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Christa Pike's attorneys are calling on Tennessee to commute her death sentence after her failed execution ... saying Pike was actually helping the execution team try to place her IV lines.

Randy Spivey and Stephen Ferrell both urged the state to take another execution attempt off the table Thursday ... arguing Pike had already endured a cruel and traumatic ordeal.

Spivey said Pike remained "kind, cooperative and at peace" as workers struggled to establish access ... even telling them to try higher up toward her shoulder and thanking them when they thought they'd gotten a line.

Christa Pike's ex-boyfriend -- who helped her torture and kill a 19-year-old woman -- is still locked up ... but he's taking steps to change his scenery.

Tadaryl Shipp is currently housed in Tennessee's Northwest Correctional Complex ... according to Department of Corrections records obtained by TMZ.

Shipp -- who had been sentenced to life -- was previously denied parole in Oct. 2025.

However ... Department of Corrections records show that his case will be reviewed again in Oct. 2031.

Ex-Dallas cop Amber Guyger will be leaving lockup after serving only part of her murder sentence ... because she's been granted parole.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles confirmed she'll be released after serving only 7 years of her 10-year sentence for killing Botham Jean.

Back in 2018, Guyger mistakenly entered Jean's apartment thinking it was hers and -- believing he was a burglar -- fatally shot Jean inside his own home.

Sam Logan is being sued by a private chef for allegedly stiffing him after he prepared a bunch of meals ... but sources close to the "Siesta Key" alum tell TMZ the chef was never Sam's employee and was actually a friend Sam helped by letting him use his kitchen to cook for other clients.

We're told James Chang initially cooked two meals for Sam in early 2023 and was paid approximately $6K. Our sources say Chang later approached Sam because he needed a place to cook for his own clients and was struggling financially.

Our sources say Sam agreed to let Chang use his kitchen even when Sam wasn't home, and the arrangement continued for roughly eight months. We're told Chang occasionally offered to cook for Sam and his roommates in exchange for using the space.

WWE NXT star Arianna Grace is seeking a restraining order against fellow wrestler Keanu Carver after claiming she repeatedly told him to leave her alone and "go the f*** away" in text messages ... TMZ has learned.

Grace -- real name Bianca Carelli -- filed for protection in Florida last month against Carver, whose real name is Kevin Robertson, and text messages attached to her filing, obtained by TMZ, appear to show her repeatedly trying to shut down contact.

In one alleged exchange, Keanu tells Arianna he "came back" after she told him to leave ... prompting her to respond, "Leave me alone" before warning, "If u come back here im texting Andrea" and saying "Go the f*** away."

Kai Cenat's ripping into a former colleague who made unsubstantiated claims that Kai groomed a 17-year-old streamer ... blowing up at him in a profanity-laced tirade.

The streamer hopped online Wednesday and addressed accusations from his ex-pal Reggie, also known as Lil Rodney Son, that he groomed another member of the Clover Boyz, Rakai. Rakai denied the allegations against Kai as well.

Check out the clip ... Kai says he was going to handle all this drama offline -- and even planned on contacting authorities and his lawyers -- but he couldn't let Reggie continue to spread what Kai says are false allegations.

Bobby Ross Avila says Chris Brown and Usher had no issues bringing Kanye West onstage as a special guest amid the rapper's history of antisemitic remarks.

Bobby joined the "TMZ Podcast" with Towanda and explained why Chris and Usher didn't hesitate to include Kanye during their tour, despite the current climate surrounding antisemitism in the music industry.

He says the decision was about Kanye’s artistry ... not the controversy surrounding him.

Christa Pike's botched execution was a total disaster ... according to the mother of the girl Christa murdered in 1995.

May Martinez -- Colleen Slemmer's mom -- told NBC News in a phone interview Thursday ... "It was a mess."

As you know, Christa survived 2 lethal injections Wednesday night in Tennessee during her attempted execution for Colleen's murder.

Nashville reporter Tori Gessner described the execution during a news conference, saying she could hear Pike say ... "My arm feels like it's about to burst open."

Fitness model Jen Selter's recent Instagram post takes the cake, earning her this week's crown as Cheek of the Week!

If you aren't familiar, Jen rose to fame by helping popularize the term "belfie" AKA a butt selfie, and clearly she's mastered the craft. 😜

Cornell University routinely ignored punishment guidelines for fraternities over a period of years, and it became so frustrating for the Cornell University Police Dept. (CUPD), members sounded the alarm to University officials.

Sources connected to the Cornell administration have given TMZ an email sent by one of the CUPD officers, outlining frustration over the University ignoring its own guidelines for fraternities and their members, especially when it came to underage drinking.

The email, written November 9, 2022, reads in part, "According to policy and as directed by [then] University President [Martha] Pollack, referrals alleging violations of underage consumption of alcohol and unregistered events among others will result in immediate placement on interim suspension. If the organization is found responsible, the final sanction according to policy is a three year suspension at minimum."

The doctor who oversaw Christa Pike's failed execution in Tennessee also presided over another botched attempt back in May ... making him 0-for-2.

Dr. Mark Fowler -- who oversaw the administration of 2 lethal injections to Pike -- supervised the called-off execution of Tony Carruthers on May 21.

The Carruthers execution was stopped in its tracks after medical staff spent more than an hour trying -- and failing -- to insert a needle to establish a backup IV line and central line too ... NBC News reported.

The Biggest Boss is free again ... and Rick Ross is already looking forward to fancy trips to Dubai and Paris ... and his last order of business is pasta with "heavy marinara."

Ross walked out of jail Thursday in Miami, insisting he's "totally innocent" of the battery allegations against him ... then casually laid out a weekend itinerary that sounded like something straight out of "Scarface."

Here's how Ross is celebrating his jail release ... Dubai on Friday, Paris on Saturday and a Sunday meal complete with a bowl of rigatoni smothered in marinara sauce.

Tennessee Senator and gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn offered a blunt solution following the botched execution of Christa Pike by lethal injection ... bring back the electric chair.

In a statement, Blackburn says ... "This situation is tragic. Christa Pike should have been executed long ago. Now, this botched process is extending the pain for the family of Colleen Slemmer. While there should be a thorough review of what happened and why the process failed, the answer is simple: bring back the electric chair and deliver justice for these victims swiftly. As your governor, I will do just that."

Blackburn, who leads in a recent poll by TargetSmart against Democratic candidate Jerri Green, has been vocal about ushering in the return of the electric chair.

Jelly Roll and Bunnie XO are selling one of their Nashville-area homes following their finalized divorce ... TMZ has learned.

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... the couple listed their Franklin, Tennessee, estate Wednesday for just under $7 million.

The custom-built home sits on nearly 10 acres and features 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, and over 7,000 square feet of living space.

Rick Ross got a rude awakening in court Thursday morning ... because after his lawyer played the celebrity card in a bid to get him sprung from jail, the judge wasn't impressed.

Ross -- real name William Roberts II -- appeared before Judge Mindy Glazer following his Wednesday arrest on battery charges in Miami, and his attorney Bradley Horenstein asked whether the rapper's release could be "expedited" because of his fame and concerns for his safety in jail.

Glazer wasn't impressed by the celebrity argument ... telling Ross, "I have no idea who you are."

Christa Pike survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her Wednesday night ... and years before the botched lethal injections, she was fighting the state over another part of death row -- decades spent virtually alone in solitary confinement.

In a 2022 federal lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Pike asked to be released from mandatory segregation ... with her attorneys saying she had spent more than 25 years with virtually no meaningful human contact.

Her lawyer wrote Pike's life had been defined by "four concrete walls and bare floor" ... adding, "She is fundamentally alone."