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The "Double Fantasy" album John Lennon signed for Mark David Chapman hours before Chapman assassinated him is hitting the auction block ... and is expected to haul in up to 2 million bucks.

The macabre piece of rock 'n' roll history features Lennon's signature in blue ink on the album cover art ... a photo of Lennon and Yoko Ono. He signed his name on Yoko's neck along with his "1980" inscription.

"Double Fantasy" was the fifth album released by John and Yoko, and was released the month before he was shot and killed on December 8, 1980, as he was walking into his home at The Dakota in NYC.

Chapman had waited outside the building with a copy of the album to score Lennon's autograph around 5:50 PM as he and Yoko were on their way to a studio. Chapman was still waiting at 10:50 PM when the couple returned ... and shot Lennon four times in the back.

As you can see ... there are other markings on the front and back of the album. Those were made by law enforcement, as it was a key piece of police evidence from the scene of the crime. Chapman had put the album in one of the planters outside The Dakota after Lennon signed it.

When cops arrived, Chapman was found casually reading a copy of "The Catcher in the Rye," and told police he killed Lennon because he was so famous. The murderer was recently denied parole for the 11th time.

Well, this seemed inevitable ... Donald Trump Jr. has contracted the coronavirus.

President Trump's son reportedly tested positive for the potentially deadly virus earlier this week and has been quarantining at a private location. According to Bloomberg, which first reported the news, DTJ is following all medically recommended COVID-19 guidelines.

The news comes just weeks after Jr. was seen without a mask at a Trump rally in Georgia. The vast majority of people who attended that rally were also not wearing masks. He's the latest in a long line of Trump family members to get infected with the 'rona. As you very well know by now ... POTUS also was infected as was the First Lady Melania Trump and her son, Barron. DTJ's girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, also tested positive last month.

In-N-Out Burger has made its way to Colorado, but instead of enjoying double-doubles and milkshakes ... many Aurora residents are dealing with chaos and a 12-hour wait!!!

A brand new location for the fast-food chain -- which is a favorite on the west coast -- opened Friday in the Denver suburb, and it seems demand is way too high to satisfy everyone's appetite.

The Aurora Police Dept. alerted everyone midday that the wait to get grub is 12 HOURS ... and traffic is severely bogged down in the area. The police are warning folks the restaurant will likely close before they make it to the window, and strongly encouraging them to eat elsewhere.

What's worse -- the long line of cars is apparently making hangry people get out and go "animal style" ... as a major brawl broke out in which it appears one dude loses his pants.

So, if you're currently waiting in this In-N-Out line, take it from us here in California -- the food's worth the wait ... but it CAN wait 'til tomorrow.

Two cops in South Africa are under fire after they were recorded on video practically assaulting a disabled man ... with one cop shown throwing the man out of his wheelchair.

The disturbing incident played out Thursday in Cape Town where the man in the wheelchair, Zwelenkosi Ngidi, found himself in a tense confrontation with 2 cops at the Central Police Station.

You can see tensions reached a tipping point after one of the cops appears to stop Ngidi from moving by putting his foot on the wheelchair. Then all hell breaks loose... with the second cop coming from behind and violently tipping the wheelchair over ... causing Ngidi to fall out of his wheelchair. The cop pushes the wheelchair away ... leaving Ngidi on the ground confused as hell before someone else picks him up and puts him back in the wheelchair.

You hear someone in the crowd yell, "Why are you doing this to the old man?" It's unclear what triggered the standoff between Ngidi and the cops or why he was there.

A "Wipeout" contestant is dead after being hospitalized following a go at the obstacle course ... TMZ has learned.

Production sources tell TMZ ... a male contestant needed medical attention Wednesday after completing the course, and he was tended to by on-site emergency personnel who then called paramedics.

We're told the contestant was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Our law enforcement sources tell us they got a cardiac arrest call just before noon Wednesday, and medics on set had already started using a defibrillator on the contestant, who was experiencing chest pains after completing the course.

We're told there are precautions and safeguards in place on set. For example, every 'Wipeout' contestant undergoes medical exams before participating. There are also 2 paramedics on-site, plus a safety producer and paramedic coordinator.

'Wipeout' is getting an upcoming reboot on TBS after originally airing on ABC from 2008 to 2014, and TBS tells us ... "We are devastated to have learned of his passing and our deepest sympathy goes out to the family."

The production company, Endemol Shine North America, says ... "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and our thoughts are with them at this time."

Think COVID could stop Russell Westbrook from helping out some families in need during the holiday? HELL NO!!

The NBA superstar grabbed some masks, gloves and sanitizer and hit the streets of L.A. on Thursday for his annual Thanksgiving dinner giveaway ... with some minor adjustments to keep everyone safe!

Westbrook's Why Not? Foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank and others to host a drive-thru event at Jesse Owens Park ... where all volunteers were decked out in PPE to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

It's the 9th year of Westbrook's food event -- but due to the pandemic, he had to make some changes this time around -- a challenge he happily met.

"This year is a little different with COVID and everything going on in our society," Russell said ... "But I'm thankful to be here to be able to give back to so many families."

He later added on Twitter, "Things are challenging right now & people are struggling. This is why it is more important than ever for me to support my community any way I can while keeping everyone safe."

Michael Steele's ready to get the Republican Party he knew and loved back from the President, but he thinks it's going to be a major challenge because so far ... nobody's stepping up to dump Trump.

The former head of the Republican National Committee tells us the battle between the GOP's "fair-minded patriots" -- his words -- and staunch Trumpers isn't dying down ... because there's no chance Donald goes away.

Steele says it's not complicated -- Trump will continue to assert his influence on the party and rally his base to maintain power. So the question ... who's gonna run against him in 2024???

Based on Steele's answer, he has zero confidence any current prominent Republicans are up to the task. He says whoever it is can't give a damn about pissing off Trump ... and, as he sees it, they're all too afraid.

A puppy learned firsthand how scary nature can be, but luckily a brave man came to its rescue ... by battling a gator with his bare hands.

The wild scene went down in a pond somewhere in Florida -- naturally -- where the poor little doggie wound up in the mouth of an alligator ... which thankfully wasn't nearly as big as that one who visited a golf course in Naples last week.

It's still terrifying nonetheless, as the gator had the puppy completely submerged before our hero jumped in and pulled them out.

As the frightened pooch yelps for help, the man uses his brute strength to pry open the beast's jaws, allowing the dog to get free and run to safety.

Florida's version of Crocodile Dundee wasn't done dealing with the gator, though. He reportedly tossed it over a nearby fence, in hopes it would not return to the pond.

Santa Claus is coming to town, but don't worry kids ... there's no coronavirus in his sack of goodies -- Dr. Anthony Fauci says the jolly guy is immune to COVID!!!!

The good doc is coming through with a dash of good news ahead of Christmas, telling USA Today Santa has "innate immunity" from COVID-19.

You might think Santa would be at a higher risk for COVID because he's pretty old and overweight ... but Fauci's giving him the all-clear to travel the globe in the pandemic.

So, put out those cookies and a warm glass of milk ... Fauci says "Santa is not going to be spreading infections to anybody." No word if those reindeer have herd immunity ... but ya gotta imagine.

Bad news really does come in threes. Just ask this poor Porsche driver who sideswiped an SUV, drove off a wall and landed on top of another car. Ouch.

The driver of this Porsche Taycan tried parking in the driveway of a home in Essex, England but instead suffered a MAJOR fail. He or she brought the expensive whip to a stop, but then suddenly accelerated ... and it all went downhill from there, quite literally.

Unclear if the driver mistakenly hit the throttle instead of the brakes -- or if they just underestimated the electric car's power -- but the Taycan easily pushed the SUV out of the way before heading over the wall.

Guess you could say they stuck the landing, at least -- ending up wedged between the wall and a blue car on the street below.

The driver was shaken up but suffered no serious injuries, but definitely a bruised ego. Hey, it happens to best Porsche drivers - just ask this other Taycan owner.

Barack Obama's new memoir is flying off the shelves -- even more than Michelle's record-setting book in 2018 -- but he says he's not rubbing it in ... and she's fine with his success for her own reasons.

This came after the former President burned the outgoing prez, Donald Trump, during his interview on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Jimmy teed him up by asking Obama if he decided "A Promised Land" should be more than 700 pages long so Trump would never read it.

Obama quipped ... it wouldn't need to be nearly that long.

Regarding his book sales -- it reportedly sold more than 800,000 copies its first day, which is about 75k more than Michelle's -- he seems pleased to have bragging rights.

As for the book itself, 44 tells Jimmy he didn't set out for it to be so long, but there ended up being so many topics he wanted to address during his presidency ... many of which are relevant right now.

For instance ... Barack's book explains how during the Osama Bin Laden raid, he was also having to deal with the birther conspiracy theories fueled by Trump.

He tells Jimmy ... "We are planning this huge, risky, difficult operation that involves all the power and technology and skill and courage of the U.S. military and, at the same time, I'm dealing with a guy who's saying I wasn't born where I was born." Obama adds ... "It gives you an example of the weirdness of modern politics."

WELCOME TO FART COURT -- where allegations of flatulence are taken seriously and investigated accordingly.

Today's suspect ... Ronnie O'Sullivan, a star snooker player from England, who appeared to rip a humungous fart during competition this week but tried to blame it on the judge.

The evidence ... Ronnie -- aka "The Rocket" -- was participating in the Northern Ireland Open on Wednesday, competing against Matthew Stevens when someone tore ass.

The arena was basically empty due to COVID -- so the only people in the room were the players and officials.

In other words, you could hear a pin drop ... or in this case, a buttcheek ripple.

The poot was so loud, everyone took notice -- including the announcers who immediately cracked jokes and began to suggest Ronnie was the flatulator.

But, Ronnie didn't take the blame initially -- instead, looking at an official and asking, "Was that you?!"

J'ACCUSE!!!

But, the denial didn't last long, Ronnie eventually copped to the anal honk ... saying after the match, "I dropped my guts -- I am taking full ownership of that. I have had stomach problems for a couple of months."

He continued, "I did say 'Was that you' to the referee but, I am proud of that one."

Tournament officials were also asked about the incident -- and confirmed O'Sullivan as the master blaster.

So, there you have it ... Ronnie -- GUILTY AS CHARGED!!

Rapper Mo3's alleged killer was captured on surveillance footage carrying a gun as he appears to run away from the murder scene.

The Dallas Police Department released the picture late Thursday night in hopes the public can help them identify the male suspect, whom cops say was seen driving in a possible 2014 or 2015 black Chevy Camaro.

Cops are asking anyone with information to contact the Dallas Police Homicide Unit. TMZ broke the story ... Mo3 was being tailed moments before he was shot and killed in his hometown.

The rapper had left a friend's house before he noticed he was being followed from the home to a gas station.

The chase ended up on the I-35 and, in an attempt to lose the other vehicle, Mo3 tried to get around traffic but ended up crashing. We're told Mo3 got out of his car and ran for his life before he was gunned down in broad daylight.

Gordon Ramsay did more than send "MasterChef Junior" star Ben Watkins well wishes when he was battling an extremely rare cancer ... he tried to help him get the best treatment possible too.

The TV chef quietly donated $50,000 to Ben in August to help cover the medical costs associated with his battle with cancer ... according to sources close to the situation.

This was right around the time Ramsay and Ben's fellow season 6 competitors sent him a heart-warming video, letting him know they were praying for him and helping raise money with a GoFundMe.

It's no secret Ramsay and the 'MasterChef' community were very fond of the 14-year-old, and we're told the reality cooking show is currently trying to come up with a way to honor him after his passing. Also, that GoFundMe is now at over $200k, and will be used to support his family.

As we reported ... Ben died Monday from Angiomatoid Fibrous Histiocytoma. He was diagnosed when he was 13, about 2 years after he competed on the Ramsay-hosted show and quickly became a fan favorite.

Rachel Maddow now has a scary firsthand experience with COVID-19, and after seeing her longtime partner fight for her life for weeks ... she's warning Americans to take the virus more seriously.

The MSNBC host returned to her show Thursday night after a 2-week hiatus and revealed her partner of 21 years, Susan Mikula, has been battling the virus and revealed things got so bleak they thought she might die.

Maddow announced on November 6 she was taking a break from the show after coming in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. It wasn't until Thursday she revealed that person was Susan.

One of the worst parts about the scary ordeal ... Maddow trying to take care of the "center of her life" while being apart from her. She said when they were first separated things were getting worse and Susan was getting "sicker and sicker." Fortunately, Maddow says it appears the worst is behind them ... and Susan will likely recover.

During the emotional broadcast from home ... Maddow, who so far has tested negative for the virus, implored viewers to not downplay the severity of the coronavirus as it resurges across the country days before a major holiday.

The setting for Gucci Mane and Jeezy's highly-anticipated Verzuz battle is fit for a king ... and strippers, 'cause it's going down at a famous ATL strip club.

TMZ's obtained behind-the-scene video and pics inside Thursday's face-off going down at the world-famous club, Magic City. It's unclear if a red carpet will be rolled out for the MCs but they're definitely getting the royal treatment ... with 2 thrones for them to sit and spit lyrics.

The crew worked hard to turn the strip joint into an awesome set for the season 2 kickoff of Verzuz ... which streams live Thursday at 8 PM ET on Apple Music and on Apple Music's official Instagram account on Instagram Live.

We're told the guest list is pretty star-studded ... with T.I., Rick Ross, Migos, Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys among the celebs expected to attend.

There's always concern for security and our production sources tell us that base is definitely covered. We're told the Nation of Islam will be there for protection. As for Atlanta PD ... we're told the dept. is aware of the event ... adding that Magic City's an area where it commonly has additional patrols.

As we reported ... Gucci already drew first blood when he openly touted the fact he killed one of Jeezy's best friends. Remember, Gucci posted a meme earlier this week mocking the shooting of Jeezy's former labelmate, Pookie Loc in the 2000s. Pookie allegedly attempted to break into Gucci's home, and Gucci fired in self-defense.

Gucci's joked about the fatal shooting before. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out when they finally face off on camera together. It's gonna be 🔥.