Gucci Mane, Jeezy Verzuz Battle Gets Tense, Heated ... Gucci Plays Diss Track 'Truth'

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Verzuz/Apple Music
UPDATE

7:52 PM PT -- Welp, Gucci Mane went there! He played "Truth" ... his infamous diss track boasting about fatally shooting Jeezy's friend Pookie Loc, and as they say, s**t got real.

UPDATE

Jeezy immediately stood up, but instead of charging at Gucci or threatening violence, he hit back with a speech about why they were doing this battle. Jeezy said, "I brought you here to show you the world care about what the f**k we got going on, because we are the culture."

UPDATE

He shouted out King Von, Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, Mo3 and other rappers killed in gun violence ... and then dropped his own track, "Get Ya Mind Right."

UPDATE

Crazy tense moment, but at the end of the battle, Gucci and Jeezy made peace. Can we get an "Amen?"

UPDATE

6:13 PM PT -- Stacey Abrams made a surprise guest appearance before the Atlanta rappers started their battle, and she put the focus on Georgia's upcoming election for 2 Senate seats.

UPDATE
LET'S GO VOTE
Verzuz/Apple Music
UPDATE

Stacey thanked Jeezy for his work in getting folks in his state registered to vote. She did a lot of the heavy lifting too, but game recognizes game.

UPDATE

Georgia's upcoming January runoff election pits two Democrats against two incumbent Republicans, and it's a chance for Dems to flip the Senate.

UPDATE

Jeezy and Gucci's Verzuz battle is drawing over a million viewers, so Stacey had a huge platform to make her voting pitch.

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 BATTLEGROUND
TMZ.com

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 🔥.

Originally published -- 2:40 PM PT

Megan Thee Stallion $1.2 Mil in New Fashion Line Sales ... On Very First Day!!!

Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B have more in common than 'WAP' ... they can now both boast massively successful clothing lines with Fashion Nova.

Meg's new 106-piece collection -- which goes heavy on the denim -- raked in $1.2 million in sales in the first 24 hours ... according to sources connected to the retail company.

This is slightly more than Cardi hauled in with her Spring 2019 collection, but we're told it's because Fashion Nova anticipated high demand after Cardi's styles sold out so quickly ... so it had more product on hand for Meg's line.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

MTS announced the launch of her collection -- which she says is for "all the hotties out there" and fits bodies of all shapes and sizes -- with a series of fire photos of herself and other women modeling the various styles of jeans available.

Along with premium denim, Meg's collection includes luxe corset bodysuits and tops with matching dresses and plush outerwear ... with prices of the items ranging from $24.99 to $199.99.

Get 'em while they're smoking hot.

'Poltergeist' Zak Bagans Drops $80k for Movie Prop ... Not Clowning Around!!!

Holly Madison is gonna loooove this ... her BF, Zak Bagans, just dropped a fat stack on the famous clown from "Poltergeist," and wants to keep it in his bedroom!!!

The "Ghost Adventures" star tells TMZ ... he threw down a cool $80,000 at an auction, and snagged the original clown prop doll from the 1980s classic horror film.

The doll's supposedly cursed -- 4 cast members died either during or soon after filming. That folklore explains why Zak's been trying to buy the clown for over a decade.

It was previously on display at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Now that he's finally got it, Zak thinks his bedroom's the perfect place for a test spin. Although, he plans to eventually display it at his Haunted Museum.

The movie prop was used in the unforgettable scene when Oliver Robins' character, little Robbie Freeling, gets attacked by the clown doll in his bedroom.

Like we said, Holly's gonna love sleeping in the same room as this thing.

Dana White I'd Bet on Khabib Fighting Again ... Names 4 Possible Opponents

WE'LL SEE THEM AGAIN
TMZSports.com

Dana White is doubling down on his claim Khabib Nurmagomedov will return to the Octagon -- and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is!

"If I had to make a bet -- and I'm a betting man -- I would bet he does [return]," Dana tells TMZ Sports.

"So, yeah ... I think he will."

Of course, Khabib announced his retirement following his Oct. 24 victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 ... explaining he has no desire to fight anymore after the death of his father earlier this year.

But, Dana says Khabib's father is the reason he WILL return -- explaining it was his dad's dream for Khabib to finish with a 30-0 record.

So, who would be the opponent? Dana says he's NOT considering Georges St-Pierre, despite Khabib previously suggesting that's he'd be open to that opportunity.

Instead, Dana pointed to 2 upcoming fights ... Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson.

"We'll see how all these things play out here ... One of those guys would definitely be in for the fight."

There's more ... we also asked Dana about plans for Jon Jones, who appears to be bulking up for a fight at the heavyweight level.

But, White says there's nothing in the plans for a Jon Jones scrap in the near future.

"Jon Jones, I don’t know what Jon Jones is doing," White says.

"When he’s ready, all he's gotta do is let us know … but we have no inclination whatsoever that this guy is coming to fight."

We also talked to Dana about Valentina Shevchenko -- and what lies in store for her if she gets past Jennifer Maia at UFC 255 this weekend.

Guess Who This Blonde Beauty Turned Into!

Before this smiley sweetie was feeling the weight of multiple Olympic medals around her neck, she was just another blondie with bangs growing up in Des Moines, Iowa.

Making her Summer Olympic Games debut in Beijing, she was part of the duo of athletes who scored the top two medals -- both the gold and silver -- in the individual all-around portion of the Women's Gymnastics competition. She took home 4 medals total, but only one gold for her skills displayed on the balance beam.

Now, the mother of one daughter, she lives in Nashville with her husband.

Can you guess who she is?

Bobby Brown Jr. Flu-Like Symptoms Preceded Death

Bobby Brown Jr. was not feeling well in the days leading up to his death and he was experiencing flu-like symptoms ... according to his family.

We broke the story ... Bobby Brown's son was found Wednesday in his L.A.-area home, and cops told us they believed there was no foul play involved.

A source connected to the family tells TMZ Bobby Jr. did not have COVID.

Bobby tells us, "Please keep my family in your prayers at this time. Losing my son at this point in our lives has devastated my family. There are no words to explain the pain.”

The Brown family says they will let authorities conduct an investigation into his death, and Bobby's asking for prayers. He says his son's death has devastated the family and there's no words to explain the pain.

Law enforcement sources tell us no drugs were found at the scene and they will be doing a toxicology test. We're told there were no signs of foul play either.

Alex Trebek Recorded Special 'Jeopardy!' Opener ... Marks World Pancreatic Cancer Day

11/19/20
I WANT YOU TO BE SAFE
Jeopardy!

Alex Trebek's heroism has never been more evident than it will be on tonight's episode of "Jeopardy!" -- it features a bittersweet message he made just for this day.

When the late host recorded the episode airing Thursday night he opened it by recognizing World Pancreatic Cancer Day ... but didn't make it about himself. Instead, Alex urged his audience to be wary of symptoms and get tested.

What's remarkable about his heartfelt plea isn't just the content, but it's clear from the raspiness in Alex's voice how much he was struggling at the time the episode was shot.

TMZ broke the story ... Alex died earlier this month after his long battle with stage-4 pancreatic cancer, but continued working up until about 10 days before he passed. The episodes he recorded will run through Christmas Day.

Knowing that, it makes Alex's message that much more poignant, important ... and heartbreaking. It should also be the wake-up call he intended it to be.

Charli D'Amelio Cancel Culture's Got Me in Tears 😢

YOUR WORDS HURT

Charli D'Amelio's crying a river after tons of followers canceled her ... and now she's wondering if she should just quit TikTok after encountering her first major PR hurdle.

Here's the deal ... Charli, TikTok’s most-followed star, is losing followers at a rapid rate after posting a family dinner video that rubbed lots of folks the wrong way. In part of the video, she complained to YouTube star James Charles about only having 95 MILLION followers, and not 100.

NOT ENOUGH?
Youtube / The D'Amelio Family

Fans felt the comment was anything but humble, and now followers are jumping ship by the boatload -- as in more than 1 million people have left Charli's page -- leaving her in tears.

SNAILY SITUATION
Youtube / The D'Amelio Family

Fans are also pissed that Charli and her sister, Dixie, scoffed during their family's meal -- prepared by a private chef -- more spoiled brat behavior.

During her tear-filled post, Charli wondered out loud if she should stay on an app where there's so much hate. At least one person's got her back though, Aaron May, the chef, says things are getting blown out of proportion -- but the damage is clearly done with Charli.

Someone's getting a dose of the real Internet, where it's not all sunshine and rainbows ... and she doesn't like it.

Tampa Bay Rays Ex-Top Prospect Gets Life In Prison ... Murdered 3 People w/ Bat

Former MLB prospect Brandon Martin will spend the rest of his life in a prison cell ... after a judge sentenced him to life without parole for brutally murdering 3 people, including his own father.

27-year-old Martin -- a 1st-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 -- was convicted of the triple murder earlier this month ... and was facing the death penalty.

Martin was in a Riverside County, CA courtroom on Thursday ... where the same jury that convicted him in only 4 hours decided his punishment.

The jurors spared his life -- electing not to give him the death penalty. Instead, Martin will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The story surrounding the September 2015 murders is disturbing, to say the least.

Martin brutally beat and killed his 64-year-old dad, 58-year-old uncle, and a 62-year-old man the family had hired to install an alarm to protect them from Martin. Officials say Martin used a black baseball bat (with his name inscribed on it) to kill the men.

The former ballplayer fled the crime scene ... but was apprehended the next day following a police chase.

'Tiger King' Star Jeff Lowe Feds Claim Zoo Animals In Danger ... He Calls Total BS

Jeff Lowe is back under Uncle Sam's microscope -- the feds have more concerns about animals at his zoo, and want to check things out for themselves -- but Jeff says they can kick rocks.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the feds claim the 'Tiger King' star is displaying animals at Joe Exotic's former zoo in Oklahoma without the necessary licenses or care. Prosecutors believe the animals are in "serious danger" because they don't have an attending veterinarian, and are getting substandard care.

The feds paint a grisly picture of the scene on the ground, claiming some animals are malnourished, dehydrated and licking wounds from fights in their enclosures.

However, Jeff says it's impossible for the feds to know what condition the animals are in because no one outside of his team has seen them in 2 months! Jeff says, "How arrogant and ignorant of them to deduce that my animals are in anything but perfect health. Their filing doesn’t have a single factual accusation in the entire document."

Jeff also gave us a pic shot Thursday at the park, showing 2 very healthy looking tigers. He tells us all of his animals has a perfect body scale rating.

As we reported ... the USDA inspected the zoo this summer and found a bunch of problems -- including a razor-thin 16-week-old lion cub that could barely stand -- and suspended Lowe's license for 21 days.

Making matters worse, the feds claim Jeff's zoo doesn't keep good records of everything that's going on with the various animals.

The government wants an order declaring Lowe is in violation of federal law, and giving federal investigators immediate access to inspect the park ... to determine the condition of the animals.

Lowe calls the whole thing a sad attempt by the feds to grasp at any type of authority over him.

Matt Stafford's Wife Goes Off On Pandemic Lockdown ... Calls Michigan 'Dictatorship'

NOT FEELIN' IT

"I’m so over it. I’m so over living in a dictatorship we call Michigan."

That's Kelly Stafford -- wife of Detroit Lions QB Matt Stafford -- railing against the COVID-19 restrictions in the state of Michigan ... claiming another shutdown will make things worse for everybody.

"I understand there’s a pandemic, and I understand it’s very scary. I’m scared of it too. If you are at risk, do not leave your house until there’s a vaccine," Stafford said Thursday.

"But, shutting down all these small businesses, things that people have worked their life for, shutting them down again is not the answer. Because they will not make it."

Stafford continued, "So, once we are able to leave our house, once this dictatorship decides to let us have some freedom, there will be nothing left. I’m just over it. I see all these people and it brings me to tears."

Stafford is referring to new restrictions that Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer announced on Sunday ... detailing a new round of closures and other measures to reduce the spread of the virus.

Stafford immediately received backlash for referring to Michigan as a dictatorship ... and issued an apology a short time later, saying, "Should never have used the word 'dictatorship.' I got caught up in the heat of the moment, that is my fault."

"I care about the people who are losing their lives or battling this ... and also the medical staff who care for them. And, it is hard knowing these local business owners and watching them struggle and having to lay off their employees, not knowing how they are gonna make it."

Stafford says she loves Michigan and didn't mean to let her emotions get the best of her.

The Staffords have had a tough time during the pandemic -- Kelly recently revealed their youngest daughter was hospitalized for a concussion after falling out of her high chair.

Kelly partly blames the incident on Matt being isolated due to a possible COVID exposure -- and because of the pandemic, she was unable to get additional help to care for their 4 young children.

Mossimo Giannulli Surrenders to Begin 5-Month Prison Sentence for College Bribery Scandal

Almost 3 weeks after Lori Loughlin surrendered to authorities to begin her prison sentence ... her hubby Mossimo Giannulli followed suit.

The "Full House" star's hubby reported to authorities Thursday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, CA ... about 2 and a half hours north of L.A. He reported on the November 19 deadline set for him to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Mossimo turned himself in to authorities shortly after getting a new tough-guy look for prison ... opting to shave his head and sporting a gray beard. He took the new look out for a spin Monday in Bev Hills, though he was still wearing designer clothes and a fancy watch.

He definitely looked less like a rich father who committed a white-collar crime and more like a guy ready to start and finish a bar fight.

As we reported ... Mossimo pled guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud for his part in the college bribery scandal and 1 count of honest services wire and mail fraud. He was sentenced to 5 months in prison and has to pay a $250k fine and perform 250 hours of community service.

Lori started her stint behind bars back on October 30 when she reported to FCI Dublin in California to begin her 2-month sentence. She reported well ahead of her deadline.

Mossimo and Lori were adamant about fighting the charges but ultimately had a change of heart because they were facing multiple felonies and potentially decades behind bars.

As you know, Lori and Mossimo paid $500,000 to get their daughters into USC by faking a photo that made it look like the girls were college-caliber rowers.

Rudy Giuliani Super Sweaty for News Cameras ... Apparent Hair Dye Disaster!!!

11/19/2020
SWEATIN' IT
Fox News

Rudy Giuliani's sweat-fest is stealing the spotlight from President Trump's election battle ... because he appears to have hair dye streaming down his face.

The man in charge of President Trump's legal fight to overturn the election results was sweating profusely throughout a news conference ... often taking breaks to wipe his face and visible beads of sweat on his forehead.

At one point, it got so bad ... streams of what looks like dark hair dye ran down both sides of his face.

As for what's actually being said at the news conference ... Giuliani's continuing to make baseless claims of rampant voter fraud and discrepancies in multiple states, with added ire for Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

It's truly been a sight to behold -- for reasons far beyond Rudy's bad dye job -- and he's perspiring so much, ya gotta wonder if he's battling an illness. It wouldn't be the first time a Trump-related event included an outbreak.

Boosie Badazz Two Surgeries After Shooting ... Zero Amputations!!!

Boosie Badazz went under the knife after getting shot in the leg, but surgeons didn't remove his foot ... and he's already home from the hospital.

Sources close to Boosie tell TMZ ... he did NOT get his foot amputated -- contrary to reports -- but he did have a couple of surgeries for his gunshot wound.

Our sources say Boosie had a procedure to remove bullet fragments, and he had some screws put in to make sure his foot properly heals.

Boosie has diabetes, which led to speculation about potential amputation, but we're told the only medical decisions in relation to his diabetes had to do with his pre-surgery diet.

Our sources say Boosie and his docs had to hammer out a diet to make sure he would be fine while under anesthesia, and Boosie ended up taking 24 hours to decide if he even wanted the procedures done.

As we first told you ... Boosie was shot in the leg over the weekend in Dallas, just days after his friend, Mo3, was killed there last week in a fatal shooting.

Sources tell us Boosie checked out of the Dallas-area hospital Tuesday, and he's currently resting at home and still in pain because the gunshot wound is near his knee.

We're told Boosie's going to be off his feet for 6 weeks, but he still has both of them.

Klay Thompson Diagnosed with Torn Achilles ... Will Miss Entire NBA Season

NBA superstar Klay Thompson has been diagnosed with a torn right Achilles tendon -- and will miss the entire 2020-21 season.

It's the worst possible news the Golden State Warriors could have received about the Splash Brother after he went down with an injury during a pickup game Wednesday in Downtown L.A. with other NBA players.

The team initially feared the injury could be severe ... a fear that was realized Thursday after the test results came back.

The injury usually takes 9-to-12 months for recovery -- though Kobe Bryant famously returned after 8 months when he suffered the same injury back in 2013.

What's worse for Klay is that he was busting his ass over the past year to return from a torn ACL in his left knee -- an injury he suffered during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, which required him to miss all of last season.

It's a major blow to the Warriors ... who posted the worst record in the league last season without their 2 biggest stars -- Thompson and Stephen Curry, who was recovering from a broken hand.

Thompson is easily one of the best shooters in the game -- with a career average of 19.5 points on 45% shooting ... including 41% from 3-point range.

Get well soon, Klay!!

Kamala Harris Officer Fired Over Racist Post ... Watermelon Jack-O'-Lantern of VP-Elect

A part-time sheriff's deputy in Michigan got canned after sharing a photo of Trump, Biden and Pence jack-o'-lanterns made from pumpkins ... and a watermelon one to represent Kamala Harris.

The Oakland County Sheriff's Office terminated longtime employee Sherry Prose last month after she posted the Halloween/election-themed photos ... with the horribly racist twist.

The sheriff's office says ... "These types of incidents are disgusting and will never be tolerated or pushed aside at the sheriff’s office." It adds that behavior like this "brings tarnish to the badge."

It's unclear when Prose shared her post, but it featured 3 pumpkins in one photo with the caption, "Trump, Biden, Pence and Kamala. Happy Halloween." The second photo shows Harris as a watermelon jack-o'-lantern.

Prose has reportedly worked in law enforcement since 1994, and insists she's not a racist. She says, "I worked hard in my law enforcement career and I am proud of the reputation I earned in my 30 plus years of service. I am not racist and never will be." She never explained the photo, though.

Rev. Dr. Wendell, president of Detroit’s NAACP branch, points out that the watermelon correlation with Black people is "linked to buffoonery and to less than." He adds ... "I believe that the intent was purposely structured to diminish and to dilute the significance of the first African American ... as Vice President of these United States."

Police Chief William Riley agrees, and says that's why they condemn the post, and "condemn it loudly."

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