TMZ Sports - Page 50

Mulan Hernandez is calling B.S. on Stefon Diggs' bombshell lawsuit ... claiming the NFL star's allegations made against her are nothing more than an attempt to get in front of the truth.

The TV personality released a statement on the matter on Thursday ... saying, "On June 7th I was assaulted from behind by Stefon Diggs at our residence an incident that resulted in a concussion."

June 7 is the same day Diggs claims Hernandez showed up at his residence and assaulted him, damaged his property and threatened to ruin his career ... although he denied ever touching her outside of self-defense.

Sad news in the snowboarding community ... Australian star Luke "The Dingo" Trembath has tragically passed away at the age of 38.

His cause of death is not known at this time.

Word of the loss spread on social media Thursday night ... with countless friends and loved ones sharing heartbreaking reactions.

Gene Hackman’s New Mexico home is so huge, it took a while to find his body after his wife Betsy’s was found, a local fire official tells TMZ ... giving us a detailed rundown of what went down when they arrived on the scene.

Santa Fe Fire Chief Brian Moya tells TMZ paramedics responded to a "man down" call from Gene's address Wednesday with a fire engine and an ambulance, and rushed in through the unlocked front door -- with sheriff's deputies arriving later.

Moya tells us they found Betsy right away, on the floor of a bathroom near the front door. Their team is trained to spot obvious signs of death, and it was clear Betsy had passed -- so no resuscitation efforts were made.

The Texas Tech student who nailed a full-court putt in front of Patrick Mahomes is getting something much sweeter than a pair of headphones -- free school!!

The awesome gesture was revealed on Thursday ... when the three-time Super Bowl champion surprised senior Blake Porter during his appearance on the "Today" show.

Mahomes said Porter's putt is gonna go a lot farther than 94 feet ... 'cause he said Texas Tech Athletics would be footing the bill when his fall courses come around next semester.

LSU pole vaulter Dillon Reidenauer tragically lost her life in a car accident Wednesday night, the school announced. She was only 18.

The fatal crash happened near Tiger Stadium on the Baton Rouge campus ... when a motorcyclist struck Reidenauer's car.

According to local outlets, her vehicle was T-boned as she was turning left onto South Quad Drive ... and as a result of the collision, both vehicles burst into flames.

An impromptu pre-Oscars party went down at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday ... with big actors like Timothée Chalamet and Ben Affleck snagging courtside seats for the Lakers' win over the Timberwolves.

LeBron James and Co. handled business for the Purple and Gold ... coming away with the 111-102 victory thanks to the King's stat sheet-stuffing night with 33 points, 17 rebounds and six assists.

Ball knower and "A Complete Unknown" star Timmy C was clearly loving the action ... giving a big smile as he took it all in. He seemingly had a bit of a costume change during his night out ... as he was spotted wearing two different shirts.

Gene Hackman's two dogs that were found alive when authorities searched his home are safe and in the care of local officials.

According to a sheriff's press release, Santa Fe County Animal Control is reportedly working with Hackman’s family to “ensure the safety of the two dogs.”

Gene and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, had three dogs -- one of which was found dead by deputies inside a bathroom closet. The German Shepherd was lying 10-15 feet away from Arakawa, who was also found deceased on the bathroom floor -- with prescription pills scattered nearby.

Gene Hackman seemingly had no health-related issues prior to his mysterious death ... this according to the late actor's daughter.

Speaking with the Daily Mail, Leslie Anne Hackman says, "there was no indication that there was any problem," leading up to his tragic death. She also notes Gene did not recently undergo any significant surgeries.

While Gene was 95 years old, his daughter claims he was in very good physical condition, participating in activities like Pilates and yoga several times a week -- with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, playing an imperative role in his healthy lifestyle. As we reported, a close friend of Gene's tells us Betsy made sure GH stuck to a strict diet.

Coach Norman Dale was one of Gene Hackman's most iconic roles -- in "Hoosiers," one of his most memorable movies -- and now the late actor's costar is speaking out in the wake of the beloved 95-year-old's death.

TMZ Sports spoke to Brad Long just hours after the tragic news broke of Hackman's passing ... where the actor shared his experience working alongside the Academy Award winner in what was Long's first movie role.

Despite having no experience, Brad, who played Buddy in the 1986 hit, says Gene was super down-to-earth and "made us feel comfortable," adding he never made anyone "feel self-conscious."

Mary Kate Cornett and her parents are coming off an emotional 48 hours ... one which her parents said left them feeling helpless -- though a recent development may help the Cornetts take some of their power back.

We spoke with Mary Kate Cornett's mother, Leslie, and her father, Justin ... who tell us all the claims about their daughter floating around on the internet are untrue.

We're told the last couple days have been difficult for the trio, who are all spending time together in Oxford, Mississippi -- the city where the University of Mississippi resides.

NFL superstar Stefon Diggs just filed a lawsuit against a former fling ... accusing her of assaulting him, threatening to torpedo his career and attempting to extort millions of dollars out of him.

The Houston Texans receiver filed the papers this week ... claiming model and TV personality Mulan Hernandez -- who he had a "casual relationship" with for months -- showed up at his apartment around 6 AM on June 7, 2024 after a night of partying and proceeded to "aggressively berate" him.

Diggs states Hernandez entered his gaming room and ignored his instructions to leave ... and despite his attempts to defuse the situation, she continued to go off on him.

Gene Hackman and his wife were inside their home, not moving ... and the sight of them got the 911 caller very emotional, TMZ has learned.

We've obtained the audio of the 911 call that led to police discovering the bodies of Hackman and Betsy Arakawa ... and, an unnamed caretaker of the area can be heard frantically pleading for the dispatcher to send someone to the house.

The call starts with the caretaker, whose name is redacted, saying he believes they've just stumbled across one or two dead bodies -- he seems unsure at the time of the call -- and they need immediate assistance.

It'll be a while before we get the full story on Gene Hackman, his wife Betsy, and their dog’s suspicious deaths -- 'cause TMZ has learned that even with the initial autopsy, the final report will take a few more weeks.

Sources tell TMZ that after the autopsy is done by the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, it’ll take 4 to 6 weeks for toxicology and other tests to come through before the final report is issued.

Authorities have been super puzzled over their deaths -- making a note of how Gene's front door to his NM property was open when they entered for the search warrant of their house.

Jon Gruden is back in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor ... less than four years after he lost the recognition amid his controversial email scandal.

The organization announced the reversal in a statement on Thursday ... saying "Jon Gruden was initially inducted into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor based on his many accomplishments during his seven seasons as our head coach and he remains a significant figure in the history of our franchise."

"Upon further reflection, we have decided to reinstate him into the Buccaneers Ring of Honor."

Legendary actor and two-time Oscar winner Gene Hackman has been found dead inside his Santa Fe, New Mexico home alongside his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and their dog, TMZ has confirmed.

The bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were discovered Wednesday afternoon, with Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza confirming the news just after midnight on Thursday.

The sheriff's office reportedly told NBC affiliate KOB of Albuquerque a welfare check was conducted at his home after a concerned neighbor called the police.

Andrew and Tristan Tate are back in the United States after spending much of the last few years fighting legal battles in Romania ... and, they hit the ground challenging allegations of sex trafficking and rape, claiming they're victims of misinformation and straight-up lies.

The brothers -- who were indicted on sex trafficking charges in the Eastern European country back in 2023 -- arrived in Fort Lauderdale Thursday ... and, reporters were waiting for them.

Andrew says America is a democratic society where people are innocent until proven guilty ... and, he asks everyone to stop rushing to judgment -- because they haven't been convicted of a single crime.