Paul Mooney Denies Claim He Had Sex with Richard Pryor Jr. ... And Richard Sr. Wanted Him Dead

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Richard Pryor put a $1 million bounty on Paul Mooney's head after learning his good friend and fellow comedian had sex with Pryor Jr. ... at least according to Pryor's ex-bodyguard, but Mooney's calling BS.

The bombshell accusation came from Rashon Kahn in an interview posted Monday by Comedy Hype. According to Kahn ...  Paul had sex with Richard Pryor Jr. when Jr. was in his 20s, and when Richard Sr. found out, he wanted Mooney dead.

Kahn claims Richard Sr. offered him $1 mil to kill Mooney or to find someone else to do it.

Paul Mooney's publicist, Cassandra Williams, tells TMZ ... "there is no validity to Rashon Kahn's statement as it relates to Mr. Paul Mooney."

In the clip ... Kahn claims Richard and Paul's "relationship became fragile because Paul Mooney had f****d Richard’s son by that time. He violated … Paul took advantage of the situation."

Kahn says he thought Richard was just high when he first mentioned the bounty, so he double-checked with him the following week, and claims Richard made it clear he was serious.

It's certainly relevant to mention Kahn is currently promoting an upcoming tell-all book.

Richard Jr., who is now 58, has yet to comment, but Richard's widow, Jennifer Lee Pryor, tweeted Jr. had confirmed this allegation to her.

Lori Loughlin, Husband We Want the Same Lawyer ... In College Bribery Scandal

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UPDATE

1:53 PM PT -- Court has wrapped for the day ... Lori and Mossimo signed a document stating they understood there's possible conflict in having the same attorney.

Lori Loughlin and her husband showed up in Boston as a super united front, prepared to tell the judge they want the same lawyer to rep them in their college bribery case.

These pics were snapped as Lori and hubby Mossimo Giannulli arrived Monday at the airport in Beantown after flying in on a private jet.

They'll be in court Tuesday for a hearing ... to inform the judge they will waive any possible conflict of interest by having the same lawyer rep them both. It doesn't always happen this way ... sometimes, couples get separate lawyers and it turns ugly when they start finger-pointing at each other. Clearly not the case here.

As we reported ... both Lori and her hubby pled not guilty after prosecutors slapped them with a number of charges -- including conspiracy to commit money laundering that carry significant prison sentence. Prosecutors claim they paid upwards of $500k in bribes to get their daughters into USC. Lori and Mossimo claim they had no idea the scheme was to get the girls in on a rowing scholarship, despite snapping pics of them on a rowing machine.

If convicted, both Lori and Mossimo face a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Felicity Huffman chose a different path ... she pled no contest to conspiracy and money laundering and prosecutors are recommending 4 months behind bars.

The trial for Lori and Mossimo is set for early 2020.

Luann de Lesseps Put the Champagne On Ice ... I'm Almost Off Probation!!!

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Luann de Lesseps is just a day away from being a free woman -- and one day closer to being able to guzzle mimosas without a care in the world ... at least, legally.

The 'Real Housewives of New York' star needs to keep her nose clean for 24 hours, and then she'll have completed her probation stemming from her drunken arrest in Florida .. according to NYC Dept. of Probation spokesperson Candace Sandy.

It's a huge deal for Luann because this saga's been going on since Christmas Eve 2017, when she was busted in Palm Beach after an alleged drunken dispute with cops. Police video from inside the patrol car shows Luann going off on the officer, saying she'd kill him if he continued touching her.

We broke the story ... Luann dodged a felony charge and a jail stint by copping a plea deal, and she was ordered to knock out 50 hours of community service and attend 2 AA meetings a week in her home state of New York. She also had to stay away from drugs and alcohol, and submit to random testing during one year of probation.

There were a few slip ups along the way ... Luann told her probation officer she "had 2 mimosas" earlier this year after a performance in Chicago, but now she's on the verge of putting that all behind her.

Abby Lee Miller Rips Lara Spencer ... Don't Show Up at The Ballet, Bitch!!!

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Lara Spencer better not show her face at any ballet any time soon ... so says Abby Lee Miller, who thinks the GMA anchor's rip on Prince George's dance lessons should make her persona non grata.

The "Dance Moms" star tells TMZ ... Spencer's on-air ridicule last week of the 6-year-old Prince for liking ballet ... is straight-up sexist. As a result, Abby says Spencer might wanna steer clear of "The Nutcracker" this holiday season.

Abby is joining the chorus of boos that have been raining down on Lara ever since she poked fun at Prince William and Kate Middleton's eldest. However, Abby says Spencer can make amends IF she cuts a fat check to help boys and underprivileged children get dance lessons.

The way Abby sees it, Lara's mockery is a slap in the face to Prince George and kids around the globe who love to dance. She adds ... it's comments like this that bully young boys and make it hard for them to enter a dance studio in the first place.

As you know, Spencer's on-air apology didn't sit well with many fans, and clearly, you can count Abby in that group.

We don't get to say this often (or ever), but we've got genuine ballet beef!!!

Clayton Endicott III on 'Benson' TV Show 'Memba Him?!

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New York-native Rene Auberjonois started his illustrious television career as the elitist chief of staff, Clayton Endicott III, in the early '80s "Soap" spin-off, "Benson."

Rene Auberjonois aired alongside a hilarious group of stars including James Noble as the Governor, Eugene X, Inga Swenson as the German, Gretchen Kraus, Missy Gold (Tracey Gold's younger sister) as the Governor's daughter, Katie Gatling, and of course Robert Guillaume as Benson himself!!!

Auberjonois received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1984 but lost to Pat Harrington Jr. as Dwayne Schneider on "One Day at a Time."

Some of Rene's other epic acting credits include the weird-looking Odo on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and Paul Lewiston on the legal comedy "Boston Legal."

Guess what he looks like now!!!

TMZ Live From Death's Door to Disney Fame ... 'Lady and the Tramp' Star Saved!!!

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HERE'S THE RUNDOWN:

  • CHRIS BROWN EXPECTING A BABY BOY!
  • DIDDY DEFENDS JAY-Z'S CONTROVERSIAL NFL DEAL
  • KANYE WEST TAKES SUNDAY SERVICE TO DAYTON
  • MARK ZUCKERBERG BALLING OUT ON LAKE TAHOE

2019 VMAS Shawn Mendes and Senoritas ... Behind The Scenes

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The 2019 VMAs were all about Shawn Mendes and some sexy senoritas ... and they dazzled behind the scenes.

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ was the center of the music world Monday night, with tons of A-listers in the house for MTV's signature award show. Shawn performed his hit duet, "Senorita," with Camila Cabello ... but she wasn't the only mamacita turning heads.

Bella and Gigi Hadid looked absolutely stunning ... and the supermodel sisters stole the show in matching outfits.

Not to be outdone, Halsey showed some serious skin in a colorful dress, punctuated by rainbow streaks in her hair. Check out the pics ... and let your jaw drop.

Doug Gottlieb Defends Luck Retirement Tweet ... 'I'm a Smart Ass'

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Doug Gottlieb says his Twitter shot at Andrew Luck's retirement was supposed to be a joke ... and wants to make it clear he's actually a big supporter of the ex-NFL QB.

The Fox Sports Radio personality got a TON of flak for his shot at Luck on Saturday ... when he said, "Retiring cause rehabbing is 'too hard' is the most millennial thing ever #AndrewLuck"

Gottlieb addressed the backlash on Monday ... saying the tweet was supposed to be funny, but people took it WAY too seriously.

"I'm a smart ass. I always have been. I always will be," Gottlieb said on his show. "And, if I can't find something funny with the things in life, well then you know what, strike me down because I like to make fun of things in life."

The tweet caught the eyes of names like Torrey Smith, who quickly brought up Gottlieb's past troubles with the law that famously got the former basketball player expelled from Notre Dame.

"If you wanna go to me stealing credit cards 23 years ago, you're gonna have to deal with the fact that those questions have been asked, that has been answered," Gottlieb said. "We've all moved on."

Gottlieb defends his take by saying Luck's reasoning for hanging it up falls under the "millennial" mentality ... and goes on to make a comparison to Luck's predecessor, Peyton Manning.

"And, the new generation, maybe they're smarter, maybe they don't care as much about the ultimate success, maybe they just get that it's a short-term profession -- get a lot of money and get out."

Of course, Troy Aikman was the strongest critic of Doug's tweet -- he called it "total bulls**t" -- so ya gotta wonder if Troy will chime in after Doug's explanation.

'Ghostbusters' Ecto-1 Hauls Ass!!! Fast Filming in Canada

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The 'Ghostbusters' ain't afraid of no ghosts ... and whoever's driving their car ain't afraid of putting the pedal to the metal!!!

As we told you ... Jason Reitman's "Ghostbusters 2020" -- a direct sequel to the iconic '80s movies -- has been filming in Alberta, Canada, and the famous Ecto-1 car was spotted in action recently on the streets of a town called Drumheller.

Looks like it still has some excellent pickup power ... which is essential for busting ghosts in a hurry.

We've also obtained some shots of mechanics putting the car together at Shorty's garage in Crossfield. Filming's now wrapped in the tiny town, but some of the photos show it's moved to a rural area of the province ... to a spooky-looking house and barn.

We're told the farm structures were built just for the movie, and word in the barn possibly belongs to either the Peter Venkman or Raymond Stantz characters ... and the Ecto-1's been stored there waiting for a comeback for the past 30 years.

Worth the wait!!!

Reitman's installment will star Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace and -- rumor has it ... Bill Murray.

Drake Rocks Bronny James Jersey in 'Money In The Grave' Vid

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Bronny James is 14 years old and already cooler than you'll ever be ... 'cause the basketball royalty got an epic shout-out in Drake's newest music video!!!

The 6 God somehow got his hands on LeBron James Jr.'s Strive For Greatness AAU team jersey ... and decided to wear it in his new "Money In The Grave" video with Rick Ross, which dropped on Monday.

Of course, Aubrey is no stranger to rockin' rare threads -- he had a Zion Williamson Spartanburg Day School jersey when the baller was still a 16-year-old H.S. phenom.

Drake also trolled Steph Curry during Game 1 of the NBA Finals by wearing his dad Dell's Raptors jersey, so the guy is clearly looking to make a case for toughest jersey collection out there.

Wearing the jersey for a music video is a MUCH bigger deal, though ... and King James took notice, commenting "So Tough!!!" with a bunch of fire emojis.

Bronny's gotta run for class office with all this clout.

By the way, Bronny's only a FRESHMAN at Sierra Canyon High School in L.A. -- where he's teammates with Dwyane's Wade's son, Zaire, and a bunch of other high school phenoms.

Kim Kardashian West Push for Prison Reform in Dayton ... Along with Sunday Service

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Kanye West wasn't the only member of his family spreading goodwill in Dayton, Ohio this weekend ... Kim Kardashian used the trip as an opportunity for more prison reform.

As we reported ... Kanye brought his popular Sunday Service to Dayton in honor of those killed and injured in the mass shooting earlier this month. Kim and at least 2 of their kids were on hand for the service, but we're told she was busy with her mission as well.

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SUNDAY HYMNS

Sources close to Kim tell TMZ ... she took time over the weekend to visit a prison just outside the city and met with officials, staff members and inmates. We're told she was given a tour of the facilities to check out the conditions the inmates live in and learn about programs available to them.

As you know ... along with pursuing a career as an attorney, Kim's big passion the past couple years has been working to free prisoners serving unjust sentences -- like Alice Marie Johnson -- and improve the lives on inmates both behind bars and upon release.

She's taken her efforts all the way to The White House, at least a couple times, and is filming a new docuseries about the criminal justice system in America.

No word if the Dayton trip will be part of it, but either way ... Kim's prison reform push is spreading all across the country.

Conor McGregor & GF I'm a Lover & a Fighter!!! ... Couple's Trip to Italy

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Conor McGregor's PR tour has touched down in Italy -- where the UFC superstar is still trying to prove he's just your average family man ... and not a violent maniac.

Just days after Conor went on ESPN to apologize for punching a man in the face at a pub, McGregor and his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, flew over to the Amalfi Coast for some R&R.

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THE SUCKER PUNCH

Conor also brought along his personal photographer to Italy to capture some lovey-dovey pics of the couple ... which we're sure they'll post on social media shortly.

Of course, Conor is desperately trying to push the narrative that he's not a bad guy ... telling Ariel Helwani last week his violent outbursts are a result of being "baited" by troublemakers.

The problem, obviously, is that video evidence doesn't seem to jive with Conor's explanation ... the guy at the Irish pub was just SITTING THERE when Conor punched him in the face.

And, the phone-smashing incident in Miami also seems to have been more about Conor being a jerk than the other guy antagonizing him.

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THE STOMPING

And, don't forget about the 2018 bus attack ... when Conor chartered a plane from Ireland to New York to try and jump Khabib Nurmagomedov ... injuring several innocent people in the process.

The good news ... Conor is using his injured left hand to lift weights during his Italian vacation which is a good sign if he's REALLY hoping to fight again in 2019.

Stay tuned ...

Ex-'Shahs of Sunset' Star Lilly's Husband Files for Divorce

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UPDATE

2:12 PM PT -- According to the divorce docs -- obtained by TMZ -- Mir does not list an official date of separation. He cites irreconcilable differences as the reason for the couple's split. He also wants the court to terminate any ability to award spousal support to Lilly.

One of the former stars from "Shahs of Sunset" is being knocked down a few pegs in the hierarchy, 'cause her husband wants a divorce.

Lilly Ghalichi's husband, entrepreneur Dara Mir, just filed court docs, seeking a divorce from his wife of just 2 years. They got in May of 2017, and Lilly put up an intricately-made video of their traditional Persian wedding on YouTube.

She wrote of her nuptials at the time ... "I wanted to share something special with you guys, so I decided to share my wedding video. It was the most incredible day of my life, I wish I could marry my husband a million more times."

Lilly went on to say of her husband and matrimony, "I hope you guys enjoy our video, and I hope you all have your fairy tale wedding one day." This didn't age well, did it?

Anyway, Lilly and Dara have at least one kid together, so custody might be something they need hash out further down the road. Presumably, they also have some shared assets and/or property that'll have to be divvied up as well.

Lilly appeared on 'Shahs' for two seasons between 2012 and 2014. She had an on-again, off-again relationship with a guy named Ali, from whom she clearly moved on after her time on the show.

Back to the drawing board.

Originally Published -- 11:35 AM PT

Eddie Murphy I'm Hosting 'SNL' ... First Time in 35 Years

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Eddie Murphy is going back to his roots to do what most people thought would NEVER happen -- he's hosting "Saturday Night Live."

'SNL' just announced Eddie will be hosting the December 21 episode ... his first time doing so in 35 years!!! It's huge news for Eddie who rose to fame as a standout 'SNL' regular back in the day. He was so big, he even stepped up to host in 1982 when someone canceled at the last minute.

The episode Eddie's hosting is typically the big blowout before the holiday break ... so count on loads of laughs, and probably lots of guest appearances.

Returning to 'SNL' is the next piece in Eddie's return to the limelight. We broke the story ... Eddie is locked in talks with Netflix for an undisclosed number of comedy specials, with negotiations hovering around $70 MILLION for the deal.

As you know ... he's also making a long-anticipated big screen return with the 'Coming to America" sequel. He's already been spotted on set in Georgia in full regalia as Prince Akeem.

Gotta hand it to Eddie ... dude knows how to mount a major comeback!!!

Future Alleged Baby Mama Claims ... I've Spent $100k Raising Our Child!!!

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12:56 PM PT -- Future's alleged baby mama is speaking out ... claiming she's already out $100,000 after giving birth to a girl she claims is his.

UPDATE
UPDATE

Eliza says she hasn't worked since she was 5 months pregnant, and was forced to sell her car to make ends meet. She claims Future made promises to her, then ghosted, so she took him to court as a last resort. She also says he forced her hand to make her look bad on purpose.

UPDATE

Bottom line ... Eliza says she doesn't need Future to take care of her, but she wants him to support the kid and not abandon "an innocent child."

Future's got more baby mama drama on his hands ... a woman in Florida just slapped the rapper with a paternity case alleging she gave birth to his SEVENTH CHILD!!!

Eliza Seraphin filed legal docs in Broward County, alleging Future is the father of her 4-month-old girl. According to docs obtained by TMZ, Seraphin -- known to her 320k Instagram followers as Eliza Reign -- claims Future ghosted her ever since she gave birth on April 19.

She wants a judge to declare Future the baby daddy and make him ante up child support. Eliza wants the child support retroactively and she wants Hizzoner to tack on hospital expenses she incurred during pregnancy.

Baby mama drama's nothing new for Future, who back in January told radio legend Big Boy he became a father for the sixth time when his son, Hendrix, was born in December.

Future told Big Boy he wants to have more kids ... never mind the legal drama that's followed with in the wake of several births. You'll recall Ciara's had beef with Future over their 5-year-old son.

We've reached out to Future for comment ... so far, no word back.

Originally Published -- 12:50 AM PT

Post Malone Hooked by Crazy Magic Trick ... At UK Music Festival

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Post Malone was practically speechless after witnessing a scary version of Russian Roulette, involving a fish hook, 4 strings and a trick that grabbed PM ... hook, line and sinker.

The impromptu magic show went down Saturday night at the Reading Festival in the UK, where Post was performing. While hanging backstage with Tyla Yaweh, local illusionist Ryan Tricks gave the "Beerbongs & Bentleys" rapper a chance to inflict some serious pain.

Here's how the trick works -- Ryan puts a fishing hook into his mouth, which has four strings looped through it ... but only one of them is actually tied and firmly attached.

Now the queasy part ... Post was tasked with yanking on three strings (his manager, Dre London, ended up helping in the end) to see if he could pick the string that wasn't knotted.

You gotta watch this -- it's totally reminiscent of Christopher Walken and Robert DeNiro in 'Deer Hunter' -- except this is REAL LIFE. Honestly, we can't tell if this was a trick or just Ryan getting super lucky.

Post didn't seem too sure either, but he was more than happy to celebrate with the guy. Beers, of course ... what else???