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Claressa Shields isn't playin' around when it comes to Jake Paul ... the boxing and MMA superstar is throwing down the gauntlet, challenging The Problem Child to a fight, and promising to beat his ass.

TMZ Sports talked to the 26-year-old 2x Olympic gold medalist who just recently vowed to NEVER fight on a Paul undercard, claiming it'd be disrespectful to her incredible career.

"I wasn't talking s**t about Jake Paul yesterday. What I was speaking was facts. Jake Paul gets inside a boxing ring with me, he's getting his ass whooped!"

And, Shields is down to put her money where her mouth is ... and if the YouTuber turned boxer doesn't want to a real, sanctioned fight -- Claressa is down to spar and let his cameras roll the entire time.

"I bet you Jake Paul would get hurt, he probably get dropped, he would have a newfound respect for me if we spar or fight," Shields says.

"I'm not calling Jake Paul out because I know how the world looks at women fighting men, they look at it like 'oh no, ew' but I spar men daily and that's the truth."

Claressa -- the only fighter, male or female, to hold all 4 major titles in multiple weight classes -- also took issue with Paul addressing female boxing star Amanda Serrano -- who he just signed to his MVP promotions -- as the greatest female fighter ever.

"I'm the motherf***kin' GWOAT! I saw him make that post today with Amanda Serrano. He needs to know that I'm the GWOAT."

(BTW, there's ZERO beef between Claressa and Amanda. In fact, Shields says she has "love and respect" for Serrano.)

Bottom line, Shields -- who returns to the PFL MMA cage October 27 -- has a message for Jake ... and anyone else who thinks she can't handle herself in the ring because she's a woman.

"Cut the s**t! Don't disrespect my skills. Look, just because a man is a man and he's in boxing doesn't mean that they can beat me and there's a lot of guys who's been in boxing for years who cannot do nothing with me, let alone Jake Paul".

Los Angeles local Alanna Ubach was only 25 years old when she was cast as the loyal brunette best friend and sorority sister Serena McGuire -- who lived alongside Elle at the Delta Nu house and supported her sister in her legal endeavors -- in the 2001 classic comedy "Legally Blonde" and the 2003 follow film "Legally Blonde: Red, White & Blonde."

Alanna shared the big screen role with some other awesome actors including Selma Blair as Warner's old/new girlfriend, Vivian ... and of course Reese Witherspoon as the law school success, Elle Woods.

Ubach has widened her scope to an impressive career in voiceover work on animated entertainment like "Puppy Dog Pals" and "Monsters At Work."

Britney Spears sure looks like she's feeling free after the judge in her conservatorship case took control away from her dad ... because she just posted a bunch of racy photos.

The singer just dropped a photo dump on her official Instagram page, and it's 10 photos of her either fully nude or topless.

Britney looks like she's on a tropical beach getaway in the hot shots ... and it sounds like she's in a playful mood, saying, "Playing in the Pacific never hurt anybody."

Britney's strategically placed flower emojis on her body ... covering up her nipples and other parts. Even so, not much is left to the imagination here.

As you know ... Britney's father, Jamie Spears, was suspended from her conservatorship Wednesday in a monumental court hearing after 13 years at the helm.

Scarlett Johansson is no longer at war with Disney over her "Black Widow" bottom line ... the actress and the Mouse House reached a settlement, sources confirm to TMZ.

The exact terms of the settlement are unclear, but Scarlett says ... "I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney." In a statement that sounds very much like an attempt to mend fences, she adds she's proud of the work she and Disney have done, has enjoyed their "creative relationship" and looks forward to collaborating further.

Disney Studios honcho Alan Bergman is also making nice after the explosive suit ... saying he's pleased with the settlement, appreciates Scarlett's role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and looks forward to working with her on upcoming movies, like "Tower of Terror."

Translation: Let's make nice and get back to making movies.

As we reported ... Scarlett sued Disney back in July, claiming the simultaneous release of "Black Widow" in theaters and on Disney+ violated her contract and cost her big money.

Things quickly turned ugly, with Disney responding to the suit with a blistering statement, attacking ScarJo and her suit for what the studio called a "callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."

Scarlett's agent shot back, ripping Disney for announcing she'd made $20 million for the movie, and accused Disney of attempting "to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman."

Bow Wow says he's got no concerns seeing Diddy with the mother of his child ... and he sounds comforted by knowing -- or, at least, feeling like -- they won't last forever.

We got Bow Wow at LAX Thursday and asked him about Diddy's latest relationship ... with Joie Chavis. Bow Wow and Joie have a 10-year-old daughter, Shai, together.

There's a laundry list of reasons he's not threatened ... but it seems the top thing on his list is the strong feeling he has that Diddy and Joie won't be tying the knot.

Mr. Moss is drawing from his long history with Diddy here ... pointing out he's known Diddy since he was 13 years old, and it sounds like he has a good handle on how the Bad Boy mogul deals with the ladies.

He says he's hashed things out with Diddy and Joie, too ... and everyone is cool with each other in their triangle, of sorts.

The Super Bowl halftime show will feature not one, not two, but FIVE incredible music acts this February ... with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige slated to perform!!

The epic list was just announced minutes ago ... with Pepsi revealing the lineup for the big game at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb 13.

The halftime show is absolutely nuts -- as the company notes, there are 43 Grammy awards and 19 Billboard-topping albums amongst the bunch ... and they'll all be sharing the stage in L.A.

The show's lineup makes a whole lotta sense to L.A. too ... Dre, Snoop and Kendrick are all born and raised in the city of angels. Jay-Z, who played an instrumental part in getting the lineup together says the event will be "history in the making."

The announcement Thursday also notes the show is expected to be "12 minutes of unforgettable greatness." Nearly 100 million people tuned in last year to watch The Weeknd perform in Tampa Bay.

Carl Nassib says he was worried opening up about his sexuality could cost him his NFL job ... explaining this week he didn't come out as gay sooner because he feared it might "ruin my career."

The Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher -- who famously revealed he was gay in a June social media post -- broke it all down on Darren Waller's "Comeback Stories" podcast.

Nassib said he had mulled the idea of coming out sooner ... but was scared of the reaction the announcement might draw from fellow players -- and, more importantly, NFL owners.

"I thought about it every once in a while," Nassib said of sharing his sexual preferences with the public. "Thought about how I wanted to do it. When I could do it."

"I didn't know how people would react. I wanted to make sure I was financially stable before I did it. I didn't know if it would ruin my career. I didn't know if guys would be supportive or not."

Nassib -- who says he didn't know he was gay until about four years ago -- said he finally felt comfortable making the announcement this year after he had solidified his NFL career as well as gained a good understanding of his Raiders teammates.

The 28-year-old, though, revealed it has been somewhat of a struggle since revealing the news ... telling Waller he felt a huge burden in the practices and workouts following the video's release.

"Being the only out gay guy in the NFL is a little stressful," Nassib said, adding things have gotten easier since.

Nassib also revealed he is dating somebody, saying, "I met an awesome guy. He's the best."

Akon says R. Kelly needs to reevaluate all of his life choices after being convicted in his federal sex crimes trial ... but he also believes there's still a road to redemption for Kelly.

We got the artist at LAX and asked him about the guilty verdict in Kelly's case, and if there's any coming back from that. Akon says Kelly needs to do some deep reflection and talk to God.

He'll have plenty of time for that convo. The disgraced singer's looking at 10 years to life in prison when he's sentenced next year.

And, although the jury found Kelly guilty of all 9 federal counts -- including sex crimes, kidnapping, human trafficking, racketeering and obstruction of justice -- this doesn't mean his life is over ... in Akon's eyes, at least.

He tells us even Kelly has the right to try to make things right with his victims. He also offered some sage advice for those survivors.

Of course, the singer's legal battles are just beginning. Kelly still is facing another federal trial in Chicago ... and 2 other state trials for similar charges.

Shaquille O’Neal is fed up with Kyrie Irving ... saying the Brooklyn Nets should cut ties with the star if he won't be able to play home games due to being unvaccinated.

Irving has been under attack for reportedly not getting vaccinated as the pandemic rages on ... and he currently won't be able to play home games due to NYC's COVID-19 mandate.

With the Nets poised for a title run with KI, Kevin Durant and James Harden in 2021-22, Shaq was asked what he'd do if Kyrie misses half the season ... and he's not holding back.

"I would go upstairs and say, 'Get him up out of here,'" Shaq told "Tiki and Tierney" this week. "We can win with a two-punch and a great shooter and some rebounders like we got. Get his ass up out of here."

"Of course, if I played with him, I’d be in charge all the way, all day," Shaq added.

"Whoever owns the Brooklyn Nets, get him up out of here."

But, Shaq wasn't done sharing his thoughts on the topic -- he expanded on his take on "The Big Podcast" on Thursday ... saying he is not going to "knock" Irving's right to have an opinion, but the hooper has to think about the bigger picture.

"In this game of ours, sometimes you have to think about others instead of yourself," he said. "Now, Kyrie has his own views and his opinions. I’m not going to knock that."

"He does have an obligation because he took that $200 million. Once you sign up for this life there is no privacy. And you have to accept it."

FYI -- some of that 200 milli will disappear if Kyrie misses all the home games this season ... with the guard reportedly set to lose out on $17.5 million.

Jockey Oisin Murphy -- a 2-time British flat racing champion -- had a terrifying moment before a race on Thursday ... when his horse went out of control and threw him head-first into a railing.

The scary incident went down at the Salisbury racecourse in the UK ... when Murphy was getting a 2-year-old horse, Oasis Gift, ready for his debut in a seven-furlong event.

In the footage, it appears Oasis gets spooked and starts to lose control -- bucking and dashing across the parade ring with Murphy saddled on.

The 26-year-old Irish jockey was holding on for dear life ... but was thrown off his colt and plunged headfirst into the rail. The horse then burst right through the fence and kept running.

Murphy was sent to the NHS London hospital after the crash and somehow, only ended up with a few cuts to the face.

"I've had a few stitches to my lip + face. I’ve been discharged already," Murphy said on Twitter.

"Very grateful to their work and all the kind messages."

Britney Spears was the big winner in court Wednesday, but it's hard to believe anyone celebrated her father's removal from the conservatorship harder than this fitness instructor ... who turned his joy into burned calories.

This TikTok vid beautifully illustrates the joy #FreeBritney folks felt when Jamie Spears was suspended from the conservatorship after 13 years -- as this guy literally jumped for joy when he heard the news.

The coach -- who's known as The Fitness Marshall -- parlayed his excitement into a fabulous "Free Britney" workout, including some hilarious jabs at her dad.

"Jump high, knee Jamie in the face" and "Elbow him in the name of the law" might well become new rallying cries for Brit's supporters ... if the other hashtags wear out.

As we reported ... along with Jamie being removed from Britney's conservatorship, it also looks like the conservatorship is coming to an end after Wednesday's monumental court hearing.

Jamie Spears says his ousting from Britney's conservatorship will only hurt his daughter, and having a stranger take his place in her life is the complete opposite of what Britney needs.

Jamie's lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, goes after the judge for suspending Jamie and appointing CPA John Zabel in his place to temporarily manage her estate.

But, Thoreen then bores in on the attacks against Jamie, saying he was the one who stepped in 13 years ago when no one else would ... noting Britney agreed to establish the conservatorship. Thoreen says, "This included helping her revive here career and re-establish a relationship with her children."

As for Britney's anger toward Jamie, Thoreen says, "For anyone who has tried to help a family member dealing with mental health issues, they can appreciate the tremendous amount of daily worry and work this required."

Of course, Jamie was hammered by the public, Britney's attorneys and even his own daughter in court ... saying he controlled, mentally abused and even prevented her from being married or having kids. Thoreen says Jamie made the choice to keep his mouth shut during the "false, speculative and unsubstantiated attacks."

And, then the attorney went after Britney's lawyer, saying Jamie -- not Mat Rosengart -- was the one who actually asked the judge to end the conservatorship immediately. She says Rosengart objected to pulling the plug now.

As we reported, Rosengart wanted 30-45 days to review the books to determine if there was misappropriation of assets or other abuse ... and presumably he wanted the judge to retain jurisdiction toward that end.

Thoreen says flatly, "Mr. Spears loves his daughter Britney unconditionally ... Mr. Spears will continue to look out for the best interests of his daughter and work in good faith towards a position resolution of all matters."

TMZ broke down everything that happened during yesterday's hearing on our new podcast.

There are a lot of people involved and pulling for Britney Spears these days, but the one person who has worked behind the scenes to remove Jamie Spears and end the conservatorship altogether is Cade Hudson, who has deep ties to Britney ... TMZ has learned.

Hudson has been one of Britney's closest friends for a dozen years. He's also been her agent for 9 years and has been in her inner circle the entire time.

Our sources say Hudson has been in constant contact with Britney, advising her on how to navigate the conservatorship. When Britney was upset about restrictions by conservators and others involved in the conservatorship, Hudson was there to give her guidance.

He was working behind the scene for a long time to try and bring the conservatorship to an end. And, our sources say ... Hudson is the one who hooked Britney up with attorney Mathew Rosengart, who is now shepherding Britney's move for freedom.

Tyga says he's always felt like an underdog, so he performed as a canine on "The Masked Singer" ... but this dog don't hunt, because he's been eliminated from the Season 6 cast of masked contestants.

The "Taste" rapper yanked off his Dalmatian getup on Wednesday night's episodes of the eccentric singing competition after he got voted off, but turns out the host sniffed out his identity when he was fully masked.

After the Dalmatian rapped "Beautiful" by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell Williams ... both Robin Thicke and Nicole Scherzinger guessed it was Nelly, Jenny McCarthy went with Kevin Hart, and Ken Jeong guessed Reggie Bush.

Host Nick Cannon claimed he knew it was Tyga underneath the Dalmatian costume all along, but everyone else was stunned.

As for why he decided to join the show ... Tyga says he was inspired by watching Lil Wayne perform as Robot back in Season 3.

One of Vanderbilt University's longtime employees says she's been bullied and viciously mocked by co-workers -- using words like "freak," and "gross" -- after she underwent transition surgery.

Olivia Hill is suing Vanderbilt for the abuse she says started back in mid-2018, when she'd informed her employer she'd been diagnosed with gender dysphoria ... and, therefore, needed to transition from male to female. She says she soon learned a direct supervisor was referring to her as "it," "trans freak" and "weirdo."

Olivia -- a U.S. Navy veteran who's worked at Vandy for 25 years -- says that sort of reaction made her second guess getting the surgery, and she even delayed it until February 2019. In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, she says the abuse was even worse when she returned to work in May 2019 -- some people would leave rooms as soon as she entered, while others made crude remarks.

According to the suit, those comments included a bigwig commenting directly to her about her big feet looking strange. She alleges he also asked if she shaves her chest now, and added ... "Ugh, the thought of you shaving your tits is gross."

Olivia claims in the suit another employee asked if he could "be the first to use her new vagina."

Interestingly, Vanderbilt touted Olivia's transition ... even posting a video where she tells her story. However, Olivia's attorney, Abby Rubenfeld, says this only highlights the university's hypocrisy -- "The way Olivia was treated violates federal and state law, and is inconsistent with Vanderbilt's own policies and public presentation as allegedly being a model of LGBTQI tolerance and inclusion."

Olivia says she informed her supervisors, but got no relief, and even filed complaints with the University and federal employment agencies. She says the school placed her on paid administrative leave, and says she's been passed over for promotions.

She's suing Vanderbilt for damages, including lost wages and pain and suffering.

R. Kelly's persona non grata in Baton Rouge ... his "key to the city" there has been rescinded by the very same official who bestowed him with the honor.

Kelly was given the honor back in February 2013 by Denise Marcelle, who, at the time, was a member of Baton Rouge Metro Council. Marcelle tells us after Kelly's guilty verdict, she regrets giving Kelly a key to the city in the first place and is going to rescind it.

If you're wondering how that works, the process doesn't include actually physically taking the $256 plaque and key back from the singer ... but he's stripped of the honor.

Obviously, there were allegations against Kelly when Marcelle presented the key to him back in 2013, but she tells us she only knew he had been acquitted in 2008, and didn't do her homework to truly understand what was leveled against him.

Marcelle now serves as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, and not in the BR Council, but a rep for BR tells us Marcelle still holds the power to rescind the key since she was the one who gave it out.

As we reported ... Kelly was found guilty earlier this week on all counts in his federal sex crimes trial.