Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson New Wax Figure Has Fans Confused ... What The Hell Is This?!

A new wax figure of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has fans questioning what the artist was thinking when they made it ... with many taking to social media to voice their concerns.

Here's the deal, Dwayne's been memorialized -- or, maybe not so much -- in a new wax figure that's going on display at the Grevin Museum in Paris ... but fans of the actor have been left pretty disappointed by the way it looks.

Some say the choice to put Dwayne in an outfit that screams "dad" was a bad call ... while many pointed out how the skin tone isn't accurate -- one simply wrote, "Bro is white."

Apart from Mr. Clean and Pitbull being a couple of names folks have compared it to, there's another person folks on X have said it resembles more -- Vin Diesel, his costar from the 'Fast & Furious' movies.

As we reported, the 2 have had on-set beef in the past, which even led to Dwayne leaving the series for a hot minute ... so some online have pointed out how pissed Dwayne's gonna be when he finds out it looks more like Dom Toretto than him.

Making wax figures ain't easy ... but this one seems to have missed the mark more than most.

Kim Kardashian Shows Up for Jury Service in Gang Murder Case

Kim Kardashian has been in court this week -- not as a lawyer or litigant, but as a prospective juror in a gang murder case ... TMZ has learned.

Kim was at the Van Nuys Courthouse all week, as part of a jury panel in a case where 2 men have been charged with murdering another man in a gang-related crime. We're told she was there 4 days in total, from Monday to Thursday.

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HEADIN' OUT
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Our producer was in the courtroom during voir dire -- where prospective jurors were questioned by the prosecutor and defense lawyers.

Kim made herself part of the group ... eating snacks in the courthouse hallway during the breaks with other prospective jurors. She dressed fancier than the others Thursday, wearing leather pants, high boots and a sleeveless white blouse.

Late Thursday, the lawyers agreed on 12 jurors and 4 alternates ... before Kim was ever questioned, so she was dismissed and left the courthouse ... having concluded her jury service.

In true Kardashian form, there were cameras from her Hulu show in the parking lot as she jumped in her SUV and left the courthouse.

Our producer says, at least on Thursday, the other prospective jurors were not particularly starstruck ... they treated her like one of them.

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EVERYONE'S GOTTA DO IT
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During the court session, Kim's bodyguard was seated right next to her in the front row of the peanut gallery.

As you know, Kim's gunning to become a lawyer. She's passed the California "baby bar" and is studying to take the actual bar exam for real.

She's been very active over the past few years working on prison reform and has even helped secure the release of some prison inmates.

Britney Spears Claims She Had Brawling Sex With Colin Farrell ... In New Memoir

Britney Spears is dishing on what she claims was a two-week hot romance she had with Colin Farrell years ago -- comparing their quickie affair to a "street fight."

The pop star wrote about her fling with Colin in her new memoir, "The Woman In Me," which is set to be released next Tuesday.

In a new excerpt from the book, obtained by TIME, Britney says she first met Colin through a club promoter on the set of his 2003 film "S.W.A.T."

Britney says the sparks flew immediately and the stars wound up having a lot of rough sex, describing it as a "two-week brawl."

She added that "brawl is the only word for it -- we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight."

Britney also says her bedroom romp with the Oscar-nominated actor came after then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake broke up with her in 2002.

She admits she wasn't "over Justin" when she appeared alongside Colin at the opening of his 2003 movie, "The Recruit." She says she was vulnerable after the split with Justin, but tried to convince herself "it was not a big deal" and she was "just having fun" with Colin.

At the premiere, Colin told the media he was "not dating" Britney, but referred to her as "a sweet, sweet girl."

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TOGETHER ON THE RED CARPET
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That same year, Britney told "W Magazine" she kissed Colin and thought he was the "cutest, hottest thing in the world," but their relationship was "nothing serious."

In her memoir, Britney doesn't get into what led to the end of her sexual liaison with Colin, but she offers this instead ... "For a brief moment in time, I did think there could be something there. The disappointments in my romantic life were just one part of how isolated I became. I felt so awkward all the time."

Several excerpts from Britney's book have already leaked to the media. This week, TMZ broke the story about her tell-all bombshell  ... Britney and Justin made the gut-wrenching decision to abort their unborn child while they were dating in the early 2000s.

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THE EXCRUTIATING EXPERIENCE
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Taylor Swift Sushi Date With Selena & Zoë ... Sorry Travis!!!

Taylor Swift and her girl squad were out in force in the City of Angels ... grabbing sushi with her fellow A-list ladies, Selena Gomez and Zoë Kravitz.

The ladies took to the highly recommended Sushi Park in West Hollywood Thursday night, and apparently, a good time was had by all -- as they were seen laughing and smiling as they left the joint.

As you know, Selena and Taylor have been pals since 2008, when Taylor was dating Joe Jonas and Selena was with Nick Jonas -- so ya, they've been through it together.

Zoë has also worked with Taylor in the past, as one of the songwriters credited on Tay's song, "Lavender Haze" ... part of her 2022 album, "Midnights."

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NEVER GOING OUT OF STYLE
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BTW, it looks like Taylor passed up a night with her boo, Travis Kelce, for some time with the girls instead -- but he's got a game coming up in Kansas City this weekend, so there's a good chance he'll be locked in at practice for the next few days.

It's unclear if Taylor will make it back to Missouri for the game this weekend, but if she does, you can be sure both Taylor fans and NFL honchos alike will be happy to have her ... she's definitely brought some new eyes to the game.

We've also learned the Chiefs tight end bought a new pad in Kansas City for just under $6 million -- looking to get a lot more privacy as their relationship really heats up.

Goes without saying Travis must've been a hot topic at the girls' sushi dinner.

Britney Spears Cruisin' Without a Care In The World As Book Bombshells Drop

Britney Spears is certainly the subject of a LOT of conversation this week, but you wouldn't know it by looking at her ... cruising SoCal without much worry at all.

The former pop princess was spotted in her white Mercedes Thursday taking a short drive around her neighborhood ... wearing sunglasses and her hair tied back.

It's less than a week until Britney's memoir, "The Woman in Me" officially releases, but there's been a ton of scoops to drop from the book the week. Everything from her relationship with Justin Timberlake, and their difficult decision to get an abortion to the private details around her conservatorship are shared in the book.

Obviously, the book excerpts have been major talking points for Britney fans, and it's already catapulted to the top of Amazon.

Don't expect Britney to do any sit-down TV interviews for further book promotion, though, we were first to report she made the decision she didn't want to do any more press outside of an email-correspondence interview with People Magazine.

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THE EXCRUTIATING EXPERIENCE
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Britney Spears 'Everytime' Lyrics Not About Unborn Baby With Justin Timberlake ... Writer Denies Fan Theory

Britney Spears is NOT singing about her pregnancy with Justin Timberlake or her abortion in the hit song "Everytime" ... so says the woman who wrote the song with Britney.

Songwriter Annet Artani tells TMZ … she worked with Britney on the song back in the day, and while Britney contributed, it was about their respective breakups ... and mostly Annet's.

Annet says when she was writing the lyrics she was coming off a fresh split from Britney's musical director ... and the song is mostly about Annet's relationship ... not Britney's unborn child, as some fans now suspect in the wake of Britney's recent bombshell.

Britney had been broken up with Justin for about 9 months at the time, and the song came out after he released "Cry Me a River" ... but Annet says Britney never mentioned a baby or an abortion during the writing process, and neither topic served as inspiration for the track.

Annet tells us she and Britney would sit at the piano together working on the song ... they were friends and were sharing pain, and they were both sad and would play piano together.

As we reported ... the famous lyric that has fans thinking Britney was secretly referencing her abortion is "I guess I need you, baby."

But, Annet says the tagline was just something she wrote about her own experiences with her relationship. To be even clearer, she says it's NOT a reference to an unborn baby.

As for the song's chorus ... "And every time I see you in my dreams I see your face, you're haunting me. I guess I need you, baby" ... Annet says Britney came up with "haunting," though she says they were simply trying to find words with rhymes.

Annet's kind of leaving the door open to the new Britney fan theory though ... she says she was not involved in the music video or the imagery of a woman giving birth, and that was all Britney, so it's possible that visual correlates to the decision she and Justin made to terminate her pregnancy.

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ADDRESSING THE RUMORS
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Stay tuned ... more conspiracy theories are sure to come.

Maluma Call Me Papi!!!

Colombian artist Maluma has a baby on the way -- making the announcement in a big way with his new music video.

Maluma shared the happy news in the video for "Procura," Thursday night at his concert in Washington, D.C. ... and while the vid focuses on his romance with his girlfriend, Susana Gomez, the final minute is where he drops the baby bombshell.

The 2 see their little one for the first time through an ultrasound, with Maluma and Susana overjoyed. They also let family members know about the exciting addition, showing their heartwarming reactions.

The vid also shows the couple's baby shower and gender reveal -- which confirms they're having a girl!

It also looks like the kid's name will be Paris, based on Susana's necklace and the name of the cake.

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BABY BUMP IN NYC
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Maluma and Susana were spotted leaving Central Park in NYC at the beginning of this month ... likely after filming all "Procura" footage ... and you can definitely see the baby bump.

This will be Maluma and Susana's first kid together.

Woman Gets Revenge Spends 15 Years Trolling Man ... Breaks Off Engagement After He Spit On Her Friend!

A woman says she spent 15 years getting payback from a man who spit on her friend long, long ago ... doing everything from spoiling shows to torpedoing his wedding.

TikToker Linda Solley Hurd says it all started a decade and a half ago at a comedy show, where one of her friends accidentally spilled a drink on the guy -- claiming he called her a "stupid fat b****" and spit on her for additional bad measure.

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PLAYING THE LONG GAME
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Linda was out for revenge! She found his Facebook page ... and after some digging, discovered his favorite shows were "The Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad" -- 2 shows that you'd never want spoiled, right?

She decided to torture the dude by creating fake accounts and spamming him with spoilers as soon as each episode would drop.

It didn't stop with the Rick Grimes & Walter White rage ... she says she ended up in the same class as him not long after, getting more info on him and doing even MORE trolling.

Linda says she backed off for around 8 years ... but then learned the guy got engaged to a friend of a friend of hers, so she came out of trolling retirement for more revenge.

She gave the guy's fiancee the tea on what he had done to her friend, and apparently, that was enough for her to pull the plug on the wedding.

It's enough to make you stop drinking.

For more viral news, tune in to the TMZ Verified Podcast. Dropping every Thursday on all podcast platforms.

Israeli-Hamas War Majority of Israeli Hostages Still Alive

Scores of Israeli citizens who were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during their deadly terrorist attack are still alive, according to the Israeli military.

As many as 200+ people were kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack. More than 20 of those captured are under the age of 18, while another 10 to 20 hostages are over 60.

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HOSTAGES TAKEN IN ISRAEL

Israeli military officials would not say precisely how many they believe are still alive -- only that a majority have survived over the past 2 weeks.

At least 2 hostages have been confirmed dead ... a 13-year-old Israeli girl, and her 80-year-old grandmother.

The Israelis are planning a ground invasion, which appears to be imminent. The Herculean task ... somehow eliminating Hamas without harming the hostages or other innocent people in Gaza.

Suge Knight Starting Podcast From Prison!!! Barking Back At Snoop, Akon, Wack, P -- Everybody

UPDATE

7:11 AM PT -- Breakbeat's Dave Mays tells TMZ Hip Hop, “As we celebrate hip-hop’s 50th year, more than ever the hip-hop community needs a media platform that they can trust to bring a truthful and authentic perspective on so many important things happening in our world. I’m proud that Breakbeat provides this essential and valuable medium."

He adds, "And I'm so excited to be able to enlist the help of my longtime friend and one of hip-hop’s most formidable, pioneering, and fearless leaders to help Breakbeat continue to achieve this goal. 'Collect Call With Suge Knight' will awaken hip-hop fans worldwide and build bridges across multiple generations.”

Suge Knight might be locked up, but that doesn't mean his voice will remain behind bars ... cuz the Death Row mogul is starting a podcast from prison.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained the first intro to "Collect Call With Suge Knight" -- his new podcast with Breakbeat Media CEO and The Source magazine founder, Dave Mays.

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STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE

Dave tells us they've already stashed about 5 episodes containing half-hour conversations each ahead of the pod's official Halloween '23 launch.

As for topics covered -- we're told Suge won't leave much unturned when it comes to hip hop -- responding to the legions of artists/hip hop pundits who have been using his name for headlines and expanding on his thoughts of Snoop Dogg owning the Death Row brand.

Remember, Suge's got history with everyone from Master P and Wack 100 to Warren G and Akon ... so they're essentially all on notice.

Dave says the pod's not only about slinging mud -- Suge wants the younger generation to benefit from his experiences -- good and bad -- and will be looking to connect them with older artists and also fielding questions from the audience.

Breakbeat will be dropping podcast episodes weekly ... audio on Thursdays and video on Fridays on all major platforms with a sneak peek of the first convo coming on Oct. 24.

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SUGE SPEAKS OUT
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Suge called into TMZ Live not too long ago and told us he had no intention of snitching on Keefe D after his arrest in connection Tupac Shakur's murder ... so don't count on that happening on the podcast.

So ya, maybe the saying is true ... just about everybody DOES have a podcast.

Originally Published -- 12:50 AM PT

Jussie Smollett Timing Of Rehab Is Suspicious ... Says Osundairo Brothers

Jussie Smollett's timing to enter rehab is peculiar ... at least according to the Osundairo brothers, whose testimony was critical in convincing a jury to convict him.

Abimbola "Bola" and Olabinjo "Ola" Osundairo tell TMZ ... if Jussie really had a problem that required treatment from rehab, he could've checked himself in a long time ago ... but he waited until an appeals court was ready to rule on his conviction for faking a hate crime.

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SUSPICIOUS TIMING
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Ola and Bola believe Jussie realizes his chances of having the conviction overturned are remote, and he may be trying to create sympathy so he serves time under house arrest and not in jail.

Jussie appears to be in rehab for substance abuse other than alcohol. He was spotted Monday with a fresh haircut ... clutching a "Narcotics Anonymous" book.

Bola had previously admitted he scored Jussie drugs but denied he ever sold them to the actor.

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NOT BUYIN' IT
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Regardless, the bros are hoping Jussie gets the help he needs ... but Bola adds, "Truth will set him free."

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RELEASED AND READY
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As we reported, Jussie was sentenced to 150 days in jail after being found guilty of lying to police about an alleged attack by 2 Trump supporters in 2019 -- he was released shortly after he began serving his sentence, pending the appeal.

Since then, he's been spotted working on set in California and even hanging out with his former "Empire" costar Taraji P. Henson.

But, Jussie's rep told us the past few years have been extremely difficult for him ... and he has quietly been working on himself in an outpatient program.

President Biden Must Unite Against Hamas, Putin ... Can't Let The Bad Guys Win

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PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES

President Biden is urging Americans to support the war efforts in the Middle East and Ukraine ... he says we all have to come together to help defeat terrorists and tyrants.

The Prez just made his case for Congress to approve billions more in military aid to help Israel fight Hamas and Ukraine fight Vladimir Putin ... selling Americans on the battle between good and evil.

In a rare speech Thursday from the Oval Office, Biden says Americans must put their petty differences aside and unite against the bad guys ... he says if the U.S. gives up the fight in Gaza and Ukraine, it will only embolden our enemies across the globe.

POTUS says he's going to ask Congress to approve more military aid to help fight wars overseas ... while reiterating he won't send American troops to fight Russia.

We haven't seen a lot of rah-rah speeches from Biden in office ... and he's pretty animated here, at least by his standards.

The Prez says it's all part of keeping up with America's calling as a global leader ... and he says the world is watching and counting on us to save the day.

Bottom line from Biden ... wars require money, but it's a "solid investment."

Celebrity Couples In Crazy-Cool Costumes Guess Who!

These Hollywood couples have unzipped their day-to-day attire only to dress up in their finest Halloween costumes. All gussied up ... they fully showed OUT, so you better show UP in this little game of "Guess Who!"

Swipe through our gallery of the cutest couples who absolutely nailed their Halloween ensembles, and see if you can guess which celeb duo is on top of their costume game!

Guess to impress, and keep your eyes peeled as you embark on Lover's Lane, where you'll stumble upon A-list pairings dressed up in all the classics, like "Sailor Moon," "Home Alone," "Barbie" and lots more!

Be sure to circle back around the block to knock on the metaphorical TMZ door all next week to continue to get a king-size treat of Hollywood's best Halloween content ... scary good!

Gilbert Burns Kamaru & Khamzat's Only Common Opponent ... Breaks Down UFC 294 Fight

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EXCITING MATCHUP
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There's only one man breathing who has been in an Octagon with Kamaru Usman and Khamzat Chimaev -- Gilbert Burns -- and now "Durinho" is breaking down the highly anticipated UFC 294 co-main event!

37-year-old Burns joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs nightly on FS1) ... and having shared the cage with both title contenders, he told us where each man has the advantage.

For Khamzat, Burns says it's a plus he had a full camp -- even though he was training for a different opponent in Paulo Costa. Still, Usman didn't have any camp ... save for a few days before he left for Abu Dhabi.

When it comes to Kamaru, Gilbert believes his vast array of experience can't be discounted. Usman has been in virtually every situation ... and that can't be said for Chimaev (this will be his 7th UFC fight, and Kamaru's 18th in Dana's promotion).

Two of those fights came against Burns.

Kamaru and Gilbert's scrap was the main event at UFC 258 in February 2021 ... a fight Usman won by 3rd round TKO. The fight was very competitive, especially early, until KU took over, and ended things, retaining his title.

Khamzat and Gilbert fought a year and change later at UFC 273 in April 2022 ... a fight Chimaev won by unanimous decision. Despite the judge's scorecards, many believe Burns actually won the razor-close fight. It was without any doubt the first time Borz was pushed ... and while he certainly bent, he didn't break.

Burns breaks down much more about the looming fight ... touching on everything from speed and punching power to strength and ability on the ground.

Usman, who took the fight on 10 days notice, is a sizeable underdog ... around +250 at most sportsbooks (wager $100 to win $250, whereas you'd risk around $300 to win $100 on Chimaev).

Gilbert didn't exactly pick a winner -- at least not straight up -- but given his expertise, and the odds ... he had this to say.

"I think you should put a lot of money on Kamaru Usman," Burns said.

"That's the best bet. The fight's so close. I give him a little bit upset. 53% on Khamzat just because of the size and he did a full training camp but I think the fight is that close."

Guess Who This Lil' Pumpkin Turned Into!

Before this sweetie pie posing next to her jack-o'-lantern was up on the big screen, she was just hangin' on the front porch in her red sweater, becoming a successful kid model and growing up in Ontario, Canada.

Making her dreams come true ... she starred on the hit show "Pretty Little Liars", and you may also recall her in "Mother's Day" alongside Julia Roberts and Jennifer Hudson. When she's not working on her YouTube channel "Shaycation", she's a doting mother to her two kiddos.

Need one more clue? Emily Fields!

Can you guess who this cute kid is?

Matthew McConaughey Granted 5-Year Restraining order Against Alleged Stalker

Matthew McConaughey has been granted a 5-year restraining order against a woman he claims has been bothering him for years ... most recently showing up at his book event.

A judge granted the order Thursday in court -- the woman was not present and asked for a continuance but was denied because the judge had already granted her more time and didn't find any good cause to delay the hearing further.

As we reported, Matthew claimed in legal docs that he was bombarded with "unhinged letters, emails, and frivolous lawsuits designed to lure me into court" by the woman since April 2022. She also allegedly believed the two were in a relationship.

The actor said things escalated last month when he learned she'd bought a ticket to a photo op event in Los Angeles for his children's book, "Just Because." Matthew claimed it was alarming she'd planned to travel hundreds of miles just to see him.

Sources close to Matthew say he knew children and families would be at the event, and he wanted to keep everyone safe ... so that's why he finally decided to file for the restraining order. Turns out, she did show and was promptly greeted by cops and escorted out.

Now she won't be allowed anywhere near Matthew for 5 more years. A rep for the actor had no comment on the court's decision.