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E. Jean Carroll's daydreaming about a shopping spree funded with $83.3 million of Donald Trump's money ... or, at least, that's the joking thought that came to mind after her heavily publicized trial.

Carroll bantered Tuesday on MSNBC about furthering women's rights ... by splurging on a whole new wardrobe and new shoes while chatting with Rachel Maddow -- and even asked the host if she'd like a brand new penthouse!

Maddow awkwardly shook her head, rebuffing any lavish gifts from Trump's money ... even if it was in the name of female empowerment, as Carroll put it.

The light-hearted exchange raised eyebrows ... especially with Carroll's lawyer, who uncomfortably clarified her client's spending spree was entirely a joke.

Too late ... as some unamused viewers are criticizing Carroll for her "toxic feminism" and making light of the justice system

Others online branded her "disgusting" for making a mockery out of the American justice system -- some even said it was a slap in the face to other victims.

Chita Rivera -- a pioneering Tony-winning Broadway star and the first Latina recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor -- has died.

The tragic news was confirmed by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, who said she passed away in New York following a brief illness.

Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson, Chita famously forged a path for Latina artists ... becoming the first person to play Anita in "West Side Story" in 1957 and Velma Kelly in "Chicago."

She earned a staggering 10 Tony nominations during six decades on stage ... bagging the Best Actress in a Musical award for both "Kiss of the Spider Woman" and "The Rink."

Chita also starred in Broadway productions of "Threepenny Opera," "Kiss Me Kate," and "Sweet Charity," among many others.

Most recently, she was dancing onstage in the 2015 production of "The Visit" ... telling AP at the time she didn't know what she'd do if she wasn't moving, telling a story, or singing a song -- adding performance was "the spirit of my life."

Chita was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and became a NY Times bestseller in 2023 with the release of her book, "Chita: A Memoir."

She's survived by her daughter Lisa Mordente, siblings Julio, Armando, and Lola del Rivero, and her many nieces and nephews.

Her rep, Merle Frimark, revealed in a statement her funeral would be private and a memorial service would be announced in due course.

Chita was 91.

Snoop Dogg's daughter is in a far better place than she was a couple weeks ago when she suffered a stroke ... in fact, she's showing all the signs of a major comeback, getting in some exercise and some QT with Dad!!!

On Monday, Cori Broadus posted a vid of herself walking down the street basking in the sun -- a far cry from the alarming messages she posted earlier in January while she was hospitalized.

The 24-year-old influencer told her fans she wasn't sure she'd recover ... her blood pressure had spiked to high levels, but doctors and nurses got her on the path to recovery.

Later in the day, she joined her father at Charlie Wilson's 71st birthday bash -- the perfect cherry on top after the Gap Band singer received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Cori was well enough to gangsta boogie along with her dad's performance -- where he performed "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" holding down his and Tupac Shakur's verses!!!

Another fun moment for Snoop happened when he was unexpectedly reunited with his long-lost Nate Dogg tribute jacket ... which journalist Jake Rohn now owns.

Richard Simmons seems to be showing signs of a potential comeback, 'cause he's getting back to putting out positive messages ... and his latest offering is about tuning out the bullies.

The reclusive fitness guru posted an uplifting message on his Facebook page Tuesday, saying ... "For as long as I can remember, people have made fun of me. And people still to this day make fun of me. But you know what? I am glad to be me! And you should be glad that you are you."

Richard says music helps boost his confidence and ignore the naysayers ... and he's recommending three songs from back in the day. Seems Richard is a big Gloria Gaynor fan ... because he says two songs he often listens to are her classic hits "I Will Survive" and "I Am What I Am."

Another tune Richard recommends comes from the soundtrack for "The Greatest Showman" ... with the full cast singing, "This Is Me."

Richard's always been about helping people, and it got to the point back in the day where he basically could not turn anyone down. That seems to be what he's alluding to in these recent posts of his.

RS ultimately disappeared from the spotlight and has been laying low for years, but his recent FB activity seems to be a sign he's getting closer to being back in the public eye.

Richard's been way more active on FB recently, which lines up with Pauly Shore portraying him in a new short film, "The Court Jester," and developing an upcoming biopic ... which Richard may finally be coming around on.

Before Pauly's projects, Richard only had one FB post in all of 2023 ... and he didn't post a lot in 2022 either until our TMZ documentary on his life and his disappearance.

Richard's still got a lot of fans out there ... and while it might feel like we might be hearing (or even seeing) more from him going forward -- we've learned that's not the case. A source directly connected to Richard tells TMZ ... "after all the Pauly news, Richard wanted his fans to know he's doing well and that he appreciates their support."

The Jackie Robinson statue that was stolen from outside a youth baseball park last week has been located ... but unfortunately for fans of the beloved tribute, it was found destroyed beyond repair.

Officials in Wichita, Kansas shared the sad news on Tuesday ... saying the fire department received a call around 8:40 AM for a trash fire at a local park. Once the flames were extinguished, firefighters discovered pieces of bronze in the rubble, which turned out to be from the statue.

It was determined the Robinson figure -- which stood outside League 42's McAdams Park for years -- was not salvageable.

City officials are already planning on making things right again for the community ... with council member Brandon Johnson saying in a press conference he will ensure a replica statue will stand outside the ballpark again.

"We will continue to invest in this community, and this tragic incident will not remove that hope that we all have for the area," Johnson said.

As we previously reported, the Robinson statue was taken early Thursday morning after someone cut it at the ankles and hauled it off in a truck.

No arrests have been made at this time ... but officials are calling on anyone with information to come forward.

Leonardo DiCaprio is getting right back to work on a new movie -- which makes sense, we suppose, since his Oscar campaign is finally done ... with nothing to show for it this year.

TMZ has obtained video of the actor on set Monday in Northern California, where he was in full-blown costume, makeup and character as he and Paul Thomas Anderson's crew shot a scene with at least a few different takes ... and LDC going all out while cameras were rolling.

As you can see here, Leo is taking on quite a different character than what he might normally do -- lately, the guy's been playing more historical figures in period pieces (see "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," etc.).

Here, Leo looks like more of a modern down-on-his-luck dude in a setting that looks like present day. In fact, he comes across as kinda homely ... and rough around the edges.

He even puts his acting chops on display in our video ... yelling into the receiver at a payphone, slamming it and slumping down with a lot of emotion. Dude's very in his element.

No word yet on what the plot of this film might be -- it's being kept under wraps for now -- but we do know who else will eventually join Leo as the production continues ... Sean Penn and Regina Hall have also been tapped to star, so it's a solid cast in the mix here.

An eyewitness also tells us that it appears that the fictional town PTA and co. are trying to create might be called Baktin Cross ... 'cause the cop cars that pass feature that signage.

It's all still shrouded in mystery -- but knowing PTA's style, this looks to be shaping up in the vein of "Licorice Pizza," "Boogie Nights," "Inherent Vice," "Punch-Drunk Love" or even "Magnolia." Speaking of 'BN,' fun fact ... Paul has publicly said he wanted Leo for that lead role, but wasn't able to land him, going with Mark Wahlberg instead. LDC was the one who got away!

Now, he's finally got his chance to work with Leo ... and so far, it appears they're making magic onscreen. It's also not lost on us that PTA has gotten tons of actors nominated at the Oscars over the years ... including Tom Cruise, Joaquin Phoenix, Julianne Moore and others.

Seeing how Leo missed out this year for his Martin Scorsese flick, maybe he wants another bite at the apple with Paul. Based on what we see here ... the homeboy's coming for that statuette.

Tom Sandoval is ripping Ariana Madix for trying to force the sale of their shared house -- 'cause he says he's provided a reasonable alternative ... buying her out with a fair price.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star spilled a little alleged tea about what he says is the real story about this house of theirs that Ariana wants to unload -- the same one they bought together, and where they lived for a long time before their nasty breakup last year.

TS went onto Nick Viall's podcast this week and told his side of the story -- basically, he claims Ariana is being petty ... insisting he's made a cash offer of $3.1 million to keep it for himself.

Tom explains that they purchased this house for significantly cheaper than what he's offering her right now -- so her turning it down, in his mind, is just her continuing to throw a fit about the affair. TS also claims she's hardly there and that she hasn't paid a single bill in months.

TMZ broke the story ... Ariana sued Tom earlier this month in an effort to force a sale of their home, which they bought together back in 2019 for around $2 million.

But now, Tom's firing back, saying ... she's doing the equivalent of flipping a Monopoly board when somebody's losing. That's exactly how he frames it ... likening her to a little girl pouting.

It's interesting ... Tom agrees with Nick here -- who says he can understand where Ariana is coming from, and why she would just want to sell the place without letting him have it.

With that said ... Tom thinks she's just being spiteful for spite's sake. Clearly, he wants this place on his own -- and his cash offer does sound pretty sweet.

Seems like they're both digging in their heels and gearing up for a big fight over the house.

Christian Bale is known for his extreme on-screen body transformations -- but for his 50th birthday, the dude's reached a great middle-ground ... looking super ripped and toned.

The Oscar-winning actor was photographed Monday ringing in the big 5-0 down in Mexico -- Cabo, to be specific -- and like we said ... the guy was definitely ready to show off his huge guns for the cameras, 'cause he was hanging out on the balcony without a shirt on.

He was also wearing a towel around his waist at one point too ... big-time thirst trap vibes.

Eventually, CB popped on a top, hat, and shades to shield himself from the rays ... making his way down to a beach with his wife, Sibi Blažić, and their nine-year-old son Joseph. We'll say this about him ... even when clothed, Christian puts other dad bods to shame.

Christian and Sibi are also parents to daughter Emmeline, 18 ... although, she didn't appear to be on the family getaway here.

The Hollywood actor is clearly making the most of his downtime after taking a bit of a breather on the career front -- his only 2023 credit was voiceover work for "The Boy and the Heron" ... and he currently has nothing in the pipeline this year.

Granted, he's still one of the most prolific actors working today -- and he's still killing it at this point in his career. He can most certainly afford to take a break from on-camera work.

Lucky for us (and everyone else) ... he's right here putting on another type of show, no general admission tickets needed either.

A racehorse tested positive for meth after a winning run in Ohio ... and the trainer's slap-on-the-wrist punishment has pissed off PETA, who is now demanding he be banned.

The horse, Gardys Legacy A, was given a blood test after winning a race at the MGM Northfield Park on September 3 ... and it came back positive for D-methamphetamine, a Class 1 Category A offense according to the U.S. Trotting Association.

Following the positive result, the Ohio State Racing Commission suspended trainer Samuel Schillaci for one year ... and ordered him to pay a $1k fine.

The Standardbred was also disqualified ... and the $4,500 winnings were returned.

That punishment clearly wasn't enough for PETA, the largest animal rights organization in the world, who are now calling on Schillaci to be permanently banned from the sport.

"This small administrative fine and suspension aren’t commensurate with such a serious violation," PETA's Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said on Monday.

"Administering meth endangers a horse’s life, and trainers who treat a horse so callously will do the same to others, too. The commission should consider not only the safety of Gardys Legacy A but also that of all the other horses in Schillaci’s barn."

"Those who demonstrate such cruelty even one time show a clear disregard for the regulations and shouldn’t be granted the privilege of competing in your state ever again."

Guillermo added, "By permanently barring Schillaci from competing in Ohio, you would create a safer environment for all participants."

Unfortunately for PETA, the OSRC told FOX 8 in Cleveland that "the judges gave the maximum penalty allowed by law."

David Letterman is telling Taylor Swift's NFL haters to "shut up" about her romance with Travis Kelce -- even though he seems a little confused about who her boyfriend is.

The talk show host offered up a passionate defense of Taylor in a new clip he posted to his social media ... and yes, it's a fierce cosign of all things Taylor, whom he calls a bright light in a world full of darkness.

Also ... DL hilariously confused TK for Kelsey Grammer -- something he continued to mistakenly say, even after being corrected a couple times. Point being ... he loves Taylor!

According to David, Tay doesn't deserve any hate whatsoever ... especially if her stadium-packing credentials are anything to go by -- but to those who couldn't care less about her pop culture icon status and don't want her anywhere near the pitch ... he tells 'em to zip it.

David says T&T's PDA-packed relationship is a lovely, positive, and good thing for both the NFL camp and Taylor's own. He just wants more unity in the world, not division -- and he seems to think Tay-Tay provides that.

ICYMI, Taylor's been coming out to cheer on the KC Chiefs tight end since September ... though she's been heavily criticized for distracting from the sport by fuming diehard fans.

In fact, Tony Dungy even recently compared her to outside noise affecting the game itself in a Fox News interview -- and who can forget Taylor's viral stare-down with Golden Globes host Jo Koy when he mocked her NFL appearances during his opening monologue?

Clearly, the whole thing's a very divisive matter, but David's saying just let them love and live -- adding: "God, bless Taylor Swift and Kelsey Grammar (Travis Kelce)."

10:15 AM PT -- A source with direct knowledge tells TMZ that Avril Lavigne doesn't have a new love interest here in Nate Smith -- instead, they're just good pals ... skate buddies, it seems.

In terms of why they were even together in the first place ... we're told it was to just discuss future music projects, and nothing more.

Avril Lavigne is getting back to her roots -- and by that, we mean she's hopping on a board and hanging out with skater boys again ... like this fella, who seems to have caught her eye.

The punk rock singer enjoyed a date night Monday with TikTok country star Nate Smith ... with the both of them hitting dinner together at Catch in WeHo -- and then hitting the streets right after for a little truck ride around L.A., where they boozing in the back.

Their post-meal palling around is definitely the opposite vibe of their fancy meal ... which is one of the nicer restaurants in L.A. If anything, this is the sorta thing you do in a small town -- along some backroads and whatnot -- and yet ... here's AL letting it all hang out!

At one point in their drive, they stopped at a gas station ... where she and Nate hopped out with skateboards in hand, which they mounted and tried riding. Emphasis on "tried." 😅

Take a look for yourself ... they both seem to struggle a bit, but did end up rolling around for a little bit -- and in the end, it looks like Avril might've been the one who had a tad bit more skating experience. Go figure, right?

Props to Nate, though ... he definitely puts his best foot forward, no he's just gotta kick and push. Like we said -- this is like a scene straight out of Avril's 2002 song/music video.

Also, from the looks of it ... she's pretty into NS here -- signaling that she's officially over Tyga and ready to explore new pastures in the dating scene. BTW, in case you didn't know ... Avril's had a lot of famous exes over the years -- with big names you'd certainly recognize.

Just to name a few ... Brody Jenner, Mod Sun, Pete Jonas, Deryck Whibley, Wilmer Valderrama, Chad Kroeger, Jesse Colburn, Brandon Davis, Phillip Sarofim and a couple others.

At the moment, Nate's got her attention ... and he's already leaving a good impression. The dude definitely knows how to hang -- he just might need to work on his board skills a bit.

Lionel Richie is still buzzing with the magic from "The Greatest Night In Pop" exactly 39 years later ... the legendary singer proved he can still bring the house down with today's fresh, young talent!!!

TMZ also obtained footage of LR performing a duet with Jon Batiste of his chart-topping track, "All Night Long," inside Delilah in West Hollywood.

Lionel introduced Jon and Andra Day to the stage ... and was enjoying the show until Jon played the opening keys of "All Night Long" and Lionel couldn't resist joining in ... can't have those TikTokers thinking JB came up with the track!!!

Jon spoke on the song being a beacon of togetherness and he and Lionel harmonized the 'Jambo Jumbo' together.

Later, Jon and Andra joined forces to belt out their version of "We Are the World" ... earning LR's approval!!! Good job, guys.

Netflix had its premiere for "The Greatest Night In Pop" at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood beforehand ... a doc that chronicles the backstory of 1985's megahit "We Are the World" ... the African charity megahit that became the fastest-selling single at the time.

The record boasted of virtually every superstar in music at the time ... Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles -- you name it ... and goes into detail about how they were able to manage dozens of legends' egos and end up winning 4 Grammy awards.

More importantly, though ... this charitable effort raised tons of cash -- upwards of $60 mil toward fighting famine and hunger in Ethiopia. So, it was a success on all fronts.

Inside the premiere, Lionel joked about the differences between the film and music industry and got a hearty laugh from the crowd ... because it's probably true!!!

"Vanderpump Rules" has cemented its status as reality TV royalty with its high-impact drama ... and by the looks of it, season 11 is set to be juicer than ever.

The show has brought in some A-list fans over the years -- such as Lady Gaga and Darren Criss who had a night out at Tom Sandoval & Tom Schwartz's bar TomTom they co-own with Lisa Vanderpump.

Even Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne had a date night at Lisa's recently-closed PUMP restaurant ... so let's take a quick look at others who've pumped their support into the reality star's restaurant franchise!

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend were another pair keeping the romance alive ... leaving the kiddos at home to recreate the kissing portrait at TomTom.

"Jersey Shore" stars Snooki and Deena Nicole Cortese partied the night away with one of the Toms at TomTom.

"Girl Meets World" star Ben Savage also met Tom at the bar ... the duo became quick friends, as evidenced by this smiling snap.

Point being here ... tons of stars have popped into Vanderpump-esque establishments -- and with the new season coming out today, it sounds like that'll continue for years to come.

Oprah Winfrey didn't throw a huge party for her 70th birthday, and she didn't ask for a bunch of gifts either ... instead, she seemed content with a healthy run along the beach.

The legendary talk show host celebrated her birthday milestone Monday, posting a video on social media showing her jogging on a California beach with a friend and one of her dogs. Looks like she had a pal (or perhaps a trainer) who was jogging alongside her.

The media mogul captioned her IG post ... "Celebrating 70 with a run on the beach. #healthisthebestgift. Thank you for all the birthday love." The hashtag is probably good news for Oprah's friends and loved ones ... it's gotta be hard to find a gift for a billionaire!

BTW ... Oprah added Jill Scott's timeless song "Golden" to the post ... and she's certainly looking pretty fit in her golden years. That's the bigger point -- O showing off the fact she works out, which is timely considering her recent confession to using weight-loss drugs.

Fact is ... she's caught a little flak of late for what people perceive as "taking the easy way out" -- this after she denounced drugs like Ozempic, before doing an apparent about-face.

Here, however, she seems to be telegraphing something ... namely, she gets active too.

The beach run obviously dovetails with her latest health transformation ... as we reported, last month Oprah revealed she dropped 40 pounds in 2023, thanks in part to doctors prescribing her some medication.

With this, though ... O seems to be suggesting exercise was part of the drop in poundage. Hard to say if this will appease people like Jillian Michaels -- she seems very anti-Ozempic.

Travis Scott isn't down with concert venues ordering staff to wipe up mosh pit sweat, apparently -- and when he noticed it happening in Miami, he offered a janitor the ultimate PTO!!!

Footage from Trav's 'Utopia' tour stop Sunday night showcased Cactus Jack's generous side ... after peeping the man wielding a mop to clean up after all the sweaty ragers.

He immediately halted the show, and questioned the venue's motives for having the guy tarnish his mosh pit's essence.

Travis then ordered the janitor to drop the mop and soak up the rest of the show as a fan -- because he was paying him $5K to do so!!!

As the crowd got charged up by Travis' random act of kindness, he lit them up even more by dropping his Playboi Carti-assisted banger "Fein" on the crowd, causing them to lose it ... and sweat even more.

The Utopia Tour has been uplifting spirits for months -- just ask 50 Cent's son Sire, who seemed to be lovin' the "I Know" rapper's live set more than his own dad's moves on stage!!!

Florence Pugh got caught in a vulnerable state while shooting "Oppenheimer" -- namely, when she and Cillian Murphy were naked ... during which cameras weren't rolling.

The actress shared this cringeworthy story at a recent screening of the blockbuster, where there was a Q&A ... and where FP revealed there were some technical difficulties at one point in the production, and it came at the worst time ... during a sex scene.

If you've seen the movie ... you know there's at least 3 sex scenes where Florence and Cillian are nude -- so it's unclear which one exactly this happened for, but it sounds awkward.

Apparently, while they were filming this intimate scene, one of the main cameras broke ... and the whole crew had to hit pause while they worked on it to fix the problem. That left Florence and Cillian standing by (naked) as they waited for the issue to be resolved.

Luckily, FP had a good attitude about it all -- her whole point here is that 'Oppenheimer' was very much like an old-school Hollywood production ... and she's talking about how in awe she was by everyone and how they handled their craft. Even during this stop-down, she says she found stuff to appreciate ... and learned a thing or two about the equipment, etc.

Her point about the set being like a classic Hollywood movie isn't lost on us either -- considering Christopher Nolan's rep for wanting his cast/crew to be in the moment (and, allegedly, not to sit down either) ... this kinda makes sense that Florence and Cillian stuck around during this.

You'd figure the stars of a major film like this could head back to their trailers during this in-between time ... not so for a CN flick though, apparently! On his set, you see it through.

Anyway, sticking with it for these inconveniences clearly paid off for Florence and Co. -- 'Oppenheimer' is an Oscar darling this year, and is primed to win a bunch of awards.