HODA KOTB BUMMED BY KELLY ROWLAND Bailing ... Down for a 'Today' Redo!

Hoda Kotb is letting bygones be bygones after Kelly Rowland stormed off the "Today" set last week -- in fact, she's ready to bury the hatchet even further with a whole redo!

The morning news host told ET Wednesday that despite the disappointment of having Kelly bail ... she's willing to give it another shot ... explaining that she's been texting with Kelly since Thursday to get her to come back for a future hosting date.

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Kelly Come Back!
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Hoda seems to know Kelly on a personal level ... adding she's one of the NBC show's all-time favorites, and that there's no one more gracious or graceful than her. So, it definitely sounds like Hoda's not holding this against Kelly whatsoever.

So far, no word on whether KR will give the "Today" show another go ... but if she does, they're clearly gonna have to touch up all their dressing rooms and give her their best one.

In Kelly's defense ... HK's other cohosts -- Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie -- also admitted their dressing rooms suck, and need to be worked on. They also explained that they're in an old, historic building ... and that it shows.

In fact, JBH joked in this ET interview that she's gonna be doing all the re-wallpapering 'cause she loves a bit of interior design. Unclear if it's actually gonna happen or not though.

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We broke the story ... sources told us Kelly and her team weren't feeling her dressing room's vibe from the jump during last week's appearance ... and that they ended up bolting from the studio after a game of musical dressing rooms, as none of them were up Kelly's standards.

There were other reports she left over a Beyoncé grilling by Savannah -- but we know that just wasn't the case.

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Bottom line ... if Kelly does come back, it sounds like Hoda and co. are gonna have to roll out the red carpet and give her the VIP treatment she demands -- and it seems they're inclined to do that the way all the "Today" talent is talking about this in the aftermath.

Mischa Barton I Dated Ben on 'The O.C.' ... 'Right Out the Gate'

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A Whole Ordeal
Call Her Daddy / Spotify

Mischa Barton claims she dated her one-time 'O.C.' costar Ben McKenzie -- and it's troubling since she says she was underage at the time ... a window she calls "complicated."

The actress shared her story on "Call Her Daddy" this week, saying that the onscreen relationship she shared with Ben actually took hold in real life as well -- something she alleges happened right from the jump when she first joined the show.

Check it out ... MB says she was 17 at the time, and that Ben was a few years older in his mid-20s -- and notes she was very new to all of it, as she hadn't dated much before him.

Safe to say ... the age difference came onto the radar of producers who were apparently concerned about it -- at least according to Mischa, anyway. She says showrunners were hitting up her parents ... and it was a "whole ordeal," as she puts it.

Mischa goes on to say she and Ben only dated for a bit before breaking things off -- and it sounds like she might've dated other costars as well ... explaining that a lot of people on "The O.C." back then were hooking up with each other.

Long story short, Mischa says she had to grow up fast while working on the series -- although, it doesn't sound like all of it was exactly smooth. The 2000s were a different time, indeed.

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We've reached out to McKenzie for comment ... so far, no word back.

Gabby Petito Family Settles Emotional Distress Lawsuit ... Avoids 'Prolonged Personal Conflict'

Gabby Petito's family has reached a settlement with her killer Brian Laundrie's family in their emotional distress lawsuit ... but the details aren't being released to the public.

An attorney for the Laundries, Steve Bertolino, released a statement on the settlement Wednesday, according to CNN, saying the two sides had reached an accord to avoid going to trial in the case.

Bertolino said the terms of the settlement are confidential ... so, unclear exactly how much money they settled for, if any. But, it ends a years-long saga that began when Brian killed Gabby in late August 2021.

The Petito family also made a statement through their lawyer who said the sides "reluctantly agreed" to avoid a difficult legal battle and "prolonged personal conflict."

A couple days after Laundrie killed Petito, he reportedly called his parents and told them Gabby was "gone" and he was going to need a lawyer before going on the run and sparking a statewide manhunt. He was later found dead, and the death was eventually ruled a suicide.

This call was apparently made weeks before Gabby's body was found in Wyoming ... a killing Brian later seemingly confessed to in a series of writings found at his death scene.

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Petito's family is still engaged in another lawsuit ... as we previously reported, Gabby's parents are suing the Moab City Police Department who interviewed Gabby and Brian on the side of the road in the weeks leading up to her death.

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Moab Police Department

Gabby told officers Brian grabbed her face and scratched her ... but cops only separated the couple for the day. GP was killed about two weeks later.

Motocross Star Jayo Archer Dead At 27 ... After Trick Practice Crash

Motocross star Jayden "Jayo" Archer -- a two-time X Games medalist and the first person to land a triple backflip in competition -- died this week after crashing during trick practice in Australia.

He was just 27 years old.

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Archer -- a member of the renowned action sports group Nitro Circus -- was reportedly attempting to recreate his famed upside-down move during drills in Melbourne on Wednesday ... when he tragically lost control of his bike.

Travis Pastrana, Nitro Circus' co-founder, said in a statement to ESPN he was devastated to learn of the news.

"This really hit home," the motocross legend said. "Jayo grew up in a time when action sports was at its biggest, and he always wanted to do the big stuff like the double and the triple, even though there weren't a lot of places to showcase those bigger tricks."

"He was a great human first," Pastrana added, "a hard worker second and a bad motherf***er third."

Archer first began racing for Nitro Circus when he was a teenager ... but gained national notoriety in 2022 -- when he became the first rider ever to hit a triple backflip at the Nitro World Games in Australia.

After the stunt, he proposed to his girlfriend, and she said yes. The two were reportedly set to get married this year.

"Jayo was the epitome of passion, hard work & determination," Nitro Circus said in a post on its Instagram page. "He pushed what was possible on a dirt bike to heights never seen before. A positive influence to those around him. And above all else a great human being and friend to us all."

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"Sending our thoughts and love to Jayo’s family and friends. We love you mate."

"Ride in peace."

Natalie Portman Opens Up About Marital Issues ... Not Feeding Into Cheating Rumors

Natalie Portman finally addressed all the speculation about her alleged marital issues and cheating rumors involving husband Benjamin Millepied -- but she didn't offer any real insight.

The Academy Award winning actress sat down for a recent interview with Vanity Fair writer Keziah Weir to talk about her latest film, "May December," and a range of other topics, including her personal life.

At one point, Weir addressed the elephant in the room, saying in the lead up to the 2023 release of "May December," Portman's marriage was in the spotlight "in a very public way." She then asked her what that was like.

Portman didn't miss a beat, stating, "It's terrible. I have no desire to contribute to it." And that was that.

Of course, Portman was referring to allegations of infidelity by Millepied, who supposedly had a fling with climate activist Camille Etienne last year, but it soon ended. Other media outlets have reported rumors the two have separated over the cheating claims -- which the pair has yet to confirm or deny.

Millepied, a French dancer and choreographer, has been married to Portman for 11 years. The couple share two kids, Aleph, 12,  and Amalia, 6.

In the VF interview, Portman also discussed her love of living in Paris and L.A., going back and forth between both cities. She particularly enjoys her time in L.A., where she leads a very non-Hollywood life.

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She said she hangs out with many friends who are not in the TV or film industry, trading in celebrity parties for backyard dinners. But she admits she still has some industry pals with whom she spends time.

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As everyone knows, Portman has had a long, successful career in Hollywood, winning the 2011 Oscar for Best Actress for her role in "Black Swan."

Danny Masterson Prison Transfer Not Due To Safety Concerns

Danny Masterson is settling into his third prison in two months ... and TMZ has learned why he's been on the move so much.

Despite reports claiming concerns for Danny's "well-being" were behind his recent transfer from one of California's worst prisons to a more humane facility, we're told that's not quite the reason for the move.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... there was no attack on Danny at Corcoran State Prison, nor were there any credible threats against the ex-"That '70s Show" star. There've been a lot of rumors/speculation that something might've happened to him -- but it's all BS.

As we reported ... Danny started the year at North Kern State Prison, a medium security detention facility in Delano, before being transferred at the end of January to the maximum security CSP, the same penitentiary that once housed the late Charles Manson.

After a couple weeks at Corcoran, Danny was transferred to the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo, a medium to minimum-security prison.

Like we said ... all the shuffling around he's been doing between different prisons lately had some folks wondering why Masterson was being moved around ... and now we know.

As it turns out ... we're told North Kern is just a reception center where inmates are processed into the California prison system ... so it's literally a starting point, and wasn't ever going to be his permanent facility.

Our sources tell us Masterson had a primary prison and a secondary prison designating where he would be sent after being processed at North Kern ... the primary prison was California Men's Colony, and the secondary was Corcoran.

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But, when it was time for Masterson to leave North Kern, we're told there was no space for him at CMC ... so he was sent to the backup option -- the infamous CSP. Unclear if these were prisons Masterson himself chose, or if it's just where officials put him down on paper.

His latest move was explained to us this way -- after a couple months at maximum-security Corcoran, we're told there was an opening at California Men's Colony ... so the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sent Masterson there, since that's where he was supposed to be all along.

So there you have it -- he's been getting moved around because of logistics ... not for any other reason.

Now, Danny's got some cushier digs as he serves his 30-year prison sentence for his 2023 Los Angeles conviction. Safe to say, the Men's Colony is way nicer than Corcoran.

AT&T, Verizon & T-Mobile Cell Phone Outage Nightmare ... Tons Of Customers Pissed

A multitude of AT&T customers are probably yanking out their hair after the company announced their network crashed, killing cell phone usage in many areas around the country.

Upwards of 73,000 AT&T clients were cut off from making mobile calls and sending text messages following the nationwide outages that began Thursday around 5 AM ET. This comes on the heels of AT&T's temporary outages over the last few days, including a 911 blackout in some parts of the southeastern United States.

Verizon and T-Mobile customers were also hit with service interruptions, but not as hard as AT&T. About 4,000 customers reported cell phone outages for Verizon, while around 1,900 T-Mobile customers reported a lack of service.

People started reporting the outages on the website, "DownDetector," which tracks telecommunication issues throughout the U.S. Initially, the number of reported AT&T outages fell during the 5 AM hour, only to spike again in the 7 AM hour.

In San Francisco, the Department of Emergency Management issued a public announcement, saying that its 911 center was functioning.

However, in their statement posted to X, the officials suggested that AT&T customers use a landline or a rival phone service to get through to them if the mobile network was down.

They also wrote, “We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911). We are actively engaged and monitoring this.”

People online are making comparisons to Julia Roberts' Netflix film "Leave The World Behind," which follows a family dealing with the reality of a country-wide blackout crisis.

So far, AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have not officially commented on what triggered the outages ... but AT&T says they're currently working on customer complaints.

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One thing's for sure ... Americans won't stand for no cell phone service. Get that s*** up and running, pronto!

George Floyd Daughter's Mother Calls 'Scandoval' Comparison 'Stupid' Tom's Alive, George Isn't!!!

Tom Sandoval's comparison between George Floyd's murder and his cheating scandal's not just drawing ire from fans ... it's also pissing off the mother of George's young daughter.

Roxie Washington, -- who shares 10-year-old Gianna with George -- tells TMZ ... she's not super familiar with "Vanderpump Rules" and doesn't even know who Tom Sandoval is ... she does say he has to be off his rocker to compare his own personal issues to Floyd's death.

ICYMI ... Sandoval sat down for an interview with the New York Times where he said, "I’m not a pop-culture historian really but I witnessed the O.J. Simpson thing and George Floyd and all these big things, which is really weird to compare this to that, I think, but do you think in a weird way it’s a little bit the same?"

Well, Roxie tells us she finds Sandoval's comment flat-out stupid ... adding he and his ex-GF, Ariana Madix, are still alive ... so him trying to compare his situation to George's just isn't reasonable, nor is it even in the same ballpark.

Even though she's not familiar with "Scandoval" ... Roxie says from what she can gather -- Tom's a grown-ass man who's just gone through a breakup ... not a child -- like her daughter, whose dad isn't coming home.

RW didn't just blast TS for comparing his situation to George's death either -- adding Nicole Brown Simpson's dead too, so she finds it just as disrespectful for Sandoval to invoke her name as well.

Roxie says Tom needs to go repeat that "dumb s***" in a mirror ... telling us his comment reflects horrible things Gianna hears from some classmates. She also says this is on the same level of absurdity as comments Kanye West made in the past. So, yeah ... she's kinda comparing Tom to that.

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Remember ... in 2022, Kanye claimed Floyd died from a drug overdose/preexisting conditions, and Roxie threatened to sue KW on behalf of her daughter -- though it's unclear if she ever filed a lawsuit.

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FWIW ... Tom apologized for his remarks, calling the comparison "inappropriate and ignorant" -- but, Roxie says she's not accepting his apology explaining she and her daughter have been affected in a major way by this and people need to watch what they say in the future.

President Biden's Dog Commander 24 Biting Incidents With Secret Service

More insight on the biting problems with President Biden's family dog Commander ... the German Shepherd bit Secret Service agents on at least two dozen occasions.

Commander is no longer living with the Bidens at the White House ... but when he was, the Secret Service had to change their tactics as a result of all the biting incidents.

The staggering figure is revealed in new internal Secret Service documents obtained by CNN ... and the 24 biting incidents don't even include the times Commander chomped on members of the White House staff ... only incidents with the SS are documented here.

Commander not only sunk his teeth into agents at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, he also attacked them at two Biden family homes in Delaware ... plus trips to Nantucket and Camp David.

Biden's dog bit members of the Prez's protective detail, plus other uniformed Secret Service agents ... and in at least 10 instances, the Secret Service agent who was bit required medical treatment.

Commander bit agents on their arms, hands, legs and even their waists.

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BIDEN'S GOT A BITER
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As we reported ... Commander was kicked out of the White House back in October as a result of his human-biting ways. At the time, the Secret Service only acknowledged 11 biting incidents.

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In the months leading up to Commander's ouster, the Secret Service issued this warning in an internal memo ... "The recent dog bites have challenged us to adjust our operational tactics when Commander is present – please give lots of room."

The warning also said Secret Service agents "must be creative to ensure our own personal safety."

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Commander is said to be living with Biden family friends in Delaware ... and the Bidens reportedly feel "awful" and "heartbroken" over Commander's behavior.

Shaquem Griffin Shopping Biopic ... Lots of Interest in My Story!!!

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update

12:18 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... Michael and his camp have actually not heard from Shaquem's agent to discuss the selling of rights for his movie and no talks have been had at all.

Shaquem Griffin says interest in a biopic about his life has recently exploded ... so much so, he tells TMZ Sports Michael B. Jordan has shown interest in acquiring it!!

The former NFL star -- who inspiringly made it to the league despite having his left hand amputated when he was just 4 years old -- has been working on a movie about his life journey for over two years.

He told us out at Super Bowl week in Las Vegas that, initially, he wanted to get the flick out ASAP. But, he said as more and more people have become aware of the project, he's seen plenty eager to get their hands on it ... including Adonis Creed himself.

He explained ... his agent has been in talks with Jordan's Outlier Society production company -- and he's confident even more are going to come forward as the script gets closer and closer to being done.

"Something special is finna happen," Griffin said.

Unclear if MBJ would have his eyes on the starring role ... but if he did, Griffin would clearly endorse it, even if they would then need to add his limb difference via CGI.

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Griffin has now been out of the NFL since the 2021 season ... but he's stayed busy in retirement. In addition to working on his movie, his twin brother told us back in 2022 he's become a damn good motivational speaker as well.

Originally Published -- 12:20 AM PT

TMZ TV Recap Brady Calls BS on Gisele's New Love Kelly Rowland 'Today,' Marshawn Lynch

We're almost at the finish line in the week, but TMZ's just getting started on our TV shows!

TMZ Live

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TROUBLING TIMELINE???
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Let's start at 'TMZ Live,' where Harvey and Courtney discussed news of Gisele Bundchen and Joaquim Valente being together as a couple ... which has apparently been going on since June 2023 -- something people close to Tom Brady are calling bull crap on.

Take a look to see what we mean ... apparently, folks in his world are insisting they've been hooking since at least 2021 -- which, if true, is ... well, a little messy to say the least.

TMZ on TV

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MIXED SIGNALS
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On 'TMZ on TV,' the gang talked about Kelly Rowland and this wild story about her storming off the set of the 'Today' show after apparently not liking the quality of her dressing room.

There was some debate on whether she was right or wrong ... strong feelings on this one.

TMZ Sports

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STRIKING A DEAL
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Finally on 'TMZ Sports,' Mojo, Edward and Lucas talked about Marshawn Lynch's DUI deal.

Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!

'Footloose' Singer Kenny Loggins 'Memba Him?!

American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins was in his mid-30s when his rockin' single "Footloose" catapulted to the top of the music charts -- spending three weeks in the number one spot on Billboard's Hot 100 -- back in 1984.

Not only was the song a worldwide banger, but it was a breakout track from the film "Footloose" starring Kevin Bacon and Lori Singer.

For decades, other big musicians like Blake Shelton and Good Charlotte have covered the catchy tune, and it's been featured on popular TV shows like "Glee" and "Veggie Tales."

Guess what he looks like now!

'MIGHTY DUCKS' Star Shaun Weiss Video Sparks Relapse Concern Among Fans ... But He Says He's Clean

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EVERYBODY, CHILL!!!
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Shaun Weiss has some fans thinking he relapsed on drugs ... but he says folks are reading way too far into a video he posted online.

The "Mighty Ducks" star shared a video Wednesday on Instagram, talking about how blessed he is to be paid to travel around and interact with fans ... but his physical appearance seemed to throw people off.

Shaun, who recently celebrated 4 years of sobriety, is looking kinda thin and he has a red substance smudged between his eyes ... leading some to wonder if he busted his head open, even though his caption says it's "consecrated ash from Sadhguru."

Shaun tells TMZ ... he's still 100% clean and has not relapsed.

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He says he's doing great and has never been better, adding ... "If I ever need help I promise I will reach out to people. No going backward."

As for what's on his forehead, Shaun tells us it's from his "spiritual practice." He says it's supposed to "activate my third eye."

Shaun says he's getting into the inner engineering teachings of Sadhguru, a famous Yogi ... telling us, "It has been a game changer in terms of my overall balance and levels of joy."

The video that first sparked relapse concern among fans was on Shaun's page for about 5 hours until we talked to him ... and he's since uploaded a new video where he wipes off the red substance from his face and says he's fine and there's nothing to worry about.

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Bottom line ... Shaun says he's okay and no need for concern.

Travis Kelce Lands in AUS to See Taylor Long Flight, Long Face 😅

UPDATE

6:30 PM PT -- The first sign of Travis Kelce in Australia has surfaced, and the dude looks ... well, beat.

Here's a shot of the tight end arriving in Sydney Wednesday (or Thursday on his time), and yes ... the dude was pretty straight-faced and serious as he got off his private jet. Ya gotta imagine he's stoked to be there for Taylor Swift ... but yeah, that was a long ass flight. Woof ...

2:58 PM PT -- Travis Kelce has officially touched down in Australia, hopping off his private jet just minutes ago.

Travis Kelce is on his way to see his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, in Australia -- in fact, he's currently en route ... and he'll be landing there bright and early, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Travis is, in fact, aboard a private jet at the moment that's on its way to Sydney right now ... and it looks like he's taking a similar flight path that she did when she left Vegas after the Super Bowl to get back to work in Melbourne.

We know Travis went from Los Angeles to Hawaii overnight -- where he landed for a pit stop -- and then continued on his journey very early this AM ... and is up in the air as we speak.

Our sources tell us Travis grabbed dinner in L.A. Tuesday evening before jumping on a plane around 9 PM and jetting on over to the islands. We're told he chowed down at Nobu Malibu -- and seems to have laid relatively low, 'cause there aren't many eyewitness sightings.

Of course, he'll now be joining Tay Tay down under ahead of a string of shows she's got scheduled through the weekend ... this after missing her Melbourne slate. Here, he's making up for it by catching the latter half of her Aussie shows ... 4 of 'em running through Monday.

Unclear if Travis is gonna stick around and hit up Singapore with Taylor afterward -- where she's scheduled to perform next -- but for now ... she'll have TK by her side in Sydney.

Travis has been traveling quite a bit over the past 48 hours -- as we reported, he was in Vegas (again) Monday for a little bro time and some golf ... but beelined outta there quick.

There's been a lot of speculation on when (or if) he'd join Taylor at some point ... and now, we know he will. The reason for the doubt had to do with the Kansas City shooting -- which threw Travis and his whole team for a loop, and seemingly set his plans back a bit.

He was just in Kansas City this past weekend ... but since then, he's been bouncing around.

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TRAVIS HEADS DOWN UNDER
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Travis' dad, Ed, did an interview earlier this week where he said his boy sounded keen on coming down there and enjoying the Aussie landscape -- as it turns out, he was right.

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Get ready, Taylor ... here comes, Travis!!!

We'll be talking all things Taylor on the new "TMZ Swift-Tea Podcast" -- available on all podcast platforms.

Originally Published -- 7:51 AM PT

Megan Thee Stallion 'Fire Crotch' Line Out of 'Mean Girls' Scrubbed in Digital Release

Megan Thee Stallion said the infamous "fire crotch" line in the new "Mean Girls" on the big screen -- but you won't find it in the digital release ... and Lindsay Lohan's probably happy.

The rebooted flick -- which is now a musical -- finally hit VOD this week ... so it's available to rent on all your major players, Amazon and the like. The only difference this time around ... Meg's quote that pissed off LiLo in theaters is completely gone.

Indeed ... eagle-eyed fans noticed it right away as they started to stream the flick from home -- the part where MTS is supposed to say "Y2K fire crotch is back" has been edited out.

Instead, Meg here just ends her little piece of dialogue with "We are going back to red," and it then cuts to her laughing ... totally glossing over the line that was featured and seen in theaters, and which drew the ire of Lindsay and team -- who publicly denounced it.

Remember, Lindsay's rep came out and said LiLo was hurt by the fact the phrase had been included ... and not just that, but apparently, nobody had told her it would be in there.

The crazy part about that was ... Lindsay herself is ALSO in the movie, making a cameo.

It was all very bizarre ... and what made it even stranger was the fact that Tina Fey -- who EP'd and wrote "Mean Girls," and who's presumably pals with Lindsay -- didn't come out and address any of this last month when Lindsay made a big fuss about it ... just crickets.

However, now ... we can clearly see she heard LiLo loud and clear -- and made a change.

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As you probably know by now ... the "fire crotch" insult first started with oil heir Brandon Davis -- who used to party with Paris Hilton back in the 2000s, and who used to run his mouth a lot to paps after nights on the town with his famous friend.

He was happy to trash Lindsay at the time, and even though it was years ago ... it clearly still bothers her to this day -- making it all the more surprising TF put it in the film at all.

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All's well that ends well though ... fire crotch is gone and post-production magic is in!

'Top Gun: Maverick' Wolfman from OG Film Sues Paramount I Have a Need for Justice!!!

A star in the OG "Top Gun" is suing Paramount, claiming the movie company ripped off his image for the hit sequel.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Barry Tubb, who played Wolfman in the 1986 monster hit, says the term "sequel" was never mentioned or contemplated in his original contract. Therefore, they had no right to use his mug in "Top Gun: Maverick."

The scene in contention -- two of the sequel's main characters Hangman (played by Glen Powell) and Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis) discover Rooster Bradshaw (Miles Teller) is Goose's surviving son.

Rooster points at the photograph of the Top Gun Class of '86 hanging behind him ... and when the camera zooms in, you see Wolfman sitting beside Goose, Iceman, and Maverick.

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Tubb says they had no right to use that photo, never asked permission and never paid him a cent. He's asking for unspecified damages, but given that the flick has grossed nearly $1.5 billion, he wants a lot.

"Top Gun: Maverick's" massive numbers at the box office in '22 even beat out "Avengers: Infinity War" to become the 6th highest-grossing movie of all time