'Tiger King' Star Doc Antle Indicted for Animal Cruelty ... And Wildlife Trafficking

UPDATE

5:17 PM PT -- Doc Antle says, “I am terribly shocked and disappointed at the charges that have been filed against me by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and how they have sought to involve my daughters in this matter. I categorically deny any act or conduct that could ever be considered as “animal cruelty."

UPDATE

He added he would never hurt or abuse any of his animals, and is looking "forward to being able to answer these charges and to be able to clear my good name.”

UPDATE

We're told Doc and his daughters have not yet been taken into custody.

'Tiger King' star Doc Antle is facing a slew of felony and misdemeanor charges now for his treatment and transport of lion cubs.

Antle, the owner and founder of Myrtle Beach Safari, was indicted Friday in Virginia for felony wildlife trafficking after a months-long investigation found evidence he trafficked lion cubs between South Carolina and Virginia ... according to Virginia's Attorney General.

You'll recall ... Netflix's "Tiger King" documentary mentioned Antle's safari park was raided last December, and now it seems that raid was part of this investigation.

Antle is also charged with 1 felony count of conspiracy to sell or transport endangered wildlife, 4 misdemeanor counts of conspiracy to violate the Endangered Species Act, and 9 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty.

In addition, 2 of Antle's daughters, Tawny Antle and Tilakam Watterson, were charged with misdemeanors for animal cruelty and violating the Endangered Species Act.

The same investigation led to felony charges against Keith A. Wilson, owner of Wilson's Wild Animal Park. Authorities say they seized 119 animals, including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats, water buffalo, and more from Wilson's roadside zoo and claim he got some of the animals from Antle.

Originally Published -- 9:35 AM PT

Paulie Calafiore From 'Big Brother' to Bobsled Track? Gunning for Olympics!!!

'Big Brother' alum Paulie Calafiore's looking to go from the reality TV couch to the gold medal stand ... as a member of the U.S. Men's Bobsled Team.

Paulie -- best known as a houseguest on "Big Brother 18" -- got a call from Team USA coaches back in May after his good friend, Lolo Jones, recommended him for the popular winter sport ... according to sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

We're told on Paulie's first call with the coaches, they asked what he knew about bobsledding and he replied ... "I watched 'Cool Runnings' as a kid."

Maybe not the best start, but Lolo also had an unconventional path to the sport coming over as an Olympic hurdler ... so our sources say Paulie's motivated to make it happen.

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IN THE ZONE
@paulcalafiore_ / Instagram

We're told COVID-19 provided a training challenge for Paulie from the jump, but he whipped together a team consisting of a nutritionist, strength coach and 3 other specialists to prepare the past 5 months.

His everyday training regimen includes 2-3 hours of virtual mobility and flexibility sessions, 2-3 hours of strength training and sprinting sessions, and a strict 5,000 calorie a day diet. He's been training in both Montana where he lives, and South Carolina.

As for Paulie's progress ... our sources say he took a virtual combine to mark his time and weights in September and had incredible stats. He's currently quarantining for 2 weeks at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, and after that, he'll hit the bobsled push track for the next phase of training.

If all goes well, Paulie may be on his way to the next Winter Games ... scheduled for February 2022 in Beijing.

As we reported ... Paulie was one of several 'Big Brother' stars who quarantined this summer in anticipation for "Big Brother: All-Stars," but he didn't make the final cast list.

So, instead of 3 months in the 'BB' house ... he can focus on bob-slaying. Good luck!

Genie Bouchard Dating NFL QB Mason Rudolph!!!

Call this a new kind of love-love for tennis star Genie Bouchard ... TMZ Sports has confirmed she's now dating Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph!!!

A source close to the couple tells us the two began a romantic fling recently ... and have gotten pretty serious.

In fact, 26-year-old Genie was just spotted at a fancy restaurant in Pittsburgh this week ... posting a pic of her at the place with the caption, "Pitt stop."

25-year-old Mason -- who was presumably on the other end of the camera -- dropped a "like" on the photo.

Of course, the new relationship means the end of a possible old one for Rudolph ... as we previously reported, the quarterback had been seen in L.A. in April getting cozy with "Bachelor" star Hannah Ann Sluss.

Unclear how serious the two were ... but Rudolph's clearly moved on either way.

As for Genie, she's been no stranger to famous dates in the past ... remember Super Bowl bet guy?!

But, seems she's finally found her special someone ... which is awesome for her, considering just a few months ago she tweeted that going through quarantine "would be a lot more fun with a boyfriend."

Congrats!!

'Botched' Star Terry Dubrow Claims Ex-Butt Lift Patient Attempting $5 Mil Extortion

UPDATE

11:46 AM PT -- 10/13 Scoggins has now filed a lawsuit against Dubrow claiming she was put at risk of serious infection when her incision opened up after the July 2019 procedure.

UPDATE

As for the tools left behind, the lawsuit alleges there was a "tan and white synthetic mesh-like material" found inside Scoggins. However, sources close to Dubrow tell us he doesn't use mesh, and if it was left inside Scoggins, it must have been left by another doctor.

UPDATE

12:40 PM PT -- Scoggins' attorney, Stephen Le Brocq, tells TMZ, "Instead of doing the right thing and accepting responsibility for his gross incompetence, he (Dubrow) makes claims of extortion." Le Brocq also claims Dubrow left surgical tools inside Scoggins and rushed to finish her procedure so he could get back to filming his TV show.

Dr. Terry Dubrow has a legal problem that's a pain in the butt ... he claims an ex-patient of his is trying to extort him out of 5 MILLION BUCKS.

The "Botched" star filed legal docs Thursday ... claiming Sandy Scoggins threatened him with a federal lawsuit and threatened to report him to the medical board if he didn't settle up ... this according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Dubrow -- who is being repped by legal eagle Larry Stein -- says he treated Scoggins in July 2019 for a buttock lift with fat flaps. During the June consultation, Dubrow claims he specifically advised her of the substantial risks of complications resulting from plastic surgery and the need for post-operative medical care. He says she should have gotten aftercare from another doctor upon returning home to Texas. Dubrow says he last communicated with her on October 25, 2019.

Nearly a year after surgery, Dubrow claims Scoggins sent him a pre-lawsuit demand alleging Dubrow was negligent in providing her with medical treatment and care because he allegedly failed to diagnose and treat her injuries.

She sent him a 901-page demand letter demanding $5 million ... or else she'd file a federal lawsuit against him and threatened to drag his "Botched" show into the lawsuit as well as his staff if he didn't pay up.

Dubrow calls Scoggin's efforts an extortion campaign, and he's willing to fight it out in arbitration.

Originally Published -- 10/8 11:12 AM PT

'Too Hot to Handle' Star Larsa Pippen & I Are 'Just Friends' ... Play Coy Talking Dating Rumors

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FRIENDLY LUNCH
TMZ.com
UPDATE

3:00 PM PT -- Larsa and Harry are hanging again ... this time grabbing lunch Thursday at the French joint, Zinque, in L.A.

UPDATE

Paps asked Larsa how she met Harry and if they're dating ... but she kept her lips sealed and left all the talking -- and freaking giggling -- to Harry, who tried to play it coy.

UPDATE

Harry said they're "just friends" and getting to know each other.

Larsa Pippen is dating again, and it looks like she's bagged herself a young Netflix reality TV star ... who's also an Australian snack.

The estranged wife of NBA star Scottie Pippen hit up Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills Wednesday night with none other than Harry Jowsey from "Too Hot to Handle." They seemed pretty damn cozy ... snuggling up for selfies and leaving the joint together -- hence the dating rumors.

As you can see from the pics, they walked pretty close and appeared to be having a blast. Larsa explained their night out by saying this on social media -- "So, I decided I need dance lessons so I called my friend Harry." Harry chimed in with ... "We're going to be doing salsa lessons. Stay tuned."

Larsa and Harry also appeared to be at the restaurant with some friends. Either way, both are pretty much single and ready to mingle. Remember, Larsa split from Scottie in late 2018 and she most recently threw cold water on rumors she was banging NBA star, Ben Simmons. As for Harry ... some of his co-stars have gone on the record to say he was only dating fellow co-star Francesca Farago for clout.

For what it's worth ... Harry is half Larsa's age. So, good for her!

Originally published -- 7:30 AM PT

'Real Housewives of NY' Hires Eboni K. Williams ... Cast's First Black Housewife!!!

The "Real Housewives of New York City" is making a little history ... now that producers have hired their first Black cast member in the show's 13-year run.

TMZ's learned the Bravo series hired Eboni K. Williams to join the Big Apple ladies for season 13, which is already in production. The attorney and TV host is ecstatic about her new gig, telling us ... "NYC is filled with successful and dynamic Black women. I’m excited to join this legendary franchise as the first Black housewife. Can’t wait to share a slice of life in this city that hasn’t been seen before."

She added, "Anyone who’s aware of my work knows I don’t hold back. I’m going to keep it just as real here as I do everywhere else."

The 37-year-old Charlotte native co-hosted "FOX News Specialists" before leaving FNC at the end of 2018. For a short time, Eboni co-hosted a talk show on WABC Radio in NYC and currently co-hosts "State of the Culture" on Diddy's REVOLT TV.

Eboni earned her law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law -- and she clerked for Louisiana's Secretary of State and the state's Attorney General. Bottom line ... she can hold her own in an argument, which should come in handy.

As we reported, the show's producers also shot with Bershan Shaw, another potential Black housewife. In the end, they decided Eboni was the better fit as a full-time cast member. We're told it's still possible Bershan will make appearances.

TMZ broke the story ... 'RHONY' wanted to diversify its cast this upcoming season. There was certainly plenty of room to do so with Dorinda Medley and Tinsley Mortimer's departures.

Brie Bella Real Estate Twinsies with Nikki ... Lists AZ Pad for $1.7 Mil!!!

If it ain't broke, don't fix it -- Brie Bella and her twin sister, Nikki, are using the same playbook for real estate ... as they did for childbirth. Allow us to explain.

Brie just listed her Phoenix home for a cool $1,695,000. The 4-bedroom, 4.5-bathrooms crib is 1 of only 16 homes in a coveted gated neighborhood ... and it comes with a spacious 3,000 square feet of living space.

It's a semi-custom, modern farmhouse with soaring ceilings, custom wood cabinetry, stone counters and hardwood flooring throughout. Now, if the "Total Bellas" star's move sounds familiar, that's because Nikki did this with her AZ property just over a month ago.

As we first reported ... Nikki put her place on the market back in August after living in it for barely 3 months, and we're told she already has a contingent offer on it.

Nikki, of course, lived right next to Brie ... and the building process was part of this past season's storyline.

Brie's home listing -- Greg Corbett of eXp Realty -- totally makes sense for the sisters. Remember, they were pregnant the same time, and Nikki gave birth to her baby boy on July 31 ... while Brie followed the next day, also having a boy.

They joked on the show that if they got on each other's nerves, Nikki could just up and sell the house. No word if that actually happened -- we doubt it -- but they're bolting together.

It's a twins thing.

Tyra Banks Screws Up 'DWTS' Elimination Round ... Names Wrong Couple

"Dancing with the Stars" is looking more like musical chairs after Tyra Banks almost saved a couple that, based on votes, should've been on the chopping block ... and somewhere Steve Harvey's laughing.

During Monday night's week 4 elimination, the new 'DWTS' host read off 10 names of couples who were safe to move on -- but when it came time to name the bottom 2 pairs, Tyra flubbed it.

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TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

It was awkward ... Vernon Davis and Peta Murgatroyd, Anne Heche and Keo Motsepe and a third couple were all on stage as Tyra and co. realized the mistake simultaneously. Two of the couples on stage were actually safe, and they brought back "Cheer" star Monica Aldama and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy to get under the spotlight with Anne and Keo ... as the correct bottom 2 vote-getters.

Confusing? Yeah, just watch, and know Anne and Keo eventually got the boot. The real entertainment came from the blame game -- Tyra at first blamed an error in the control room, but then seemed to take the blame herself, saying she was just reading off her flashcards.

Bad as it was, it wasn't as colossal of a screw-up as when Steve botched the Miss Universe winner, or when the Academy gave Best Picture to the wrong movie in 2017 -- much bigger stages.

Tyra took to IG after the show to further explain, saying there was a technical difficulty and that the names on the cards she was reading were actually the wrong ones ... so not really her problem after all. She was graceful about it, though, adding they got past it as a team.

Like ya said, TB, that's live TV ... get 'em next week!

Cassie Randolph Files Police Report Thinks Colton Put Tracking Device on Car

Cassie Randolph's war with Colton Underwood is now in the hands of law enforcement ... TMZ's learned she filed a report claiming he put a tracking device on her car.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Cassie went to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department Wednesday night to file a complaint about the allegation she first made against the 'Bachelor' star in her request for a restraining order against him.

Cassie's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, tells TMZ ... "It was her intention to first, try and work through this process privately in a manner that gives both her and Colton safety, security and respect. We are confident this is possible."

TMZ broke the story ... Cassie alleged Colton planted a tracking device, and that her brother found it taped to the bottom of her car's back bumper. She claimed he was trying to track her whereabouts long after they had broken up.

She made other claims about him showing up uninvited to her L.A. apartment and her parents' house in Huntington Beach. The judge signed off on Cassie's restraining order, and Colton's been ordered to stay away.

Brody Jenner Bends MTV His Way ... 'The Hills' to Begin Filming Again in L.A.

Brody Jenner gave MTV his filming preference -- he'd only resume filming "The Hills: New Beginnings" if it's shot in L.A. and nowhere else, and guess what? The network said okay.

Production sources tell TMZ ... other cast members were willing to leave LaLa land and film in a bubble at a house that would house the full cast, similar to what they do in "Big Brother" and "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation." Some of the locations being considered ... Colorado and Montana. But, Brody was NOT having it.

We're told in early August, Brody's team started conversations with the network and insisted he'd only film the show in L.A. We're told he explained the show's supposed to be about cast members and their lives revolving around the things they do in L.A., not some random location outside of SoCal.

Brody also told the network he'd be willing to wait and resume production of season 2 until there was a vaccine for COVID-19. The pandemic shut down the season 3 episodes in.

We're told MTV continued pressuring Brody into relenting ... but Brody put his foot down.

Finally, MTV came back to him one last time and when Brody AGAIN said no to filming outside of L.A., MTV gave in, realizing it couldn't do the show without him. We're told season 2 will resume production in L.A. in the next 2 to 4 weeks.

It's clear Brody had leverage and came out on top. It should be noted ... Brody and the network are in deep conversations to have him back on the network because he's now happy the show is taking on its original form. That being said, Brody has yet to sign on as of Monday afternoon ... but all signs point to it's only a matter of time.

Kourtney Kardashian Not Pregnant ... 'KUWTK' Just a Tease!!!

Kourtney Kardashian is NOT carrying her fourth child with Scott Disick, despite some strong speculation she's pregnant.

As you know ... the trailer for "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" season 19 dropped last month, insinuating Kourtney and Scott are back together and she's having his baby.

Kourtney's recent Instagram post, featuring a shadow some eagle-eyed fans thought looked like a baby bump, kept the rumor mill churning ... but we've learned that's simply NOT the case.

Sources close to Kourtney tell TMZ ... she is not pregnant again and she's happy being a mother of 3. As for the 'KUWTK' scene, we're told it was taken out of context as a teaser.

Bottom line ... our sources say Kourtney and Scott are not together as a couple, they're just very good friends and co-parents.

'Love Island' Noah Purvis Porn Past Bites Him in the ... Confirms Why He's Off the Show

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THE PAST IS THE PAST
TMZ.com

"Love Island" cast member Noah Purvis was suddenly no longer a resident, and it's because of some of his old racy videos and photos ... he confirms with TMZ.

The rumors began to swirl when viewers noticed Noah was absent from the villa a couple weeks back, and CBS later addressed it, claiming he "provided false information on his application ... which violates his contestant agreement."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Noah explains the situation in more detail though, telling us the producers informed him they learned about an alias he used in the past while shooting adult videos and photos ... and at that point, he knew he was screwed.

Noah says he'd forgotten about the porn and even told producers he was promised it would never surface, but it did ... and "Love Island" didn't love it and gave him the ax.

As for why he chose to dabble in porn ... Noah says it was mostly for the money, but he also hoped it would gain him some exposure with producers.

Ironically it did ... but not in the way he hoped.

'Tiger King' Zookeepers Make Commercial Debut Todd Bridges Goes Exotic!!!

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NEW KING IN TOWN
Insurance King / Facebook

Here's a couple of Joe Exotic's former zookeepers making their first dive into commercials ... a hilarious 'Tiger King' spoof with Todd Bridges as their old boss!!!

Saff Saffery and John Reinke -- who were featured in 'Tiger King' and used to care for the big cats at Joe's GW Zoo -- star in the ad for Insurance King, opposite the "Diff'rent Strokes" star doing his best Exotic impression.

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THE INSURANCE KING
Insurance King/ Facebook

The 'Tiger King' references are everywhere ... from the tiger roars, to Todd dropping infamous Joe quotes and rocking his signature mullet. Oh, and eagle-eyed viewers will notice the Insurance Company logo, which usually features a lion, swapped out for a tiger wearing a crown.

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JUST LIKE OLD TIMES
Insurance King / Facebook

As we first told you ... Saff and John reunited for the first time in 3 years this week in Rockford, IL, celebrating Carole Baskin's 'DWTS' exit and meeting Todd ahead of the commercial shoot.

Saff, John and Todd put in some serious work ... all told, they shot 5 different commercials for Insurance King, and they even took shots at Carole!

Tim Allen & Richard Karn Does Everybody Know What Time It Is?!? First Day Of Our New Show!!!

Tim Allen and his good buddy Richard Karn are providing a sweet dose of nostalgia for '90s kids ... filming together again for a show they'll co-host together.

The "Home Improvement" stars are working together again for the competition show "Assembly Required" on the History channel. Richard was so excited about the reunion, he posted a pic. If you have any doubts about how much fans wanna see 'em back together -- it racked up nearly 20,000 likes in just a few minutes!

Tim might have given just a smirk for the pic, but he's been excited about this since back in August when he announced they were gonna be doing the show. As he put it then, "I created a competition show with @History and my old buddy @TheRichardKarn to challenge the people who love to get stuff done!"

The series -- which doesn't have a premiere date yet -- will feature builders from across the country who are tasked to fix all kinds of household items.

For those of you too young ... Tim and Richard's "Home Improvement" was a hit sitcom on ABC from 1991 to 1999. Since then, Richard has guest-starred on Tim's "Last Man Standing" -- but this new series is the closest we've come to a "Home Improvement" reboot.

Shout out to Wilson, BTW ... he won't be peeking over a fence on their new competition series. Earl Hindman, who played the nosy neighbor on "Home Improvement," passed away in 2003. RIP

Kobe Bryant Storage Locker Treasures Returned to Vanessa ... 'It's All Worked Out'

The treasure trove of Kobe Bryant memorabilia found in an abandoned storage locker has been returned to the NBA star's family, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... someone recently won an auction for an abandoned locker in L.A. -- like a scene out of "Storage Wars" -- which contained everything from Kobe Bryant shoes to jerseys and even a mink coat from a photoshoot.

In total, there were 35 pairs of shoes, jerseys, Lakers practice gear, a Lakers all-access badge that says, "Mamba," tax paperwork and more.

The buyer ended up selling the items to "Storage Wars" star Rene Nezhoda for roughly $13,000 ... and the original plan was to make a fortune on the open market.

But, we're told Vanessa Bryant learned about the auction and felt the items belonged with the Bryant family -- so her reps reached out to Rene before he put them up for sale in hopes of working out a deal.

We spoke with Rene who tells us, "Everything has been worked out. A number of personal items, worn items, and paperwork were sold directly back to the Bryant family."

Rene wouldn't tell us the sale price because of the terms of the agreement -- but sources close to the deal say it wasn't about turning a profit, it was about getting the items back to the family in a fair way.

That said, Rene was able to keep some of the items that were NOT worn by Kobe -- some cool shoes and shirts ... and he is planning on selling those for profit.

Towanda Braxton Shocks Family with Engagement ... 'Are You Messing With Me?!'

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Are you serious?!
@LionsShareNews

Towanda Braxton apparently didn't tell her family she's getting hitched ... which explains the shock her sister, Trina, and mom, Evelyn, had when a photog broke the news to them.

Trina and her mother were at LAX Wednesday when they found out about Towanda's secret, apparently, engagement to family friend and music producer Sean Hall. Check out the video ... the photog tells Trina, and the absolute surprise is written all over her face -- and then she had to break it to the Braxton matriarch.

Ya gotta see Evelyn's reaction too!

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PUTTIN' A RING ON IT
@LionsShareNews

Now, the reason the photog had this info is he'd seen Towanda and Sean on Tuesday, and they let the cat out of the bag about getting married.

Somehow, it slipped their minds to clue in Trina and Evelyn ... and we gotta wonder if anyone else in the fam got the engagement alert.

Speaking of the other Braxtons ... Tamar's feud with her now ex-BF, David Adefeso, and the ensuing restraining order are still weighing on the family. Naturally.

Trina says she's got her sister's back -- but when it comes it comes to David, well ... Trina's pleading the Fifth.