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LeVar Burton is paying tribute to John Amos following news of the actor's death ... crediting the late star for making history in Hollywood.

We caught up with the actor outside ABC Studios in NYC Friday, where LB had nothing but good things to say about the late TV legend. As LeVar put it ... John's legacy is to be celebrated, especially regarding his work as James Evans on "Good Times."

He noted ... "For me, personally, John's legacy will be that he changed the way Black men were perceived on television in America. James Evans was a householder and, prior to that, Black men were really portrayed as absentee fathers, deadbeat dads, that sort of thing. Only good for prison and jail. John Amos changed that."

Lana Del Rey's new husband Jeremy Dufrene has a dark sense of humor ... which takes center stage in his alligator act down in the bayou.

Check it out ... the airboat captain faces off against a massive alligator during one tour down in Louisiana. Jeremy proves to be a pro at handling the large reptile ... though, he jokes he's less skilled in his personal life -- taking a jab at his ex-wife in the process.

He tells the tourists aboard his boat ... "Me and [the alligator] have been pretty tight ever since I fed him my ex-wife. I'm just kidding. I'm kidding."

Lyle and Erik Menendez's lawyer is feeling confident after the L.A. County District Attorney's Office announced they're reviewing new evidence in the Menendez brothers case ... which could potentially result in the brothers' release from prison.

We had Mark Geragos on "TMZ Live" Friday, where he explained why he has a positive outlook about his clients' case following Thursday's press conference. As Geragos puts it ... D.A. George Gascón is brave to touch the controversial 35-year-old case in an election year, as Gascón himself is on the ballot in November.

The lawyer feels the D.A. is serious when he said his office is reviewing sexual abuse claims Lyle and Erik have made against their late father, Jose Menendez. Those allegations were not allowed to be presented in the brothers' 2nd murder trial ... which led to their life without parole convictions.

The mother of Fernando Tatis Jr.'s two-year-old daughter is dragging the MLB superstar to court in an effort to try to get him to dole out more child support ... but the San Diego Padres outfielder's attorney claims she's spewing lies in the process.

Jennifer Rodriguez claimed this week in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, that back in September 2021 -- following a yearslong, non-exclusive relationship -- she became pregnant with Tatis Jr.'s child.

She said in the docs that, initially, she had hoped the two would work together to co-parent their kid ... but following a paternity test that confirmed Tatis Jr. was the father -- the baseball player and those close to him began treating the "impending birth like a business deal."

Ex-NFL star Reggie Bush says he would've attended a Diddy party back in the day if it weren't for a blacked-out friend puking before entering the bash ... but he believes his obliterated plus-one was a "sign."

The Heisman winner detailed the past experience in an interview with Robert Griffin III ... saying he was invited to a rager at Diddy's Star Island mansion around 3 or 4 in the morning, so he headed over with a group of friends and a Red Bull rep -- as he was sponsored by the energy drink at the time.

As his crew waited to get into Diddy's crib, Bush said the RB rep started blowing chunks on the front lawn ... right in front of a slew of security guards.

Erik and Lyle Menendez are experiencing newfound fame behind bars thanks to the popular Netflix series about the gruesome murders of their parents ... and there's a weird request that keeps coming up in the fan mail that's been pouring in, TMZ has learned.

A source with knowledge at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego tells TMZ ... the infamous Menendez brothers have seen a "huge" increase in mail from fans (and, of course, some haters) thanks to wild interest in Netflix's "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."

Perhaps the most interesting item the brothers are being sent ... 1990-91 Hoops Mark Jackson NBA cards -- the brothers are on the card, snapped sitting in the Knicks crowd, after the murders, before their arrests -- and people want 'em autographed.

Christina Haack has put her Nashville-area home on the market ... and now her estranged husband Josh Hall has to pack his bags and move out.

Christina listed the modern farmhouse-style 6-bedroom, 6-bathroom pad in Franklin, Tennessee on Thursday for a whopping $4.5 million.

Christina bought the home, which has frequently been featured on HGTV's "Christina in the Country," for $2.5 million in 2021.

Alison Eastwood has been championing animal welfare and rescue for over a decade -- and she's stepping up her game as California shelters are euthanizing cats and dogs at an alarming rate.

We chatted with Alison on "TMZ Live" Friday, and she said her Eastwood Ranch Foundation is hard at work providing a solution as shelters are putting down roughly 110,000 pets annually -- shocking figures, especially with Gov. Gavin Newsom's $50M pledge in 2020 to make California a "no-kill state."

Alison’s clearly heartbroken over the whole situation, and breaks down why this animal crisis is happening -- check out the clip to hear her full take on the devastation.

Brie Garcia (Bella) is feeling helpless amid her sister Nikki Garcia (Bella)'s messy split from husband Artem Chigvintsev ... revealing how the drama has impacted her own mental health.

The former WWE star appeared to address Nikki and Artem's heated fallout -- which has seen both sides accuse the other of domestic violence -- sharing how the legal battle has left her eager to do something.

Brie hinted at the legal saga on the sisters' joint podcast "The Nikki & Brie Show" Friday ... where she touched on "trauma" and the urge to want to "fix" things for a struggling loved one. Yet, she acknowledged some situations you can't do anything.

Bigfoot is buzzing again after a TikTok went viral this week, with non-believers pointing and laughing ... but one Ph.D. expert on the subject tells TMZ the joke is on them.

Here's the deal ... on Thursday, an apparent Bigfoot made its TikTok debut ... recorded just chilling against a tree in a wooded area of Lawton, about 3 hours from Oklahoma City. It was quickly dismissed as an obvious fake -- but it also piqued some legit new interest!

Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum, a professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University, tells TMZ Bigfoot finding such a popular foothold in pop culture is a double-edged sword … 'cause it does poke fun at those who truly are investigating its existence … but the silliness also encourages more people to ask questions.

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's Halloween decor appears to be as horny as they are ... the couple has put up a NSFW blow-up display in their front yard.

The reality TV star got into the Halloween spirit Friday, posting a number of seasonal photos in honor of her favorite month. However, it was her and Travis' festive display that sent fans into a tizzy ... with the PDA-loving couple putting up skeleton inflatables, which appear to be boning.

Fans are torn over the X-rated display ... with some getting a hoot out of the setup, while others declaring Kourtney needs "help" for her inappropriate decorating decisions.

Lil Durk and the cast of "Power Book II: Ghost" bang out the series finale in epic fashion -- and take it from LaToya Tonodeo, the Chicago rapper's acting skills are the real deal!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked with LaToya, who also has a big role in the grand closing as her long-standing character Diana Tejada in 50 Cent's hit show ... and she says Durk has the acting chops to go far in this biz, after seeing him pull off drills on-screen for her loved ones!!!

Durk posted up with "Power II" costars Michael Rainey Jr. and Gianni Paolo on-set ahead of his scenes and they echoed the same sentiment.

Aries Spears makes a living speaking his mind even when the public doesn't agree -- but he's not hopping on the Diddy joke train before all the facts have been displayed!!!

We caught up with the comedian at LAX Thursday en route to his upcoming Apollo gig, and he's siding with Dr. Umar Johnson's recent viral comments ... Diddy's an innocent man until the courts rule that he's guilty!!!

Johnson has set ablaze several fiery rants in favor of Diddy, questioning the lack of evidence while claiming America is running a successful Black man through the wringer to distract from the presidential election.

Interest in the 35-year-old Menendez brothers murder case has skyrocketed thanks to the wildly popular Netflix series ... and neighbors on the affluent block of the infamous family home are livid about it!

Beverly Hills authorities tell TMZ ... police have received a slew of calls from irate neighbors who are tired of the influx of foot and car traffic on their block ... and they want cops to intervene.

Calls to police have been coming in for more than a week ... and it all started after "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" dropped on the streamer, we hear -- so it's pretty clear what's happening.

Billy Baldwin is voicing his support for brother Alec Baldwin's upcoming "Rust" premiere ... saying the event isn't as controversial as one might think.

We caught up with the actor outside the "Americans With No Address" premiere in Los Angeles Thursday evening, where BB took a couple minutes to defend "Rust" moving forward with a red carpet debut -- despite the on-set tragedy and subsequent manslaughter trials.

As Billy put it ... Alec and the rest of the "Rust" creative team are honoring the wishes of the family of late cinematographer Halyna Hutchins ... who was fatally shot on the set of the Western flick in 2021.

Will Smith blended the old with the new, treating a crowd to a mashup of the beloved 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' theme with some new material Thursday.

The party kicked off at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, where Will pumped up a small but hyped audience with the iconic tune and the classic "Summertime" before dropping his new jam, "You Can Make It."

As you can see, Will was totally in his element, dancing up a storm with a lucky fan onstage and having a blast.