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Denise Richards' estranged husband Aaron Phypers appeared in court Friday to face charges of allegedly injuring Denise ... and he made an eyebrow-raising comparison between his situation and recent tragic events.

We got the 53-year-old actor as he exited L.A.'s Van Nuys courthouse for the first time since being arrested ... and he compared Denise to suspected murderer Nick Reiner.

Watch the video ... he tells us, "I never assaulted her ... this is all show ... she's just playing this as a game. It's like the Me Too movement."

Then, when asked what he thinks her motives are, Aaron answered, "What happened to Rob Reiner recently? There's a lot of influence there, guys. And I'm not calling stuff out, but do a drug test."

James Van Der Beek is staying positive while talking about his stage 3 colon cancer ... saying when he first got the diagnosis, he honestly thought it might be the best thing that ever happened to him.

It’s a surprising take, for sure ... but the "Dawson’s Creek" alum explained it all on "Today" Friday, saying the diagnosis forced him to make lifestyle changes he likely wouldn’t have made otherwise.

James says those changes are already setting him up for happier, healthier years ahead ... and the diagnosis was the wake-up call he needed to slow down and pay closer attention to what he’s putting in his body.

Nick Reiner was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and in the weeks leading up to the murder of his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, the meds he was taking made him "erratic and dangerous" ... TMZ has learned.

Two sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Nick was under the care of a psychiatrist for mental illness. We're told in the month before the murders, Nick's behavior had gotten "alarming."

He had recently received care at a Los Angeles-based rehab facility that specializes in mental illness and substance abuse. We're told the facility charges $70,000 a month ... and lots of rich, powerful parents send their troubled kids there.

Our sources say 3 to 4 weeks before the murders, doctors changed his meds and he became even more erratic. Our sources say doctors were trying to adjust the medications so Nick stabilized, but it wasn't working.

It's Friday ... y'all feelin' tapped out?! Tap-In to this week's hottest stories Gen-Z couldn't live without!

Lucy Hale and Ian Harding teased a video on socials, "Good To Be Back ...", while sippin' on some to-go coffee ... the setting in which they snapped the moment could definitely pass as a production office somewhere, just sayin'!

Lucy later confirmed on her page, she and Harding are set to star in a holiday rom-com next year!

Our jaws hit the floor when we stumbled upon this dynamic duo -- SZA and Selena Gomez! The two icons cozied up for a photo -- which was shared on SZA's social media, but do we think there's a music collab on the way?!

We want you to be a part of TMZ, so every weekday, between 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM PT, we take you inside our newsroom via live stream.

You never know what you're gonna get ... a big story that breaks, an argument erupts in the room, or someone's just joking around.

Your comments are a big part of the stream, and the staff spends a lot of time speaking directly to you. Every day is different!

Elsie Hewitt had a baby and lost a tooth in a whirlwind 48-hour timespan ... according to her Instagram stories shared Thursday.

The 29-year-old model posted a picture of her bandaged and swollen face along with the text, "Who else had to get a wisdom tooth removed directly from hospital the day after they gave birth?"

As you know, she and boyfriend Pete Davidson welcomed their daughter, Scottie Rose Hewitt Davidson, on December 12.

Cupid has a new name ... and it's Andrea Swift! Taylor Swift's mom revealed she's the one who set her famous daughter up with her NFL star fiancé Travis Kelce in a scene from the 'End of an Era' docuseries.

In the video, Andrea recalled watching a viral clip from Travis' "New Heights" podcast in which he talks about going to one of Taylor's concerts and being disappointed that he didn't get to give Taylor his phone number.

Loving his earnest gesture -- and handsome face -- Andrea immediately called up the biggest Kansas City Chiefs fan she knew to give her the deets on the team's future hall of famer.

A crazed man went on a public rampage in Taipei, Taiwan Friday, leaving at least 3 people dead and multiple people injured Friday ... and video shows the terrifying street scene.

Watch the video ... an unidentified man wearing black clothing crouched down in a Taipei intersection, opens a backpack and started tossing smoke grenades, causing confusion near a train station. Then he pulls out a long knife and trots over to a sidewalk, where he begins stabbing and swinging at pedestrians … then makes his way into the front entrance of a building.

The panicked crowd on the sidewalk scatters, and people inside the building begin streaming out the doors moments after the attacker runs inside.

James Franco made a rare public appearance, popping up in Hollywood for his new play -- "Desert Films" -- and his fans hardly knew what to do!

The experimental stage project explores the idea of fame by blending true crime, noir, film, and live performance. Sounds pretty ambitious, but it looks like it was worth the effort.

In an Instagram post, one theatergoer called the production "brilliant," writing ... "Major props to James Franco for pulling back the curtain on Hollywood and Film & TV with honesty and edge through LIVE theatre. Here’s hoping 'Desert Films' has many more runs ahead."

Top Dawg Entertainment's annual Christmas Concert was once again the talk of the city of Watts with plenty of gifts and cheers being distributed ... and performances from several of the biggest artists, EVER!!!

TMZ Hip Hop was live and direct inside the renowned Nickerson Gardens housing projects once again to take in the festivities, which included blockbuster performances.

Kendrick Lamar and SZA shut down the evening, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg spread "California Love," and R&B sensation Mario performed "Let Me Love You."

JB Smoove is reflecting on Rob Reiner's life and work ... saying they’d been planning to link up for a while, but now JB's left with a meetup that never happened, and a moment he’ll always regret.

TMZ caught up with JB at LAX Thursday, and he tells us Rob had veganism on the brain and was planning to hit him up for advice ... but sadly, that conversation never got the chance to happen in person.

You gotta catch the clip -- JB also reflects on how Rob basically saved "Seinfeld," which of course led to the later success of "Curb Your Enthusiasm." And JB reminds us about those rare moments we miss when we let our day-to-day busy lives get in the way of deeper connections.

William Rush, a British actor best known for the popular UK-based series "Waterloo Road," has died.

The tragic news was confirmed by William's mom, Debbie Rush, on IG Wednesday ... writing, "As a family, our hearts are completely broken, and there are no words that can truly capture the depth of our loss."

Debbie, who starred in the popular British soap "Coronation Street," also added that up until the very end, he was thinking about others as an organ donor.

Claudio Manuel Neves Valente -- the man accused of shooting up Brown University Saturday and then gunning down MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at his home Monday --used "sophisticated" tactics to hide his tracks as he attempted to conceal his horrifying actions.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Leah Foley laid it all out in a press conference Thursday night, revealing Neves Valente likely used an untraceable phone and avoided using credit cards tied to his name. He is also said to have switched the Florida license plates of his rental Nissan to unregistered license plates from Maine within 24 hours of the Brown shooting, and before he killed Loureiro.

As for his connection to the MIT nuclear physicist, prosecutors say the pair attended the same academic program in Portugal between 1995 and 2000. Loureiro was found shot at his Brookline, Massachusetts home Monday and died Tuesday. The specific motive for murdering Loureiro remains unclear.

Jelly Roll’s slate is officially clean ... Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee granted the country star a full pardon Thursday, scrubbing the country star's felon past!

The "Need a Favor" hitmaker has never tried to hide his troubled history ... he was in and out of jail for about a decade beginning at the age of 14 for convictions including aggravated robbery, drug possession, drug dealing and shoplifting. His felony convictions include a robbery when he was a teen -- for which he was tried as an adult -- and drug charges at 23.

Now, those felonies are removed from his record and he will have an easier time booking international tour dates, and carrying out Christian ministry-adjacent work without having to go through extra red tape.

Russell Brand is no fan of his ex-wife Katy Perry's budding relationship with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ... and mainly Justin himself, calling him a "globalist stooge."

The British actor-comedian hit the stage at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Arizona Thursday night and at one point, Russell offered his 2 cents about Katy and Justin's new romance.

He told the packed crowd ... “Look, Katy Perry, I was married to her. I love her still, and I’m glad that her mom’s in the room to hear me say this, but look. I was okay with Orlando Bloom, but Justin Trudeau? Come on, man! Don’t put me in a category with that guy! That globalist stooge."

It's unclear if Katy's mom was at the TPUSA event, BTW.

The "Ghost Adventures" episode featuring Weezer bassist Scott Shriner’s ex-wife, Jillian, is about to air ... and TMZ’s got the chilling first look, giving a pretty unsettling peek into her headspace before that wild run-in with cops earlier this year.

Have a look -- Zak Bagans says things took a seriously dark turn after Jillian gifted him serial killer Samuel Little's ashes, along with hand-drawn portraits of his victims that he’d left her in his will after she once wrote a book about him.