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Nicki Minaj wanted a familiar face to help her tie the knot ... so she brought in her pastor from the other side of the U.S. of A. to officiate the ceremony.

Sources close to Nicki tell TMZ ... the singer flew out her pastor, Lydia Woodson-Sloley, from Brooklyn to Los Angeles for her nuptials with Kenneth Petty.

We're told Nicki and Pastor Lydia -- who fancies herself as a poet, author, Christian life coach and music producer -- go way back, so Nicki just had to have her as the wedding minister.

Lydia founded "Life in Its Poetic Form Christian Ministries" way back in 2000, and Nicki's a huge supporter of her work -- even thanking her in front of millions of people at the 2015 VMAs after accepting the award for best hip-hop video.

Nicki and Pastor Lydia also joined forces in 2017 to rebuild a village in India, making sure people there gained access to clean water.

We broke the story ... Nicki and Kenneth got hitched Monday in L.A. in a low-key ceremony, rushing to the altar because their marriage license was set to expire at month's end.

Nicki and Kenneth are following the blueprint of Justin and Hailey -- no-frills nuptials, followed by a church service and blowout celebration -- so it's a good bet Pastor Lydia will continue to be involved moving forward.

The MLB umpire who vowed to buy an AR-15 and declare a civil war if President Trump was impeached is now apologizing ... saying he didn't "realize the violence in those words."

Rob Drake -- who's been working MLB games since 1999 -- created a firestorm this week when he tweeted, "I will be buying an AR-15 tomorrow, because if you impeach MY PRESIDENT this way, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER CIVAL WAR!!! #MAGA2020."

Drake deleted the tweet ... but it was too late -- people were going crazy over it.

Now, after the MLB Umpires Association condemned the tweet, Drake has issued an apology ... acknowledging he screwed up big time.

"I want to personally apologize to everyone that my words made feel less safe," Drake said.

"I especially want to apologize to every person who has been affected by gun violence in our country."

"I also acknowledge and apologize for the controversy this has brought to Major League Baseball, my fellow umpires and my family. I never intended to diminish the threat of violence from assault weapons, or violence of any kind."

Drake continued, "I'm going to learn from this. Once I read what I had tweeted I realized the violence in those words and have since deleted it. I know that I cannot unsay the words, but please accept my sincerest apologies."

Dog the Bounty Hunter says he's focusing on his health and recovery following a scary diagnosis last month ... starting with his diet.

We got Dog out in NYC as he was leaving Barstool Sports and asked how he's doing, and he tells us he's trying his best to get better ... specifically by laying off white foods.

So ya know, white foods -- aka "bad carbs" -- refers to sugar and other white-colored foods that have been processed and refined ... like flour, rice, pasta, bread, crackers and cereal. Natural, unprocessed white foods -- like onions, cauliflower, turnips, white beans and some fish -- are all good.

As we reported ... Dog revealed to Dr. Oz he was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition -- a pulmonary embolism -- which he called a "ticking time bomb." Dog added he wouldn't be around for long without improving his heart condition.

Seems like he's taking doctors' orders -- as well as the wishes of his family -- to make the necessary lifestyle changes he needs to keep on truckin'.

Paramore's lead vocalist, Hayley Williams, is spending most of her time these days in Los Angeles ... so she's looking to sell her crib back home in Tennessee.

Hayley's super cute cottage just hit the market ... and the 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom pad is listed at a cool $1 million.

The historic home is made of stone, and it's got a modern touch despite being built in 1935 ... it's decked out with a screened-in porch with a swing, plus a fireplace in the living room and a sprawling basement perfect for a man cave, home gym or studio.

Hayley's 3-story house is gated for extra privacy, and it's got a stand-alone garage and a large grass lawn. The interior features hardwood floors, tile and vinyl.

The pad is in the Nashville suburb of Franklin, the same town where Hayley's rock band traces its roots.

Donna Brevard of Zeitlin Sothebys International Realty has the listing.

Australian singer and songwriter Gotye (real name Wouter "Wally" De Backer) shot to stardom back in 2012 -- alongside kiwi singer Kimbra -- after his catchy single, "Somebody That I Used To Know," topped the Billboard Hot 100 charts!!!

Gotye went on to win three Grammys at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards in 2013 for Best Alternative Album, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record Of The Year.

Although Gotye hasn't released much music since his 2011 album, "Making Mirrors" ... he's been actively rocking out with the jam band The Basics and even has a show next month in Victoria, Australia.

WWE star Jimmy Uso swerved all over the road while speeding before he was arrested for DUI ... and TMZ Sports has obtained the police footage that shows the scary scene.

The 34-year-old wrestler was busted back on July 25 in Escambia County, Florida after cops say they noticed Uso driving recklessly throughout the night in his Cadillac Escalade.

New police video shows the moment when an officer catches Uso -- real name Jonathan Fatu -- in the act ... and it's frightening.

Uso is all over the road ... bouncing from side to side in his lane -- even at one point crossing the double yellow line -- all while the cop clocks him at 86 MPH in a 45.

Eventually, the officer was able to pull him over ... and, you can see in the video, Uso looks trashed.

The 6'3", 251-pound wrestler was stumbling as he walked to the back of his car ... and when the cop tried to take him to a nearby parking lot to complete field sobriety tests, Uso talked in circles.

Jimmy kept questioning what was happening ... and aggressively asked the officer several times why he couldn't have his lawyer present during the stop.

Eventually, the cop got fed up with Uso and arrested him for DUI. And, in fact, in the police report, the cop says Uso reeked so much of alcohol, he had to roll down his window on the ride to county jail.

Jimmy was eventually hit with misdemeanor DUI ... and he's been fighting the charge in court over the last few months -- with his next hearing set for next week.

Of course, this is the SECOND time Uso's had issues with law enforcement this year -- remember, back in February, he was arrested in Michigan after cops say he tried to fight them during a traffic stop.

In that case, Uso struck a plea deal and was ordered to pay $450 in fines.

Uso is a big deal in the pro wrestling world -- his father is WWE legend Rikishi and his cousins are The Rock and Roman Reigns.

Jeremy Renner's ex has filed more documents in their bitter custody battle ... this time claiming some upcoming depositions should go down under extremely secure conditions, because she feels threatened by the actor.

Sonni Pacheco claims in the legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jeremy put a gun in his mouth, threatened to kill himself and fired the gun into the ceiling while their 6-year-old daughter, Ava, was asleep in a nearby bedroom. Pacheco also claims he wanted to kill her and himself because Ava would be better off with no mother than having to deal with Sonni.

Renner has denied Pacheco's allegations and says he made no such comments. But, she's now asking the judge in the custody war to set aside a room at the courthouse where her depo and the depo of their nanny can be taken in order to feel safe there. She notes you can't bring a gun into a courthouse.

Kanye West just revealed the tracklist for his highly anticipated album, "Jesus is King" ... and it's a radically different version than the one Kim shared back in August.

Though there has been some skepticism based around previously missed album deadlines, Kanye is assuring everyone 'JiK' will hit at midnight.

The 11-song tracklist Kanye revealed is one song less than what Kim put out ... but there are a whole lot of song titles that have changed. In fact, only 4 of the titles Kim shared remain on Kanye's list.

Of course, the songs themselves may have stayed the same -- with only a title change -- but it's also possible Ye scrapped 8 records altogether.

Some of the new track names include ... "Follow God," "On God," "Everything We Need," "Use The Gospel," and "Jesus is Lord."

As we reported ... Yeezy held a massive album listening event at The Forum in L.A. Wednesday night. Fans were treated to a screening of his "Jesus is King" IMAX project and then a full preview of the album.

Felicity Huffman isn't above making new friends in prison ... she's yukking it up with her fellow inmates in the yard!!!

The "Desperate Housewives" star was spotted Wednesday at FCI Dublin in Northern California, where's she's currently serving her nearly 2-week sentence, and it's pretty interesting to see Felicity fraternizing with another convict.

As you can see, Felicity's strolling the prison yard with another inmate, chatting as they walk around in dark green jumpsuits and jackets. She's definitely not walling herself off from the rest of the prison population, even though she's rich and famous, and there for only a matter of days.

Ya gotta wonder if they're just talking TV, movies or those pesky SAT tests. Oh, to be a fly on the prison wall.

Bruce Springsteen has fired back at Donald Trump ... coming close to calling him un-American.

Springsteen appeared on "CBS This Morning" Thursday and did not hold back, saying, "The stewardship of the nation ... has been thrown away to somebody who doesn't have a clue as to what that means ... and unfortunately, we have somebody who I feel doesn't have a grasp of the deep meaning of what it means to be an American."

You may recall, Trump shaded Bruce, calling him "Little Bruce Springsteen" ... presumably, because he supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Harvey Weinstein got an earful from a woman who railed on him during an event Wednesday night before being escorted out.

Weinstein was at the Downtime Bar in the Lower East Side for an event called
Actors Hour, which employs artists to "create an open space for creatives to share what they love."

Zoe Stuckless was on hand, as she watched a comedian onstage asking the crowd to address "the elephant in the room." The comic was met with boos, which enraged Stuckless.

She says she watched as Weinstein was laughing, clapping, drinking and flirting while no one said a word.

She then took matters into her own hand, screaming "Nobody's gonna say anything?" She repeated the question, walked up to Weinstein and said ... "I'm gonna stand 4 feet from a f***ing rapist and no one's gonna say anything?"

Weinstein did not react to her, but event organizers escorted her out, she claims, with the help of Weinstein's bodyguard.

Weinstein's spokesperson tells TMZ, "Harvey Weinstein was out with friends enjoying the music and trying to find some solace in his life that has been turned upside down. This scene was uncalled for, downright rude and an example of how due process today is being squashed by the public, trying to take it away in the courtroom too."

Weinstein has pled not guilty to all charges and is currently awaiting trial.

The Houston Astros just fired their assistant GM Brandon Taubman -- saying an investigation revealed he did, in fact, direct inappropriate comments toward female reporters during a locker room celebration.

As we previously reported, several journalists claimed Taubman screamed, "I’m so f*cking glad we got Osuna!'" at a group of women in what was interpreted as a verbal taunt.

The backstory ... the Astros traded for Osuna after he was accused of domestic violence while he was a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Houston had received backlash for acquiring the all-star closer ... and after he helped the 'Stros earn a trip to the World Series last week -- Taubman's comments were interpreted as a middle finger to his critics.

But, the reporters didn't find the comments appropriate at all ... and despite initially defending Taubman, the Astros say a probe revealed their top-ranking exec was in the wrong.

"Our initial investigation led us to believe that Brandon Taubman's inappropriate comments were not directed toward any reporter. We were wrong," the team said in a statement.

"We sincerely apologize to Stephanie Apstein, Sports Illustrated and to all individuals who witnessed this incident or were offended by the inappropriate conduct. The Astros in no way intended to minimize the issues related to domestic violence."

The team added, "Our initial belief was based on witness statements about the incident. Subsequent interviews have revealed that Taubman's inappropriate comments were, in fact, directed toward one or more reporters."

"Accordingly we have terminated Brandon Taubman's employment with the Houston Astros. His conduct does not reflect the values of our organization and we believe this is the most appropriate course of action."

Lori Loughlin's husband practically admitted to paying big bucks to get their daughter into USC ... according to prosecutors.

In the indictment that brought a new charge upon Lori and Mossimo Giannulli, he's accused of emailing their accountant admitting to working the system to get their daughter admitted.

According to the docs ... Mossimo forwarded a $200,000 invoice he got from Rick Singer to his accountant for payment in April 2017 and wrote, "Good news my daughter...is in [U]SC... bad is I had to work the system."

Prosecutors claim on or about the same day, the daughter received a formal acceptance letter from USC and Mossimo wired the money.

As we reported ... the U.S. Attorney out of Boston filed a new charge of Federal Program Bribery against the couple Tuesday. The 2 allegedly paid $500,000 to the mastermind, Singer, to get their daughters into USC ... and this $200k is allegedly part of that total.

The new charge carries a maximum 5-year prison sentence. They've already charged Lori and Mossimo with various other crimes that could land them in prison for 40 years.

Brandon T. Jackson says he was on "thin ice" with God for playing a gay character in "Tropic Thunder" ... but says wearing a dress in "Big Mommas" was worse for him.

Jackson famously played Alpa Chino in the 2008 Ben Stiller flick -- a closeted actor who accidentally revealed feelings for a guy named "Lance" ... it was a hilarious scene.

But, Jackson is now a pretty religious Black Hebrew Israelite -- and playing gay doesn't jive with his religious beliefs.

"I was on thin ice then with the father," Jackson said on "TMZ Live" ... "But, he had his mercy and his grace was there."

Jackson says the bigger issue is when he wore a women's dress for his role in the 2011 Martin Lawrence flick, "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son."

Jackson says he broke a religious law prohibiting men from wearing women's clothing -- "And, when you break a law you get punished."

So, what went wrong? Jackson says his career and his personal life took a serious hit and he even uses the word "curse."

"If you don't follow all the commandments that the Torah says to do, you'll be cursed."

Nipsey Hussle's clothing brand is working with fashion designer Jerry Lorenzo on a limited edition capsule collection ... and sales proceeds are going straight to the trust fund for the late rapper's children.

The Marathon Clothing announced Thursday it's working with Jerry's Fear of God clothing company on a special capsule dubbed "08 Crenshaw" ... and the profits are ultimately benefiting Nip's kids, Emani and Kross Asghedom.

The collection, which drops this Friday at Fear of God's storefront in Los Angeles, includes a crewneck sweaters, pullover hoodies, sweatpants and sweatshorts ... available in both royal blue and gray.

We broke the story ... Nipsey made sure his children would be financially stable before he died, setting up a trust fund for Emani and Kross.

As you know ... The Marathon Clothing is a huge part of Nipsey's legacy. He opened the store in Crenshaw, giving jobs to tons of people in his neighborhood.