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Gary Estes, the Texas man who dropped $4,000 to smash a Taylor Swift guitar with a hammer, says she didn't actually put pen to instrument ... even though it features her autograph, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Gary joined us on "TMZ Live" Wednesday and settled a point of debate about the viral moment ... namely, was this guitar signed by Taylor?!?

Taylor did NOT sign the actual guitar ... instead, Gary says, it looks like Taylor signed a different piece of memorabilia that was affixed to the guitar.

Shawn Laval Smith, the man found guilty of stabbing UCLA grad student Brianna Kupfer to death in 2022, now has a permanent home behind bars ... Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today Smith was sentenced to life in prison.

Smith was found guilty of one count of murder and a special-circumstance allegation of lying in wait on September 10 ... and a Superior Court Judge rejected his insanity plea ahead of sentencing him to life in prison without parole.

Back in January 2022, 24-year-old Brianna was working in a high-end furniture store by herself when Smith entered the building and stabbed her, and then fled the scene.

1:18 PM PT -- Matthew Binninger, Dr. Mark Chavez’s attorney, tells TMZ … Mark has accepted responsibility for his actions by entering his guilty plea, he is cooperating with the government, and he has begun the process to surrender his medical license.

“The factual basis from the plea agreement will be used as the basis for the medical board to issue a complaint against him, requesting the surrender of his license. We will agree with that conclusion, and at that point, his license will be revoked. I cannot give you an exact timeline about when that will happen because it is up to the medical board, but the wheels are in motion, and now that the guilty plea has been entered it should happen sooner than later.”

One of the doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry's ketamine death is one step closer to prison ... because he just copped to a crime.

Dr. Mark Chavez, one of 2 physicians busted in the Perry case, appeared before a judge in federal court Wednesday in Los Angeles and pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine.

As we reported ... Chavez quickly cut a deal with the feds after a slew of arrests were made in connection with Perry's death. Now, he's formally entered his plea.

The Menendez brothers' savage shotgun slaying of their parents in 1989 left a gruesome mark on their family home’s living room -- a chilling scene that's still haunting more than 30 years later.

The lavish Beverly Hills mansion is getting a facelift by its new owners ... and a construction worker's recent TikTok takes viewers inside the freshly gutted room where Jose and Kitty Menendez were murdered.

The TikTok shows the eerie family room stripped down to its bones, with only the wooden shelf frame and draped curtains still standing, plus some orange markings and a torn up wall where the TV once was.

Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi are lifting the veil on their secret wedding ... finally sharing photos from their special day.

The happy couple just posted a slew of wedding pics on their respective social media accounts, offering the first glimpse inside their nuptials.

Millie's wedding dress looks amazing and Jake's holding his own in a white tuxedo ... and there are photos of them kissing in the venue and at the altar.

Forget plyometrics, Tom Brady's clearly hitting the weights in retirement ... check out his arms following his latest gym session Wednesday -- dude's biceps are bulging!!!

TB12 got in the sweat sesh down in Miami on his off day from his Fox broadcasting duties ... and it's clear it was an upper-body hump day for the GOAT.

Take a look at what was underneath the sleeves of his tan shirt as he walked out of the fitness facility ... his pythons were hissin'!

Parents of a 3-year-old boy are feeling mighty grateful a police officer rescued their child from a pool after he went missing.

Alex Calvillo and Savannah Ybarra of Indiana say they first became worried about their youngster's whereabouts after the boy, named Aziel, disappeared as they prepared brunch for loved ones.

Aziel, who has been diagnosed with autism, was left on the couch to watch a tablet ... but wandered off -- which his parents told WPTA-TV he tends to do.

John Amos died of congestive heart failure, according to his death certificate, and he was cremated more than a month ago ... fueling speculation that a family feud was raging at the time he died.

TMZ has obtained the death certificate filed with L.A. County, and it shows the "Good Times" star died August 21 at 5:18 PM at an Inglewood hospital.

The death certificate says there were no other significant medical conditions other than heart failure.

Tragedy hit the shores of the Hotel Riu Cancun today when a man was shot dead on the sands of the luxury resort beach ... TMZ has learned.

An eyewitness tells TMZ ... a violent scene unfolded when 2 gunmen on foot and 2 gunmen on Jet Skis approached a man in front of the 5-star Mexican hotel ... and shot him multiple times.

There's currently no word on the victim's identity or why he was shot, but it's suspected this was a cartel hit.

Edwin Castro's record-setting jackpot is staying in his hands -- a judge says the guy who accused Castro of stealing his Powerball ticket, doesn't have a case ... because he doesn't have the ticket in hand.

Jose Rivera had sued Edwin and the California State Lottery Commission claiming he had actually purchased the ticket that ended up being worth $2.04 billion. He alleged someone stole the ticket from him, and it somehow ended up in Castro's hands.

But, an L.A. County Judge has ruled, too bad, so sad ... essentially. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge said, "players are solely responsible for securing their Tickets against theft, loss, damage, or destruction" -- and, if Jose thought his ticket was stolen, he should've gone to cops.

It seems "MomTok" did survive the scandal after all ... TMZ has learned Hulu's sensational new reality show, "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," has been greenlit for a 2nd season.

Sources connected to the docuseries, which has become the streamer's No. 1 unscripted premiere of the year, tell TMZ ... the cast begins filming the new season within the next week ... with pre-production already well underway in Utah.

We're told the season 1 stars -- including Taylor Frankie Paul, Demi Engemann, Jen Affleck, Jessi Ngatikaura, Layla Taylor, Mayci Neeley, Mikayla Matthews, and Whitney Leavitt -- are all set to return for season 2, despite the growing drama among the group.

Things keep sounding worse for Diddy ... because we've learned the feds are seeing an uptick in accusers coming forward with more allegations, ever since he was thrown in jail.

Sources familiar with the Diddy investigation tell TMZ ... more alleged victims and witnesses are stepping up because they feel less intimidated now that Diddy is behind bars.

Our sources say the accusers are cooperating with federal investigators and providing information about what they know about Diddy's alleged criminal activities.

Otis Williams has Frankie Valli's back, calling out all those claims he's the victim of elder abuse ... saying it’s just flat-out wrong to think the icon's team is forcing him to hit the stage at 90.

We caught up with Otis, and he tells TMZ he thinks Frankie’s out there performing because he genuinely loves it -- and he's speaking from experience, saying he himself is grateful to still be doing his thing as he gears up for his own 83rd birthday.

We also asked Otis if he's ever faced pressure to hang up the mic like Frankie -- and he said not yet.

Mark Estes is speaking out after Kristin Cavallari confirmed she pulled the plug on their 7-month romance ... and his outlook is fairly optimistic.

The TikToker issued a statement through his rep Wednesday, who told TMZ Mark "has immense love and respect for Kristin and their time together" ... but he's now focusing on his business endeavors.

This is the first time we've heard from Mark since the "Laguna Beach" alum confirmed to Alex Cooper during the Unwell Tour stop in Austin, Texas Saturday that she and the internet personality are no longer an item.

Late "American Pickers" star Frank Fritz is being remembered by the network that made him famous ... the History Channel is broadcasting a bunch of his shows, a couple days after his death.

Honchos over at the History Channel tell TMZ ... the network is running a TV marathon today featuring Frank's episodes of "American Pickers."

The marathon started at 7 AM and ends at 4 PM ... and History Channel is adding an In Memoriam image every hour to remember Frank.

It's safe to say Kylie Jenner had a magical time at Paris Fashion Week ... as she hit the runway for the Coperni show, which just so happened to take place at Disneyland.

Check it out ... the reality TV star strutted her stuff in a stunning black princess gown, which was paired with matching elbow-length gloves. The lip kit mogul's runway appearance was made even more special thanks to the magical backdrop ... Disneyland Paris' castle -- a pink and blue take on Sleeping Beauty's abode.

Kylie made it clear she had the best time walking in Coperni's fashion show. The mother of two posted footage of her romantic, dark look from the runway to Instagram and thanked designers Sebastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant for making the whole experience a "fairytale."