time being -- be represented by a public defender.

Sources connected to the Reiner family, with direct knowledge, tell TMZ ... when attorney Alan Jackson appears in court Wednesday morning for Nick's arraignment, he will inform the judge he is no longer representing Nick.

Our sources say a public defender will step in for now, and the case will be continued. Nick will not enter a plea.

As for why Jackson is off the case, we're told the family will be releasing a statement as soon as the proceedings are over, and TMZ will post it.

2:15 PM PT -- The dead woman was identified as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, the Minnesota Star Tribune reports. Minnesota officials said she was "a legal observer of federal actions in the city" and was not the target of an immigration-related arrest, WCCO-TV reports.

Chaos is growing in Minneapolis right now after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman who allegedly "weaponized her vehicle" against officers ... and the incident and the aftermath were recorded on video.

ICE agents approached an SUV in traffic on a residential street as neighbors congregated and recorded the scene with their phones Wednesday morning ... video shows the vehicle lurching forward, and gunshots are heard, and the SUV crashes into a parked car. The female driver was struck in the head and was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to local reports.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told TMZ ... "rioters" began blocking ICE officers from conducting targeted operations Wednesday when one of them "attempted to run over" law enforcement officers "in an attempt to kill them."

Veteran comedic actor Pat Finn -- who starred in sitcoms like "The Middle" and "The George Wendt Show" -- died from bladder cancer ... according to his death certificate.

The document, obtained by TMZ, says Pat had a cancerous tumor in his bladder for years ... and there were no other significant conditions contributing to his death.

As we reported ... Pat died from cancer Dec. 22 at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family.

It was unclear when Pat died what type of cancer he was fighting, but there had been reports he was diagnosed several years ago with bladder cancer ... and that turned out to be the case here.

Sean Swayze, the younger brother of late Hollywood legend Patrick Swayze, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sean's son, Jesse Swayze, tells TMZ ... his father died on December 15 in the Los Angeles area.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office ... Sean died of an acute upper gastrointestinal bleed and severe metabolic acidosis brought on by cirrhosis of the liver -- severe scarring caused by alcoholism.

Spencer Pratt has announced he's running for mayor of Los Angeles ... test your Pratt-ical knowledge about the TV star!

The reality star made the announcement Wednesday in front of a cheering crowd, saying, "This is not just a campaign. This is a mission. And we are going to expose the system!"

This mayoral bid begins on the first anniversary of the Pacific Palisades wildfire, which destroyed more than 6,000 structures -- including the house Pratt shared with wife Heidi and their two sons. Spencer has been engaged in a battle with California politicians ever since.

Spencer's ongoing war of words with California Governor Gavin Newsom escalated Tuesday in an Instagram post revealing a letter sent to him from the governor's office.

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 Babcock, Lucas, 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.

YouTube, X, TikTok ... we're everywhere.

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

Nick Reiner had an eventful day in court ... he's now being repped by a public defender and his outgoing defense attorney made it clear he thinks Nick is NOT guilty of murdering his parents ... but the way Alan Jackson made his statement has our antennas up.

We got into every angle of Nick's appearance in a Downtown Los Angeles courtroom Wednesday on "TMZ Live" ... the change of lawyer, an interesting statement from the D.A., a possible defense strategy, and we even had a reporter inside the courthouse who told us how Nick was acting.

The big thing here is Jackson is out, and a public defender is in ... but Jackson left some breadcrumbs that seem to indicate Nick's got a strategy ready and a new defense team may be coming in to take over.

Bill Hader and Ali Wong have called it quits after more than 2 years together ... TMZ has confirmed.

The 2 comedians have gone their separate ways, a source tells us ... citing their busy schedules as a major reason for their breakup.

We're told they are both focused on their careers and families right now, rather than their love lives. We are told the split was amicable and the two remain friends. People broke the news of the split.

12:57 PM PT -- We now know who is stepping into David Harbour's "Behemoth!" role ... because Deadline reports Will Arnett will take over the part.

David Harbour may be taking a short break from Hollywood for a while ... he's reportedly backed out of an upcoming film.

Variety reports Harbour has exited the Tony Gilroy-directed drama "Behemoth!" after a recent slew of bad press.

Remember ... Harbour is going through a messy divorce with Lily Allen -- who seemingly accused him of cheating on her album "West End Girl" -- and has been plagued by rumors of Millie Bobby Brown filing a harassment report against him ... though Brown categorically denied the rumors.

We want you to be a part of TMZ, so every weekday, between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM PT, we take you inside our newsroom via live stream.

You never know what you're gonna get ... a big story that breaks, an argument erupts in the room, or someone's just joking around.

Your comments are a big part of the stream, and the staff spends a lot of time speaking directly to you. Every day is different!

Brett Favre is fact-checking a recent report on his health ... saying while his Parkinson's has progressed, he is by no means throwing in the towel.

A popular sports social media account stated this week the Gunslinger has "given up hope" amid his battle with the disease ... an erroneous post that reached nearly two million sets of eyeballs.

We reached out to 56-year-old Brett ... and he scoffed at the idea he's accepting defeat.

Can you guess which magical musician put her scorchin' hot bod on full display in this eye-popping shot?! We've got you covered with a few clues, but then it's on you to hit the home run!

Yes, she's a singer but she's also known for her role on Disney's "Violetta." When she's not in the booth, she's cookin' up some mac and cheese on socials ...

Sydney Sweeney is sliding into the New Year in her American Eagle jeans -- making it clear she didn’t let last year’s big ol’ controversy faze her -- and she’s not about to start now! When you're done scrollin, bounce into a Sydney Sweeney True or False game!

The actress shared IG snaps from her adrenaline-packed winter getaway ... rocking a lineup of stylish looks, including some eye-catching jeans she labeled her fave winter fits ... and yep, she made sure to tag AE.

Khloé Kardashian is swearing off men ... at least for the moment, according to a recent AMA on her "Khloé in Wonder Land" podcast.

While answering the question, "How do you feel about men eating food in bed or anyplace other than a designated food area?" the reality star offered a way more detailed look into her personal life.

She revealed ... "I have a lot of feelings about a man just being in my bed at the moment. I don't want anyone in there."

The one exception? Her 3-year-old son, Tatum.