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George Lopez is all for getting his comedy out into the world by any means possible -- but he claims streaming giant Pandora never even bothered to license his comedy specials before streaming them ... which is why he's dragging them to court.

The legendary comic just filed suit against the radio streaming giant, claiming they've exploited his copyrighted material -- namely, his standup from 2 different specials -- without first getting a proper license to distribute it.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, George alleges Pandora has been streaming upwards of 37 works of his contained in 2001's "Right Now Right Now" and 2003's "Team Leader," which are 2 of his stand-up specials that became albums.

There are 18 chapters on the former, and 19 on the latter ... so essentially, George is saying Pandora's ripped off the entirety of each special and streamed it without his permission ... and, perhaps more importantly, without paying him.

You can tell he's pretty fired up about this too, because he's got a fiery introduction to this suit.

His attorneys write, "Pandora not only did not obtain any license for the Works but admitted that it did not do so in SEC filings, and admitted that it would very likely face copyright infringement liability as a result. But Pandora did what most goliaths do: it decided it would infringe now to ensure it had this very valuable intellectual property on its platform to remain competitive, and deal with the consequences later. Later is now."

George wants an accounting of all profits made from streaming his stuff and is looking to collect big damages. In the alternative, he's looking for statutory damages totaling $5.5 million for the alleged infringements.

Kanye West will not be charged for allegedly punching a fan after a heated exchange outside an L.A. hotel.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office tells us, "After a thorough and careful review of all the evidence, our office is declining to file based on no reasonable likelihood of conviction." Translation -- there's likely just not enough evidence for a conviction.

As we reported, Ye got into an argument that turned physical back in January near the Soho Warehouse, according to law enforcement sources. We're told things got so heated, Kanye pushed and punched the male fan.

The case was being investigated as a misdemeanor battery, which carries a maximum jail sentence of 6 months.

We obtained a video of an irate Kanye, shot around the time of the alleged assault. You hear Kanye yell, "Did y'all say that or not? Did y'all say that or not?" "Cuz that's what happened right f****** now."

Casey Affleck must really prefer the west coast to Georgia ... the actor was spotted out and about in Cali once again, just days after being a no-show at his brother Ben's wedding.

Casey and his GF Caylee Cowan were spotted grabbing a meal in Malibu Monday -- the two made a pit stop for gas before heading off to a private beach nearby.

C&C seemed in good spirits, but the heat might've been too much for Casey -- he pulled his shirt up to let his abs breathe as they walked out of the restaurant.

As you know, Casey was notably absent from Ben's second wedding to Jennifer Lopez in Riceboro, GA ... he instead was seen getting some frozen treats with Caylee on Saturday -- Ben and Jen's big day.

Casey also went on a Starbucks run that morning, but didn't offer up much of an explanation as to why he didn't make the trip to be with his brother.

Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul, just pled guilty to a DUI charge stemming from his May car accident and arrest.

According to court records, obtained by TMZ, Pelosi pled guilty to one count of DUI. He was sentenced to three years probation and 5 days of jail time, with credit for time served.

As part of the probation terms, Pelosi has to complete 8 hours of a court work program, do a three-month drinking and driving course and put an ignition interlock device on his car for a year. He also has to pay a $150 fine.

TMZ broke the story ... Pelosi was involved in a car accident the night of May 28 near wine country -- cops said he was driving a 2021 Porsche when it was struck by a Jeep in a 2-vehicle crash.

The CHP officers who responded say Pelosi had "objective signs and symptoms of alcohol intoxication" -- watery eyes, slurred speech and a "strong odor" of alcohol on his breath.

According to the police report, Pelosi handed officers his "11-99 Foundation" card when they asked him for ID ... the foundation provides financial assistance and scholarships to CHP officers and their families.

He was charged with 2 misdemeanors the following month -- Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Causing Injury, and Driving with .08% Blood Alcohol Level or Higher Causing Injury. Cops say his BAC was .082%, just over the legal limit.

Pelosi's attorney Amanda Bevins entered not guilty pleas for him at the beginning of August on both charges.

A Black Little League World Series player was, indeed, not the only one wearing cotton on his head during an MLB game on Sunday night ... a new photo shows a white player had the toy stuffing placed in his hair as well.

The photo, taken by someone who appeared to be just feet away from the Little Leaguers who were playing with the stuffed animal's filling during the MLB's Little League Classic game in Williamsport, Penn., was posted to social media on Tuesday morning.

In the pic, you can see a white player and a Black player both had cotton on the top of their heads. The Twitter account that shared the picture said the kids were simply trying to mimic a fellow Little Leaguer, who's gained fame for a white hairdo.

"Many of the teammates were participating, Black and white," the Twitter user said as a caption on the photo. "They were imitating the stud pitcher from Hawaii who has an awesome white-dyed Mohawk."

The user also shared a video of the Black player smiling and flexing while showing off the cotton on his head.

As we previously reported, several members of the Davenport, Iowa, Little League team -- who are white -- took the stuffing out of giveaway toys at the stadium during the Red Sox vs. Orioles game and placed it on a Black teammate's head.

Viewers were outraged over the imagery -- which was shown for nearly 30 seconds on ESPN's broadcast of the game -- but Little League World Series officials said in a statement Monday they were assured there was "no ill-intent" behind the actions.

"After speaking with the team, as well as reviewing photos, multiple players on the Midwest Region team were taking part in this while enjoying the game," officials said. "As only one player appeared on the broadcast, Little League International understands that the actions shown could be perceived as racially insensitive."

"We have spoken with the player's mother and the coaches, who have assured us that there was no ill-intent behind the action shown during the broadcast."

Elton John is pulling back the curtain early -- giving fans a sneak peek of his new collab with Britney Spears -- and judging by the crowd listening, it's a hit.

The rock icon was recently at a restaurant in Cannes, called La Guérite, where patrons were dancing up a storm. EJ got up on the DJ booth to preview his forthcoming single, "Hold Me Closer," by playing the entire song and posting it to his Instagram account.

At times, Elton was singing along to the song which plays like a dance track, heavily incorporating his original lyrics from "Tiny Dancer" as well as lyrics from his song "The One" ... and of course, Brit's added vocals.

As we've reported, Brit and Elton didn't actually meet in person to work on the tune -- but it sounds seamless. She met with producer Andrew Watt to lay down her portion of the record, which only took her a few hours to do ... as Elton beamed in via Zoom for direction.

Rick Ross is tired of Jake Paul's boxing opponents backing out, so he's reaching deep into his pockets, offering up a whopping $10 million on top of the fighter's purse ... all to secure a fighter for the Problem Child.

Of course, 25-year-old Paul was scheduled to fight Tommy Fury (twice) and Hasim Rahman Jr., but both men never made it to the ring ... and Ross tells TMZ Sports he's so sick of it, he's cutting an 8-figure check.

Rick, who is friends with Jake, says the $10,000,000 will be awarded in addition to whatever fighter pay is negotiated with promoters. He doesn't care how the cash is split up (all to the winner, 50/50, etc.).

Ross believes fighters are (let's say) a bit hesitant to step into the ring with Jake ... after the YouTuber turned boxer starched Nate Robinson in 2020, turning the former NBA star into a meme.

It's unclear how Ross, a renowned businessman, would make his money back.

Rozay says the 10 milli isn't directly tied to any one fighter, but the rap mogul tells us he'd love to see the Fury fight finally go down.

Tommy and Jake, who have beefed for years, were twice supposed to fight in the past. In 2021, Fury, brother of heavyweight champ, Tyson Fury, withdrew from his bout with JP over a chest infection and broken rib. Tyron Woodley stepped in ... losing by KO.

In 2022, Fury, citing issues traveling internationally, again pulled out of his scheduled bout with Jake. Rahman Jr. stepped in ... but that fight was also canceled after contractual disagreements relating to the weight of the son of the former heavyweight champ.

But, despite the fight seeming cursed, all hope isn't lost that the men will face in the squared circle. Earlier this week, Tommy hit social media and reaffirmed his desire to scrap with Jake, flatly saying "no one is afraid to fight you!"

Paul, 5-0 (4 KOs) professionally, announced several days ago he'd fight at 185 lbs. in October ... but did not specify an opponent.

Kobe Bryant would've turned 44 on Tuesday ... and his wife, Vanessa, penned a heartfelt birthday note on Instagram, writing she loves and misses him so much.

Vanessa posted a photo of her and her NBA legend hubby from 2009 ... when Kobe won his 4th NBA title and 1st NBA Finals MVP.

You can see Bryant -- wearing his 2009 NBA championship shirt and hat -- hugging Vanessa post-game ... and they were both all smiles.

"Happy birthday, baby!" the 40-year-old said Tuesday.

"I love you and miss you so much! #44 ❤️ @kobebryant"

Since Kobe -- who she married in April 2001 -- and daughter Gigi's untimely death, Vanessa has been honoring them in countless ways ... including getting tattoos in their honor, launching the Mambacita clothing line, and taking her 3 other daughters to Italy -- where Kobe was raised.

"Visited Reggio Calabria," Vanessa said in July, "a city my husband lived in when he was about 8 years old."

Of course, Bryant went on to play 20 seasons in the NBA -- winning 5 championships and 2 NBA Finals MVP ... was an 18-time NBA All-Star, broke numerous records, and is known as one of the best NBA players ever.

The homeless man beaten down by cops in Arkansas is now on the hunt for justice of his own, speaking with multiple attorneys to possibly represent him moving forward.

Sources connected to 27-year-old Randall Worcester tell us family members bailed him out of jail Monday in Van Buren, AR.

We're told he met up with his family hours after his release to talk strategy ... particularly where they'll go, legally, from here.

Our sources say Worcester has spoken with several attorneys already, and his family has been in contact with Bobby DiCello, an attorney out of Cleveland whose website claims he's "earned multimillion dollar verdicts for victims of civil rights abuses, catastrophic injuries, and defective products."

Bobby tells us he's making travel plans to be with Worcester and his family soon, and that everyone involved is shocked and appalled by the now-viral video ... and they're eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get Randall some justice.

As for what that justice might entail, nothing is off the table ... but first, Bobby tells us he's hoping for open dialog between cops and Worcester's family to talk about what happened and how to solve it.

The video, recorded Sunday at a gas station, is stunning ... you see 3 officers punching, kicking and slamming Worcester's head on the pavement. Cops reportedly were called to the scene because Worcester threatened a gas station clerk.

As a result of the investigation, 2 Crawford County Sheriff's deputies have been suspended and an officer from the Mulberry Police Dept. has been put on administrative leave.

DiCello, who also represents the family of Jayland Walker -- the man shot by cops 46 times -- says the suspensions are a good start.

Legendary H.S. football coach Gary Gaines -- who was portrayed in the iconic "Friday Night Lights" book and film -- has died after battling Alzheimer's, his family announced Monday.

He was 73.

"Following a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease, it is with great sadness that the family of Coach Gary Gaines announces his peaceful passing this afternoon," his family said in a statement.

"Memorial plans will be announced in the coming days. Thank you for remembering our family in your thoughts and prayers."

Gaines -- whose coaching career ultimately spanned over four decades -- got his start at Petersburg High School in Texas in 1977 ... but he's most known for his time at Permian H.S.

In 1980, as an assistant under head coach John Wilkins at Permian, Gaines helped lead the team to the Texas 5A state championship.

Gaines, though, will be most remembered for how he was portrayed in "Friday Night Lights" -- the book/movie about the journey of the 1988 Permian High School football team that marched toward a championship.

Gaines enjoyed tremendous success during his stint at Permian ... leading the team to a perfect 16-0 season and the 1989 5A state championship.

"Friday Night Lights" received an ESPY for "Best Sports Movie" in 2005 and won "Movie of the Year" that same year. Billy Bob Thornton famously portrayed Gaines in the flick.

Meghan Markle is recalling a horrifying incident ... where she learned baby Archie's nursery caught fire while they were away.

The Duchess of Sussex opened up about the incident for the first time on the premiere of her podcast, "Archetypes" -- telling Serena Williams in 2019 that her son was 4 months old when they took him to South Africa.

She says they dropped their son off at a housing unit before going to give a speech nearby ... and when she was done, Meghan learned a fire had broken out in Archie's room.

After racing back, Meghan found Archie unharmed -- his nanny took him out of the room while she went to go get a snack ... after they walked out, a heater in the room caught fire.

The CW has had some of its big stars hit the pause button over mental health -- just the latest examples of what's becoming a big thing in Hollywood.

Jordan Elsass posted a video this week addressing his recent departure from 'Superman & Lois' ahead of its third season ... he plays a major character in the series, Jonathan Kent. Jordan says, it all had to do with mental health.

In his clip, posted to Cameo, JE explains he's been going through it, and had to step away from his on-camera job. He says he's needed some time to himself, and expresses solidarity for anyone looking to do the same ... including the guy to whom he's sending the message.

It's pretty interesting ... Elsass says he may never act again if it means he'll be happy.

Actor Tyler Blackburn -- who's on the CW show 'Roswell, New Mexico' -- has been experiencing something similar ... which has resulted in him being absent through much of Season 4 thus far, only to have him reappear on Monday night's new episode.

It was a pretty big deal, seeing how TB hadn't been featured since June -- he's only appeared in two episodes this season ... the premiere and one other.

He took to Twitter to explain his absence ... "Alex is alive! Thank you to my knight in shining armor @MichaelVlamis and the incomparable @heatherhemmens for her insane creativity, professionalism and patience. Also, thank you to the @RoswellNMRoom and the entire crew of @CWRoswellNM for helping me this season."

Blackburn adds, "I was dealing with intense health issues that lead to, at times, intense mental health issues during seasons 3 & 4. I had to step down from filming season 4 and every single person in the cast and crew, as well as everyone at @warnerbros and @TheCW  showed so much compassion."

Seems he's back now, and ready to roll again. But, yes, he too was on a break for a while ... just like Elsass is doing now.

Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne's stuff from their ritzy property has got to go -- so there's a fire sale of sorts underway ... and it's first come, first serve to the highest bidder.

Contents from the former couple's Pasadena mansion are now up on the auction block, helmed by John Moran Auctioneers ... which is hawking any of the goods in an effort to pay down debt owed in Tom's bankruptcy case.

There's a lot of stuff they're trying to unload here ... everything from furniture and décor to valuable art pieces and sports memorabilia that have graced Tom and Erika's home for a long time.

Here's some of the most valuable items up for grabs -- the biggest ticket item is a 1997 Steinway piano that's expected to fetch anywhere between $40,000 and $60,000. The auction house says it's a rare edition, and considered one of the finest instruments of its kind in existence.

There's also mid-century art from guys like Joan Miro and David Hockney -- paintings and etchings that could rake in thousands of dollars on their own -- plus a few Glenna Goodacre bronze sculptures ... one of which is valued at between $30k-$40k alone.

Other things being sold include ... Girardi's personal library, which includes his own personal law books, rugs, wall mirrors and a variety of sofas and lamps. They could all bring in a haul of tens of thousands of dollars combined, if not more.

The court-ordered sale is scheduled to get underway on September 21, starting at noon.

This is a place that Erika was once proud to show off on camera -- she's given a tour of the Pasadena estate -- but, of course, her ex-hubby has fallen into trouble with the law ... as authorities have alleged his old firm mismanaged tons of client assets for their own use.

Gary Busey flatly denies he sexually assaulted anyone, and believes his accusers made up the entire story.

Busey was in Malibu Monday and the photog asked if he had any regrets about how he acted during the Monster Mania convention in New Jersey over the weekend, Busey said he had zero regrets, because he did nothing wrong.

Busey was charged with several counts of criminal sexual contact and harassment ... this after he allegedly put his face close to a woman's breasts and asked where she got them. The woman claims he attempted to unlatch her bra strap. Another woman claims he grabbed her butt. Cops also got a call from a man who claimed Busey grabbed his daughter's butt as well.

Busey told the photog "nothing happened." He said the whole interaction with the women lasted less than 10 seconds and they made up the story after the fact.

Busey also claims he has witnesses ... a photog and another person, his partner, who will back up his story.

The photog asked if it's possible he could have acted inappropriately but was unaware ... he said there was no chance of that.

Busey is supposed to be arraigned August 31.

Beyonce and Jay-Z are doing their own version of "The Love Boat" -- sailing the high seas through Europe ... this after setting the music world on fire.

The couple was spotted Monday on a mega yacht -- a multi-level vessel that looks damn expensive -- where they were looking out onto the ocean blue ... or at least Bey was, snapping some pics with a digital camera.

Jay eventually was out there as well -- and he, too, was taking photos -- not too far from their kids, who were enjoying an onboard swim with nannies and staff in tow. When you're this rich and you're cruising on a boat this nice ... that's how ya do childcare.

Take a look at this thing in the wide shots ... it's like a floating palace on water.

Seems like the Carter-Knowles brood is enjoying these final days of summer ... but if we're being honest, they can kinda take a vacation like this anytime they want.

Their trip here is well-deserved. Bey's fresh off a major album drop -- her eighth solo project, "Renaissance" topped the charts and crushed in sales ... despite some early criticism of its dance tracks.

Firmly back on her throne ... Queen Bey apparently needs some R&R. Or, in this case, mega R&R.

An MLB fan learned the hard way on Monday night it's best to stay in your seat at Yankee Stadium -- 'cause as soon as he left it to take a jaunt on the field ... he was DECKED by security guards.

The moment all happened in the seventh inning of the big Yankees vs. Mets tilt -- when a man thought it'd be fun to hop an outfield wall and attempt to bother NY right fielder Starling Marte.

But, the dude didn't get very far at all -- witnesses at the game say he was pummeled by authorities almost as soon as his feet hit the grass.

Video taken from the outfield seats shows the guy was then manhandled by guards -- who threw him around like a ragdoll.

Eventually, the guy was cuffed and escorted off the turf. No word yet if he was arrested -- we've reached out to cops, but so far, we haven't heard back yet.

The guy ended up missing a pretty good ending to the game -- the Yankees went on to close the door on the Mets, 4-2.