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7:05 PM PT -- Diddy is weighing in on the Panthers' sale ... and it sounds like he wants to throw his hat in the ring as the next owner.

Well that was fast -- Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson says he's putting the team up for sale at the end of the season ... the same day the NFL said it's investigating him.

Richardson released a statement Sunday saying he was planning to sell the Panthers franchise to new ownership, but wouldn't start the process 'til the very last game.

As we reported ... the Panthers launched an investigation into their owner this week for alleged misconduct in the workplace, including reported cash settlements for at least 4 employees.

According to Sports Illustrated, the misconduct centered around alleged sexual harassment and the use of a racial slur. The NFL also announced Sunday that it was taking over the Panthers' original probe ... which appears to have forced Richardson's hand.

Gotta say ... this reminds us a lot of when TMZ Sports revealed racist comments made by former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling ... who sold the team after news of his scandal broke.

UFC champ Tyron Woodley dropped bombs on Keaton Jones' parents in the newest episode of "The Hollywood Beatdown" -- explaining why they're even worse for him than his bullies at school.

Woodley says Keaton's dad needs to "get the hell slapped outta him" for being a white supremacist ... and his mom should take a seat after allegedly trying to parlay Keaton's fame into a cash grab.

"Why do you need money to fight bullying? You need mentors ... you don't need money."

The champ says he's still got Keaton's back -- but advises him to cut out his folks, so he can become a better person.

Talk about a rough day at the office ...

A Muay Thai fighter took a brutal elbow to the face during a fight in Thailand this week -- requiring emergency surgery ... but don't worry, HE'S OKAY!!!!

Pro fighter Jonny Betts was at the Patong Stadium in Thailand on Monday night -- when his friend, "Jeremy," suffered a skull fracture in the ring.

Betts says Jeremy was out of the hospital in just a few days after undergoing a procedure to "fix up the fracture with a titanium plate."

"No brain injury and he was never dizzy."

Get well soon, man.

From Hollywood to the NFL ... now a powerful NFL owner is being investigated for alleged misconduct in the workplace.

The Carolina Panthers have confirmed they have "commenced an internal investigation" into 81-year-old Jerry Richardson. Details of the allegations have not been made public.

"The Carolina Panthers and Mr. Richardson take these allegations very seriously and are fully committed to a full investigation and taking appropriate steps to address and remediate any misconduct," the team said in a statement.

"The entire organization is fully committed to ensuring a safe, comfortable and diverse work environment where all individuals, regardless of sex, race, color, religion, gender, or sexual identity or orientation, are treated fairly and equally. We have work to do to achieve this goal, but we are going to meet it."

As for the NFL ... our sources tell us the Panthers made the league aware this afternoon that they'd launched an investigation.

WWE superstar Enzo Amore is telling the state of Delaware to stick it -- 'cause there ain't a chance they're getting his penis-ish signature scrubbed from his driver's license!!

Enzo WENT OFF on his DMV beef -- claiming he's been getting calls from reps demanding he change his license ASAP due to the suggestive signature.

Let's be real ... it definitely looks like a dong.

But, Enzo says there's no way in hell he's rejiggering his John Hancock -- and he's willing to go to war over it.

"There ain't no way the state of Delaware is gonna tell me how to sign my own license!! I've been signing this signature since grade school!!"

Cardi B twerked like her life depended on it at HOT 97's Hot for the Holidays concert on Thursday -- and got rewarded for her efforts with a Colin Kaepernick meet-and-greet after the show!

You might've heard ... Cardi's been backing Kaep ever since she blew up with "Bodak Yellow" -- saying she was gonna boycott the NFL if no team signed him back in September.

Fast-forward a few months ... and the hip-hop star finally got to meet her favorite football player and his GF, Nessa -- a HOT 97 radio host -- backstage at the Prudential Center.

Nessa even congratulated Cardi for "being the sweetest and for poppin' that booty onstage!!!"

You're welcome:

You guys give up or ya thirsty for more?!!?!

Macaulay Culkin channeled his inner-Randy Savage -- and dominated a pro wrestling match in L.A. on Thursday, culminating in a move where the actor FLEW OFF THE TOP ROPE!

Culkin was ringside at Bar Wrestling ... during a match between Joey Ryan, Candace Larae and Dick Justice VS. Peter Avalon, Ray Rosas and Swoggle.

In footage captured by ProWrestlingSheet, you can see Culkin -- in a Rowdy Roddy Piper shirt -- interfere with the match by using a trick from "Home Alone" ... rolling marbles into the ring!!

He then zeroes in on Swoggle and hits him with a splash from the top rope while the crowd chants, "Home Alone!"

It's awesome!

Soooo ... bring on the Wet Bandits?!?

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry finally scraped together enough dough to pay their deposit and lock in a wedding date.

The palace announced Friday the couple will do the damn thing on May 19. That's one week earlier than a British tabloid had reported it would be, and means they will NOT tie the knot on a 3-day weekend. Bummer for their guests.

Nothing particularly special about the date in British royal history, anyway.

It is, however, the birth date of Malcolm X, Ho Chi Minh and Kim Zolciak. Sooo ... there's that.

Mario Batali is officially cut from "The Chew" ... for good.

ABC completed its review into multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against the celeb chef -- and says, "While we remain unaware of any type of inappropriate behavior involving him and anyone affiliated with our show, ABC takes matters like this very seriously as we are committed to a safe work environment and his past behavior violates our standards of conduct."

As we reported ... 4 women claimed Batali had inappropriately touched them in the past, 3 of whom used to work for him. Batali said some of the accusations matched up with ways he'd acted.

5:00 PM PT -- "America's Next Top Model" judge Kelly Cutrone is also accusing Simmons of sexual misconduct, telling the New York Post he tried to rape her after they left a party together in 1991 ... but she was able to fight him off and flee.

Russell Simmons is under the microscope of the NYPD, which is now investigating him for multiple rape allegations.

NYPD's special victims unit is reportedly looking into at least 7 claims of sexual misconduct against the Def Jam co-founder ... some dating back to the early '80s. According to the L.A. Times ... detectives are already reaching out to some of the alleged victims.

As we reported ... Simmons stepped down from his businesses last month after Jenny Lumet claimed he raped her in the '90s. Model Keri Claussen Khalighi has also accused him of rape.

Simmons denies the rapes and says all his sexual encounters were consensual.

The fallout from Morgan Spurlock's admission to past sexual misconduct has started -- he's stepping down effective immediately from the company he co-founded ... TMZ has learned.

Jeremy Chilnick -- co-founder of the Warrior Poets production company that produced the Oscar- nominated documentary "Super Size Me" -- tells TMZ ... Morgan's stepping down and the company will be run by Jeremy and other equal partner, Matthew Galkin.

As we reported ... Morgan came clean about his checkered past that included an accusation of rape and paying off a former female assistant following sexual harassment allegations.

"Can you dunk on Lonzo for me?"

That's the cutest and savagest Christmas wish we've ever heard ... courtesy of a brave kid that LeBron James visited at the Cleveland Clinic on Wednesday.

When Santa Bron stopped in to see Andrew, a young Cavs fan, and show him some love ... the kid only had one request -- that King James DUNK ALL OVER Lonzo Ball when the Lakers play Cleveland tonight.

Tavis Smiley says PBS railroaded him during its investigation into claims he was having sex with staffers, and he's vowing to take a stand against the network's "overreaction."

The talk show host, who PBS suspended Wednesday, says he only learned of the PBS investigation through former staffers who let him know they'd been contacted. Smiley says he confronted his bosses, and only then did investigators talk to him ... for 3 hours.

It's clear Smiley isn't happy with what went down -- he says investigators refused to talk to his current staff or accept documentation supporting his side of the story. He insists he "never groped, inappropriately exposed myself or coerced any colleague in the workplace ever in my 30 year career."

Smiley accuses PBS of running a sloppy investigation and says he will fight back.

What do you do when everyone in the world thinks you're trying to bang Rita Ora??

If you're Conor McGregor ... you take your REAL girlfriend on a luxury shopping spree!!

Check out the UFC superstar and Dee Devlin leaving the LV store in NYC with more than 11 BAGS (and that's only the bags we could see!).

Of course, Conor reportedly made around $100 mil for the Mayweather fight (so money ain't a thing) -- but it seems he's trying extra hard to make Dee happy.

Tavis Smiley is the next big star under fire for alleged sexual misconduct ... PBS has suspended the talk show host after an investigation uncovered "credible allegations."

Smiley is a veteran talk show host who focuses on politics and current events -- he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Smiley was allegedly banging multiple lower-level staffers who believed their employment status was dependent on their sexual relationship with them, according to Variety.

Now, PBS is taking action ... "Effective today, PBS has indefinitely suspended distribution of ‘Tavis Smiley," the network said in a statement.

"PBS engaged an outside law firm to conduct an investigation immediately after learning of troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley. This investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley."

"The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today’s decision."

Warren Sapp is firing back against allegations of sexual misconduct -- claiming he NEVER urinated in front of an NFL Network wardrobe lady ... but there WAS a conflict over the bathroom.

Sapp appeared on "The Andy Slater Show" on 940 AM in Miami and told his version of what went down during a bathroom incident with Jami Cantor while he was working at the network.

Long story short ... Sapp says he DID open the bathroom door and saw Cantor working in there -- but instructed her to get out ... and didn't begin to pee until she was gone.

"I walked in [and] asked her to leave," Sapp said ... "She left. She yelled what she yelled through the door, talkin' about that's her office."

Sapp explained, "This sh*tter can't be your office."

Cantor tells a different story in her lawsuit against the NFL Network ... claiming Sapp barged in, whipped it out and began to pee while telling the woman, "Sorry mama, but your office shouldn't be our sh*tter."

"I walked in that bathroom but there's no way I peed in front of her. I put that on my 6 kids. My 3 little girls and my 3 big boys -- no way, no how."

Sapp also addressed Cantor's allegations that he gave her sex toys as Christmas presents -- saying he DID give them to some makeup artists after they requested them ... but never gave one to Cantor.