What's The Big Frigin' Difference?!

Hayden Panettiere is making her big return to acting and she's here to stump you with some minor changes. Examine the two photos and see if you've got what it takes to track 'em down ... Nothing's a shoe-in with these sneaky switcharoos!

Making a stop by the "Drew Barrymore Show" earlier this week, the 35-year-old mama showed off a fresh new blond 'do while promoting her newest movie "Amber Alert". She dressed perfectly for a fall day in NYC, but some things just aren't buttoning up properly ...

HINT: There are THREE differences in the above Hayden Panettiere photos!**

Vivica A. Fox 'Lost Holliday' Only Getting Love ... Jussie Smollett's Making Career Comeback!!!

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START OF THE COMEBACK
TMZ.com

Vivica A. Fox says her nephew Jussie Smollett has his career back on track ... claiming fans love the new movie they worked on together -- fully separating art from the artist.

We caught up with the actress at LAX on Friday ... and, we had to ask her about how audiences were receiving her new flick, "The Lost Holliday" -- and, whether opinions about Smollett have contributed to criticism of the movie.

VAF points out "The Lost Holliday" has played in theaters all over the world ... from London to New York to Los Angeles -- and, so far, she says it's only received positive reviews.

Maggie Smith Dead at 89 ... 'Downton Abbey,' McGonagall From 'Potter'

Maggie Smith -- a legendary actress who worked professionally for more than 70 years -- has died ... according to a statement from her family.

Her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin, released a statement ... saying Smith passed away in the hospital peacefully early Friday morning. They did not give a cause of death.

Smith's family thanked the staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and support during their mother's final days ... and asked for privacy during this trying time.

Hurricane Helene Meteorologist Saves Woman From Flood Helps Her Out of Car, Carries Her to Safety

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Hurricane Hero
Fox News

A Fox News meteorologist got more involved in his subject than he originally planned ... dragging a woman from her car on a flooded Georgia street to safety -- and, the camera got it all on video.

Bob Van Dillen who is down in Georgia covering Hurricane Helene -- joined "Fox & Friends" Friday morning for a live report on the floods currently plaguing Atlanta.

During the appearance, the 'F&F' team played a clip from earlier this morning ... showing BVD wading through water up to his chest with a woman on his back and emerging on stable ground.

2024 Presidential Election Kids Weigh In ... Harris is a 'Liar,' Trump is 'Pure Evil'

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RECESS POLITICS
CNN

Kids may say the darndest things, but sometimes they display an impressive understanding of today's political arena ... as proven in a new video making the rounds online.

CNN sat down with a group of 10 and 11-year-old kids from across the country, where they weighed in on the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. There were certainly some divisive opinions shared, especially when the children were asked to share their first thoughts about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Where one young girl from New Jersey described Trump as "pure evil," a boy from Texas felt Harris was a "liar" ... though, he still thought DT was more likely to do "bad things" given his status as a convicted felon.

Prince Harry Royally Scared & Swearing in Haunted Maze With Jimmy Fallon!!!

Prince Harry was given the fright of his life courtesy of 'Tonight Show' host Jimmy Fallon ... joining the late-night personality for a haunted maze experience.

Check it out ... the Duke of Sussex and the "Saturday Night Live" alum make their way into "Jimmy Fallon’s Tonightmares," a bone-chilling walk-thru that saw the stoic British royal shaken and screaming expletives.

Prince Harry was cursing within seconds of entering the spooky maze ... as he and Jimmy were suddenly greeted by a scary zombie.

Diddy Feds Want To Take Down Successful Black Man

Racial Motivation
TMZ Studios

Diddy's case is yet another example of the federal government's hostility toward successful Black men ... at least according to his lawyer, who tells us race is a major factor here.

Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, appears in a new TMZ Studios documentary -- "The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment" -- which has just dropped on Tubi ... and he says the feds are targeting Diddy because of the color of his skin.

Agnifilo says the feds are just looking to take down Diddy because he's a successful Black man ... and when they couldn't nail him for anything related to taxes or his business empire, they started poking around in his bedroom.

Guess Who This Funny Girly Turned Into!

Before this cutie pie in her batter's helmet was hitting home runs as an actress, comedian and producer ... she was named after her four siblings who all grew up in Philadelphia, and she was just absolutely obsessed with comedy!

She's paved the way for content creators and comedians dating back to 2014 when she gathered a following on social media and went viral from her "Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date" series.

Still not sure who this could be? She's commonly known for playing the comedic 2nd grade teacher on the hit show "Abbott Elementary."

Can you guess who she is? 

Bridgerton Ball Scam Overpriced, Long Lines, Bare Bones Attendees Consider Legal Action!!!

Attendees of the "Bridgerton Ball Scam" are speaking out, revealing to TMZ just how unpleasant the whole ordeal was for them ... and hinting a class action lawsuit may be on the way.

ICYMI ... a ball "experience" inspired by the Netflix romance drama promised to be a royally good time for fans. That is, until they arrived at the “Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball” -- walking into a no-frills party ... reminiscent of Glasgow's Willy Wonka pop-up factory.

We spoke with a few of the attendees after the bare-bones affair -- which was not affiliated with the streaming service -- and they dished to TMZ what went down during their underwhelming time at the "Bridgerton" ball.

Erik Menéndez Hugged It Out With Actor Playing Him After Slamming Netflix Show

Erik Menéndez hasn't held back on his negative reaction to Ryan Murphy's new Netflix biopic series about him and his brother Lyle -- but the actor who plays him says it was all love behind the scenes.

Cooper Koch said when he rolled up to San Diego’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility with Kim Kardashian to meet the Menendez bros last week, he dove right in to hug Erik and Lyle -- describing them as "upstanding" individuals and saying it was an amazing experience to be in their company.

Cooper told Variety the instant vibe between him and Erik was sparked by a phone call they had before meeting up ... saying he reassured Erik he was all about portraying him authentically in "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story."

Hoda Kotb See Ya Later 'Today' Show ... Leaving Cohosting Role

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EMOTIONAL DEPARTURE
NBC

Hoda Kotb is saying so long to the "Today" show.

Hoda just shared a letter to the "Today" staff, telling them she will be exiting her cohosting gig after 5 years alongside Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager. Kotb took over the role from Matt Lauer in 2017 after he was fired over sexual misconduct.

She explained her tough decision on-air Thursday -- and got weepy as she gave her reasons.

Whoopi Goldberg Travis Kelce's Woes ... Are Not Taylor Swift's Fault!!!

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CLASSIC BLAME THE WOMEN
ABC

Whoopi Goldberg says haters blaming Taylor Swift for Travis Kelce's early season struggles need to pipe down ASAP ... bluntly telling them all this week to "shut up!"

The 68-year-old TV personality sent the message loud and clear while talking about the Chiefs star's woes on "The View."

She said it's outrageous fans think Swift's played any role in Kelce having just eight catches for 69 yards through three games ... and she wants the chatter to halt right now.

Joe Biden Nancy Pelosi and I Are Cool ... Didn't Feel Party Was Resistant to 2nd Term

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STILL COOL WITH NANCY
ABC

Joe Biden's making history once again during his presidency ... becoming the first sitting president to appear on the hit talk show "The View" -- and, he opened up about backing out of the race, dishing on his relationship with Nancy Pelosi.

The 46th POTUS pulled up to the studio Wednesday to chat with hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin, Ana Navarro and Alyssa Farah Griffin about both foreign and domestic politics -- and the perception that his political exit was unceremonious.

Farah Griffin asks JB if he's still cool with longtime ally Nancy Pelosi ... who many say appeared to lead the charge in encouraging Biden to step aside for Kamala Harris.

Bam Margera Released From Jail Heading Straight Into Treatment

Bam Margera has officially been released from jail ... and is heading straight into treatment to get his life back on track, TMZ has learned.

The "Jackass" star's lawyer, Michael T. van der Veen, tells TMZ it was a court victory for Bam Wednesday ... adding he's on the right track to reclaiming his successful career and his wonderful life with his wife, Dannii Marie, once he wraps up his short-term treatment.

Sources tell us Bam's going directly to Recovery Centers of America for Inpatient Treatment, and his case can officially be closed once his treatment is over -- but a bench warrant will be issued if any noncompliance with his treatment is reported.

Ellen DeGeneres Call Me 'Mean,' I Don't Care!!! Proud of Who She's Become After Controversy

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either in or out
Netflix

Ellen DeGeneres is no longer worrying about what others think of her ... revealing she's come to love herself years after being labeled "mean" in a toxic workplace scandal.

The comedian opened up about her transformative last 4 years in her new Netflix stand-up special, "For Your Approval," in which she made it clear she's "proud" of the person she is today.

As Ellen put it ... her career in comedy made her acutely aware and "care what people think," but she's no longer letting the peanut gallery "consume" her after her fall from grace.

Jennifer Aniston L.A. Home Swatted After Call to Cops ... LAPD Now Investigating

Jennifer Aniston had one hell of a wake-up call Friday evening ... law enforcement tells us the "Friends" star was swatted -- a growing prank targeting many in Hollywood.

Law enforcement tells TMZ ... someone called the cops and told a dispatcher he was worried about a friend's well-being -- but never mentioned Aniston by name.

Per the cops, the caller said his friend was "not doing well" ... and supposedly alluded to seeing him on the other side. We're told the caller then asked cops to do a welfare check, providing only the address and keeping himself anonymous.