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"Real Housewives of Potomac" star, Michael Darby is taking Candiace Dillard Bassett to court for defamation ... after she claimed he offered up cash to have sexual relations with another man.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Ashley Darby's hubby is suing Candiace over comments she made during the latest season of the reality series -- where she didn't hold back during one of her many arguments with Ashley.

On the show, Candiace tells Ashley, "Your husband likes to leave you and go to a man named [censored]'s house and suck his ****." She never says who the guy is, but Candiace later claimed Michael paid for sex.

Michael's calling BS on all of it ... adding he sent her a cease and desist earlier this year regarding her comments -- but claims she has yet to retract any of her allegations.

He wants $2 mil in damages to make things right.

Fans of the show know Candiace and the Darbys have had long-standing beef ... with her calling Michael and Ashley out numerous times. Looks like the latest incident took things too far, though ... at least according to Michael.

A newly-elected Congressman went viral for a full-blown presentation he gave on the House floor, praising Beyoncé -- and we got to the bottom of what was behind it all.

Our photog ran into Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) on Capitol Hill Wednesday ... this after his impassioned speech just hours earlier, where he talked about the end of Black History Month and the start of Women's History Month ... using Queen Bey as the bridge between the two.

Rep. Garcia explained himself perfectly well in his ode to the iconic performer -- rightly noting Beyoncé is, well, awesome, but he elaborated a bit more with us ... breaking down why exactly he felt she was the perfect person to honor.

Watch ... he says Beyoncé achieved that rare feat of being both an entertainer and an activist, which puts her in a different category of celebrity. He also says it's exactly because of this she's worthy enough to be called out in a very good way.

Drew Sidora is laying out exactly why she's calling it quits with her estranged husband, Ralph Pittman, accusing him of cheating, abuse and messing with her finances.

In an amended divorce complaint, obtained by TMZ, Drew says she simply cannot take Ralph's "continued blatant disrespect and mental abuse any longer."

She goes on to accuse Ralph of being a serial cheater during their marriage -- even claiming some of the women he's allegedly had affairs with have rubbed it in her face -- sending her screenshots of their "sexts" with Ralph.

That's not all ... Drew also says Ralph has recently gotten physical with her, claiming last month he grabbed her phone out of her hand, causing her to fall to the floor. She says Ralph yelled at her, saying he pays the cell phone bill so the phone belongs to him.

She says when Ralph got physically aggressive, she even considered leaving Atlanta and flying with her 3 minor children to Chicago where they'd feel safe.

She also says at one point, he withdrew a "large sum of money" from her account.

Drew says she and Ralph tried counseling, but it didn't work. In fact, she states after leaving a counseling session, Ralph asked her to give him a "heads up" before filing for divorce and that no matter what happened, he'd let her file first.

Interestingly enough, both Drew and Ralph filed for divorce on the same day -- February 27 -- she beat him by just one hour in filing.

Drew's asking for primary physical and joint legal custody of their 2 kids.

Willie McGinest is now facing serious time behind bars for his role in a December restaurant beatdown ... TMZ Sports has learned the ex-NFL star has just been charged with two felonies.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office filed the charges this week ... hitting the New England Patriots legend with one count of assault with a deadly weapon, and one count of assault by means of force likely to cause great bodily injury.

Each charge carries up to four years in prison.

McGinest's arraignment in the case has been set for April.

We broke the story, McGinest was initially arrested in the case back in late December ... after video showed him and several others beating the hell out of a man on Dec. 9 at Delilah in West Hollywood.

The footage appears to show McGinest socking the guy in the face ... before later picking up a bottle and smashing it into the man's head.

McGinest eventually apologized for his role in the brawl -- calling everything a "lapse in judgment and behavior."

"To my family, community, friends and youth I mentor," the 51-year-old said, "please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility."

OG YouTuber Paige Reynolds was just 15 years old when she went viral after sharing her "Scarlet Takes A Tumble" video back in 2008. In the clip, Paige takes center stage on her coffee table -- and after singing her heart out -- takes a tumble to the floor.

Today, the classic viral video boasts over 30 million views and has been parodied all across the world. Although she is no longer making YouTube content, she recently took to her TikTok channel to display the original platform wedges she wore circa 2008.

Travis Scott is the suspect in a police investigation into an alleged assault at a NYC nightclub ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us around 3 AM Wednesday the rapper got into it with someone at Nebula, a club on 41st Street. We're told Scott allegedly punched that person and damaged property -- possibly a cell phone.

At this time, cops want to talk to Travis and his reps, but the official report is for an assault and criminal mischief.

As for why he was in town, it appears Don Toliver had a show in NYC Tuesday night, bringing out Travis -- much to the delight of fans.

Travis is set to headline Rolling Loud California in Los Angeles Saturday night ... unclear if that appearance will be impacted at all because of the investigation.

We've reached out to Travis' team ... so far, no word back.

Matthew Lawerence and Chilli are hot and heavy, and they don't care who knows it ...as evidenced by their emphatic PDA at a Los Angeles airport.

Matthew was spotted at LAX Tuesday and he was clearly on boyfriend duty, as he waited to pick up his TLC girlfriend and all her luggage ... before greeting her with a long hug and kiss on the lips.

After a warm embrace, the "Boy Meets World" star opened her door before hopping in the driver's seat ... but the loving didn't stop there.

The two couldn't seem to keep their hands off one another... exchanging more hugs and kisses once inside his car.

TMZ broke the story ... Matthew and Chilli officially started dating right before Thanksgiving, and they spent the holidays together in Atlanta, where ML met her family. Chilli has also met Matthew's fam and they had nothing but good things to say about her.

You'll recall, the actor recently told us his gf was "one of the most spectacular people" he's ever known ... so we know the huge smiles on their faces during the airport pickup were as genuine as can be.

Ray J is making it very clear, both publicly and now legally, he isn't ready to give up on his marriage with Princess Love ... asking the court to once again throw out his divorce.

According to the legal docs obtained by TMZ, Ray filed docs Thursday in Los Angeles asking a court to dismiss his divorce from his estranged wife.

If you've been following along, there's been a ton of ups and downs between the two over the years, but now, it looks like they may be attempting to work things out once again.

You'll recall, Princess and Ray J celebrated his 42nd birthday back in January in Vegas ... despite the fact they were going through the divorce. At the time, RJ said he was looking forward to being a happy family and starting "fresh" with Princess.

TMZ broke the story in October 2021 ... Ray first filed for divorce from Princess and cited the usual irreconcilable differences. We spoke to PL a short time after the docs were filed, and she didn't seem like the door was completely closed.

Michael Irvin has scored yet another big W in his civil case with Marriott ... a second judge -- this time a federal one -- has ruled the hotel giant must turn over any video it has that shows the NFL legend with his misconduct accuser on one of its properties last month.

The ruling was just handed down on Wednesday afternoon ... marking the second time in two weeks that a court has ordered Marriott to turn over the footage.

Initially, on Feb. 16, a state judge made the ruling ... but Marriott argued it should be allowed to take its time in handing over the clips, essentially saying Irvin was being disingenuous about the need to rush things. The case was ultimately kicked over to federal court to mete out.

The judge there, though, backed the ruling ... saying Irvin had the right to obtain the video in an expeditious manner -- because of the reputational and economic damage he said he's suffering by not having it.

The judge did rule, however, that Marriott can protect the identity of Irvin's accuser, saying the company's concern for her privacy "is well founded."

Irvin's attorney, Levi McCathern, tells TMZ Sports he's happy with the new order ... saying, once again, he believes the videos will show Irvin did nothing wrong when he interacted with the female hotel worker on Feb. 5 in Arizona.

"Michael and I are pleased with the ruling, and we thank the Court for ruling so quickly and equitably," McCathern said. "We look forward to receiving the information that we believe will prove that Michael was engaged in no wrongdoing."

New troubling allegations surrounding the alleged pickup basketball brawl between Ja Morant and a teenage boy in July ... with the young hooper claiming the Memphis Grizzlies superstar flashed a gun at him during the altercation.

TMZ Sports broke the story in January -- Morant is accused of punching a 17-year-old boy after getting in an argument during a game at Ja's residence in Tennessee ... which resulted in a lawsuit filed in September.

According to the docs, the boy claimed he "accidentally" hit Ja in the face after throwing the ball in his direction ... and the All-Star guard retaliated by hitting him with a closed fist and knocking him to the ground.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that not only did the teen accuse Morant of punching him at least 12 times, resulting in a "large knot" on his head ... but the 23-year-old also went into his house and returned with a gun in his waistband -- with his hand on the weapon.

The boy told detectives Ja's dad, Tee, then yelled at him ... telling him to go back inside.

When Morant was questioned about the incident, police mentioned the boy's claims of exposing a weapon, but did not explicitly ask if he had a gun. The outlet notes Morant and his attorneys did not deny the claim.

As for the altercation, Morant told detectives he did, in fact, hit the teen ... but claimed it was out of self-defense after he was hit with the ball. In his eyes, "The ball was the first swing to me."

As we previously reported, Morant filed a police report of his own a few weeks later ... claiming the teen threatened to "come back and light this place up like fireworks" and he feared for his safety.

Police investigated the allegations for several weeks ... before they submitted the case to the district attorney's office on Oct. 4. Less than a month later, cops say the D.A. declined prosecution, citing a lack of evidence.

Travis Barker's finger injury has put his band's touring plans on pause -- something fans feared that's now become a reality.

Blink-182's lead singer, Tom DeLonge, officially broke the news Wednesday -- telling their fans in Mexico and several Central and South American countries they'll have to circle back to see them some other time. The tour was set to begin in Tijuana on March 11.

Obviously, with Travis' recent updates about his busted digits ... that probably wasn't going to happen, and now Tom and co. are confirming it with a formal postponement.

No word on when they'll be able to get back on the road, but Tom says TB's gotta get well again before they can perform as a troupe. He also apologized to ticket buyers and promises to update them in the near future.

As we reported ... Travis has been documenting his journey, posting photos and videos of his hand getting worked on in recent days. It was pretty clear he'd be out for a while.

The Weeknd's new HBO show is getting dragged after a report suggested the production is in shambles -- but sources tell TMZ things are actually quite the opposite, and Abel's actually quite pleased.

Production sources for "The Idol" -- which has been a work in progress for nearly 2 years now -- tell TMZ that the Rolling Stone story that came out Wednesday about "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson's involvement is not a fair representation of how the lead star of the series feels ... which we're told is optimistic and grateful.

Our sources tell us that nobody who talked to RS -- upwards of 13 sources, they claim -- has seen the final product ... despite reports of reshoots involving oversexualized and/or "torture porn" scenes featuring Lily-Rose Depp and Abel, among other cast members.

In other words, we're told to suggest these scenes are going to make it in the final cut is misleading.

Fact is ... we're told Levinson was brought on to replace OG director Amy Seimetz for a reason -- and that he has crafted an adult story with mature elements ... what Abel and show creators had envisioned from the beginning.

Our sources say The Weeknd and others felt the show was not in a good place before SL came aboard to "right the ship" -- which we're told a majority of the cast/crew feel he did with success, despite how edgy some of the material they may have shot has been thus far.

As RS notes in their piece, Levinson completely redid Amy's work ... bringing on new actors -- like Dan Levy, Hank Azaria and Jennie from BLACKPINK -- spliced in a new script with a new angle and employed a more robust shooting schedule too ... which our sources insist have elevated the art and which will make for a better product when it finally hits the service.

There's also a major misconception, we're told, about an alleged notion that Weeknd felt the OG version of "The Idol" was too focused on a female perspective ... which is something that was floated in Rolling Stone. We're told he doesn't feel that way at all -- if anything, the whole show is about a woman who wants to control her own narrative in showbiz.

Another thing ... our sources say the claim that the budget hit close to $80 million is "nowhere near" accurate. In other words, the reshoots weren't that expensive.

As for Lily-Rose, she says ... "Sam is, for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with. Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued. Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way - it matters to him, more than anything, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it. He hires people whose work he esteems and has always created an environment in which I felt seen, heard, and appreciated." That backs The Weeknd's view.

HBO themselves have weighed in too, confirming the original direction "The Idol" was going in wasn't up to their standards, and that they're happy with where Levinson's taken it so far.

Britney Spears' quick decision to buy, and then turn around and sell, her new home is creating a significant financial loss for the singer.

Property records indicate Brit recently found a buyer for her Calabasas mansion, which she and husband Sam Asghari bought just last year for $11.8 million. However, soon after buying it, they listed it for $12 mil ... and we've learned the final offer she accepted was around $10.1M.

The final tally is about a $1.7M loss, but it seems this is what the market was able to bring in amid soaring interest rates and dipping property values. Fact is ... the longer she would have waited to sell, the less she'd get. The new homeowner is reportedly a Texas-based personal injury lawyer.

Remember, Britney and Sam bought the place right around the time of their wedding ... the home is in the same neighborhood where her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, lives with their 2 sons.

Things haven't really worked out on that front, though -- her boys are keeping their distance lately -- and we'd heard Brit felt the Calabasas home was too exposed for her liking anyway. She moved out just as quickly as she moved in, and currently resides back at her old place in Thousand Oaks.

As for the newly-offloaded crib itself -- well, it's a beaut. The guy who snapped it up has a lot of house on his hands. It's got 7 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, and all the bells and whistles of luxury you'd expect with a Calabasas mansion. It also sits on a 1.6-acre parcel.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are pushing through any public pressure to avoid the spotlight -- they were all smiles as they went out for the first time since the release of Harry's infamous memoir.

The couple went out in L.A. Tuesday night ... as Page Six reported, hitting up celeb hot spot San Vicente Bungalows for a date night and they didn't seem bothered by the pouring rain or all the recent pushback they've gotten over his book "Spare."

BTW, the restaurant is part of a very private members-only club so perhaps the night out was an ease back into the public scene.

As you know, Harry's memoir sent shockwaves all over the world as he took direct jabs at members of the royal family.

You'll recall, he opened up about a ton of things ... at one point, he accused his brother Prince William of physically attacking him and at another point, he got candid about his frostbitten penis. Of course, the book didn't sit well with everyone -- especially folks across the pond.

Perhaps coincidentally, King Charles is reportedly booting his son and daughter-in-law from Frogmore Cottage, formerly the couple's UK home. Adding insult to Harry and Meghan's injury ... the British reports say disgraced Prince Andrew will be moving into the cottage. 😬

As we reported, there's been so much fallout Harry now will be chatting with renowned trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté this weekend and the whole thing will be live streamed.

Remember, the creators of the show "South Park"  even mocked the couple in a recent episode.

Regardless of it all, seems like Meghan and Harry aren't letting all the drama keep them down and out.

Drew Sidora's husband, Ralph Pittman, wants to end their nearly 10-year marriage ... and he's just made it official in court.

The 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star was on the receiving end of divorce docs that were just filed this past week in Gwinnett County, GA -- where Ralph laid out what he wants out of their split ... touching on how he wants to handle their 2 kids and their shared property.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Ralph -- who says he and Drew separated on Feb. 19 of this year -- makes it clear he wants joint physical and legal custody of their 7-year-old son Machai and 5-year-old daughter Aniya. Drew has another kid from a prior relationship.

While he might not be fighting her on the kid front, he is pushing back on the notion of paying spousal support -- noting Drew makes good enough money from her reality TV job. Although he says she's rolling in Bravo dough ... Ralph claims she hasn't made any financial contributions to the household throughout a majority of their partnership.

Then come the cars ... Ralph says he wants his Porsche Taycan and his 2018 Cadillac -- while calling on Drew to be responsible for her own 2021 Cadillac. No word yet on their crib.

While this is, perhaps, surprising to some ... others who've been following their relationship on the show -- since Drew officially joined in 2020 -- say there's been trouble on the horizon.

Ralph has disappeared from the household on a number of occasions -- some of which were documented on 'RHOA' -- and he and Drew have squabbled over A LOT on camera ... including suspected infidelity, over-involvement from in-laws and a plethora of other issues.

As it turns out, Ralph wasn't hamming it up for the show ... he's actually done now.

When you gotta go, ya gotta go ... and that's exactly what one adorable pooch did while performing during the halftime performance at a college basketball game!!

The whole bathroom break was caught on camera by one of the hoop fans in the stands -- showing the cute canine doing tricks with a frisbee for the Virginia Tech-Louisville game on Tuesday.

But the show eventually started to stink -- literally -- when the dog walked up to its trainer near the baseline to do another move ... when out of nowhere, it pops a squat and lets it all out!!

The trainer quickly reacted and grabbed the dog, but the doo doo still remained ... and the crowd's reaction was priceless.

To add to the crappy night, the Cardinals lost again, making it their third consecutive loss. They currently hold a 4-26 record under new head coach Kenny Payne.

FYI, this ain't the first time a dog has dropped a deuce at a sporting event ... Klay Thompson's dog did it at Dodger Stadium in 2016, and a Philadelphia Police Department K-9 handled its business right on the Flyers' center-ice logo in 2021.