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Food Network star and celebrity chef Carl Ruiz has died ... according to his closest friends in the biz.

Carl reportedly passed away Saturday night of a suspected heart attack, so says his pal and social media personality, Matt Farah. Matt also said Carl died peacefully in his sleep.

Guy Fieri also commented on Carl's death, writing on Twitter ... "I’m heartbroken that my friend chef Carl Ruiz is gone. I have no words to describe what a great friend he was to me and my family. His ability to make me laugh and smile under any circumstances was only outshined by his talent as a chef."

He added, "Over the years, I’ve met a lot of great people but a friend like Carl is one in a hundred million. Carl 'The Cuban' Ruiz will forever live on in my heart and in those of all who loved him."

CR had teamed up with Guy quite a bit over the years, having made appearances on three of his shows -- "Guy's Grocery Games," "Guy's Ranch Kitchen" and "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" -- for several episodes and even serving as a judge on some.

He was also close with a ton of other FN fixtures, including different Iron Chefs who competed on the popular program. Food Network regulars Jet Tila and Ben Ford also commented on Ruiz's passing, sending their condolences online with some kind words.

Carl -- who was Cuban-American -- was known as an expert in Spanish cuisine. He opened his restaurant, La Cubana, in NYC just earlier this year in June. According to his restaurant's website, he's helped open countless restaurants over the course of his 25-plus years in the food game ... and made several appearances on TV as well.

He was 44.

Antonio Brown says he's quitting the NFL because the league is corrupt and has screwed him out of millions of dollars.

Brown just tweeted up a storm, saying, among other things, "Will not be playing in the @NFL anymore these owners can cancel deals do whatever they want at anytime we will see if the @NFLPA hold them accountable sad they can just void guarantees anytime going on 40m 2 months will see if they pay up!"

What he's saying ... the Patriots signed him to a $15 mil deal with a $9 mil guaranteed signing bonus. But, here's the catch. The $9 mil was reportedly spread out over the season, and he was cut after just one week, and he's not gonna see most of that cash.

But, Brown went further and took aim at the Patriots' owner, Robert Kraft, firing this shot ... "Kraft got caught in the parlor AB speculations fired different strokes folks clearly." In other words, he's saying there's a double standard for him and the NFL bigwigs. Brown saying Kraft was charged with a crime and he was not, and the NFL hasn't punished Kraft.

He's also pissed because the NFL is investigating, and while that probe continues, he's poison to every team in the league.

Jamie Spears withstood a fierce challenge by ex-wife Lynne Spears in the conservatorship battle over Britney ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with knowledge of Wednesday's court hearing tell TMZ, Lynne wanted Jamie out as conservator, but the judge rejected her claims. Lynne felt Jamie had done a poor job ... something she's been saying since the Free Britney movement last spring.

The judge decided Jamie should continue on as conservator of Britney's estate, meaning all of her business affairs. As we reported, Jamie has temporarily bowed out of handling the other part of the conservatorship -- taking care of Britney, her medical needs and so on. The case manager Jamie hired -- Jodi Montgomery -- has been appointed conservator until January, and that's when Jamie will retake the reins. He is still taking care of all of her business affairs.

Jamie has said he's temporarily stepping down because of medical issues, but we know another reason is that there's currently a restraining order that prohibits him from having any contact with Britney's kids -- this after he allegedly put his hands on 14-year-old Sean.

There are a few complications. We're told Britney hasn't spoken to Jamie since last month when the incident went down between him and Sean. Several sources say they actually weren't speaking even before that.

And, there's this. Several sources say Britney is not doing well. As one source put it, "She goes through cycles, and hopefully we're at the bottom now." We posted this video Friday of Britney at an awards ceremony for boyfriend Sam, and she was so uncomfortable she beelined it for the car before even walking into the event.

This is absolutely awesome ... WWE star Lacey Evans did NOT break character for one iota of a second while being pulled over by cops in Canada. Now, THAT is nasty.

The southern belle wrestling personality recorded an encounter she had with police in Edmonton, Alberta over the weekend -- where she was being given a ticket for allegedly speeding down the highway. To non-WWE fans, it might've come off as intense.

In the video that Lacey posted to her own social media, you can see her get pretty testy with the relatively friendly and polite officer. Oh, Canada ... never change.

As he comes back to her car to hand her the ticket, Lacey goes off on him ... demanding to know whether he even knows who the hell she is. It's hilarious ... he definitely doesn't.

Lacey accepts the ticket with some major attitude, even go so far as to drop her signature catchphrase ... telling the cops he's "nasty" for doing what he did. The guy tells her to have a good day, and she fires back by wishing him a terrible day.

He ends leaving it as politely as he started, welcoming Lacey to Edmonton with a wave and smile. Lacey captioned her tweet, " 1.Canada is terrible. 2. You know Exactly who I am. 3. You will be speaking to my lawyer. #YaNasty." True to form, we must say.

Lacey's known for saying "nasty" A LOT on WWE, whether she's kicking ass in the ring or lecturing rambunctious co-workers from the stage. Talk about commitment, huh?

Aron Eisenberg, the actor who played Nog in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" is dead.

Eisenberg, who became famous in the spin-off, had been battling health issues ... he received 2 kidney transplants. He was born with one kidney, which failed and he went on dialysis at age 14. He underwent his first transplant when he was 17 and another when he was 46. His kidney issues stunted his growth -- he was 5' tall.

He was also featured in the TV movie, "Amityville: The Evil Escapes" and "The Horror Show," "Beverly Hills Brats" and "Playroom." In all, he has over 30 credits.

Although Eisenberg was known for "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," he was also featured in "Star Trek: Renegades" as well as "Star Trek: Voyager." He was also involved in the Star Trek video game back in 2010.

His widow, Malissa Longo, posted, "We didn't officially announce that we had eloped on December 28th, 2018. We were hoping to have a big shindig in celebration of our nuptials, but had to wait to save up the money."

She went on ... "There will never be another light like Aron's. The beauty that he was and the legacy he leaves behind is beyond words. I love him dearly and will miss him eternally. At the moment I'm not sure how to do life without him."

Aron was 50.

Donald Trump has more numbers to brag about -- his Trump Straws are selling like hotcakes, quickly approaching $1 million in sales ... and MAGA hats have reached a milestone.

Sources with the President's campaign tell TMZ ... sales for the straws -- which come in a 10-pack for $15 and are meant to own the libs -- have surpassed $850,000. We're told they're by far the most popular item right now on Trump's online shop.

As you can see ... the red plastic straws come laser engraved with "Trump" branding, and are advertised as reusable, recyclable and made in the U.S. of A. They're also touted as superior to "liberal paper straws."

While straws are the current hot purchase among Trump supporters, the red MAGA hat is still going strong on the shop at #2 ... and just passed 1 million units sold. It's unclear how many Kanye's responsible for, but either way -- at 25 bucks a pop -- that means the hat has generated $25 mil for the campaign to date ... minus the cost of production, obviously.

Trump's team was pushing both products Friday ... the same day as Berlin's "climate strike" and a day before the UN Climate Action Summit will take place in NYC.

The booming sales numbers came on the heels of Trump's trip to California, in which he raised $15 million from 4 events in Los Angeles.

Think wrestling is a bunch of phony hogwash?? Gather 'round, naysayers, 'cause it's 💀HORRIFYING REAL INJURY STORYTIME 💀 ... starring WWE superstar Xavier Woods!!

The storylines may be scripted ... but The New Day member tells TMZ Sports he once had a REAL gnarly injury experience ... and it involves his teeth making contact with a foot.

"One time, I got kicked in the face and my 2 front teeth flattened up against the top of my mouth and it broke my gum in half."

Umm ... OUCH?!

What's crazy about all this ... is Woods says he wanted to keep wrestling after it happened, but he was warned, "You're gonna bleed everywhere!!"

As if this story wasn't cringe enough ... here's what happened after.

"The doctor had to put her foot on the armrest of the chair, put her fingers up underneath my teeth and just pull them back into place before they could numb anything."

😲 😲 😲 😲 😲 😲 😲

Again ... OUCH!!!!!!!!

Woods says he got stitched up and now has a new pair of pearly whites, thanks to the accident.

"That was pretty terrible."

Tommy Chong says banning flavored vapes is a fool's errand, and the proper response to the recent spate of deaths has been right in front of us the whole time ... marijuana!!!

We got Tommy at the Daytime Beauty Awards in Los Angeles and asked about the federal government's potential crackdown on vaping -- and the avowed pothead said a ban won't do anything to curb use.

Tommy says bans just make things worse, equating the vape ban to the war on drugs. He says once drugs and vapes are forced to the black market, they actually become easier to buy.

The "Cheech & Chong" star also isn't buying the rationale for a ban. He questions why politicians are rushing to ban vapes -- after less than 10 deaths -- while refusing to address gun violence.

Hidden within this brow-raising photo is a child star that has acted alongside celebrities such as Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer and countless other big names.

This young actor landed the role of Ross' son, Ben, on the classic sitcom "Friends." He is best known for starring in a show alongside his twin brother on the Disney Channel. Currently, this famous face can be seen on CW's hit drama series that is based on the Archie Comics.

Ted Danson sure is in a good place with his looks!

Here is a 34-year-old version of the "Cheers" actor rockin' some dark and dreamy hair, during a photo shoot, on the set of the hit show back in 1982 (left).

And, 37 years later ... the now 71-year-old actor who stars in NBC's "The Good Place" -- along with Kristen Bell and Jameela Jamil -- was photographed showing off his silverside at the OCEANA gala in New York City, earlier this month (right).

Danson has been nominated for lead actor in a comedy series at the 71st Emmy Awards for his role as Michael on the show.

These looks already make him a winner!

The question is ...

Antonio Brown is back home after a turbulent past few weeks and an effective firing from the New England Patriots -- and he doesn't look too happy about it

The embattled wide receiver was seen exiting his private jet Saturday as he touched down in Miami -- where he owns a home. As he walked the runway, AB had an incredibly pained look on his face ... which is understandable after everything that's happened.

BTW, he was wearing Supreme gear here up top -- not Nike, which just dropped him this past week amid the mounting allegations. He also carried a Louis Vuitton briefcase.

While he looked pretty down in the dumps when he got back to Miami, AB was trying to put on a brave paid face before leaving the airport in New England ... posting a photo of himself sitting on top of a Rolls-Royce with the caption, "The Journey #Iknowimspecial #Whytheyplaying." Looks like he snuck in some Nike after all in his footwear.

As we reported ... Antonio was released by the Patriots Friday after a whirlwind of bad news for him, including a lawsuit alleging rape and sexual assault ... a Sports Illustrated story detailing more alleged sexual and behavioral misconduct ... as well as a reported attempt to contact one of his accusers with menacing texts.

Despite one good outing, it looks like the Pats had seen enough ... cutting him loose before Sunday's game against the Jets. AB's an unrestricted free agent now, and the NFL is still investigating the claims against him, not having come to a conclusion yet.

Kanye West wants his presence in Wyoming to be known far and wide -- it looks like he's hosting a mega Sunday Service this week, inviting all the townsfolk and their mom.

Ye's forthcoming Service is taking place at the Powwow Garden of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming -- where Kanye now owns a massive waterfront property, aptly named Monster Lake Ranch. Per local reports, the sign now reads "West Lake."

We already know he and Kim have made themselves at home -- getting acquainted with the local wildlife, to the chagrin of the Wyoming Game & Fish Dept. Now, it looks like Kanye wants to properly introduce the Wests to the community, 'cause his Sunday Service is being heavily advertised on a massive digital billboard, as well as on social media.

According to the venue's Facebook post about it, he's bringing out his "80-person choral group" for the performance -- so yeah, Kanye and co. are pulling out all the stops.

Preparations are currently underway for the free and public event, and it looks like they're expecting quite a turnout. Photos obtained by TMZ show a bunch of tents being set up Saturday ahead of Ye's Sunday Service, with catering and special event trucks in tow.

The Powwow Garden has a capacity of about 700 people -- 200 seated or 700 standing according to the Center's website -- but it's unclear how many people will actually show up. FYI, there are less than 10,000 people total living in Cody itself.

It's an interesting move on Kanye's part, as many of his Sunday Services of late have been relatively low-key -- not including the Chicago stop, of course. This appears to be the exact opposite of that -- pretty much a come one, come all approach.

An American Airlines jet made an unscheduled landing Friday after a passenger lit up a joint and got super aggro.

We're told the plane was going from Phoenix to Minneapolis, but an hour into the flight the pilot went on the intercom and said they had to make an emergency landing in Denver because of "a security issue in the back."

The passengers were a little freaked out, trying to figure out what was going on. The buzz in the cabin was that someone in the back said he was telling everyone around him, he was on cocaine. That's when the guy with dreads in the video ran to the back of the plane into the bathroom and locked the door.

Passengers tell us the flight attendants were super concerned and huddled around the bathroom door, trying to coax the guy out, to no avail.

We're told the guy was in the bathroom for 10 minutes and then, 5 minutes before the plane landed, he left the bathroom and went back to his seat. He was very jittery and, when the plane landed, cops and EMTs went onboard.

That's where the video starts ... you see the guy pull out a joint and a lighter, and start smoking. The pilot then came on the intercom and asked passengers in the first 13 rows to get off the plane, so they could remove the man. As they deplane, the guy punches one of the passengers.

You hear one passenger say there were Raiders fans onboard so they could take care of the guy.

Cops and EMTs removed the guy, handcuffed him and put him on a gurney. You hear him scream the cuffs were hurting him as he demanded to be freed, screaming, "Take it off, it hurts. I'll f***ing kill you!"

About 2 hours later, the plane was back up in the air ... en route to Minneapolis.

DaBaby seems to have handled his own business for once instead of resorting to goons -- 'cause he appears to have thrown a punch at a handsy fan.

The North Carolina rapper -- who's been blowing up these past few months -- was performing Friday night as a headliner at the Prime Festival in Lansing, MI ... where at one point in the show, he seemed to hurl his fist (sloppily) at a guy in the front row.

DB probably had good reason to swat at him though ... looks like the dude got his paws on his chain, and might've even been trying to tug on it and snatch it away.

In video of the altercation, obtained by TMZ, DaBaby is below the stage level and face-to-face with the crowd, where only a barricade separates them. We're told DB was doing his thing, when someone close by reached up and made contact with his jewelry.

Well, DaBaby noticed and paused to throw a punch -- although, it's unclear if it landed properly or even made contact with the guy. After that, eyewitnesses tell us DaBaby hopped back onstage and finished out his 30-minute set ... immediately leaving the stage.

We're told nobody called cops and no one appeared to be injured -- so no harm, no foul really. That's good, considering DB has a bit of a track record being around beatdowns, allegedly at the hands of his entourage with him looking on.

While he did take credit for a beating at a mall once, after a dude relentlessly heckled him, it was not clear at the time if he'd handled the fella himself or not. Fast-forward to early August, when another fan got a thrashing ... and DB had his hands clean there too.

Now, it appears DaBaby took a swing on his own -- in clear view, without any convenient edits. Whether it's him or the homies, it's clear ... DB WILL come at ya. Take note, y'all.

Kevin Hart and the 2 people in his car that crashed Sept. 1 have all lawyered up, TMZ has learned, and everyone's expecting a big lawsuit.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us, the driver, who sustained serious back and chest injuries has an attorney, as does the passenger in the backseat, who sustained only minor injuries. Kevin has a lawyer as well.

We're told Kevin is in the crosshairs of the other 2 people in the 1970 Plymouth Barracuda because the car did not have safety harnesses or airbags. The argument is ... Kevin should have worried less about keeping the car authentic and more about safety -- and not doing so constitutes negligence.

The driver could also be on the hook for Kevin and the backseat passenger, but it's a little premature since the CHP is still investigating the cause of the crash.

The big issue ... we're told the company that customized the car could be looking at a lawsuit. The argument goes like this ... the company is the expert and even if Kevin wanted a custom job without safety harnesses, the company should have refused the job because it wasn't safe ... especially with a powerful, 720 horsepower engine.

We contacted 10 custom car companies around the country and asked if Kevin's crash has opened their eyes and changed their minds about customizing classic cars without installing safety harnesses. 8 out of the 10 said they would if that's what the customer wanted. Only 2 said they would not.

It's interesting because it opens these companies up to a lawsuit, especially if there are passengers in the car who get injured.

Jeremy Meeks has moved on from Chloe Green ... or so it seems.

Jeremy showed up at Catch Friday night in WeHo, and opened the car door on the passenger side like a curtain at a Broadway play, revealing what appears to be his new chick.

Her name -- Erica Peeples, an actress who's appeared in Netflix's "True to the Game" and 'Law and Order.' Erica says she's also a DJ, a poet and a producer.

They were inside the restaurant for 2 1/2 hours and, on the way out, Jeremy proudly introduced Erica to our photog.

It's a little weird ... just last Sunday we got Jeremy out and he insisted he's still with Chloe, the mother of one of his children. They were engaged, but it seems like that's history.