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Jenny McCarthy's all geared up for the new season of the insanely popular singing competition, "The Masked Singer," and says it will lead to a new kind of reveal ... of the judges' egos.

Jenny's one of 4 judges on the show -- along with Robin Thicke, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger -- and she joined "TMZ Live" Wednesday to talk about its surprise success ... and what they're doing to keep it fresh on Season 6.

If ya haven't heard ... there's a brand new elimination twist -- the Take It Off Buzzer -- that allows the judges to guess the contestant's identity at any time if they are confident enough. And, if they're right ... that singer has to reveal themselves and go home.

Like Jenny says, it's a total game-changer and could lead to some glorious moments for the judges ... or humiliate them if they're wrong!!!

McCarthy also reminisced about how stunned she was when her hubby, Donnie Wahlberg, was revealed as one of the masked performers on Season 5 ... but listen to who she says really gave her a surprise as far as singing talent goes.

Gabby Petito's family's going after the lawyer for Brian Laundrie's family for using one of her photos on Yelp ... and they're warning him he better not do it again.

The Petitos' attorney, Richard Benson Stafford, sent a cease-and-desist letter to attorney Steven P. Bertolino demanding that he remove the photo of Gabby from his Yelp business page ... and gave him a deadline of 2 PM Wednesday.

It seems Bertolino complied, because Gabby's pic no longer appears there, but Yelp has added a notice to his page saying his business is being monitored.

In addition, Gabby's family's warning Laundrie's family lawyer to not use any of her photos on any of his other accounts -- social media or otherwise -- to promote his business ... or they'll take legal action.

As of now, it doesn't look like Bertolino has any other accounts featuring photos of her.

Obviously, the situation between the 2 families is very tense ... as the coroner has ruled Gabby's death a homicide and her fiance, Brian -- a person of interest believed to be the last person who saw her alive -- is also missing.

With all that happening, legal issues are inevitable ... and this seems to be just the start.

Kourtney Kardashian and Megan Fox are taking their FIRST bite of an apple together -- as in, simultaneously -- and they're doing it for Kourt's sis. Anything for family!!!

The duo -- whose BFs, Travis Barker and MGK are tight -- are featured in a new promo for SKIMS's Cotton collection, rocking the line's Jersey Dipped Thong and the Jersey Triangle Bralette. We doubt many of you are looking at the clothing, though, because Meg and Kourt are abs-to-abs and one red apple away from locking lips.

Photog Donna Trope's hot shot seemingly confirms these 2 are now tied at the hip, beyond just their guys.

In fact, Kourtney and Megan shared some screen time just over a week ago at the VMAs -- where they threw to their boos' joint performance ... calling them "our future baby daddies."

There've been other outings among the quartet -- but this really cements their bond.

As for how exactly it came to be ... we're hearing it was all Kim's doing, who thought it'd be a fun and creative way to showcase her collection. Also, these 2 ladies are absolute smoke shows -- and a get-together like this is sure to get people talking. Go figure, right?

Gabby Petito's death has put her fiance, Brian Laundrie, in the crosshairs of law enforcement, but TMZ has learned prosecutors are not making a move until 2 primary loose ends are tied up.

Law enforcement sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Laundrie is their suspect, despite the fact he's being officially called a person of interest. That said, we're told federal prosecutors are now in a waiting game, in large part because they don't know if Laundrie is still alive.

What's more ... our law enforcement sources tell TMZ, even if Gabby was murdered -- which seems to be the case since the Coroner has already ruled her death a homicide -- they would need to prove who did it. Our sources point out, it's possible Laundrie left Gabby out in the wilderness and someone else killed her ... whether it's probable or not, it's still possible.

As for why federal prosecutors will handle the case, it's because Gabby was apparently killed in the Grand Teton National Park, which is federal land.

We're told law enforcement is viewing Laundrie as their prime suspect, but there's a leap between that and actually charging someone with murder.

As we reported, a witness called 911 and told the dispatcher Laundrie had slapped and hit Gabby shortly before she went missing.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner are moving their family down south for the winter, or so it seems, because they just scooped up a luxury home ... while still having 2 others on the market.

The still-pretty-new parents -- their daughter Willa recently turned 1 -- have bought a home in Miami for a whopping $11 million ... a waterfront property located in the exclusive island community, Bay Point.

The place is a mansion -- 10,416 square feet with 6-beds, 8.5-baths, gym, swimming pool, spa, sauna, fireplace, wine cellar, indoor gardens and a koi pond ... and plenty of space to raise a toddler.

It seems the singer and the "Game of Thrones" star got a pretty good deal too, because the place hit the market for $12 mil last year.

What's interesting about this home purchase is the timing -- Joe and Sophie just listed their 15,000 sq. ft. Encino mansion for nearly $17 mil in early summer ... but it doesn't seem it's sold yet.

Likewise, they listed their Manhattan pad about a year ago for nearly $6 mil, but there's no report of a sale there either.

Move over, 50 Cent, there's a new worst first pitch of all time ... courtesy of Conor McGregor's ceremonial toss at the Cubs game on Tuesday!!!

The sharply-dressed UFC superstar strutted to the mound for the first pitch before the Cubbies faced off against the Minnesota Twins at Wrigley Field ... and chucked his attempt about 20 feet to the right of home plate.

As Harry Doyle would say, it was "juuuuuust a bit outside."

On a positive note, McGregor's repaired leg looked great!

The fighter was a great sport about it all ... dapping up Cubs infielder Patrick Wisdom after the wild pitch.

Of course, this is Conor we're talking about ... so we're assuming (and hoping) he was just trying to give fans a fun time.

Then again, we've seen him throw a football before ... and he was mocked incessantly for that, too.

It's a safe bet Conor's pitch will now take honors for "worst first pitch ever" from Fiddy, who had a straight-up embarrassing toss that went wide left before a Mets game in 2014.

Conor's been living it up while rehabbing his leg ... from hanging with Justin Bieber to attending the VMAs (where he also tested out his arm with a different object) and hitting up just about every hotspot L.A. has to offer.

Never change, Conor ... but maybe try some practice throws next time???

Britney Spears paid tribute to her teenage sons who she says are growing up way too fast for her.

The singer got emotional expressing a mother's love after Sean and Jayden celebrated their birthdays last week. Jayden turned 15 on September 12 and Sean turned 16 two days later ... Brit shares custody of her kids with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.

Britney said, "My boys' birthdays were last week ... and unfortunately they are growing up and want to do their own things ... I have to ask their permission to post them because they are extremely independent little men."

She said it's astonishing to her how fast they're growing up ... literally and figuratively. She said it makes her crazy "because they are so tall and geez they are still growing." What's more ... Brit said the boys went to a dance last week ... and it made her emotional.

Britney said, "They went to a dance last week and I cried for two days. My babies in a suit!!! It's crazy!!! And girls get ready cause my boys are so handsome!!!"

The tribute, of course, comes one day after the singer deleted her Instagram. Remember, she took it down for all of 7 days but returned to update her fans about her weekend getaway to Palm Springs to celebrate Sam Asghari popping the question.

Donald Trump is suing his niece and the New York Times for publishing deets from his tax returns -- something he says broke a confidentiality agreement she signed with him.

The former President just filed suit against the nation's paper of record as well as one Mary Trump for allegedly getting in cahoots to obtain, share and publish his personal tax info in a wide-ranging story ... which DT says is a big no-no ... considering what he claims Mary agreed to years ago.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Trump alleges Mary agreed to keep the financial info confidential as part of a settlement with Trump and others back in the early 2000s -- and he claims that barred her from sharing such info. He also claims she conspired with the Times to get her hands on the tax info ... claiming they were "motivated by a personal vendetta[.]"

Trump also says this ... a reporter for the Times allegedly approached Mary relentlessly in an effort to seek these documents, which he suggests they knew were off-limits, making them just as responsible as she is for disclosing them. It's a bold claim -- and one that might be difficult to prove.

The First Amendment is wide-reaching and protects publications against this exact sort of thing -- namely, that if they get their hands on material, legally, they have every right to publish.

Trump, however, is alleging the exact opposite ... that they broke the law to obtain this stuff, which he and his lawyers will now be tasked with proving in court.

Mary has since responded to word of the lawsuit, calling her uncle a "loser" and characterized this as a desperate move. NYT says writing their stories on Trump's taxes -- which they claim showed he'd been paying little to no taxes while also absorbing massive losses in his business empire -- were of public interest.

Anthony Johnson's death has left his family scrambling to find a way to cover his burial -- something his wife says isn't being made easy with the empty lip service they're getting.

Lexis Jones Mason tells TMZ ... she and her family have been getting a ton of what she describes as "fake love" left and right in the wake of her husband's sudden passing earlier this month ... which she's quite upset about, seeing how she needs financial assistance.

This interview's heartbreaking -- Lexis fights back tears as she explains how the Johnson family has started a GoFundMe, but have come up way short of the $20k goal they set to properly bury him and give him the service he deserves ... so far raising less than $800.

And, in spite of people apparently telling her they'd donate and chip in ... Lexis says much of that just hasn't materialized, and seems folks would rather lend emotional support instead of actually helping out in a way they really need right now.

Lexis isn't asking for a handout either, BTW ... literally just enough to do right by Anthony. And, as many know, funerals are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.

While she says she doesn't expect anything from anyone, Lexis would absolutely appreciate any donations friends or fans of AJ could contribute. And, if no one comes through, Lexis says she'll probably cremate him -- and will go back to work ASAP to cover that on her own.

Jerry Messing -- known for his role on "Freaks and Geeks" and as the face of a famous meme -- has overcome a huge hurdle in his fight with COVID-19 ... but has another major challenge ahead of him.

First, the good news -- Jerry tells TMZ after being hospitalized in August and placed on a ventilator, he's out of the ICU and off the ventilator ... has been for about a week and a half now. He's also breathing fine without a fever or cough, and has tested negative for COVID.

Sadly though, Jerry says the virus has left him partially paralyzed. He can't move his arms and legs well, and is unable to stand and walk on his own. Jerry says he's doing physical therapy and using a machine to get his legs working again.

The doctors have told him his recovery is going to take some time -- he was already hospitalized for more than a month -- but he tells us things are looking up, and he thanks everyone for their support.

We broke the story ... Jerry got his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine before he got sick, and his dad, James, determined his illness was serious and he needed aid.

Jerry says he has not completed the vaccination process yet -- doctors want him to wait until he's healthier. In particular, they need to make sure he's completely over the pneumonia he contracted during the height of his COVID battle.

James believes Jerry's in good hands at a rehab facility in Tampa that caters to people who are on the road back to recovery ... but if something goes wrong they're fully capable of handling the situation.

Jerry played Gordon Crisp on "Freaks and Geeks" and Pugsley on the "Addams Family Reunion" TV movie before gaining more modern fame as "The Fedora Guy" -- one of the Internet's most popular memes.

Lil Baby needs to bend his ear for a minute ... celeb jeweler Ben Baller's offering sound advice on how the rapper can avoid another fake Patek Philippe watch fiasco.

We got Ben out in WeHo Tuesday morning to get his take on the "Drip Too Hard" rapper dropping $400,000 for one of the most luxurious watches in the world ... only to find out it was a total fake.

Ben -- who has done sick bling work for the likes of Elon Musk, Kid Cudi and A$AP Rocky, to name just a few -- says it all comes down to building relationships. How, specifically?

The celeb jeweler tells us Lil Baby's best bet is to hit up Patek Philippe authorized dealers on and buy small, establish yourself as a loyal client and build your way up.

For the uninitiated ... Lil Baby was hyped about copping the 40th-anniversary Nautilus Patek Philippe watch. Problem was ... after posting a pic on Instagram ahead of his arrival at the Met Gala, watch aficionados realized -- and alerted Lil Baby -- his watch was a fake.

The rapper was furious ... to the point he publicly called out the jeweler who sold him the watch, Rafaello & Co. The jeweler has since admitted it sold the rapper a fake by mistake.

The company also issued a public apology, gave Lil Baby a full refund and gifted him 4 diamond rings "as a token of our sincere apologies."

That's cool and all ... but Ben Baller's other big advice for Lil Baby -- never, EVER buy a Patek Philippe from a jeweler. The watch game right now is so insane ... there's only one place you'd wanna go to spend this kind of money for a luxurious watch.

Ne-Yo's got a new talent waiting in the wings of the music world -- a guy named Miles, who actually got some shine from none other than Tory Lanez, and a bit he started during the 'Rona pandemic.

Miles was one of many artists featured on Tory's popular Quarantine Radio segment last year, which he'd host on Instagram Live. It's pretty simple ... musicians beam in and show off their stuff to Tory and his millions of followers.

If you missed it, Miles impressed big time during something Tory called the "Wow Challenge" ... doing an acoustic cover of Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana." Makes sense, he sounds exactly like MJ, so the dude's clearly talented.

Anyway, flash-forward to today ... and Miles is now a signed artist under Ne-Yo's Compound Music imprint -- and already in the studio working on new tunes, and absorbing a ton of knowledge from the legendary R&B star.

We chopped it up with Miles, and he gave us a breakdown of how his deal came together, and where he and Ne-Yo are headed next.

Just like anything else in the biz, it's all about who you know ... or who's seen you -- and, in this case, it was Ne-Yo's guys who spotted him on Quarantine Radio and told the boss to invite the kid in for a sit-down.

They inked a deal earlier this past July, and now ... Miles has a new single out called "Gone" that just dropped a week or so ago.

Like we said ... Miles and Ne-Yo are already hard at work -- which you can see in this footage of them recording.

A huge LAPD police union is going scorched earth on the Los Angeles District Attorney after he decided NOT to charge Jaxson Hayes with a felony, following the arrest of the New Orleans Pelicans star in July.

"George Gascon's latest criminal's first airball puts a target on the back of every police officer in Los Angeles," the Los Angeles Police Protective League tells TMZ Sports.

The LAPPL -- which reps over 9,000 cops in L.A. -- continued, "Gascon's refusal to prosecute Jaxson Hayes for violently attacking and injuring an officer during his n-word laced tirade is nothing more than a declaration that it's open season to attack cops and it's shameful."

The union is livid that Gascon's office decided against charging Hayes with any felonies ... despite the fact he seemingly pushed an officer on video.

FYI, Gascon is a polarizing figure. His critics have accused him of being soft on crime ... and failing to protect law enforcement officers.

Still, Hayes isn't totally out of the water criminally ... it's still possible the city attorney could levy a misdemeanor charge(s) against Jaxson.

We broke the story, 21-year-old Hayes -- the 8th overall pick in the 2018 draft -- was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer after Jaxson got physical with a cop who was investigating a domestic violence call after Hayes' GF allegedly said she was scared her hooper BF was going to physically harm her.

Police released body camera footage ... and it seems Hayes pushed an officer, injuring him in the process, according to LAPD.

What happened next has caused some controversy.

Cops eventually got Hayes to the floor, but the struggle continued. An officer deployed his taser at least once. At one point during the arrest, Hayes said he couldn't breathe.

As a result, LAPD launched an investigation to determine if excessive force was used. That investigation is still ongoing.

As for the LAPPL, they weren't done ... they also went in on the NBA for failing to discipline Hayes, or condemn his actions.

"As for the NBA, their silence is deafening when it comes to one of their players assaulting an officer and thwarting a domestic violence investigation. Apparently, their policy on preventing domestic violence was created more for SportsCenter than it is to actually hold its players accountable. Real classy."

We reached out to the DA's office ... but they declined comment.

Before this sweetie in stripes was the star of one of streamings' most popular television series, she was just another girl giggling for the camera in Le Mans, France.

This fun-loving lady recently launched her acting career into the spotlight when she scored the leading role in a UK comedy show that explores all the awkward and embarrassing woes of high school relationships -- which has already gained her a nomination for a BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. The popular television streaming series just premiered its third season on Netflix last week.

Willie Garson -- famous for his role in the "Sex and the City" series and movies -- has died ... according to his close friends.

"Bosch" star Titus Welliver broke the news of Willie's passing with a post that said, "There are no words. I love you dear brother. We are fewer," and he attached a photo of Willie.

Willie's fellow actor and friend Rob Morrow also posted a tribute.

Sources connected to the 'SATC' star tell us he'd been battling cancer, though we've not confirmed it as his cause of death.

Willie was a fan fave from the hit HBO series ... playing Sarah Jessica Parker's male BFF, Stanford Blatch -- a gay socialite who Carrie Bradshaw often called "Stanny."

He didn't appear in every episode, but for the 27 he did pop up for over the course of 6 years ... his scenes were always memorable.

Willie was also in both 'SATC' movies ... and he's at least slated to appear with SJP and co. in "And Just Like That..." -- the new HBO Max series. We know he shot scenes in NYC this summer with Sarah Jessica and Mario Cantone.

WG's roles went well beyond 'SATC' though -- he's been in tons of shows and movies throughout his career ... including stuff like "White Collar," "Hawaii Five-0," "Quantum Leap," "Girl Meets World," "Mr. Belvedere," "Just Shoot Me!" "Big Mouth," "Supergirl," and many, many more.

He's got a total of 170 acting credits to his name, dating back to the '80s.

Willie was 57. He leaves behind his son, Nathen.

Nicole Richie is probably wishing for a fire extinguisher on her 40th birthday ... because her hair was set ablaze during her birthday dinner.

The actress posted a video Tuesday showing herself blowing out the candles on a cake to ring in the big 4-0 -- and all seemed to be going well, until she reached the final candle ... and flew a little too close to the sun.

Some stray strands of her locks made contact with the flame below, and the fire quickly jumped onto her body and started climbing up. It actually looks like the other side of her head might've caught fire as well -- but that was quickly put out by someone nearby.

However, her right side was still caught in the flame ... and she starts to scream as it spreads. The video cuts out before we can find out what happens next -- but we're assuming NR is okay.

Her caption to this read, "Well... so far 40 is 🔥." Pretty jokey, so you gotta figure she walked away from this relatively unscathed. Still, pretty freaky nonetheless.