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Latin American pop singer Vanessa Hernández is getting death threats for singing the National Anthem in Spanish at a baseball game ... but, she's still proud she did it, and she says big-time celebs have her back.

We spoke with Vanessa -- better known by her stage name Nezza -- Wednesday ... and, she tells us George Lopez, Becky G and many more stars have reached out and offered her support during this particularly trying time.

ICYMI ... Nezza sang the song at Dodger Stadium in L.A. Saturday -- later claiming a Dodgers team official told her she was not to sing it in Spanish ... and posting a behind-the-scenes TikTok as proof. She sang it in Spanish anyway ... and, she says it feels good to be on the right side of history.

Cuba Gooding Jr. says he's turning to the Lord during this trying time for Diddy ... revealing he's praying for the fallen mogul as his federal trial creeps on.

We caught up with the actor at LAX Wednesday ... and, we asked him if he's been keeping up on the developments in Diddy's sex trafficking trial -- which he tells us are darn near impossible to avoid these days.

Cuba says he's keeping Diddy and his alleged victims -- pointing to Cassie Ventura and her family specifically -- in his prayers.

R. Kelly is scared out of his mind and desperately begging to be let out of prison, according to members of his legal team -- who say the singer broke down in tears during a recent phone call, as he fears for his life, and his health spirals behind bars ... TMZ has learned.

Nicole Blank Becker, one of Kelly’s attorneys, tells TMZ ... the 57-year-old is petrified to find himself back in prison after he was released from the hospital, and he's fretting about his health and safety. Kelly is currently locked up in the Special Housing Unit in a North Carolina prison.

"He’s emotional, and he cried intermittently on the phone call" on Monday, Becker tells us, adding, "Again, out of fear for his life."

Wendy Williams' ex-husband is taking legal action over her guardianship ... but she tells TMZ she has NOTHING to do with his lawsuit, and she feels it's a money grab.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Wendy and her ex-husband, Kevin Hunter, filed a federal lawsuit in New York to release her from the shackles of her guardian, Sabrina Morrissey, and claims the guardianship is not a shield to protect her, but a weapon used against her.

Thing is ... we talked to Wendy on the phone after the lawsuit was filed, and she told us she's not involved here in any way ... despite the docs showing Kevin trying to sue on her behalf.

3:17 PM PT -- Lakers legend Magic Johnson is speaking out about the Buss family agreeing to unload their majority ownership stake in the Lakers ... congratulating them for striking "an incredible deal" and choosing the best person to carry the team's legacy going forward.

Jeanie Buss and her family have agreed to unload their majority stake of the Lakers, selling the team to L.A. Dodgers owner Mark Walter -- the largest sale of a sports franchise in history!!

Shams Charania broke the news Wednesday afternoon, revealing the Busses -- who own 66% of the organization -- reached a deal to sell the team to the 65-year-old businessman on an approximately $10 BILLION valuation.

Jerry Buss, Jeanie's dad, purchased the team for a paltry $67.5 million in May 1979. Under his tenure, the Lake Show became one of the most popular, successful, and culturally relevant American sports franchises ... exploding in value.

R. Kelly is claiming he's marked for death after an overdose that left him hospitalized this week ... but one of his alleged victims is calling BS on what she sees as a ploy to get sprung from the can.

Here's the deal ... the disgraced music mogul is asking for temporary release to home confinement -- for the third time -- after alleging Bureau of Prisons staff at his federal center in North Carolina purposefully gave him too much medication.

Lisa VanAllen, an accuser who was a witness in Kelly’s 2008 child pornography trial and 2002 federal trial, tells TMZ ... she doesn't buy for a moment there's a grand plot to kill the convicted human trafficker -- 'cause he's not even important anymore!

Shedeur Sanders was busted for allegedly driving over 100 miles per hour on the highway early Tuesday morning ... this according to court records.

The 23-year-old fifth-round pick and his girlfriend were pulled over in separate cars around 12:24 AM ... when cops stated he was driving 41 miles over the posted speed limit.

The quarterback was issued a citation ... and will be able to plead his case in front of a judge on July 3 -- or just pay a $250 fine and move on with his life.

Antonio Brown is still clearly not stressing over the warrant that was just recently issued for his arrest ... he was seen on a livestream on Wednesday smoking, joking and gambling.

The former NFL wideout popped up on Kick in an effort to promote a crypto casino platform ... and in video from his time in front of the camera, you can see he was in great spirits despite the felony attempted murder charge he's now facing in Florida.

Brown lit up an unknown substance, took several puffs of it ... and gambled on screen.

Karen Read's acquittal turned the outside of the courthouse into pandemonium ... with her assembled supporters exploding into cheers -- and, Read herself even said a few words.

The Massachusetts woman -- who was just acquitted on second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death -- walked out of the courthouse in Dedham, MA, with her lawyers and father to meet a crowd of chanting, cheering fans screaming for her.

Read started off by thanking her legal team for keeping her afloat over the last couple years during both of her trials.

Former NBA star Eric Bledsoe was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly struck a woman in the face ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The California Highway Patrol tells us officers placed Bledsoe into custody at around 2:30 AM following an investigation into a report of a domestic violence incident that occurred on a Los Angeles-area freeway.

According to the CHP, officers' probe into the matter led them to a gas station near US-101 ... where they found Bledsoe and a woman who was suffering from "bruising and swelling to her face."

Karen Read -- the Massachusetts woman accused of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe in 2022 -- has just been found not guilty of murder.

Read was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident causing injury or death. The jury found her guilty of a single count of OUI Wednesday ... misdemeanor Operating Under the Influence.

Prosecutors alleged in January 2022, Read got into a heated drunken argument with O’Keefe before backing up and hitting him with her SUV, killing him ... then fleeing the scene, leaving him to die in a friend's snow-covered front yard in Canton, Mass.

Ted Cruz may want to scratch Tucker Carlson's eyes out ... 'cause the Senator from Texas was just hit with a bizarre new insult during their contentious convo -- with TC calling him a "sleazy feline."

The two men sat down for a wide-ranging interview -- mainly focused on foreign policy -- and, Tucker's stance against going to war with Iran led Ted Cruz to seemingly sling accusations of antisemitism at him.

Check out the clip ... the senator asks why Tucker's obsessed with the influence of Israel over American foreign policy while showing no concern with the influence countries like China, Japan or Great Britain might exercise.

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Don't be a drag, just be a queen this pride month ... with makeup from Lady Gaga's Haus Labs.

If you're looking for some good karma, her brand's products aren't just vegan and cruelty-free ... this month, Sephora is also donating $1 from every purchase to the Born This Way Foundation's LGBTQ+ initiatives.

So now's the perfect time to grab some Haus products to make you shine ... wild outfits sold separately.

Let's start with this Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick ... the perfect way to earn some "Applause!"

Hugh Jackman staged the slickest getaway since Wolverine grew claws -- diving into a car full of gobsmacked strangers to escape a fan frenzy like it was no big deal!

You gotta see this -- Hugh was totally swarmed by autograph- and selfie-seekers outside his NYC show 'From New York with Love' ... so he flagged down a random car, asked where they were headed, and when they said 6th Ave, he was ready to go.

It wasn’t an Uber, a Lyft, or even a car service -- but Hugh didn’t care. He slid right in like it was his ride all along, while the crowd he'd just ditched stood there totally baffled.

Whoopi Goldberg says life for Black folks in the United States is just as bad as it is for women in Iran ... and it sounds like she's willing to die on this hill.

Things got heated Wednesday on "The View" when the topic turned to the Middle East ... with Whoopi getting super racial.

Ya gotta see the clip ... Alyssa Farah and Sara Haines are talking about not defending Iran over human rights abuses when Whoopi cuts them off and says don't go there, because America is not much better.

Rachael Ray is speaking out about her late friend Anne Burrell ... she says the late Food Network star's sudden death is very unnerving.

Rachael, who was a bridesmaid at Anne's wedding, spoke out Wednesday on Anne's passing with an emotional post on social media.

RR's remembering Anne as "a strong, vibrant, fearless woman, so full of life and love" ... and she says she can't believe Burrell is gone so soon.