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Before this girl in glasses was lighting up the big screen with her lovable roles, she was just another blonde beauty posing for the camera in Nashville, Tennessee.

This little lady got her start in sweet romantic comedies and broke boundaries for blondes around the world. Her career has been long and filled with success ... she's won two Academy Awards for Best Actress over the span of nearly 10 years.

Recently, this talented actress transitioned from film to television. She currently stars alongside Jennifer Aniston in a wildly popular newsroom drama now streaming its second season.

A man who says he spent 2 decades backpacking with Gary Poste -- the alleged Zodiac killer -- claims Poste definitely had a violent side ... and it showed when he killed animals.

The man goes by the name Will, and he spoke with a member of Case Breakers -- the team of more than 40 various investigators who believe Poste is responsible for the notorious murders in the late '60s -- about his relationship with Gary ... which he says started with Poste helping him with a legal issue.

We're told after that, in 1987, Poste invited Will -- who was just 18 at the time -- to come up to a wooded area in Northern California and hunt with him ... and he regularly did exactly that for the next 20 years.

Will claims during this time, he witnessed Poste kill animals "indiscriminately" and says Gary enjoyed "getting dirty" and bloody. He says Poste killed all sorts of animals and describes his behavior with their carcasses as "chilling."

It's interesting ... police profilers say an obsession with killing animals is a marker of a serial killer. The Zodiac killed his victims in the '70s and then stopped. If Case Breakers is right ... the killer may have turned to animals instead of humans beginning in the '80s.

We're told Will began to have suspicions about Poste being the Zodiac killer after watching a true-crime documentary about serial killers, and in 2014 he fled the woods and his life with Poste. He also felt the sketch of the Zodiac matched Poste.

Will then tried to talk to police and the media about Poste but says nobody would listen to him ... until he got in touch with Case Breakers about a year ago. BTW, Poste died in 2018.

As we told you ... despite what Case Breakers and Will believe, the official authorities -- the Riverside PD and a former San Francisco cop -- don't believe Poste is the infamous killer.

Whether that's true or not ... Will's account of hanging in the woods with a man who didn't have a conscience and slaughtered animals for joy is still incredibly disturbing.

We discussed Poste in this week's episode of The TMZ Podcast.

Urban Meyer's wife is finally speaking out about her husband's infamous bar night ... saying in a social media post, "We all make mistakes - we are all sinners."

"If you think you aren't?" Shelley Meyer added. "Then cast the first stone."

Shelley issued the strong statement Thursday afternoon ... explaining she's quitting Twitter due to all the "hate, vitriol, slander" and "trash" she's received in the wake of Urban dancing with a blonde woman over the weekend.

"To my wonderful followers/friends: THANK YOU," Shelley wrote. "For your love, support, friendship, laughs - I will miss this most. I love you ALL and wish God's blessings on you. Thank you."

What's interesting ... Shelley made no note of standing by Urban or defending his actions -- though Urban did say earlier this week he was confident his 37-year marriage would survive.

In fact, Urban called the whole saga nothing more than a "speed bump" in their relationship.

The Jaguars head coach has apologized repeatedly for the incident and has vowed to grow from it.

Barbara Corcoran and Whoopi Goldberg together provided a cringe moment on "The View" ... the result of a fat joke Barbara lobbed at Whoopi.

Ya gotta see the video ... the roundtable discussion starts innocently enough, with the hosts and some 'Shark Tank' stars talking about new jeans, but it gets super awkward when Barbara chimes in and tries to get a laugh.

Whoopi's asking if the jeans in question will fit her COVID butt, and that's when Barbara says ... "and when you get finished with those jeans and decide you don't like them, give them to me, I'm going to make 2 pairs." 😲

Barbara did NOT stick the landing, and the joke fell totally flat. Whoopi immediately looked pretty pissed, and the rest of her 'View' co-hosts weren't too happy either.

It's a super awkward interaction ... but Ana Navarro had Whoopi's back, and clapped back at Barbara with a major fashion diss.

Ooohh, the backstage convos that must've gone down!!!

Tyson Fury's sick and tired of the back and forth between his bro, Tommy, and Jake Paul ... telling both fighters to "grow some balls" and fight already!!

There's been a lot of bickering between the two fighters on social media recently ... with Jake publicly offering a $1 million payday (an amount TF claimed was not even worth getting out of bed for).

With negotiations reportedly picking back up again, TMZ Sports asked the Gypsy King himself for his thoughts on Jake vs. Tommy ... and he wants this fight to go down just as bad as the rest of us!!

"The fight is supposed to be happening," Tyson told us this week. "Both guys keep talking about it, so they better step up and show some balls and actually do the fight."

"I'm sick of all the talk about a fight that doesn't happen, so let's get it on! Let these 2 go to war. Put on a show for the fans. Everybody wants to see it!"

Tyson -- who has his own highly-anticipated trilogy fight against Deontay Wilder on Saturday -- gives props to the Problem Child's success so far in the boxing world ... applauding his undefeated record.

So ... if both guys sign on the dotted line, is Tyson gonna show up??

The Brian Laundrie manhunt has a new team member ... Brian's dad.

Christopher Laundrie joined the search Thursday morning in Florida where he was met by police. Park rangers were there waiting for Christopher and the cops as they opened the gate to let them in.

As for how all of this transpired -- law enforcement requested Christopher help officers with the search at a Florida preserve, according to his attorney ... who added that since the preserve had been closed to the public, "Chris had not been able to look for Brian in the only place Brian's parents believe he may be."

As we reported, Dog the Bounty Hunter and his team are convinced Laundrie has been hiding in the Florida Everglades where he's been searching. It's worth noting ... Dog says Laundrie may have hightailed it out of there in the last few days but he's adamant Laundrie's been there.

Laundrie's sister, Cassie, recently went on 'GMA' and detailed the last time she saw her brother ... which was during a camping trip after he'd returned to Florida without Gabby Petito.

She said she last spoke to Brian in person on Sept. 6 ... while she and their parents went camping at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County, FL. She said the family dropped in for a quick minute and then left. She's denied knowing his current whereabouts.

Olympic gold medalist diver Tom Daley says he was pressured to lose weight in order to perform better in 2012 ... claiming it was "hammered" into him that he was overweight.

The 27-year-old British diver opened up about his eating disorder this week ... saying he would make himself throw up and constantly weigh himself in order to maintain a smaller figure.

Daley -- who won bronze at the 2012 and 2016 Games before earning gold in Tokyo this summer -- says it's always been hard for him as a man to open up about his eating disorder, he revealed to The Guardian.

Daley says it's challenging as an athlete to talk about his struggle with body image ... because let's face it, most people would love to have his body.

"You have these body issues as an athlete. Lots of people would look at athletes and be like, 'What are you talking about? You’re an athlete, you’re in shape, you have nothing to worry about.'"

Daley says the pressure to lose weight didn't come from the media or Internet trolls -- it was his peers in the diving community.

"My body image [issues] came from within my sport – it was hammered into me that I was overweight and needed to lose weight in order to perform."

Minneapolis police officers were pumped up to fire non-lethal bullets at protestors during the unrest after George Floyd's murder, and boldly talked on camera about "hunting" people out past curfew.

The new body cam footage, from late May 2020, provides a shocking look at the cops' forceful response to the protests and riots in the city on the evening of May 30 into May 31. A cop is heard saying how it's a "nice change of tempo" for officers to be out actively hunting people instead of just chasing them around.

Another officer replies, "F*** these people."

In another clip, Minneapolis cops are enthusiastically ordered to shoot non-lethal rounds on "the first f***ers we see."

According to CNN, these videos from multiple police body cams were released by Eric Rice, the lawyer for a man who was recently acquitted on charges of firing a gun at officers on May 30 after they fired nonlethal bullets at him.

There's also a clip of an officer expressing his disdain for the media, then going off on proving the mayor wrong about the race of protestors. He then makes a racist comment, suggesting only Black people are responsible for looting and fires.

Bodybuilder George Peterson -- AKA "Da Bull" -- unexpectedly passed away this week at only 37, just days before he was scheduled to compete in a top bodybuilding competition.

"It is with great sadness that we report the unexpected passing of George Peterson, a champion on stage and off," officials from the Mr. Olympia competition announced on social media.

Peterson was in Orlando when he died -- preparing for the Olympia competition -- which kicks off Wednesday.

The cause of George's death is not yet clear, but his coach and close friend, Justin Miller -- who found Peterson deceased -- provided additional details on his death.

Miller says Peterson was in incredible spirits the night before he died ... and was pumped for the upcoming competition.

However, the next day, Miller says GP wasn't responding to texts or phone calls ... so he became worried, and went to George's hotel room.

Inside, tragically, Peterson was face down on the floor, cold. Still, Miller, desperate to help his friend, called 911 and was instructed to do CPR.

Unfortunately, Peterson -- who likely passed several hours earlier -- could not be saved.

George was a constant figure on the bodybuilding circuit ... competing at shows across the country, including the Olympia 4 times.

Peterson won the Classic Physique competition at the 2019 Arnold Classic.

Many people from the bodybuilding and fitness world -- from athletes to fans -- have expressed sadness at Peterson's unexpected passing.

The Zodiac Killer has NOT been ID'd as The Case Breakers would have you believe -- at least according to cops who looked for the guy back in the day, but Case Breakers says the cops have refused to even investigate a possible connection.

Riverside PD tells TMZ ... the investigative body that came out Wednesday with its big get is probably wrong in its assumption Gary Francis Poste is the elusive serial killer.

RPD's PIO, Ryan Railsback, says the Case Breakers cite the 1966 murder of Cheri Jo Bates and evidence the group says it gleaned from studying the file as the basis of their conclusion.

Railsback says their initial suspicion the Zodiac was responsible -- based on letters they received at the time -- was nothing but a red herring. Railsback says if there was any evidence suggesting Poste was their man ... the force would've happily come forward with such info. But they haven't, 'cause he isn't.

That leads us to Frank Falzon, a former SFPD homicide inspector, who was once partners with the famed Dave Toschi -- in charge of the Zodiac case in the early days -- and who took over the file once Toschi left the picture. He, too, tells us ... he believes Poste ain't the guy.

His rationale -- Poste's name, from what he can recall, never came up as a strong possible suspect among the hundreds of names they had on file. It doesn't ring a bell to him.

But, here's the thing ... Case Breakers tells TMZ they contacted the Riverside PD and asked them to do a DNA test on the victim's hair and compare it with the DNA of Gary Francis Poste, and the PD refused. Case Breakers tells TMZ, the PD told them they believed the murderer was local to Riverside County and would not consider anyone outside the county. Case Breakers says the PD told them they were "100% sure" the murderer was not the Zodiac Killer and the police repeatedly refused to investigate a possible connection.

A source at Riverside PD tells us they do not have knowledge of CB reaching out regarding the evidence.

Falzon points to what he considers lots of circumstantial evidence the Case Breakers used in pinpointing Poste as the Zodiac -- which, in FF's view, isn't enough to draw that big of a deduction. In his eyes ... ID'ing the Zodiac would always come down to fingerprints and handwriting -- and based on what he saw in the CB's analysis, those factors were absent.

One of the most wanted fugitives in the world might have been sitting right behind home plate at a Dodgers game in 2016 ... and, yet, authorities say they're still having trouble nabbing him.

U.S. Marshals claim John Ruffo -- who was convicted of swindling $350 MILLION in an elaborate bank fraud scheme in the 1990s -- was possibly the guy in a blue shirt and glasses in a prime seat at a Red Sox vs. Dodgers game in Aug. 2016.

The Marshals say the balding, older man in footage from the broadcast looks a hell of a lot like Ruffo -- a guy they say has evaded them for nearly 24 years.

According to the Marshals, after his conviction, Ruffo was "ordered to report to a federal prison in New Jersey on Nov. 9, 1998" to begin serving a 17-and-a-half year sentence, but he never showed.

Instead, the Marshals claim he rented a car, withdrew cash from an ATM (which they say they captured on video), and headed to JFK Airport -- where he then disappeared.

Authorities say, though, he could have been the man in Section 1 Dugout Club, Row EE, Seat 10 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles over 5 years ago.

The Marshals announced their suspicion in a statement Wednesday ... saying anyone who can help them find the 66-year-old -- who they believe is roughly 5 feet 5, 170 pounds -- could be given a reward of up to $25,000.

His capture would be a big deal ... Marshals have named him one of their "15 Most Wanted" and have described him as "a master manipulator."

Of course, this wouldn't be the first time cameras at Dodger Stadium have helped authorities crack a case ... remember, Larry David's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" crew aided in a murder suspect's release from jail back in the early 2000s.

In that case, Juan Catalan had been accused of murdering a 16-year-old ... but the 'Curb' cameras showed he was actually at the Dodgers' ballpark the night of the killing.

Dave Chappelle couldn't care less what anyone thinks about his controversial LGBTQ comments in his Netflix stand-up special ... Dude's all smiles.

The comedian hit up Peppermint Club in Hollywood Wednesday night where he performed ... and a throng of paps got him and his entourage on their way out. Dave's chill despite feeling the heat following his latest stand-up special, "The Closer."

The photogs are peppering him with questions about the blowback over his comments about the LGBTQ community, but he doesn't answer. He does, however, offer a parting shot as he drives away ... "Dumb-ass questions."

Dave came under fire after, among other things, joking the gay community cared more about torpedoing DaBaby's career for his homophobic rant than the fact he shot and killed someone at a Walmart. BTW ... DaBaby allegedly fired in self-defense and was never charged.

He kicked it off with, "In our country, you can shoot and kill a n****, but you better not hurt a gay person's feelings. And this is precisely the disparity that I wish to discuss."

Dave also said "Gender is a fact" because "every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on Earth."

Britney Spears' boys look like they're having a good time and enjoying their lives ... no matter how much drama's going on in hers.

Britney's 2 teenage sons -- Sean Preston and Jayden James -- with her ex, Kevin Federline, popped up in a couple photos on social media posted by one of Kevin's friends.

The boys were all smiles as they posed with the guy, a choreographer named Eddie Morales, who referred to Britney and K-Fed's sons as "my nephews."

Eddie also heaped praise on Federline in his post with the caption, "NOW THE WORLD WILL SEE HOW MUCH OF A GREAT DAD HE HAS BEEN !" ... seemingly suggesting Britney's conservatorship developments will shed light on Kevin's parenting skills.

Finally, Morales' post included a video of Jayden playing piano ... showing he might be following his mom's musical footsteps.

Jeffree Star, James Charles, Austin McBroom and other influencers got way too close with a couple of monkeys -- at least according to federal authorities, who've reprimanded the animals' handler for allowing it.

According to a USDA report, obtained by TMZ, Kevin Keith used a baboon and a capuchin monkey in several social media promo vids back in November 2020 -- but a government inspector says Keith made a major mistake by failing to "adequately maintain direct control of the animals" while they posed with social media celebs.

We're told the primates were used as part of a campaign with the clothing company, Bananas Monkey, that involved delivering a box of apparel to the celebs ... while obviously creating quite the photo op.

However, after the promo event, we're told PETA filed a complaint asking the USDA to investigate Keith for possible violations of the Animal Welfare Act ... arguing it was dangerous -- to the public and the animals -- for him to not have control of the monkeys in case they became aggressive.

According to the Dept. of Agriculture's report ... it reviewed the videos in which the monkeys are seen shaking hands and sitting on the shoulders of the celebs -- without Keith keeping a watchful eye or holding onto their leashes.

Chris Taylor's Dodgers teammates had the perfect reward for the star after he hit a clutch walk-off home run Wednesday night -- CHAMPAGNE SHOWERS!!

L.A. doused the utility man from head to toe in bubbly after he hit a two-run blast in the bottom of the 9th inning of the National League Wild Card game against the St. Louis Cardinals ... and the video of the celebration is amazing.

The Dodgers posted the footage shortly after the 3-1 win that sent them onward in the playoffs ... and you can see in the clip, Taylor and the guys were loving it!!

Chris was giving a speech in the locker room about how his hit was "just the start" -- when all of the guys uncorked their bottles and sprayed him down.

Of course, after hitting Taylor, everyone else got in on the showers too -- with stars like Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Trea Turner going topless for the party.

The celly was well deserved -- the Cards put up a hell of a fight at Dodger Stadium -- but the team won't have long to shake off any sort of hangover.

Up next for the Dodgers is an NLDS matchup with the S.F. Giants -- a team with the best record in baseball.

Tamar Braxton's got her sights set on returning to television after an admitted toxic relationship with the reality TV biz, but she says when she does ... she's choosing a different way to tell her story.

We got Tamar at LAX Wednesday and asked about her teasing her family's series, "Braxton Family Values," coming back to the airwaves ... but possibly on a new network.

As you'll recall ... Tamar was released by WE tv last summer following her suicide attempt and subsequent claims the reality TV industry and its "toxic, systemic bondage" drove her to want to end her life.

Despite that, "Braxton Family Values" still aired as planned, but now Tamar's suggesting she has a different type of family TV project in the works ... one that won't follow the conventional "reality" route.

Specifically, she says the show won't pry into her personal life, and will depict her family in a way she feels is fair.