Young Dolph's Murder Trial Begins, Prosecutor Claims ... Yo Gotti's Brother Ordered $100K Hit

The 3 men charged with murdering Young Dolph are now on trial, and it kicked off with a bombshell allegation about who was behind the 2021 shooting.

During the opening statements, Shelby County Assistant District Attorney Paul Hagerman accused the late Big Jook -- brother of Young Dolph's rival, Yo Gotti -- of being responsible after he offered $100,000 to anyone who would kill Dolph to end their ongoing rap feud.

Hernandez Govan, Justin Johnson, and Cornelius Smith are all charged with first-degree murder where they plead not guilty.

Diddy Can't Nobody Hold Me Down ... Music Streams Increase After Arrest

Diddy's arrest and subsequent indictment have not deterred his fans from listening to his music ... in fact, he's seen a spike in streams in the wake of the controversy.

Luminate, a data and analytics company, claims the rap mogul's expansive music catalog has seen an over 18% increase in streams in the week since he was put in handcuffs at the Park Hyatt in midtown Manhattan.

TMZ broke the story ... the Bad Boy Records founder was arrested last Monday, 6 months after his Los Angeles and Miami homes were raided in connection with a sex trafficking investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Usher I Was Hacked, Y'All!! ... X Wipeout Amid Diddy Arrest

Usher's hitting back hard, saying "No, No, No!" to those speculating he’s hiding something in the wake of his former mentor Diddy's arrest ... especially after his X posts mysteriously vanished over the weekend.

The singer had an explanation for the social media wipeout ... writing on the platform Sunday evening, "Account got hacked and damn y'all ran with it! 😂😂😂."

Usher sidestepped the Diddy drama but seemed to make it clear he’s got nothing to hide. He wrapped up the post by promoting his next show, saying, "See you tonight at Intuit Dome✌🏽👀✌🏽."

Would-Be Trump Assassin $150K to Whoever Finishes 'the Job' ... Feds Reveal Chilling Letter

update

12:03 PM PT -- During his federal court appearance Monday, Judge Ryon McCabe ordered that Ryan Wesley Routh be held without bond until his trial.

Ryan Wesley Routh, the alleged would-be Trump assassin, revealed his lethal intentions in a letter he wrote prior to getting arrested ... according to the Justice Department.

Federal prosecutors released the troubling note Monday, saying Routh wrote about his plans to assassinate former President Donald Trump, and in it, he also calls on others to make attempts on the Republican nominee's life.

The note even promised a hefty monetary reward to whomever finished "the job."

KHLOE KARDASHIAN I Partied With Justin Bieber ... At Diddy's Bash!!!

A resurfaced clip from "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" is raising eyebrows ... with Khloe Kardashian spilling the tea about attending one of Diddy’s notorious parties, casually name-dropping that Justin Bieber was also in the mix.

In the clip from 2014, Khloe told sister Kourtney, "I got on a plane at 5:30 AM. Well, this party ... I think half the people there were butt-naked ... You would have loved it!"

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SO FAR SO GOOD
Credit: E!/Keeping Up With the Kardashians

When Kourtney asked who was with her, Khloe casually rattled off the guest list ... mentioning she was with a bunch of pals -- Diddy, Quincy, and Bieber, who was 20 at the time.

Ray J I Hung Out At Diddy's Soirees ... What Sex Trafficking?

Ray J is coming clean about Diddy's notorious parties, but he says there's nothing to see in terms of criminal behavior.

The singer was interviewed by Chris Cuomo on NewsNation's "CUOMO" — and he gave a window into his decades long relationship with Diddy, zeroing in on what the feds say were illicit soirees.

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NewsNation

Ray J told Cuomo he and other entertainers frequently attended Diddy's gatherings, yet he never saw any sex trafficking or other serious crimes as detailed in the federal indictment against the music mogul.

Kim Kardashian & Fam Meets with Menéndez Bros, Other Inmates ... Alongside Erik Menéndez Netflix Actor

Kim Kardashian's meeting with some notorious inmates ... chatting prison reform with Erik and Lyle Menéndez, among others -- right after Erik blasted her colleague Ryan Murphy's show, which is all about their lives.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim just stopped by Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility near San Diego to speak to a group of around 40 inmates -- including the Menendez brothers.

She was joined by her sister Khloe Kardashian and mom Kris Jenner ... as well as film producer Scott Budnick -- and, shockingly, actor Cooper Koch who plays Erik in the new Netflix biopic series, "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."

Diddy Gives Conan O'Brien Party Advice ... Lock Up Beautiful Women!

An old clip of Diddy advising Conan O'Brien on how to how to lock women up at parties has reemerged — and, as you might imagine, the video isn't aging well.

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"A LITTLE KINKY"
NBC

Diddy sat down with the host of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" back in 2002 ... and the two talked all about the music mogul's killer soirees.

Conan was first to bring up the topic — joking that he personally throws on Paul Anka's music at his parties and breaks out the "Cheez Whiz," but no one comes by.

Bryan Kohberger Killer New Mug Shot ... Alleged Murderer's Fans Ogle New Pic

Bryan Kohberger's latest mug shot has his supporters in a tizzy ... with many fans of the alleged spree killer giving their seal of approval on the pic.

Multiple posters in Facebook groups dedicated to supporting the 29-year-old -- who is facing four counts of first-degree murder -- are giving their five-star reviews of the mug shot ... after the photo was released earlier in the week.

Check out the pic ... Kohberger's staring into the camera with some stubble on his jaw and neck -- not even the hint of a smile on his face.

Georgia School Shooting Mother Of Suspected Gunman Indicted ... For Alleged Elder Abuse

The mother of the teen accused of opening fire in a Georgia high school -- killing multiple people and injuring several more -- has been arrested ... but it has nothing to do with the early September massacre.

Marcee Gray ... mother of Apalachee High School suspected shooter Colt Grey … is accused of elder abuse after allegedly taping her mother to a chair and leaving her for nearly 24 hours, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing an indictment.

Deborah Polhamus, who is 74, was allegedly trapped until someone found her in her Georgia home last November. The brutal confinement was allegedly punishment for Deborah refusing to go with her daughter to confront her ex-husband, Colin.

Diddy Puff Gets 'Cuffed on Camera!!! Video of Arrest in NYC Hotel

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DIDDY DETAINED
TMZ.com

Here's the moment Diddy's whole life changed ... TMZ has the first video of federal agents making their surprise arrest in an NYC hotel lobby -- potentially his final moment of freedom for at least the next decade.

The video clearly shows Diddy, clad in a black trench coat, walking into the Park Hyatt New York hotel in midtown Manhattan with his crew of several men -- but the moment he enters the lobby, law enforcement pounces, stops the mogul and separates him from his friends.

You can see from Diddy's team's reaction ... they're unsure of what's happening, walking around the hotel lobby in shock as the rapper's taken away. More on that later.

Diddy Asks Judge to Toss Sexual Assault Lawsuit ... Statute of Limitations Ran Years Ago

Diddy's firing back against claims of sexual misconduct ... filing a response in one of the many civil suits he's facing saying his alleged actions are time-barred -- 'cause the statute of limitations ran years ago.

The lawyers for the rap mogul, Bad Boy Entertainment and Daddy's House Recording fired off a letter in response to Crystal McKinney's sexual assault lawsuit ... saying the claims under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law expired in 2010, seven years after McKinney claims Diddy assaulted her.

While her lawyers cited a local government ordinance that created a revival period for claims, Diddy's team says New York State Law takes precedence ... and state law says the time has come and gone for CM to make her claim.

Ryan Garcia Diddy Scandal Is A 'Serious Matter' ... Despite Haney Jokes

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stay away from freak offs !!!

Ryan Garcia's been trollin' Devin Haney heavy for his alleged link to Diddy ... but the boxing star tells TMZ Sports at the end of the day, it's no laughing matter.

Garcia -- who is currently suspended from boxing -- spoke with us in Los Angeles just a few days after Diddy was arrested in New York on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

The allegations center around alleged "Freak Off" parties ... and with photos showing Haney with Diddy in the past, Garcia has trolled Devin on social media.

Diddy Concerned For Kids ... Wants to Talk to Them

Diddy's not in a good situation right now ... locked up in the Special Housing Unit of a notoriously tough jail -- but, TMZ has learned his chief concern is his children.

Sources close to Diddy's family tell TMZ ... Diddy's holding up okay -- given the circumstances -- but he's worrying about his kids from his 10 ft. x 8 ft. jail cell, desperately wanting to speak to his kiddos.

We're told people closest to him are trying to process the situation ... but, they all know they have to be strong for the kids' sakes.

Canadian Auto Theft Woman Brazenly Steals Porsche ... Runs Over Owner in Driveway!!!

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RAN DOWN IN THE STREET
Peel Regional Police

A woman supposedly checking out a luxury car for sale in Toronto instead made off with the vehicle ... after running over the driver right in his own driveway -- and it was all caught on video!

Caught on Ring camera, the suspect -- described as a South Asian woman -- walked up to the victim's front door, claiming she wanted to examine his 2022 Porsche Cayenne listed on Autotrader, according to Canada's Peel Regional Police. The innocent-looking woman even told the man she was waiting for her dad to show up.

The scene shifts to the victim's driveway, where the woman is now in the driver's seat of the Porsche.

FaZe Clan House Gets Swatting Immunity After False 911 Call

The FaZe Clan won't have to worry about their subathon getting interrupted by the cops again ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the house that got swatted this week has been placed on a special location list to prevent similar issues in the future.

As we previously reported, cops and an ambulance rushed to the esports organization's current L.A. HQ after receiving a disturbing 911 call on Thursday ... when a man claiming to be 60 years old stated he killed his mother and brother -- and someone was still breathing inside the residence.

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POLICE MOVING IN
TMZSports.com

After checking everything out, law enforcement determined it was all a disgusting prank ... and all the streamers in the house were free to go about their day.