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Joe Exotic feels he ought to be next in line after President Biden struck a deal with Russia to free WNBA star Brittney Griner, and he's stating his case for freedom ... from behind bars.

In audio obtained by TMZ ... The "Tiger King" star says, "The whole Brittney Griner and Trevor Reed prisoner swap is a slap in every American's face that is wrongfully detained in the American Federal Prison System, including myself."

He goes on to plead his case to the Prez, saying he's innocent of any crimes and calling out his ex-costar Carole Baskin in the process.

Quite frankly, Joe's drawing a ridiculous parallel here, between Brittney and himself. While she was imprisoned as Vladimir Putin's political pawn, Joe was tried and convicted for hiring a hitman, and various crimes tied to the treatment of animals at his infamous wildlife park.

After she spent nearly 10 months incarcerated, U.S. officials finally struck a deal this week -- Russia agreed to free Brittney in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout ... AKA the "Merchant of Death."

You'll recall, BG was accused of bringing hashish oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport, back in February, and was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Joe is serving a 21-year sentence, but insists he's innocent -- jury be damned -- and totally deserving of freedom ... something he's been pushing for since Donald Trump was in the White House.

It was a full week without T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach on the "GMA3" desk ... and Kim and Kanye came together again for the sake of their kid. So we gotta ask ...

Dana White may just have his next big superstar ... 'cause as long as Paddy Pimblett keeps on stacking W's, the UFC honcho believes "The Baddy" could reach Conor McGregor-like status!

"He has that 'it' factor that I always talk about and you know, and obviously he's undefeated here in the UFC. If he can keep winning these key fights, this kid will be a massive superstar," White told TMZ Sports.

"The other thing is too and you know about this, the thing with his dog going to the bathroom was so unbelievably viral, it was insane. There's things that go viral on the Internet but you guys did like a 10-minute piece on that thing on TMZ and other outlets did. It was everywhere! It was really big in America, so stuff like that doesn't hurt, either."

27-year-old Pimblett -- 3-0 in the UFC (19-3 overall) -- is fighting Jared Gordon as part of the co-main event at UFC 282 ... where Paddy will look to extend his UFC unbeaten streak.

As for the comparisons to McGregor ... here's what Dana had to say.

"It's never an insult when somebody compares you to a great or one of the biggest names in the sport. I think that [Israel Adesanya] didn't like it because he doesn't like Jon Jones and Jon Jones doesn't like him. I think that's why he didn't, but it's never an insult. It's a compliment."

We also asked White about all other things 282-related (fight's going down Saturday night from Las Vegas) ... including the UFC president's feelings on Jiri Prochazka's injury, and his relinquishing of the light heavyweight title.

Dana also weighs in on former champ Glover Teixeira -- who was supposed to fight Jiri -- instead opting NOT to fight a new opponent on the card.

White actually believes it was a smart strategic move on the part of the 43-year-old fighter.

Bottom line ... with or without Prochazka and Texeira, Dana believes it's a kickass card.

Tia Mowry is picking a side when it comes to the new milk and soda trend splitting the internet ... but she just might start a new trend with her own festive twist!

We caught up with the "Sister, Sister" star and cookbook author, and got her thoughts on the beverage craze -- the one where folks are mixing cola with milk to produce a sorta DIY carbonated eggnog.

Tia seems to be all for the odd combo, saying she would most definitely try it. She explained, she already likes to put milk in her coffee, and since Pepsi's also caffeinated ... hey, why not put milk in it too?!?

ICYMI, Lindsay Lohan helped hype this with a new Pepsi commercial ... promoting "Pilk" AKA a mix of Pepsi and milk, for the holiday season.

And, folks have been rushing to social media to either try it or knock it.

Well, Linds has convinced at least one big fan! Tia told us she'd even put her own spin on it ... with Pepsi, milk and a dab of something else that'll really make your holiday party 🔥.

The athletes on the pitch aren't the only ones getting some love at the World Cup this year -- the stunning fans in the stands deserve some shine, too!!

Of course, you've heard of Croatia's #1 backer Ivana Knoll by now, but there are plenty of other beautiful footy fanatics catching everyone's eye among all the countries participating in the event this year.

Iran may be out of the tournament, but they had a ton of support from their lovely fans in Qatar ... and we're sure they helped make the loss to the U.S. sting a bit less.

Japan also made a solid run ... and those who made the trip to watch their country had some fun in the crowd as well, blowing a kiss for the cameras while at the stadium.

The ladies of Argentina were on pins and needles during Argentina's close contest against the Netherlands ... but they'll be back in full force when they take on Croatia in the semis.

One of Madonna's iconic '80s MTV Video Music Awards -- this one for "Best Female Video" -- has a new home after a lucky buyer snatched it off the auction block.

RR Auction tells TMZ ... Madonna's VMA, aka the Moonman trophy, for her hit song "Papa Don't Preach" went to the highest bidder, who dropped $38,484.

As we reported ... the shiny Madge memorabilia was expected to fetch around $60k before the bidding began, so someone got themselves a sweet deal.

In case you didn't know, the song came out in 1986 as a single from her album "True Blue" ... and it became the pop star's 4th number-one hit.

"Papa Don't Preach" -- Madonna's song about teen pregnancy -- ended up garnering 3 VMA noms and a Grammy nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance."

A few other big-ticket items at the auction included Tom Hanks' screen-worn military uniform from "Forrest Gump" ... which sold for $20,771.

Leave your fancy schmancy garments at home, throw on your sportiest uniform and find the differences in these shots of all-star tennis player Naomi Osaka. Based on her rankings and playing style, it's obvious she's one to cause some serious racket!

The author was recently in New York City promoting her new children's book "The Way Champs Play," and she was looking casual-chic in a tie-dye pullover and a fire pair of Jordans. Can you rise to the occasion and locate the minor changes in the two shots?

CBS Sports journalist Grant Wahl -- one of the most respected soccer reporters in the country -- died while covering the World Cup, his brother announced Friday. He was 49 years old.

Grant was in Qatar when he passed ... and Eric Wahl believes foul play was involved, as he claims the reporter was receiving death threats over wearing a rainbow shirt in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Eric says Grant had zero health issues ... explaining in a heartbreaking Instagram video, "I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed."

As we previously reported, Wahl was detained for nearly 30 minutes after World Cup security on Nov. 21 ... after he showed up to Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar for the United States' first tournament game against Wales.

To show his support for the LGBTQ+ community in a country where homosexuality is illegal, he wore a shirt with a soccer ball and a rainbow pattern.

At the time, Eric praised his brother and denounced soccer's governing body ... saying, "Shame on @FIFA for losing all control over this corrupt World Cup."

Grant was live-tweeting the Argentina vs. Netherlands game just hours ago ... with his last post coming at 1:05 PM PT.

Eric says he spoke with Grant's wife, Celine, who says he collapsed at the stadium and was given CPR before being Ubered to a hospital, where he died.

Eric added Celine has spoken to Ron Klain, President Joe Biden's chief of staff, as well as the White House.

U.S. Soccer released a statement on Wahl's passing ... saying, "The entire US Soccer family is heartbroken to learn that we have lost Grant Wahl."

"Here in the United States, Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game."

"As important, Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all."

Grant's last article on his Substack focused on Qatari officials' apathy toward the rash of migrant worker deaths surrounding the World Cup ... saying, "They just don't care."

R. Kelly isn't admitting a damn thing when it comes to the "I Admit It" album that dropped Friday -- speaking from jail, he calls the recording a plot to screw him over in court.

TMZ obtained this audio Kelly's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, says he recorded Friday shortly after they'd met. The disgraced singer immediately shuts down the notion he'd put out any music right now, much less something with the lyrics, "I Admit It," because he's trying to appeal his latest federal conviction.

Even more mysterious ... Kelly seems to insinuate the album recordings aren't even his voice. He says, "I hope people recognized my voice and know that" he wouldn't be recording in the middle of a legal battle.

As we reported, it certainly looked and sounded like he'd release a 13-track album, with the title track addressing many of the allegations leveled against him.

After just a few hours, though, the project was pulled from Spotify and Apple Music -- as Kelly's label, Sony Music, denied any involvement in the recording or in distributing it to the streamers.

His legal team later told us, they were investigating to figure out who may have released the music. BTW, we know it was uploaded by Ingrooves, a distributor owned by Universal Music Group ... with no ties to Sony Music.

Also, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed R. Kelly didn't produce any songs using equipment in prison.

During this voice recording, he seemed to want to prove it's not his voice on "I Admit It" -- so, he broke into a few bars of his song, “When A Woman's Fed Up."

He thinks there's a clear difference, but listen for yourself.

Klay Thompson believes Draymond Green's attack on teammate Jordan Poole will eventually be nothing but a "blip on the story" ... saying the team will be farther away from the incident the more they win.

Klay spoke about the October practice altercation in an interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews this week ... saying he wasn't too concerned about the impact it would have on the team's chemistry as long as they handled business on the court.

"It's unfortunate it got leaked, but those guys are all brothers, Jordan and Draymond," Klay said. "I knew, with time, like the old adage, time heals all wounds. I know winning and just having fun cures all."

"We're playing that brand of Warriors basketball again and once we continue to do so, I think it will just be a blip on the story."

It wasn't all gravy for the Dubs, though -- they were slow out the gate, going 3-7 to start the season ... and many wondered if the practice incident had anything to do with it.

But they've turned things around recently ... and are currently .500 and looking much better.

Klay also spoke about what his dad -- ex-NBAer Mychal Thompson -- thought of the altercation ... saying, "He tried to downplay it."

"I mean, he played in the '80s. They were fighting each other every other game. I've seen Larry Bird have to fight off three 76ers once. Dr. J and him choking each other. He's from a different generation."

R. Kelly's legal team is digging deep into the mystery of who dropped an unauthorized album using his name and recordings, and his attorney says they've already got their sights set on a few possible suspects.

R. Kelly's criminal defense attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, tells TMZ the disgraced singer's lawyers, entertainment attorneys and trusted friends are all trying to get to the bottom of who currently has access to his music catalog. She says they have a small group of people who they've ID'd as culprits ... but notes a potential problem could be his material changing hands.

Bonjean says she spoke with R. Kelly Friday afternoon -- he was surprised and upset about the music's release without his permission.

Bonjean tells us stuff like this has been a reoccurring issue for R. Kelly ... claiming a bunch of studio equipment, computers and masters were taken shortly after his 2019 arrest. She says there's also been an issue with his calls and emails being stolen from prison.

As we reported, an album called "I Admit It," featuring a bunch of R. Kelly's SoundCloud tracks, silently made its way to major streaming platforms Friday but was quickly removed. A source at Sony Music told us it appeared to be a bootleg version.

Johnny Knoxville is known for his elaborate pranks, but his latest may have gone too far ... resulting in a lawsuit from a guy who says it caused him emotional distress.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the 'Jackass' star is being sued by Khalil Khan over a home prank. Khan says he was hired to do a routine repair job through TaskRabbit but ended up getting way more than he bargained for.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Khan says was hired to a home to repair an electric dimmer switch. He claims the owner of the house was an actor in on the prank.

Khan claims within moments of starting the work, a lamp went out and a girl about the age of 10 -- who was also apparently an actor -- accused him of killing her pony because it was on life support and died when the electricity went out.

At one point, Khan says he was led into a room where there appeared to be an actual pony. He says things got worse when he saw his car getting towed. Khan claims when he started to call the cops, one of the men who'd taken his car said he'd get in trouble for having cocaine in it ... and he says the guy even pulled out a bag of white powder. Khan says he was horrified and denied knowing anything about it.

He says Johnny, who is known for pulling stunts, eventually let Khalil in on the prank ... expressing that it was all done in good fun, offering him money for his participation.

Kelly Clarkson is looking for some serious protection from a woman she claims made multiple unwanted visits to her home ... asking a judge for a restraining order.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kelly's requesting a TRO against 56-year-old Huguette Nicole Young ... and the singer also wants her family, her nanny, and her house manager protected from the alleged trespasser.

The docs, filed by her attorney Ed McPherson, say the alleged harassment started at the end of October -- and Michael Lopez, who says he's been running Kelly's security for the past 5 years, claims Young has shown up to her home at least 18 times, often leaving gifts and notes for Kelly.

Lopez claims Young left an assortment of items on Kelly's porch -- including things like dog toys, stickers, plants, and seeds.

The legal docs claim another security guard once told Young she was on camera and is trespassing, and they say she apologized but kept returning to the home after the warning.

Kelly's asking a judge to keep Young at least a football field away from her home, job, and children's school.

As we reported, police got involved after Kelly's security finally called LAPD to file a report ... and law enforcement sources told us the department's Threat Management is investigating.

Soccer superstar Neymar was absolutely crushed after Brazil's devastating loss to Croatia on Friday ... breaking down in tears as his team was eliminated from the World Cup.

The match was as thrilling as it gets ... with Neymar breaking a 0-0 tie in the 106th minute, and Croatia's Bruno Petkovic responding by finding the back of the net for the equalizer in the 117th minute.

It all came down to penalty kicks ... and Croatia secured the dub 4-2 when Marquinhos' shot hit the post and bounced out.

Neymar was slated to go fifth for Brazil ... which means he never got a shot to score in PKs.

Neymar was understandably emotional following the loss ... sitting on the ground and crying as his teammates consoled him.

It's been an up-and-down tournament for the 30-year-old in Qatar ... he also shed tears as he sat on the bench with an ankle injury against Serbia at the start of the event, forcing him to miss time. He did, though, score two goals for Brazil, before bowing out on Friday.

Despite his overall massive success at the tourney over the years, Neymar hasn't brought home a World Cup championship for his country ... but there's always hope in 2026.

Helen Slayton-Hughes, known most recently for her role as Ethel Beavers on "Parks and Recreation," has died.

Helen's family shared the news Thursday, saying, "Helen passed away last night. Her pain has ended but her fierce spirit lives on. Thank you for the love and support of her and her work. Rest sweet one." The cause of death has yet to be revealed.

'Parks and Rec' fans remember Helen as Ethel, the court stenographer at Pawnee's city hall that had a brutal and hilarious attitude. She worked alongside Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt and Aubrey Plaza in a handful of episodes during the show's run ... and her character even agreed to get adopted by Chris and Aubrey's characters as their grandma.

Helen had been working in show biz for decades, appearing in a laundry list of projects ... including 'Power Rangers,' "The West Wing," "NYPD Blue," "Malcolm in the Middle," "That's So Raven," "Arrested Development," "My Name Is Earl," "Desperate Housewives," and "New Girl."

She was 92.

Jesse James' pregnant wife is persona non grata at the couple's former home ... at least according to Jesse, who wants a judge to block her from being allowed inside the residence.

Jesse filed his response to Bonnie Rotten's divorce petition, asking the judge permission to stay in his Austin, TX home and prevent Bonnie from entering ... at least while the divorce proceedings are ongoing.

According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jesse is also seeking the exclusive use and possession of any cars and motor vehicles that he owns.

As we've reported, Bonnie filed for divorce from Jesse earlier this week, but called things off just a day later, telling her followers she jumped the gun by putting Jesse on blast for allegedly cheating on her.