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Mykelti Williamson says John Oliver's dissection of 'Law & Order' as pro-cop propaganda is too serious for his own good -- 'cause at the end of the day ... it's showbiz, baby.

We got the veteran actor -- who recently had a starring role on "Law & Order: Organized Crime" -- responding to JO's anti-Dick Wolf rant while he was leaving LAX ... and his response to John's very serious critique of the long-running franchise is a dash of real talk.

The truth, according to Mykelti, is that DW -- the creator of 'Law & Order' -- is a class act ... especially when it comes to telling authentic stories about POC, so there's that.

On the issue of 'L&O' depicting police in too rosy a light, Mykelti is sorta giving an eye roll here -- first noting the show has attempted to tackle real-world issues within their plots (which is true) and secondly ... rightly pointing out 'L&O' is good old-fashioned entertainment.

As he explains to our photog, the truth is ugly and complicated -- with people already getting their fill of reality in their day-to-day lives ... and looking to TV for some escapism.

He also suggests that people aren't tuning into 'Law & Order' for virtue signaling ... they just want a tight 43 minutes of a cop chasing down a bad guy and cracking the case -- a formula John thinks has been rinsed and repeated for far too long, unrealistically.

But, Mykelti -- who, BTW, is also doing big things outside of TV with his Warrior Recovery Program for vets/first responders -- thinks this debate's more simple than John's making it.

Bella Hadid never shies away from throwing on a bold look ... and you can always count on her wearing accessories to compliment her outfit. Take in these candid moments during New York Fashion Week and see if you can spot the differences between these two stylish shots.

Looking fire in a red and yellow tie-dyed shirt, the supermodel stepped right off the runway and onto a New York City sidewalk where photogs captured her every last move. Can you tie-in the changes made in these two images?

'Real Housewives of OC' star Shannon Beador's ex-husband is waving the white flag on another marriage ... because he just filed to divorce his new wife.

David Beador booked it to court Thursday and filed to divorce Lesley Beador after only 23 months of marriage.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, David's going with irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split ... and he lists the date of separation as Sept. 15, the same day he filed for divorce. Dude wastes no time.

David and Lesley have a 19-month-old daughter together, Anna Love Beador, and he's seeking joint physical and legal custody.

As for spousal support -- he doesn't wanna pay her any. He also says they have a prenup.

David and Lesley got married in October 2020, and Anna was born less than 4 months later.

"Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" star, James "Tim" Norman is guilty of setting up his nephew's murder ... according to a Missouri jury.

The former reality TV star was convicted of three counts -- murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud -- after the jury deliberated for 3 days.

As we've reported, Norman was busted by feds who accused him of orchestrating the killing of Andre Montgomery, his nephew. Prosecutors said Norman masterminded the 21-year-old's slaying. Andrew was shot and killed on March 14, 2016.

Prosecutors said Norman -- who owns Sweetie Pie's restaurant -- tried to cash a $450K life insurance policy taken out on his nephew after working with a woman named Terica Ellis to pull off the murder.

Ellis was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and has pled guilty. She'll be sentenced next month.

Tim and Andre both starred on the OWN network show "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's", which is about the popular soul food biz in St. Louis. They starred alongside Miss Robbie -- Andre's grandmother and Tim's mom.

Zoe Lister-Jones is pulling the plug on her marriage ... because she just filed for divorce from her director husband.

The "New Girl" star beelined it to court Thursday and filed to divorce Daryl Wein after 17 years together, including 9 years of marriage.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Zoe is citing the usual irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

Zoe revealed last year she had separated from Daryl, explaining how they were going in and out of an open relationship. Now, she's made the first move to get a divorce, listing Feb. 1, 2021 as the date of separation.

ZLJ and DW did not have any minor children ... and she wants to end the court's ability to award spousal support. As for their property, Zoe is asking the judge to keep things simple and confirm the judgment for legal separation filed back in May 2021.

Stacey Abrams says there's a threat to democracy underway in her state of Georgia, and several others, due to laws making it harder for folks to vote -- which she believes tears at the very fabric of American democracy.

The voting rights activist is running for Governor in the Peach State and she joined us on "TMZ Live" Friday to discuss the roadblocks she says lawmakers are putting up for voters there.

Stacey says Georgia's incumbent, Gov. Brian Kemp, is on the record saying his frustration with how Georgians voted in the 2020 presidential and U.S. Senate elections -- flipping from red to blue -- prompted him to sign new laws ... which she says intentionally make it tougher for people to cast their votes.

There are growing concerns nationally about the GOP's full-court press to install Secretaries of State who could potentially certify an election for a candidate who actually lost at the polls -- but Stacey says voter suppression is an equal, if not greater, concern.

The way she sees it ... limiting ballots and people's access to voting is just another way to change election outcomes -- not as overt as rigging, but just as effective.

Stacey says Georgia is a prime example of these dynamics at work ... she says Georgia's Sec. of State, Brad Raffensperger, is getting credit for refusing to commit election fraud back in 2020, but she says he's a "very strong proponent of voter suppression."

Hear ye, hear ye ... royal subjects shall not drop trou to honor Her Majesty the Queen.

Ya wouldn't think it was necessary to make such a decree, but it is after the wild scene that went down in the hours-long line to see Queen Elizabeth II's coffin.

As you know, QE2 has been lying in State this week in London's Westminster Abbey, and according to cops one mourner who showed up Wednesday got way outta line. The man was reportedly arrested for exposing himself to mourners who'd come to pay their respects to Queen.

Some people have been waiting as long as 12 hours, slowly and patiently waiting their turn to walk past Queen Elizabeth II's coffin -- but this yahoo created even more of a spectacle when he attempted to escape cops by jumping into the River Thames. It was not a successful getaway.

Law enforcement says ... the 19-year-old guy flashed 2 women while he was also in line. One of the alleged victims is said to have noticed him inching closer to her before feeling something touch her -- she then turned around and caught him in the act.

When cops fished him outta the river, he was charged with 2 counts of sexual assault and 2 counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order. He's already pled not guilty.

A$AP Rocky is clear ... he did NOT shoot A$AP Relli ... pushing back against his accuser, whom Rocky says is simply trying to make a cash grab.

The rapper's acclaimed lawyer, Joe Tacopina, tells TMZ ... "Rocky didn't commit a crime. It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false criminal accusations if Rocky didn't pay him."

Remember ... A$AP is accused of firing shots at A$AP Relli during a dispute in Hollywood back in November, with Relli claiming bullet fragments caused a hand injury. Relli is suing Rocky over the alleged incident, and Rocky is also facing felony firearms charges.

Tacopina tells us he has 2 eyewitnesses who back Rocky's story ... not only that Relli wasn't hit by bullet fragments, but that no shot was even fired. In other words, Tacopina says Relli has made up the story in a "get-rich-quick scheme."

Rocky hired Joe because a couple of his friends -- YG and Meek Mill -- were also successfully repped by Tacopina.

Tacopina says both the civil and criminal cases against his client are slam dunks ... "What will become abundantly clear in the upcoming months, based on facts and evidence, is that Rocky is innocent of these charges."

The former marriage of Safaree and Erica Mena is officially dissolved -- they've finalized their divorce terms ... TMZ has learned.

Legal documents obtained by TMZ show the judge signed off on the divorce September 12, after the exes came to their agreement through arbitration. Among those terms ... Safaree will dole out $4,305 a month in child support.

Allow us to jog your memory ... Erica filed for divorce in May 2021 and the two have been living separately since, sharing joint custody of their 2 young children.

The pair already unloaded their sprawling $1.3 million Georgia mansion in June and, with the marriage officially over, the docs say Erica will again go by her maiden name.

The "Love & Hip Hop" power couple were married for less than 2 years when Erica claimed Safaree was cheating while she was pregnant with their second child, and she allegedly trashed his stuff ... effectively flushing the marriage for good.

Cara Delevingne's friends say she's in a bad way -- struggling with issues that go beyond substance abuse -- and their desperation to get her help is becoming increasingly obvious.

One of the model's closest friends, Margot Robbie, was visibly distraught this week shortly after leaving Cara's L.A. home.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ there's good reason Margot's emotions came pouring out that day. We're told Cara's been struggling for a while now, initially with mental health issues, but now the people closest to her believe she needs rehab too.

We're told Margot and other friends are advocating for Cara to immediately get into a treatment program that includes mental therapy as well as substance abuse treatment.

You might recall, Cara and Margot went on vacay together in August ... traveling to Spain with other friends to celebrate Cara's 30th birthday, and since then she's appeared increasingly erratic in public.

Last week, she looked totally disheveled and seemed confused after initially boarding one of Jay-Z's private jets in Los Angeles. The flight never took off, and she got off it 45 minutes later.

The day Margot went to visit Cara ... she was supposed to be at her own NY Fashion Week event. She never made it to NYC.

A surfer's day on the waves quickly turned into a fight for his board -- 'cause a sea otter stole it from him as he was dippin' in the Pacific Ocean, and refused to give it back!!

The wild scene all happened off the shores of California on Monday when an otter plopped itself onto Nick Ericksen's ride as he was hittin' the waves.

Video shot by one of Ericksen's friends showed despite all of the surfer's efforts to displace the animal -- it wasn't budging.

The two then engaged in a standoff for several moments -- with the otter in absolutely no mood to get back in the water.

At one point, Ericksen managed to get the otter off the board for a few seconds -- but it climbed back on and, again, didn't want to leave.

Finally, another surfer came to the rescue ... and pulled the board away long enough for Ericksen to hop back on it.

The whole thing was pretty funny -- but also a little scary, 'cause the pissed-off otter followed the surfer for a while!!!

According to one of Ericksen's friends, the surfer had considered getting an otter tattoo recently, "but this may have changed his mind."

The death of a famous Philadelphia drag queen is getting national attention ... due to the tragic manner in which she died.

25-year-old Valencia Prime passed away after performing as part of a drag show ... according to Shaniyah Banks, an investigator for Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.

A rep for Philadelphia PD tells TMZ they got a call about someone who had collapsed at Tabu Lounge & Sports Bar around 11:15 PM Monday night ... they were pronounced dead just before midnight.

We're told the causes of death were determined to be cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.

The venue paid tribute to Valencia, posting a statement online about "the loss of a very bright and rising star in the performance community." They also said they're talking with her family about hosting a show in her honor in the future.

She's been met with tributes left and right since her passing ... drag queen Brittany Lynn wrote on Facebook, "You will be sorely missed ... keep twirling, ma'am," while drag artist Aloe Vera said, "I love you with everything in my heart Valencia. Rest in power.”

Valencia was 25.

A semitrailer hauling sex toys and lubricant overturned on an Oklahoma highway, spilling its love load all over the place ... leaving reporters' and anchors' mouths agape.

The indecent exposure happened on I-40 on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, where the 18-wheeler got into an accident with another truck ... leaving boxes of dildos on the road.

One local TV news station, KWTV-News 9, had its helicopter over the scene and the report from the sky was absolutely hilarious. Hard to tell if the reporter and anchors actually knew what was filling the screen ... but they definitely skirted calling out the products.

When the camera zooms in some of the phallic merch was pretty evident -- whether in boxes or naked on the street -- so it made for some funny banter, even if it was inadvertent.

The sex toys really left a mess ... traffic was reportedly blocked for hours.

King Charles isn't trying to get caught slipping again, after losing it over pen problems a couple times ... the monarch's practicing BYOP going forward, and looks damn proud of himself.

Charles and Queen Consort Camilla had the important duty of signing the visitors' book Friday in Llandaff Cathedral, and while the royal attendees gotta be on edge from the last time he whipped out a pen ... this time, King Charles got the job done with his own utensil.

Pretty hilarious, considering the inky situations he's had all week.

You'll recall, things got really sticky on Tuesday when the King attempted to hand sign a guest book at the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland ... and the pen leaked all over his hand.

KC3 threw a tantrum and stormed off muttering "this bloody thing" ... leaving Queen Camilla to sign for him.

That leak came on the heels of another meltdown ... days before he came across a pen box on his desk while trying to sign a proclamation. He was not here for the box being in his way ... and motioned for an aide to quickly take it away. It's good to be the King, as they say.

Well, he's learned his lesson, and we gotta say ... Friday's signing was smooth and calm. No leaking ink, sweat or tears!

Lawyers for Britney Spears and Jamie Spears are in talks to end their contentious legal battle ... sources with direct knowledge on both sides tell TMZ.

Our sources tell TMZ ... Britney's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, has reached out to both Jamie's lawyer and lawyers for Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group to settle up. As you know, Rosengart has accused both Jamie and Tri Star of misappropriating massive amounts of money from Britney ... an allegation they have strongly denied.

Our sources say a few months after the conservatorship ended last November, lawyers for Jamie and Tri Star approached Rosengart to settle their differences, but Britney's lawyer was having none of it and was going full steam ahead.

We're told Rosengart had a change of heart roughly a month ago and offered to end the legal fight for a price ... around $7 million. Sources tell us lawyers for Tri Star and Jamie wanted to know how he reached that figure, but they say Rosengart didn't offer specifics, so there was an impasse.

Our sources say both sides are still open to settling and, a source with direct knowledge tells TMZ ... as recently as this week Rosengart contacted Tri Star to forge ahead with a possible settlement.

This is not to say everyone's on the same page. Sources with direct knowledge of Tri Star and Jamie tell TMZ ...  Rosengart is "scrambling" to settle the case. A source with direct knowledge in Britney's camp, however, tells TMZ ... Rosengart is not scrambling at all, and general settlement talks are simply standard operating procedure in any legal dispute.

Jeff Bezos had one of the best seats in the house at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night -- taking in the Chargers-Chiefs game with Roger Goodell from the NFL commissioner's suite.

58-year-old Amazon founder was in the building with Goodell ... as the game was the first broadcast by Prime. Amazon won exclusive broadcast rights for "Thursday Night Football" through 2033. The Chiefs-Chargers game was the first on the platform.

Bezos, worth about $150 billion, according to Forbes, was shown during the game sitting next to the commish ... and the men appeared to be having a good time as two of the best teams in the AFC battled down on the field.

Of course, seeing Goodell and JB chop it up at the game had the Internet buzzin' -- as social media users wondered what the two tycoons were discussing.

Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and Chargers owner Dean Spanos also got some facetime with Bezos on the field before the game kicked off.

There was more for Goodell to celebrate than just the first Prime game. The home game marked the 50th season the Chiefs have played at Arrowhead Stadium -- opened in 1972 -- one of the best in all of football.