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Sacramento born Matt Jones is best known for playing the junky best friend, Badger -- whose job's included meth cooker, dealer and bank mascot -- on the thrilling AMC drama, "Breaking Bad."

Matt Jones shared screen time with some of the most iconic characters on the program including Aaron Paul as the drugged up Jesse Pinkman, Charles Baker as the friendly Skinny Pete and of course, Bryan Cranston as the one who knocks, Walter White.

Jones also has a ton of voice acting roles in animated shows like "Home," "Pig Goat Banana Cricket" and "F Is for Family."

HERE'S THE RUNDOWN

Katy Perry just took an L in court ... a jury ruled her song "Dark Horse" stole heavily from a gospel song that came out 5 years earlier.

Monday's verdict is the latest step in a lengthy legal battle that started back in July 2014, when Katy was sued by the Christian rapper, Flame -- he claimed her 2013 hit song "Dark Horse" is a complete rip-off of his Grammy-nominated gospel song, "Joyful Noise."

Flame's music label uploaded the music video to YouTube way back in 2008, and it's since racked up millions of views. He says Katy jacked the underlying beat ... but she called BS, claiming there are NO meaningful similarities.

According to the suit ... Flame claims Perry also destroyed his reputation in Christian music circles because he's now associated with the anti-Christian witchcraft and imagery that's present in her "Dark Horse" music vid.

The case will now proceed to the damages phase -- AKA, when Katy finds out how much the loss will cost her.

As we reported ... Katy showed up to court last week wearing a mint-colored suit and took the stand, claiming she never heard the song "Joyful Noise" before the filing of the lawsuit.

Shawn Mendes and rumored GF Camila Cabello are definitely getting closer and closer, as everyone on South Beach is seeing ... thanks to a splashy make out sesh.

Shawn and Camila brought what certainly looks like a budding romance to Miami ... snuggling and playing Monday afternoon in the sparkling blue waters. Good ol' fashioned PDA done right!

Camila's looking AMAZING in a cute white one-piece, showing off her flawless figure from all angles ... and Shawn's flaunting his six-pack. It's really no wonder they're all over each other.

Shawn and Camila have been pretty coy about their relationship status so far ... but they've been smooching and cuddling all over the country this summer ... Los Angeles, San Francisco and now Miami. Yes, their love is looking very bicoastal.

We only say "looking," because doubters suspect the romance is really about promoting their "Senorita" duet. However, that was released well over a month ago, so maybe it's time to consider it could be real. Who knows? They won't say.

The President of the U.S. Soccer Federation is responding to the pay gap lawsuit filed by the U.S. Women's National Team ... saying he has proof the women actually make MORE than the men despite bringing in WAYYY less money.

Remember, the USWNT sued the Federation back in March for gender discrimination -- claiming,  "The female players have been consistently paid less money than their male counterparts."

Now, U.S. Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro is responding in an open letter ... essentially saying he hears what the women are saying -- but the numbers don't back up their claim.

"U.S. Soccer has, over the past decade, paid our Women’s National Team more than our Men’s National Team in salaries and game bonuses, and we continue to make unprecedented investments in our women’s program," Cordeiro wrote.

Cordeiro included a "fact sheet" that spells out his case and explains ...

"From 2010 through 2018, U.S. Soccer paid our women $34.1 million in salaries and game bonuses and we paid our men $26.4 million -- not counting the significant additional value of various benefits that our women’s players receive but which our men do not."

Cordeiro says the Men and Women have different pay structures based on how they negotiated their Collective Bargaining Agreements ... including more guaranteed pay salary for the women and different ("more robust") benefits packages.

The men CAN earn larger bonuses ... but they're guaranteed nothing, according to Cordeiro.

Corderio also says when you break down the revenue generated by each team, the men come out on top ... by far.

"From 2009 through 2019 -- a timeframe that includes two Women’s World Cup championships -- the Women’s National Team has earned gross revenue of $101.3 million over 238 games, for an average of $425,446 per game, and the Men’s National Team has earned gross revenue of $185.7 million over 191 games, for an average of $972,147 per game."

"More specifically, WNT games have generated a net profit (ticket revenues minus event expenses) in only two years (2016 and 2017). Across the entire 11-year period, WNT games generated a net loss of $27.5 million."

Still, Cordeiro says, "U.S. Soccer does not view these as losses, but rather as an important investment in our Women’s National Team and in the long-term growth of women’s soccer."

Molly Levinson -- a spokesperson for the U.S. Women's National Team -- is responding to the letter ... essentially saying it's a crock of BS.

"The numbers USSF uses are utterly false which, among other things, inappropriately include the NWSL salaries of the players to inflate the women’s players compensation."

She adds, "Any apples to apples comparison shows that the men earn far more than the women. The fact is the women’s team requested the same compensation structure as the men have, so they would be paid equally for equal performance."

"The USSF fact sheet is not a 'clarification.' It is a ruse."

"Here is what they cannot deny. For every game a man plays on the MNT he makes a higher base salary payment than a woman on the WNT. For every comparable win or tie, his bonus is higher. That is the very definition of gender discrimination. For the USSF to believe otherwise, is disheartening but it only increases our determination to obtain true equal pay."

The Gilroy Garlic Festival shooting might've been a whole lot worse had officers not responded so quickly and bravely -- according to one musician who was there as it all went down.

Tommy Huxley played Sunday at the festival with his band, Tommy Huxley's Blues Avenue, and when the first shots were fired, they were breaking down their equipment. Huxley tells us Gilroy cops were on the scene seconds later and searching for the shooter.

He gives a recap of how the terrifying incident unfolded, saying at first ... he thought he was hearing fireworks, but soon realized what was happening as people scrambled.

It sounds like a complete 180 from the good vibes being shared right before all this -- you can see Tommy and his band jamming out and people having a great time.

The moment people started running from nearby stages was also captured when the shooting first started, and it gives you a sense of just how scary it was. Another band was in the middle of performing when shots were heard, and people ran for their lives.

As you know, 3 people were killed and 12 others injured.

Listen to how Huxley describes Gilroy PD's response though -- sounds like 4 officers were frantically trying to get to the gunman and end the threat, which they ultimately did. The suspected  19-year-old shooter was shot dead in a standoff with police.

Authorities say the shooter used an AK-47-style rifle, which he purchased legally in Nevada earlier this month. Witnesses have said he was wearing fatigues, and that he was shooting at random. Two children -- aged 6 and 13 -- were among the fatalities.

Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner have memorialized their dog, Waldo, with a tattoo tribute just days after the Alaskan Klee Kai was struck and killed by a car.

Joe just revealed his fresh ink, with the message, "R.I.P. my little angel." As for Sophie, she got a matching portrait and posted, "I miss you, Waldo. Rest In Peace my little baby." The tattoos are matching portraits of Waldo. It's the first time Joe or Sophie Turner have publicly addressed Waldo's death.

We saw the two of them over the weekend looking emotional on the set of Joe's music video in NYC, while Sophie clutched the couple's other pooch, Porky.

TMZ broke the story ... Waldo was out on a walk with a dog walker in New York last week when he got loose and ran into the street. He was struck and killed by a car. Joe and Sophie went and filed a police report ... but not before getting therapy.

Danielle Bregoli might as well be Rich Uncle Pennybags from the Monopoly game ... cause she's cornering the market on big money contracts -- and the latest gets her into the gaming world.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Danielle's company, Dani B, scored a $100k advance for her to promote a new mobile game. As part of the deal, she'll have to pimp the game on her social media ... including her popular YouTube channel, which has nearly 7 million subscribers.

It's unclear, based on the contract, if Bhad Bhabie herself is part of the game ... but seems like a good bet.

Danielle's likely to score a bunch more money on the back end ... with royalties based on the number of downloads and ad revenue. The deal was struck just a few days ago.

It's been one helluva month for Danielle. As we first reported ... Danielle scored a $1 million songwriting deal earlier this month. Earlier this year, she inked a $900k deal to promote CopyCat Beauty.

Then, there's her Snapchat original series, "Bringing Up Bhabie," which generated over 10 million unique views in the 24 hours after its debut. Unclear how much she's making with Snap, but with views in the MILLIONS, ya gotta imagine she's making a pretty penny.

Tarek El Moussa's following the lead of his ex-wife and moving on with his dating life ... with her doppelganger ... who also sells houses.

The "Flip or Flop" star enjoyed a Sunday Funday in Redondo Beach, CA at the Portofino Hotel & Marina ... which included some smooching with a hottie on a yacht who looks eerily similar to his ex, Christina Anstead.

It's not his former HGTV costar, though -- it's Heather Rae Young, a luxury real estate agent and one of the stars of Netflix's "Selling Sunset."

Heather works for The Oppenheim Group selling high-end pads in L.A. ... so the 2 have both the real estate biz and reality TV in common. She also does some modeling ... and was Playboy Playmate of the Month in February 2010.

We're told Tarek and Heather boated up from Newport Beach where he lives and spent the day together. It's unclear if they're officially together or still in the market ... but looks like they're having fun.

As you know ... Tarek and Christina carried through with the 8th season of their hit show despite a very public split and divorce in January 2018. They're both moving forward with solo TV projects now, and Christina already got remarried and is expecting a child with her hubby.

So, Tarek's got some catching up to do.

WORST. AUDITION. EVER!!!

A pro stuntman claims he was SHOT IN THE BACK with live ammunition from a semi-automatic assault rifle while auditioning for a role in a TV show ... and shocker, he's pissed!!!

The man behind the lawsuit is Alex Schoenauer -- a former MMA fighter who famously appeared on Season 1 of UFC's "The Ultimate Fighter" ... where he fought (and lost to) Forrest Griffin.

Schoenauer is a stuntman now ... but things went horribly awry for him during a Sept. 2018 audition for JMP Productions, which makes action shows like "SEAL Team" and "S.W.A.T."

According to the suit, Schoenauer's audition called for him to burst through a door with a stuntwoman at the Oak Tree Gun Club in SoCal while both carrying semi-automatic assault rifles.

Problem is ...  Schoenauer claims the guns were loaded with LIVE AMMO -- and when the stuntwoman fired her gun, he was blasted through the upper back!!!

Schoenauer says the bullet exited through his upper arm/shoulder -- though he does not say in the lawsuit if the injuries he sustained were life-threatening.

The part of the lawsuit we just don't understand ...  Schoenauer claims the man responsible for coordinating the stunt specifically arranged for the guns to be loaded with real ammunition.

Now, Schoenauer is suing everyone from JMP to the stunt coordinator ... and even the woman who shot him in the back for unspecified damages.

We reached out to JMP Productions for comment -- so far, no word back.

Schoenauer's MMA career never really took off after "The Ultimate Fighter" ... but he's found success in the stunt world (besides being shot) ... with gigs on big movies like "Fast Five," "End of Watch" and "Transformers."

Wendy Williams is not backing down from Bow Wow ... sources close to her say his recent body-shaming attempt won't stop her from defending Ciara, or from trashing him in the future.

Bow Wow and Wendy have been exchanging insults ever since he dissed Ciara at a performance earlier this month, telling the crowd, "I had this bitch first."

Wendy quickly took Ciara's side and took a swipe at his height on her talk show, and Bow Wow fired back Sunday with a body-shaming tweet ... which Wendy is now shaking off.

Sources close to Wendy tell TMZ ... Bow Wow's attempt at attacking and trying to intimidate her from saying anything bad about him in the future won't work.

We're told Wendy isn't the slightest bit worried about his shade ... and she's doubling down on her defense of Ciara by maintaining Bow Wow shouldn't have said anything bad about his ex in the first place.

Wendy's position is ... Bow Wow should keep Ciara's name out of his mouth, unless he's giving her props for being smoking hot and killing the game.

WWE legend Jerry Lawler thinks officials in Tennessee and a local sheriff are responsible for his son's 2018 death ... and now he's "seeking justice" in a new $3 MILLION lawsuit, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Brian Christopher Lawler -- AKA Grandmaster Sexay -- died by hanging himself in his jail cell in July 29, 2018 following an arrest for DUI and evading police. He was only 46.

But, Jerry claims his death could have easily been prevented -- if officials would have followed proper protocol when dealing with a person they KNEW had a history of suicide attempts.

Lawler's attorney, Jeffrey Rosenblum, tells TMZ Sports ... Brian -- who suffered from depression -- told officers during his 2018 arrest that he had attempted suicide in 2013 and 2015.

But, when Christopher was put in a jail cell for the 2018 arrest, officials at the Hardeman County Sheriff's Dept. made no effort to protect him from himself, Rosenblum says.

Rosenblum says Christopher was attacked by another inmate during his confinement -- and suffered a head injury, left eye gash and a possible concussion. But, Rosenblum says officials refused to get him medical help.

Instead, Lawler was allegedly placed in solitary confinement with his shoes and shoe laces -- and the cell had two large bolts sticking out of a high point on one of the cell walls.

Lawler ultimately used his laces and the bolts to hang himself, Rosenblum says.

Before his death, Rosenblum alleges that Lawler repeatedly cried out for help and screamed that he needed to go to the hospital ... but never received the medical attention he requested.

Rosenblum says the family has filed a lawsuit in the hopes of holding officials accountable -- and any money they are awarded will go toward supporting Brian's son.

He also wants an apology from the Sheriff's Dept. and a court order "requiring Hardeman County to correct their unconstitutional deficiencies so that no other family has to go through what this family has had to endure over the past year."

As for the $3 mil, Rosenblum says that number is for compensatory damages "with an additional award of punitive damages to be determined by the jury for the benefit of Brian’s minor son."

Kamala Harris stands to win big during the second Democratic debate this week -- at least in the eyes of pro bookies who have her winning several key battles ... including owning Joe Biden.

The prop bets are set for Tuesday and Wednesday's debates, and according to cyber-gambling site SportsBetting.Ag ... folks are anticipating Senator Harris getting a lot of the spotlight, especially in comparison to the ex-Veep.

Kamala is expected to get the most speaking time on Wednesday (when she and Biden will share the stage) at 3/2 odds, compared to Biden's 2/1 odds. That means a $100 wager on Harris would pay out $150, whereas $100 for Biden would pay $200.

SportsBetting also predicts Kamala will get tweeted about the most, but only slightly over Biden at 2/3 against Biden's 11/10. Ditto for whether she calls Biden out by name -- bettors predict she WON'T at the same exact odds.

Considering Kamala called Joe out during the first round, and got a ton of attention for doing so ... we'd guess she dips back into that well again.

Other interesting bets -- whether Biden will get handsy with Kamala, Kirsten Gillibrand or Tulsi Gabbard onstage ... folks think he'll keep his hands to himself at 1/10. But, if he does touch 'em, it pays out 5/1. Beto's also expected to speak Spanish again, but a second microphone malfunction is not in the stars, according to oddsmakers.

Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux appear to have reunited over the weekend but under very sad circumstances ... saying goodbye to their dog.

The former couple's white shepherd rescue, Dolly A, was laid to rest Sunday at sunset after what Justin called "a heroic struggle." It's unclear if Dolly died from old age or if she was suffering from some sort of ailment. Nevertheless, Dolly had a touching send-off ... as she was covered in flower petals while wrapped in a blanket.

Justin posted on Instagram, "Our most loyal family member and protector Dolly A. laid down her sword and shield. She was surrounded by her entire family." The words "her entire family" is leading to speculation Jennifer was there ... especially because of a closeup shot of a man and woman's hands gripped over Dolly.

Jen reportedly named the dog after Dolly Parton when she and Justin were dating.

Miami Gronk!!!!!

TMZ Sports has learned Rob Gronkowski just picked up a BEAUTIFUL new pad in Downtown Miami for $1.7 million ... and he bought the place from another famous jock!!

As we previously reported, the former (?) New England Patriots tight end recently sold his Boston bachelor pad after announcing he was retiring from the NFL.

And, it seems he's moving into enemy AFC East territory ... scooping up a 3,850 square foot condo in the famous Marquis Miami building on Biscayne Blvd.

The place is SICK!!!!! Amazing beach views, super high ceilings (he's very tall) with 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms ... perfect for those wild Gronk parties!

It also comes with 3 parking spaces ... and if you know Downtown Miami, you know those are hard to come by!!

The building is top notch ... valet, pool, fitness center and spa -- and it's close to nightclubs!

And, it's great for Gronk's girlfriend, Camille Kostek, too -- since Miami is the epicenter of the modeling world in the U.S. ... and Camille is the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover model!

We're told Gronk, represented by Sebastian Wagner of Douglas Elliman, bought the place from retired Norwegian soccer player John Carew, who was represented by John Sandberg and Ann Nortmann of Douglas Elliman -- so there's an athlete-to-athlete connection!

We reached out to all of the agents involved -- but no comment from anyone.

The man who knocked out Future's bodyguard with a vicious sucker punch in Spain will seemingly get off scot-free ... because nobody's pressing charges.

TMZ's learned there is no investigation into the brutal assault of the rapper's bodyguard, despite the fact the Civil Guard of Spain is aware of the video of the attack.

The country's law enforcement agency tells us the reason there's no active investigation is nobody has come forward to press charges -- not the bodyguard or anyone else on his behalf. Without that, the Civil Guard won't pursue the alleged assailants.

A rep for the agency says even if an assault includes a deadly weapon -- in this case a rock -- someone needs to come forward and officially file a report to press charges in order for an investigation to be launched. It doesn't necessarily have to be the victim ... but someone has to press the issue.

The only exceptions, we're told, are if the violence occurs against a minor or a woman ... or if it results in a death. In Future's bodyguard's case ... none of this applied.

Sources close to the bodyguard tell us he has no intention of pressing charges or taking any sort of action regarding the incident, so, as of now ... there will be no consequences for the attackers.

As we reported ... the altercation took place after Future was allegedly harassed by a group of around 10 guys upon landing at the Ibiza Airport. The rapper says the "fake goons" asked for an autograph and he rejected them ... so they got angry and did some "sucker s**t."