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Logan Paul and Dillon Danis are scheduled to fight in less than a week ... but there's real concern the fighter-turned-internet won't actually show up for the scrap. If he doesn't, "Platinum" Mike Perry says he's ready to step in and whoop some ass!

32-year-old Perry joined Mike Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) this week ... and walked us through his role as a backup fighter for the highly anticipated event.

"I'm preparing for a fight like normal like I'm the one fighting," Platinum told us ... but of course, there's a good chance he never throws a punch.

"They told me all the way up until the point where if Danis gets into the ring, answers the bell, and walks out of the ring to say that he was there and showed up, I would still get in the ring and fight Logan."

Obviously, that's unheard of ... but this is an event like we haven't seen before.

The trash talk between Logan (and fiance Nina Agdal) and Dillon has been so intense, the supermodel filed a lawsuit against the former Bellator fighter and got a restraining order against him.

Paul previously told us there's a clause in Dillon's contract that fines him a substantial amount of money if he doesn't show up and fight.

If DD does show up and fight, Mike says he's willing to corner him for the fight ... if he doesn't have a team with him.

"My coach even said something to me today, what if Danis comes and he needs help in the corner, and I corner him?"

If Perry isn't fighting in the ring, or coaching in the corner, he says he just may beat someone up in the stands. 😅

"I might fight that night in the crowd. Who knows who's gonna be there. Who knows who's gonna do some stupid stuff!"

Who fights and where ... we'll find out in 5 short days!

🥊🥊🥊🥊

The boys from 5ive say they want to drop their longstanding beef with rival boy band 98 Degree s... even though Nick Lachey's group once again called them out live on-air.

5ive singer Ritchie Neville tells TMZ ... the band genuinely wishes 98 Degrees well and wants the best for the guys and their families.

This is coming on the heels of 98 Degrees slamming the British boy group earlier this week ... Nick and the group did a radio hit promoting their upcoming shows with two boy bands they get along with, All-4-One and O-Town, but then the convo took a turn when 98 slammed 5ive, once again bringing up their decades-long beef.

98 Degrees and the hosts ripped 5ive for being the worst boy band ever ... recalling bad blood dating back to the '90s. Nick and the guys have done this before, previously calling out 5ive on Andy Cohen's show, which prompted a strong response from former 5ive member Abz Love.

But Ritchie tells us ... "They can carry on the beef and immaturity if they want. We're just getting on with our lives, playing gigs and raising our children."

According to Ritchie, the longstanding beef started when 98 Degrees went over to the United Kingdom in the '90s for the "Smash Hits" tour, where they shared the spotlight with 5ive, a new band at the time from London.

Ritchie says the rivalry grew out of both bands competing for the audience's love on tour, and he says 5ive won an audience vote and went to the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party -- a televised British awards show. He says 98 Degrees got jealous and had beef with 5ive ever since.

RN tells us ... "We were all kids then, I was 18. I understand losing is hard sometimes but it's a shame that we are now grown men still carrying on this beef."

Australian actress Emily Browning was 15 years old when she played Violet Baudelaire -- the highly intelligent orphan who takes over as mom, looking after her two younger siblings -- in the movie "A Series Of Unfortunate Events" back in 2004.

Emily shared the big screen with Jim Carrey as the smelly uncle and villain who prays on young and wealthy orphans, Count Olaf, Liam Aiken as the smart younger brother navigating through the death of his parents, Klaus and Meryl Streep as the grammar-fanatic, Aunt Josephine.

Jude Law and Catherine O'Hara are also a part of the adventure/fantasy film.

President Biden's administration may or may not be shocked to hear Iran was supposedly instrumental in the lead-up to the attack on Israel ... the implications of which are dire.

The Wall Street Journal published a bombshell report Sunday, citing multiple sources from within Hamas, Hezbollah and even a European official with knowledge ... all of whom say Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps worked with Hamas in planning the ambush.

This alleged coordination dates back several weeks, apparently ... with talks going as far back as August and several reported meetings taking place in Beirut between all the parties. In addition to Iran being involved, WSJ reports that Lebanon's Hezbollah was in the mix.

The intention in all this, per WSJ, was two-pronged ... Iran apparently wanted to manufacture a "multi-front threat" against Israel -- this as the country grappled with its own internal politics, while disrupting U.S.-brokered peace talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

When asked directly about whether the U.S. had any knowledge of Iran's alleged involvement in directing the Hamas-led attack ... Sec. of State Anthony Blinken denied knowing anything about it, saying there was no evidence on their end that was, in fact, the case.

A separate U.S. official said the same thing to the WSJ ... but the outlet is insisting people overseas are saying differently. If what they're saying is true -- it's troubling on many fronts.

For one, it would be an indictment on U.S intelligence ... but it would also indicate that a broader conflict in the Middle East is looming -- with Israel having already gone on the record to say they would retaliate if it was found that Tehran sanctioned this Hamas move.

Michael Chiarello, a celebrity chef, died this weekend ... and it was apparently sudden.

The former "Food Network" star passed away Saturday while being treated at the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, CA -- and, as it turns out, his hospitalization is the result of a fatal allergy attack ... this according to his own company.

Gruppo Chiarello announced Sunday what led up to their founder's death, saying an acute allergic reaction resulted in anaphylactic shock. They also say he was surrounded by friends and family in his final moments. It's unclear if the allergic reaction was food-related.

The team adds, "We deeply mourn the loss of our beloved patriarch Michael," the Chiarello family said in a statement. "His culinary brilliance, boundless creativity, and unwavering commitment to family were at the core of his being. He brought people together through the joy of shared meals, fostering lasting memories around the table."

Gruppo Chiarello finishes by saying, "As we navigate this profound loss, we hold dear the moments we cherished with him, both in his kitchens and in our hearts. His legacy will forever live on in the love he poured into every dish and the passion he instilled in all of us to savor life's flavors."

The star chef had a long run on TV, with his show "Easy Entertaining With Michael Chiarello" airing for 10 seasons on FN. He was also featured on hit series like "Top Chef," "Chopped," "The Next Iron Chef" and others ... not to mention appearances on other talk shows.

He's survived by his wife, Eileen, and his four children. Michael was 61.

Issa Rae is pretty famous these days, which is why this mispronunciation of her name probably stung badly for spectators of this live interview ... and why they spoke up.

The triple threat star -- famous for her show 'Insecure' -- was doing a sit-down Saturday at the CultureCon conference in NYC ... where she was about to answer questions from moderator Glenda McNeal, who's a bigwig over at AmEx.

As McNeal intro'd Issa ... she kinda botched her first name, calling her Ih-suh as opposed to Ee-suh (the correct way to say it). Just as quickly, she was informed by the crowd.

Take a look for yourself ... there was a chorus of "Issa" from the audience, with multiple people shouting out and interruption McNeal's train of thought to let her know she'd said it wrong -- and it clearly took the speaker by surprise, and ditto for IR herself.

McNeal corrected herself, and then apologized ... saying she'd made a mistake, noting she was part of the Black community and meant no harm. Issa seemed to find it hilarious.

No harm, no foul big picture -- but it is a testament to something in the grand scheme of things. Fact is, we're reaching a point when perceived disrespect simply won't be tolerated ... especially among beloved celebs like Issa, who's star is growing brighter by the day.

2:16 PM PT -- It's confirmed, Taylor skipped today's game. Jim Nantz just said, "In case you’re wondering, the seven words i never thought would leave my lips in my career, 'Taylor Swift is not at the game.' There are some broken hearted people I just saw in the stands. She was questionable all week, but it looks like it’s officially inactive for today."

Taylor Swift wasn't about to fly to Minneapolis this weekend to see Travis Kelce play -- which is now obvious in the fact that she's apparently nowhere to be found in the stands.

The Chiefs tight end is playing against the Vikings Sunday, and it's an away game ... so him and his teammates are out in breezy Minnesota here. As the broadcast began, there was no sign of Taylor anywhere -- nor was there any reporting of her being at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Of course, once kickoff got underway ... no cameras panned to her in a private box the way they've been doing for the past couple weeks. In other words, she ain't there, Swfties.

That didn't prevent the announcers from name-dropping TayTay -- they just couldn't help themselves. Once TK was shown walking onto the field, they said his strut resembled that of a "Swift walk" ... and they mentioned her once more a bit later during warmups.

One of the broadcasters said, "There's Travis Kelce, enough of the Taylor Swift talk, ok? this guy is the best tight end in all of football and he's showing up big for his team every week."

That's a little shady -- but by the same token, it reflects what Travis himself has said about all the hubbub ... namely, that it was enough already and the NFL needed to give it a rest.

Many might feel the same ... but the league's been loving all the hype, as have the TV networks that were lucky enough to carry her games. CBS kinda got screwed today ... darn.

Greta Gerwig is already circling her next movie -- but it ain't gonna be a walk in the park the way "Barbie" has been ... if anything, she makes it sound like the exact opposite.

The writer-director made an appearance Sunday at the London Film Festival -- where she went onstage for a sitdown interview with "Succession" creator Jesse Armstrong ... who asked her a bunch of questions, including what she had coming down the pike.

Gerwig didn't get into specifics about what exactly she was working on ... but confirmed she's already in the writing process for another feature, over which she's feeling apprehensive.

She says, "It’s hard and I’m having recurring nightmares." There's no video that's surfaced of her making this comment -- only recaps from outlets that were present -- so there's no real context as to the exact emphasis she placed on this, or what she even really means.

Some have characterized her remarks as feeling dread over re-entering the writing process ... but the quote on its own is a little strange, considering "Barbie" was light-hearted and easy viewing -- not to mention a complete home run crowd pleaser.

What we can surmise is that "Barbie 2" isn't what she's talking about. There's been no word on a green-lit sequel yet -- despite the OG's success -- any inkling of that would've leaked out by now if it was already happening. Then again, the WGA strike did just end -- so ... 🤷🏽‍♂️

Everybody wants a piece of Maluma these days -- but that doesn't mean he wants folks going for a handful of the goods ... evidenced here in this video.

Check out this clip of the Colombian singer that made the rounds this weekend -- it shows him walking through a lower-level crowd during his concert at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Montville, CT ... getting pretty close to adoring fans, and maybe even too close.

As you can see, as people reach out to touch him ... somebody appears to reach for his crotch -- and it looks like they might've even made contact, to Maluma's chagrin.

Right away, he pulls back and kinda swats their hands away ... and gives 'em a little tsk-tsk. Unclear if it's a man or woman who got handsy -- but in any case, Maluma wasn't having it.

This ain't the first time Maluma's had to deal with overzealous fans -- it wasn't that long ago that he had to scold an audience member during a gig ... who threw a phone at him.

Drake's giving a warning to a social media star who's trying to pretend he's the boss of a new rap label, which feels eerily similar to Birdman's ... and which Baby doesn't like at all.

Of course, we're talking about Druski and his "Coulda Been Records" -- a brand he recently launched ... but seemingly just for jokes and content. The dude ran auditions and uploaded a ton of clips showing him denying would-be artists in hilarious fashion.

Thing is ... Birdman himself isn't a fan of what Druski's doing -- and let him know about it in no uncertain terms over an IG Live chat -- warning him he's stepping on Cash Money's toes.

Fast-forward to this weekend ... and Druski's at it again, playing up a sketch/skit where he's brooding over one of Drizzy's new songs ('Daylight') where he raps a bar that Druski apparently wanted to use in one of his own (fake) songs ... "Standin' on business."

Check out Druski's upload ... it's pretty funny. He's fuming over the fact that Drake beat him to the punch -- and captioned his video "Cash Money vs Coulda Been BEEF CONTINUES." Obviously, Dru's kidding here -- the whole thing's a gag -- but Birdman isn't playing.

Baby responded in the comments, "Bro you still playin with a real gangsta SMFH" ... and Drake even chimed in, adding "Stunna bout to have you come up missing on Gladys."

Now, the Internet apparently can't tell if Birdman is being serious or not -- even though Druski obviously isn't -- but based on how Baby's reacting ... something tells us he means it. He posted more photos of Druski on his IG Story after this -- and he sure seems angry.

Remember, this manufactured feud came to a head a few months ago when Birdman confronted Druski about his Coulda Been endeavor -- and Dru tried to calm his down.

Since then, Druski's been leaning into it -- apparently getting a kick over the fact that he's gotten a rise out of Birdman over this whole charade -- and he continues to stir the CMR pot.

Will Ferrell reprised his role as Frank the Tank for a rager this weekend at USC -- only, this time, he was spinning records for the party animals ... and luckily, no streaking after.

The actor was spotted handling music duties at the Sigma Alpha Mu frat house in L.A. Saturday -- and based on the lighting ... it would appear this thing was a pre-game blowout that went down during the day, before kickoff in the evening.

There isn't much context beyond what you see in the clip ... it's WF with his shades on, blasting music from his turntable on a balcony -- with a bunch of college kids around.

Sounds like he was going old school with 'Eye Of the Tiger,' no doubt trying to pump everyone up before the big game against the University of Arizona -- which ended up turning into a nail-biter, going into triple OT and ending with a stunning victory for the Trojans.

As for what the connection is here ... well, Will's a USC alum and a known diehard fan -- has been for years. But more specifically, his 19-year-old son Magnus actually goes to USC right now ... and something tells us he might also be in this fraternity.

Assuming that's the case, you can put two and two together on Will's appearance here.

The homie can do it all for his alma mater ... whether it's in a commencement speech or turning up the student body for a big matchup -- Will's got the Trojans covered on all fronts.

Caitlyn Jenner is on track to spend the rest of her life by herself -- because romance just isn't in the cards for her ... so says CJ herself.

The former Olympian dished about her love life in an interview with The Times -- saying she's not dating right now ... and that she might not even date ever again, 'cause she apparently doesn't see or need that in her future going forward.

Here's her quote ... "I’m fine. I’m not even close to looking for a relationship. I’ll never have a relationship in the future. I just don’t see that in my life. I am not looking for that." Caitlyn adds she's "very single" and quite content with that status at the moment.

As far as loneliness, CJ says she doesn't experience it ... citing her dogs as good enough company -- not to mention her big family, with whom she suggests she's still on good terms with ... saying, "Every night of the week I could go to somebody’s house and have dinner."

Caitlyn ends her thoughts on her romantic life by noting she does a lot to keep herself busy -- hobbies and such -- and that she's simply in her "fun" chapter in life ... while noting other chapters may follow down the road. In other words, she's keeping an open mind.

The last person Caitlyn was rumored to have been involved with was Sophia Hutchins -- but they've since distanced themselves from that speculation ... saying there's no "hanky panky."

Kylie Jenner apparently can't take the heat for supporting Israel, because she posted her support for the country that just endured a 9/11-type terrorist attack, but after some people criticized her she 86'd the post.

Jenner shared a post, "Now and always we stand with the people of Israel SHARE if you stand with the people of Israel as they face one of the most frightening situations in many years. Thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza towards Israelis, hundreds of civilians have been injured and more than 300 murdered, terrorists have infiltrated Israel from Gaza, and there are unconfirmed reports that IDF soldiers have been kidnapped and taken into Gaza."

Some of Jenner's followers started populating her Instagram with photos of Palestinian flags and urged others to unfollow her. Apparently, that was enough for Kylie, because the post was nowhere to be seen on her account an hour later.

Other celebs are standing strong in their support for Israel, including Sarah Silverman, Gal Gadot, Amy Schumer and Jamie Lee Curtis.

There is a full-blown war now, with Hezbollah firing missiles at Israel from Lebanon.

Israel has reacted swiftly to the biggest attack on the country in 50 years, bombing areas of Gaza in retaliation for the Hamas attack that now reportedly killed more than 500 Israelis.

You see people running for cover as buildings collapse after the bombings.

Israel has declared a state of war and is swiftly retaliating for the attack that completely escaped military intel -- both in Israel and the U.S.

This dramatic video shows a reporter doing a live shot in Gaza when a bomb hit ... the sounds from the explosion unnerve her but she toughs it out and continues her reporting.

At the time of the attack, there was a crowded music festival near the Gaza Strip and you see the terror and panic as terrorists launched rockets and opened fire into the crowd

Some of the people at the festival were taken hostage by gunmen. One woman is taken away on a motorcycle as she screams, "Don't kill me! No, no no!"

Dozens, and many more, have reportedly been taken hostage and are now somewhere in the Gaza Strip, making retaliation by the Israeli military problematic. It's likely some of the hostages are in tunnels which house some of the terrorists as well as military and other artillery.

At least 1,500 people were injured in Saturday's attack and both the death toll and toll of those injured is expected to climb.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said, "We are at war," vowed that Hamas "would pay a price it has never known."

The Middle East is a powder keg of violence ... it's unknown if other countries surrounding Israel will join the conflict.

21 Savage took Canada by storm Saturday night at Drake's jam-packed performance -- one day after he was barred from entering the country.

The rapper hit the stage with Drake at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto last evening, marking the first time he was legally permitted to travel outside the United States.

TMZ got video of Drake cutting off some guy holding a mic to announce 21's dramatic arrival onstage. 21 gave Drake a huge hug as the crowd went absolutely wild.

As you know, 21 just got his Green Card after years of haggling in the courts following his 2019 arrest in Georgia that led to drug and gun possession charges.

At the time, 21 was a UK citizen living in the U.S. with an expired visa, putting him in the crosshairs of American immigration authorities.

Fast forward to Friday night. 21 was supposed to be at Drake's side during the concert, but he was denied entry into Canada, although it's not clear why.

Yet, 21 was able to iron out his immigration issues and Canadian officials opened the doors so he could make it to the arena Saturday.

Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny were in a celebratory mood after the Billboard Latin Music Awards ... because dude took home some serious metal!

Bad Bunny won 7 -- count them -- 7 awards, including Artist of the Year at the ceremony Saturday night in Miami.

After the show, BB and KJ hit the town, hitting up Superblue Miami, an art museum, and then capping it off by chowing down at Hometown BBQ Miami.

The 2 have been together for months but made it publicly official last week with their joint Gucci ad, where they left no doubt about their relationship.

TMZ has reported the 2 have been an item since posting that pic of them on a horseback in early April.

Fact is ... they've been joined at the hip since February. They were all over each other at Drake's concert in L.A. back in August.