Curb Your Enthusiasm

This is the definition of life imitating art, only here ... it's from Larry David's world.

Check out this defacement job that happened on a billboard on the corner of Centinela Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. here in Los Angeles -- where an advertisement for Susie Essman's Caftan from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" went up sometime this past week in an homage to the show.

If you're unfamiliar, her Susie character from 'Curb' started her own business and threw up a billboard to advertise it -- which got vandalized on TV with people drawing penises around her face ... something that delighted LD.

As it turns out ... HBO commissioned an exact replica of this fake TV billboard to go up in real life as well, and to nobody's surprise -- it was also defaced, just like on 'CYE.'

If you're wondering who's responsible for the tag job ... we have an answer. There's an activist art collective called INDECLINE -- and they say they're the ones who pulled this off. We're told this went down early Friday morning ... and they even filmed themselves doing it.

The reason ... they say they were just fulfilling a wish from none other than 'Curb' star Jeff Garlin himself ... who responded to someone this week after the billboard went up and wrote, "Someone should put a d*** up there. Maybe two." Welp, that's exactly what INDECLINE did.

The collective tells TMZ, they give Larry a lot of credit for forming their sense of humor and sensibility ... so they feel they were paying homage to him by carrying out this stunt.

They add, "A few nights ago, we watched in awe as one of our favorite pastimes, 'billboard liberation, was incorporated into the latest episode. We received a flood of texts and DMs about the existence of the billboard in Los Angeles and even saw that Jeff Garland was on Instagram calling for it to be altered."

INDECLINE goes on ... "So, as a thank you to Larry David, for his contribution to the field of art imitating life, we give you our contribution to the practice of life imitating art."

The obvious question is ... are cops gonna look into this? We're told by law enforcement sources that, at this point, nobody has called in just yet to report a crime -- so as far as they're concerned ... there's not much to do about this for now.

BTW, these are the same guys that did the naked Trump statue years ago ... so there you go. They're known for stuff like this -- and they didn't disappoint here either.

JB Smoove had something to prove on the streets of New York -- he ain't as grouchy as Larry David is with autograph seekers, and we know this because he put pen to flesh.

We got the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Wednesday afternoon as he was greeted by a swarm of fans and autograph hounds chirping for signatures. JB kept it pretty real with them, saying he couldn't sign all of 'em. He held firm too.

Of course ... this reminded our camera guy, Ezra, of his costar Larry David's recent L.A. run-in with an autograph brigade that ended with a super-heated confrontation and scolding.

Ezra tried to ask JB about it, and he cut us off ... insisting he didn't have as much of a problem with it as LD does. Then, he took it a step further ... signing for Ezra -- ON HIS NECK!!!

Check it out ... it seems like the skin game brought these two fellas damn close in the end. They even made a pinky-promise of sorts to each other.

Larry David went FULL Larry David on a gaggle of thirsty autograph hounds who really need to find a new gig, according to him -- and yet, in the end, he kinda encouraged them.

The "Seinfeld" co-creator and star of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" was leaving his season 10 premiere Monday night in L.A. ... and before he could get to his car, he was greeted by the John Hancock brigade. One of 'em told Larry he'd been waiting for 7 hours, and that set LD off on a 'Curb'-worthy rant.

Larry made it clear he didn't tell them to waste 7 hours ... and ripped the group, saying no celeb likes signing for these guys who follow them for signatures, which they turn around and sell.

4:15 PM -- HBO tells us they had scheduled Bob to part of season 10 of 'Curb,' but his health prevented it.

Larry David says, “Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing 'Marty Funkhouser' on 'Curb.' It was an amazing, unforgettable experience knowing and working with him. There was no one like him, as he told us again and again. We’re all in a state of shock.”

Bob Einstein, the Emmy-winning actor from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and creator of Super Dave Osborne, died Wednesday from cancer.

Bob had recently been diagnosed, and he died at his home in Indian Wells, CA.

He famously played Larry David's pal, Marty Funkhouser, on 'Curb,' but he was a very successful comedy writer before that -- winning Emmy awards for being a writer on "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" back in the '70s and for producing Dick Van Dyke's "Van Dyke and Company."

Bob's character, Super Dave, pulled crazy stunts decades before "Jackass" even existed -- but he would always hilariously fail. Super Dave had his own show on Showtime in the late '80s and early '90s.

Bob didn't start out in showbiz -- standing 6'4", he played college hoops at Chapman University and then got into advertising. He was "discovered" in the comedy world by Tom Smothers who saw Bob on a local cable show.

His younger brother is actor and director Albert Brooks. Deadline first reported Bob's passing.

Larry David has sold the home he shared with his now-divorced wife ... and he pocketed a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty penny off of it.

Larry and Laurie David lived in the 11,000-square ft. Pacific Palisades home -- with 7 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms -- in one of the most exclusive areas of L.A.

Real estate sources tell TMZ the house closed Friday for $12 million ... Larry was asking $12.995.

No one has been living in the house for a while ... Larry moved to the uber ritzy Riviera -- also in the Palisades -- and Laurie built her dream home.

The realtors certainly had to curb their enthusiasm ... they ended up on both ends of the deal.

Santiago Arana repped Larry and Mauricio Umansky (Kyle Richards' hubby) represented the business man/buyer. Both guys work at the Agency in Bev. Hills.

Do you think Larry gave the buyer a tour of the place? We're guessing not.

John Pinette -- best known for his role as the fat guy who got mugged in the "Seinfeld" finale -- has checked himself into rehab after becoming addicted to prescription medication ... TMZ has learned.

A rep for the venue in Canada where John was set to perform in next month says Pinette had to postpone the gig because he was checking into a rehab facility for his addiction.

The rep says John -- who also had his own Comedy Central special in 2011 -- underwent surgery earlier this year and got hooked to the prescription medication he was taking.

John has since tweeted to his fans about the situation -- saying, "Thanks to everyone for your concern and well wishes.. Want to apologize for having missed shows last weekend, but I hope you understand!"

In case you're not a "Seinfeld" fan (WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!?) ... Here's his famous scene from the super disappointing finale.

At least the reunion on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" kinda-sorta-not-really made up for it.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Jeff Garlin went ballistic on a tiny helpless woman inside her car, screaming, giving her the finger, and smashing her window with his bare hands ... all over a parking space ... this according to the alleged victim, and now she's suing his pants off.

A woman named Rachel Depaz filed the lawsuit against the actor for assault and destruction of personal property ... stemming from his arrest last month in Studio City.

In the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Depaz says it all started when Garlin blocked her in a CVS parking lot and refused to move out of the way. The two exchanged (possibly rude) gestures and eventually Garlin snapped, getting out of his car.

Depaz says Garlin then "slammed his fist against the driver's side window so hard that it broke the glass."

In the docs, Depaz describes herself as 5'2" and says she was in fear for her life, calling Garlin a "very large, powerful and threatening man." FYI -- Garlin's about 6'1" and pretty heavy.

Depaz is suing for unspecified damages.

8:00 AM PST -- As of Sunday morning, Jeff has been released from jail.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Jeff Garlin apparently had some issues curbing his anger Saturday ... the actor was arrested for allegedly smashing a couple car windows following a heated argument.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the 51-year-old actor was arrested for felony vandalism in Studio City around 3 pm. We're told Garlin got into a verbal fight with another person over a parking space (hey it's LA) ... which escalated quickly ... and resulted in Garlin allegedly smashing the windows of the other person's Mercedes.

Cops were called and the actor was arrested. We're told he's still in jail.

Everybody knows Larry David has a penchant for hip hop ... (see Krazee EyeZ Killa) ... which is probably why our photog decided to break out a personalized birthday rap for the "Curb" genius yesterday ... right in the middle of the street.

David -- who turned 65 years old yesterday -- was leaving a birthday dinner at Gjelina restaurant in Venice ... when our guy "treated" the TV icon to a couple of rhymes.

Susie Essman -- who plays Jeff's wife on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" -- tells TMZ, her expletive-riddled tirades on the show have consumed her life ... because now, she can't go anywhere without some crazy fan begging her to curse at them!!