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As we reported, police in Naples, Florida shot and killed a Malayan tiger named Eko Wednesday night, after a custodian allegedly went into an unauthorized area and, according to cops, either tried petting or feeding the animal. Eko clamped onto the guy's hand, and you hear him wailing in pain as cops approached.

This video is hard to watch, but it shows the consequences when someone goes rogue and gets way too close to a wild animal.

Police are unable to free the custodian, and then they shoot the tiger in the head at point-blank range, killing him.

It's a terrible tragedy that has been repeated many times before ... where someone put himself/herself and the animal in danger by getting way too close.

Buckingham Palace nearly put the kibosh on one of Elton John's most legendary performances to honor his friend Princess Diana ... only allegedly giving him the go-ahead in hopes the display would help turn public opinion in favor of the Royal Family.

According to newly released documents, obtained by SkyNews, the Palace believed lyrics to Elton's "Candle In The Wind" were "too sentimental" to be played at Diana's service in 1997.

The report states it was only after a letter from the Dean of Westminster, who believed giving Elton the chance to sing would be "imaginative and generous" to the public (who was pissed at the Royal Family) that the song got the green-light.

Of course, at the time of her death, Diana had been divorced from Prince Charles for a year ... and many felt the Palace -- including the Queen -- hadn't done enough to mourn her.

Diana had bashed Charles for cheating, saying there were, "Three of us in this marriage," referring to Charles' mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles, who he went on to marry. Many thought the Royal Family's lack of empathy when she died was tied to her public bashing of the Prince.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are already acting like an old married couple ... because they're already doing the thing that seems inevitable with time -- wearing matching outfits!

Ben and Jen were leaving the Hotel Bel-Air in L.A. Wednesday, after having lunch with her dad, David, and her kids Max and Emme.

Check out the photos ... they're both wearing tan-colored jackets. Maybe that's not a big deal, but it's the start of a relationship that has been cemented for a while.

J Lo and Ben have been spending lots and lots of time together, on both coasts and in other countries over the last 6 months. TMZ broke the story ... they're on the hunt in L.A. for a house together where, presumably, they will blend the 2 families.

A NASCAR driver has just taken a deep dive into politics, branding his car with an anti-Biden slogan.

Brandon Brown, a NASCAR driver whose name inspired the slogan, "Let's Go Brandon" -- code for f*** Joe Biden, is sponsoring a cryptocurrency company, LGBcoin.io, whose first 3 letters are emblazoned on Brown's car. The company was coined LGB as a direct reference to the phrase, "Let's Go Brandon."

Brown posted a video of him walking into the garage and seeing the car, showing his approval.

In case you don't know, the way this whole thing started was back in October in Alabama, when Brandon was being interviewed and the crowd was chanting, "F*** Joe Biden." An NBC reporter either tried covering the obscenity or simply misheard the crowd, and said "You can hear the chants from the crowd, 'Let's Go Brandon.'"

Brown initially was upset over the phrase that connected him to the chant, grousing he couldn't get a sponsorship for his car. Enter LGBcoin.io, and Brown now seems to have had a change of heart.

Jack Harlow is gunning for a cop who put his hands on the neck of a woman who wanted to see Jack's show.

Video of the woman surfaced, in which she was confronted by cops who were not letting her inside the venue in Atlanta on Tuesday night.  You see one of the officers put his hands on the woman's neck.

Jack saw the video and was outraged, saying, "... I was disgusted by that cop and all I wanted to do was make something good happen for this girl immediately…I told the world to help me identify her so I could find a way to give her a hug and give her as many tickets to as many shows as she wants."

Jack went on ... "But that's not enough and its not a solution to a systemic issue that people who don't look like me have to face. The next step is identifying this police officer and getting him unemployed as fast as we can. Assaulting a young woman and putting his hands on her neck is sickening."

The cop is a member of the Cobb County PD.  We reached out for comment ... so far, no word back.

Jack wanted to send a message ... "I look out in the crowd every night and see black women in my front row…screaming my lyrics, traveling to see me, supporting me, riding for me. I want this woman, and every black woman that supports me to know - I am so sorry. I want you to be protected and I want this guy to lose his job so f***ing fast. I love you. Let's find this officer."

Jack's in the middle of his Crème de la Crème Tour.

So, you don't want to get the COVID vaccine because you don't trust the science ... well, here's an incentive -- you get the shot, you get to keep your hair.

Singer Ava Max says she's suffered hair loss after contracting COVID. She posted a vid Wednesday night, saying, "Baby hairs Comin THRU. "Also so so happy my hair is growing back. I lost a lot of hair when I had COVID last year!! :( "

Turns out ... the "My Head & My Heart" singer isn't making this up. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, hair loss is a consequence of the virus.

To be specific, the Academy says high fever from various illnesses, including COVID, can result in "noticeable hair loss."

It's actually not technically hair loss -- it's hair shedding. It typically begins 2 to 3 months after the fever subsides. Clumps of hair can come out after showering or brushing, and it can last for as long as 9 months before it stops.

A tiger was shot and killed Wednesday at the Naples Zoo after a zoo cleaner violated the rules by entering an area near the tiger he should never have been.

The man appeared to either be petting or feeding the tiger ... sticking his hand through the fence. The tiger grabbed the man's arm and attempted to pull him into the enclosure.

According to the Collier County Sheriff's Dept., deputies tried kicking the enclosure in an effort to get the tiger to release the man's arm ... but it didn't work.

A deputy then shot and killed the animal ... a Malayan tiger named Eko.

The man was a member of a cleaning crew at the zoo -- the crew was a third party, not an employee of the zoo -- and he was supposed to be cleaning restrooms and the gift shop, but decided to pet or feed the tiger instead.

It pays to have your very own full-sized basketball court at home ... just ask Drake, who shared a cute video of his son draining a bucket at only 4 years old!!!

The Toronto rapper posted a video Wednesday showing Adonis take 10 dribbles -- while showing off his counting skills -- before firing up a shot ... and making it. It's hard to tell who is more excited, Adonis or his friend, but there's plenty of excitement to go around.

Another interesting part, it sounds like Adonis' mom, Sophie, is the one recording the clip ... so you gotta imagine she was able to spend the holiday at Drake's mansion as they all celebrated Christmas together.

It's not the first time Drake's shown off Adonis' basketball skills, we've seen him playing on smaller hoops before ... but to score on a 10 foot basket at 4 is pretty impressive.

Kim Kardashian's neighbor has another bone to pick with her ... and it's not about an alleged underground vault this time, but something way more ordinary.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kim's neighbor, Sarah Key, filed for an injunction ... to stop Kim from putting a driveway on a strip of land Key claims to own.

In the docs, Key says a trust who she believes Kim is a part of wants a special driveway that gives Kim easy access to and from her house in the gated community of Hidden Hills, where most of her fam lives. Kim hasn't started construction, but Key wants to stop her in her tracks, claiming a portion of the driveway would be squarely on her property. Key couldn't be any clearer ... if Kim wants permission from her, she dreaming.

The injunction lawsuit is not against Kim, but rather the Hidden Hills Community Association ... to prevent the org from approving any driveway construction.

The neighbor is the same one who filed a restraining order against the same Association to block Kim from building an underground vault, subterranean parking, attached subterranean wellness center and a detached guardhouse earlier this year ... though Kim denied she had plans to build a vault.

The man formerly known as Kanye West appears to be trying to fit in as much travel time as he can before year's end ... most recently hitting Belize with his good buddy J Prince.

Ye touched down in Central America Wednesday, and was pictured at the Philip S.W Goldson International Airport posing with Prince. Unclear if Kanye's there for work, pleasure or both ... but J Prince owns an island down there, so there should be plenty of space to relax.

It's unclear if Ye and J arrived together, or if Kanye flew out to meet his friend, but the two have certainly collabed a lot lately.

Remember, it was J Prince who played a pivotal part in bringing Kanye and Drake together for the Free Larry Hoover show in Los Angeles earlier this month. The show was a huge success, bringing over 70,000 people to the L.A. Coliseum and bringing the rappers together as friends again.

No word on if Drake has any plans to hit Belize, but obviously another reunion is no longer out of the question.

Katy Perry is the queen of hip hops ... because she opened her Vegas residency with her own brew ... and you gotta see how she did it!

Katy was performing Wednesday night at Resorts World when she started yapping with a giant COVID mask about this and that ... and then had a hankering for a beer.

So, the 37-year-old mother of 1 was super resourceful, using the can attached to her dress to lactate a glass of Corona, and the crowd loved it.

At one point during the show, Katy popped out of a neon toilet.

It's interesting that Katy actually made COVID a theme in the concert, as you can see from the video.

She'll be doing 32 shows through March of next year. She'll also receive a Queen's ransom for her efforts ... reportedly $168 mil! It's not unprecedented ... Celine Dion and J Lo also made a fortune during their residencies in Sin City.

Bob Odenkirk is fully back ... just months after almost dying of a heart attack.

The "Better Call Saul" star was out and about Wednesday ... shopping for firewood and groceries at an L.A. supermarket.

Speaking of Duraflame -- Bob is Dur-able ... TMZ broke the story back in July ... he collapsed in new Mexico on the set of his hit show. As we reported, it was touch-and-go in the hours following the medical emergency. He wasn't conscious for awhile, but he has now clearly bounced back and looks great.

After the incident, Bob thanked his fans and especially his doctors, who were able to get him back on his feet by fixing the blockage without surgery.

He took some time off after the heart attack but everything's now back to normal.

The beef between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Vin Diesel is far from squelched ... because "The Rock" just blasted his former 'Fast & Furious' co-star, calling him manipulative.

TMZ reported back in 2016, when they were filming the 8th installment of the franchise -- "The Fate of the Furious" -- the 2 men were at each other's throats. "The Rock" made it clear he was done with the franchise, but Vin wasn't done himself, posting this last month ...

"My little brother Dwayne... the time has come. The world awaits the finale of Fast 10. As you know, my children refer to you as Uncle Dwayne in my house. There is not a holiday that goes by that they and you don't send well wishes... but the time has come. Legacy awaits. I told you years ago that I was going to fulfill my promise to Pablo. I swore that we would reach and manifest the best Fast in the finale that is 10! I say this out of love... but you must show up, do not leave the franchise idle you have a very important role to play. Hobbs can't be played by no other. I hope that you rise to the occasion and fulfill your destiny.",

Well, Dwayne just called out Vin on CNN, saying his post was "an example of manipulation," adding, "This past June, when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly — and privately — that I would not be returning to the franchise. I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return."

He went on  ... "I didn't like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker's death. Leave them out of it. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding. My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible 'Fast & Furious' franchise with gratitude and grace."

The 2 actors had a rotten time together in F&F8, with The Rock making it clear by process of elimination ... "There's no other franchise that gets my blood boiling more than this one. My female costars are always amazing and I love 'em. My male costars, however, are a different story," he wrote, adding, "Some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't."

Simon Cowell quietly tried to save the life of Il Divo singer Carlos Marin ... by offering him a private jet so he could get treatment for COVID.

Simon's not the person who made this public ... it was Carlos' wife, Geraldine Larrosa, who told a Spanish outlet, "Simon personally phoned the hospital and offered to help with anything."

Geraldine says Simon offered to fly Carlos to Spain for some sort of treatment ... treatment that presumably was not available at Manchester Royal Hospital where he was fighting for his life.

Carlos' case was so severe, he had to be intubated. He died on December 19 at the age of 53.

Quavo and his crew beat the crap out of a Sin City limo driver ... all because the driver forgot to pick up someone in their group -- this according to a new lawsuit.

The Migos rapper is being sued by the limo driver, who claims the alleged beatdown went down July 3 in Vegas.

According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the driver claims he was hired to take the Migos and their group from a local club to the Virgin Hotel ... but he says things went south when the passengers started yelling at him about leaving behind a member of their party.

In the docs, the limo driver tried reasoning with his passengers but was told, "shut the f*** up" ... and then someone chucked a bottle at him.

The driver claims it escalated, with as many as 5 of the passengers attacking him unprovoked ... repeatedly punching and kicking him, leaving him riddled with injuries.

According to the suit, the driver claims hotel staff and security had a front-row seat to the alleged beatdown ... but instead of stepping in to stop the fight, they fled for safety inside the hotel.

The limo driver claims the attack left him suffering physical and mental pain and even disfigurement ... and he's going after Quavo, Migos Touring and the hotel for unspecified damages.

Harry Jowsey is about to get too hot to handle all over again -- assuming he actually releases a sex tape he says he has ... which is apparently intense AF.

The reality TV star broke down his potential plan to us, explaining ... yes, he does have an XXX home movie in his vault ... and yes, he's gunning to perhaps get it out to the public in the near future. BTW -- he tells us this thing is high-octane bangin'. 😳

As for why even do this ... seems the dude may want to cash in on his OnlyFans fame, and maybe even dabble in porn, if there's a market there for him -- and we're sure there is.

But now for an even more pressing question ... who the heck did he do the nasty with, and on-camera no less??? Watch -- Harry rules out one person right off the bat, noting it is NOT a fellow 'THTH' costar.

He does, however, give a hint ... which may not be all that shocking to some, considering these two have been spotted out and about together of late ... sparking dating rumors.