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One of El Chapo's sons is now being held by Mexican authorities, and a massive shootout is going down in the city where the drug kingpin's offspring was arrested.

According to multiple reports, El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzmán López has been taken into custody in the Mexican city of Culiacán ... and masked gunmen are now trading fire with Mexican security forces.

Ovidio is said to be an active member of El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel. He's reportedly facing charges in the U.S. for conspiracy to traffic cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine.

In video posted on social media by journalists in Mexico, you can see a massive police presence carrying out an apparent operation to bring in Ovidio. There are tons of armed officers on foot, plus trucks and jeeps with mounted weapons following behind.

Folks in the city are also sharing terrifying footage of the aftermath of the arrest ... men riding around the city with machine guns who are NOT part of the Mexican army.

As we've reported ... El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison in the U.S. back in July, after being found guilty for engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, conspiracy to launder narcotics proceeds, international distribution of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and other drugs and use of firearms.

Story developing ...

If people don't want Gina Rodriguez and others to drop the n-word while singing along to their favorite songs, then the artists should stop including it in their lyrics ... so says Amara La Negra.

The "Love & Hip Hop Miami" star tells TMZ ... she doesn't believe Gina had malicious intent when she used the term "n***a" while singing along to Lauryn Hill, so it shouldn't be a big deal at all.

Amara's take is if you're offended or sensitive about a non-black person singing the n-word, you should blame the creator of the song ... not the fans of the singer trying to mimic them.

Amara adds she's Latina like Gina, but believes the "Jane the Virgin" star is getting more flak for this because her skin is lighter than Amara's ... and that's a whole other complicated issue.

She concedes that Rodriguez probably should have known better than to post a clip of herself singing the n-word, but she's certain she wasn't trying to harm anyone ... so her apology should suffice.

Besides, Amara says a lot of Latinos are raised alongside African-Americans and are used to hearing the word and feel it's acceptable for them to use it ... once again, as long as they aren't using it maliciously.

As we told you ... a 7-year-old clip of Gina saying "n***a" in a comedy sketch resurfaced on the heels of her current controversy, lending credence to the notion that she's got a pass to say it.

The estate of Bernie Casey no longer has a legal cloud hanging over its head ... it's settled a lawsuit from a woman alleging he attacked her the week before he died.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the former NFL-star-turned-actor's estate has settled with Cheryl Castillo for a cool $250k. Cheryl had previously claimed she and Bernie were husband and wife but has since filed docs clarifying they were never married and only lived together.

In docs, the estate agrees to pony up the dough once it sells off Bernie's house. The settlement also allows Cheryl to live in the house until it's sold.

TMZ broke the story ... Cheryl sued the "Revenge of the Nerds" star back in June 2018 claiming Bernie violently tackled her to the ground just 1 week before his death in September 2017.

Cheryl alleged she got into an argument with Casey over their cars when he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and tackled her to the ground "as though [she] was a football player."

Casey -- who was U.N. Jefferson, the Tri Lambdas' leader, in 'Nerds' -- was a Pro-Bowl wide receiver for the L.A. Rams in the '60s.

Cam Newton's days as an NFL superstar are NOT over ... so says his Panthers teammate, Greg Olsen, who tells TMZ Sports he's got all the confidence in the world Cam will be back.

"Don't bet against Cam," Olsen says.

Newton has had a rough last few seasons battling injuries and poor play ... and the Panthers have actually been BETTER without him this season, going 3-0 in the games that he's missed.

So, when we saw Greg out in NYC this week ... we had to ask, is it over for the Carolina QB???

That's when Olsen told us no way, saying, "Don't bet against Cam. Once he gets himself right, he'll be ready to go."

As for the foot injury that's sidelined Newton for the past month ... Olsen says from everything he's seen, Cam is progressing just fine.

"I think he's feeling good," Olsen says. "I think he's feeling better."

Before this brown-eyed girl started starring in movies and topping the charts, she was born and raised to humble beginnings in Texas. She got her first taste of entertainment with a role on "Barney & Friends" before catching her big break when she earned a recurring role on "Hannah Montana."

She moved to Los Angeles after she was cast for the lead role in "Wizards of Waverly Place," and her career kept taking off.

She scored her first record deal when she was just 16, and she's been hinting at a new album. She also famously dated Justin Bieber for years.

Wendy Williams says there are only two things a man must have to find the way to her heart ... good conversation, and a good chunk of change!!!

We got the beloved talk show host Thursday, moments after she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and our guy asked what it takes to snag a date with her.

Wendy didn't hesitate at all ... laying out exactly what she's looking for in the opposite sex now that she's living life as a single woman after filing for divorce from husband Kevin Hunter.

You'll recall ... Wendy brought a young hunk home from California back in June, taking him with her to New York City for shopping sprees and fancy dinners, but it seemed to all be on her dime.

Sacramento Kings star Harrison Barnes has stepped up and will pay for the funeral of Atatiana Jefferson, the woman who was shot and killed by a police officer while she was in her own home.

Jefferson's story has made national news -- a neighbor had called police early Saturday morning to check on Jefferson after he saw a door was open at her home in Fort Worth, Texas.

When the officer, Aaron Dean, arrived at the home ... he saw a person inside, and before ever announcing he was a police officer, he opened fire and shot Jefferson, killing the 28-year-old.

Dean has been charged with murder. He's currently out on $200,000 bail.

Jefferson had been peacefully, innocently watching her 8-year-old nephew at the home.

Now, Barnes -- who played for the Dallas Mavericks for 3 years before being traded to the Kings -- has offered to help out the family and foot the bill for the funeral, which is scheduled for Saturday in Dallas.

Barnes has made a lot of money in his NBA career -- he recently signed a 4-year, $85 million extension. He has earned a reputation for being extremely generous with his money and often giving back to the community.

Kylie Jenner's stated that she and Travis Scott's main priority after breaking up is their daughter and their friendship ... so they focused on both with a fun family outing.

The ex-couple took Stormi to an L.A.-area pumpkin patch Tuesday ... and both of them shared photos of her having a blast in a cute little Halloween-themed outfit.

Kylie and Travis didn't snap any pics together, though ... and our sources say that's because they're not back on as a couple. However, we're told they have been spending time together and believe it's important to do stuff with their daughter as a team.

The pumpkin patch is the same spot they hit up last year as a family ... so they wanted to do it again for Stormi's sake.

We broke the story ... Kylie and Travis decided to take a break last month not long after they attended the premiere of Scott's documentary, "Look Mom, I Can Fly," in late August.

Kurt Sutter -- the showrunner and co-creator of "Mayans M.C." and "Sons of Anarchy" -- is out at FX, and he says it's all because word around the studio is he's an "abrasive dick." His words.

Kurt wrote a letter to his 'Mayans' cast explaining why he'd been axed and said, "At least being fired for being an abrasive dick is on brand." Kurt added he got canned because of a bunch of complaints against him.

After ripping FX and Disney in the letter, first posted by The Hollywood Reporter, Kurt apologized for making folks on the show feel unsupported, saying his "arrogance and chronic distraction has created wreckage."

'Mayans' is currently airing its second season ... and Kurt says he's sure the show is in good hands moving forward. However, a decision on a potential third season has reportedly not been finalized.

It's kinda funny, Kurt says his firing is a win-win -- for the people who wanted him gone, and for those who didn't.

Todd Chrisley tried to intimidate his daughter by accusing her of having an affair with a Georgia tax official, and warned her he had a sex tape of her -- at least that's what Lindsie Chrisley told Dr. Phil.

Lindsie spilled the tea on her dark meeting with her father, in which she says he tried to coerce her cooperation in his state tax case, but instead, ended up scaring her enough she went to cops.

Lindsie tells Dr. Phil she met with Todd thinking he wanted to reconcile, but instead he told her he had dirt -- proof of an affair with someone at the Georgia Dept. of Revenue's Office which was investigating him.

Separate from the Georgia tax man allegation ... Lindsie says her father told her he had nude photos and a sex tape of her -- allegedly purchased by her brother, Chase, for $5,000.

Dr. Phil asked if it was a veiled threat Todd might go to the media about her alleged affair and release the sex tape -- and Lindsie says that's exactly how she took it. She claims Todd wanted her to help him out out of legal woes. Lindsie says she opted to get her lawyer Musa Ghanayem involved and file a police report.

As we reported ... Todd and his wife, Julie, are suing Joshua Waites, the Director of the Georgia Dept. of Revenue's Office of Special Investigation, claiming he pursued a relationship with Lindsie in order to smear him.

In the lawsuit, Todd attached several texts between Waites and Lindsie. In one text, Waites writes, "So. Some stuff happened today. And we have a meeting the first of the year that is super big. And is all about Todd. Like serious. So. I want to know if you would be willing to talk about him or her."

Lindsie denies ever meeting Waites in person, but admits she communicated with him ... but only to protect her son. Todd and Julie recently settled the state tax evasion case, but are still dealing with a federal one.

As for that sex tape ... it became the subject of a federal extortion investigation in August, which is also still pending.

We've reached out to Todd's camp ... so far, no word back.

Gina Rodriguez comfort level with using the n-word is on display in a resurfaced clip -- and while it's a scripted sketch, it supports the notion Gina, and others, feel like she gets a pass.

The video which is just now going viral, for obvious reasons, is from over 7 years ago ... and shows Gina in a scene with 2 black men. Speaking to them like a coach, she says, "You heard me, take a lap, n***a."

The scene is from a YouTube skit for "Northside Comedy," and was shot long before her career started taking off as the lead in "Jane the Virgin."

Some folks online are pissed at Gina because the clip -- now deleted from the 'Northside' YouTube page -- surfaced on the heels of her using the n-word while singing a Fugees song on social media.

She apologized twice for using the term while singing along to Lauryn Hill.

TMZ broke the story ... Boyz II Men singer Shawn Stockman says he has no problem with Gina saying 'n***a' because her parents are Puerto Rican. Shawn says he considers Latinos to be black.

Gina herself has said her father identifies as Afro-Latino ... still, she's taking tons of flak online, and this newly-surfaced clip is adding fuel to that fire.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver wants to make it clear he did NOT apologize to the Chinese government for Daryl Morey's pro-Hong Kong tweet ... but he still wants to save the NBA's relationship with the foreign power.

"I'd hate to see this relationship end over this incident," Silver told TMZ Sports in New York.

When asked specifically if he would be open to going back to China to play more NBA exhibition games next year, Silver told us, "Nothing is off the table."

"We do need to reset with the Chinese government and everybody has to establish what the rules of the road are going to be going forward."

Silver touched on a variety of China-related topics during our conversation ... here are some of the hit points:

-- Silver says he's spoken with Daryl Morey several times since the initial "Stand with Hong Kong" tweet to make sure he's "getting through this okay."

-- Silver says Morey has been getting "pressure" from hundreds of millions of Chinese people but he's also happy Daryl is getting support from people in the U.S.

-- Silver says he has NOT spoken about the issue with Donald Trump but has had conversations with people in Trump's administration.

-- Silver has consulted with NBA player Enes Kanter about the situation. Kanter, who's from Turkey, has caught hell back home for speaking out against the Turkish government and he ripped LeBron James for the comments he made condemning Daryl Morey.

-- Silver also says he consulted former NBA commish David Stern about the issue since Stern is still an adviser to the league.

-- Silver also admitted he was "bothered" that the league's initial statement about the Morey tweet was interpreted by many to be an apology to the Chinese government.

The initial statement read, "We recognize that the views expressed by Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey have deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China, which is regrettable."

"While Daryl has made it clear that his tweet does not represent the Rockets or the NBA, the values of the league support individuals’ educating themselves and sharing their views on matters important to them."

Silver explained to TMZ Sports ... "It bothered me that in saying we regretted upsetting hundreds of millions of Chinese fans while at the same time supporting Daryl Morey’s speech, it bothered me, I’d say, that it was interpreted as an apology to the Chinese government."

"We certainly didn’t apologize to the Chinese government."

"We supported Daryl from the get-go in terms of his ability to tweet. We also made clear that there were consequences from that speech. And, I think that was no doubt frustrating to a lot of people in the NBA community because it was incredibly disruptive. But, you know, we accepted that. Daryl knew we accepted that. There was not much we could do about that. But, I think it bothered me that somehow even though we – I felt were holding the line in a way that many companies haven’t been able to in China, meaning there was no discipline of our employee, there was never a suggestion that we weren’t supporting him."

Wannabe a true Barbie girl? Now you can because, for the first time ever, you can stay at the Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse, but there's a catch.

The life-size Dreamhouse -- located in the heart of Malibu, of course -- is now listed on Airbnb. It's a one-time deal for a 2-night stay to commemorate the brand's 60th anniversary. But, those who wanna book are gonna have to pounce fast when bookings open at 11 AM PT on October 23.

The lucky person who books it will get to bring 3 guests from October 27 to October 29 for an unlike Malibu price of just $60 per night. The 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom pad is quite palatial.

The Dreamhouse has 3 floors with ocean views with TONS of space to spread around with friends and family. It's also got an infinity pool, hot tub and a private theater. But, that's not all.

Airbnb's throwing some incredible experiences -- like taking fencing classes from world-class fencing champion Ibtihaj Muhammad. Famed chef Gina Clarke-Helm will also provide cooking lessons and, in true Barbie style, celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin will drop by offering makeovers.

To celebrate the rare listing, Airbnb's gonna make a donation to one of the charities involved in The Barbie Dream Gap Project on behalf of the person who books it.

Jennifer Lawrence is about to walk down the aisle this weekend -- but the big scoop here is what she and her guests will feast on ... a smorgasbord of fancy eats and drinks.

We got some deets on JLaw's wedding -- which is going down Saturday at a swanky venue in Rhode Island, 8 months after she got engaged. We gotta say, for a relatively short engagement ... they've put together a pretty elaborate affair.

Clearly, Jen and hubby-to-be Cooke Maroney pulled out all the stops ... hiring celeb wedding planner Mark Seed to do the party for about 150 people.

Let's start with the grub, shall we? According to the menu, folks are gonna have their pick from a variety of hors d'oeuvres ...

-- sweet potato flat cakes
-- brussels sprouts with cured egg yolk
-- smoked pork belly with pickled apple
-- salt cod beignet

Moving on to the main course options -- here's what Jen and Cooke, or their hired help, will be serving up ...

-- either wood-roasted fish with herbs and lemon-infused butter OR ...
-- 5-week-aged leg of beef with forager's sauce.

There are veggies too -- heirloom roasted carrots, smoked new potatoes, whey braised cabbage ... blah, blah, blah. Let's get to the good good.

Dessert's coming in hot!

-- fire-baked sourdough bread pudding with chocolate
-- salted caramel and fresh apple
-- cauldron fritters with bourbon cream and cinnamon sugar
-- house-made marshmallow s'mores.

They have S'MORES, y'all.

As for drinks, specialty cocktails appear to boil down to either a bourbon old-fashioned or gin cucumber lavender champagnes ... served at a cash bar. JK!!!

Like we said, it's gonna be extravagant. Dare we say ... decadent???

Joe Giudice is taking full advantage of no longer being held behind bars ... by cutting a rug with his mom and brother in Italy.

Joe's family recently held a celebration for him finally being out of prison, and the good vibes were flowing on the dance floor as everyone gathered around to watch the 3 show off their tarantella moves.

Joe's mom and bro made the trek from New Jersey so they could be there for him when he first arrived after his release from ICE custody last week.

Sources close to Giudice tell TMZ ... he's "doing amazing" staying near Salerno with his extended family -- which includes his grandmother and cousins -- and is talking to Teresa and their kids daily on the phone and via FaceTime.

We're told they will be traveling to visit Joe the first week of November, as well ... and can't wait to be reunited. The trip would have come sooner, but we're told the kids' school schedules delayed it a bit.

The family lawyer, James Leonard, tell us ... "They can’t wait to see each other. They can’t wait to sit down and have dinner as a family for the first time in three and half years. They can’t wait to hug each other for the first time in almost a year and talk and laugh like normal people."

Other than celebrating, we're told Joe's been getting acclimated with his new surroundings and is planning to start the job hunt soon. He's down 55 lbs. from his time in detention thanks to a healthy diet and exercise ... so he's feeling great too.

While Felicity Huffman's doing soft time in federal prison, her daughter looks ready to do some time back east at college ... which could mean she now has legit SAT scores.

Sophia Grace -- Felicity and William H. Macy's firstborn -- was rocking a Fordham University hoodie Wednesday in L.A. ... perhaps tipping her hand on which university she'll attend once the dust settles from the college bribery scandal.

You'll recall ... the feds busted Sophia's mom for paying ringleader Rick Singer $15k to fudge Sophia's SATs. When Felicity begged the judge for leniency in legal docs, she said Sophia was suffering because she couldn't get into any university due to her tainted test.

According to the photog, Sophia was actually walking into a school of some sort in L.A. on Wednesday. Unclear if it was a community college or maybe an acting school.

Sophia's made it clear she wants to follow in Mom and Dad's acting footsteps.

Speaking of pops, William's back on his j-o-b. He was shooting a scene Wednesday in L.A. for "Shameless" that required his character, Frank Gallagher, to scale a fence.

Let's hope Felicity's not pulling the same move up at FCI Dublin.