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James Harden didn't exactly use at least one of his days off between NBA playoff series for relaxation ... TMZ Sports has learned the 76ers star was involved in a dispute with a man outside of a Las Vegas hotel and casino earlier this week.

According to video we obtained, Harden was at an entrance to the Flamingo on the Strip at around 1:25 AM on Monday -- just two days after Philadelphia won its opening-round playoff series over the Nets in Brooklyn -- when he got into an argument.

The footage shows the Sixers point guard yelled at the man ... before he tapped the guy's chest and smacked his face.

Our sources tell us the man in the video is a member of Harden's crew ... and after the exchange, the two went about their night as if nothing happened.

It's unclear what all kick-started the confrontation -- but witnesses told us once Harden noticed people were watching nearby ... the basketball player and the man he was quarreling with headed inside of the building together.

A Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. spokesperson tells us officers were not called to the scene ... saying on Wednesday, "We have had no incidents involving James Harden reported to the LVMPD."

Tucker Carlson is out at Fox News, and now another conservative news outlet, Newsmax, wants him to be more than just the face of the network, and it's putting on a full-court press to land him.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the news channel is doing everything it can to sweeten the deal for Tucker to come on board -- including floating the idea of letting him program the whole channel, not just his own show.

That would be a pretty enticing deal point ... in addition to having his own primetime show, Tucker would have a say over what shows lead into and out of his show, which can be key in achieving bigger TV ratings.

While our sources stress Newsmax hasn't formally offered Tucker a job -- he can't have formal discussions due to his current Fox News contract -- we're told the network execs have made it clear to people around him, they would basically give him a big say in rebranding their channel.

Newsmax has some competition for Tucker ... as we first reported, NewsNation is showing early interest as well.

Our sources acknowledge it's too early to know for sure where Tucker will pop up next, and it might not even be at a TV network ... but we're told whatever he does, it's going to be big, disruptive, and will create a seismic shift in the conservative media landscape.

Dylan Mulvaney has finally come back to social media after facing serious outrage online for her partnership with Bud Light ... saying she's still standing strong despite all the noise, adding the hatred being spewed at her is a real full-circle moment.

The transgender TikTok personality jumped back on Instagram Thursday, addressing her 1.8M followers with a "long time, no talk" convo ... first saying she took a step back once the controversy started in order to "let them tucker themselves out."

She never mentions Bud Light by name, but she's absolutely referring to the anger that was around her recent collab -- reassuring fans she's doing alright, but being called names or "too feminine" really took her back to when she was a kid.

What's different this time around is this isn't playground talk -- it's adults coming after her for being herself ... adding "Dehumanization has never fixed anything in history." Dylan says she's always trying to love everyone, including those that are against her.

She finishes by joking that something good came out of all of this, apart from the trans representation in ads -- saying the people pleaser in her has died because she's accepted the fact that she can't win them all.

As you know, Bud Light came under fire -- literally -- at the beginning of April after partnering up with Dylan ... and many people, including Kid Rock, decided to show their lack of support by destroying the beer cans they'd already purchased.

James Corden's run on the 'Late Late Show' has officially come to an end, after a week of special moments and tributes to the show's 8-year run on CBS.

An emotional Corden teared up Thursday night as he signed off for the final time from behind a piano, a fitting end as music was such an integral part of his show for so many years -- from "Carpool Karaoke" to surprise musical guests.

Speaking of surprise guests -- President Biden made an appearance on the show with a special message to the host congratulating him on an incredible run.

Will Ferrell was there too, providing some hilarious comedic relief when he took a sledgehammer to Corden's desk ... smashing it to pieces as James and Harry Styles looked on from only feet away.

Ferrell and Styles also played the show's last round of the popular segment "Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts" -- with foods like bull penis and salmon, clam juice and wasabi.

As for Styles, One Direction fans were likely glad to hear him talk a bit about his former boy band during the segment. When asked about a possible reunion, Styles told the host, "I think I would never say never to that. If there was a time when we wanted to do it, I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”

First released earlier this week, James also played his final "Carpool Karaoke" segment with Adele.

While it may be the end of an era for Corden and late-night TV, there's plenty of buzz he'll be just fine moving forward.

Imagine if jury duty always included a live performance from Ed Sheeran -- that's what jurors got during his trial for allegedly ripping off Marvin Gaye's classic, "Let's Get It On."

Ed took the stand Thursday in a Manhattan federal courtroom, and at one point had his guitar with him to show the jury exactly how he writes songs, in general, and in particular ... his 2014 smash hit, "Thinking Out Loud."

He strummed the song's chords and sang the opening line ... "When your legs don't work like they used to before," and then testified he and co-writer Amy Wadge had nothing like Marvin's sexy times tune in mind when they wrote 'Thinking Out Loud.' Instead, he said their song was about maintaining love into old age.

He also explained, "When I write vocal melodies, it’s like phonetics." For instance, he says he first sang the song's hook as, "I'm singing out now" ... before it later became, "I'm thinking out loud."

The fact Sheeran was allowed to sit on the stand and give a live, although brief, performance could go a long way in swaying the jury. They're only human, so there's always potential for a "star-struck" factor -- and, sadly, Marvin Gaye isn't alive to sing in support of the plaintiffs.

As we reported, the estate of Ed Townsend -- co-writer of "Let's Get It On" -- is suing Sheeran, claiming his song copies the melody, harmony and other elements of Marvin's 1973 #1 hit.

During his testimony, Sheeran admitted he doesn't pour a heck of a lot of time into writing any of his songs ... saying he draws inspiration from whatever's happening in his life, and rarely takes more than one day to complete a song.

Lamar Odom is reaching out his hand to Bam Margera in the midst of all his substance abuse and legal problems, saying he's more than happy to help, free of charge, if the reality star allows it.

We caught up with the former NBA star in Manhattan Beach, CA and he offered some advice for the former "Jackass" star ... hours after Bam turned himself in to PA cops for allegedly assaulting his brother.

Lamar says, his first piece of advice is for Bam to lean into religion -- if it's something in his life -- to help him during his troubles. LO also personally invited BM to one of the 3 wellness centers he co-owns and operates, called Odom Wellness Treatment Centers, to address substance and drug abuse problems ... reminding us, he's been through it too.

As we reported, Bam surrendered Thursday to face charges in Pennsylvania for allegedly attacking his brother, Jess, last weekend. Cops say he threatened to put a bullet in Jess' head before going on the run. Bam denies that's how the story unfolded.

Regardless, he's been dealing with a ton of issues lately -- most of them seemingly tied to his addiction and mental health issues.

As we reported, the 2-time NBA champ acquired 3 rehab centers in Southern California and is now on a mission to help others in need. You'll recall, LO overdosed at a Nevada brothel in 2015 and suffered kidney failure, heart attacks, and several strokes ... but he's been able to turn his life around.

Lamar says he's welcoming Bam with open arms if, and only if, he wants the help. He left off with a simple message to BM ... "I love him and just stay strong."

Katy Perry hit the stage for a surprise performance at a star-studded NYC event on Thursday night ... and she pretty much blew the roof off the place.

The singing sensation was all glammed up in a ruffled cream gown and bejeweled heels as she arrived to celebrate the reopening of the Tiffany and Co. flagship store in Manhattan.

Katy was followed inside the iconic Fifth Avenue building by a bevy of bold-faced names. Among them were Hailey Bieber, Blake Lively, Florence Pugh, Zoe Kravitz, Tiffany Haddish, Mark Wahlberg, Gayle King, Pharrell Williams, Gabrielle Union and her hubby Dwyane Wade.

Everyone was having a great time, chatting and mingling around ... but the real fun started once Katy changed into a sheer gray dress and took the stage for her unexpected show. We're told Katy played 4 songs, including "Firework," "Dark Horse" and "Teenage Dream."

Check out video, obtained by TMZ, showing Katy belting out "Dark Horse" while doing a sexy dance knee-deep in a dense fog from smoke machines. As you can hear, the crowd ate it all up, begging Katy for more.

After Katy was done dazzling on stage, she posed for some selfies with fans.

Before this cool kid rockin' a "Mork & Mindy" tee was drumming beats and touring all over the world, he was grabbing his drumsticks at just 4 years old, sticking his tongue out for the camera, and growing up in Fontana, California.

Before he joined one of the most iconic bands of all time, he was a trashman in Laguna Beach, CA. This talented musician has produced tunes for some of Hollywood's hottest stars such as Avril Lavigne and Machine Gun Kelly.

Need one more hint? He's got tats for days!

Bonnie Chapman, the biological daughter of Dog the Bounty Hunter and the late Beth Chapman, is going through another tragedy ... she just lost her home in a fire.

Bonnie tells TMZ ... she and her boyfriend Ismael were at work Tuesday when they got a call that their rental house in Fishersville, Virginia was burning down.

She says she rushed home, hoping the information was wrong ... but when she got there the house was up in flames.

Bonnie says she lost just about everything in the blaze at the home ... including 3 cats, a dog, a gecko and a pet snake. The animals died from smoke inhalation.

Some possessions were salvaged ... Bonnie says Beth's ashes survived, and that was one thing she was terrified to lose.

As for the cause of the inferno ... the fire department believes an electrical issue ignited the blaze.

Bryce Young is now officially the future in Carolina -- the Panthers just took the former Univ. of Alabama quarterback with the #1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft!!!

The 21-year-old shared a big embrace with Roger Goodell after the league's commish made the announcement ... and everyone in Carolina's war room could be seen smiling ear-to-ear on the draft's broadcast.

Of course, most expected this to happen ... Young had been the favorite to be the Panthers' selection for weeks -- but Carolina and its fans were thrilled over it all Thursday night nonetheless.

Young was certainly deserving of the pick ... in three seasons at Alabama, the signal-caller completed over 65 percent of his passes, threw 80 touchdowns to only 12 interceptions and had a 165.0 passer rating.

Young also won the 2020 CFB national championship under Coach Nick Saban ... while earning the 2021 Heisman Trophy.

Young set numerous records for the Crimson Tide too -- he threw for the most single-season passing yards (4,872) and the most single-season passing TDs (47) in Bama history.

The Panthers are now hoping Bryce can provide them some stability at the QB position ... as the team's struggled to find a consistent starter since Cam Newton initially left the team following the 2019 season.

Last year, Carolina rolled out a combination of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and P.J. Walker -- but all three QBs struggled to succeed, and the Panthers missed the playoffs.

Jonathan Majors has just been ordered to keep away from the ex-girlfriend he allegedly assaulted, TMZ has learned ... but his team still denies he attacked her.

A rep for the Manhattan D.A.'s office tells TMZ ... a judge granted a full temporary order of protection Thursday for the alleged victim, at her request. We're told Majors didn't oppose the request, and the case is scheduled to return to court in a couple of weeks.

Majors' attorney, Priya Chaudhry, tells us, "We consented because Mr. Majors wants nothing to do with the woman who assaulted him" -- adding their team provided evidence from a doctor and trauma specialist, which they insist backs up his side of the story.

Chaudhry goes on to say, "It is disturbing that even when presented with this incontrovertible evidence, the District Attorney continues this false case."

TMZ broke the story ... Majors' legal team submitted security footage which they say shows his ex went to a nightclub after the alleged attack, and didn't seem to be injured at all. As you know, she alleges Majors broke her finger and left a laceration behind her ear.

We asked the D.A. for comment regarding the surveillance video, but they have yet to respond.

The D.A.'s reportedly been in contact with other alleged victims ... though, that's yet to be confirmed, and it's unclear if it would even be admissible IF Majors' case goes to trial.

Steve Wilkos is opening up about his final time seeing Jerry Springer -- a night they both got very emotional -- but he says his dear friend never let on that he was battling cancer.

Steve, who spent 10 seasons working on "The Jerry Springer Show" from '94 to '07, joined "TMZ Live" Thursday ... after news broke his longtime boss and close pal passed away.

He says he and Jerry just hung out about a month ago, and while Jerry didn't mention his pancreatic cancer diagnosis ... Steve says he might have "been saying goodbye to me." He told us Jerry "hugged me like he never hugged me before," and they reminisced about the good old times ... something they rarely ever did.

As we reported, Jerry died at the age of 79, Thursday at his home in the Chicago area, and will forever be remembered for his bombastic talk show -- which ran for 27 years and eventually helped Steve start his very own show.

Other than his father, Steve says no one had a bigger impact on his life than Jerry. He credits JS for giving him his career ... and even his wife!

Steve was a retired cop when he was hired, in 1994, as a security guard for the 'Springer Show.' His immense popularity there led to him launching "The Steve Wilkos Show" in 2007, and is now in its 16th season.

Through all the ups and downs, Steve says Jerry was always in his corner, and even at their last get together last month ...he believed his good friend would outlive him.

Jerry Springer, one of the most influential and controversial figures in TV history, has died ... TMZ has confirmed.

Jerry hosted the smash hit syndicated talk show "The Jerry Springer Show" for 27 years ... and it was never a boring moment on the raucous and wild show -- which was known for its outrageous guests who usually got into crazy fights as the audience cheered, "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!"

A family spokesperson says Jerry was battling a "brief illness." Our sources tell us it was pancreatic cancer that was diagnosed a few months ago, and this week he took a turn for the worse.

The spokesperson says he died Thursday morning, peacefully at his home in the Chicago area.

Before TV, he was a politician who ran a failed campaign for U.S. Congress in 1970, got elected to Cincinnati's City Council in 1971 ... and became the city's mayor in 1977. He served one term.

But, Springer became a worldwide sensation with his show ... which debuted in 1991. Most people won't remember this, but when he started Jerry's show focused on political issues. Of course, it eventually became the exact opposite ... and a ratings smash.

Jerry's show was so popular in the late '90s, it even topped Oprah Winfrey's in several cities. 'Springer' finally went off the air in 2018.

He made one more run in TV, with his courtroom show, "Judge Jerry," which ran for 3 seasons.

Jerry's last TV appearance came last season on "The Masked Singer" ... where he performed as "The Beetle," singing a Frank Sinatra classic.

We're told his cancer battle got much worse about a month ago, and he finally had to stop working. He had been hosting a folk music show on a local radio station in Cincinnati.

He's survived by his daughter Katie Springer and his older sister Evelyn.

Jerry was 79. RIP

Jerry Springer's death is sending shockwaves through the daytime TV industry ... with tributes pouring in from other talk show hosts who knew Jerry well.

Maury Povich tells TMZ ... "I am shocked and saddened by Jerry's passing. He was a friend and colleague. He was in his own way a unique showman. I will miss him."

Ricki Lake tells us she loved Jerry and was sad to hear he died, and she's remembering him as "a mensch and a friend."

Ricki adds, "I always loved his final thought at the end of his crazy show. My favorite memory of him was when he and I battled it out on Rap Battle. He was hilarious and he beat my a**. Jerry Springer will be missed."

Sally Jessy tells TMZ ... "I'm extremely sad at the news of Jerry Springer's passing. He was a bright, funny man whom I considered to be a friend. He will be missed."

Even Jerry's former industry "rivals" are giving it up ... with Geraldo Rivera telling us they actually had a friendship off camera despite competing for ratings on daytime TV back in the day.

Geraldo says Oprah was the catalyst who brought him and Jerry together ... though it had been a few years since he last spoke to Jerry and didn't know he was battling cancer.

Despite their competing shows, Geraldo says he and Jerry were "in it together" and always supported one another no matter what ... and he tells us why "The Jerry Springer Show" is still culturally significant.

The "f***ing c***" barb that ex-ESPN reporter Marly Rivera hurled at a female journalist earlier this month was captured on video ... and in the footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, you can see it all went down right in front of Aaron Judge.

The incident -- which resulted in ESPN firing Rivera from her role as a national baseball reporter earlier this week -- happened on April 18 at Yankee Stadium ... just before New York took on the Los Angeles Angels in the Bronx.

According to the New York Post, Rivera had set up an interview with Judge ... but grew frustrated when freelance reporter Ivón Gaete showed up at the same time looking to speak with the Yankees superstar as well.

The video shows Rivera got so livid with Gaete -- who the Post reported had been at the stadium to cover Angels star Shohei Ohtani for Tokyo Broadcasting -- she began to raise her voice at the woman in Spanish ... as Judge signed autographs and posed for pics with fans just feet away.

At one point, Rivera rolled her eyes and called Gaete a "f***ing c***."

Gaete was clearly taken aback by the remark -- and asked a nearby camera person if they had caught it on video.

The two reporters then lingered around Judge for several moments. When he finally left the area, it seemed Rivera wanted to apologize ... but it didn't appear Gaete was willing to accept it.

ESPN said on Wednesday it had parted ways with Rivera following the encounter. Rivera, meanwhile, told the Post she fully accepted responsibility for her actions.

"There were extenuating circumstances but that in no way is an excuse for my actions," Rivera said. "I am a professional with a sterling reputation across baseball and I do believe that I am being singled out by a group of individuals with whom I have a long history of professional disagreements."

Rivera has since deleted her social media pages.

Paris Hilton is checking a HUGE honor off her bucket list, she'll be attending the Met Gala for the first time in her life ... TMZ has learned.

Here's the deal, sources connected tell TMZ ... Paris got the invite from Vogue and the designer of her upcoming look and luckily, she was available to go. Unclear who she'll be working with for the outfit, but a big accomplishment like this must warrant a big designer.

We're told this year's theme is in honor of her late friend and iconic designer, called "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." You'll recall, the 2 had a great relationship together -- some might even remember she went with Kim Kardashian to a collab he did with Dom Perignon back in 2006.

Paris will be flying to the Gala -- which goes down on May 1 -- from Washington, D.C. ... where she'll be holding a conference about the new Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act prior to the fashion event.