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Sammi 'Sweetheart' Giancola is coming back to "Jersey Shore" -- a plot twist which didn't just come as a shock to the fanbase, but to the cast itself too ... TMZ has learned.

Sources connected to the show tell us Pauly D, JWoww, Snooki, The Situation, Vinny and all the rest of the stars on 'Family Vacation' had no idea Sammi would be showing up to set this past week ... and that they were just as surprised as the rest of the world.

Of course ... the reactions were wild, or so say our sources. We're told it was truly a shocker for everyone involved -- and the raw, jubilant responses it evoked from people were wild ... laughs, tears and everything in between.

All that stuff was captured on camera, and we're told it will all play out on the second half of this season (the 6th, BTW), which is currently filming. No word on an air date.

Sammi's return is a HUGE deal ... seeing how it's been over a decade since she's been on anything "Jersey Shore"-related, and was the only OG cast member not to come back for 'Family Vacation.' The timing of her presence now, though, might make perfect sense.

Fact is, she's got a very rocky history with Ronnie Ortiz-Magro ... whom she dated on and off throughout the original run. Ronnie has since moved on, but the ups and downs of his life continue -- and he stepped away from 'JS' indefinitely 2 years ago.

The dude made a guest appearance last season, but he's not a regular cast member anymore -- and that could be why Sammi agreed to sign on and return.

Now that the whole gang is back together (sans Ronnie), we'll see what sorta shenanigans they get into. Sammi's always been a big personality and is not one to put up with s***.

Harvey Carignan, a mass murderer nicknamed "The Want-Ad Killer," is dead ... TMZ has learned.

Carignan, who used wanted ads to lure unsuspecting women so he could rape and murder them with a hammer, died earlier this month in a Minnesota prison ... with officials at MCF-Oak Park Heights telling us his death was from natural causes.

HC was serving a life sentence after being convicted in 1975 of murdering two women, Eileen Hunley and Katherine Schultz. During the trial, Carignan claimed God had ordered him "to kill whores and harlots" and pled insanity, but he was ultimately found guilty.

In the Hunley murder, she disappeared in Minnesota way back in August 1974 and her body was found 5 weeks later ... her skull imploded by repeated blows to the head. She had also been raped with a tree branch.

Carignan admitted to the Schultz murder, killing her after picking her up in south Minneapolis in Sept. 1974 and driving her to a rural area. Her badly beaten body was found in a cornfield. Like Hunley, her skull was also imploded with a hammer and why he was given the nickname "Harvey the Hammer."

Carignan committed his first murder in 1949, when he was in the Army and stationed in Anchorage, AK. He was convicted of killing 58-year-old Laura Showalter during an attempted rape, and even served part of his sentence at Alcatraz before being released.

While convicted of only 3 murders, Carignan allegedly killed at least 5 women.

"The Last of Us" fans are talking about a new stand-out actor in the season finale -- a giraffe from the Calgary Zoo might be shopping for an agent after making its acting debut!

TMZ has learned the giraffe used in the episode is a 13-year-old bull Masai giraffe who normally resides in the Canadian zoo, where goes by "Nabo" ... and his big moment on camera came in a pivotal scene.

Diehard fans of the post-apocalyptic series will recognize the scene as a recreation from the original video game -- Joel played, by Pedro Pascal, and Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, stumble upon the beautiful creature, and it becomes a moment of pure bliss.

We're told Nabo is one of many giraffes at the Calgary Zoo, but he is the tallest resident to roam the establishment ... so, maybe that's why he got the nod.

He seemed to be a star in the making because his birth was well-documented and celebrated back in 2015 at the zoo.

Our sources say the scene was actually filmed at the zoo, which makes sense, considering the show is mainly filmed in Alberta, Canada.

We can assume their new costar made it a breeze for Pedro and Bella to get into character for the scene.

Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones ain't happening (at least no time soon), but there's another megafight seemingly on the horizon ... The Predator tells us he's currently discussing a two-fight deal with former heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder!

TMZ Sports talked to 36-year-old Ngannou -- a combat sports free agent after parting ways with the UFC in January -- and now the question is who does Francis fight, in what discipline, and where does it go down.

It's looking more and more like the answer to those questions are 37-year-old Wilder, boxing, and in Africa.

"We are looking into [Deontay Wilder] because he's available. He's ready for that. He's very excited about [a fight with me]. He wants it. So, we are looking into that. That's something I'm very excited about. We even discussed a potential one fight in Africa and one fight somewhere else. Why not even the two fights in Africa?", Francis told us.

Of course, Ngannou and Wilder are arguably the hardest/biggest punchers in all of combat sports.

12 of Francis' 17 wins came by knockout ... and his KO of Alistair Overeem may be the most brutal punch in recent UFC memory.

As for the Bronze Bomber, all but one of his 43 victories came by knockout.

Both guys clearly have the power to end the fight with a single shot ... but Francis tells us it's about more than simply throwing big power punches, and hoping one connects.

"I can knock everybody out. I have to be clear about something. To hit that person you have to get a clear shot which is more about technique and experience I don't have. So, I'm very aware of that aspect," Ngannou says.

"It's not like 'hit me, I hit you, and then we see who goes down.' It's a combat sport. Everybody trying not to get hit. I'm thinking more about the technique or the boxing side of it. The beauty of it. Then at the end, if you get an opportunity to connect then good. If not, I'm still expecting to win that fight in the decision so that's how I'm preparing myself."

There's much more ... we also talked to Francis about Jon Jones calling him a "big ole p***y," the possibility of signing to Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions, and Dana White telling us he believes Ngannou would've been easily handled just like Ciryl Gane was at UFC 285.

Australian–American actor Keir O'Donnell was 26 years old when he was cast as the hilarious Todd Cleary -- the black sheep of the family who enjoys painting semi-nude portraits -- in the classic comedy movie "Wedding Crashers" back in 2005.

Joining Keir in the classic movie was Vince Vaughn as the wise wedding crasher and smooth talker, Jeremy Grey. Owen Wilson as the life of the party and wedding crasher, John Beckwith ... and Rachel McAdams who is a bit lost in life and interested in John, Claire Cleary.

Other big names who starred in the film include Bradley Cooper, Christopher Walken and Isla Fisher.

Ja Morant won't be back on the court anytime soon -- the Memphis Grizzlies superstar just entered a counseling program and won't rejoin the team until further notice.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon reported the news on Monday ... saying Morant is seeking help in Florida and there's no set date for his return to the Grizzlies.

You'll recall ... Morant was suspended after he brandished a gun during his Instagram Live video while at a strip club in Colorado last weekend.

Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins was asked Monday if Morant would be eligible to return for Friday's game against the Spurs ... and he said there are things that have to happen before Morant suits up for the Grizzlies again.

"There are a lot of internal dialogues going on and obviously there’s still things going on at the league level that we’re in communication with," Jenkins said. "Ja’s fully engaged in this process and ready for whatever comes next after these 2 games."

As Morant continues to work his way back, the 23-year-old did get some good news last week ... when the Glendale Police Department in Colorado announced that he won't face any charges over the gun incident.

The famed Tom Brady-autographed U.S. flag at the center of a lawsuit with the Patriots Hall of Fame last year can now be all yours -- if you've got some DEEP pockets.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the stars and stripes that Brady signed and then re-signed following a man's dispute with New England's HOF in 2021 is going up for sale on eBay later this month -- and its starting price tag is $299,999.

Unclear what it's ultimately expected to sell for ... but we're told the profits will go to a good cause nonetheless.

Dan Vitale -- the owner of the flag who feuded with Patriots officials after he alleged they ruined the item after putting it on display at the team's HOF -- is donating a portion of the proceeds to the Behavioral Health and Developmental Services of Strafford County, Inc. -- a non-profit whose goal is to help those with autism. Vitale says the rest of the funds will go into a trust for his daughter, who has autism.

When it eventually sells, the new owner of the flag will be getting a sweet piece of Brady memorabilia -- one that has quite the story attached to it too.

As we reported, it initially flew over Foxboro Stadium during a New England vs Miami game in '01 -- the same year Brady first took over as Patriots starter. Brady then signed it years later.

Vitale ultimately bought it and handed it off to the Pats Hall of Fame to display it -- but he claims officials there caused the signature to fade when they improperly took care of it. He sued in 2022, alleging their mistakes decreased the value of the piece by $1 million.

Brady, though, came to the rescue ... re-signing it in big, black ink following the Buccaneers vs. Seahawks game last year. Vitale said he was stoked with the new signature -- and believed it was worth over $1 mil again.

“While the flag holds a lot of value to me personally," Vitale said, "I could not be more thrilled to auction it on eBay so another collector can own this rare piece of sports history and in the process, support those with autism -- including my youngest daughter.”

Bidding on the item begins on March 23 ... and will end on April 1.

Good luck!!!

Chadwick Boseman got a lot of love at the Oscars ... something his family was well aware of and super appreciative to hear during the big night.

Allen Boseman, Chadwick's cousin and the attorney for the Boseman family tells TMZ ... "It's been incredible how Chadwick has been received by the entire Hollywood family and how his legacy continues to live on."

He goes on to say ... "Even though he's physically gone his spirit remains in the hearts and minds of his peers and fellow actors and actresses on Hollywood's biggest stage. While he was a figurative king in the movie, he appears to be a real king to many others, including those in our family."

ICYMI, Danai Gurira, who starred alongside CB in "Black Panther", paid homage to Chadwick before Rihanna performed "Lift Me Up".

Ruth E Carter, who took home Best Costume Design for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" also made a moving tribute to Chadwick and her late mother during her acceptance speech ... saying "Chadwick, please take care of mom."

You'll recall Chadwick played King T'Challa in "Black Panther". He died in 2020 after a 4-year battle with colon cancer.

It's Tristan Thompson's birthday, and he's getting some major love from Khloe Kardashian -- who's got tons of praise and compliments for the guy -- while also showing off their baby boy.

KK threw up an IG in Tristan's honor, wishing him well as hits the big 3-2 ... and showering him with sweet words that certainly paint him as a great dad and family man. She writes, "Happy birthday @realtristan13. You are truly the best father, brother & uncle."

She continues ... "Your love, attention, silly dances, hugs, carpool rides, bed time rituals, the way u show up for them. All of the above means more than you’ll ever know to your family of littles."

And finally, Khloe has a bit of a message for Tristan ... which seems to touch on his repeated cheating fails over the years. She writes, in earnest, "My birthday wish for u is that u continue to crave change, healing, and transformation. Be strong, be kind, be patient, be free. Continue to Make your soul and your mommy proud. Happy birthday baby daddy."

By the sounds of it ... Khloe seems convinced that Tristan is on a good path, and that he's dedicated to doing better. What that means for them romantically, well, hard to tell.

We know Khloe and Tristan hang out a lot because of their 2 kids -- but she also appears to be at his side for unrelated reasons too ... including the death of his mother, for which she flew out and attended the funeral. Of course, they were out this weekend too.

Remember, Tristan tagged along for the Haqq sisters' birthday bash, Khloe's BFFs ... so maybe they're working toward a reconciliation after all. In any case, Khloe's still got warm feelings for TT.

Ashley Graham rolled with the punches during her awkward Oscars exchange with Hugh Grant, and she's carrying on with just as much grace afterward ... take a look for yourself.

We got the model-turned-interviewer at LAX Monday morning, a day after her cringeworthy moment with the famed British actor ... who did not provide any easy answers on the red carpet for the relatively standard softball questions AG was lobbing his way.

Upon reflection, Ashley doesn't seem too bent out of shape ... telling our photog she simply followed some advice that had been passed down to her -- namely, kindness always wins.

In other words, she took the high road ... and you could argue Hugh didn't. Either way, Ashley's fine with how things played out -- she made her decisions, and he made his.

As our cameraman pointed out -- and Ashley agreed -- you can't control how someone else is going to react. All you can do is your job and try to get some engagement -- and she certainly attempted ... on that, everyone seems to agree.

Like we said ... Ashley isn't really trippin' about Hugh stonewalling her, but she is still hurting from something else Oscar-related. As she's learning, these gigs require a lot of standing.

Blueface is coming to the realization he might be expecting a kid with his on-and-off again girlfriend Chrisean Rock ... and the thought of new fatherhood is keeping him up way past bedtime!!!

The "Thotiana" rapper dropped off what he framed as a PSA after a night of performing and partying in Dubai. He focused on the never-ending debate around double standards between men and women, but he was clearly just wringing his hands over Chrisean's pregnancy.

Seems his rant was prompted by Chrisean posting a shot of her growing baby bump ... something he's definitely not celebrating. Instead, BF went on about women benefitting more than men from double standards ... claiming the power of their 'P' goes much further than men's.

What's not debatable is that Blue and Chrisean's relationship is as rocky as ever -- they exchanged disses on Twitter, but he remained firm in doubting he's the father of her child.

Blueface also praised Jaidyn Alexis, the mother of his 2 children, for the classy way she presented her last pregnancy, and for not having weird men around his kids.

On the other hand, he's labeling Chrisean a "MeToo Bitch" who runs the streets.

He eventually signed off and decided to live his best life this morning on a yacht, surrounded by a new crop of women to tickle his fancies.

Tiger Woods claims Erica Herman is no victim of sexual abuse ... saying in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, she's simply "a jilted ex-girlfriend."

Woods filed the docs on Monday morning ... in response to Herman saying a non-disclosure agreement she had with the golfing legend should be declared unenforceable under the federal Speak Out Act, which allows someone to get around an NDA if a dispute involving sexual assault or sexual harassment arises following the initial agreement.

Woods says in the docs Herman has no right to invoke the federal statute ... because she's never alleged in her filings Woods committed any sexual wrongdoing.

In fact, Woods says in the $30 million lawsuit she filed -- the one where she alleged Woods booted her from their home and broke an "oral tenancy agreement" they had -- she checked the box for "NO" when asked "does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse."

Woods claims Herman is just using the law as a way to litigate her claims publicly in court -- and get around the NDA that was supposed to force her disputes to be heard in a private arbitration hearing.

"Ms. Herman's position is utterly meritless," Woods says in the docs ... before adding, "It is a transparent abuse of the judicial process that undermines the purpose of the federal statute and those whom the statute seeks to protect."

Woods is now asking a Florida court to force her to abide by the NDA's arbitration provisions.

As we reported, Woods split with Herman in October after around six years of dating. He claims he told her he was ending things with her, and that she was "no longer welcome" in his home. He said he did provide her with temporary housing and financial support following the breakup.

Herman, meanwhile, alleges Woods concocted a scheme to get her out of the house by promising her a "short vacation." When she got to the airport for the trip, she says Tiger's team told her she'd been "locked out" of the house and could not go back. She said it all violated an agreement they had, which was supposed to last five more years.

Diana Ross pulled out all the stops in the name of Oscar Sunday ... giving people in attendance at Byron Allen's annual gala a night of endless love.

The former Supremes singer was havin' a blast headlining Byron's shindig at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, busting out some of her classics from the past 6 decades.

The 78-year-old icon performed for about an hour and had 3 costume changes over that period. Yes, Miss Ross still knows how to put on a show!

Believe it or not, Diana wasn't the only big event at this shindig -- attendees could also pay money, which went to Children's Hospital L.A., to get roasted by the famed roastmaster Jeff Ross -- and Chrissy Teigen's mom Vilailuck was one of the lucky donors.

Take a look, Jeff doesn't go easy on her, but we guess that's the best bang for your buck -- no pun intended. Howie Mandel MC'd the roast and threw in his 2 cents too.

Despite Jeff's harsh roasting of several folks who donated to the cause, not a single comedian was slapped!!!

South African rapper Costa Titch is dead after collapsing twice onstage, in quick succession, during a weekend performance.

Check out this footage showing Costa, in a white shirt, running on the stage Saturday night with mic in hand at the Ultra South Africa concert near Johannesburg -- he went right into one of his songs and seemed totally fine.

Then the video cuts to Costa belting out another tune later in the concert -- he seems to reach for one of his backup singers before tumbling to the ground. He got back up and finished the song, but soon fell down again.

His team and emergency responders attempted to resuscitate him, but they were unable to save him. His cause of death was not disclosed.

Costa's family released a statement thanking first responders ... while a rep for the Ultra South Africa venue says they're “devastated” by Costa's death and will remember him as a "talented rapper, dancer, singer, songwriter, collaborator and friend to the festival."

Costa was best known for his hit "Big Flexa," which has 45 million views on YouTube and featured Akon on the remix.

Akon, who signed Costa to his Konvict Muzik imprint, paid an emotional to his artist on IG ... praising him for being "hardworking" and noting he died doing what he loved the most.

"Costa Titch had a vision that I knew for sure would take over the music industry globally and was on his way to doing just that when god’s plan intervened, Akon wrote. "It’s been a sad day but what makes me feel better is that I know he died doing what he loved doing the most in this world. God bless you COSTA!!!!!"

Costa was 28.

Tems stood out at the Oscars, blocking the view of people sitting behind her ... and while the folks there were polite, Twitter gave her an earful.

The Nigerian singer -- who was on hand Sunday for her musical work on 'Wakanda Forever' -- had one of the more noticeable getups at the award show ... a massive white dress that was jutting out and upward at her shoulders, which made her look like a human flower.

The problem ... when she sat down, her 'fit sorta caused a big distraction -- both onscreen for viewers, and certainly for everyone else sitting in the rows behind her.

During the broadcast, there were several moments where you could see the people right behind Tems peering over her shoulder to get a glimpse of the stage or of Kimmel. It was pretty funny ... they were obviously challenged by her dress and had to do peek-arounds to see the action. It doesn't appear anyone said anything to her.

The same can't be said for the bird app ... 'cause a lot of users there were pretty angry at the fact that she wore something so big, and which would presumably cause some blind spots in the theater. A bunch called it "rude" ... others found it hilarious. Mixed bag.

Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny are still going strong ... rolling their now-confirmed romance into one of the biggest nights in Hollywood, and once again telegraphing they're a legit couple.

The supermodel and Latin pop star were on the list for Jay-Z and Beyonce's Oscars after-party Sunday in L.A., and while it's unclear if they showed up as a unit ... they certainly left as one, getting into the same car at the end of the night.

Check it out for yourself ... the new couple slipped into the same waiting town car. They still managed to dodge photogs trying to get them in the same frame. Clearly, they're still trying to keep it on the DL, but failing more with each date night.

Kendall was covering her face as they drove off ... BB seemed a little more casual about it all. Fact is, we've seen them together already, and everyone knows what's going on.

Remember, we just saw Kendall and Bunny on a group date last week ... where they hit up a celeb hot spot in West Hollywood. They were caught on camera embracing each other as everyone parted ways.

Anyway, just further proof these 2 are the real deal and currently seeing each other ... on a somewhat serious level, at the very least.

Oh, and take a gander at all the other celebs who were at Bey and Jay's blowout. We'd say it's a who's-who -- but, frankly, the pie was split pretty evenly throughout the weekend. With that said, there was some talent on hand ... Bieber, RiRi, Tyler, just to name a few.