Chris Jericho can kiss the beauty of Brazil goodbye -- no more bikinis, beaches ... bikinis. All things the WWE star shoulda thought about before treating the Brazilian flag like a used tissue.

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A WWE event in Brazil came to a screeching halt Thursday evening ... when local law enforcement stopped a live match and threatened to arrest Chris Jericho for desecrating the Brazilian flag.

It all went down during a match between Jericho and C.M. Punk -- who was proudly waving the flag in the ring. Jericho took the flag away, crumpled it up and kicked the flag out of the ring ... and that's when police stepped in and put a stop to the event.


We're told Jericho was informed that desecrating the national flag is a crime in Brazil ... punishable by incarceration.

Cops gave Jericho an option -- apologize to the arena ... or go to jail. Chris chose the former ...  grabbing the mic and telling the crowd he immediately regretted his actions. Cops allowed the event to continue.

Sources connected to the WWE tell TMZ ... the flag stunt was NOT planned or approved by WWE officials.

The WWE has just released an official statement saying, "Chris Jericho has been suspended indefinitely  due to an irresponsible act of denigrating the Brazilian flag at a WWE event in Sao Paulo on May 24. The WWE has apologized to the citizens and the government of Brazil for this incident."


1:57 PM PDT -- The WWE has just amended its suspension of Jericho. Jericho is now suspended for 30 days.

6:34 AM PDT -- Jericho has tweeted about the incident ... saying, " Just for the record I love Brazil and wish we could've spent more time here. Beautiful country!"

WWE star Chris Jericho is locked in for the next season of "Dancing with the Stars" ... along with Kirstie Alley, rapper Lil' Romeo, and Kendra Wilkinson ... TMZ has learned.



So far, we've confirmed 6 of the 11 celebrities who will appear on the show as well as their partners -- check it out:

-- Chris Jericho & Cheryl Burke
-- Lil' Romeo & Chelsie Hightower
-- Kendra Wilkinson & Louis van Amstel
-- Kirstie Alley & Maksim Chmerkovskiy
-- Wendy Williams & Tony Dovolani
-- Disney star Chelsea Kane & Mark Ballas

"DWTS" will officially announce the celebrity cast tonight during "The Bachelor."

Wrestler Greg "Hurricane" Helms -- the guy who was arrested with Chris Jericho last month in Kentucky -- has officially been released from the WWE.

According to WWE's official website, Helms and two other wrestlers -- Maria and Paul Burchill -- were all given pink slips.

The WWE didn't specify why Helms was released -- but it could have something to do with his arrest on January 27 for public intoxication.

The WWE issued the following statement on their website: "We wish Shane Helms (Hurricane) the best in all future endeavors."

WWE's Chris Jericho is a wanted man ... in a bad way. A judge has issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to show this morning for a hearing in his criminal public intoxication case.



The guy with whom Jericho was arrested at a Kentucky gas station -- Greg "Hurricane" Helms -- called into court today to cop to the charge and pay a $159 fine.

Jericho could not be reached for comment.

UPDATE 2:15 PM PT: Jericho finally called the court and paid his $159 fine -- so the arrest warrant has been recalled, according to this official court document.

Chris Jericho's jail buddy and fellow WWE star Greg "Hurricane" Helms had a single muscle relaxer -- as in one pill -- on him when he was arrested last week for public intoxication ... this according to the police report.

According to the report, "a search of Helm's purse revealed one white round pill" which cops say was a Soma -- the generic version of the muscle relaxer Carisoprodol and a "schedule four narcotic."

Soma is no stranger to wrestling controversy. Dr. Phil Astin was recently jailed for 10 years after he was busted for prescribing Soma -- among other drugs -- in large quantities to wrestlers Chris Benoit and Michael Durham before they died.

In the report, it says Helms told cops he had a prescription for the pill but was not able to show proof of it at the time. Cops did not press charges against Helms over the single Soma pill.

WWE has yet to get back to us.

The woman who took an elbow to the face from WWE star Greg "Hurricane" Helms Wednesday morning claims she has no ill feelings towards the wrestler -- because she was merely collateral damage in a "play fight."



The woman, Ashley Storer, tells TMZ the whole thing went down after her group finished boozing at a local Kentucky bar and crammed into the back of a taxi cab.

Storer claims she somehow got stuck sitting in between Jericho and Helms -- who began play fighting when things "escalated because we were drunk."

Storer claims that's when she took an elbow to the cheek -- and the cab driver pulled over at a nearby gas station. Helms and Jericho were ultimately arrested for being drunk in public -- Storer claims Matt Hardy was completely sober.

Storer also tells us cops blew the situation out of proportion -- but admits she may have exacerbated the situation because, "I was crying and drunk and tired from being out all night and I just wanted to leave."

WWE wrestler Randy Orton didn't believe us when we told him about Chris Jericho and Greg "Hurricane" Helms' arrests -- because, according to him, wrestlers "Don't get in trouble."


Sorry bud, but unlike wrestling, this story ain't fake -- and mug shots don't lie.

WWE star Matt Hardy was among a group of people involved in an early morning incident that led to the arrests of Chris Jericho and Greg "Hurricane" Helms, this according to law enforcement sources.



Witnesses told cops Hardy was in a taxi with Jericho, Helms and several others Wednesday morning -- when Helms allegedly struck three people ... including one female.

Witnesses say Hardy took off on foot -- just like Helms allegedly did -- when the cab driver pulled over at a Kentucky gas station and called 911.

We're told Helms came back to the scene and was arrested -- but Hardy was gone for good. Cops are not pursuing any sort of action against Hardy.

As we first reported, the female passenger decided not to file charges against Helms over the alleged attack. Helms and Jericho were arrested for "alcohol intoxication in a public place."

WWE wrestler Greg "Hurricane" Helms allegedly smacked several people -- including a woman -- before he and Chris Jericho were arrested at a Kentucky gas station yesterday, law enforcement sources tell TMZ.


We're told several people were in a taxi cab with Helms and Jericho when things allegedly got violent around 4 AM yesterday.

Cops say they spoke to several members of the group who told them Helms struck three people -- including Jericho, a man named Gary Kelley and a female passenger named Ashley Storer.

Witnesses told cops Helms ran from the scene right after the violent incident but returned to the gas station soon after, where he -- along with Jericho -- was arrested for being drunk in public.

Cops say Helms was not arrested for the alleged attack because the alleged victims have not pressed charges -- a requirement for an arrest in Kentucky if the police do not witness the attack.

Ashley told cops she did not want to file charges against Helms -- but Kelley told police he's mulling it over and may go after the wrestler.

WWE wrestler Chris Jericho was arrested at a gas station in Kentucky early Wednesday morning after cops say he and a fellow wrestler were both "extremely intoxicated" in public.



39-year-old Jericho was taken into custody in Kenton County around 5 AM for "alcohol intoxication in a public place."

Jericho -- who was arrested along with fellow wrestler Greg "Hurricane" Helms -- was forced to smile for cop cam -- and TMZ obtained the mug shots.

Jericho and Helms were released on $120 bond -- each ... no that's not a typo.

UPDATE 10:00 AM EST: Cops say they responded to the gas station in Crescent Springs after receiving a complaint about two men fighting in a cab.

When cops arrived to the scene, they located Jericho and Helms, who were "manifestly under the influence of an alcoholic beverage." Both men were then arrested -- but cops say the wrestlers were cooperative with police.

Crescent Springs is roughly 20 miles from Cincinnati, where the two men participated in a WWE event on Tuesday night. .