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Los Angeles native Karyn Parsons shot to stardom when she was only 26 years old after she landed the role of the ditsy cousin Hilary Banks -- whose shopping addictions and overindulged upbringing were the root of her comical character -- on all six seasons of the classic '90s family sitcom "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."

Karyn Parsons shared the screen with an epic cast including Alfonso Ribeiro as the preppy brother, Carton Banks, Tatyana Ali as the little sis, Ashley Banks ... and obviously Will Smith as the Fresh Prince.

Parsons can also be spotted in the movies "Major Payne" and "Class Act."

A guy who wanted to chow down at an IHOP without a face covering wouldn't take "no mask, no service" for an answer -- because cops say he went to town on the staff with a knife.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... this wild incident went down Tuesday in Queens where surveillance video captured the horrifying scene. At first, you see the customer in the waiting area with another guy -- although, we're told there were at least 3 men who rolled in together.

Looks like a staffer's telling him to mask up, which seems to piss him off. He gets up to argue, and appears to leave the building -- but when the whole crew comes back, he's way more agitated.

The video shows the guy who allegedly refused to put on a mask storm back into the IHOP and charge past a table and other waiting customers ... apparently trying to get at someone off-camera.

While trying to get a hold of that person, the guy reaches over and grabs something from his friend -- cops say it was a knife -- and then chases some workers through the restaurant. Toward the end of the video, he actually swings at someone before booking it.

According to our sources, the man swung at a 40-year-old female employee and cut her arm, which required stitches.

Sen. Lindsey Graham says his fist bump seen 'round the world -- with VP-elect Kamala Harris -- oughta prove he won't treat the incoming administration as enemies ... with one huge caveat.

We got the South Carolina Senator Wednesday on Capitol Hill, and he dished on that viral moment captured between Harris and him on the Senate floor Tuesday ... her first day back after her successful campaigning with President-elect Joe Biden.

While many found their brief, quasi Covid-safe exchange shocking ... Graham tells us the American public's got it all wrong. He says the notion he wouldn't work with a Biden-Harris administration just because they're Dems is nonsense.

He added he actually likes Kamala a lot ... and told us why. However, he also dropped a big IF on us as far as reaching across the aisle.

Sounds like Sen. Graham and co. are holding out hope President Trump can still overturn the election results ... even though Trump's string of failed lawsuits make it all but a done deal.

With that said, LG seems to be signaling he'll have an open mind once the drama comes to a final conclusion.

Travis Scott wants to make sure he not only gives back to his community, but helps to put kids on a track for future success -- and he plans to do both through his own nonprofit.

Trav just launched The Cactus Jack Foundation ... and its first order of business is rolling out the Waymon Webster Scholarship, named after his grandad -- who's an HBCU alum.

In light of that, this scholarship is going to be exclusively available to students currently enrolled in a handful of HBCUs -- namely, Morehouse College, Howard University, Texas Southern University, Grambling State University (where his mom went) and Prairie View A&M University ... that's his grandfather's old stomping grounds.

The scholarship will cover tuition costs for students who are facing financial hardship and who are affected by the pandemic -- Travis will handpick the recipients.

Travis tells TMZ ... "My grandfather wanted me to take it all the way through college, I feel there is a power in education so to be able to give someone the opportunity to fulfill that dream as my papa thought for me is amazing."

He's also partnered with The Parson's School of Design to bring a Cactus Jack program to the city of Houston and will offer an online certification program to students around the county through scholarships.

The rapper dropped out of the University of Texas at San Antonio as a sophomore to pursue his music career, but he clearly still sees the value in higher education.

Ryan Dorsey has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Naya Rivera's son ... claiming the boat Naya was in before she drowned was unsafe.

Naya's ex-husband filed the docs Tuesday on behalf of his 5-year-old son Josey Hollis Dorsey, claiming Ventura County is responsible for her death because the boat Naya and Josey were on in Lake Piru did NOT comply with safety standards.

In the docs, filed by Ryan's attorney Amjad Khan and obtained by TMZ, Ryan claims the boat was “not equipped with a safely accessible ladder, adequate rope, an anchor, a radio or any security mechanisms to prevent swimmers from being separated from their boats, nor any flotation or lifesaving devices" in violation of California law.

Ryan's claiming the boat drifted away from Naya and Josey when they jumped into the lake for a swim ... and proper safety equipment could have prevented that. The suit claims the boat was "rocking back and forth forcefully in the current and wind."

Ryan also claims in the suit there were no signs warning of the dangerous conditions of the lake -- and the person who rented the boat to Naya didn't warn her to wear the life vest that came with the boat.

As you know ... Naya and her son were reported missing on July 8. Her body was found in the lake on July 13. Josey was able to get back in the boat, and when authorities arrived for a check, he told them he and his mom were swimming and he didn't know what happened to her. She had disappeared below the surface.

According to the suit ... at least 26 other people, from children to fit adults to elders, some wearing life jackets and others not, have drowned in Lake Piru since its recreational facilities opened.

Lots of folks are about to be giving thanks to Ibotta ... the shopping rewards app is hooking up free Thanksgiving dinners, and they're pretty easy to snag.

Here's the deal ... Ibotta's teamed up with a bunch of brands to offer cash-back rebates for Thanksgiving meal staples like turkey breast, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, crispy fried onions and cream of mushroom soup ... as long as they shop at Walmart.

Hungry folks can wash it all down with a free Coke, just like the Pilgrims did.

All ya gotta do is select from a fixed menu of 9 products from Butterball, Campbell's, Coca-Cola, French's, Great Value, Idahoan and McCormick at your local Walmart or online ... and then head over to Ibotta to get the refund for the meal.

To get the dough, ya gotta scan your Walmart receipt with the Ibotta app and boom ... turkey dinner, winner winner!!!

There is a limited selection, but with so many hurting economically during the pandemic ... this is pretty clutch.

Free Thanksgiving dinner beats the hell outta super spread meals. Every time.

LeBron James is taking a page out of Michael Jordan's book ... by investing a huge chunk of change in a new tequila company!!!

King James -- who's always been outspoken about his love for wine -- is switching gears and joining forces with Lobos 1707, which launched Wednesday.

Bron revealed his decision to get involved in an interview with WSJ Magazine ... saying he tried the product on vacation in Italy and instantly fell in love.

"If it’s organic to who I am or what I’m doing, then it’s a lot easier for me to be a part of something," LeBron said.

"I was in a perfect place in my life. Me and my friends were trying different tequilas. I actually bought a place with Maverick Carter in Cabo a few years ago. There’s obviously a big tequila heritage there."

The move adds to Bron's growing list of business ventures -- including Blaze Pizza, SpringHill Entertainment and more.

And get this -- LBJ gave a sneak peak of his new product when celebrating with his Lakers teammates at Nobu shortly after winning the NBA title ... so ya know it's championship material.

The Lobos tequila will run from $45-$150 depending on which bottle you get -- Lobos 1707 Tequila, Joven; Lobos 1707 Tequila, Reposado; Lobos 1707 Tequila, Extra Añejo; and Lobos 1707 Mezcal Artesanal.

Of course, MJ recently got involved in the booze biz as well ... launching the Cincoro tequila brand with Jeanie Buss and Wes Edens.

James could barely contain his excitement on Twitter, saying, "We live!!! We’re excited to have all of you, your family, and friends around the table. And if we run out of room… we’ll just build a bigger table!"

This is a real hoot -- a baby owl found nestled in the freshly cut Rockefeller Center Christmas tree should be soaring free in no time.

According to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in New York ... one of the workers who helped transport the giant tree from Oneonta to NYC last week discovered the bird and took it in.

His wife contacted the nonprofit org to ask if they could rehabilitate the owl and they said yes, so the husband put it in a box and made the delivery.

It seems the owl's a bit of a Christmas miracle too, because Ravensbeard says it's a saw-whet owl -- the smallest species in the northeast -- and babies are typically born in the spring, not November.

The baby bird was badly malnourished, so the wildlife center gave it some fluids and has been feeding it all the mice it can handle ... and it's now in good shape.

Ravensbeard says once the owl gets a clean bill of health from a vet, it will be released back into the wild to continue on its journey. And fittingly, it's been named "Rockefeller."

Speaking of which, it seems Rockefeller the owl made out better than its former home -- the tree lost a lot of greenery on its way to placement in Rockefeller Center for the holiday season.

Take a look ... 2020 strikes again.

A white woman had the audacity to show up to her Black neighbors' front door with a Taser in hand ... and then scold them for "acting like Black people."

This went down Monday in the NorCal city of Discovery Bay ... in a gated community. The Jones family says their neighbor -- an older white woman -- wandered up to their porch with her dog in one hand and stun gun in the other!

You have to watch the conversation she has with Gerritt Jones -- which he recorded on a security cam -- and see how much restraint and respect he showed, despite not receiving any himself.

Long story short, the woman accused him and his family of letting their pit bull roam free and allowing it to go after her tiny pooch ... something Gerritt denied. The woman tries telling him to keep their dog inside, but Gerritt says he's gonna continue walking his dog, because he has every right to do so.

That's when the woman started telling Gerritt he's got a Black family in an all-white neighborhood ... and they should act accordingly. One of Gerritt's family members started recording on her phone, and you can see this woman's stun gun front and center. When asked why she had it, she claimed it was protection from their dog ... which wasn't outside at that time.

Dr. Dre hasn't been acting like he's concerned about the coronavirus pandemic, so he shouldn't get special treatment in his divorce proceedings ... that's what his estranged wife thinks, anyway.

Nicole Young wants her ex to sit for a deposition, in-person, despite COVID-19 restrictions -- and according to new docs, obtained by TMZ, she's not buying his claim it has to be done remotely due to the virus.

Dre's stated he wants his depo done via Zoom to keep himself and others safe ... but in the docs, Nicole claims Dre has "freely entertained" multiple people at home and elsewhere ... and participated in several social functions "without implementing even the slightest amount of social distancing protocol."

Nicole claims Dre's been seen with musicians and techs without social distancing and "entering and exiting the homes of multiple women around the Los Angeles area."

As for why she's pushing the matter ... Dre's estranged wife believes an in-person depo is necessary to deter him from possibly being coached, and her legal team says they need to be able to see how he reacts to questioning.

Tory Lanez's legal team is back in court after he was charged for shooting Megan Thee Stallion, and just entered his plea ... not guilty.

Tory's attorney, Shawn Holley, appeared on his behalf Wednesday in L.A. County court to enter the plea in the case. Tory's yet to go to court himself -- his last appearance was over the phone.

As we've reported ... the L.A. County D.A.'s Office hit him with 1 count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and 1 count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. The D.A. also alleges TL inflicted great bodily injury on MTS.

Tory's already posted $190,000 bond and been ordered to stay away from Megan ... and he's defended himself on social media by saying the charges are not a conviction.

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

There's already been tons of drama surrounding the case ... with Megan claiming in a recent interview that Tory offered her money in exchange for her silence after he allegedly shot her in the foot. Tory's attorney has denied the accusation.

Megan also flat-out accused Tory of shooting her and then Tory dropped a new album seemingly professing his innocence, denying he shot her and suggesting she's a liar.

During Wednesday's hearing, the state said it's trying to decide whether they should go after Tory for possibly violating the protective order with his social media posts and song lyrics.

It's COVID vs. Capitalism, and we know which one wins ... at least at this Florida strip club where Tyga and everyone else are partying like it's still 2019.

The rapper proudly shared videos of himself throwing stacks of cash in the air as barely clad -- and some fully nude -- dancers did their thing ... with absolutely zero pandemic precautions in place.

In fact, other than one woman seen wearing a mask, you might forget the air in the Miami club could be raining down coronavirus along with all the dollar bills.

Can't just blame Tyga and his partying pals though -- despite surging COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country ... Florida has stuck to no statewide restrictions.

For the record, Miami-Dade County does have some restrictions -- including a 6-person limit at restaurant tables, and if there's dancing ... everyone has to wear masks. We guess Tyga can say he wasn't the one dancing here, but it's still a bad look.

Gucci Mane is poking the bear before he meets said bear in a music battle -- openly touting the fact he killed one of Jeezy's friends ahead of their Verzuz showdown.

Gucci posted a meme Tuesday night mocking his shooting of Jeezy's former labelmate, Pookie Loc, in the 2000s. That was after Pookie allegedly attempted to break into Gucci's home, and Gucci fired in self-defense.

The meme depicts a guy jumping at someone in a courtroom, with a caption that jokingly tries to guess what Gucci might tell Jeezy in their Verzuz match later this week ... and how Jeezy might respond.

The line reads, "go dig ya partna up n**** I bet he can't say s***." Gucci reposted that, and added his own laughing face emojis.

GM's joked about the fatal shooting before, but what makes this latest jab even more relevant is ... he and Jeezy will be on camera together Thursday as they play their hits on Verzuz.

Jeezy hasn't directly responded to Gucci's barbs, but he seems eager to face the man himself ... as he's called him out since it was confirmed Gucci would be replacing T.I. in the Verzuz battle -- which is what everyone wanted in the first place.

We should note, Gucci and Jeezy are NOT friendly by any stretch of the imagination -- aside from Gucci killing Pookie Loc, they have other industry issues that have fueled their beef for years.

One last thing about the shooting -- Gucci was initially charged with murder over Pookie's death, but the charges were dropped ... as the state said there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

Donald Trump's possible exit from NYC and his famous Trump Tower could be the exact thing that helps rebound prices in the building ... so say the people trying to sell them.

We spoke to a number of NYC-based real estate agents familiar with the President's signature building and home base for years, and they gave it to us straight ... real estate valuations across the board have, by and large, dipped since 2016.

For instance, two TT units that were worth $4.3 mil and $3.5 mil before Trump's run are now valued at just $2.495 mil and $3.3 mil, respectively. We're told it's a similar story for units elsewhere in the high-rise.

The agents say the losses can be chalked up to any number of things -- like a poor market in the City, the pandemic, or ... disdain for POTUS.

The agents we spoke to think if Trump does move out of NYC after his Presidency -- as he vowed -- the TT market could rebound.

If Donald leaves, building security will loosen up big time -- something these realtors say turns people off when they're looking at the property. Building access is a hassle ... cops blocking off streets, not being able to hail a cab, and all the red tape for guests who enter the building.

If Trump scrams ... most, if not all, of that goes away -- which our sources say would help in bringing prices back up. Moreover, we're told there's a clear divide with who will and won't consider snapping up property in Trump Tower nowadays.

Joe Exotic's team is so confident the 'Tiger King' star will be pardoned by President Trump, they've got a stretch limo waiting to scoop him up from prison!!!

The Tiger Team leader, Eric Love, tells TMZ ... Joe's legal team received several calls from Washington D.C. Tuesday regarding his pardon, and the team is feeling really good about Joe's chances of getting out from behind bars.

In fact, Eric tells us the Tiger Team already entered an agreement with a limo company out of Dallas, and they're keeping a Dodge Ram pickup truck stretch limo on standby 24/7 so it's ready just in case Joe gets sprung from prison.

Check out the gallery ... the stretch limo comes with all the bells and whistles, and it looks like it's ready for a massive celebration. Yeah, this would make for one helluva ride home from prison.

TMZ broke the story ... Joe's 257-page case argues several reasons why Trump should pardon him from his 22-year murder-for-hire sentence, even claiming Joe was sexually assaulted behind bars.

Joe and the Tiger Team are up against the clock though ... Trump doesn't have much time left in office.

Walmart is going from always low prices to almost no prices for at-home COVID-19 tests that they'll drop off at your pad via drone ... if you're in a certain area, that is.

Here's the deal ... two Walmarts in El Paso, TX and Cheektowaga, NY are doing a pilot program in which there's no pilot at all -- sending free COVID test kits to folks that live within a mile radius of their stores, and doing so through a nifty drone delivery service.

It's pretty simple -- people can hop online and fill out a questionnaire to get the nasal swab test sent to their home, where they can administer it to themselves in private ... and then send the whole thing back to a Quest Diagnostics lab, which is also on the house.

Walmart is saying this is all same-day from the time you request it online -- they're also saying asymptomatic people can get tested without issue ... a huge relief for those who've wanted to get tested, but have been turned away on the ground.

Eventually, you'll get your results back through an app. So, in other words, you'll never have to leave your living room to see if you're positive or negative. No lines, no waits ... and no having anyone awkwardly watch you get a stick jammed up your nostrils.

As for why Walmart's doing this in these specific locations -- it could be any number of reasons ... not the least of which might pertain to the infection rates. In El Paso, for instance, cases are at an all-time high ... some are even calling it a new epicenter.

It's so bad inmates are collecting bodies and placing them in mobile morgues -- and there are at least 10 of those already up and running.