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The Netflix cash cow "Squid Game" is a blatant ripoff of a movie that was released more than a decade earlier in India ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

Netflix is being sued by a man named Soham Shah, who claims he is the creator of the 2009 Hindi-language Indian film "Luck" ... which he says served as a blueprint for the hit 2021 streaming series "Squid Game."

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the "Squid Game" franchise straight-up jacked the storyline from Shah's movie ... because "Luck" is a story about a group of desperate, indebted people enticed to take part in a series of competitive games for the chance to win large sums of money.

Look what the cat dragged in -- a whole lot of tummy to pet diet camp ... one fat feline weighing in at a hefty 38 pounds stumbled into a hairy situation.

Crumbs -- a robust Russian cat living in a hospital on a diet of cookies and soup from the staff -- was taken to a center in Perm, where he was put on a strict diet and workout routine.

Unfortunately, Crumbs didn't enjoy his new living situation too much ... 'cause officials at the center say he tried to escape -- and, ended up stuck in a shoe rack.

5:50 PM PT -- Correction: An earlier version of the story identified the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against Louis Vuitton as the singer Brandi Williams and her mother Tracy Renee Williams. This was inaccurate. The story has been changed to correct the error.

Louis Vuitton has been hit with a lawsuit from a mother and daughter who claim they were treated unfairly at the fashion brand's stores compared to white shoppers in the same stores.

According to court docs, Tracy Renee Williams says she preordered and paid about $50,000 for items at a Costa Mesa LV store, but never received the delivery. When she went to a Beverly Hills location, she claims a white manager told her she was no longer welcome and that she would be arrested if she stayed or came back.

Springfield, Ohio's mayor says Donald Trump's wrong about Haitian immigrants eating people's dogs and cats there ... but he says the influx of migrants is causing real problems.

Mayor Rob Rue tells TMZ ... the arrival of 20,000 Haitian immigrants in the past few years in a town of 58,000 is straining infrastructure and causing a culture clash ... namely, an uptick in bad drivers and deadly car accidents.

The town's mayor says residents' pets are safe, but Springfield is seeing an increase in reckless driving incidents ... which Rue attributes to more Haitian immigrants behind the wheel.

A popular IVF clinic frequented by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Chrissy Teigen is about to face some legal woes ... we've learned former patients are gearing up to sue the practice.

In an announcement obtained by TMZ ... attorney Adam Wolf says his firm intends to sue Dr. Andy Huang of Reproductive Partners Medical Group, a Los Angeles-based fertility clinic. Wolf says the lawsuit will be filed in the coming days, and will allege the clinic wrongfully discarded 16 embryos belonging to one couple.

Wolf says the couple will claim the discarded embryos have possibly prevented them from having children ... which is why they're seeking justice.

11:15 AM PT -- Suffolk County D.A. Raymond A. Tierney just released a statement ... saying they appreciate Justin Timberlake's willingness to accept responsibility for his actions -- and to use his platform to increase public awareness of drunk driving.

He adds Timberlake didn't receive any special treatment because of his celebrity status ... adding justice should always be applied fairly.

10:10 AM PT -- The first photos of Justin Timberlake from inside the courthouse are out ... capturing the singer-songwriter as he and his lawyer Ed Burke Jr. handled the plea in his case this morning.

While he looked somber in some photos, he cracked a huge grin in others ... looking pretty relieved to put the whole ordeal behind him.

9:50 AM PT -- Justin is addressing the media outside the Sag Harbor courthouse for the court-ordered apology ... telling the assembled press, reiterating much of what he said in the courtroom. He says he tries to hold himself to a high standard -- something he didn't do in this case.

JT adds he could've made a different, more responsible decision, but he did not. He tells people not to get behind the wheel of a car, even if they only have one drink.

Timberlake thanks everyone -- from the residents of Sag Harbor to those in the courtroom to police on the streets -- for working through this process with him. He says he's going to do his part to end drunk driving, and he hopes everyone else can do the same.

9:44 AM PT -- Justin Timberlake has officially left the courthouse ... walking out quietly in front of numerous onlookers after pleading guilty.

9:07 AM PT -- The judge has officially accepted Justin Timberlake's plea deal ... and he will do 25 hours community service within one year, and pay a fine up to $500 and issue a court-ordered apology. The judge thanked Justin for all that he said and for speaking from the heart. His license in NY State will have a 90-day suspension.

9:04 AM PT -- The judge asks Justin Timberlake how the court can be certain this won't happen again ... and, he responds he can say with "the utmost honesty I won't be back here again" -- joking he doesn't mean Sag Harbor, 'cause he loves the city.

9:00 AM PT -- JT's saying he's had time to reflect on his actions and didn't live up to his own personal standards. He says he understands his platform, one he spent a life building.

Timberlake adds he's grateful for the opportunity to learn, and he should've made a better decision for himself. He says he was raised on a certain set of values ... and, this isn't it.

8:57 AM PT -- Justin has just confessed to consuming alcohol before his arrest and driving impaired. Remember, back in July, his lawyer insisted Justin was not intoxicated when cops pulled him over.

8:53 AM PT -- Justin Timberlake's court appearance is underway ... and, as part of the guilty plea, he's agreed to do 25-40 hours of community service, and he will make a public service announcement, presumably about driving while impaired.

Remember, back in the day, Justin and the rest of *NSYNC made a PSA about drunk driving ... so, familiar territory for the the star.

Justin Timberlake just arrived at the Sag Harbor courthouse to enter his plea in his driving while ability impaired case, and the pop star ain't smiling in the clip.

The singer-songwriter arrived in a navy blue sweater and brown-gray slacks, rose-colored sunglasses covering his eyes ... and, a serious expression on his face as he marched up the stairs toward his hearing.

There's a lot of shouting and yelling from photogs in the clip ... and, someone asks if he has a message for his fans -- though he chooses not to respond.

Lana Del Rey got caught in a big storm down in Louisiana ... waiting out Hurricane Francine with her rumored new flame, Jeremy Dufrene ... and seeking shelter at his home.

The "Summertime Sadness" singer was spotted at Jeremy's place this week ... at the same time Francine came roaring through the state ... and they seemed pretty comfortable with each other, hanging out on his porch.

Lana and Jeremy -- a Louisiana-based alligator tour guide -- are looking more and more like a couple ... even though they haven't gone Instagram official yet. They've also been spotted recently at Leeds Festival in the UK and a celeb wedding in NYC.

Taylor Swift's support of Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election has cost her the support of at least one fan ... who's calling out T-Swift's faith.

A video's going viral online featuring a woman who says she has 3 tickets to a Taylor Swift concert in Toronto, taking place in November ... a gift for her daughter's 13th birthday.

But she says she's pissed about Taylor's endorsement of Kamala Harris ... saying Taylor posted it so soon after the debate, she thinks Swift didn't actually keep an open mind going into Tuesday night's Harris v Trump showdown.

Eminem -- we mean, Slim Shady -- is going out with a bang and still kicking Diddy while he's down on his new deluxe album "The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de grâce): Expanded Mourner's Edition."

On the updated version of "Fuel," Eminem recruits Shady Records rappers Westside Boogie and Grip -- and dedicates part of his verse to digging up the skeletons of rap's most infamous unsolved homicides!!!

With a frenetic flow, Em flames Diddy on the song with the lyrics, "'Fuel' remix, "So who'll be picked next, whose name gonna be next up? / Notorious B.I.G.'s death was the domino effect of Tupac's murder / Like facial tissue, whose clock should I clean next? Puff's? / 'Til he's in police handcuffs, guilty, will he step up? / Like gee, never turned himself in, who knows all the murders there'll have been?!?"

Two men have been arrested following the bold smash-and-grab gallery heist of one of Banksy's most famous art pieces in London ... and the brazen theft was captured on camera.

A masked man is seen on security video Sunday night smashing through the glass door of the Grove Gallery ... storming in, making a beeline for the iconic "Girl with Balloon" painting, and bolting out with it in tow.

The artwork is one of several versions of Banksy's famous stenciled image of a child reaching for a heart-shaped red balloon floating away ... easily one of his most iconic pieces and reportedly worth a whopping $355,000.

Legendary actress and iconic horror star Shelley Duvall made a thrilling comeback in the gory indie flick "The Forest Hills" before her July death -- her first acting gig 22 years after announcing her retirement.

Just in time for Halloween season, the movie's newly released trailer unveils the chilling tale of a man haunted by nightmarish visions of becoming a werewolf, and his strained relationship with Mama -- played by Duvall -- after suffering head trauma camping in New York's Catskill woods.

Shelley told the New York Times earlier this year she'd been itching to return to acting after her 2002 retirement ... and when director Scott Goldberg kept hitting her up about his new project, she decided to sign up.

A pro-Israel demonstration outside Boston reportedly turned violent Thursday when a man wearing a pro-Palestine pin was shot after tackling a demonstrator on the sidewalk.

In a video purportedly from the scene first reported by Daily Wire ... you see a man with a mask around his neck shouting at a group of pro-Israel demonstrators, which reportedly included 47-year-old Scott Hayes, an Iraq War veteran.

The unidentified man is heard accosting the demonstrators, whom he called "sick" for "defending genocide" -- before running across the street and physically tackling Hayes.

Sam Asghari is officially moving on from Britney Spears with a new blonde ... at least that's what it looks like in this video TMZ obtained of them chilling in a park.

Check it out ... Sam and the mystery blonde were at a West Hollywood dog park Wednesday evening with his Dobermann, Porsha -- the dog he originally gifted to Britney after their engagement, but was granted custody of in their divorce settlement.

At one point during their walk, the two were seen getting playful -- Sam smacked the woman's booty, and threw his arm around her back to give her a brief rub.

"RuPaul's Drag Race" star Sasha Colby is issuing a stern warning to voters ahead of the November election ... saying a Trump victory is a threat to basic human rights.

We caught up with the famed drag queen, who was the first transgender woman to present at MTV's VMAs in the show's 30 year history, at LAX, who voiced concerns about Donald Trump after Tuesday night's debate.

As Sasha put it ... the former prez's rhetoric is dangerous -- "weaponizing ignorant minds" -- and she takes issue with his unsubstantiated claims about the LGBTQ+ community.

Ray J and Princess Love had a blowout fight in front of their kids late Thursday, and Ray is on video coaching the children as to what they saw and didn't see.

The video, recorded by Ray, sounds like a lawyer leading the witness. You hear Ray telling the kids, they didn't see daddy put hands on mommy, and vice versa. He waits for them to respond before making his next point.

Ray says, "We're just making a movie, we're just playing."

John Legend is sticking up for his hometown, Springfield, Ohio ... urging locals to welcome Haitian immigrants after Donald Trump's wild claim that they were eating local pets -- but it seems his calls for unity have largely fallen on deaf ears.

In an IG vid, the singer -- a die-hard Democrat -- insisted no one in Springfield was eating cats or dogs. He also pointed out the city has seen an influx of jobs under President Joe Biden’s administration, after years of people leaving town to find work elsewhere.

He noted the Haitians who arrived did so legally to fill local jobs, and while he acknowledged the town's 25% population increase has brought growing pains -- like adapting to new language, culture, and dietary preferences -- he urged the community to be more understanding.