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Kim Kardashian failed to tell her followers she was paid to promote a crypto asset -- a mistake that's now cost her $1.26 million and charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The SEC made the announcement Monday ... Kardashian was allegedly paid $250,000 to post about EMAX tokens on Instagram, a crypto asset offered by EthereumMax. Kim's post also included a link to the EthereumMax website where her followers could buy the tokens.

Kim has already paid $1.26 million in penalties, disgorgement and interest to the SEC ... and has cooperated in the SEC's ongoing investigation.

SEC Chair Gary Gensler says, "Ms. Kardashian's case also serves as a reminder to celebrities and others that the law requires them to disclose to the public when and how much they are paid to promote investing in securities."

Tory Lanez allegedly ran into a woman's car -- and the driver was pregnant -- and then took off ... that is, if you believe a lawsuit she's now filed against him.

The rapper is being sued by a couple named Krisha and Jesse Grullon, who claim he sideswiped them with his luxury vehicle in Miami during New Year's Day 2021 ... only to then allegedly flee the scene without even checking on them.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the Grullons allege they exited a highway and stopped at a red light at the end of the off-ramp. Moments later, they claim, Tory came out of nowhere and struck their car from the rear left side with a green Bentley SUV.

The Grullons insist Tory never exited his ride, but instead ... claim he took off without a second thought. The worst part, they say Krisha was 4 months pregnant at the time.

The couple is gunning to have him sit for a deposition, which they're requesting be conducted early in 2023. They're also denying Tory responded to their claims in 45 days' time ... either admitting or denying each specific part of their claim.

As you know ... Tory's already embroiled in a legal case here in California over allegations he used a firearm to cause bodily injury to Megan Thee Stallion -- something that's going to trial next month. He was also recently accused of beating up August Alsina in Chicago ... but it doesn't appear the cops are involved in that one just yet.

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

Letitia Wright seems to be taking up the 'Black Panther' mantle post-Chadwick Boseman -- a revelation that just made itself clear in the latest trailer for the forthcoming sequel.

A new 'Wakanda Forever' trailer just dropped, and it appears to confirm a major fan theory that's been floated for months -- namely, that Shuri, T'Challa's sister in the film series, will become the costumed character going forward ... at least for now, anyway.

At the end of the trailer, you see a female 'Black Panther' standing tall -- and while it doesn't exactly spell out who's behind the mask ... all signs point to LW picking up the baton.

Right before we see the lady 'BP,' you see a shot of Letitia ... so it's not hard to piece this one together. Plus, this actually aligns with the comic series -- in one of the 'Black Panther' timelines, Shuri actually assumes the role for a while ... meaning her doing this is canon.

Of course, the reason this is even happening at all is because Chadwick passed away suddenly in 2020 -- succumbing to a cancer diagnosis that he kept private and hidden from public view. Marvel refused to recast the character ... so this is the route they've chosen.

The other reason this is noteworthy is because Letitia was embroiled in a controversy during COVID ... she was accused of spewing anti-vaxx rhetoric, and there were even some reports she took some of those sentiments on set with her during the filming of this movie.

Seahawks star DK Metcalf avoided a crappy situation on Sunday ... being carted off the field during the Lions game to make sure he made it to the toilet in time for an emergency bathroom break!!

Metcalf had to go No. 2 right in the middle of Seattle's Sunday contest with Detroit ... and it apparently came on so strong -- he needed a personal escort to the lavatory at Ford Field.

Metcalf hopped on a cart to make the expedited run to the John -- and, fortunately for the wideout, the plan seemed to work out OK for him ... because he returned a few minutes later in good shape.

Metcalf joked about it all on Twitter following the game ... saying, "That clinch walk wouldn't have made it." He added a crying emoji.

Despite the awkward scene, Metcalf ended up having a hell of a day ... racking up seven catches for 149 yards in a big 48-45 Seahawks win.

Lizzo playing James Madison's flute might have conservative pundits up in arms, but the folks repping the 4th president's home couldn't be happier and they're urging her to make a house call ASAP.

A rep for James Madison's Montpelier estate tells TMZ ... Lizzo now has an open invitation to take a private tour of Madison's well-preserved estate after she made history with the crystal instrument formerly owned by the prez.

They're even hoping she'll put on a performance during her visit -- whether it be a planned concert or a simple jam session on the fly!!!

They hope something can be worked out with the Library of Congress to get the crystal flute -- which dates back to 1813 -- brought there for Lizzo's set. The estate notes there's no evidence JM ever played the instrument, so Lizzo could be the first to play Madison's flute at Madison's home. Iconic.

FYI -- the historic Montpelier, located in Virginia, is a 2,650-acre estate ... acting not only as a monument to the former president, but also as a museum of American history and a center for constitutional education.

It's unclear if Lizzo will accept the gig -- she is currently in the middle of a tour -- but, it should be noted close to 100 slaves worked at Montpelier back when Madison lived there.

As we reported, Lizzo made history by playing some notes with the 200-year-old instrument Tuesday ... and we're told Montpelier doesn't think anyone else is more deserving -- calling it "a flute for royalty," with the singer fitting the bill.

The moment rubbed some people the wrong way (what else is new?) ... as they claimed she degraded American history by using such a unique relic as part of her performance.

A man attending the Steelers game on Sunday has tragically died -- after officials say the fan fell from an escalator at the Pittsburgh stadium.

The Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety said police and EMS responded to Acrisure Stadium at around 4:45 PM -- moments after the Steelers had lost to the Jets -- after receiving a "fall from height" call.

When they arrived on scene, they said they immediately tended to the man ... before transporting him to a local hospital.

Sadly, officials say he later died there from his injuries. The man's ID has yet to be released.

The Steelers said in a statement Sunday night they were aware of the situation and "are working with local authorities and helping their investigation into the matter."

Jack Johnson says he's being stalked and harassed by a woman who keeps popping up at his shows, trying to get close to him ... so now he's getting court-ordered protection.

The "Better Together" singer beelined it to court this week and got a temporary restraining order against a female fan he says recently confronted him at the hotel he was staying at.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jack claims the woman traveled to Houston, Texas on Aug. 26 and got in his face at his hotel ... and the interaction was so frightening, not only for Jack but also for the bandmate who saw it all go down, Jack and his band bounced until cops came and detained the woman.

Jack had a show that night in the Houston area ... and he claims his alleged stalker often buys VIP packages to his shows in order to get close to him. JJ also says she emails him and his management, claiming she's been the victim of a long-term financial scheme ... conning her out of millions of dollars.

Jack says he's worried for his safety because it's easy for the woman to track his movements ... pointing out his tour dates and personal appearances are readily available online.

Jack claims the woman's been hounding him for several years ... and says his legal team's sent her cease and desist warnings, all to no avail.

The niece of Glenda Cleveland -- Jeffrey Dahmer's neighbor played by Niecy Nash in the Netflix series -- says the show's brought nothing but trauma to the victims' families, and a physical memorial would only make things worse.

Nicole Childress tells TMZ ... a potential memorial dedicated to Dahmer's victims would just be too tragic for the families. She even notes she's avoided local spots related to his killing spree at all costs until recently.

As we reported, there's been a recent swell of support for building a tribute in Milwaukee ... where Dahmer lived and killed most of his victims.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson is on board with the concept of honoring the victims in some way, but he's worried a memorial might be viewed as a shrine that would draw fans of the murderer.

She's echoing what other relatives of victims have said -- the Netflix series is opening up old wounds for the people who simply don't want to revisit the heinous case.

Nicole also believes racism definitely played a big part in Dahmer's killings getting overlooked -- something former Milwaukee D.A. Michael McCann, who personally prosecuted Dahmer, has denied.

Before this little musician turned into a stellar businesswoman and a fashion designer for some of Hollywood's biggest names, she was just a 70's kid stringin' on her guitar with big dreams of moving to the Big Apple.

Before creating her own business, Yummie Tummie, this clothing designer used her fashionista skills to help create clothing lines for Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Diddy. During her tenure as a "Real Housewife of New York City," she never backed down from her cast mates and even went head-to-head with Skinny Girl's Bethenny Frankel.

Need one more hint? The Berkshires!

A white comedian is in hot water after being accused of using the n-word multiple times during his performance on a Carnival Cruise.

A woman, who was a passenger on the ship, posted a short clip on TikTok last week that's since gone viral ... showing comedian Rob O'Reilly onstage -- but the video by itself isn't what's upsetting.

The on-screen caption reads, "So on Carnival Cruise right now and they are perfectly fine hiring someone who uses the N-word multiple times in his show and when the issue was raised he said and I quote ‘if you’re offended get tf out.'”

He was met with mostly cheers when telling those offended to leave -- but you can still hear some people in the crowd clearly still upset.

She didn't capture his alleged use of the slurs on camera, but she eventually posted an update, clarifying they weren't allowed to record during O'Reilly's set -- a common regulation at comedy clubs.

She was so offended, though, when he used the n-word "casually" during the performance ... so, she snagged the quick clip and called him out online.

Carnival has responded to the incident ... saying the company doesn't tolerate what went down -- adding O'Reilly's been booted from all upcoming performances and is no longer welcome on Carnival cruise ships.

Rob has quite the resume, up to this point -- he's appeared on "Last Comic Standing," "America's Got Talent," and was even a correspondent for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

People online were applauding the TikToker for calling out O'Reilly -- some have even found old tweets of his ... mostly ones that joke around about race.

Billy Eichner's new romcom completely bombed at the box office -- and he appears to be chalking it up to homophobia across the country.

The comedian-turned-actor took to Twitter Sunday to acknowledge the low ticket sales -- the movie only raked in $4.8 million domestically, placing 4th this weekend -- and he's definitely bummed by the underwhelming turnout ... despite the fact the film is objectively solid.

He writes, "Last night I snuck in and sat in the back of a sold out theater playing BROS in LA. The audience howled with laughter start to finish, burst into applause at the end, and some were wiping away tears as they walked out. It was truly magical. Really. I am VERY proud of this movie."

BE also went on to claim that -- despite 'Bros' being hailed as one of the funniest comedies in recent memory -- a theater chain called Universal to say they were pulling the trailer because of the gay content. He says Universal was able to convince them to keep it.

Billy adds, "That’s just the world we live in, unfortunately. Even with glowing reviews, great Rotten Tomatoes scores, an A CinemaScore etc, straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros. And that’s disappointing but it is what it is."

His final thought hits his point right on the head ... "Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight! You will have a blast! And it *is* special and uniquely powerful to see this particular story on a big screen, esp for queer folks who don’t get this opportunity often. I love this movie so much. GO BROS!!!"

Billy's right about one thing ... the movie was positively reviewed by critics and normies alike -- so by all accounts, it's pretty darn good. As for why it did so poorly, it's hard to say. It was marketed fairly heavily by the studio ... with the trailer getting a lot of play in theaters and billboards all around the L.A. area.

Vanessa Bryant went to the Bad Bunny concert in L.A. this weekend -- and it seems two's all the company she needed for premier box seats.

The widow of the late Kobe Bryant was seen attending the show at SoFi Stadium Saturday, and she ended up getting her own VIP suite ... with just a few people on hand. It was her, a female friend and a few security guards who were also tagging along.

We're told the suites go for around $25k or so -- and based on the footage, it seems she was enjoying it mostly to herself and her gal pal. Unclear who the other woman was, though.

You can tell she was trying to keep a low profile, not wanting to photographed or filmed on the way out -- with her bodyguards shielding her. It seems she might've actually been rolling solo when it was all said and done ... you don't see the other lady with her at the end here.

Eyewitnesses tell us she made the most of it nonetheless. We're told she stayed through the whole thing -- catching Cardi B's guest performance, too, no doubt -- and enjoyed the smorgasbord of eats, even dancing a bit apparently.

Remember, she's fresh off a tough court case that she won ... so it's good to see her out.

A new movie about Emmett Till hits theaters next week, and the lead actor who's taking on the role says he learned some lessons -- both about himself and his surroundings.

Actor Jalyn Hall -- who plays Emmett in the forthcoming film, 'Till' -- attended the New York Film Festival premiere Saturday, and as he was signing autographs ... he answered some questions about the role and his takeaways about such an important historical figure.

First off, JH says there are certainly a lot of expectations when it comes to a performance like this -- but adds he wasn't really sweating it, and just did the best job he could ... noting it was an honor to be part of the production.

Now, when it comes to what he gleaned from this story -- one that undoubtedly changed the trajectory of America in terms of civil rights -- Jalyn gives a pretty poignant response.

He says it's never wrong to be yourself, and that one shouldn't ever refrain from doing so -- adding that ya gotta let your light shine. With that said, though, he also makes sure to note that there's evil out there in the world ... and a little situational awareness goes a long way.

Adam Levine took the stage for the first time since his cheating scandal, and he and his band were met with cheers.

Adam performed Saturday night with his band, Maroon 5, at Shaquille O'Neal's annual fundraising gala, "The Event." It went down at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Vegas.

Adam had some company onstage ... Shaq joined him as the band performed "This Love."

Social media judgments be damned ... it was a great evening that benefited the Boys & Girls Clubs and Communities in School. One hundred percent of the proceeds are going to charities.

Shaq has been squarely in Adam's corner, making it clear ... "Adam is a personal friend of mine. He's always been a great guy."

As for the scandal, Shaq said, "It is not my job to say, 'You did this. You did that. You shouldn’t have did this. You shouldn’t have did that,'" he continued. "As far as I can say, he’s coming to help kids out this weekend. He’s a good man in my book."

Adam and his pregnant wife, supermodel Behati Prinsloo, are presenting a united front. They've been seen out together, and got on a private jet a few days ago. It's unclear if they were going to Vegas, but that seems likely considering Behati was at the fundraiser.

Will Smith might be back in business sooner than later -- a key project of his that was paused seems on track to see the light of day after all ... this after a solid test screening.

The beleaguered actor -- who's still trying to repair his image after the Oscars slap -- was on hand Saturday at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st annual Legislative Conference, which was hosted by the NAACP ... with a ton of honchos there as well.

WS was standing next to director Antoine Fuqua, who was at the helm for their new flick, 'Emancipation,' while explaining to the audience why he'd been so averse to slave movies throughout his career ... but noting, he didn't really see this film in that lens, per se.

Will says this movie is, more so, about perseverance and determination -- and just the sheer will to survive and be free. He also talked about the character he'll be portraying, "Whipped Peter," whose photographs from the 1800s (showing scars on his back) went viral in its day.

As far as the actual movie itself ... the word is, it's incredible and quite powerful -- with a number of folks touting its importance for African-American culture, and America at large.

The jibes with all the buzz surrounding 'Emancipation' before Will hit Chris Rock on national TV -- there was a lot of talk of Oscars, and based on how people are responding ... it sounds like that might still be the case -- even though Will wouldn't be able to attend any ceremony.

As we all know ... the guy was banned from attending Academy Award shows for 10 years. Assuming Apple releases this thing in the next decade -- which they probably will -- and WS is actually in contention ... someone else would have to go up there for any would-be wins.

Jeffrey Dahmer had a foreboding look, partly because of his eyewear ... and now the shades he wore in prison are up for sale, and they'll go for more than anything at LensCrafters.

Taylor James, who runs Cult Collectibles out of Vancouver, Canada, tells TMZ ... he's willing to part with the serial killer's prison glasses for $150,000.

Dahmer was convicted of 16 murders and sentenced to life in prison back in 1992, but he only lasted a few years behind bars before being beaten to death at the hands of a fellow inmate.

Taylor says he got his hands on the shades a couple years ago, along with a bunch of other Dahmer memorabilia, after being contacted by a former housekeeper for Jeffrey's father, Lionel. Taylor agreed to manage and sell the collection through his website for a portion of the profit.

Cult Collectibles sells a ton of items from its Jeffrey Dahmer collection online, including his cutlery, his bible, original family photos and a bunch of paperwork -- these items are up for sale. The prison glasses are not on the website, but interested parties are able to reach out to Taylor directly.