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Sasha Obama is the it girl ... just ask University of Michigan sororities champing at the bit to land her as a pledge, but we've learned one Greek sisterhood has the edge.

We've called around Ann Arbor ... there's a scramble to recruit 44's youngest daughter, who's been dubbed a "rush crush."

The people we've spoken to say it's undeniable -- having an Obama in the house is an unquestionable badge of honor -- but that's not the only reason Sasha's a hot commodity. They say she's smart, personable and she can draw a crowd.

We're told Alpha Chi Omega (AXO) is the front-runner for a couple of reasons. For starters, when she visited the school earlier this year, Sasha stayed at AXO's house. Turns out, one of Sasha's close friends from high school pledged there.

Sasha's just started her freshman year, but rushing doesn't begin until Spring. If she decides to pledge, all signs seem to point to AXO, which has a mantra that will surely get her parents' seal of approval ... a sorority populated by "unique, talented, genuine women choosing a fun and meaningful way to enhance your college experience and building lifelong bonds that extend long into your alumni years."

Ariana Grande said thank u, but no thank u to Forever 21 when they pitched her an endorsement deal, but the clothing store went and launched a ripoff Ariana ad campaign anyway ... according to a new suit.

The singer alleges Forever 21 and her team were in talks for a deal in December 2018 into January, but the company wouldn't pony up enough dough to use her name and likeness.

Instead, Forever 21 allegedly stole it from Grande for a campaign across their website and social media ... and also hired a look-alike model to make it seem even more like the real deal.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, F21 published at least 30 unauthorized images and videos misappropriating Ariana's name and likeness, and did so by piggybacking off of the huge success of her "Thank U, Next" album.

Grande claims the company stole imagery from her album to create a false perception Ariana was backing the Forever 21 brand. The suit alleges F21's look-alike model also reenacted scenes and shots from the album's singles and music videos ... specifically "7 Rings."

The store Riley Rose, which was launched by the daughters of Forever 21's founders, was also allegedly involved in the ripoff campaign.

OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Notre Dame QB Ian Book TRIED to throw the ball out of bounds during a busted play against Louisville on Monday ... but ended up hitting a cheerleader and BROKE HER NOSE!!

It happened in the 4th quarter as ND was trying to protect its lead against the Cardinals ... Book was pressured and tried to get rid of the football, opting to just heave it out of bounds to avoid the sack.

But, the ball sailed past the sidelines and stuck an unsuspecting UL cheerleader RIGHT IN THE FACE!!

The woman immediately dropped her poms and walked off (presumably to get medical attention).

After the game, the cheerleader -- named Liz -- tweeted about the damage.

"My broken nose is twitter trending huh," she wrote ... adding, "Well my nose is crooked but I'll always have a good story to tell."

Yeah, we know ... it's like that scene from "The Brady Bunch" ... or "Varsity Blues."

Hopefully, Liz is recovering well and will be back on the sidelines soon!

Prince Harry is defending his use of private jets, saying that on the rare occasions he might opt for one ... it's only for the well-being of his family.

The Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, have received some heavy criticism lately for cruising around in gas-guzzling private jets ... they took them at least twice in August.

At a presentation in Amsterdam Tuesday -- where PH was discussing a new environmental project within the travel industry called Travalyst -- he told reporters that he actually spends 99% of his life travelling the world by commercial plane.

However, he went on to say ... "Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe. It's generally as simple as that."

You'll recall ... Elton John went to bat for Harry and Meghan when they came to visit him in the South of France, backing up Harry's words here by saying their private jet use was necessary for security reasons. The couple also flew private to Ibiza shortly before that.

For Harry, he says balance is the key with his private jet use -- adding that if he has to use a private flight, he works to offset his CO2 output (without getting specific). He says he wants to make that a regular thing in tourism and other travel in general.

Simone Biles says her "heart aches" for everyone involved in the horrific triple murder that her brother allegedly committed -- saying, "There is nothing that I can say that will heal anyone's pain."

The Team USA gymnastics superstar's brother, Tevin Biles-Thomas, is facing murder charges for the Dec. 31 shooting in Cleveland, which left 3 dead.

Cops say the shooting broke out during a fight at a house party at an Airbnb rental in Cleveland -- and say they have identified 24-year-old Biles-Thomas as the shooter. After an investigation, he was arrested on Friday.

Simone -- the 5-time Olympic medalist -- finally spoke out about the situation late Monday night ... saying, "My heart aches for everyone involved, especially for the victims and their families."

"There is nothing that I can say that will heal anyone's pain, but I do want to express my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy."

"I ask everyone to please respect my family's privacy as we deal with our pain. XO."

She added, "Still having a hard time processing last weeks news."

Vic Mensa rolled up on ICE headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, stopped traffic and rocked the hell out ... and the protest show went off without a hitch.

The rapper/singer and his band, 93PUNX, stopped traffic and put on a free concert Monday afternoon in the back of a flatbed truck, parked right in front of the building.

Vic and co. broke into their single, "Camp America" ... a blistering track criticizing the U.S. government for its treatment of immigrants. Surprisingly, they were allowed to continue performing for a crowd of about 100 for nearly 40 minutes ... despite the clear "f**k ICE" theme.

We're told cops blocked off the street before finally shutting it down. Mensa was very pleased with the outcome of his first anti-ICE show ... telling us it was a victory. Vic also reiterated the point of it all, saying the treatment of humans right now in this country is unacceptable ... so he wanted to let the people making the decisions know that.

Granted, it was Labor Day so nobody was working inside the ICE HQ ... but we're guessing the message was still received.

Pete Davidson's putting dating rumors to rest and making it crystal clear he IS definitely dating Margaret Qualley -- romantic strolls in Italy will do that.

Pete and Margaret were holding hands Monday while they walked through Venice, and they couldn't look happier. It's Pete in full-blown couple mode again, and they look pretty comfortable around each other. Margaret was chill in a cream tank dress, while Pete repped Biggie Smalls.

As we reported ... rumors had been flying that Pete and Margaret -- who's Andie MacDowell's daughter, btw -- were an item for a while now. They hadn't been seen this close before, but the Venice Film Fesitval has been their coming out. They were together at the screening of her new flick, "Seberg."

They didn't walk the arrival line together but he did sit behind her inside the screening.

YouTuber Brooke Houts -- who was seen beating, shoving and spitting on her dog in footage she accidentally uploaded -- won't face criminal charges for her actions ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... the LAPD's Animal Cruelty Task Force is wrapping up its animal abuse investigation and has determined the evidence doesn't support criminal charges.

As one source put it ... while the video isn't easy to watch, Houts' interaction with her dog doesn't rise to the level of criminal abuse. We're told Houts will keep her Doberman, Sphinx.

As we told you ... Houts kept custody of Sphinx as the task force investigated after the video surfaced, because it determined the pooch was not in immediate danger.

We're told although the case will soon be closed, the LAPD can reopen it if new evidence is presented.

Houts understandably took serious heat for how she treated her dog, and issued a long-winded apology afterward ... explaining how expensive dog trainers are and claiming she's not an animal abuser.

French Montana is the ultimate immigrant success story and hopes to be an inspiration for others in this country ... even when it seems the Prez is against them.

We got the "Jungle Rules" rapper out this week ... he tells us he owes his livelihood to the U.S. -- where he emigrated and became a U.S. citizen a year ago in June -- and believes there are a lot of kids out there with the potential to follow in his footsteps.

Based on the video ... that means getting to a point where you have a person to help untangle your bling.

The problem -- French also believes there are a lot of Donald Trumps out there trying to crush the dreams of people from underprivileged countries ... so he vows to do what he can to help them keep the faith.

As for how he plans to achieve this ... it doesn't seem like going the Kim Kardashian route and getting face time with POTUS is in the cards. The rapper says it's more about continuing to give back to the less fortunate.

Montana's mission is a noble one, but if he wants to be a beacon for immigrants ... he should probably avoid more street scuffles. We broke the story ... French was fuming after an alleged attack the morning after VMAs, especially at his own security.

Additional footage of the incident showed French as the aggressor, though. So far, he hasn't been charged for his role in the altercation.

Ex-UFC fighter Melvin Guillard knocked out a man on the street in Colorado while working as a bouncer for a popular bar ... and TMZ Sports has now obtained video of the violent punch.

Guillard was working for the Ginn Mill in Denver back on June 15, 2018 ... when a scuffle broke out inside of the bar.

You can see in the video, bouncers wrestle with a man to get him outside ... when suddenly, another male approaches the commotion.

That's when Guillard goes after the guy, pushing him back with one arm ... before socking the dude straight in the jaw.

The punch immediately crumpled the guy ... and he lay lifeless on the sidewalk for nearly 30 seconds before bystanders were able to help him up.

The guy suffered undisclosed injuries in the attack ... and pressed charges -- with cops ultimately arresting 36-year-old Guillard for felony assault.

Guillard fought the charges in court for a year ... but he just cut a deal with prosecutors this summer to have the case closed.

As part of the agreement, Guillard pled guilty to one count of assault in the second degree -- but was only hit with probation -- plus fines and fees -- for the crime.

Guillard had been out of the professional fight game while his case played out in the court system ... but he made his return to MMA action last month in the Bare Knuckle Fight Championship. He lost to Isaac Vallie-Flagg via technical knockout.

San Diego-born Shauna Sand made a name for herself in the '90s as a model and actress but was most-notably nude as the sexy centerfold in May, 1996 as Playboy's Playmate of the Month.

Shauna Sands was in a handful of episodes of the classic under cover cop show "Renegade" where she was cast alongside her hubby, Lorenzo Lamas, as the biker bad boy Reno Raines.

Sands continues to model and also sells worn (and signed) lacy lingerie, Lucite high-heel shoes and hot personalized photos on her eBay account.

Another dog has died aboard a KLM flight ... a tragedy that's becoming far too common.

The tragic incident went down on July 26 after 9-month-old French Bulldog boarded flight KL617 from Amsterdam to Boston. The family's attorney, Evan Oshan, tells TMZ ... the family's father was shipping his 6-year-old son's dog to their home in the states. Oshan says when the boy's grandmother went to pick up the dog at the airport, officials broke the tragic news to her.

The family had a necropsy performed on Roger and according to the docs provided by Oshan, Roger died of heat exhaustion and dehydration. The cause of death is listed as respiratory distress/heat stroke. The report also says "limited panting in a stressful, hot or humid environment, combined with a lack of water, would have placed Roger at high risk for heat stroke."

The family now wants answers and has hired Oshan, who has sadly dealt with similar cases. As we first reported ... a Central Asian Shepherd was found dead back in in March in the cargo hold of a KLM flight from Amsterdam to L.A.

Oshan confronted airline officials at LAX demanding answers. At the time he got none ... but vowed to get to the bottom of it.

Justin Bieber's in a reflective mood on this Labor Day ... opening up in a VERY big, and wordy, way about his personal roller coaster of life.

The Biebs had a lot to get off his chest -- something like 1,000 words worth of stuff -- and blurted it all out in a post you might go blind trying to read. So, allow us to sum up his points:

- His struggles growing up with 2 very young parents
- Coping with sudden attention from millions of fans
- His darkest days which included doing "pretty heavy drugs at 19" and abusing all his relationships. He admits becoming "resentful, disrespectful to women and angry."

- Going through a cycle of disappointment, which he admits sometimes drove him to the point "where you don't even want to live anymore"
- Feeling unfulfilled despite all his money, clothes, cars, accolades and achievements

But with his nuptials set to go down later this month ... seems Justin's excited about entering the next phase in his life, and he finally feels fulfilled.

He writes, "Luckily god blessed me with extraordinary people who love me for me. Now i am navigating the best season of my life 'MARRIAGE.' !! Which is an amazing crazy new responsibility. You learn patience, trust, commitment, kindness, humility and all of the things it looks like to be a good man."

Trey Songz should NOT feel butt hurt after 50 Cent replaced Trey's track as the show's opening theme song ... so says "Power" star Larenz Tate.

We got Larenz out Monday at LAX and we wanted to get his take on the drama surrounding the theme song. ICYMI ... 50 replaced the original theme song -- "Big Rich Town" featuring Joe -- with a remix featuring Trey Songz and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie.

Long story short ... fans went absolutely berserk. Things got so heated ... thousands of fans flooded 50's Instagram page to bitch about the move and demand the rapper reverse course and switch it back to the original theme track. Comedian Affion Crockett posted a video saying, "50 you owe me $100,000 for my emotional f***ing investment. It's been five years with the [same] theme song...go back to the original f***ing song."

This season's second episode aired Sunday and fans were STILL listening the Trey Songz version. 50 took to Instagram and said, "My IG has been disabled because I’m tired of ya mouth. I don’t like the shit you been saying to me about the theme song. So I’m gone for the weekend. I’ll change it next week. Leave me alone fool."

Word.

Fetty Wap's in big trouble for busting out a can of whoop ass on a Las Vegas valet ... at least according to staffers at the Mirage Hotel and Casino.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the rapper was arrested Sunday at the Mirage after he and one of the valets got into a dispute. Things got physical and Fetty allegedly uncorked at least 3 punches on the valet.

We're told another Mirage staffer made a citizen's arrest ... holding Fetty until Las Vegas Metro PD showed up to take him into custody. Our sources say the Jersey rapper was booked for 3 counts of misdemeanor battery -- one for each punch he's accused of landing.

FW was only in custody for a few hours before he was released -- but he'll have a date with the judge before too long.

We've reached out to Fetty's attorney and rep, but no word back yet.

Originally published -- 7:53 AM PT

Kevin Hart is on the mend this morning after going under the knife Sunday ... less than 24 hours after he injured his back in that horrific car accident.

A source connected to Kevin tells us doctors completed successful back surgery on Kevin Sunday evening. Another source told us the comedian is expected to remain in the hospital for at least a couple of days while he recovers.

TMZ broke the story ... Kevin was miraculously able to walk away from the accident early Sunday morning on L.A.'s treacherous Mulholland Highway -- with assistance from a bodyguard -- but was rushed to a hospital with what cops called a "major back injury."

Jared Black, the man who was driving Kevin's vintage Plymouth Barracuda at the time of the accident, was pinned in the crushed vehicle and also seriously injured. He was airlifted to UCLA Medical Center and we're told he's surrounded by family members as he also recovers.

Cops say Jared's fiance, celebrity trainer Rebecca Broxterman, was pinned in the backseat ... but firefighters pulled her from the wreckage without major injuries.