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More bad news for Tesla -- somebody driving one of their vehicles died this weekend after crashing into a firetruck ... and happened to be in the same model that's now facing a recall.

The accident happened Saturday in Walnut Creek, CA -- where officials say a Tesla Model S plowed into a fire engine that was blocking off a freeway to cover another crew that was clearing a separate accident on I-680. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, and a passenger in the car as well was transported to a hospital ... their condition is unknown.

Photos taken from the crash site show the Tesla completely crushed, and the truck was severely damaged as well. A few firefighters who were on the truck suffered minor injuries.

Law enforcement says it's unclear if the driver was under the influence or if they were using a self-driving feature. If it's discovered the driver was, in fact, using the autopilot -- which has since come under major scrutiny -- it could spell more trouble for the EV company.

Tesla is currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration -- which is looking into how their automated driving system works in response to emergency vehicles on the road ... this after at least 14 crashes under very similar circumstances.

Brittney Griner is returning to the WNBA, signing a 1-year contract with the Phoenix Mercury ... less than 3 months after being freed from a Russian jail, where she spent nearly 10 months.

32-year-old Griner last played during the 2021 WNBA season ... where she lead the Mercury to the Finals. They lost to the Chicago Sky, 3 games to 1.

Many fans questioned whether Griner would return to the court after she was swapped with high-value Russian prisoner, Viktor Bout as part of her release in December 2022 ... but Brittney vowed to return to the court.

“I also want to make one thing very clear, I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season," BG wrote shortly after her release, adding she wished to thank everyone who advocated on her behalf while she was locked up.

Of course, Griner was locked up near Moscow in February 2022 after Russia claimed she was caught attempting to smuggle vape cartridges into the country. BG wasn't unknown to Russia ... she previously hooped overseas, where players can earn a more lucrative salary.

The 2023 WNBA season starts in mid-May.

The terms of the deal have not yet been announced ... and neither Griner nor the organization, have issued a statement on the signing.

Megan Fox has resurrected digitally to shoot down rumors that there's cheating going on between herself and Machine Gun Kelly ... although, some trouble is clearly afoot.

The actress's Instagram was reactivated Sunday, and she threw up only one new post ... which directly addresses the speculation that's been swirling around their relationship for about a week now. In it, she squarely denies anyone's infiltrated their engagement.

She writes, "There has been no third party interference in this relationship of any kind. That includes but is not limited to...actual humans, DMs, AI bots or succubus demons."

Megan adds, "While I do hate to rob you of running random baseless news stories that would have been much more accurately written by ChatGPT, you need to let this story die and leave all of these innocent people alone now."

In other words, MF's saying there wasn't an affair going on here ... and she definitely seems to be coming to the defense of MGK's backup guitarist, Sophie Lloyd, who's come under fire as the suspected other woman -- and getting dragged relentlessly, despite her denying it too.

Of course, the fact that Megan has scrubbed all signs of her fiancé from her profile -- not too mention not-so-cryptic posts alluding to "dishonesty" -- suggests there's trouble in paradise.

It's hard to gauge where things are between the couple at the moment ... while Megan seemed to be telegraphing one thing online, she was seen with MGK in person this week.

You'll recall ... they were spotted cruising in the same car together -- leaving his place, no less -- on Valentine's Day. And later the same day, they were spotted once again exiting an office building side by side as well -- a building with a ton of therapists on hand.

Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny are reported to have been making out earlier this week -- and now that the word is out ... they seem to have moved on to the hanging out phase. 😅

Check out these pics of Kendall leaving Wally's in Beverly Hills Saturday night -- as you can see, she's walking out solo (with security in tow, of course) ... but not too long after, her rumored new flame walked out of the same restaurant -- but from the backside.

Indeed ... we're told this appeared to be a double date with the Biebers. Kendall showed up first at around 8:30 PM ... and Bad Bunny arrived shortly afterward on his own, around 8:42 PM. After that, Justin and Hailey followed suit ... also showing up separately/staggered.

The pair left around the same time, but they trickled out one by one it seems -- with Kendall heading out of the front entrance at 11:06 PM ... and BB leaving the back way a few minutes earlier. The Biebers also left through the back -- but almost an hour beforehand.

A lot of attempted sleight of hand being done, but in the end ... it looks like the secret may be out -- namely, Kendall and Bad Bunny appear to be seeing each other. As for what that means exactly ... anyone's guess. But based on eyewitness sightings, they're very friendly.

A Deuxmoi blind item outed the suspected couple on Thursday, claiming they'd been seen out at an L.A. club the night prior locking lips and even leaving in the same car as well.

When word spread about their possible romance, the internet broke down collectively ... with a lot of Bad Bunny fans decrying the fact that he may be hooking up with a KarJenner.

The reason ... well, it seems folks feel like KJ's brood can be problematic -- including Kendall, who's been wrapped up in scandals here and there over the years. Bad Bunny, meanwhile, is widely beloved and lays low ... so it would appear his supporters think he's entering dangerous waters by tangling with the model, who's very much in the spotlight a lot.

Richard Belzer -- famous for his work on 'Law & Order' and in the standup comedy world -- has died ... this according to his close comedy pals.

News about Belzer's death spread like wildfire Sunday morning, with none other than Laraine Newman -- an original 'SNL' cast member, who worked alongside Belzer from the mid-'70s through the '80s -- confirming the latest.

She wrote, "I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing. I loved this guy so much. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest."

Comedian Marc Maron also sent his condolences, calling him an original and "one of the greats." Other tributes are pouring in from all over showbiz, although details about his passing haven't been officially released just yet.

Belzer was most known for portraying Det. John Munch on 'Law & Order: SVU', dating back to 1996. He'd starred in over 300 episodes of the fan-fave cop series ...  playing the quick-witted and razor-sharp Munch for several years. His character was written off in 2016.

His famous police character had also existed even before 'SVU' came around ... Munch had existed in another TV universe -- namely, on the classic hit 'Homicide,' where he starred opposite Ned Beatty, Daniel Baldwin and other big actors for seven straight seasons.

Prior to his stint in network TV, Belzer was a renowned comedian ... as we mentioned, he appeared on 'SNL' during its inception period -- but he also did a lot of standup and sketch comedy on his own, plus ... he hosted variety shows/specials as well.

Beyond his esteemed work with Dick Wolf and co. ... Belzer had several other acting credits under his belt. Some other famous shows he'd been on include ... "Moonlighting," "Miami Vice," "D.C. Follies," "Monsters," "The Flash," "Nurses," 'Lois & Clark,' "The X-Files," "Arrested Development," "The Wire," "30 Rock," "American Dad" and many, many more.

His film resume was impressive too ... he'd starred in "Scarface," "Fame," "Fletch Lives," "The Bonfires of the Vanities," "Species II," "Man on the Moon," "The Puppet Masters" and others.

The last we got Belzer in the street, he was shooting jokes from the hip ... talking conspiracy theories and showing off that legendary dry humor he was known for. Super nice guy.

Belzer is survived by his wife, Harlee, and his extended family. He was 78.

Allison Holker, the widow of Stephen 'tWitch' Boss, posted an emotional video about her late husband.

Allison thanked fans -- of whom there are millions -- for their love and support, acknowledging, "It has been very challenging and emotional, but you guys have brought so much hope and inspiration to us by sharing stories and memories and moments and different ways that Stephen impacted your life."

She went on ... "He lived his life from love, and he made you feel a certain way. My family and I have always said that we wanted to make sure that our purpose was looked out by bringing joy to people."

Allison seemed overcome by the emotional reactions to her husband's death. TMZ broke the story ... tWitch took his own life in December at age 40.

Her message comes a week after the memorial to her husband, which was held in L.A.  Ellen DeGeneres was on hand, as were cast members from "So You Think You Can Dance."

Ellen posted a video Saturday as an homage to tWitch ... with highlights from his time on her show.

Allison has started an organization to promote mental health awareness.

Judd Apatow hilariously mocked the DGA Awards Saturday night and the actors who were part of it ... it's really funny!

Apatow hosted the 75th awards ceremony, but it wasn't broadcast anywhere -- no video at all.  He groused the damn show wasn't even on the radio ...“This show is being live-streamed to the back of this room. This show is so irrelevant, it’s shocking Elon Musk hasn’t bought it yet.”

Apatow lasered in on Austin Butler, who had said he had trouble shaking the Elvis twang.  Judd warned the world ... Austin's next role could be the lead in "The Jerry Lewis Story."

And then there was Tom Cruise, who famously does his own stunts even though he's north of 60. Judd said, “Tell Tom that Thelma and Louise didn’t exactly jump over the cliff themselves. Tom, have you heard of CGI?”

But he wasn't done, suggesting Tom's stunts have the markings of a Scientology ad.

And then there's this ... “I believe our friend Aubrey Plaza is here. I can’t believe you have a worse seat than Fkboy Island. You gotta talk to your publicist.”

Judd then referenced his famous daughter ... “Sam Levinson is here tonight. He’s the writer-director-creator of Euphoria. My daughter Maude is on that show. It’s very successful. My only frustration, I kind of want her to have a baby. She said, ‘dad, I play a 16-year-old on a high school TV show.’ I’ve seen the show. I don’t think it would be that weird to have a little crack baby on that show. Your baby can play the crack baby, a two-salary situation on that show.”

Tom Sizemore had a MAJOR health scare ... and now the actor is fighting for his life in the hospital.

His manager, Charles Lago, tells TMZ ... Tom was hanging out at his L.A. home around 2 AM Saturday when he suffered a brain aneurysm and collapsed into unconsciousness.

Lago says someone found Tom and quickly called 911. EMS units responded and took him to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit.

At this point, Tom is in a "bad way," Lago says, and his chances for a full recovery seem uncertain.

Of course, Tom has had a litany of problems over the years with drug abuse and run-ins with the law. He has been arrested for DUI, domestic violence and possession of a controlled substance.

But, he's also been a successful actor who has appeared in some of Hollywood's most popular films, such as "Saving Private Ryan," "Black Hawk Down," "Natural Born Killers" and "Heat."

Kim Kardashian's latest alleged stalker just can't seem to stay away from her -- and because of that ... it landed him in handcuffs.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Jomoine Zigler was arrested Friday after allegedly making his way into Kim's gated community and getting pretty close to her actual house. We're told he didn't end up making it onto the property itself, but was right outside of it.

That was enough for Kim's camp to call in the cavalry ... the L.A. Sheriff's Dept. showed up and took him to jail -- where he was booked for misdemeanor violation of a protective order.

You'll recall ... Kim got a temporary restraining order against this guy in late January -- this after claiming he'd visited her home multiple times in person ... while also allegedly sending her gifts and other bizarre items. She also said he'd referred to her as his wife online.

The judge signed off on the TRO, and a hearing was scheduled for this month to discuss the possibility of a permanent one being granted. Sounds like the weirdo just couldn't wait.

Rihanna's pops found out about his soon-to-be grandkid same as everyone else -- while watchin' her Super Bowl halftime show ... and he's hoping, once again, for 2 X chromosomes.

Ronald Fenty tells TMZ ... he's over the moon about his daughter and A$AP Rocky's new kiddo, and with 4 grandsons already, he's hoping RiRi can shake things up with a girl.

He says he's excited at the prospect of having a granddaughter ... face it, he had great luck in that department with his famous daughter.

Ronald tells us Rihanna got him tickets to the big game, without telling him she's eating for 2 -- so he was insanely surprised when he spotted the bump from the stands ... telling his partner, "Oh my god! My baby girl looks pregnant!"

As we reported, Ronald was crossing his fingers for a girl this time last year when it was first revealed Rihanna was pregnant ... saying he had a feeling they wouldn't stop at just 1.

Ronald says he hasn't been involved with RiRi and A$AP's son's life yet ... referring to her super busy schedule and his living in Barbados.

Jim Jones is applauding NYC Mayor Eric Adams' efforts all across the board, including their developing plans to introduce the Mayor's Cup of Dance throughout the city this summer!!!

TMZ Hip Hop linked up with the Harlem Capo a couple times this week and he was completely floored that Mayor Adams not only bumped up their meeting but also had his aides immediately reach out to get the ball rolling on the Mayor's Cup.

Jim's spearheading the dance initiative and is getting all the boroughs involved. He says he spoke to Fabolous and Maino to represent Brooklyn and wants Cardi B and Fat Joe to stand up for the Bronx, and Nas and N.O.R.E. to lead Queens. He's also planning to include artists from younger generations.

Jim and Dipset recently felt a ton of love from young fans at Drake's sold-out Apollo Theater -- and says he so appreciated Drake, Future The Prince and the rest of the OVO team giving them a hero's welcome.

In fact, he says he'd love to return the favor via a new collab. C'mon, Drake!!!

Jim admits rap is a young man's game but says old and new challengers should still fear him in the booth, and promises to back that up on his upcoming album, "Back In My Prime" ... produced by Hitmaka.

The convo switched to fashion when we spotted Jim and Juelz Santana out in the streets ... where they praised Pharrell's new position as men's head designer of Louis Vuitton.

The Diplomats recalled having a session with Cam'ron back in the day, where Pharrell showed up wearing a fur coat -- in the summertime 🥵!!!

'Real Housewives of Orange County' alum Gretchen Rossi and her fiancé, Slade Smiley are getting dragged through the mud for paying tribute to Slade's late son ... because the biological mother claims Gretchen and Slade haven't even been around for him in the last decade.

Slade's ex, Michelle Arroyo tells TMZ ... Gretchen's recent social media posts about the loss of 22-year-old Grayson are disrespectful -- saying the couple has "grossly misrepresented the true nature of their relationship with Grayson, which was virtually nonexistent."

Grayson passed earlier this month after a long battle with brain cancer -- something he fought since he was 6. Since his death, Gretchen's been posting nonstop about how heartbroken she is, but Michelle is calling BS.

She tells us Gretchen hasn't made the effort in the past 10 years to see him ... calling a so-called relationship "nonexistent."

On top of that, Michelle, who has lost her home, business, and life savings while solely taking care of Grayson’s needs, says she can't keep quiet any longer about Slade's years of "inexcusable behavior and neglect," adding Grayson desperately wanted a relationship with his dad.

Michelle adds she had to hire lawyers to get Slade to cough up his child support payments -- claiming he still owes $152K in support, with his last payment coming in back in 2019.

Her family started a GoFundMe to help with the cost of a memorial to properly honor Greyson ... as well as to cover the outstanding medical expenses half of which Slade is responsible for but has never paid.

X-Pac, member of the legendary "New World Order" faction says Roman Reigns, Jimmy and Jey Uso, Solo Sikoa, and formerly Sami Zayn's "The Bloodline" is "right up there" with NWO ... and he understands why fans compare the two groups.

We spoke to Pac, real name Sean Waltman, about the comparisons being made between the factions, and he admitted "the magnitude is similar" between the two groups and the impact they've had on wrestling.

Of course, many wrestling fans believe The Bloodline storyline is one of, if not the greatest, in WWE history.

As for NWO, it originally started out as a group in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) with Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. Their goal was to take over WCW by any means necessary, destroying everything in their path.

In 1996, Waltman joined NWO in WCW, becoming the group's sixth member. The WWE inducted NWO into its Hall of Fame in 2020, bestowing the honor on Waltman, Nash, Hall, and Hogan.

NWO will be featured on the season premiere of A&E's docuseries "Biography: WWE Legends" on February 19 ... and Waltman's pumped for the show, which will examine how the group changed the sports entertainment landscape.

"It's nice to have been a part of something that people want to see tv shows made about it, Pac said. "It feels really freaking good."

Josh Murray has high hopes for a new 'Bachelor' spinoff about senior citizens finding love ... and he laid out some compelling reasons why the show might be better with older folks.

We got the 'Bachelorette' and "Bachelor in Paradise" alum at LAX, where gave us an insider's perspective on the upcoming series, "The Golden Bachelor".

ICYMI, "The Bachelor" producer, Mike Fleiss recently announced the new series is in the works, and that, naturally, created a lot of curiosity within Bachelor nation.

Josh tells us he's all in for the new show because, in his words ... old people need loving too, and there's a better chance they'll find it on a reality show than younger people.

Josh's prediction is the series will be a lot more genuine as older bachelors and bachelorettes won't be out for fame or money ... and will actually sign up just to find love.

He also thinks the hometown visit episodes would get a fun new twist -- instead of meeting parents, suitors can get the stamp of approval from kids or even grandkids!

And, don't get him started on the fantasy suites episode -- he's envisioning a stash of little blue pills.😂

Trey Songz looks over the years are a real "Panty Droppa!"

Here is a 24-year-old version of the R&B singer looking dapper AF, accessorized and ready to party at his Birthday celebration in New York City back in 2009 (left). This was the same year he released his album "Ready," which featured hit songs "I Invented Sex" and "Say Aah."

And, 14 years later ... the 38-year-old handsome papa bear recently dripped himself in diamonds and was shining from ear-to-ear in Dubai for the opening of the "Atlantis The Royal Grand" (right).

His rocks may be getting bigger by the year, but the question is ...

Rihanna's pregnancy upstaged her performance, some say, and you buyin' Meghan Markle's story she was clueless 'bout the Royals? So, we gotta ask ...