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A prisoner doing time for another murder is now confessing to the crime "Making a Murderer" subject Steven Avery is in prison for -- but the feds have serious doubts, and probably for good reason.

Filmmaker Shawn Rech -- who's directing a new documentary about Avery called "Convicting a Murderer" -- made news Tuesday when he told an outlet he'd secured a confession to the murder of Teresa Halbach from a different Wisconsin man, not Avery.

Shawn says the convict is imprisoned for a separate murder -- but if his confession is legit it would be major news for Avery, who's always maintained his innocence.

Before Avery starts jumping for joy, though ... we spoke to Shawn ourselves, and the full context makes the alleged confession seem a little dubious, and the DOJ in Wisconsin sees it the same way.

Placido Domingo's bringing the curtain down on his role in Metropolitan Opera, and griping about being condemned for sexual misconduct allegations without "due process."

The famed tenor had insisted he would go through with his performance in the Met's production of "Macbeth" on Wednesday night ... despite the fact multiple women have accused him of sexual harassment. However, on Tuesday, he said, "I believe that my appearance in this production of 'Macbeth' would distract from the hard work of my colleagues."

The Met made it sound like it had demanded he leave, saying ... "The Met and Mr. Domingo are in agreement that he needed to step down."

Joaquin Phoenix's performance as the Joker in Todd Phillips' dark take on the Batman villain is getting huge buzz, but at least one theater in Aurora, Colorado won't be showing the film ... the venue where the 2012 mass shooting occurred.

The Century Aurora and XD is the remodeled site where James Holmes -- armed with an assault rifle and other guns and wearing full body armor -- attacked moviegoers at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 and injuring 70.

Holmes became linked to the Joker because of his bright orange hair and reports he called himself that when he was arrested ... though those reports turned out to be false.

The theater reportedly will not be showing "Joker" -- there are currently no showtimes listed and a theater employee tells The Hollywood Reporter no advance ticket purchases are available because the multiplex won't be showing the film.

It's unclear if this is out of respect, or fear of a copycat incident.

Either way, the decision to pass on "Joker" comes as family members of the Aurora shooting victims are expressing concerns about Phoenix's portrayal of Arthur Fleck, who becomes the Joker, and the violence that laces the film ...  asking Warner Bros. to join the corporate leaders who understand "they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe."

Tim Tebow's taking his upcoming wedding as serious as one of his workouts ... 'cause the ex-Heisman Trophy winner was sweating his face off practicing his moves with his fiancee!!

The former NFL first-round pick showed off his waltzin' skills with Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters ... and he also flashed a healthy sweat that could be seen through his pink shirt.

Don't worry ... Demi-Leigh -- Miss Universe 2017 -- didn't seem to mind the perspiration ... in fact, she shouted out the guy for improving!!!

"Getting better," she wrote ... "one step at a time."

Unclear if the couple is planning on making this their first dance at their wedding ... but the celebration appears to be coming up soon.

Remember, the two got engaged back in January ... and their posts about their upcoming wedding have REALLY started to heat up.

Which means ... only a few more weeks left with that v-card, Timmy!!!

The wife of "Shark Tank" star Kevin O'Leary has been charged with driving their boat carelessly in the fatal boating accident last month, but the other driver was also charged with a crime.

TMZ has learned the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) charged Linda O'Leary with "careless operation of a vessel." TMZ broke the story ... O'Leary's boat was on Lake Joseph August 24 when it slammed into another boat, killing 2 passengers.

Our sources say the OPP obtained 5 videos from cameras trained on the lake and they concluded she was driving 17 MPH at around 11:30 PM ... which police say was not a safe speed.

But, the OPP also charged the driver of the other boat, Richard Ruh. The OPP says he was driving without navigation lights. As we reported, this seemed to be the core of the case -- and our sources say the driver had insisted the lights were on, but police say the video shows otherwise.

We're told Linda is going to "vigorously fight the charge." OPP spokeswoman Carolle Dionne tells us Linda's alleged crime carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in jail or a $1 million fine.

Kevin was not charged with any offense, but he told us through his agent, UTA honcho Jay Sures, "Now that the authorities have concluded their thorough investigation, I have no further comment other than to say that our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of those who lost loved ones in this awful tragedy. Our hearts go out to them."

Mark Rypien's wife was on the ground gasping for air and choking after the former Super Bowl MVP struck her ... and it's all on new police video obtained by TMZ Sports.

Rypien and his wife got into an argument in their car on a busy street in Spokane, Washington on June 30 when Rypien says things got physical.

The 56-year-old -- who won two championships with the Redskins in the late '80s and early '90s -- claims his wife, Danielle Rypien, struck him in the head with a cell phone and poured water on him while he was driving. He also claims she covered his eyes while they were on the road and, when he got scared, he hit her.

In video previously obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see Danielle spill out of the car onto the ground and collapse onto a grassy area of a nearby bank parking lot.

New police video shows what happened next ... cops interrogated Rypien and his wife over the incident, and the former QB admitted to striking her.

"She was covering my face up when I was driving and I was scared and I just said, 'Get away from me!'" Rypien said.

Cops say they also noticed the driver's seat was wet -- seemingly corroborating his story that Danielle had poured water on him.

When the cops asked why she was coughing and choking ... Rypien added, "She just had the wind knocked out of her when I kind of threw her hand off me."

"She was covering my face up and I was scared we were going to get into a wreck."

Cops questioned both Rypien and his wife for the next few minutes over the incident ... but Danielle appeared to refuse to tell officers what really went down -- saying she was worried about what would happen to Mark if he went to jail.

"He raises money for cancer and it will hurt his reputation," she told police.

She also told cops Rypien is "sick" -- suffering from head trauma sustained during his days in the NFL.

Eventually, cops decided to arrest the ex-QB ... telling Rypien that, since he admitted to hitting Danielle, "I do not have any choice but to place you under arrest for domestic violence."

The video also shows cops acknowledging Rypien as a "pretty high-profile person" -- and discussing how to handle the situation appropriately.

Rypien was eventually charged with misdemeanor domestic violence ... and after fighting the case in court throughout the summer, he eventually got the charge dismissed on Aug. 30.

According to court docs, Rypien was able to get the charge dropped because he "acknowledged the event and is pursuing counseling."

For his part, Rypien released a statement after the court's ruling, saying, "In light of the dismissal of the misdemeanor assault charge against me, I want to express my appreciation to the citizen callers who reported this incident and to the officers involved for their efforts to protect Danielle on the day of this incident."

"I also appreciate the professionalism of the officers, jail staff, court personnel and the prosecutor's office in having treated me with respect and civility through a very difficult process."

Joe Giudice just flipped the script, big time, in his deportation case -- he now WANTS to go to Italy ... but only temporarily.

Joe and his lawyer, James Leonard, just filed docs in federal appeals court requesting his immediate release from an ICE detention center while the courts decide on his appeal of deportation. The twist is he wants to go to Italy ... the very country to which he could be deported to.

According to the docs, Joe wants to go back to the motherland in order to bring home the pancetta. As his lawyer put it, Joe wants to "begin working and contributing financially to his wife and four young children."

As you know, the feds deported Joe earlier this year after he completed his prison sentence for wire and bankruptcy fraud. He immediately appealed that ruling, and that case is pending.

Just last week, a judge shot down his request to be released on bond here in the states.

Buona fortuna!

Lenny Dykstra is out. Screech is in.

TMZ Sports has learned Dustin Diamond has agreed to replace Lenny Dykstra and fight Bagel Guy Chris Morgan in a Celebrity Boxing match this weekend in New Jersey!

As we previously reported, Dykstra pulled out of the event this week because he's focusing on an unrelated lawsuit.

So, Celeb Boxing promoter Damon Feldman reached out to the former "Saved By The Bell" star and we're told 42-year-old Diamond agreed almost immediately!

Now, the fight is on ... the two will clash at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City on Sept. 28.

Screech is 6'0" tall and 45-year-old Morgan is listed at 5'0".

As for Bagel Guy, Chris Morgan has been training his ass off ... working with UFC stars like Chris Weidman and Al Iaquinta.

Unclear if Dustin has been training but he's been involved with celeb boxing in the past -- fighting Ron Palillo -- aka Horshack from "Welcome Back, Kotter" back in 2002. Dustin won the fight after knocking Palillo down a few times.

Ya gotta think the experience will give Screech the advantage.

"Chicago P.D." star Jason Beghe will be living close to the set as a newly single man after his divorce ... and his ex-wife will be living the good life in Malibu.

Jason and his ex, Angie Janu, have hammered out a divorce settlement ... and here's how it breaks down. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Jason gets their swanky Chicago condo, and Angie's living in their Malibu estate.

The former couple will share joint legal and physical custody of their teenage sons, Bix and Bo, though the kids will primarily live with Mom in Malibu while Dad works on his TV show in the Windy City.

When they're with their kids, Jason and Angie are barred from talking trash about the other parent, and they've got to let the boys talk on the phone with Mom or Dad at least once a day. Jason and Angie also have to do their best to be civil with one another around their kids.

The docs, filed by celebrity lawyer Samantha Spector, also lay out the cash distribution ... Jason and Angie are splitting up their bank accounts -- although there's a certain amount of money that is Jason's separate property and not subject to a split. The settlement doesn't say anything about child or spousal support.

Jason -- who plays Hank Voight on the NBC series -- filed for divorce back in December 2017 after nearly 17 years of marriage.

Unemployed NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown isn't spending his Tuesday getting ready for a game -- he just walked into a Miami office to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit where he's accused of trashing a luxury apartment.

As we previously reported, AB is being sued by the owners of The Mansions at Acqualina in the Miami area, where he was accused of wrecking his $35k-per-month unit and not paying for the damages.

Brown allegedly leased the place from Feb. 2018 to July 2018.

In the lawsuit, the condo owners claim they found broken or defaced furnishings -- including a leather couch, silk-covered sofas and appliances. They also claim AB damaged the walls and flooring so badly, they needed to repaint the place.

Brown has previously denied the allegations and vowed to fight the case. In fact, Brown filed a counterclaim against the condo claiming his unit was burglarized in April 2018 due to lack of security at the complex. Brown filed multiple police reports claiming the burglars entered his place without permission and stole $80k in cash and a 9mm firearm while he was out of town.

AB arrived for his deposition on Tuesday morning with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, by his side -- along with his attorney, Darren Heitner.

The former New England Patriots star was dressed in a black tracksuit and was smiling and using his phone to record the media throng waiting for him as he arrived.

In other words, he didn't seem worried at all.

If The Mansions sounds familiar, it's the same place where Brown was accused of going on a furniture-throwing tirade back in 2018 ... and almost smashing a 22-month-old child.

Brown was sued by the family of the kid who says Brown was launching furniture off his balcony and only missed hitting the child and his grandfather by "a mere foot or two."

Brown struck a settlement with the family -- agreeing to put money in the kid's college fund and also donate to a charity.

Miley Cyrus' iHeartRadio set in Las Vegas nearly took a dark turn due to a man cops say is obsessed with knocking her up -- and it was only her eagle-eyed bodyguards who prevented disaster.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... cops were called to the T-Mobile Arena Saturday night after Miley's security team noticed 42-year-old David Rumsey in the audience. We're told Rumsey was on their watch list because he'd allegedly made previous threats against her.

Our sources say Rumsey told Miley's team, "It's my life's mission to impregnate Miley." We're told the guy also claimed he was going to raise Michael Jackson and Prince from the dead so they could party with him and Miley.

After being detained by Miley's security team, Rumsey was arrested and booked into the Clark County Jail on a felony charge of making threats. He is still currently in custody.

The guy's Twitter feed is frighteningly bizarre. In tweets the week before the concert he tells Miley he's sorry for hurting her and blames Donald Trump. Then he insinuates that after they meet in Vegas they'll be able to party with MJ, Prince and Tupac.

Sources tell us those twisted tweets are why Miley's team had distributed Rumsey's photo to staff inside the venue and instructed them to be on the lookout during her performance.

Mission accomplished for Team Miley.

The model turning Mister Rogers into a Halloween hottie with a new costume says the icon's hometown is pissed she sexed up his trademark look, but she insists Fred really was sexy ... in his own way.

Dessie Mitcheson -- who posed in the Nicest Neighbor Costume for online retailer Yandy -- tells us she's been hearing an earful from folks in Pittsburgh, which is near where both she and Fred were raised.

No passes for the hometown girl, though ... she says some folks have made it clear she's not welcome back after all the outrage from people there. Dessie admits she knew there'd be some type of reaction from the costume, but says she was NOT expecting this amount of backlash right off the bat.

Then comes an interesting question from our photog ... is Mister Rogers actually a sex symbol? Or is the guy just too family-friendly to raise the issue? Dessie's addressing it head-on and says everyone's who's pissed is forgetting the sexiest thing about Fred.

That being said, the costume comes with hand puppets and whatnot -- so yeah -- it gets kinda weird.

How's this for a fashion crossover?!?!

Louis Vuitton just dropped the first images of the custom travel trunk they designed for the most coveted trophy in Esports ... the "League of Legends" Summoners Cup!!!

The trophy is awarded to winner of the world championships in Paris in November along with a $1 MILLION cash prize!

Now, LV is getting into the gaming world ... partnering up with Riot Games (the company behind LoL) to create the official case of the Cup.

Here's how LV is describing the case ...

"The bespoke trunk, the first of its kind for an esports championship, will feature both traditional Louis Vuitton savoir-faire along with cutting-edge, high-tech elements inspired by the League of Legends universe."

"In addition to the Trophy Case, Louis Vuitton has designed unique champion skins and a capsule collection designed by Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Women’s collections, along with other League of Legend digital assets."

No word on how much the case is worth on the open market -- but a special Louis Vuitton x Supreme trunk recently sold for $70,000!!! So, yeah ... this is a valuable item for sure!

The 2018 "LoL" world title went to Invictus Gaming, a team from China. The runner-up was Fnatic, a team based out of the UK.

Hollywood's finest came out in droves to mourn the passing of renowned fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh ... speaking to his impact in the entertainment world.

Some of the super celebs on hand Tuesday at the Saint-Sulpice Church in Paris -- where Lindbergh was laid to rest -- included a ton of supermodels ... Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Bella and Gigi Hadid, Kaia Gerber and several others who'd worked with him.

There were some actors there as well, like Bradley Cooper, Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore, Milla Jovovich and more. Vogue EIC Anna Wintour was in attendance too.

Everybody appeared to be either crying or holding back tears for the somber affair. It's understandable ... Lindbergh had worked on some of the biggest shoots in Hollywood, having made a name for himself with supermodel magazine covers in the '90s.

He also photographed Meghan Markle twice over past couple years -- once in 2017, when she opened up to Vanity Fair about her relationship with Prince Harry. He shot her again for a special Vogue edition called "Forces for Change" this past summer.

Lindbergh died earlier this month at the age of 74.

Young Dro's gonna have to spend time behind bars for smashing banana pudding in his GF's face ... but it ain't all bad news for the rapper, far from it.

According to legal docs ... Young Dro pled guilty last week to 1 count of battery/family violence. He was immediately sentenced to 12 months behind bars, but was only ordered to serve 70 days.

And, it gets even better -- Dro got credit for 20 days already served. Plus, we talked to a Fulton County Court official who tells us he'll get an extra day of credit for each day served on good behavior.

The official says, do the math, and the rapper could get out as early as October 5.

He'll remain on probation for the balance of the 12-month sentence. As part of his plea ... Dro's gonna have to submit to a drug/alcohol evaluation within 30 days of his release from jail. He's also been ordered to undergo domestic violence counseling, and cannot booze or take drugs while on probation.

He'll also have to take random drug tests and forfeit all weapons.

TMZ broke the story ... the rapper was busted back in July after allegedly punching his GF so hard it left her bruised. Young Dro's also accused of smashing a plate of banana pudding in her face before grabbing a kitchen knife and going to town on the living room furniture.

Tana Mongeau says Kylie Jenner imparted some useful words of wisdom on the journey of pregnancy -- which, apparently, won't be put to good use anytime soon.

The YouTuber was leaving Poppy Monday night in WeHo, where our camera guy asked if KJ was able to offer some knowledge on managing the preggo life. As it turns out ... she did!!! But, unfortunately, it's not gonna benefit Tana for the time being -- especially considering the state we caught her in here ... drunk as a skunk.

Her words, not ours.

Some quick backstory ... Tana posted a photo of her and Kylie last week, saying the KarJenner gave her pregnancy advice -- which was the latest troll move between her and her "husband," Jake Paul. There's a big dispute over whether Tana's pregnant or not.

You'll recall ... Tana pulled a big preggo-scare prank on Jake about a month ago, which she documented on her YouTube channel. Based on his reaction to her baby news, it sure seemed like he bought it at the time. Looks like he's trying to get her back for that.

Speaking of her relationship with Jake -- AKA, their not-legal marriage -- we picked Tana's brain about that too. Specifically ... how the not-living together was going.