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The honchos over at ABC News have made the decision to take Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes off the air ... calling the couple's relationship a distraction with next steps to be sorted out by execs.

Sources at ABC tell TMZ ... ABC News' President, Kim Godwin, made the announcement during an editorial call Monday morning -- calling the situation an "internal and external distraction."

Kim also said the decision wasn't easy and not a violation of company policy, she added, "And so, I want to say that while that relationship is not a violation of company policy, I have really taken the last few days to think about and work through what I think is best for the ABC News organization."

She continued, "This is something I'm not going to talk, we're not going to talk about on this call until there is more to be said. I'm asking that we stop the whispering in the hallways. You know, we can't operate with gossip, and speculation and rumors. We need to stay focused on the work."

Adding, "If you think there is something that management needs to know, you can always call HR or, as we've said, talk to a manager that you trust. If you think there is something that we need to know."

The decision comes less than a week after the public found out the coworkers were dating ... Daily Mail published a set of flirty photos of the two spending time throughout NYC, and broke the news they'd be taken off the air.

While neither Amy or T.J. said much about the relationship on air, they seemingly joked about all the attention it generated during Friday's broadcast when T.J. said he just wanted the week to keep going and going ... Amy said she was ready for the weekend.

TMZ broke the story, sources connected to Amy and T.J. told us the added attention to their lives wasn't going to make them pump the brakes on their relationship at all. The two were in a consensual relationship, and both had an equal position on 'GMA3.'

Stephanie Ramos and Gio Benitez will replace the two on Monday, it's unclear if they'll fill the whole week.

The mother of Todd and Julie Chrisley's granddaughter is vowing to get her daughter back ... and the path could be clear now that Todd and Julie are headed for prison.

Angela Johnson, the mother of 10-year-old Chloe, tells TMZ ... she's in the process of getting the gears turning to regain full custody of her daughter. Todd currently has full custody of Chloe.

She says she's been working with a legal team for years to get Chloe back, but concedes it's been super tough to gain traction. Chloe and the Chrisleys lived in Atlanta before the Chrisleys moved to Tennessee. Angela, who currently lives in South Carolina, tells us all the moves have created a jurisdictional nightmare in her custody battle.

Angela had Chloe with Kyle, Todd & Julie's son, back in 2012. Kyle lost custody in 2016 because of his drug addiction, leaving Angela to share custody with Todd.

Angela was arrested that same year for allegedly filing a false application for Medicaid assistance ... leaving Todd with sole custody.

Angela has copped a plea to put the case behind her ... and now she wants her daughter back. Something's gotta give, since Todd was just sentenced to 12 years in prison for bank fraud and tax evasion.

As we reported, Savannah Chrisley vowed last month she'd be getting custody of Chloe once her parents are locked up, but clearly Angela is not down with that.

Stay tuned ...

Christine McVie had some personal items of hers hit the auction block this weekend -- and in the wake of her death ... you better believe they fetched a pretty penny.

The event was held by Julien's Auctions on Saturday and Sunday in Beverly Hills, where upwards of 800 items belonging to three different Fleetwood Mac members -- including CMV -- were put up for sale to the highest bidder ... and Christine's stuff was in high demand.

Among the lots of hers up for grabs -- wardrobe that she once wore herself, not to mention Christine's very own musical instruments and stage gear ... so, yeah, rare collectables.

For starters, two different dresses of Christine's were sold ... one was the vintage maxi dress she donned for the hit album, 'Rumours,' (sold for $56,250) and her polka dot chiffon hippie dress -- which she wore to the 1976 Rock Music Awards (sold for $31,250).

There's more ... the singer's Leslie speaker and her very own mics raked in $37,500; her touring Hammond B3 organ fetched $28,125; her Yamaha electric baby grand piano sold for $22,400; and Christine's other stage-played organ went for $18,750. Nearly $200k all in all.

Other FM items were part of the auction too -- some of John McVie's belongings were also sold, such as his guitars and bass racked up practically a quarter of a million dollars on their own. Also, Mick Fleetwood's iconic wooden 'Rumours' balls snagged $128k on their own.

Pretty solid turnout, and you gotta imagine Christine's passing played a part in the interest.

As we reported ... Christine died Wednesday at the hospital after a short illness, while surrounded by loved ones. Her old bandmates sent a tribute in her honor. She was 79.

Kelly Clarkson says a strange person is showing up to her house, trespassing on her property and leaving her unwanted gifts ... so, now she's getting the police involved.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... for the past month, the same person's been popping up at Kelly's L.A. area home, going up to her porch and dropping things off for her.

We're told they're leaving behind cards, plants and other random items for Kelly ... even though she told cops she's never met them before, and doesn't know who the stranger is.

Our sources say Kelly has yet to come face-to-face with the intruder, but we're told her security was concerned enough to call LAPD to file a report ... and now LAPD Threat Management is investigating.

Cops see the person's alleged behavior as very troubling -- they don't know yet if it's a fan who means no harm, or a situation that could escalate into something far more sinister.

Our sources say Kelly's got surveillance footage of the person dropping stuff off on her porch ... and LAPD is trying to identify them for a background check, and to assess potential threats.

WWE Hall of Famer Barry Windham, the maternal uncle of WWE star Bray Wyatt and former WWE wrestler Bo Dallas, suffered a heart attack over the weekend and is now in the ICU.

According to a GoFund Me campaign created by Barry's niece, Mika Rotunda, the 62-year-old went into cardiac arrest while traveling through an airport in Atlanta.

Mika says her uncle underwent an emergency procedure to save his life ... adding the wrestling legend's future is uncertain.

Windham, son of Robert Deroy Windham, better known by his ring name Blackjack Mulligan, was a household name in National Wrestling Alliance and WCW.

One of the most memorable moments of Barry's career was when the 4-time NWA/WCW tag team champion turned heel on Lex Luger and joined the Four Horsemen.

The Four Horsemen was a wrestling group originally in NWA and later WCW ... that consisted of Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, and Tully Blanchard.

Windham was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame in 2012 alongside Flair, J.J. Dillon, Arn Anderson, and Blanchard.

Sacha Baron Cohen did his classic 'Borat' bit to go after Kanye West during the Kennedy Center Honors, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband was among those applauding ... as he made his first public appearance since he was attacked.

The actor/comedian reprised his iconic role for a speech Sunday night at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C., where George Clooney, Gladys Knight, U2 and a few other artists were honored.

During the ceremony, SBC came out dressed as the misunderstood Kazak journalist and went right after Ye's antisemitic remarks, saying ... "Before I proceed, I will say I am very upset about the antisemitism in US and A. It not fair. Kazakhstan is number 1 Jew-crushing nation. Stop stealing our hobby. Stop the steal! Stop the steal!”

He added, "Your Kanye, he tried to move to Kazakhstan and even changed his name to Kazakhstanye West. But, we said: No, he too antisemitic, even for us."

If you're unfamiliar, the 'Borat' character is known for making antisemitic jabs -- but everyone knows it's ironic humor, because Sacha is Jewish.

He even sang a parody of U2's "With or Without You," changing the lyrics to "With or Without Jews."

Later in the evening, Borat got lost and Sacha reappeared as his normal self.

Now, while his standup was certainly a highlight from the night, seeing Paul Pelosi in the building, alongside Rep. Pelosi was just as eye-opening.

It marked his first public outing since an attacker struck him with a hammer, back in October, inside the Pelosis' San Fran home.

Paul's skull was damaged, and required surgery ... but at the Kennedy Center, he seemed to have recovered well. He was wearing a hat, possibly to conceal his injuries.

A new trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's documentary has dropped, and it's clear the couple isn't holding back in taking some serious shots at the royal family.

Netflix released the new preview for "Harry & Meghan" Monday morning, showing more of the drama that'll be unveiled starting this week ... and Harry's calling out the "hierarchy of the family" -- claiming people inside his camp were leaking stories about him and Meghan.

Meghan claims everything changed after she married into the fam ... with one person talking about "a war against Meghan" -- while another claiming the drama was all rooted in hatred and racism.

Harry even talks about not wanting "history to repeat itself," while flashes of paparazzi swarm their car -- before showing shots of Princess Diana dealing with the same thing.

As we reported, Harry and Meghan -- who now live in the U.S. -- were stripped of their private security during visits to the U.K. back in July ... Harry claimed it wasn't safe for him, Meghan or their 2 kids because it's just too dangerous without security help.

Harry ends the trailer, saying no one knows the "full truth" except for them ... and we're only days away from finding out what that is.

Metro Boomin has poignantly tied the theme of his new album to the recent loss of his mother -- inviting dozens of single moms to an NFL game ... with on-field access!!!

The record producer organized an awesome initiative Sunday for the Steelers' game against the Atlanta Falcons, who were hosting at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. MB -- who's originally from the area -- had some guests attend on his behalf ... a lot of them, in fact.

You see ... Metro bought tickets for 26 mothers from around the country as well as their children -- which made for a mini family parade through the tunnel and onto the main stage pre-kickoff.

Not just that, but the group here also got to stand next to the Falcons players for the national anthem ... so, better than a front-row seat. They were the main attraction! Metro himself did not attend -- our sources tell us he wanted the mama bears to have the spotlight.

It was a pretty awesome moment, to say the least ... and the reason Metro did it, we're told, was two-pronged -- one, he wanted to honor his own late mother, who tragically died.

At the same time, Metro wanted to recognize single moms for the heroes they are ... which ties into his latest project, "HEROES & VILLAINS," which is out now.

We're told this effort -- which Metro calls "Single Moms Are Superheroes," in partnership with the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation -- is a way to help these ladies amid struggles they might face as solo parents. With this nonprofit he's established, they can now get more assistance than they might otherwise receive.

Randall Emmett has some bad news for "Vanderpump Rules" fans hoping to get the inside scoop after his split with Lala Kent ... because he's revealed he won't be making a return for the show's 10th season.

In a very telling interview, the movie producer told The Sun "I never wanted to be on 'Vanderpump,' but I respect the [show's] success."

He continues, "I'm friends still with some of them. I just think what they've created is amazing and I give them so much love and praise, but in my life I'm focused on my children and focused on making films."

TMZ broke the story ... he and Lala officially broke things off last October, after Lala moved out. Before that, we were told the 2 were working on saving their engagement after Randall was accused of cheating on Lala, but it's clear those efforts weren't enough to salvage it.

Ex-Lakers champ Devean George wants to clear the dookie-smelling air ... telling TMZ Sports Shaquille O'Neal NEVER took a dump in his shoe -- despite a rumor saying otherwise.

Tyronn Lue initially started the gossip back in June on Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles' "Knuckleheads" podcast ... saying that the incident happened in the early 2000s, when he, George and O'Neal were all L.A. teammates.

According to Lue, Shaq was so pissed that George didn't bring donuts to a meeting ... he grabbed one of the small forward's sneakers, took a crap in it, and then put it back like nothing ever happened.

George then allegedly stuffed his foot in the shoe -- getting O'Neal's bowel movements all over his foot.

But, when we got the Devean out at LAX last week -- he called BS on all of the allegations ... saying nothing of the sort ever happened.

"Hell no, that's a lie, that's cap," George said, "and I know T-Lue started that."

"That never happened," he continued. "I think he did that to someone in Orlando. I don't remember the dude's name, but he did that in Orlando. But he never took a s*** in my shoes."

George said if it did go down, he and Shaq would have fought.

Instead, George said the two were very good friends -- and ended up winning three NBA titles together.

"He was a great teammate," Devean said. "He's a good guy. I love him."

Back in 2004, Snoop Dogg was stylin’ and profilin’ in his Snoop DeVille for 50 Cent’s "P.I.M.P. Remix" video, and now you can roll just like him ... 'cause the classic whip's up for grabs!!!

TMZ Hip Hop spoke to Christian Bonilla, the current owner of the car ... and he has a pretty interesting tale about how it came into his possession.

Snoop’s DeVille -- a customized 1966 Cadillac lowrider -- was virtually a family heirloom at one point and even took home the "top interior" prize at the 2006 General Motors car competition.

Christian tells us Snoop’s late roll dogg, Uncle Junebug, was especially fond of the car and loved taking it for a spin. Unfortunately, we're told Snoop blew the engine, so it was just taking up space in his car lot.

Eventually, a friend of Christian’s made Snoop an offer and shipped the car to Christian.

The car is mostly intact aside from the engine that was replaced and an audio upgrade … and we bet "Still D.R.E." sounds amazing in the speakers!!!

Christian says he’s currently fielding offers for the pimpmobile, so he doesn’t have an asking price set just yet.

One of the producers of Will Smith's new movie about a runaway slave is apologizing for bringing a photo of the real inspiration for the character to the film's premiere.

Joey McFarland issued a mea culpa Sunday -- this after there was some apparent outrage over the fact he brought a wallet-size picture to the L.A. premiere of 'Emancipation' Wednesday ... which he flashed to a reporter on the red carpet while discussing it.

McFarland was asked how he came to own the OG photo of "Whipped Peter" from 1863 ... and then he actually brought out and showed it off. His answer boiled down to seeing the importance of history and wanting to curate valuable artifacts like this one so that they can live and be preserved -- and so we can all learn a valuable lesson from the past.

On its face, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with JMF's statement. But, of course, some took issue with his phrasing -- like saying he wanted a "piece of Peter" to be there that night -- and the optics of a white man owning and parading this pic around like a prop.

That's how a handful of folks interpreted his interview here anyway ... and it seems McFarland caught wind of that noise and felt compelled to explain himself.

He writes, "I wholeheartedly apologize to everyone I have offended by bringing a photograph of Peter to the Emancipation premiere. My intent was to honor this remarkable man and to remind the general public that his image is not only brought about change in 1863 but still resonates and promotes change today."

McFarland adds, "After uncovering Peter’s origin story with help from diligent historians, I spent the last few years working with the Emancipation creative time in order to bring his story to life so worldwide audiences would have an opportunity to appreciate his heroism. I hope my actions don’t distract from the film’s message." He says he simply wants to honor the legacy of Peter and others like him, and meant no harm in showing off the photo.

Before this cute guy in his Batman tee turned into a global performer, he was just throwing on his hockey skates, heading to practice and working on becoming an actor while growing up in The Great White North.

After starring in a drama series on the CTV network for 7 seasons, he propelled himself big time into the music scene and "Nothing Was The Same." When he's not selling out concert venues around the world, you can catch him partying with icon Martha Stewart.

Need one more hint? He goes by numerous nicknames.

The stars were out and shining bright in D.C. this weekend ... this as President Biden bestowed lifetime awards on a handful of them who were honored at the White House.

George Clooney, Gladys Knight, Bono and the rest of U2 were on hand Sunday in our nation's capital to receive their Kennedy Center Honors for contributions to the arts over the course of their lives ... and they all dressed to impress for the swanky get-together.

Other honorees included composer Tania Leon and Christian singer Amy Grant -- they all lined up for tons of photos and took in the applause as JB sang their praises. At one point, he even singled out Gladys specifically and made a little pun about a classic tune of hers.

As for the rest of the bunch ... POTUS called them all "truly exceptional" during the reception -- noting Clooney's exceptional on-camera roles over the years, not to mention his philanthropy. And as for U2 ... well, let's just say Joe's a fan, going so far as to call them poets of our time.

BTW, it wasn't just these celebs who were in the house ... Julia Roberts was there, as was Don Cheadle, Richard Kind, Matt Damon, Sean Penn and others. So, yeah ... BIG turnout.

There's bits of video trickling out from the actual ceremony -- but the whole thing was properly recorded and is going to air in full later this month. It may even include performances from some of the musical acts ... time will tell.

Bob McGrath -- one of the original human stars on 'Sesame Street,' and a longtime staple on the show for years -- has died ... this according to his loved ones.

The actor's family shared the sad news Sunday, writing on his official Facebook page ... "Our father Bob McGrath, passed away today. He died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family."

McGrath will best be remembered as a recurring cast member of the beloved children's series ... having made his first appearance when the show first aired in the '60s. He was featured in the pilot in 1969, playing himself, and went on to work in an additional 47 seasons. He stopped acting on 'Sesame Street' in 2017 ... his last episode was 'Having a Ball.'

His contributions to 'Sesame Street' can't be overstated ... not only did he provide educational lessons for children through his interactions with the puppets -- but he brought a musical element to the show too, with original songs like "People in Your Neighborhood," "Sing a Song," "If You're Happy And You Know It" and even the 'SS' theme song.

While Bob stepped away from appearing on-camera for 'Sesame Street' in recent years ... he continued to work with Sesame Workshop -- the company that runs the franchise -- by going to public events and serving as an advocate.

Bob starred in countless 'Sesame Street' productions over the years -- including standalone films, sing-alongs, holiday specials, video games and more. He was one of the longest-standing human adult cast members on the series. He's survived by his wife and kids.

Conflicting reports have come in about what Iran plans to do about its "morality police" -- who are said to be responsible for the death of a woman who wouldn't comply with the hijab law.

Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Jafar Montazeri was quoted as saying that the country's Guidance Patrol would be abolished going forward ... and that their rules on women having to wear hijabs in public would be placed under review -- this per local media.

A state media agency, however, refuted this ... suggesting Montazeri had spoken out of turn, and that any disbandment of the morality police falls under the jurisdiction of the interior ministry -- not the judiciary or parliament. No official word from that department so far.

The news of a potential shift in the nation's strict regulations against women were taking as a huge win after months of protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in September, who died as a result of injuries she sustained while being detained in September.

There has been massive protests and civil unrest both there in Iran and elsewhere around the world as people rallied together to show solidarity for Iranian women in the wake of Amini's passing.