'Selling Sunset' Star Christine Chrishell Has No Leg Up on Listings ... Just 'Cause She Sleeps w/ The Boss!!!!

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SAW IT COMING
TMZ.com

Christine Quinn says Chrishell Stause hasn't gotten any favoritism just because her boss/BF Jason Oppenheim ... at least not yet.

We got the "Selling Sunset" star Friday leaving Starbucks on Sunset Blvd. and our photog wondered what all the fans of the show are thinking ... is Chrishell being served hot listings by her boss/BF on a silver platter?

The question's fair ... considering "Selling Sunset" fans know once upon a time Jason dated/hooked up with Mary Fitzgerald ... one of the agents at The Oppenheim Group.

It was quickly revealed in season 2 the women had serious gripes with Jason and took him to task ... accusing him of giving Mary coveted listings.

Well, fast forward to now ... Jason's dating another one of his agents ... and while Christine says she hasn't seen Jason show Chrishell any favoritism ... it's easy to see why people are skeptical.

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So far so good ... says Christine, who went on to make some jokes at Mary's expense.

As we reported ... Chrishelle and Jason went Instagram official during a group trip to Italy. That trip, btw, also included Mary and her new/young hubby. Awk?

Chris Brown's Daughter Royalty Visits Doc Antle's Zoo ... Tigers, Chimps & Hyenas, Oh My!!!

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WILD DAY AT THE ZOO
Myrtle Beach Safari

Chris Brown's daughter is living the dream -- that's exactly how Royalty's describing the trip she and her mother, Nia Guzman, took to hang at a 'Tiger King' star's wild animal park.

Royalty and Nia hit up the Myrtle Beach Safari Wednesday, and got pretty cozy with the baby animals at Doc Antle's facility during a day and night safari.

Chris' 7-year-old little girl was pretty chill while petting a couple tiger cubs -- she even jumped in a pool with 'em, and was eventually joined by a baby hyena too.

Royalty and Nia both posted a bunch of photos and videos from their adventure, which included encounters with a chimp, some monkeys and an elephant. Royalty captioned one of her videos ... "Living the dream! #SaveTheTigersSaveTheWorld."

The post also gave a shout-out to Doc Antle saying, "We love what you are doing @docantle thank you for these memories!"

Doc, of course, is the same guy who was indicted in Virginia for animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking in October 2020. He called the charges bogus. Most recently ... PETA wanted the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate Doc for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

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MONKEYING AROUND

This isn't Royalty's first rodeo with exotic pets. We doubt she remembers -- she was only 3 -- but her dad got into hot water back in 2018 after he posted video of Royalty hanging with a baby Capuchin monkey he owned.

Chris eventually paid an $11k fine for not having a permit for the monkey.

'When They See Us' Netflix Can't Dodge Defamation Suit By Ex-Prosecutor Fairstein

Netflix and Ava DuVernay will continue to battle Linda Fairstein's defamation lawsuit over her portrayal in "When They See Us" ... a judge just denied their bid to toss the suit out of court.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... a federal judge in Manhattan ruled Monday Linda's defamation suit plausibly alleged defamation in 5 scenes of the critically acclaimed series about the Central Park 5 case.

Remember ... Linda was the woman who helped prosecute the now-vindicated Central Park 5, and Felicity Huffman plays her in the Netflix series.

The judge ruled several scenes depicting Linda as racist while directing a police roundup of potential suspects in Harlem, withholding DNA evidence from the defense and coercing confessions could prove to be defamatory and can't be tossed out at this stage of litigation.

As we reported ... Linda sued Netflix and the series director for defamation back in March 2020, claiming the show portrayed her as a "racist, unethical villain who is determined to jail innocent children of color at any cost."

Netflix initially called the suit frivolous and without merit and tried to get it tossed by arguing the series is protected by the First Amendment. Although some of Fairstein's claims were tossed, the judge ruled the case could go forward on her claims concerning some critical scenes in the series.

Stay tuned ...

Joe Exotic Prostate Cancer May Have Spread ... Says He's 'Ready to Die'

Things are looking grim for Joe Exotic -- he fears his prostate cancer has spread to his pelvis and stomach ... and says he will not seek treatment if it's already progressed to an advanced stage.

As we reported ... the imprisoned 'Tiger King' star revealed his cancer diagnosis in May and pleaded with President Biden for a pardon so he could be released and get medical treatment.

Joe says he hasn't received any treatment since then -- and that he's also been waiting for a colonoscopy and endoscopy since October -- and now claims he's been told by doctors his cancer might have spread. His attorney, John M. Phillips, tells us doctors are checking Joe's pelvis and stomach ... he was supposed to have an appointment Monday, but it was canceled because of COVID lockdown.

According to The Sun ... Joe's still awaiting an official diagnosis, but insists he will refuse medical help if his cancer is stage 3 of 4 and "let it take me." He added, he's "ready to die."

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SO THANKFUL
Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt

The unfortunate news comes about a month after things were looking a little more positive for Joe, with a court ruling resulting in a potentially shorter prison sentence.

He also launched his own weed line from behind bars ... but now it seems like his prison stint, and life in general, is taking a turn for the worse.

'Selling Sunset' Christine Quinn Hits the Beach with New Baby ... Bikini Bod's Back!!!

Christine Quinn could sell a lot more than real estate these days -- the "Selling Sunset" star might wanna bottle her post-birth workout regimen, 'cause she hit the beach to show off some tremendous results.

The real estate agent -- who's featured on the Netflix reality series -- was on the beach in Taormina, Sicily ... cruising the shore with her newborn son, Christian, in hand -- who's just about 3 months old at this point.

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Check out the photos ... Christine was cradling her baby boy in her arms, and even got into the water with him -- holding Christian and an umbrella pretty seamlessly.

Cute mom and son moment, no doubt, but the other takeaway is how good Christine's looking. She had to have an emergency C-section during delivery in May. Three months later, as they say ... baby and mom are doing fine. Really fine!!!

Christine hasn't been shy about showing off her fitness during her Italian getaway.

The whole fam's out there -- including her hubby, Christian Sr. -- and it seems they're having a ball. Baby Christian probably won't remember this, but his folks sure will. Enjoy!

'My Unorthodox Life' Ripped for Unfair, Negative Depictions By 'Jew in the City' Founder

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WE WANT THE TRUTH
TMZ.com

Allison Josephs has had it with Hollywood's portrayal of the Orthodox Jewish community, and believes "My Unorthodox Life" is the latest contributor to negative stereotypes she calls downright dangerous.

We got the "Jew in the City" founder outside the Peninsula Hotel in NYC, and she had some stern reactions to the controversial new Netflix series about Julia Haart -- CEO of modeling agency Elite World Group -- who left her Haredi community in 2013.

Josephs has several issues, first and foremost with Julia ... who she accuses of co-opting someone else's story and not being entirely truthful. She also blasts Haart for generalizing her former Jewish community as "fundamentalist" at a time when hate crimes against Jews are on the rise.

Allison goes on to say these recurring negative portrayals of the Orthodox community on TV and film are devastating ... and she's pleading with Hollywood execs to do better.

"My Unorthodox Life" is far from the only culprit of this, according to Allison ... just listen to her rattle off several other examples, including a brand new movie.

Carole Baskin To Joe Exotic Snitch If You Want Lighter Sentence!!!

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RAT THEM OUT
TMZ.com

Carole Baskin doesn't like the fact Joe Exotic could potentially get out of prison early, but she says there's something he could do that WOULD warrant an early release -- snitch!!!

We got Carole this week on Capitol Hill and asked about Joe having his 22-year sentence in his murder-for-hire conviction vacated because of trial error.

As we reported ... Exotic's original sentence is being tossed, and the case is getting sent back to a lower court, where he'll likely receive a shorter sentence in the range of 17-21 years. His original sentence was 22 years behind bars.

The 'Tiger King' star says Joe belongs in prison, but if he really wants to get out early, Carole thinks he should rat out anyone who allegedly conspired with him to put a hit out on her.

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SO THANKFUL
Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt

As we first told you ... Joe's super optimistic about going home earlier than expected, and he's confident his lawyers will prove his innocence once and for all.

Carole seems to think Joe could get a very light sentence if he snitches, but doubts he will pull a Tekashi69.

There's always bad blood between Carole and Joe ... and Baskin makes sure she gets in a parting shot.

Netflix, Google & FB drop the hammer on the unvaccinated

Those who are unvaccinated and want to continue working at Netflix, Facebook or Google in the near future better roll up their sleeves ... and get the jab, 'cause it'll be mandatory.

The news that all 3 media behemoths would be requiring COVID vaccines for in-office/on-set work came down Wednesday. Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, reportedly sent an email to employees, saying they were delaying their full office return to October 18, due to the recent Delta spikes.

He also noted, however, that anyone coming back to work in the office after that would have to be inoculated, and show proof. It's unclear if Google will continue to let employees work from home part-time -- something they said they'd allow back in December ... with workers required to come in at least 3 days a week once things were totally back to normal.

Facebook came out and said they'd be doing the same soon -- confirming that employees looking to come work at U.S. offices going forward would need to prove they've gotten a shot ... while also offering a small concession for those who don't get vaxxed, saying medical and/or other reasons will be considered and evaluated as they navigate a way forward.

Netflix implemented something similar this week as well. They reportedly told their in-house production teams and partners that folks working in "Zone A" -- which encompasses actors and those in close proximity to them -- would be required to be vaxxed up.

They seem to be the first studio to draw a hard line in the sand on this issue -- and other studios may follow suit now that they've taken this uncertain first step.

Netflix's regular employees, meanwhile, have by and large been WFH during the pandemic -- something their CEO, Reed Hastings, has suggested he hates ... and wants to put an end to as soon as a majority of his workforce is vaccinated. He called WFH a "pure negative."

It's an interesting move on everyone's part -- more and more companies seemed inclined to mandate the jab as time goes on ... which is bad news for anti-vaxxers.

Joe Exotic Weed Line Package Earns Its Stripes ... Shows Off Its Pride!!!

Joe Exotic has dubbed himself "The New King of Cannabis" ... it's front-and-center in the packaging of his new weed line and TMZ's obtained the first pics.

The colorful packet for his new cannabis line, Joe Exotic Cannabis, will be unveiled next week at the cannabis CHAMPS Trade Show in Las Vegas ... and TMZ has a first look at what Joe and his partners have been up to since announcing their new venture last month.

The packaging's got Joe's touches all over it ... from paying homage to his moniker as the so-called "Tiger King" ... to celebrating his sexual orientation with a display of the Pride flag at the bottom of the package.

There are tigers, lions and cubs drawings on the front of the package ... and Joe's smoking a blunt while sitting on his new throne. As we first reported ... Joe's team struck up a deal with Tango Hotel Charlie Group, LLC and Cannaxxs LTD to launch the line.

Even though Joe's behind bars, he's been pretty hands-on through calls and emails with his attorney, Brad Small.

Joe is working with Joshua Anderson, the founder of Tango Hotel Charlie Group. Joshua will be handling the distribution and brand development. They've partnered with Xotic Flavorz farm in Honeydew, CA to produce the cannabis.

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GROW EXOTIC
TMZ.com

And, get this ... Joe's line will also debut a cannabis seltzer at next week's trade show. The seltzer's name is aptly dubbed "Tiger Piss." Some of the flavors include tiger's blood orange and peach-mango.

CHUG!!! (responsibly) CHUG!!! (responsibly) CHUG!!! (responsibly).

'Outer Banks' Star Chase Stokes Dating a Costar? This Is How Madelyn and I Handle It ...

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KEEPIN' IT PROFESSIONAL
TMZ.com

Dating costars tends to usually go south FAST but "Outer Banks" star Chase Stokes shares how he and his costar/girlfriend, Madelyn Cline, make it work. Take note, Hollywood.

We got Chase leaving the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" studio Thursday, and we were eager to find out how he and Madelyn manage to make their relationship thrive when so many costar relationships tend to flame out.

Fans of the popular Netflix show know Chase and Madelyn are each other's love interests on the show. Just a couple of months after it premiered in April 2020, Chase and Madelyn went public with their relationship ... and they've been inseparable ever since.

Season 2 drops next week, and the show's success is hugely dependent on cast chemistry -- which means Chase and Maddie dating could be risky business. What happens if the BF/GF thing doesn't work out???

Chase isn't worried ... he told us having a business-first approach helped them lay the foundation. And, if you think spending 10-15 hours with your significant other at work seems like a drag ... just wait 'til you hear from Chase why it's certainly not for him.

Chase also tells our photog it helps Maddie's an awesome person. Know what else helps? Singing your GF's praises for all to see and hear.

This guy's a pro. Way to score brownie points, Chase!!!

Joe Exotic Conviction Upheld ... Reacts To Potentially Lighter Sentence!!!

UPDATE

3:11 PM PT -- Here's Joe Exotic reacting to the possibility of being a free man sooner than expected ... and you can hear the optimism in his voice.

UPDATE
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SO THANKFUL
Law Offices of Phillips & Hunt
UPDATE

TMZ has obtained video of Joe calling his lawyer, John M. Phillips, and you can tell Joe is feeling good about his vacated 22-year sentence.

UPDATE

Joe says he's confident his lawyers will prove his innocence so he can finally go home ... and he's also got messages for President Biden and Carole Baskin.

Joe Exotic just caught a potential break, and while he's not walking out of prison today ... he might get out a little bit sooner.

The federal appeals court in the 'Tiger King' star's case just upheld his conviction for murder-for-hire, but there's a silver lining ... his 22-year sentence has been vacated, and he'll be resentenced.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the appeals court reviewed Joe's case and upheld the conviction, but determined the U.S. District Court for the Western District in Oklahoma City made a technical error by not grouping the 2 murder-for-hire convictions at his sentencing.

So, Exotic's original sentence will be tossed, and the case is getting sent back to the lower court ... where he'll likely receive a shorter sentence now.

That's the good news, but ... even after the grouping error is corrected, he's looking at a sentence in the range of 17-21 years. Joe was convicted of murder-for-hire after all.

Still, Joe's legal team is celebrating the W. His appellate lawyer, Brandon Sample, tells us he's pleased with the appellate court’s decision. He says, "I knew when I agreed to represent Joe that an appeal would be difficult, but I also knew that the law was on Joe's side."

Sample adds, "I am optimistic that the decision today is but one of many more victories to come for Joe—and his eventual freedom."

Originally Published -- 12:42 PM PT

'Bling Empire' Chèrie and Jessey Leaving Show

"Bling Empire" will have a bit of a different look for the upcoming second season ... because Chèrie Chan and Jessey Lee tell us they're leaving the Netflix show.

Chèrie and Jessey tell TMZ ... they've decided to move on to focus on their family, business and other endeavors. As 'Bling' fans know, Chèrie proposed to her baby daddy, Jessey, on the season one finale, so now they're engaged with 2 kids.

Chèrie and Jessey tell us they're grateful for being on the first season of the Netflix series and they wish "Bling Empire" success in season 2 and beyond.

There was already speculation the couple wouldn't be coming back for season 2, and the fact is they don't have any real financial incentive to remain on the show. If ya didn't know ... Chèrie is an heir to a denim empire.

As we first told you ... season 2 is already in production and Dorothy Wang is one of the new faces shooting with the rest of the returning cast.

Millie Bobby Brown's Ex I Shouldn't Have Talked About Our Relationship

Millie Bobby Brown's ex is apologizing for talking about their relationship in a live stream ... he says he was drunk and, rather than ramble on, should've shut his mouth.

TikTok star Hunter Echo just explained his side of the controversial live stream ... saying he was drinking and responded to negative comments the wrong way by continuing to talk about his past with Millie.

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NOT MY FINEST MOMENT
@hunter_echoo / TikTok

Hunter says he shouldn't have said anything at all and he's sorry ... but it's important to note he never apologizes to Millie or claims that what he says was untruthful. In fact, he doesn't even mention Millie by name once in the apology.

Remember ... Hunter recently alluded to having a sexual relationship with Millie when she was 16 years old and he was 20, going on Instagram Live and seemingly aiming crude comments about kinky sex acts at Millie.

As we first told you ... Millie's reps say, "Mr. Ecimovic’s remarks on social media are not only dishonest, but also are irresponsible, offensive and hateful. Instead of engaging in a public discourse with him through the press or on social media, we are taking action to ensure that he stops this behavior once and for all."

The reps for the "Stranger Things" star didn't say specifically how they feel Hunter's being dishonest ... and he's just saying he should've handled things better.

Millie Bobby Brown TikTok Star's Being 'Dishonest' About Our Relationship

Millie Bobby Brown says the TikTok star bragging about their alleged sexual encounters when he was 20 and she was just 16 is not being truthful ... and her team is threatening legal action to shut him up.

Here's the deal ... TikToker Hunter Echo recently alluded to having a sexual relationship with Millie, claiming she was in love with him and saying he thought her parents knew about the alleged relationship because they were all living under one roof.

Millie's reps tell TMZ ... "Mr. Ecimovic’s remarks on social media are not only dishonest, but also are irresponsible, offensive and hateful. Instead of engaging in a public discourse with him through the press or on social media, we are taking action to ensure that he stops this behavior once and for all."

The reps for the "Stranger Things" star would not say specifically how they feel he's being dishonest.

Hunter came under fire for his crude comments seemingly aimed at Millie -- he mentioned tons of kinky sex acts -- but he says he won't apologize for anything.

We reached out to law enforcement sources across L.A. ... none of which had any sort of investigations open concerning Echo.

Millie is now 17 and she has recently been hanging out with Bon Jovi's 19-year-old son, Jake Bongiovi.

H.E.R. My Music on Obamas' New Show Can Connect Kids to Politics

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ENGAGING A NEW GENERATION
TMZ.com

There's zero need to fill in H.E.R. about "Schoolhouse Rock!" ... 'cause not only has she heard of the iconic series, but she's also helped the Obamas improve on it with their new Netflix animated series.

The 4-time Grammy-winning singer joins us Monday on "TMZ Live" to let us know how executive producers Barack and Michelle Obama got her onboard for "We the People." Here's a hint: there was no arm-twisting involved.

The series features roughly 3-minute long episodes teaching viewers about different aspects of American civics and politics -- and they're centered around originals songs from H.E.R., Janelle Monae, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Rexha and others.

Now, for older heads this is gonna sound very familiar ... kinda like ABC's popular series, "Schoolhouse Rock!," from the 70s and 80s. You know "I'm Just a Bill" was a jam!

Well H.E.R. says "We The People" differs in one big way -- it has established hitmakers, like herself, which she says will immediately draw young audiences, and help them connect with the message. Let's just call it better learning through better music.

H.E.R. hopes the songs from the Netflix series live on like those from "Schoolhouse Rock!" ... and help young people get more invested in the country's political future.

After all, THEY are the people.

T-Pain Usher Told Me I Ruined Music ... But No Hard Feelings!!!

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"DID I RUIN MUSIC?"
NETFLIX
UPDATE

10:17 AM PT -- T-Pain just added some much-needed context that softens the blow everyone assumed he took with Usher's comment -- saying it's not as big a deal as he perhaps made it seem.

UPDATE

TP writes, "I still love and respect @Usher telling that story was in no way meant to disrespect that man. Ppl talk s*** about me 24/7 but when it comes from someone you truly respect it hits very different."

UPDATE

He adds, "I never said f*** Ursh it was a drop in the ocean of s*** I was already goin through."

T-Pain says Usher summoned him some years back just to casually let him know he had torpedoed the music biz by popularizing autotune ... which T says sent him into depression.

The 'Buy U a Drank' singer recently told the tale on Netflix's new docuseries 'This Is Pop' -- detailing what he claims was a seriously cold-ass encounter in 2013. Watch how T-Pain describes the alleged put-down ... apparently, they were both flying in the same airplane on the way to an award show, when T says he was called to Mr. Raymond's seat. They exchanged pleasantries, and then T-Pain says Usher laid in.

According to T, Usher believed T-Pain had tainted professional singing for guys (like Usher) who use their natural voice, and he supposedly said it with a straight face.

T-Pain says he was shocked and that, before he knew it, he realized he'd fallen into a depression, which he says lasted 4 years -- something he seems to be attributing to the Usher moment itself. It's a wild story.

Of course, people are jumping to T-Pain's defense in light of this, assuring him he not only did NOT ruin music, but might've actually revolutionized it ... considering every other famous rapper/singer these days uses some form of autotune.

And, for argument's sake ... even if you agree with Usher's sentiment, why break it to someone in that manner, and so randomly??? Seems like a jerk move -- on its face, anyway. We'll see if Usher offers a different version of the story.

Originally Published -- 8:51 AM PT