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Diddy should watch his back in prison ... 'cause a former warden at the facility he's in says there are a whole lot of inmates who would see killing him as a badge of honor.

As you know, Diddy's currently being held in MDC Brooklyn -- a notorious federal detention facility in NYC -- without bail. Sources with direct knowledge tell us Diddy's being held in the Special Housing Unit, away from the general population.

Cameron Lindsay -- former warden of MDC Brooklyn -- tells TMZ Diddy's location in the SHU makes sense because he's a target behind bars ... with his celebrity status and the nature of the allegations against him potentially bringing him unwanted attention from other inmates.

Diddy's got a small reason to smile despite being behind bars in federal custody ... a judge just set aside the $100 million default judgment in his Michigan sexual assault lawsuit.

The embattled rapper scored the legal win during a motion hearing Wednesday ... where one of his attorneys, David Fink, convinced the judge to set aside the massive judgment because inmate Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith -- who claims Diddy drugged and sexually assaulted him at a 1997 Detroit party -- failed to prove he effectively served the lawsuit in accordance with Michigan law.

Judge Anna Marie Anzalone also scrapped the temporary restraining order stopping Diddy from selling off any assets to cover damages ... noting Diddy has a likelihood of winning the case on statute of limitations grounds because Cardello-Smith's claims date back to an alleged incident in 1997.

David Letterman is proud to do his civic duty ... saying he's "excited" about it as he made his way to court after being summoned for jury duty in New York.

We caught up with the late-night legend just as he walked into the courthouse, where he called jury duty "a great process to be a part of" ... clearly taking the summons in stride, where most people would be complaining.

However, Letterman stayed tight-lipped about whether he had already been selected as a juror ... noting he'd have to continue reporting "until Labor Day."

Prior to his arrest Monday night, Diddy hit the NYC streets and interacted with fans ... days before ending up in federal custody.

Check it out ... Diddy smokes alongside a fan, named Chris Dayes (Christian Daigle), while listening to a song off a cellphone. Diddy, dressed in sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a Prince sweatshirt, looks totally at peace ... even though a grand jury indictment loomed over his head at the time.

The tipster tells TMZ ... the fan encounter occurred on the evening of September 9, when Chris approached the music mogul to pitch himself as a potential new artist.

Paul McCartney gave Deon Cole a little "Help!" Tuesday night when he joined the comedian on stage for a surprise appearance in Hollywood ... cracking a couple jokes of his own.

Watch the video ... Deon is performing and working on new material at the Hollywood Improv, a famed comedy club in Los Angeles, when he pulls The Beatles legend up on stage with him towards the end of his set.

Deon introduces Paul as his "friend" to the crowd and shares a laugh with the singer ... telling the crowd he and PM smoked a little weed before the performance.

Diddy's sons are in New York watching their father go through an indictment and court proceedings ... but his teenage twin daughters are hanging back in California with a family friend.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ … Diddy's teen, twin girls 17-year-old D'Lila and 17-year-old Jessie are currently in Los Angeles under the care of their late mother Kim Porter’s best friend, Lala.

We're told Lala has acted as a caregiver for the girls for several years, though she is NOT a legal guardian.

The Carolina Panthers have no one to blame but themselves for how things played out with Bryce Young ... so says former No. 2 overall pick Ryan Leaf, who tells TMZ Sports the entire organization is a complete mess -- and he's hoping the quarterback gets the hell outta town.

We caught up with Leaf shortly after the Panthers announced they would go with veteran signal-caller Andy Dalton under center in Week 3 ... and he thinks the former Alabama superstar was dealt a crappy hand with his first NFL home.

"They screwed this thing up from the get-go, though. I mean, this organization is horrible," Leaf said.

Michael Bay is going to need some costly home repairs ... because cops say someone drove a car into his front gate and caused six figures' worth of damage before fleeing the scene.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the LAPD responded to the famous director's Los Angeles area home Tuesday morning for a hit-and-run involving his property.

Cops were called after a Bay employee discovered a car had damaged the front gate, snapped a tree in half, knocked over a city sign and took out the gate keypad.

A popular IVF clinic frequented by the likes of former patients including Kim Kardashian, Chrissy Teigen and Paris Hilton threw a couple's precious embryos in the trash, and now they may not be able to have kids ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

Reproductive Partners Medical Group, a Los Angeles-based fertility clinic, is being sued by Marissa Calhoun and Stephen Castaneda ... a couple of everyday people who say the clinic sabotaged their dream of having children.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, the couple claims Marissa had her eggs retrieved, frozen and stored by RPMG in 2021 and 2022 ... but says tragedy struck in October 2023 when the IVF clinic made a huge error.

Cardi B isn't listening to critics as she faces backlash for hitting the gym a mere week after giving birth to her third child ... though, doctors tell us she might want to heed the warnings.

Here's the skinny ... the rapper took to Instagram Sunday, documenting herself on the StairMaster a little over a week after welcoming her third baby with Offset. This sparked a big reaction online ... with fans expressing concern for her well-being, while others slammed her for succumbing to "snap back" pressure.

Cardi made it clear she was tuning out the peanut gallery ... returning to the gym again Monday, pointing out she's only doing 30-minute sessions, and taking it slow. As Cardi put it, she's using cardio to help prevent postpartum depression, noting it's her third time going through this experience.

Chicago drill rapper Lil Reese is being accused of punching and strangling a woman said to be a former girlfriend inside a Texas nightclub last week -- and authorities are on the hunt for his whereabouts!!!

According to docs from the Houston Police Department, Lil Reese and the woman interacted inside The Pinkhouse fka Barbie Nightclub ... she was on her way out around 6:30 AM as he was on his way into the building.

The woman claims she and Reese ended their relationship a month ago ... after dating over a period of 2 months, and says she rejected him several times as he attempted to kiss her flirtatiously.

Emily Gold -- the teenage "America's Got Talent" cheerleader who tragically died last Friday -- will be honored by her high school football team and its student body later this week ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Chaffey Joint Union High School District in Southern California tells us ... Los Osos H.S. -- where Gold attended before her death -- will have several tributes at its football game Thursday, including a "gold game," where fans are strongly encouraged to wear gold.

Officials added there will also be a moment of silence for Gold at the event ... which is slated to kick off less than one week after the 17-year-old was found dead under a bridge on the 210 Freeway in Rancho Cucamonga.

Diddy never seemed happier than on the streets of his hometown of New York Monday night -- a scene that offered no hint the music mogul would soon end up in federal custody facing a criminal indictment.

TMZ obtained new video of Diddy interacting with several excited fans on a darkened street in Midtown Manhattan approximately 30 minutes before federal agents arrested him at the Park Hyatt hotel nearby.

Check out the footage ... Diddy was having a very friendly chat with four dudes -- and everyone was wearing bright smiles on their faces. Diddy was so energized he gave a handshake to one of the guys who bowed and started laughing.

8:05 PM PT -- Just a couple hours before Diddy got busted, he was confidently strolling around NYC with his son Christian "King" Combs. He even stopped to greet some fans and take selfies.

7:13 PM PT -- A law enforcement source tells TMZ ... Diddy's arrest was scheduled for Tuesday. But something happened that caused the feds to move in a day earlier.

However, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams says federal agents took him in based on a sealed indictment filed by the Southern District of New York.

Diddy was just arrested and taken into federal custody in New York Monday night ... TMZ has learned.

Sources tell TMZ ... Homeland Security swooped into a midtown hotel late Monday where Diddy was staying and they arrested him. We have unconfirmed reports the feds are searching his hotel room.

We're told Diddy was taken to the federal building in lower Manhattan.

It appears the action was taken in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation into alleged sex trafficking and other offenses that led to search warrants being issued and executed at Diddy's homes in Beverly Hills and Miami. As we reported, a grand jury has been hearing testimony from various accusers over the last few months.

Matthew Perry relied on doctors to fuel his addiction, and turns out that's just the tip of the iceberg.

TMZ Studios has a new documentary -- "TMZ Investigates Matthew Perry and the Secret Celebrity Drug Ring" -- which drops today, Tuesday, on Hulu.

Several celebrities, including Kelly Osbourne, talk about how it's common knowledge in Hollywood that doctors provide specific drugs to celebrities. For her part, Kelly was able to score Vicodin and Oxy from various Hollywood doctors. And get this ... she was 13 at the time and the doctors never told her mom and dad what they were prescribing their daughter.

Canelo Alvarez's strength and punching power may scare some boxers, but not Terence Crawford, who tells TMZ Sports he's absolutely sure he'd get the victory over the Mexican superstar if the two fought.

Of course, at the moment, it's a big "if" ... as even though Crawford's made it clear he wants the scrap -- Canelo doesn't seem so sure.

If you missed it, following his Saturday night victory over Edgar Berlanga -- which Crawford actually attended -- Canelo said straight up "no comment" when asked about a potential tilt with Bud.