Ben Affleck Hugs It Out with Parking Lady ... After Jen Advice & Tickets

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NOT ABOVE THE LAW
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Ben Affleck's setting a shining example of how to not let a parking ticket -- or two -- ruin your day ... even when the meter woman is also dishing marriage advice and backhanded compliments.

The ex-Caped Crusader got in a little trouble Tuesday as he was leaving a Starbucks in Brentwood -- he already had a ticket on his windshield for an expired meter, and was in the process of getting another one for expired tags on his classic Chevy Chevelle SS.

Ben didn't let it get him down, though. He and the parking enforcement officer chatted it up about cars while she was writing him up, and to show there were no hard feelings at all ... he got a hug out of her before he left.

That's when she hit Affleck with a "You look better in person," and voiced her opinion on his relationship history ... he took it all in stride.

At least it sounds like she likes his post-rehab look.

Bam Margera I'm Worried He's Gonna Die ... Says 'Jackass' Pal Novak

Bam Margera insists he doesn't need professional help when it comes to booze, but one of his closest friends believes Bam's very life is at stake after he prematurely left rehab.

'Jackass' star Brandon Novak -- who used to appear on the stunt show with Bam -- tells us he is deeply concerned after Bam checked himself out of a Bay Area rehab facility this week. He explained his decision to leave on social media.

According to Bam's lengthy journal entry, he says he realized he didn't need to be in rehab a few days into his latest treatment, his third time. Bam says he bailed because he didn't need any detox or medication to kick his alcohol cravings.

Not only that, but Bam said he was sitting around doing nothing in rehab and feels unproductive. Plus, he says he was missing out on important business opportunities, and needed to leave to make money and keep his mind occupied.

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Well, Brandon doesn't think it's that simple. He tells us he and some of Bam's closest family members and friends staged an intervention late last year because they were genuinely concerned about Bam's drinking ... and wanted him to kick the habit once and for all.

Even worse, Brandon says he believes Bam could end up killing himself if he doesn't get clean. He tells us, "enable an addict, bury an addict." FWIW, Brandon is fully sober now after struggling with addiction through much of his adult life.

Bam says he's with loved ones at the moment, but Brandon says he's unaware of his whereabouts.

Bam Margera I'm Going Back To Rehab ... Third Time's The Charm???

Bam Margera apparently already has a New Year's resolution in mind ... because he says he's going to back to rehab for a third time.

The "Jackass" star announced his plans to go to alcohol rehab in an Instagram post on New Year's Eve ... he captioned the photo, "Off to alcohol rehab for the 3rd time. I am hoping the term 3rd time is a charm is true."

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You'll recall ... Bam fell off the wagon back in August, when he cracked open a cold beer after saying he was robbed at gunpoint in Cartagena, Colombia during a super sketchy cab ride. At the time, Bam was 7 months sober.

This will mark the second straight January that Bam is in rehab. We broke the story ... Bam checked into rehab in January 2018, only days after his DUI arrest in Los Angeles.

Lil Xan Kicked Out Of Vacation Home ... After Leaving Rehab Facility

Lil Xan is having a terrible go after leaving a rehab facility to continue treatment at home ... but his issues have nothing to do with a relapse.

We've learned Xan is having tons of house trouble ... because he got kicked out of an Airbnb he rented in Palm Springs, this after a pipe burst and flooded the Redlands, CA home he just purchased.

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ROUGH START

A rep for the Palm Springs PD tells TMZ ... Lil Xan and his friends were playing loud music outside their vacation rental -- a big no-no in town -- and cops responded at 11 AM Sunday after receiving multiple calls from pissed off neighbors. We're told no arrests were made, but cops cited Lil Xan and asked him to leave the property.

Sources close to Xan tell us he had a friend record their interaction with cops because they felt threatened by an officer who kept gripping his holstered weapon during questioning.

As for the damage inside the home Lil Xan just bought ... the rapper's girlfriend tells us the entire downstairs flooded, a hole had to be cut in a ceiling, and the chimney was ruined.

We're told Lil Xan is finishing his treatment at his L.A. home following the fiascos in Redlands and Palm Springs.

Charlie Sheen Here's to My Sobriety!!!

Charlie Sheen says he's hit a milestone of sobriety -- and he's got a shiny AA coin to mark the occasion.

The former "Two and a Half Men" star posted a photo Tuesday of a sobriety coin, given to members of Alcoholics Anonymous to mark their progress.

Presumably -- from the looks of the celebratory token -- Charlie appears to have been off booze for at least a year.

He captioned his post ... "so THIS happened yesterday! a fabulous moment, in my renewed journey. #TotallyFocused."

Charlie has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction for a long time, telling Dr. Oz in 2016 that he fell off the wagon after learning he'd been diagnosed with HIV in 2012. At the time, he said his most recent rehab stint was a "relief," and described himself as "focused, sober, hopeful."

Unclear if Charlie relapsed since then -- we were told last year that he mostly stays away from alcohol as part of his new vegan health kick -- but it seems he's fully off the sauce now.

Dennis Rodman I Fell Off the Wagon ... But I'm Fighting to Stay Sober

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ONE STEP AT A TIME
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The sober streak is over for Dennis Rodman -- the NBA star admits he fell off the wagon and had started drinking again ... but now says he's still focused on cutting booze out of his life.

Rodman entered rehab after a DUI arrest back in January -- and has openly talked about the difficulties of going sober.

He slipped up in the past 2 weeks and hit the bar scene in Newport Beach, CA -- but tells TMZ Sports it was a mistake and he's now going back to AA meetings in the hopes of staying sober.

Rodman says he had stopped going to meetings because they got boring -- hey, at least he's honest.

But, after he started drinking again, Rodman reached out to his agent, Darren Prince (who's also battled substance abuse but is now going on 10 years sober) and his AA sponsor and asked them for help.

Rodman says he was ultimately convinced to go back to the meetings and already feels like he's making progress.

"It's a long process and it's gonna take time to get over the hump," Rodman says.

Rodman has been to rehab before -- once in 2014 ... and he was also featured on "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" back in 2010.

We spoke with Rodman's agent, Darren Prince, who tells us, "Dennis is the king of rebounds and he'll rebound from this too."

Lil Xan Checked Out of Rehab for a Day To Lock Down New House

Lil Xan briefly left his rehab facility to prepare for his post-rehab living arrangements ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the rapper tell us ... Lil Xan left rehab Saturday in order to go sign papers for a new house he bought in his hometown of Redlands, CA. The new crib is where he'll set up shop once he's completed in-patient treatment. We're told he'll have round-the-clock staff monitoring him to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Xan wasn't allowed to fly solo for the house mission ... we're told a nurse from the rehab center accompanied him. After signing the house documents, he headed back to rehab on Sunday.

Remember, he just checked himself in last weekend to begin treatment, and our sources say he'll be there about another week. After that, he'll shift to outpatient treatment at home. We're told his new place has a studio, so he'll be able to work on new music. His album "Be Safe" -- inspired by his hero, Mac Miller, is set to drop next month.

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Xan had told us in mid-November he was immediately heading to rehab -- but he didn't begin until December. His camp says a scheduling mix-up with the facility caused the delay.

Demi Lovato Sober Buddy Becomes Sober BF ... Dinner Date with Henry

Demi Lovato's got a lot to celebrate these days, not the least of which being her growing romance with Henry Levy.

The singer and the clothing designer hit up Nobu in Malibu Saturday night. Demi just got a Grammy nomination for her song with Christina Aguilera, "Fall in Line" -- and, by all accounts, she's healthy and continuing to recover from her nearly fatal overdose over the summer.

TMZ broke the story ... she and Henry started hanging out in early November. We got a shot of them at Matsuhisa in Beverly Hills ... holding hands and having a great time.

At the time, sources told us they were mostly supporting each other in sobriety, but seems like it's now blossomed into a full-fledged relationship.

All good signs for Demi.

'ANTM' Alum Jael Strauss Lived Like a Saint in Recovery Efforts ... Before Stage 4 Cancer

Former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Jael Strauss dedicated her life to helping people struggling with addiction before she lost her battle with cancer earlier this week.

An employee at Solstice Recovery Foundation near Austin, TX, who worked there with Jael, tells TMZ the ex-model was heavily involved in the rehab center's efforts -- volunteering to help folks, especially women, fight drug addiction.

We're told Jael would often spearhead online fundraisers to provide scholarships to those needing treatment. She'd also share her own story of recovery as inspiration for patients.

Jael's kindness was reciprocated this past October shortly after she announced she'd been diagnosed with incurable, stage 4 breast cancer.

The Solstice employee tells us her friends quickly organized the "F**k Cancer-Love Like Jael" fundraiser for her, and raised around $8,000 for her treatment costs.

During the fundraiser, people who donated $20-$50 could get free tattoos that said "F**k Cancer" or "Jael Love." We're told about 20 people got them.

We broke the story ... Jael died in hospice Tuesday, just 2 months after being diagnosed with cancer. We're told she stopped chemotherapy around Halloween.

She was 34. RIP

Lil Xan Checks Himself into Rehab

Lil Xan has just checked himself into rehab.

The rapper's girlfriend, Annie, posted Sunday on Xan's Instagram account "Diego was just admitted into his first treatment." She went on to say, "He loves each and every one of you sending good wishes and prayers to him. We thank you all so very much for all of the love and support you are sending his way."

As for why it took until now for Xan to check into rehab -- after announcing his intentions back on November 15 -- we're told the facility where he was supposed to check himself in had a mix-up with patients staying longer than initially anticipated. The small hiccup has now been resolved ... allowing Xan to check himself in.

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As we reported ... Xan came on "TMZ Live" and explained why was heading to rehab. He told us he's been struggling on and off with opioids and needs treatment to help him get over the hump.

You'll recall, Xan reached out to us after we broke the story about Mac's cause of death and he opened up about his own current struggles.

He said the death of his hero, Mac, coupled with the death of Lil Peep almost a year go really opened his eyes to get clean. Onward and upward, Xan!!

Lil Xan I'm Off to Rehab ... Need Help Kicking Opioids

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12:50 PM PT -- Before he left for rehab Thursday, Xan came on "TMZ Live" to explain exactly why he's going, and it's interesting ... he says he's nowhere near "rock bottom."

He told us he's been far more strung out on opioids in the past, but feels he needs treatment now to get him "over that last hump." Perhaps not coincidentally, he's entering rehab on the 1-year anniversary of Lil Peep's fatal overdose.

Xan also broke big news about his plans when he completes his treatment. He's making at least one huge change.

Lil Xan is dead serious about kicking his drug addiction because he's headed to rehab ... something he hinted at when he spoke to us earlier this month.

The rapper announced Thursday he'll be checking himself into a facility by next week, and said he's looking forward to being clean so he can finish his Mac Miller tribute album.

As we reported ... Xan reached out to us when we broke the story about Mac's cause of death -- cocaine and fentanyl -- and he opened up about his current struggles with addiction.

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Xan said the death of his hero, Mac Miller, coupled with the death of Lil Peep almost a year ago, really opened his eyes. He said he'd curbed his drug use, but still wasn't clean.

Xan recently canceled a slew of tour dates ... saying the work he's doing on Mac's tribute album has really taken its toll on him. He told us his fight to kick drugs also played a role.

Luann de Lesseps Celebrates 100+ Days of Sobriety And 'Housewives' Return

Luann de Lesseps is making a strong comeback to close out 2018 ... nearly a year after spiraling out of control and getting arrested in Florida.

We've learned Luann recently celebrated more than 100 days of being clean and sober, and it's triggered a positive domino effect in her personal life. She's returned as a regular for an all-new season of 'Housewives,' and is already shooting scenes.

We're told she missed the reunion episode taping back in July, but only because she'd checked into rehab.

That was her second time in rehab since her Palm Beach arrest on Christmas Eve 2017 ... for allegedly attacking a cop during a drunken rampage. She eventually struck a sweet plea deal.

Luann tells us, "I take my sobriety very seriously and continue taking it one day at a time. Every step forward is a means toward a better life for me and my family."

On the family front, we told you her ex-husband and kids had sued her for breaking her divorce deal -- but we're told she's patching things up with them and working on an amicable resolution.

Luann's also been traveling around the country with her cabaret show, and recently launched a jewelry line that was filmed for an episode of 'RHONY' at SuperJeweler in Manhattan.

She credits yoga and the Zen surroundings of her new lakefront home in upstate NY for keeping her grounded ... and sober.

Demi Lovato Wilmer Playing Major Role In Keeping Her Sober

Demi Lovato's sobriety is still heavily dependent on her ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, who remains a constant in her life after her return to Los Angeles.

Sources close to Demi tell us that while the pair hasn't been seen together in public since Demi returned to the West Coast, she and Wilmer still communicate regularly. Valderrama was a crutch for Demi through her hospitalization and visited her in rehab too ... and continues to do so.

Our sources say the two talk several times a week and meet up as well ... but it's nothing romantic, simply a supportive friendship.

TMZ broke the story ... Demi is splitting her time between a halfway house -- where she spends 3 days per week -- and a private residence in Los Angeles. We're told she's able to go to the gym, run errands and attend multiple AA meetings with the living arrangement.

Lovato has also been spotted out with clothing guru Henry Levy, who she met in rehab several years ago.

Demi Lovato Splitting Time Between Halfway House and L.A. Home

Demi Lovato isn't taking an immediate plunge back into her old lifestyle ... she's splitting her time between a halfway house and a private home in Los Angeles.

We're told Demi feels the need to spend a big chunk of her time at a sober house -- 3 days a week -- where there are counselors and people with whom she can relate and share experiences. At the same time, she wants to resume a normal life and decided to live 4 days a week in a private home.

That normal life includes regular trips to the gym and running errands.

She has a sober coach by her side 24/7 ... something that's essential given her past history, which includes a near-death OD experience. We're told she also attends regular AA meetings.

TMZ broke the story ... Lovato was spotted back in L.A. over the weekend with clothing guru Henry Levy. The pair seemed super cozy, holding hands while they ate in Bev Hills.

Lovato was hospitalized in critical condition back in July, after ingesting drugs laced with fentanyl. She was released 10 days later and just completed a 90-day rehab stint.

Demi broke her several-month long social media hiatus Tuesday to show she was voting and encouraged her fans to do the same.

Demi Lovato Breaks Social Media Silence ... Go Vote!!!

Demi Lovato has finally popped up on social media again in the wake of her near-fatal overdose earlier this year, and she made a splash with her message ... I'M VOTING!!!

The "Sober" singer posted a photo on Instagram Tuesday showing herself at a voting booth, looking fabulous and grinning at the camera. She added a caption that read ... "I am so grateful to be home in time to vote! One vote can make a difference, so make sure your voice is heard!" Demi also encouraged her fans to get out and vote themselves.

This is the first time Demi has posted anything on social media since she overdosed in July, but it's definitely not the first time she's been seen out in public.

We broke the story ... she's currently out of rehab after completing a 90-day program, and has been hanging with clothing line guru Henry Levy quite a bit since then. They were enjoying each other's company a lot this past weekend on back-to-back outings.

We're told Henry's been in and out of rehab since he was a teen, and actually met Demi while they were both in rehab. He recently brought her to an AA meeting as well.

Demi was hospitalized for 10 days following her overdose, and then checked into rehab at the beginning of August. Seems like she's doing great now, though.

Lil Xan I Still Struggle with Addiction ... Demi & Mac Scared Me

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Lil Xan is opening up about his current struggles with addiction, the death of his hero, Mac Miller, and why he understands what Demi Lovato's going through right now.

Xan reached out to us Monday, a few hours after we broke the story about Mac's cause of death -- cocaine and fentanyl -- and told us he's not surprised the opioid was to blame. Xan said he was dealing pills years ago -- before he got his break rapping -- but says when fentanyl burst on the scene it scared him.

He says, "My friends were taking it, they were puking. I was like I can't ... I'm out the game."

The 22-year-old rapper told us the deaths of Mac and fellow rapper Lil Peep, almost a year ago, made him curb his drug use, but says he's still not clean. He got specific about which drug he's struggling with now. Much like Demi, he says he's gone through long periods of sobriety, but "I relapsed, and that's common. Any other addict would understand that s**t just happens."

As we reported, Lil Xan canceled a slew of tour dates recently, and while the official reason given was "exhaustion" ... he told us his fight to kick drugs also played a role.

Xan says he's not in rehab, but he has isolated himself in a forest somewhere while he recovers. He's hoping to be back in commission by the time his Mac tribute album, "Be Safe," drops.

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