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Jussie Smollett is back in a Chicago courtroom, and you've gotta see the ruckus his arrival created outside ... as his supporters made sure they were heard.

Jussie was flanked Monday morning by an entourage of about 10 people -- some of them family members -- as he made his way into his arraignment on 6 new felony counts of lying to cops. At least one photog went down in a heap at Jussie's feet while he tried to get into the courthouse.

In the video, you can hear Jussie's backers chanting, "What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!!!"

We're expecting the ex-"Empire" star to enter not guilty pleas to all 6 charges in the new indictment, which calls the 6 charges "disorderly conduct," but all involve allegations of lying to cops.

Interestingly, Abel and Ola Osundairo also showed up at court this morning. There's no reason for them to be at his arraignment -- we know they'll be testifying against Jussie, but that's weeks down the road.

As we reported ... the special prosecutor, Dan Webb, said Jussie "planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Dept. officers."

You'll recall, Jussie claimed he was attacked in Chicago by 2 white men ... alleging the men put a rope around his neck and doused him with bleach. He claimed they also yelled racial and homophobic slurs. As the investigation unfolded, 2 black men -- brothers Abel and Ola Osundario -- were detained and they told police Jussie paid them to stage the attack.

The special prosecutor effectively re-opened the controversial case nearly a year after Cook County prosecutors dropped all 16 felony counts against Smollett in March 2019. At the time, they called it a "just disposition and appropriate resolution," but not an exoneration.

Jussie's attorney, Tina Glandian, questioned the timing of the indictment. State Attorney Kim Foxx also questioned the timing. Jussie maintains he's innocent. If convicted, he faces up to 3 years in state prison.

'Real Housewives of New York' star Jules Wainstein is in hot water down in Florida ... and we ain't talking hot tub.

According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Jules was busted Sunday in Boca Raton for domestic battery. It's unclear at the moment who the alleged victim is. Jules spent the night in jail and was released Monday under her own recognizance.

She's scheduled to return to court Tuesday. In docs, Jules was found indigent ... which means she can't afford a lawyer. A public defender will be assigned to her case.

Jules is no stranger to domestic disturbances. As we reported back in 2016, Jules called 911 after getting into an angry argument with her estranged hubby, Michael. Their divorce case was pretty nasty.

Katherine Johnson -- the mathematician portrayed by Taraji P. Henson in the Oscar-nominated film "Hidden Figures" -- has died.

NASA announced the pioneering figure died Monday. It was her groundbreaking math work that helped calculate the trajectories for Alan Shepard's history-making journey in space. She was also the one who gave the go-ahead for John Glenn's mission into orbit.

Johnson, who was initially rejected by NASA when she first applied, was tasked by Glenn to check the computer's work by redoing all the math done by a computer that had been programmed with the orbital equations that would control the trajectory of the capsule in Glenn's Friendship 7 mission.

And, as part of the pre-flight checklist, Glenn asked engineers to "get the girl" to run the same numbers through the same equations that had been programmed into the computer ... by hand. Glenn famously said, "If she says they're good then I'm ready to go." The mission went on without a hitch.

"Hidden Figures" was released in 2016 to much acclaim. It earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Octavia Spencer was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Johnson was honored at the 2017 Oscars.

Johnson, who retired in 1986 from NASA, authored or co-authored 26 research projects. She recalled her greatest contribution to space exploration the calculations that helped with Project Apollo's Lunar Lander -- the moon-orbiting Command Service Module.

She was born on August 26, 1918, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. She was famous before even her NASA days ... she was one of 3 black students handpicked to integrate West Virginia's graduate school. Johnson graduated from West Virginia State College in 1937 ... earning degrees in mathematics and French.

Johnson arrived at NASA before it was known by those letters. She started at NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) in 1953. It became NASA five years later.

In 2015 and at 97 years of age, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

She was 101.

RIP

Drew Carey's still reeling over the murder of his ex-fiancee, Amie Harwick, who he's calling a "beautiful person who didn't deserve to die like she did" ... in his first heartbreaking public tribute to her.

Carey opened up about Harwick on his weekly SiriusXM show, calling his engagement to her the "best relationship of my life." "The Price is Right" host got very emotional talking about his love for Amie -- even after their breakup -- and the special connection they had over music.

He shared a special setlist for his radio show ... one he'd made specifically for her. It included "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Dedicated to the One I Love."

Drew also touched on Amie's alleged murderer, saying she was killed by an ex-boyfriend who had been stalking her for about 10 years ... even when she was in a relationship with Carey. He says Harwick's ex "finally got her."

As you know ... Gareth Pursehouse has been arrested and charged with Harwick's murder. Cops say he attacked her in her home, causing her to fall to her death from a third-story balcony. Harwick had filed for restraining orders against him nearly a decade ago, but it's believed he may have had contact with her at a recent work event.

Carey ended his tribute to Harwick by thanking musicians who touch people like him and Amie, and saying "I loved her very much." He then played his setlist for her and says he might not be back on the radio program for a while as he recovers from the tragedy.

John 'Sonny' Franzese, Sr., an Italian-American mobster who served as a Colombo crime family underboss and even had his finger in the movie biz ... is dead.

Franzese was an organized crime wheeler and dealer for decades, but he also dabbled in film. Franzese helped finance the '72 iconic porn flick, "Deep Throat." BTW ... it cost $22k to produce and grossed as much as $50 million. He also helped finance "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre."

Sonny served as an underboss of the Colombo family from 1964 to 1967, when he was sentenced to 50 years for bank robbery. He was paroled in '78 but prison became a revolving door. He went back and forth 6 times for crimes that included extortion.

He may have done worse ... in 2006, he talked about techniques for mob murders with a man who turned out to be a secret government informant who was wired. One of the things he said ... he put nail polish on his fingertips before murdering someone to avoid leaving fingerprints at the scene of the crime ... of course, to blunt DNA testing.

Interesting fact ... His son, John Franzese, Jr., testified against him in one of the trials. It marked the first time the son of a New York mobster turned state's evidence on his dad.

Sonny died in a nursing home in upstate New York. One of his daughters was by his side when he passed. We're told he died of natural causes.

Sonny was dubbed "The nodfather" for falling asleep during one of his trials.

When he was released for the last time in June 2017, he was the oldest federal inmate in the U.S. at age 100.

Franzese was born in Naples, Italy in 1917. He and his family moved to NYC when he was a child. He had 8 kids and 18 grandchildren.

Boxing star Sergey Kovalev was arrested for DUI in Los Angeles early Monday morning, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 36-year-old former light heavyweight champ -- who recently fought (and lost to) Canelo Alvarez -- was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol around 2 AM.

During the stop, the trooper believed Kovalev was under the influence and arrested him for DUI. He was taken to a nearby station where he was booked.

Records show Kovalev was released on his own recognizance around 7:35 AM.

It's not Kovalev's first brush with the law ... in fact, the Russian star is currently in the middle of a felony assault case stemming from an incident where he allegedly brutalized a woman in 2018.

As we previously reported, Kovalev is accused of attacking Jamie Frontz -- who says the boxing star got violent after she rejected his sexual advances after the opening of a boxing gym in Big Bear, CA.

If convicted on the assault charge, Kovalev faces up to 4 years in prison -- though he has pled not guilty and is fighting the case.

Kovalev is 34-4-1 as a pro -- winning several light heavyweight belts during his outstanding career.

Dustin Diamond's pleading his case to the makers of the "Saved by the Bell" reboot, saying his character is synonymous with the show ... and he hopes his former castmates band together to make it happen.

The man who played Screech in every episode of the popular teen sitcom and its spin-offs isn't shy about letting us know that fact ... and he believes it's a major reason why he should be included in the reboot, which will star alums Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley.

It's unclear what other former cast members might make an appearance -- both Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen have yet to confirm a return -- but Diamond's pretty clear he's not one of them ... at least not yet.

Dustin -- who's made headlines the past several years for his criminal case and other unpleasant reasons -- suggests his snubbing is like that idiom about cutting off one's nose ... or something like that. Basically, he thinks it's unfair ... and the wrong move.

Screech also believes everyone involved in the OG 'SBTB' should show some solidarity and demand all the staples -- Zack Morris, Kelly Kapowski, etc. -- be brought back for the reboot ... otherwise, it's missing something.

He even has an idea of what Screech's storyline should be, and we gotta say ... it makes sense. Zoinks!

The monster is back in Jesse James' garage ... he's returning to reality TV after a 14-year hiatus with a reboot of his hit show.

Jesse is coming back to Discovery Channel with a brand new season of "Monster Garage" ... and he's coming in hot too. We're told the garage will be filled with upgrades, including some cutting-edge technology ... and a renewed passion for creating mind-blowing vehicles.

In the 14 years since "Monster Garage" ended, Jesse's been traveling the world, expanding his skill set in forging and blacksmith work -- learning from some of the best in the biz -- and now he's ready to unleash his new talents.

The first run of "Monster Garage" went like this -- Jesse and his 5-person team would modify vehicles into multi-tasking machines. For instance, there was a PT Cruiser that doubled as a wood chipper, a school bus that turned into a pontoon boat, and a police car that could morph into a donut shop.

It was cool stuff back then, but now Jesse says he's excited to step back into the garage to push the limits even more by showing what his team can do when they refuse to quit.

The reboot premieres later this year ... get ya popcorn ready!!!

Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst -- an actress who's appeared in "Alpha Dog" and "Beverly Hills Cop III" -- is finding a new home for one of her pit bulls that damn near ripped her arm off.

TMZ broke the story ... Heather ended up in the hospital with some very gruesome injuries after her pit bulls turned on each other, mauling her arm and hand in the process.

Heather's fiance, Mark Nason, tells TMZ ... they've decided it's best to get the younger dog, 9-month old Shorty, out of the house and under a new roof.

Heather and Mark have already reached out to three different organizations ... Vanderpump Dogs, the Blair Foundation and Pit Bulls for Parolees ... to see if they will take in Shorty.

While Shorty is fresh off a violent episode ... we're told the orgs say it's not an issue and they're willing to work with the pup. Heather and Mark haven't picked a landing spot yet -- they're still figuring out what's best for Shorty.

Heather and Mark, two huge pit bull advocates, are getting rid of Shorty for two reasons ... the dog barks a lot and it's not ideal for their apartment, and they're worried another fight could break out between their two pit bulls.

Massachusetts-native Kathleen "Kathy" Coleman was only 12 years old when she gained fame for her role as the young time-hopping survivalist, Holly Marshall -- who dodges grumpy Tyrannosaurs and befriends dopey Brontosaurs -- in the thrilling '70s sci-fi series, "Land Of The Lost."

Kathy Coleman was cast in the prehistoric show with some other throwback actors including Wesley Eure as the big brother and protector Will Marshall, Spencer Milligan as the less-than present father Rick Mitchell, Ron Harper as the uncle Jack Marshall ... and of course Phillip Paley as the furry little friend, Cha-Ka.

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are still hanging out quite a bit in the wake of their breakup -- but it looks like they're only doing so when their kid's in the picture.

KJ and TS were spotted with young Stormi Sunday at Sky High Sports in Woodland Hills -- which is a giant trampoline warehouse. As you can see, it was just the three of them here (plus at least one bodyguard trailing behind) ... and the parents got pretty close.

It looks like Kylie might've even attempted to take a selfie of the trio while they were walking in. BTW, eyewitnesses tell us they didn't rent the place out -- the family just rolled up like regular customers, although they did bounce around in a VIP area.

In any case, it's clear they're not averse to one another. We've heard they're on a up trend, romantically, since Stormi's recent birthday party. Remember, sources told us the former couple were hanging out pretty much through the whole party and gave off signs of a possible rekindling.

Anyway, later on Sunday ... they hit up a nearby mall and plaza where we're told they stopped off for frozen treats at Afters (great ice cream spot out there). At this point, you could definitely make out one security guard who was rolling with them, but again ... pretty intimate setting.

If they aren't meant to be together romantically, it's at least comforting to know they can get together and co-parent their child successfully. Good on them.

Lizzo says Tommy Hilfiger has connected with her on a future collab, and the article of clothing she thinks they can peddle best ... butt cheek dental floss.

We got the pop superstar Sunday outside of the Sweet Chick waffle house in L.A., where our guy asked what's on the horizon for her after a year of praise and accolades. Before she can even answer, Lizzo tells us straight-up ... she's pretty hungover. So, we helped her out.

Our photog suggests politics as a new lane she could pursue, but Lizzo literally laughs in his face. Hm, okay ... maybe not. On the fashion front, however, she's apparently making moves.

You'll recall ... we ran into Tommy in December when he told us he wanted to work with Lizzo in some capacity for a potential new line ... telling us he thought she was a star.

Welp, it seems TH may have gotten in touch ... and Lizzo says she's landed on good old-fashioned thongs as what they might be working on. Makes sense, that's kinda her thing.

Lizzo's certainly not afraid to show (and shake) what her momma gave her, as we've seen in the recent past. She actually showed off her thong at a Lakers game in December, and now ... it looks like a Tommy Hilfiger partnership could follow. Assuming either of 'em is serious.

Kanye West has linked up with another A-list celeb who's just as religious as he is ... one Justin Bieber, who put his talents to good use at Sunday Service.

The Biebs was a special guest this weekend at Kanye's latest gathering, which appears to have migrated indoors after almost a full year of outdoor get-togethers. At one point, Kim filmed Justin giving the crowd a taste of his crooning voice ... they loved it.

Sounds like Justin's singing the opening lines to Marvin Sapp's gospel hit, "Never Would Have Made It," which was actually remixed by Teyana Taylor on her album that Ye produced.

Full circle!

Anyway, it's pretty interesting ... Justin and Ye are definitely the pillars of Christianity and faith these days when it comes to the mainstream music scene, so you would've figured it was just a matter of time before they met up in a creative setting like this.

The Philadelphia Phillies debuted a new look for their beloved mascot, the Phanatic, this weekend -- but in very anticlimactic fashion ... he appears to have not changed very much.

The lovable, green monster furball trotted out onto the field Sunday ahead of the team's game against the Pirates in Clearwater, FL -- where they're hosting their Spring Training home opener. The buzz was that the costume would look a bit different ... for legal reasons.

Long story short ... Phillies brass are in the middle of this legal sitch with the original creators of the Phanatic's design, Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison, who drew up what fans have come to enjoy for decades now. Well, the rights expire this summer ... and the two designers want their fair cut in order to have the mascot continue being used by the team.

It doesn't appear the Phillies wanna pay Erickson and Harrison though, so they've come up with this new design that's supposed to be different enough to avoid having to pony up potentially millions. This is what they came up with, and frankly ... kinda the same, no?

ACTUALLY ... there are slight modifications to the suit. The nose is a bit shorter and more evenly rounded, and it looks ol' Phanatic here dropped a few pounds too. The new mascot also has different colored socks, shoes and a bigger caboose -- plus, wings along the arms.

"The Batman" isn't all work and no play -- as you can see he takes a load off whenever possible, and lets Hollywood magic do the rest. Case in point ... cool-guy stuntman A.

Matt Reeves' upcoming superhero epic about the early years of The Dark Knight is in the middle of filming right now out in Scotland -- and on Saturday ... the crew got some shots of Batsy riding around on his motorcycle. Well, sorta ... they got a close-up of his arm.

Check it out ... you see the stuntman -- doesn't really look like Robert Pattinson under there -- sitting next to the Batbike which is on top of a moving platform being pulled by a truck. The dude's got the Batsuit on, but he's not rockin' the cowl, 'cause there's no need.

Looks like this shot is just of the hero's arm gripping the handlebars, so the stunt double's chilling with a beanie on and a pair of shades as they run through it a couple times.

This mild shoot day isn't nearly as involved or complete as the one from a few days ago when what appeared to be another stuntman was doing a complete motorcycle ride through a graveyard, complete with a mask and some falls off the bike. Bat-mode, initiated!

Of course, this all comes about a week or so after Matt showed off what Pattinson's gonna look like in a sneak peek test shot (more or less), which already had fans squawking.

As for this latest look ... we're getting Caped Ski Bum vibes.

B. Smith, a groundbreaking model, restaurant owner and lifestyle guru, died Saturday night ... according to her husband.

Dan Gasby announced her death, saying, "It is with great sadness that my daughter Dana and I announce the passing of my wife, Barbara Elaine Smith." He says she passed peacefully at 10:50 PM Saturday at their home on Long Island after having battled Alzheimer's Disease for several years.

B. started her career in the 1960s as a model who was signed to Wilhelmina modeling agency. In 1976, she became the first black woman featured on a cover of Mademoiselle.

She went on to open 3 of her popular B. Smith restaurants in New York City, on Long Island and also in Washington, D.C.

B. landed her own cooking and lifestyle show in 1997 when "B. Smith with Style" debuted.

She and Dan married in 1992 and she became a stepmother to his daughter from a previous relationship.

B. was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2013. You might recall, Dan faced some criticism in 2018 when he went public with the fact he had a girlfriend who was living with him and helping care for his ailing wife.

Dan thanked the hospice caregivers who "helped us make B. comfortable in her final days." He added, "Heaven is shining even brighter now that it is graced with B.'s dazzling and unforgettable smile."

B. was 70.