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'Big Brother' alum Paulie Calafiore's looking to go from the reality TV couch to the gold medal stand ... as a member of the U.S. Men's Bobsled Team.

Paulie -- best known as a houseguest on "Big Brother 18" -- got a call from Team USA coaches back in May after his good friend, Lolo Jones, recommended him for the popular winter sport ... according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

We're told on Paulie's first call with the coaches, they asked what he knew about bobsledding and he replied ... "I watched 'Cool Runnings' as a kid."

Maybe not the best start, but Lolo also had an unconventional path to the sport coming over as an Olympic hurdler ... so our sources say Paulie's motivated to make it happen.

We're told COVID-19 provided a training challenge for Paulie from the jump, but he whipped together a team consisting of a nutritionist, strength coach and 3 other specialists to prepare the past 5 months.

His everyday training regimen includes 2-3 hours of virtual mobility and flexibility sessions, 2-3 hours of strength training and sprinting sessions, and a strict 5,000 calorie a day diet. He's been training in both Montana where he lives, and South Carolina.

As for Paulie's progress ... our sources say he took a virtual combine to mark his time and weights in September and had incredible stats. He's currently quarantining for 2 weeks at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, and after that, he'll hit the bobsled push track for the next phase of training.

If all goes well, Paulie may be on his way to the next Winter Games ... scheduled for February 2022 in Beijing.

As we reported ... Paulie was one of several 'Big Brother' stars who quarantined this summer in anticipation for "Big Brother: All-Stars," but he didn't make the final cast list.

Call this a new kind of love-love for tennis star Genie Bouchard ... TMZ Sports has confirmed she's now dating Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph!!!

A source close to the couple tells us the two began a romantic fling recently ... and have gotten pretty serious.

In fact, 26-year-old Genie was just spotted at a fancy restaurant in Pittsburgh this week ... posting a pic of her at the place with the caption, "Pitt stop."

25-year-old Mason -- who was presumably on the other end of the camera -- dropped a "like" on the photo.

Of course, the new relationship means the end of a possible old one for Rudolph ... as we previously reported, the quarterback had been seen in L.A. in April getting cozy with "Bachelor" star Hannah Ann Sluss.

Unclear how serious the two were ... but Rudolph's clearly moved on either way.

As for Genie, she's been no stranger to famous dates in the past ... remember Super Bowl bet guy?!

But, seems she's finally found her special someone ... which is awesome for her, considering just a few months ago she tweeted that going through quarantine "would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend."

Congrats!!

Before this team player was an actor cast in a maddening sketch comedy show, he was just another sporty star shooting hoops on the basketball squad in Chicago, Illinois.

This brunette baller is known for his portfolio of celebrity impressions that he showed off over his 5-season run on a hilarious sketch show -- where he shared the screen with comedians Bobby Lee and Jordan Peele.

He has been featured on numerous TV sitcoms but landed a reoccurring role on a comedic doctor series named after an actress who rose to fame for her character on 'The Office.'

Tory Lanez has been charged in connection with the shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion ... just weeks after the singer released an album claiming his innocence.

The L.A. County D.A.'s Office hit him with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The D.A. also alleges Tory inflicted great bodily injury.

If convicted, the rapper/singer faces up to 22 years and 8 months in prison.

As we reported ... the prosecutors had said they were mulling over a charge of felony assault with a firearm against Tory after Megan said she was shot back in July. Remember, Tory had been arrested but only charged with possession of a firearm. Prosecutors are now explicitly pointing the finger at Tory as the man who pulled the trigger ... leaving Meg with a gruesome foot injury.

It took Meg some time before she went public and accused Tory by name as the person who shot her. She didn't mince words saying ... "Yes, this n***a Tory shot me. You shot me, and you got your publicist and your people to these blogs lying and s**t, stop lying!"

As we reported, sources connected to Tory say there were mitigating circumstances -- and based on what we know ... we believe Tory's going to say it was an accidental shooting. Megan didn't help the D.A.'s effort with a social media caption -- which has since been deleted -- that said she had her back to the SUV when she was shot in the heel. That might indicate she didn't see it with her own eyes when Tory allegedly pulled the trigger.

You'll recall ... video of the incident showed cops pulling over the SUV in the Hollywood Hills -- with Tory lying face-down on the pavement and Megan gingerly tip-toeing ... leaving bloody footprints with each painful step.

WNBA legend Cappie Pondexter has been arrested in Los Angeles and is NOT missing ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The LAPD tells us the 37-year-old was taken into custody Tuesday and booked on a misdemeanor battery charge.

We're told Pondexter refused to ID herself to cops so she was booked as "Jane Doe" ... and was held in jail until she was released earlier Thursday.

Now, multiple law enforcement officials tell us the woman has been identified as Pondexter.

Details of the alleged incident are unclear ... we're working on it.

Pondexter -- a 2-time WNBA champ -- was thought to have been missing ... after those close to her said she hadn't been heard from since Monday.

In fact, the WNBPA released a statement Thursday saying, "We are sharing this out of concern for our fellow WNBPA sister, Cappie Pondexter."

"If you have any information, please contact authorities. Please help us spread the word and ensure that she is safe."

Cappie is a hoops legend ... and played for the Phoenix Mercury, New York Liberty, Chicago Sky, L.A. Sparks, Indiana Fever and several international teams.

Katy Perry just got a little peace of mind -- a judge granted a permanent restraining order against the man she claims has been stalking her and directing threats at her family.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... 38-year-old William Terry must stay 100 yards away from Katy, her fiance Orlando Bloom, their newborn baby girl, and Orlando's son Flynn from his previous marriage to Miranda Kerr for the next 3 years.

Terry's also prohibited from trying to contact Katy, her family or her staff on social media or posting anything about her ... and has to stay away from her concerts or live performances.

We broke the story ... Katy sought protection from Terry after he allegedly jumped the fence at her Beverly Hills property in September and was busted by cops for trespassing.

Katy claimed Terry tried to do this in August as well, after posting alarming messages on social media for months leading up to it. She feared he'd try it again if she did not get court-ordered protection.

Terry's troubling online behavior allegedly included numerous graphic and sexually explicit posts about Katy, comments about killing dogs and cops, threats to "snap Orlando Bloom's neck" and wishing Flynn and Miranda would "catch covid and die."

Jackie Robinson's daughter says she's straight-up "insulted" her father's image was used in a campaign ad on Donald Trump's official YouTube page ... and she's now demanding the president remove it immediately.

POTUS' team posted a pro-Trump campaign video Tuesday featuring some iconic pictures of legendary Americans ... including Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson.

The ad -- titled "Say What You Will About America" -- urged citizens to vote for Trump ... and as of Thursday afternoon, it had over 5 MILLION views.

But, Sharon Robinson says she's LIVID the president would even consider using her dad's image in the video ... explaining there's no way in hell the baseball legend would have supported a re-election for Trump.

"Jackie Robinson’s family strongly objects to the use of Jackie Robinson’s image in a Donald Trump [ad]," she said Thursday.

"The Trump campaign is in opposition to all that Jackie Robinson stood for and believed in. We’re insulted and demand that his image be removed!"

Meanwhile, MLK's daughter, Bernice King, also found Trump's use of her father's image in the ad "beyond insulting" ... and she demanded the president remove the photo as well.

Breonna Taylor's boyfriend's words -- captured by body cameras moments after the deadly raid -- will loom large in a potential federal case against the cops who killed her ... according to Lee Merritt.

The famed civil rights attorney joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to discuss 2 crucial takeaways from the newly released body cam vids ... and both focus on Kenneth Walker's statements to Louisville cops on the scene.

In the video, Kenneth repeatedly tells cops he and Breonna didn't know it was police busting into her apartment. When an officer asks which of them fired at cops, Kenneth says, "It was her. She was scared." It's about one minute into this clip.

Lee says that might seem to create some uncertainty about who fired the shot that hit Louisville PD officer Jonathan Mattingly -- Breonna or Kenneth -- but he adds the video also shows Kenneth very emotional and under intense duress.

Since the night of the raid, Lee says Kenneth has insisted he's the one who fired his legally-owned 9mm handgun. He provided some insight into why Walker said otherwise as he was being arrested on the scene.

The other thing the videos reveal is the immediate confusion as to whether police announced they were law enforcement. As you know, a dozen neighbors said they did not. Merritt says the obvious emotion in Kenneth's voice as he repeatedly told police, "We didn't know who it was" adds credibility to his side of the story.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer just made a stunning revelation ... 13 members of 2 militia groups have been arrested for hatching a plot to kidnap and possibly kill her.

The Governor, who has been sharply critical of Donald Trump, said the FBI investigated and made the arrests.

She blames Trump for setting a violent tone that encourages right-wing groups to resort to violence.

Trump has gone after Governor Whitmer, sometimes not even referring to her by name but rather as "that woman." The 2 got into it over Trump's response to the coronavirus.

As you know ... Trump urged his supporters to "liberate" Michigan and a gaggle of his supporters showed up with guns at the State Capitol to make their point.

Katharine McPhee's letting the cat out of the bag, sort of ... but we've learned what you think is true really is ... because we've learned she's havin' a baby!!!

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Katharine is indeed pregnant. She was out on a stroll Tuesday in Montecito with her hubby, David Foster.

They were out getting ready for the new kiddo ... browsing at baby stores. They left The Nurture Cottage with a bag full of items.

David is gettin' up there ... he's 70 and already has 5 grown daughters. It's not unheard of, for sure ... Tony Randall, of course, is the champ having his first 2 kids in his late 70's.  And, of course, Mick Jagger, who has a 3-year-old ... he's currently 77.

The first-time mom had her small dog in a swaddle-like bag over her shoulder.

The news comes just days after Katharine sang "She Used to Be Mine" from the musical, "Waitress." During that performance, Katharine strongly hinted she was pregnant ... cradling her stomach while singing "... and the life that's inside her, growing stronger every day."

Congrats!!!

Brad Pitt says he doesn't know the woman suing him for allegedly taking thousands of dollars to appear at charity events, and it seems she might have been duped by a fake Brad.

Pitt's been sued by Kelli Christina, a Texas woman who claims Brad contacted her a couple years ago about helping him raise money for his Make It Right Foundation ... which has been rebuilding New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward since Hurricane Katrina.

Christina claims she established a working relationship with the actor, agreed to help his charity ... and even had a personal relationship that included "discussions of marriage."

Yeah, the marriage part sounds like a giant warning sign she wasn't really dealing with Brad. In fact, he denies ever having any contact with Kelli or communicating with her in any way. Further, in his legal response to her lawsuit ... he says he never asked her for payments, nor did he authorize anyone to do so on his behalf.

According to Kelli's lawsuit, first published by DailyMail ... she sent Pitt $40,000 over a 2-year period with the agreement he'd show up to fundraising events, but he failed to make it to any of them.

She says once she stopped sending payments, Brad cut off contact and it was impossible to reach him or Make It Right. She's suing him for breach of contract and fraud to get back her money back ... plus additional damages.

"I'm honest, I've never voted in my life. This is my first time voting."

That's Shaquille O'Neal dropping a Shaq-sized bombshell -- confessing he's NEVER voted in an election!

... UNTIL NOW!!

"I've never voted before, America," Shaq said this week on Wednesday on The Big Podcast ... "But, now I'm doing all these voting campaigns and ya know one thing I never like to do, is be a hypocrite."

Yep, the 48-year-old NBA legend says he felt weird pushing voting initiatives like his #MyStartingFive challenge -- which helps people register to vote for Election Day 2020 -- while sitting on the sidelines.

So, he decided to actually vote this year -- by absentee ballot!

"In other words America, I voted for the first time and it feels good."

Shaq's co-hosts were in complete shock -- especially after Shaq was virtually sitting next to his buddy President Barack Obama, at Game 1 of the NBA Finals -- who obviously didn't get Shaq's vote back in the day!

Dr. Terry Dubrow has a legal problem that's a pain in the butt ... he claims an ex-patient of his is trying to extort him out of 5 MILLION BUCKS.

The "Botched" star filed legal docs Thursday ... claiming Sandy Scoggins threatened him with a federal lawsuit and threatened to report him to the medical board if he didn't settle up ... this according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Dubrow -- who is being repped by legal eagle Larry Stein -- says he treated Scoggins in July 2019 for a buttock lift with fat flaps. During the June consultation, Dubrow claims he specifically advised her of the substantial risks of complications resulting from plastic surgery and the need for post-operative medical care. He says she should have gotten aftercare from another doctor upon returning home to Texas. Dubrow says he last communicated with her on October 25, 2019.

Nearly a year after surgery, Dubrow claims Scoggins sent him a pre-lawsuit demand alleging Dubrow was negligent in providing her with medical treatment and care because he allegedly failed to diagnose and treat her injuries.

She sent him a 901-page demand letter demanding $5 million ... or else she'd file a federal lawsuit against him and threatened to drag his "Botched" show into the lawsuit as well as his staff if he didn't pay up.

Dubrow calls Scoggin's efforts an extortion campaign, and he's willing to fight it out in arbitration.

Breonna Taylor's body was motionless in her hallway for several minutes as a SWAT team cleared her apartment, then checked for a pulse ... before cooly, and repeatedly, stating, "She's done."

Louisville PD just released body cam video from several SWAT officers who showed up on the scene after the raid and gunfight that killed Breonna and injured one Louisville cop, Jonathan Mattingly. The footage provides the first good look inside Breonna's apartment immediately after the deadly incident.

As SWAT prepared to enter one cop says, "The female is supposedly the one that's shot" -- speaking of Breonna. Her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, had already walked out and surrendered.

Upon entering the apartment, cops immediately called out that Breonna was at the end of the hallway, but SWAT spends several more minutes clearing various parts of the apartment before addressing Breonna, saying ... "Ma'am, can you hear us?"

One officer told another to check her pulse. Of course, she did not have one ... and the cop declared, "She’s done." Most of the SWAT members then left the apartment to make room for a medic and crime scene investigators.

An officer's heard telling others not to turn their cameras off, and while examining all the casings on the floor says ... "Is that theirs? No that’s ours, the only casings look like 9mils."

At one point, it appears now-fired Officer Brett Hankison -- the only officer indicted by a grand jury -- popped his head back in to discuss the scene, before being told to back out.

Other footage, from a different officer, shows the horrific aftermath inside the apartment -- bullet holes and bloodstains on walls ... and Breonna's body on the floor. Her body is blurred in the video.

Now, body cam video outside the apartment shows police interacting with Walker after his surrender. It's interesting because almost immediately Walker, through tears, declared to police that Breonna was dead inside, and that they had no idea who was entering the apartment.

He repeatedly said, "We didn't know who it was" ... and one cop responded that they had announced themselves 3 times. That is, of course, the central dispute in the case. Walker says he fired his legally-owned handgun thinking someone was breaking into the place.

Police, and Attorney General Daniel Cameron, insist the cops ID'd themselves as law enforcement and were, therefore, justified in returning fire on Kenneth and Breonna.

President Trump is pulling out of the 2nd debate with Joe Biden, because it would be done remotely ... something he calls a waste of his time.

The Prez was defiant Thursday morning on FOX Business Network, reacting to the Commission on Presidential Debates announcement to go virtual due to Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis. He said, "I'm not gonna waste my time on a virtual debate. That's not what debating's all about."

The CPD announced the change, but said C-SPAN's Steve Scully would still moderate next Thursday from Miami. Biden's agreed to the new safety protocols, but Trump says it's not acceptable -- because sitting behind a computer is not how you debate.

Remember, the first debate was a disaster with both candidates interrupting each other, calling each other names and the President attacking moderator Chris Wallace. The sequel to that is now totally up in the air.

The Commission's move comes in wake of Trump -- and at least 13 others who work in the White House -- contracting the coronavirus last week. Trump, who falsely claimed living with COVID is less deadly than the flu, also claimed he now feels great, and also says HE thinks he's not contagious now. We've yet to hear from that from a doctor.

Colin Kaepernick is calling for the end of America's current policing system ... saying Wednesday, "In order to eradicate anti-Blackness, we must also abolish the police."

The ex-NFL star spelled out his wishes for the country in a pointed essay ... claiming the current U.S. police system has "roots in white supremacy and anti-Blackness."

Kaepernick says based on his research ... he believes the "central intent" of cops is to "surveil, terrorize, capture, and kill marginalized populations, specifically Black folks."

And, Kaep says the only way to stop that is to tear down the entire system.

The 32-year-old says simpler solutions -- like police reforms -- just flat-out don't work.

"F**k reform," Kapernick said, adding, "reforms have done nothing to stop the actions that force us to #SayTheirNames."

Kaepernick is also urging the end of the country's prison system ... saying it, too, has roots based in racism.

"Abolition is the only way to secure a future beyond anti-Black institutions of social control, violence, and premature death," Kaepernick said.

Colin says once the systems are dismantled ... he wants to see the funding "reinvested directly into communities to address mental health needs, homelessness and houselessness, access to education, and job creation as well as community-based methods of accountability."