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Donald Trump's business empire is on the line, with the potential for it all to come crumbling down ... as he appears in court for the first time for his $250 million civil fraud trial.

The former president arrived at Manhattan Supreme Court Monday morning as his trial kicked off ... something Trump's previously labeled as a "witch hunt" with the goal of diminishing his run for the presidency.

Trump was seated next to his attorneys Clifford Robert, Alina Habba, and Christopher Kise ... as attorney Kevin Wallace delivered opening statements on behalf of the Attorney General's office.

Wallace said Trump overvalued his statements from anywhere between $812 million and $2.2 billion ... claiming he knew they were false but used them to his advantage.

Monday's trial comes a year after being sued by NY Attorney General Letitia James -- claiming he misrepresented his net worth by billions of dollars. Trump's top execs and his sons Eric and Donald Jr. are also in the crosshairs for the alleged decade-long scheme.

Judge Arthur Engoron ruled last week that Trump and co. were liable for the fraud claims against them -- canceling the defendant's NY business certificates and ordering an independent receiver to oversee their dissolution.

In other words, James got a substantial win in court before the trial even kicked off.

A California store clerk tried to stop an alleged shoplifter, but ended up in the emergency room with burns covering his body after he was set ablaze by the suspected thief.

The clerk, Suraj, was working with his coworker in Appian Food and Liquor in El Sobrante September 22, when Kendall Burton came in and allegedly stole lighter fluid for the third time that day.

The coworker saw the theft and notified Suraj, who went to confront Burton ... and all hell broke loss.

Newly released surveillance video shows Suraj violently struggling with Burton, while his coworker retrieves a baseball bat from somewhere inside the store.

During the tussle, Burton pours the accelerant over Suraj's head and lights him on fire.

Before the video cuts off, Suraj is seen frantically running to the bathroom to extinguish the flames by dousing himself with water.

Suraj was rushed to a local hospital and treated for serious burns over his face, neck, chest and shoulder.

From his hospital bed, Suraj told CBS Bay Area that no one should be subject to such dangers and called for more security in the workplace. He also said he has a long road to recovery and needs several surgeries to repair the extensive damage.

His wife has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his rising medical costs.

5:26 PM PT -- Taylor Swift was just officially introduced to start the broadcast, and it looks like her box is completely packed -- as she hugs and kisses friends, and hob-nobs with celebs.

No sign of Donna Kelce just yet, but she's almost certainly in the mix as well.

And yes, NBC is fully leaning in to Taylor-mania -- they just did this whole Carson Daly intro recapping the viral frenzy ... and they made a lot of Swift-y song references along the way. Last but not least ... Aaron Rodgers is also in the house -- this just a few weeks after tearing his Achilles and undergoing surgery. The dude is here to root on his underdog team.

It's game time!

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's romance is going strong -- so much so that she popped into another football stadium to cheer him on ... this time with some famous pals in tow.

The pop star is again the guest of honor Sunday during NBC's 'SNF' broadcast of the Chiefs vs. Jets game -- in which her rumored tight end BF is obviously playing. Taylor showed up and slipped in through a back area, but got caught on camera entering the building.

This time around, TayTay had some A-list company ... including Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, among others. She's expected to be in a luxury suite near the field, and word is ... she'll be joined by Travis's mom, Donna Kelce -- like last week.

As for TS's entourage -- Blake makes sense ... they're best buds, and they were just out and about yesterday together in the Big Apple -- not to mention a starry dinner alongside some other famous ladies, like Sophie Turner and even Patrick Mahomes' wife, Brittany.

Hugh's not all that random either -- he's good friends with Blake's hubby, and they're in this new obscure movie that's coming out next year -- something called 'Deadpool 3,' apparently.

Anyway ... Taylor's appearance is no surprise -- we'd been hearing all week that she'd be here, and they were telegraphing as much by being within a stone's throw of each other earlier this weekend.

We'll see how much of Taylor gets shown throughout the broadcast. FOX kept it mostly focused on the game last week -- but seeing how much of a rating bonanza her mere presence turned out to be ... ya gotta figure NBC will cut to her at least a few times today.

If today/tonight turns out to be as eventful as last week's Kansas City outing ... we're in for a whole lot of news. Travis and Taylor were all anyone talked about -- and now that they're showing PDA in public, it's safe to assume we might see even more of it in the near future.

Some might've thought this was all BS at first, but it's sure looking more real by the day. There were reports that Travis even swung by Taylor's NYC apartment before the game -- so yeah, he's been in her quarters now ... and all signs point to this being an intimate thing.

With Swifties and NFL'ers all flocking for the show ... it's a classic case of worlds colliding.

Trayvis is officially on ... and kickoff is just minutes away!!!

Beyoncé is full of inspiration, which she displayed in dramatic fashion in the trailer for her upcoming film documenting her "Renaissance" tour.

Bey's film, "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," chronicles lots of behind-the-scenes action, and it shows the singer in some chill, fun, backstage moments.

Throughout the trailer, you see her getting some stretching in backstage with her 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, while the little twins -- Rumi and Sir -- hung out with them.

Looks like Beyoncé was having a blast -- toasting the camera while knocking back a shot. Worth noting the rumors "Renaissance" was a booze-free tour, so it might not have been alcohol in that glass.

There's so much fans have to look forward to when the film comes out December 1st -- it's got everything from a beaming Jay-Z, crowds going nuts, and the Queen herself breaking down what this tour has meant to her.

As we reported, AMC will be taking the reigns for Bey's movie, playing in all of North America next month ... and this follows Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour flick spreading to a worldwide debut after tons of demand.

Taylor's film is also a partnership with AMC, so there's for sure a theme going on at that movie chain ... and obviously, a smart one.

Blueface's mother is defending the controversial nude baby photo posted on the rapper's social media -- because she believes there's absolutely nothing illegal about seeking help for an infant's hernia.

We got Karlissa Saffold on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles and asked her about the photo, which Blueface claims was uploaded last weekend while his account was hacked.

While Karlissa says she was initially outraged when she saw the graphic post, like most everyone else, which shows her grandkid's unhealthy genitals ... she says her opinion changed when she saw similar posts from other concerned parents seeking input on hernias.

What's more, Karlissa says the graphic photo wasn't done in a pornographic way ... she says it was about helping the child, and thus wasn't illegal.

We also asked about all the drama between her son and the child's mother, Chrisean Rock ... and she said she would step in if there was a need to keep the peace and help the baby. She's seeing the same nasty exchanges we all are, and says they both continue "doing some vicious stuff to one another."

The way Mom sees it, all the drama is what comes with folks who are at the end of a breakup -- and she throws some shade their way, saying there's "3 kids involved" ... Blueface, Chrisean and the infant.

To be clear, Karlissa isn't saying she will take the baby from Chrisean, she says she would never take a child from a mother who is capable of caring for her baby. But, she says she's ready and willing to help in any capacity.

And, this is very interesting ... Karlissa added that she's more concerned about the way Chrisean was carrying the baby in a Walmart than the hernia photo.

Brittany Mahomes hitting it off with Taylor Swift has seemingly rubbed Travis Kelce's ex-girlfriend the wrong way -- Kayla Nicole no longer follows her bestie on Instagram amid the tight end's budding relationship with the singer.

Patrick Mahomes' wife has been spending a lot of time with T-Swift over the past two weeks -- as we previously reported, the two initially connected at Kelce's party after the Chiefs' win over the Bears last week ... and grabbed dinner with Blake Lively and Sophie Turner in NYC days later.

Brittany and Taylor appeared to be thick as thieves as they enjoyed the Chiefs' close win over the Jets from a VIP suite alongside Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and more Sunday night ... a clear indication that Mahomes approves of Kelce's new love interest.

Kayla -- who remained tight with Brittany long after her relationship with Travis ended in 2022 -- apparently doesn't like the idea of her friend cozying up with Swift ... 'cause the model and influencer recently unfollowed Mahomes on social media.

Of course, Kayla was super close with the Mahomeses for years -- she was even a bridesmaid for their wedding in March 2022.

Now, she's no longer keeping tabs on both Brittany AND Patrick on the platform ... and previous posts have been "un-liked" by Kayla's account.

Former child star Madisyn Shipman's big move to Playboy has already come with some bizarre asks from fans ... including at least one thing she's for sure not down to provide.

We got the 20-year-old actress/singer in Santa Monica, where she opened up about why Playboy's online platform was the right place for her after starring on Nickelodeon's "Game Shakers" in the 2010s.

Madisyn admits she was looking for a way to reclaim her sexuality after having to follow so many rules -- and she lists 'em -- as a kid in the spotlight.

But, she says the move to Playboy has come with lots of fan requests, some of which have totally caught her off guard. What she's discovered is there a way more people with peeing fetishes than she ever suspected, and it's just not her cup of tea.

BTW, Madisyn tells us she's also not interested in doing nude shoots at this point ... adding her digital footprint could lead to some awkward convos with her future kids.

Madisyn breakout role was playing Kenzie Bell on the Nick series from 2015 to 2019, staring alongside Kel Mitchell.

Since the show wrapped, she's been working on her music career, and she explained how that's poised to take off ... thanks, in no small part, to the dough she's raking in from her Playboy page. Madisyn is dropping an album in November with 21 songs in honor of her 21st birthday.

Yeah, Damian Lillard and Antonio Brown might have some dope music, but Shaq tells TMZ Sports he's the G.O.A.T when it comes to athletes who rap ... and he's been that guy since the 1990s!

For those who don't remember, Shaq made four rap albums during his Hall of Fame NBA career, with the first one, "Shaq Diesel," coming out in 1993.

He hasn't stopped making music in retirement either ... the 51-year-old actually just jumped on a track with L.A.-based group Coyote -- and he tells us he's got much more on the way too.

"I got a couple of freestyles," O'Neal said. "It's all competition for me, so when I hear other people that say, 'I'm a better athlete-rapper than Shaq,' I gotta step up."

"Nothing personal. I just have to let these people know who paved the way."

Some of the athletes makin' waves in the rap game include Lillard, who's been considered by fans to be one of the best, lyrically, in any sport.

There's also Brown, who's made catchy tracks like "Put That Sh** On" ... as well as former NBA star Iman Shumpert.

But, while O'Neal (who we recently talked to about his huge upcoming charity event) was very complimentary of the guys' talents on the mic, he says he's still the greatest of all time.

"I put stuff out, they put stuff out and we let the people decide who the number one is," O'Neal said.

"I know who the number one is. I'ma always say myself is number one, but they got a lot of the guys out there that are coming."

Smash Mouth's lead singer Steve Harwell has been cremated following his death earlier this month ... and we're told the late artist's memorial will be open for all fans to attend.

Steve's manager, Robert Hayes, tells TMZ ... the ashes will be buried at Los Gatos Memorial Park in San Jose, CA -- and his loved ones want Steve to have a headstone marker they can continue to visit and leave flowers at.

We're told he was supposed to be laid to rest next to his mother in San Jose's Oak Hill Memorial Park, but, unfortunately, there was no space available close to her ... so they opted for Los Gatos instead.

Steve's memorial will be open to the public on October 7 at Los Gatos -- over 300 folks have already confirmed they'll be attending, including his Smash Mouth bandmates. A private reception for family and close friends will follow.

TMZ broke the story, Steve passed away on September 4 due to liver failure -- he was surrounded by friends and family at his home in Boise.

Before this blonde boy with his serious pose and striped-tee turned into an actor, he was growing up with his three sisters and playing football in North Dakota -- wanting to become a pro footballer -- but wound up hitting the big screen!

Starting out as a model, he eventually started acting and made his acting debut as Leo on the famous soap opera, "All My Children" in the late 90s. He's starred in several films such as "Safe Haven" and the film series "Transformers with Shia LaBeouf".

Need one more clue? Danny McCoy in "Las Vegas".

Meghan Markle's name has reportedly been getting kicked around to fill Dianne Feinstein's Senate seat -- which makes sense ... based on what the governor has said about who's next.

This speculation comes courtesy of the Daily Mail, so take it with a grain of salt ... albeit, admittedly, an intriguing one. The UK outlet reports that "phones lit up" this weekend with chatter over the possibility of the Duchess being tapped to fill the now-vacant seat.

They also quoted one anonymous bigwig Dem donor as saying that Meg was a long shot, but that her being chosen wasn't outside the realm of possibility in these crazy times.

DM also reports MM's made it known, privately, that she has lofty political ambitions -- saying she's apparently eyeing a White House run one day ... and that she's already met with Gavin Newsom about a U.S. Senate appointment -- however, that was supposedly back in 2020, when Kamala Harris' seat was left vacant, and GN obviously didn't pick Meg to fill it.

While that was then ... the situation is quite different now, and actually appears to favor Meghan being appointed as an interim Senator -- and it's because of Newsom's own words.

A couple years ago -- when concerns over Feinstein's health first bubbled up -- Newsom told MSNBC's Joy Reid that he would appoint a Black woman to fill Feinstein's seat in the case that she retired, or other circumstances (like her sudden death). He made no bones about it.

He doubled down on that pledge just a few weeks during an interview on "Meet the Press" -- but hedged this time ... saying it would be a Black woman who hasn't already publicly announced they'll be running for the seat in the next election cycle (November 2024).

The rationale here ... at least 3 high-profile Dem politicians have already said they're vying for the seat in November -- when it's up for grabs during the election -- and Newsom says he doesn't wanna appear to favor any one of them by appointing them to fill in right now.

In other words, he basically needs someone (a Black woman, specifically) to just fill in for the time being as a figurehead -- while the real candidates take center stage next year. As Chuck Todd put it (and to which Newsom seemingly agreed) ... a "caretaker" appointment.

Rep. Barbara Lee -- who's one of the 3 leading Dem candidates who'll run for the seat, alongside Adam Schiff and Katie Porter -- called out Newsom's thinking as patronizing.

However, that type of situation is kinda exactly what Meg would need to launch herself into politics -- about 13 or so months on the job, in the national spotlight, to get a little juice for more moves down the road ... assuming she's seriously considering a life in politics.

Also, remember ... she's apparently been working with a PR company of late that was once tied directly to Michelle Obama -- so she certainly seems primed for something like this.

A lot of questions remain about a potential bid for the Senate, though ... including, what does Prince Harry have to say about it? We know he supports 100%, so he'd probably be on board if she really wanted it.

Zachery Ty Bryan found himself in an Oregon jail for a third time this past week -- but he's finally out now ... this after a major misunderstanding, TMZ has learned.

A Lane County Jail official confirmed to us that the former "Home Improvement" star was released from custody Sunday -- this after he was arrested and taken in by the authorities on Thursday. We're told he posted bail to get out ... but it's unclear how much at this point.

The charges that showed up on his latest booking sheet -- obtained by TMZ -- were startling at first ... 2 counts of 4th-degree felony assault ... but after speaking with people directly connected to the case, we've been assured this latest arrest is NOT over a new incident.

Zachery's attorney, John J. Kolego, tells us his client got hauled in as a result of a technical violation of his release agreement from earlier this year ... when he was busted on assault charges. We're told ZTB failed to charge his ankle monitor by mistake ... that's it.

Kolego tells us he got taken into custody during a pre-trial court office appearance, and that his arrest didn't involve a judge. We're told it also didn't involve any binge drinking -- as has been suggested by some media outlets.

Zachery's attorney adds of the July arrest and subsequent case ... "Zachery is looking forward to exonerating himself at trial."

Remember, ZTB copped a plea deal for his 1st case in 2020 on 2 lesser charges -- but he got busted for a 2nd time just earlier this year ... on very similar charges to his initial arrest. It all appears to pertain to a woman he's in a relationship with ... and with whom he has kids.

At the time of his first conviction, Zachery told the press that the whole thing was blown out of proportion by the media. The second time around, his defense attorney said Zachery deserves the presumption of innocence until all the facts come out.

Kourtney Kardashian is shutting down Kim's claim that there's a group chat of secret haters who all gossip about the eldest Kardashian sister is ... and she's got receipts!

The back-and-forth bickering from last week's premiere of "The Kardashians" bled into the weekend -- with Kourtney taking to Instagram to respond to fans who wondered if Kim's on-screen suggestion of a "Not Kourtney" text group was actually true or not.

According to Kourt, it's BS ... at least based on some digging she's been doing on her end. KK responded to one person, writing ... "I believe it was just my sisters from the surveys I've been taking."

She added this while replying to yet another fan who inquired about it ... "the members of that chat are namely Kim, Khloe, Kendall and Kylie. Case closed." It looks like Kourtney checked in with her actual friends ... and started a new group chat with them.

She posted a screen shot of their conversation ... and it's pretty clear they're pro-Kourtney. Also, folks have apparently been contacting these pals of hers and asking if they're in the alleged "Not Kourtney" group -- and they all seem to be denying it.

Of course, the reason this is even being discussed is because Kim alleged on the show that some of Kourtney's buddies have been secretly cozying up to her and other family members to air their grievances about Kourt.

Kim made it seem pretty dramatic, too ... saying, "- "All of your friends call us complaining. Whether you think they're the ones going to you, they're all coming to us on the side, saying the opposite to us."

She added, "We're all confused, and we're on a group chat labeled 'Not Kourtney' so we know, and have to funnel what your friends are saying to us, and have to figure out why you're such a different person and why you have this vendetta."

This was part of a much larger argument the two siblings has over the phone ... in which Kourtney accused Kim of being a narcissist and always wanting to steal the spotlight.

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield, a 2x World Series champion, has died at the age of 57 ... just days after former teammate Curt Schilling revealed the longtime starting pitcher was battling brain cancer.

The Boston Red Sox, Wakefield's team for all but two of his 19 MLB seasons (he spent his early days with the Pirates), announced the devastating news on social media.

"Our hearts are broken with the loss of Tim Wakefield," the BoSox wrote on X.

"Wake embodied true goodness; a devoted husband, father, and teammate, beloved broadcaster, and the ultimate community leader. He gave so much to the game and all of Red Sox Nation."

"Our deepest love and thoughts are with Stacy, Trevor, Brianna, and the Wakefield family."

On the mound, Wakefield could be nearly unhittable … thanks to his knuckleball. TW won 200 games and retired with a 4.41 ERA. Tim struck out over 2,100 batters and earned a trip to the All-Star Game in 2009.

He won two World Series in 2004 and 2007.

Wakefield retired in 2011 ... and was later inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame.

Of course, it wasn't publicly known that the former All-Star was sick until Schilling, on his podcast last week, revealed Tim was battling cancer and fighting for his life, seemingly against the Wakefield family's wishes.

Curt even acknowledged "I don't even know if he wants it shared," but explained he was Christian and remarked ... "I've seen prayer work and so I'm going to talk about it."

Schilling categorized the illness as "a very serious, very aggressive form of brain cancer."

Many were outraged by Schilling's actions ... Jason Varitek's wife, Catherine, blasted the World Series MVP-winning pitcher. The Red Sox also condemned Curt, saying, "Health is a deeply personal matter they intended to keep private as they navigate treatment and work to tackle this disease."

The MLB team added that the Wakefields were asking for "privacy at this time."

Sadly, just three days later, the legendary knuckleballer and father of two, passed away.

Many from the baseball community have begun reacting to the terrible news, with Tim's former teammate, Kevin Youkilis, summing Wakefield up perfectly.

"He was a great teammate and just a great friend."

Mia Thornton's estranged husband, Gordon, did not see their separation coming -- 'cause the guy thought everything was fine and dandy until he got served ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the hubby of the 'RHOP' star tell us Gordon was handed court docs on Mia's behalf back in mid-August ... which signaled her desire for legal separation. We're told the move completely blindsided him -- and that he had no clue it was coming.

Our sources tell us that Gordon is also peeved right now over Mia's public handling of the situation -- namely because we're told he feels like she's been BSing everyone.

Fact is ... until Friday -- when MT announced they were separating -- she'd made it seem like they were A-OK on social media, continuing to post photos of the two of them together and even shouting him out a handful of times ... calling him a positive influence on their kids.

Our sources say Gordon is irritated by this ... and not just that, but we're told he hasn't even signed the papers yet. Her going public can be viewed as pressure on him to do so.

Mia broke the news to People, saying ... "Like all marriages, ours has had its ups and downs. At this time, Gordon and I are separated, but my family is my number one priority, and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure we are okay. We ask that you respect our privacy and give us the time and space to figure things out."

Of course, the backdrop of all this is the fact that "Real Housewives of Potomac" has a new season on the horizon ... it's set to premiere in November, and this is sure to be covered.

The NFL got animated this weekend -- the shield teamed up with none other than Disney to broadcast a simultaneous version of a game that saw everybody reimagined as a toy.

Of course, we're referring to the Jags facing off against the Falcons in London ... the kickoff for which was super early. That doesn't mean Disney/ESPN wasn't ready with their big "Toy Story" skin, though -- as soon as the game started, their own cartoon stream was live.

It's exactly how it sounds ... basically, while the real game was playing out on everyone's TV, a different part of the screen was showing Disney's carbon copy universe -- where all the players were turned into toys and their on-field play was translating moment-for-moment.

The "Toy Story" stream wasn't on the main screen the entire time -- it sounds like they cut away to it during different parts of the match ... including replays/highlights, etc.

It was pretty cool to see, and the reactions online certainly reflected that ... as people were somewhat mesmerized by the technology -- not to mention all the other "Toy Story" characters being incorporated into the background and on the sidelines.

With that said, the new feature wasn't without its issues -- there were moments when the "Toy Story" would glitch up and/or not cut back to the main action in time ... and it PO'd some.

Still, it was way more good than bad ... and considering how much the "Toy Story" stuff got talked about, you can almost guarantee the NFL will try doing this again in the near future.

BTW, this isn't the first time the league has done something like this ... they've partnered with Nickelodeon in the past and had AR visuals superimposed over portions of the game -- including "slime" moments after touchdowns.