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Members of the Houston Police Department calmly pulled out their cellphones and recorded Travis Scott's performance at the Astroworld festival ... nearly a half hour after it was declared a mass casualty event.

It's significant footage because it looks like cops were unaware of the dire situation behind them, and if they didn't know ... how would Travis?

The Fire Chief called the calamity a "mass casualty event" at 9:38 PM. Now check out the photo (above) of cops shooting cellphone video -- the time stamp shows it was snapped at 9:57 PM ... 19 minutes later.

As for the video -- obtained by TMZ -- it was shot at 10:02 PM, a full 25 minutes after the mass casualty declaration. Again, cops are strolling past the stage, completely oblivious to the carnage behind them.

It's hard to imagine the officers knew what was going on in the crowd. It seems they're in the dark, perhaps because of the noise and general commotion associated with Travis Scott concerts. This seems to buttress Travis' contention he too had no idea this was a mass casualty event.

As we reported, there were people in the crowd begging for someone to stop the show ... some even flat out telling camera operators there were dead people in the crowd. That message seemed to have escaped the officers in the front, and possibly Travis as well.

There's a reason Nicole Scherzinger can't lock down a dinner date with one of her famous friends ... the celeb is IN the singing competition reality show Nicole is judging!!!

Production sources tell TMZ ... the star inside the Pepper costume on "The Masked Singer" is friends with Nicole in real life, but the panelist obviously has no idea her pal is behind the mask.

We're told Nicole's texted this friend to make some dinner plans, and the celeb has gone to great lengths to keep their identity hidden ... first ignoring the texts and then having a buddy text Nicole from Pepper's phone while Pepper was performing on the FOX show ... making up an excuse about being out of town.

Sounds like an ingenious way to try and throw Nicole off the scent ... so, props to Pepper.

Our sources also say Pepper is hard at work coming up with more alibis to stave off Nicole ... at least until their identity is revealed on the show.

Remember ... Pepper is a Hollywood power player with a Rolodex of celebrity friends, which now includes Nicole and possibly Bob Dylan, and they put together their costume and performance in under 24 hours.

And, get this ... we've got some more insight on the "Take It Off Buzzer" ... it's going to be activated AGAIN!!!

Ken Jeong may not have guessed Pepper’s identity tonight after being the first panelist to hit this season's newest twist: the "Take It Off Buzzer" ... but, TMZ can confirm that the buzzer WILL be pressed AGAIN next week.

Soap actor Jerry Douglas, famous for his decades of work in "The Young and the Restless," has died ... TMZ has learned.

Jerry died Tuesday after a brief illness ... according to his family.

JD logged nearly 900 episodes on 'Young & Restless' dating back decades ... he was the third actor to play John Abbott, presiding over the Abbott Mansion and Jabot Cosmetics for 25 years until the fan-favorite character was killed off in 2006.

He appeared in tons of other big TV shows over the years, including ... "Cold Case," "Melrose Place," "Arrested Development," "Mission: Impossible," "The Incredible Hulk" and "The F.B.I."  ... just to name a few.

Jerry also worked on the big screen, with roles in movies like "JFK, "Good Guys Wear Black," "Avalanche," "Mommie Dearest," "Head Over Spurs in Love" and "The Godson."

He also acted in theater productions and sang.

Douglas was 88 and recently celebrated his birthday early with a bunch of his former castmates from 'Young & Restless.'

He's survived by his wife of 36 years, Kym Douglas, his sons, Jod and Hunter, and his daughter, Avra.

Teyana Taylor is defending Travis Scott for not stopping his Astroworld show as people in the audience were in peril, because she says crowd safety falls on more than just the artist.

We got Teyana Wednesday at LAX, and our photog asked about her stopping shows when she notices folks having a tough time in the crowd, and if Travis should have done the same at Astroworld.

Just this week, Teyana took time out on her own stage to make sure a fan was okay, but she tells us that wasn't in response to what unfolded at Travis' show.

She's also pushing back on the narrative Travis never looks out for his fans ... saying there are just as many videos of him stopping shows when things get out of hand as there are clips of him encouraging fans to go wild.

The way Teyana sees it ... the artist alone can't be responsible for the safety of everyone in the crowd -- especially at shows as big as Travis' -- and it's also up to the venue staff and security to keep things from getting out of hand.

Some folks think Travis saw what was unfolding at Astroworld and just kept doing his thing, but Teyana isn't so sure that's what really happened.

TMZ Sports has obtained multiple 911 calls made moments after Henry Ruggs allegedly caused a fatal car crash ... with one witness telling an operator she believed a person was trapped in the burning truck.

A female caller who said she lives near the scene of the accident claimed she was in bed when she heard the crash, and when she looked at the crash site, all she saw were flames.

"It's almost all gone," she said of the fire-engulfed vehicle, continuing, "and I think someone is in it."

The woman is clearly panicked ... and pleading with the 911 operator to get help to the scene.

The woman also said she heard what she described as "kids just yelling for help."

But, she said the flames were so high "you can't get near it."

In the second call, a man, who heard, but didn't see the crash, told authorities, "I want to say the [Corvette] was probably speeding. I mean, I heard loud revving, loud noises, and then a big collision."

The man horrifyingly said he also thought he heard yelping coming from a dog inside of the burning vehicle.

Of course, in addition to 23-year-old Tina Tintor dying in the wreck, her golden retriever, Max, also perished.

The second caller also speculated that he suspected Ruggs and his GF were under the influence ... though he didn't elaborate why he suspected they were impaired.

As we previously reported, 22-year-old Ruggs was hit with 5 charges including 4 felonies for his role in the crash.

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed -- the armorer for "Rust" -- is doubling down, claiming she was targeted for sabotage and she thinks she's now being framed ... this according to her lawyer.

Gutierrez-Reed's attorney Jason Bowles tells TMZ ... "We are convinced that this was sabotage and Hannah is being framed." This is a step beyond what Bowles said earlier in the week ... he alleged sabotage, but didn't say it was targeted at his client.

But, Bowles wasn't done ... he added, "We believe that the scene was tampered with as well before the police arrived."

It's interesting ... this comes hours after the D.A. scoffed at the sabotage claim, saying no such evidence has surfaced.

Hannah's lawyer says his client met with Santa Fe County Deputy Sherriff's Tuesday, providing a full interview and continuing to cooperate.

Her legal team says more info keeps coming out that the D.A. needs to investigate, and they want the D.A. and FBI to get to the bottom of what happened with the live rounds they claim ended up in the "dummies" box.

Of course, there's another explanation ... that someone was target practicing during the lunch break and failed to take the live ammo out of the chamber.

A second supplier in the Mac Miller overdose case is admitting wrongdoing ... copping a plea with the feds that could see him do serious time.

38-year-old Ryan Reavis pled guilty this week to a single count of distributing fentanyl. He faces up to 20 years behind bars and a lifetime of supervised release -- but it's likely he'll receive a lesser sentence for accepting the plea deal.

Cops had busted Reavis in Arizona, so it wasn't entirely clear how he was connected to Mac's death -- but now we know, according to feds, Reavis was in L.A. around the time the fatal pills were procured for Mac.

Prosecutors say he ended up giving the fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills to MM's alleged drug dealer, Cameron Pettit ... on orders from Stephen Walter, who also recently pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl.

As we reported ... when cops busted Reavis in 2019, their charging docs noted officers found a doctor's prescription pad at his home.

In the chain of people we know who've been arrested in connection to Mac's death ... the alleged supplier and now the alleged runner have pled guilty.

Aaron Rodgers just took a lightsaber to the gut ... 'cause Luke Skywalker himself is shaking his head at the NFL QB for rockin' "Star Wars" gear during his most recent controversial COVID talk.

Mark Hamill -- who played the famous Jedi in the iconic movie series -- just sent out the roast of the Packers star on social media ... doggin' the signal-caller for his wardrobe choice on "The Pat McAfee Show" this week.

"Of all the sweatshirts he could have worn," Hamill said of Rodgers' 'The Rise Of Skywalker' hoodie, "he had to take full responsibility in THAT one?"

Hamill added a weary-face emoji for emphasis -- clearly showing he doesn't approve of Rodgers' personal stance on the jab and the way he's gone about expressing it publicly.

Rodgers apologized for misleading people when saying he was "immunized" ... but also said he was standing by his previous comments against getting vaxxed.

Of course, the dig has got to hurt Rodgers -- 'cause the 37-year-old is a HUGE "Star Wars" nerd.

He's dressed up on more than one occasion in "Star Wars" garb ... even famously wearing an Obi-Wan Kenobi 'fit with his ex-GF Olivia Munn for a premiere of 'The Force Awakens' in 2015.

In fact, Rodgers even shouted out the Ewoks while he was guest-hosting "Jeopardy!" this past year ... and he was spotted geeking out at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge with Shailene Woodley in Florida in April.

A victim in the Astroworld calamity has been declared brain dead.

22-year-old Bharti Shahani has been hospitalized since Friday's concert, clinging to life on a ventilator, but it appears Shahani will become the 9th fatality in the tragedy.

The Texas A&M senior, her sister and her cousin were at the concert but got separated during the surge. Namrata, her sister, was okay, but Bharti was in dire shape. She was rushed to a nearby hospital by ambulance and received CPR on the ride there. She reportedly suffered multiple heart attacks during and after the crush.

The family is meeting with doctors to determine next steps. It's unclear if Shahani is still on a ventilator.

8 people have already been confirmed dead, and many others are still in the hospital suffering serious, and life-threatening, injuries. As we reported, 9-year-old Ezra Blount is currently in a medically-induced coma after becoming a victim of the stampede.

As we reported, new lawsuits are being filed by the day. With 8 dead and counting, along with hundreds of injured, the amount of damages on the line is staggering.

Scores of lawsuits are sure to be filed in the coming weeks over the Astroworld Fest tragedy -- but would-be plaintiffs could hit a legal snag over something on the Live Nation website.

We're talking about liability here ... and whether Live Nation -- the promoter of Travis Scott's event -- is on the hook for it or not as plaintiffs rush to court to file claims against them and others.

On its face, LN may have an out on that front -- or at least a partial one, anyway -- due to a standard form they made everyone agree to before purchasing tickets from the Live Nation site ... It's the limitation of liability waiver most folks don't read ... but always have to accept.

We did some research, and as it turns out ... an ironclad liability waiver in Texas would almost certainly provide cover for basic negligence -- something we know for a fact concertgoers are alleging against LN in the suits we've seen thus far.

The online waiver reads in part, "You voluntarily assume all risks and danger incidental to the event for which the ticket is issued, whether occurring before, during or after the event, and you waive any claims for personal injury or death against us."

What it doesn't provide is protection against gross negligence, among other claims, which may well be brought forth in court as well.

With that said ... you'd think Live Nation might be in the clear here -- at least on the negligence front -- but not so fast. TMZ took a good hard look at the liability waiver, and it's quite possible they screwed themselves ... and might still be exposed.

Not to bog you down in legal mumbo jumbo -- but in Texas, in order for a liability waiver to be enforced to protect against negligence, there are a few things that must be met first.

The company has to feature clear language -- that your average Joe would understand -- directly addressing negligence in their waiver ... and from our check, Live Nation's Texas waiver does NOT seem to do this at all. Plus, the waiver itself is buried on their site -- which is another benchmark waivers have to clear ... ya gotta have it prominently displayed. In fact, there are clearly people who bought tickets without ever going to the website.

So, basically ... because Live Nation's liability waiver does not seem air-tight, it is NOT a foregone conclusion LN can wiggle out of liability in these mounting lawsuits.

Kobe Bryant's legacy could be entering the wine industry -- Vanessa Bryant just filed four new trademark applications for a wine named after the late NBA Hall of Famer.

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... Vanessa submitted docs on Nov. 5 to secure trademarks that indicate her aspirations to enter the wine business ... with "Mamba Vino," "Mamba Vino 2024," "Mamba Vino 8," and "Mamba Vino 24" among the phrases listed, as first reported by Josh Gerben.

Kobe Bryant, LLC -- which is run by Vanessa -- is listed as the applicant on the filing ... with Bryant signing off on all the paperwork.

This move is the latest in a series of business moves by Vanessa ... as we previously reported, last month she filed a trademark for digital collectible items, websites, training camps, broadcasting platforms, podcasts, TV shows, movies, documentaries and music ... as well as sports cards, food/drink containers and t-shirts.

All four new trademark names include one of Kobe's many nicknames, "vino" ... 'cause many people thought his game got better with age.

The names also pay tribute to the numbers Kobe wore -- 8 and 24 -- of course, both numbers are retired by the Lakers and hang in the rafters at the Staples Center.

The key gaffer on "Rust" is now taking legal action against Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and Dave Halls ... suing them over the fatal shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins.

Serge Svetnoy just filed suit against the above-mentioned individuals -- as well as others -- claiming the defendants' alleged negligence caused him severe emotional distress in the aftermath of it all.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Svetnoy claims the bullet that struck both Hutchins and director Joel Souza actually zoomed by and nearly hit him too. Not just that, but the gaffer claims he was one of the first people on hand to tend to Halyna while she was profusely bleeding ... attempting to comfort her and keep her conscious.

As for why he's suing Baldwin, the suit claims he "owed a duty to the Plaintiff and other crew members and actors on the 'Rust' set to handle the Colt Revolver provided to him by defendant Halls with reasonable care and diligence for the safety of 'Rust' cast and crew." It goes on to say, "This duty called for Defendant Baldwin to double-check the Colt Revolver with Halls upon being handled to ensure that it did not contain live ammunition."

And, it goes on ... "This duty further called for him [Baldwin] to handle the Colt Revolver as if it was loaded and to refrain from pointing it at anyone." In other words, the suit claims negligence on Baldwin's part.

And, there's this ... according to the lawsuit, the scene Baldwin was rehearsing did not call for him to pull the trigger. According to the lawsuit, the scene called for Baldwin to draw the gun and point it in the general direction of the camera, but, "the scene did not call for Defendant Baldwin to shoot the Colt Revolver."

The suit also claims Baldwin was negligent as a producer on "Rust," saying, "... they attempted to save money by hiring an insufficient number of crew members to safely handle the props and firearms ..." It goes on to claim there were other lapses on the set, including violating industry norms, declining requests for weapons training days, failing to allow proper time to allow for gunfire, failing to send out safety bulletins and spreading the staff too thin.

The suit also claims the target practice that was going on shortly before the tragedy was "outrageous."

Svetnoy says he'd known Halyna for 5 years and considered her a good friend.

The ordeal was absolutely traumatic, so says Svetnoy, and has since left him in utter mental anguish ... to the point he feels he might not ever be able to get over it.

G-Eazy has a new family member ... an 8-month-old pit bull that was rescued from an abusive former owner.

The "My, Myself & I" rapper adopted the pittie, named Phoenix, and we're told the pup had been abused by a homeless man before landing in a Los Angeles animal rescue.

G-Eazy rescued her from The Labelle Foundation, which tells TMZ ... Phoenix had been posted on their site for 2 months, but hadn't gotten many inquiries.

We're told G-Eazy saw the adoption post and reached out to the owners of The Labelle Foundation through a mutual friend, and he came by Monday to pick her up.

G-Eazy and Phoenix wasted no time getting to know each other -- after he picked her up, they hopped in his classic car for a drive through the Hollywood Hills, stopping for a bite at the famous Beachwood Market near the Hollywood sign.

It's a big step up for Phoenix ... we're told a Good Samaritan saved her from being kicked and abused by the homeless man. She's since been boarded, trained and is obviously a very good girl.

Travis Scott might act like he didn't know how bad things really were at this year's Astroworld Fest -- but his own posts and words demonstrate ... the dude knew how his fans got down, and often encouraged them to risk their safety.

There are a number of still photos Trav has posted on his Instagram account from over the years that show fans of his injured to varying degrees ... from what appears to be simply attending concerts of his.

Many of the times he spotlighted a certain individual who was injured ... and seemed to glorify and glamorize it, with captions like ... "SHE BROKE HER HAND AND SHE DOESN'T GIVE A F***!!!" or "IT'S NOT A SHOW UNTIL SOMEONE PASS OUT."

Here's another one that's especially cringeworthy in light of this weekend's tragedy -- it's a post of a young man laid out on the floor, presumably from one of Travis' shows, with the rapper writing, "TO THE KID THAT DIDN'T SURVIVE THE RODEO. UR A HERO IN MU BOOK."

BTW, a lot of these posts are still up on the guy's IG page as of this posting ... which is even more telling. Frankly, this whole "rage" mentality is part of Travis' brand, image and artistic identity ... except now, people are seeing how unsafe and reckless it really is.

Travis has gotten in trouble in the past for encouraging people to rush the stage. In 2015, he pleaded guilty to charges of reckless conduct stemming from an incident at Lollapalooza. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after law enforcement said he incited a riot at a show in Arkansas.

Put aside the fact he's been arrested/cited at least twice for inciting a riot. The real criticism doesn't necessarily lie in him getting his fans hyped ... but more so, him taking things too far, and seemingly, more often than not, refusing to lower the temperature in the room. That has led to lots of his fans getting hurt in his presence. And, even when he does acknowledge an injured person on the spot, it often comes off cold and callous.

The same scrutiny applies for this year's Astroworld Fest -- namely, there appeared to be moments when he acknowledged people were going down, but didn't bring things to a halt.

In one instance that's been captured on video from multiple angles, Travis clearly sees the ambulance cart working its way through the crowd, pauses for a bit, gets approached by some guys whom he shoos away ... and then proceeded to incite the crowd.

That's now the big question ... how much did Travis Scott know ... and when? He claims he was unaware people were dying at the show that night and didn't realize the severity of the situation.

Terrence J told cops he escaped what appears to be an attempted robbery just outside his home ... and he also says the alleged suspects fired shots at him.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor and TV host was pulling into his driveway in Sherman Oaks around 3 AM when another car pulled up with 4 Black men inside, one of whom ordered Terrence out of his car.

We're told he refused the command, and took off in his car -- and Terrence told cops the suspects chased him and fired at his car ... before they fled.

Our sources say Terrence, who hosts shows on BET and MTV, then flagged down a passing California Highway Patrol car, who called the LAPD.

Katey Sagal is still on the mend after she was hit by a car -- and these first pics of her since the accident make it seem like it's gonna be a while before she's on her 2 feet without assistance.

The "Sons of Anarchy" star was spotted Tuesday in L.A. going to and from her car with the help of a pair of crutches. It looks like she was entering a healthcare facility. We're told she appeared to be there for a doctor's appointment.

It's encouraging to see Katey is well enough to walk around ... and there's no sign of a cast or walking boot either.

TMZ broke the story ... cops say Katey got clipped by a Tesla about a month ago while crossing the street, this as the driver was making a left turn.

The person got out of the vehicle to attend to her, and she was ultimately taken away by ambulance. The police did not cite or arrest the driver at the time -- as it would appear it was nothing but an accident.

We were told they were investigating the matter further, but since then no charges have been filed.