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Jamie Lopez, the driving force behind Babydoll Beauty Couture and star of "Super Sized Salon" has died ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Lopez tell us she'd been hospitalized in Las Vegas and died over the weekend as a result of heart complications. A rep for BBC said in a statement, "We regretfully announce, with great pain, the passing of The Founder & Owner of Babydoll Beauty Couture, The Legendary Jamie Lopez. We ask, on behalf of the Babydoll family, that you allow us time to process this tremendous loss."

Lopez, who at one point weighed 846 lbs, designed her salon while confined to her bed -- too heavy to get up and see the world. The show followed her progress, including her 400 lb weight loss, and her first time walking inside the salon.

Babydoll Beauty Couture was founded to service plus-sized women ... and "Super Sized Salon" -- which premiered earlier this year on WE tv -- highlighted both the salon's staff and customers. We are told she was just about to begin filming for season 2.

Jamie was only 37.

Gunna’s lawyer, Steven Sadow, is swatting down critics who think the former YSL rapper ratted out his crew, but he's gonna have to convince a whole lot of critics.

On Monday, Akademiks posted an Instagram DM where he asked Sadow to clear up the pesky snitch rumors, and Sadow insisted Gunna's comments at his plea hearing will have no impact on anyone other than Gunna.

Sadow also said Gunna will plead the 5th in the event he’s called to testify in court … further pushing back on the notion he will turn against Young Thug.

The night prior, Akademiks went live with 6ix9ine, who showed Gunna no mercy for his Alford plea that’ll have him on supervised watch for the next 5 years.

Not clear if Wack100 is convinced ... he has said Gunna is essentially attempting to rewrite the street codes.

Of course, 6ix9ine was infamously labeled a snitch in his own criminal case after claiming his gang betrayed him first.

Megan Thee Stallion's bodyguard remains off the grid -- after skipping his scheduled testimony -- but the L.A. County D.A.'s Office now has cops out on the hunt for him ... TMZ has learned.

As we reported, Justin Edison was supposed to testify Friday in the Tory Lanez trial for allegedly shooting MTS, but he never showed up. His "disappearance" raised a lot of eyebrows, and law enforcement sources tell us ... investigators paid a visit to an L.A. home Monday morning, hoping to find Justin.

We're told the investigators' goal was to find out what Justin's availability would be for testifying, as he was supposed to last week. Unfortunately, they did not locate him, and still have no clue on his whereabouts.

Our sources also say Justin still is not considered a "missing" person ... nor has anyone even reported him as missing.

Megan's attorney Alex Spiro told us Monday on "TMZ Live" ... Meg's team was last in touch with Justin on Thursday night, when they fully expected he would be in court Friday for testimony they felt would be devastating to Tory's case.

Spiro believes there's witness intimidation going on in Tory's trial, and he claims prosecutors have launched an investigation into that.

Minka Kelly and Imagine Dragons star Dan Reynolds are going strong ahead of the holidays ... spending a lot of quality time together mixed with some PDA.

The new couple hit up Millie's Cafe Sunday for a romantic lunch in Los Angeles. Clearly, they couldn't keep their hands off each other ... spotted locking lips and sharing an intimate hug.

After their lunch date, they did some Christmas shopping in Silver Lake, all smiles and holding hands as they strolled around.

You'll recall, the pair recently hit up Disneyland for a very public outing.

O.J. Simpson is once again denying age-old rumors that he slept with Kris Jenner and fathered Khloe Kardashian -- explaining the reason that can't be true ... she ain't his type.

The Juice addressed the speculation in an interview on the "Full Send Podcast," where he was asked about gossip that he and Kris may have had an affair going on way back in the day ... when O.J. and Robert Kardashian were still good friends and before the murder trial.

O.J. says there's no truth to the notion he hooked up with Kris, explaining he was never attracted to her ... and didn't think she was attracted to him. Not to mention, she was married to Bob at the time -- so there's that.

He also flatly denies being Khloe's dad ... despite years of people suggesting he could be. O.J. says he doesn't know anything about that, but does float the possibility of someone else perhaps being her dad ... making mention of a "cook" rumor he's heard.

In any case -- O.J.'s sticking to his story -- one he's told on camera before regarding this.

O.J. does make clear he had a good relationship with the Kardashians once upon a time -- and it sounds like he was even friendly with Kris post-acquittal -- telling a story about how KJ once allegedly begged him to play golf with Caitlyn Jenner when they first got together.

Donald Trump broke the law during the attack on the U.S. Capitol -- so says the Jan. 6 congressional committee ... which is now asking the Department of Justice to prosecute.

The House select committee made criminal referrals to federal prosecutors Monday, suggesting they've found evidence of criminality throughout their months-long hearings ... and are now pointing out specific crimes they feel the DOJ could pursue, if they're inclined.

The charges they feel are warranted here ... obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress, conspiracy to make a false statement, conspiracy to defraud the United States and straight-up insurrection. If the DOJ were to prosecute (and if Trump was convicted of all this) ... he could face up to 35 years in prison.

Of course, Congress's recommendation to the Justice Dept. is simply that ... a proposal, which is largely symbolic in this case -- and may not really amount to much big picture.

Fact is ... the DOJ is already running its own investigation into Trump on multiple fronts, including for his involvement on Jan. 6 -- for which they've already appointed a special counsel. Their probe(s) have been running parallel to the congressional hearings for a while, and they've been keeping tabs on the proceedings. It's unclear if they've become aware of any major new bombshells against Trump that they weren't already aware of.

With that said ... the fact Congress is officially looking to have a former Prez prosecuted -- even if it is out of their hands -- is a major statement ... as it's never been done before.

Whether Trump ends up being personally charged/prosecuted for any alleged wrongdoing -- and there's a lot he's been accused of lately -- remains to be seen, especially since he's running for office again and is about to be in the thick of his 2024 campaign very soon.

Trump's alleged malfeasance on or around Jan. 6 has been well-documented throughout the hearings -- there's been claims that he fought with his own Secret Service in an attempt to arrive and meet the coup crowd at the Capitol ... not to mention the allegation that he asked to have metal detectors removed in hopes of people being able to sneak in weapons.

Of course, there's also the fact that he explicitly called his VP, Mike Pence, a traitor ... and essentially left him for the wolves, along with the other lawmakers that day. Trump was also very soft on condemning the attack, and is reported to have prolonged his response.

New England Patriots legend Willie McGinest has been arrested in Los Angeles, TMZ Sports has learned.

The ex-NFL star was booked at around 7:30 AM on Monday morning, jail records show. His bail has been set at $30,000.

It was not immediately clear what crimes he's been accused of.

McGinest, a first-round pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, played in the league for 15 years ... and is considered one of the greatest Patriots players ever.

He won three Super Bowls with the org. ... and made two Pro Bowls with the team as well. The linebacker was ultimately inducted into the franchise's Hall of Fame in 2015.

McGinest -- who found a second career following his retirement as an NFL analyst for various television networks -- finished his career following the 2008 season with 804 total tackles and 86 sacks.

People are calling out The New York Times for a recent crossword layout shockingly in the shape of a swastika, and to make things worse, it debuted on the first night of Hanukkah.

Sunday's tone-deaf puzzle debuted with a ton of criticism -- featuring a massive swastika in the dead center of the grid. The puzzle's designer described it as a simple "fun whirlpool shape," but obviously not everyone had the same thoughts.

Many blasted NYT for the antisemitic design -- regardless of whether or not it was intentional ... with one saying, "How did this get approved without somebody noticing?" and another noting, "A hidden Happy Chanukah message in today's @nytimes crossword?"

Even Donald Trump Jr. blasted the news org ... writing, "Disgusting! Only the New York Times would get Chanukah going with this is the crossword puzzle."

Amber Heard is closing the book on the defamation case brought by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp -- a decision that's going to cost her 7 figures.

The actress just issued a lengthy statement announcing that she's settled with Johnny -- this as opposed to going through with her appeal -- which she just recently filed. Amber says, in part ... "This is not an act of concession. There are no restrictions or gags with respect to my voice moving forward."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Amber is going to shell out just $1 million to Johnny -- but we're told it'll be money from her insurance company, not her own pocket.

As for what she has to say about it further ... Amber explains she never chose this, and that all she ever did was defend and speak her truth -- which she notes has destroyed her life ... via vilification through social media and beyond, which she calls a humiliation she can't relive again. AH says she did this to move forward and emancipate herself from this saga.

Amber also makes sure to mention the fact that she has lost faith in the American legal system -- having been found liable for defaming Johnny, whereas in the UK ... the verdict came in her favor. She says she has exhausted almost all of her resources in fighting this thing here -- and in the end, it seems she's decided it was going to be a losing battle.

One other thing ... Amber says she's going to now focus on things that matter to her life, including working for causes she believes in, not to mention time with her daughter.

She adds, "I will not be threatened, disheartened or dissuaded by what happened from speaking the truth. No one can and no one will take that from me. My voice forever remains the most valuable asset I have." Amber ends by thanking those who've backed her all along.

Johnny, for his part, hasn't addressed the settlement.

A dog-walking couple says they bumped into something pretty terrifying -- a creepy-looking figure crossed right in front of them in the dark, and although they caught it on camera, they have no clue what the thing is.

Hannah and Dave Rowett were strolling with their pups through Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire, England this month when they nearly bumped into the shadowy creature ... you can see it seemingly appear out of thin air, and cross their path before disappearing.

The couple posted the spooky clip on Facebook, where it's gotten some serious buzz ... and people are torn as to whether or not this thing is legit, or just a well-edited video.

Dave even referred to himself as a skeptic of ghosts ... but says this encounter made him a believer.

FYI -- Clumber Park is supposedly haunted by a spirit called "Grey Lady" ... known as a woman in a long coat, often described as a demon, crawling on her long limbs -- which lines up pretty well with the hunched-over thing seen in the clip.

Word of advice for the Rowett's -- there's gotta be another park to walk your dogs!!!

The Grateful Dead has become the target of a lot of criticism after many are calling out the poor timing of the band's recently released "Idaho is Dead" shirts in light of the 4 college students murdered in the state.

The band just posted new shirts on their official IG account. The caption read, "Check out the new Idaho United States Of Dead T-Shirt with artwork designed by @dreyfus.art. Available now at dead.net!"

As you might imagine, some folks immediately called out GD for being insensitive ... pointing to the fact that 4 college students from the University of Idaho were brutally murdered at an off-campus house, last month. Of course, that case remains unsolved.

One user wrote, "With the recent Idaho tragedy the first shirt is totally insensitive" ... another said, "Weird timing of a play on words considering the idiho4 😢🥺".

Grateful dead is selling similar shirts for other respective states on their website. For example, they are already selling "California Dead" shirts on their site.

Robert De Niro almost became a victim of the real-life Grinch -- a home intruder who was legit trying to steal the dude's Christmas presents ... just days before the holiday.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the actor's NYC home was broken into early Monday, at around 3:30 AM, by what cops say was a 30-year-old woman who pried his door and slunk inside. Not quite Dr. Seuss-esque (down the chimney) -- but still scary nonetheless.

We're told the woman was caught red-handed in the act ... cops say she was attempting to clean out the bottom of RDN's tree of gifts -- but Bobby D himself, who we're told was home with family, came down to confront her when he heard all the commotion.

As you can imagine, the police were called ... and NYPD says they recognized this perp immediately. Apparently, she's been arrested pretty recently for similar crimes -- we're told her long-running M.O. is to case houses and break-in, much like she did at De Niro's.

In this case ... they caught her, arrested her and took to her to jail. Sounds like they didn't wanna wait for her heart to grow three sizes and realize the error of her ways.

A dog owner's going through a ruff patch ... because she's gettin' called out for alleged animal abuse after making her pup look like the mean one himself, Mr. Grinch.

The TikToker showed off her dog's transformation, going from its natural color to getting dyed green -- and even red and white to resemble the titular character's Christmas sweater.

The now-viral clip's captioned "When your groomer slays making your dog into the Grinch," but it might've gained traction for all the wrong reasons -- because people are up in arms over the supposed mistreatment of the animal.

The comment section ran wild ... with some saying "Kinda looks like animal abuse to me," "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should," and "Poor Puppy." Some were in the owner's corner though -- mentioning some dyes are pet safe.

However, some puppies have skin allergies and could get severe reactions in the process, but it's unclear if this doggo fits that bill.

The owner clapped back to all the noise ... showing the dog chillin' on the bed with the sarcastic caption "He's super abused."

Elon Musk seems to have heard all the Twitter criticism loud and clear -- which is why he's leaving his position at the company in the hands of the people ... quite literally.

The Chief Twit took to his favorite platform Sunday, and started off by apologizing for what sounds like Twitter's no-more-personal-promotion policy ... in which they'll ban anyone who plugs other social media profiles of theirs on Twitter.

He wrote, "Going forward, there will be a vote for major policy changes. My apologies. Won’t happen again." After that, he posed a question and interesting proposition, asking ... "Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll."

It's a simple Yes/No poll, and as of this writing ... nearly 6 million people have weighed in, with about 58% in favor of Yes, and 42% saying No. There's still about 10 hours left to vote.

In a somewhat ominous and cryptic follow-up post, he wrote ... "As the saying goes, be careful what you wish, as you might get it." To us, that means he will, in fact, abide by the outcome ... like he previously has in other polls. Bringing Trump back comes to mind.

Now, there are some cynics who feel like this an empty promise from Elon -- as they suspect he'll simply install a sock-puppet CEO ... while he continues to pull the strings BTS. He will still be the majority owner of Twitter, after all -- so he could still presumably call the shots.

He did recently allude to that type of carte blanche rule earlier this year when he was discussing his Content Moderation Council -- basically saying, what I say goes, period.

Elon, however, appeared to shoot this notion down -- saying he doesn't have somebody else in mind for the gig ... and that there is no successor. He says no one would really want this job. Time will tell if he follows through, and what that'll mean for Twitter at large. 👀

Vox Populi, Vox Dei!

There's now a very lucky (and wealthy) 'E.T.' fan with one of the coolest pieces of memorabilia from the film in their collection.

The one-of-a-kind original mechatronic model -- used to bring the alien to life -- sold for $2.5 million at Julien's Auctions. The piece was used as the #1 filming model "actor" for the movie's main character in the 1982 classic flick "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

In all, the model has 85 points of movement and was created by "The Father of E.T." Carlo Rambaldi ... basically, it's a real engineering masterpiece.

That's not all... other unique memorabilia from the film sold, including the original E.T. maquette model made for director Steven Spielberg, to approve the E.T. design. It went for $125K.

Hanukkah is upon us, and these celebs have lit the menorah and honored the holiday in style -- some with their closest loved ones!

Andy Cohen had the huge honor of lighting his neighborhood's massive menorah this year ... while 'Catfish's Nev Schulman snapped a pic of him doing the same from the comfort of his own home.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff lit the first candle together, too ... and looked pretty happy doin' it!

Mayim Bialik was smiling from ear to ear, rockin' a festive sweater and some earrings to match -- while "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" star and creator Rachel Bloom put on a paper crown with some stern words against the Nazi party.

Even sister-rock group Haim posted a Hanukkah-themed TikTok over the weekend, putting a hilarious holiday spin on a viral trend.