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Kevin Hart's 1970 Plymouth Barracuda will be stripped down to nuts, bolts and metal pieces ... courtesy of the California Highway Patrol, and what the CHP finds could result in new car safety laws.

Our CHP sources tell us its protocol is often to disassemble cars involved in either fatal or major injuries to determine the cause of the crash. It's a 3-week process ... a week taking the car apart and 2-3 weeks evaluating the evidence and writing a report.

Our law enforcement sources say ... the end result may be a recommendation by the CHP to the state legislature to require that car companies that customize and restore classic cars must install safety harnesses, even if it deviates from the original vehicle. In Kevin's case, the Barracuda is a 1970, when harnesses were not required.

As one CHP source told us, even if there were mechanical problems with the car that caused the crash, a safety harness could have prevented or minimized the serious back injuries Kevin and the driver suffered.

We're told the CHP DOES care if the car wasn't restored properly. The CHP has actually pushed legislation over salvaged cars that are unsafely restored ... and now those cars must be inspected by the Dept.

Michael Jordan is pledging $1 MILLION to hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas -- saying he's "devastated" after seeing the destruction the storm has caused.

"I am devastated to see the destruction that Hurricane Dorian has brought to the Bahamas, where I own property and visit frequently," MJ said.

"My heart goes out to everyone who is suffering and to those who have lost loved ones."

Jordan, through his rep, Estee Portnoy, adds ... "As the recovery and relief efforts continue, I will be tracking the situation closely and working to identify non-profit agencies where the funds will have the most impact."

"The Bahamian people are strong and resilient and I hope that my donation will be of help as they work to recover from this catastrophic storm."

So far, officials say at least 50 people are confirmed dead -- but THOUSANDS of people are still unaccounted for.

Tons of stars are opening their wallets to help out ... from Tyler Perry to Luke Walton, Buddy Hield, Ludacris and more.

The Weeknd can FINALLY feel his face ... cause he's ditched his beard along with switching up his hairstyle and wardrobe, and we love it!!!

The "Starboy" singer debuted a grown and sexy look Monday night at the Toronto Film Festival. He's there for the premiere of Adam Sandler's "Uncut Gems," in which Abel plays himself. Abel's only on-screen for a few minutes but it was enough to bring out a whole new side of him.

The singer didn't lose all of his facial hair -- he's now featuring the 'stache -- but he's outgrown his flat top for a more classic afro. It might have taken some people awhile to get used to seeing Abel without his trademark locks from back in the day ... but this new look's definitely easy on the eyes, especially in a navy blue suit.

We're not sayin' there's a connection, but the transformation comes a little over a month after his last breakup with Bella Hadid.

Helluva post-breakup look. Just sayin'.

Odell Beckham Jr. doesn't give a damn about the NFL's jewelry policy ... 'cause the Cleveland Browns superstar says he's gonna keep wearing his flashy $350k watch during games.

Aside from the Brownies getting rocked by the Titans on Sunday, the biggest story coming out of Cleveland was OBJ rocking a bougie Richard Mille watch during the game.

Of course ... the league has a rule against wearing "hard objects"... which means Beckham's wrist drip is NOT allowed.

But, OBJ told Cleveland.com on Tuesday he's DETERMINED to rock the watch on the field again -- claiming people are blowing the situation way out of proportion for 2 reasons ...

1. The price of the watch. OBJ says if he was wearing a cheap $20 timepiece no one would care (wrong BTW, we'd care even MORE).
2. Odell says it's all about him -- people make a big deal out of ANYTHING he does.

The NFL reportedly planned on speaking with Odell about the watch situation -- but clearly, his mind is already made up.

Miley Cyrus and Russell Westbrook know the drill -- if you're gonna rub elbows with Tom Ford during Fashion Week ... ya better dress the part.

Miley and Russell were just a couple of the celebs on parade Monday night at the iconic fashion designer's Spring-Summer 2020 show for New York Fashion Week. Miley went dark -- head-to-toe black -- including her fuzzy hat, while the NBA superstar opted for a brown suede suit. Fashion statements are just what he does.

Gotta love the location for this haute couture event -- an abandoned subway platform in the Lower East Side. No MetroCard required!!!

Great way to kick off the week as NYFW inches closer to Wednesday's finish line -- it's shifted from 7 days, 8 nights to 5 days, 5 nights. Apparently, people CAN get enough.

Joe Giudice is tired of being kept behind bars and feels the least the judge can do is let him out to see his family ... especially if he's going to get deported soon anyway.

Sources close to Teresa's husband tell TMZ ... he'll have a bond hearing Wednesday morning in a Pennsylvania immigration court to decide whether he can be released from ICE custody while he's appealing his deportation case.

We're told Joe's extended family will be attending along with Teresa, but not his kids. Joe won't physically be in the courtroom, as he's being held some hours away at the Clinton County Correctional Facility ... but he'll appear by video.

Our sources say the former 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' star is extremely homesick and believes he's getting a raw deal ... remaining behind bars.

Joe went to prison in March 2016 and has been detained ever since, even after serving his 41-month sentence for conspiracy to commit wire and bankruptcy fraud.

As we reported ... he was released from federal prison in March but was immediately transferred to ICE custody, because a judge ordered him to be deported to his native Italy once he got out. However, Giudice appealed that decision and lost, but appealed again to a higher court ... which is where the case stands now.

We're told Joe just wants to be able to return home to New Jersey while he waits for a final ruling.

The Giudice family attorney, James Leonard Jr., tells us ... "What is happening to Joe Giudice and to his family and thousands of other families regarding these draconian immigration laws is nothing short of inhumane."

He adds ... "We are praying for some sort of relief tomorrow from the Court. This family has paid their debt to society and then some. Enough is enough."

There's a $20k education fund to help the children of the woman killed in the fatal Kevin O'Leary boat crash, and the campaign was set up by the son of the other victim killed in the incident.

Alex Poltash, whose father Gary died in the tragedy, is the man behind the GoFundMe for Suzana Brito's three children -- 12-year-old Liam, 11-year-old Ruby and 9-year-old Cash. Alex says the money is going into an education fund for the kids, and it's a way to carry on his dad's legacy.

The way Alex sees it ... his father was a true believer in the power of education, and the crowdfunding effort is an appropriate way to honor his pops, who was friends with Suzana.

We broke the story ... Kevin's boat was involved in a fatal crash last month on Lake Joseph in Ontario, Canada. Two people were killed and 3 others were injured.

Multiple sources with knowledge tell us, police are looking at whether the boat that was hit had its navigation lights on. Kevin insists they were not on, but we're told people on the other boat insist the lights were on, Kevin's boat was going too fast and the driver -- Kevin's wife -- wasn't paying proper attention.

Suzana, a 48-year-old single mother, died in the hospital after suffering horrific injuries in the wreck.

Jade Cline's not just coming off the bench to sub in for Jenelle Evans on "Teen Mom 2" -- she wants fans to be crystal clear ... she's bringing her own real, raw story lines.

We got the newest addition to the 'Teen Mom' fam Monday in NYC, along with her almost 2-year-old daughter, and asked what she wants people to know about her. Of course, she is replacing Jenelle on the second half of Season 9 -- but that's a technicality for Jade.

She says her story has plenty of twists that a lot of people will find relatable. Humbly, Jade says she is "a great mom," but like all moms ... she makes mistakes. She just learns from hers.

That might sound like a dig at Jenelle ... but fact is, Jade didn't fire any shots at her or her husband, David Eason. As we reported, MTV severed all ties with Jenelle in May after David killed the family dog.

What followed was an animal cruelty investigation, Jenelle and David losing custody of their kids, a court battle and the couple eventually regaining custody.

'Love & Hip Hop' star Teairra Mari pled guilty in her DWI case in New York ... TMZ has learned.

Teairra entered a guilty plea Monday to one count of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence ... and she's avoiding time behind bars, at least for now.

According to the Queens District Attorney's Office ... Mari has been ordered to complete several DWI-related courses -- including a victim impact panel and an impaired driver program -- and she must install an ignition interlock device in her car, which will remain in place for the next year.

Teairra's license is also suspended for 6 months, and if she fails to comply with the terms of her sentence, we're told she could face up to a year behind bars.

We broke the story ... NYPD busted Mari for DWI back in June, pulling her over after an officer observed her Dodge Charger was missing a front wheel as she drove out of the Midtown Tunnell. Police say she reeked of booze, and her bumper was dragging on the ground, with sparks flying all around her car.

It's not her first brush with the law ... she was convicted of DUI way back in 2011 in Los Angeles.

Senator Marco Rubio strongly believes Colin Kaepernick has the talent to be on an NFL roster -- telling TMZ Sports it's not CK's skill that's preventing him from playing in the league.

The Republican politician is a HUGE football fan -- and with the Jacksonville Jaguars losing their starting QB, Nick Foles, to a shoulder injury, some people think the Jags should kick the tires on Kaepernick.

Rubio is one of those people ... telling us straight-up, "Certainly there aren't 64 better QBs playing in the NFL right now."

Marco notes that NFL personnel decisions are based on more than just talent and ability -- but makes it clear he thinks Colin's current unemployment status is about more than what he can do on the field.

"I'm not an NFL owner but I can tell you I don't think there are 64 better quarterbacks ... that's obviously not football that's keeping him away."

Rubio says the shot callers on NFL teams "think he brings many other things with him that they don't want around" ... an obvious reference to the media firestorm over Colin's kneeling protest.

We asked Marco if he would consider Colin if he ran the Jags ... and this is what he told us.

"If I were an owner, and he was the best guy, I'd bring him in despite the other stuff. But, there's a lot that goes into that."

We all know how President Donald Trump feels about Kaepernick ... he's called for the NFL to fire any "son of a bitch" who doesn't stand for the national anthem.

He's the youngest of six in his family and at an early age showed huge promise. At just 16, this kiddo earned a full scholarship to the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts at Bucknell University. He would eventually leave his home at the age of 17 to pursue a career in theater in NYC.

It wasn't long before he started landing prominent roles ... first with "Footloose." He'd later appear in several films nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture ... including "JFK," "A Few Good Men," "Apollo 13," "Mystic River" and "Frost/Nixon."

Diddy and Lori Harvey's whirlwind summer romance just wrapped its Mexican leg, and it looks like it was a very successful vacay, and by that we mean ... they're doing a lot of belly rubbing!

The Bad Boy honcho and Steve Harvey's daughter arrived at the Cabo San Lucas airport Sunday on their way back stateside. Cabo was just the latest hot getaway for the couple -- remember, they were just in Italy along with her dad.

Speaking of which, Steve might take interest in a couple of these pics ... at one point, Diddy reached under Lori's blouse and appeared to rub her stomach. Lori did the same to herself.

So, here's the rub ... the gesture made photogs think they'd just saw a sign Lori is pregnant. Could be as innocent as a convo about a big lunch, or maybe a tummy ache. Still, we reached out to Diddy's rep. No word back yet.

After Lori and Diddy returned home, she quickly took off on another trip ... sans her BF, while he's hanging at home.

Kanye West's futuristic housing community needs a new home base ... because his dome-shaped structures in Calabasas have been destroyed.

All but one of the housing prototypes were torn down with about a week to spare before the September 15 deadline ... imposed by the L.A. County Dept. of Public Works for violating the building code.

As you can see in these aerial photos taken Monday ... all that's left at the site, where at least 3 of Ye's huge domes once sat, is a bunch of rubble, a dump truck and one small dome-ish tower. We're told that one is also coming down before the deadline.

We broke the story ... Kanye's neighbors were pissed in mid-August over construction crews working on his property all weekend long, including Sundays, which isn't allowed.

Cops were called and put an end to the noise, but the workers have clearly still been busy with the tear-down process.

As we told you ... Kanye's prototypes are part of his vision of an egalitarian community, but he didn't get the proper permits to build them.

MC Lyte hired an artist to work with her on a project, but never paid him for his contributions ... this according to a lawsuit.

In legal docs obtained by TMZ ... Christopher Smith claims he was hired as an artist, animator and writer on a project for MC Lyte's entertainment management and production firm, Sunni Gyrl, but he says he was never paid for his 1,228 hours on the job. He claims he's owed a total of $38,375.

In the docs, Christopher claims after he was let go from the project, MC Lyte and her biz partner Lynn Richardson sent him a check for $11,250 ... but he says it bounced.

Now, Christopher is suing MC Lyte, Richardson and Sunni Gyrl ... and he wants the cash he claims he's owed.

We reached out to MC Lyte for comment ... no word back, so far.

Britney Spears now has a new temporary conservator ... and, as expected, it's Jodi Montgomery.

The appointment was made official Monday in an L.A. courtroom where a judge appointed Jodi after Britney's father, Jamie Spears, formally requested to relinquish his powers of conservatorship due to personal health reasons. As we first reported ... Jamie filed the docs last week to step down at least through January 20, 2020 -- and handpicked Jodi, Brit's care manager, to be his replacement, temporarily.

We know no one involved opposed Jodi's appointment, but the bigger issue will come within the next week ... once a court appointed evaluator files a report about Britney's care and medications she was given. TMZ broke the story ... Dr. Timothy Benson -- who was responsible for her treatment -- died from an aneurysm.

The evaluation could be critical of Jamie's stewardship and, if so, could open the door for Kevin Federline and/or Lynne Spears to launch a challenge to Jamie returning to the conservatorship.

As you know, Jamie is currently under criminal investigation for allegedly getting physical with Britney's 13-year-old son, Sean.

Jamie's asking the judge to give Montgomery the same powers he has, including:

1. The power to restrict or limit visitors by any means.
2. The power to retain caretakers and security for Britney on a 24-hour basis.
3. The power to prosecute civil harassment restraining orders.
4. The power to communicate with expert medical personnel regarding Britney and to have full access to her medical and psychiatric records.

BIG PAPI'S BACK!!!!!!

David Ortiz is making his first appearance at Fenway Park since he was nearly killed in the Dominican Republic last June ... and Sox officials say he's going to throw out the first pitch!!!

Ortiz almost lost his life after a gunman fired a bullet into his lower back outside of a DR club on June 9 ... but after several surgeries -- Ortiz says he's been feeling MUCH better.

So much so, the guy decided to hit up the Red Sox game Monday night to give his former squad a little bit of a boost heading into a rivalry game with the Yankees -- and fans are fired up!!!

Unclear if Papi will take the mound for the first pitch or just throw the heat from the infield grass ... but either way, it'll be a welcome sight for EVERYBODY in the baseball world!!!

By the way, the Yankees have paid their own tribute to the Sox legend recently ... superstars Edwin Encarnacion and Gary Sanchez went to visit him before they started the series last week.

Props for the cool move!!!