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A manifesto has surfaced that's being attributed to the man who set himself on fire -- and if it's legit, which it certainly seems to be, then the guy's motivation was purely political.

The man in question has been ID'd as Max Azzarello -- and he appears to have his own Substack page called The Ponzi Papers ... with his latest post titled "I have set myself on fire outside the Trump Trial."

The first lines are telling, and you can clearly make out that this man is very anti-governmental. He writes, "My name is Max Azzarello, and I am an investigative researcher who has set himself on fire outside of the Trump trial in Manhattan. This extreme act of protest is to draw attention to an urgent and important discovery."

Gypsy Rose Blanchard's physical transformation continues ... and next up for a makeover is her mouth ...  TMZ has learned.

In new photos obtained by TMZ ... Gypsy displays her new porcelain caps, which she got to replace the silver teeth she's had for many years. Witnesses say she was spotted Wednesday at a Walmart in Galliano, LA debuting her new smile.

Remember, several of Gypsy's teeth and salivary glands were removed by her mother, Dee Dee, after she claimed GRB was suffering from tooth decay.

12:26 PM PT -- Authorities have identified the man who set himself on fire as Maxwell Azzarello -- and they say he arrived in New York at some point over the past week. They say he walked into the park, threw pamphlets onto the ground and then doused himself in some kind of substance.

He then lit himself on fire, and is now at a burn unit in critical condition. Fire officials say his family was unaware he was even in New York -- apparently, the guy came from Florida.

A man set himself on fire in front of the courthouse where former President Donald Trump's hush money criminal trial is currently underway ... and the footage is shocking.

Taylor Swift suggests she had a problem with alcohol in one of her new songs -- even though, frankly, she's no stranger to booze right now ... hard to tell if she's serious or not.

The singer dropped her new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," Friday, which details her breakups from Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy. In the opening track "Fortnight," fans picked up on a lyric that paints her (or whoever she's singing as) as an alky during this time.

Taylor sings ... "I was supposed to be sent away / But they forgot to come and get me / I was a functioning alcoholic 'til nobody noticed my new aesthetic. All of this to say, I hope you're okay / But you're the reason / And no one here's to blame / But what about your quiet treason?"

Louis Gossett Jr. died from a lung condition ... according to his death certificate.

TMZ obtained a copy of the document ... which cites chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the main cause of death. It also notes heart failure and atrial fibrillation as contributing conditions. It says he'd been battling COPD for years.

The death cert also notes Gossett's body was set to be cremated -- and it also lists his occupation as an actor who was working in entertainment.

Jennifer Lopez had her former costar Ryan Guzman fake his relationship status to hype up their movie almost 10 years ago -- so claims the guy's ex-girlfriend, who was with him then.

Melanie Iglesias called out J Lo on the "No Chaser" podcast for how she claims Jen acted during the 2015 "The Boy Next Door" press run ... alleging she would hold hands with Ryan at after-parties and act like they were an item -- knowing fully well he had a GF.

The Maxim model says she even met Jennifer at an awards show while she was dating Ryan ... claiming she gave her an awkwardly firm handshake, and an intimidating once-over -- something Melanie says she was disappointed over seeing how she viewed Jen as a hero.

Paris Hilton is giving us her full fam-of-4 reveal -- including the debut of her daughter, who she's kept under wraps ... this amid mounting pressure from fans asking to see the kid.

The socialite was glowing in new IG pics Friday ... finally showing off baby London to the world, while sharing she’s always dreamed of having a girl to name after the British capital -- keeping it all in the family with the city-themed names like hers and her son, Phoenix.

Paris is in the full swing of motherhood, writing in her caption, "I'm so grateful she is here. I truly cherish every moment I spend with her. Together with Phoenix, my angel babies have shown me a love that I never even knew could run so deep before I became their mother."

Taylor Swift reveled in an internet meme ripping into her ex, Joe Alwyn ... which dovetails with the shots she took at him on her new album, and her fans are loving it.

Ahead of Friday's release of Taylor's new album, "The Tortured Poets Department," the singer released a few lyrics ... hinting the new work would be about her most recent exes, especially Joe -- whom she dated for a whopping 6 years.

Unsurprisingly, Swifties ran with this theory ... creating a ton of memes ahead of the album about how Joe would likely be put on blast in the new music (which turned out to be true).

"American Idol" alum and Grammy-winning singer Mandisa has died ... TMZ has learned.

Her father confirms her death to TMZ ... telling us her death was unexpected and a total shock to the family. We're told there were no known health issues prior to her passing, and her cause of death is not currently known.

Mandisa -- who competed on season 5 of 'Idol,' finishing in 9th place -- was found dead in her home in Nashville on Thursday.

Taylor Swift is a bona fide legend ... just ask her, 'cause on her new album she stacks her resume up against the likes of 2 other icons -- actress Clara Bow and rock goddess Stevie Nicks.

Tay dropped "The Tortured Poets Department" Friday, and in her song, "Clara Bow," she sings about being compared to the silver screen starlet and the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman. However, by the end of the song, Taylor claims her identity as a megastar ... hinting she's reached legend status like the stars mentioned in the song.

She sings ... "You look like Taylor Swift // In this light, we're lovin' it // You've got edge, she never did // The future's bright, dazzling."

Dave Portnoy certainly has a new favorite song -- the Barstool Sports founder went bonkers over Taylor Swift's apparent Kim Kardashian diss track, "thanK you aIMee" ... calling it nothing short of a "masterpiece."

Swift's latest project, "The Tortured Poets Department," dropped on Friday ... and there's one song in particular that has everyone talking due to lyrics that seemingly shade the hell outta Kardashian.

Portnoy -- a diehard Swiftie -- gave a passionate review of the tune on X ... saying it validates his longtime stance in Swift's infamous feud with Kim K.

Paris Hilton definitely has a sense of humor -- and she's also very aware of how she's talked about on the internet, 'cause she did a parody of herself at Coachella ... and it's hilarious.

The socialite went to the annual music festival this year, and she just posted some footage of herself frolicking around the Empire Polo Club grounds -- where Coachella is hosted. If this scene looks familiar ... that's because it 100% is, and Paris is in on the joke.

You see, a couple years back -- the last time PH was at Coachella -- a video of her went viral ... because it showed her security guard having to chase her around as galloped along.

Taylor Swift appears to be taking a major swipe at her nemesis, Kim Kardashian, in one of her songs from her new album ... that's what the internet thinks anyway, for good reason.

Taylor's latest record, "The Tortured Poets Department," dropped Friday ... and there's a song on there called "thanK you aIMee" -- which everyone noticed has certain capitalization that spells out Kim's name. The lyrics themselves also seem to allude directly to KK.

Taylor's lyrics describe "aIMee" as a "bronze spray-tanned statue" in her hometown that "threatens to push me down the stairs at our school."

Giancarlo Esposito's financial situation was so bad before landing his "Breaking Bad" role, he says he contemplated plotting his own murder.

The actor made that shocking revelation while he was on Sirius XM's "Jim & Sam Show" ... where he talked about a period in his life when he was not the successful Hollywood actor and producer he is today.

GE recalled struggling with his mental health and finances in 2008, and admitted he wondered if his kids could collect insurance money if he hired someone to take him out.

Taylor Swift is defending her brief relationship with Matty Healy -- which came under a microscope by overly-concerned fans ... whom she's kinda ripping into on her new album.

The singer appears to slam her fan base on "The Tortured Poets Department" on one particular song that touches on the backlash she experienced for dating Matty last year ... the track's called "But Daddy I Love Him," and it eviscerates everyone who chimed in.

Her lyrics go something like this ... "I just learned these people only raise you / To cage you / Sarahs and Hannahs in their Sunday best/ Clutchin' their pearls, sighing, "What a mess"/ I just learned these people try and save you/ 'Cause they hate you."

Taylor Swift is singing about sports and feelings on her new album ... which is why a lot of people think she might've given her boyfriend Travis Kelce a shout-out.

The singer's new album "The Tortured Poets Department" dropped Friday ... and her song, "The Alchemy" paints a picture of a blossoming romance with loads of football lingo -- and plenty of her fans are pretty sure it’s a nod to her athlete boo.

Just dive into the lyrics and decide for yourself ... "So when I touch down / Call the amateurs and cut 'em from the team / Ditch the clowns, get the crown / Baby I'm the one to beat."