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4:45 PM PT -- Jussie has been indicted for a felony ... filing a false police report. He's now facing a possible 3 years in prison.

The Cook County grand jury just handed up the indictment after hearing testimony and examining the evidence.

4:37 PM PT -- Gloria Schmidt, the lawyer for Ola and Abel Osundairo, just said her clients testified before the Grand Jury for 2 and a half hours and laid out their story that Jussie put them up to a fake assault. Schmidt said the brothers testified separately and they have no criminal exposure.

She added Jussie's conscience "won't let him sleep so he should come clean."

Jussie Smollett is now officially in the crosshairs of law enforcement, because Chicago PD said he's now "officially classified as a suspect in a criminal investigation ... for filing a false police report."

The cops say detectives are currently presenting evidence to a Cook County Grand Jury.

If Smollett is charged the felony carries a maximum 3-year prison sentence.

We're told the 2 brothers are at the courthouse now and are expected to testify ... most likely today.

The 2 brothers who claim Jussie Smollett staged the "attack" say he paid them $3,500 before the attack, but the reason for the payment is muddled.

Sources tell TMZ, Jussie wrote a check for the $3,500, but he wrote on the memo line on the check it was for training.

Sources connected to Jussie tell TMZ, the money -- paid shortly before the incident -- was for workout sessions and a dietary regimen.

Sources connected to the brothers tell TMZ, Jussie was indeed paying for training, but he threw in more money than they were owed. When pressed, our sources admit Jussie did not say any additional money was for participation in the alleged scheme, but they say it was clear to all.

Originally Published -- 2:24 PM PT

Remember the high school wrestler who was forced to cut off his dreadlocks before a match back in December?

Yeah, well, Andrew Johnson just placed 3rd in his district -- qualifying for the prestigious regional championships ... which means he's one step closer to making the N.J. state tourney!!!

Johnson's story made national headlines back in December when a referee told him his hairstyle violated high school wrestling rules ... and he needed to chop his locks or forfeit the match.

The 16-year-old junior reluctantly agreed to cut his hair -- and still won the match -- but he was visibly devastated.

Footage of the incident went viral -- and Johnson sat out of the next wrestling event because he was overwhelmed by the media attention.

The good news ... he eventually got back on the mat and returned to form -- securing 3rd place at the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedics District 29 tournament in New Jersey over the weekend in the 120-pound division.

After the district tourney, Andrew told NJ.com, "I tried to block everything out and just wrestle."

One of the cooler parts of the story ... Johnson's little bro, Nate -- a freshman -- finished second in the tourney and will also advance to this week's regionals.

"We're both moving on, so we're ready," Andrew said.

Their mom, Rosa Johnson, also weighed in -- saying, "Our family has just rallied around them and kept them focused."

"We've tried to protect them. They've worked really hard for this and wanted to keep them focused."

As for the ref who forced Johnson to cut his hair 2 months ago ... TMZ Sports has learned Alan Maloney has not officiated since the incident, and the NJSIAA is still investigating.

10:21 AM PT -- A rep for the Fashion Nova brand tells us, "Fashion Nova is an ultra-fast fashion brand that is capable of executing design within hours and believes in fairness in pricing. We strive to offer our customers affordable leading trends. We respect the fashion community and work with a variety of vendors, designers, influencers and celebrities to keep our style offering fresh and relevant."

The statement continues, "Kim Kardashian-West is one of the top fashion icons in the world that our customers draw inspiration from. However, we have not worked with Kim Kardashian-West directly on any of her projects but have been driven by her influential style."

Kim Kardashian West is going after fashion companies like Fashion Nova for jacking original designs and promoting them as their own, or even worse -- making it seem like she's in cahoots.

KKW says it's "devastating" to see brands "rip off designs that have taken the blood, sweat and tears of true designers who have put their all into their own original ideas." Kim doesn't name Fashion Nova ... but it's pretty obvious they're the target.

She's specifically referencing the black, one-of-a-kind vintage Mugler dress she wore at the Hollywood Beauty Awards Sunday night -- which instantly went viral.

The next day, a knock-off version of that dress popped up on FN's website, but only for waitlist. Kim claims this is because the dress obviously hasn't been made to sell yet, and it's simply a ploy to attract customers by tricking them into thinking Kim has a relationship with the company.

Kim adds ... "I’ve watched these companies profit off my husband’s work for years and now that it’s also affecting designers who have been so generous to give me access to their beautiful works, I can no longer sit silent."

She's also warning folks not to believe what they see online, emphasizing she's built relationships with amazing designers to pull off her famous looks, but -- "I don’t have any relationships with these sites. I’m not leaking my looks to anyone, and I don’t support what these companies are doing."

As you may know ... celebs like Cardi B and Amber Rose have collabs with Fashion Nova. Kim's making it clear -- she doesn't.

Draymond Green spared no expense when he proposed to his girlfriend last month -- TMZ Sports has learned the ring he used to pop the question is worth $300,000!!!

Remember, Warriors coach Steve Kerr accidentally broke the news a few weeks ago that Green got engaged to actress and "Basketball Wives" regular Hazel Renee ... but now, we've got deets.

There was a helicopter. There was a yacht. Oh yeah, and a big ass ring.

Turns out, Day Day hit up Jason of Beverly Hills for the 6-carat flawless diamond ring ... and the NBAer had his fingerprint on the whole thing.

"Draymond was very involved in the design process," Jason Arasheben, CEO Jason of Beverly Hills tells us.

"I took multiple trips up to the Bay to show him stone options and to choose the setting. He was very particular about the quality of the center stone. He wanted only the best for Hazel."

... and he got it!

Congrats to the couple -- and if you're wondering when the two will actually tie the knot, maybe ask Steve Kerr (he seems to know things).

It's a miracle Demaryius Thomas wasn't killed in his car crash Saturday morning -- with a key witness telling TMZ Sports he watched DT's car flip 3 times ... and was SHOCKED when he saw the NFL star get out of the vehicle mostly unharmed.

We spoke with Michael Tafoya who happened to be driving in the Denver area around 12:20 AM when he saw the vehicle lose control, hit a curb and launch 20 feet into the air. The car then rolled 3 times before finally landing in a grassy median.

Tafoya -- who's a registered nurse -- says he ran over to the crash scene to help out and tried to get the door open to help the passengers, but it was stuck.

Cops arrived to the scene a short time later and took over -- managing to free Thomas and both of his passengers. Tafoya says officials used the Jaws of Life to help free Thomas from the car.

The ex-Broncos star and the 2 passengers are expected to be fine, according to officials -- but Tafoya tells us Thomas had a "hellacious knot" on his head.

Michael tells us the whole thing looked like a scene out of an action movie ... adding, "I thought those people were dead."

Thomas played for the Broncos for nine seasons before being traded mid-way through this past year to the Texans. He's now a free agent after Houston released him last week.

Cops say the cause of the crash is under investigation.

6:44 PM PT -- R. Kelly's attorney, Steven Greenberg tells TMZ ... "I am unaware of any 'special' grand jury being convened to look into R. Kelly. There is no record of any such proceedings, and no need for them. The report is false."

A grand jury has been convened to hear evidence against R. Kelly in the wake of a new sex tape that reportedly shows him having sex with a 14-year-old girl -- and some of his alleged former victims might've been the reason a jury was formed so swiftly.

Sources connected with the Cook County State Attorney's investigation tell us a number of women who claim to be victims of R. Kelly were recently flown out to Chicago to watch the sex tape Michael Avenatti handed over to prosecutors.

Avenatti says the tape clearly shows R. Kelly having explicit sex with the girl. CNN -- which saw the tape -- described lurid details, including R. Kelly allegedly urinating on the minor.

Our sources say that these women -- some of whom have never surfaced -- were brought in to watch the new tape to see if anything looks familiar ... including the setting, surroundings, location and, of course, the identity of the 14-year-old.

The tape, and possible witnesses who can contextualize the video, may be enough for a grand jury to indict.

1:22 PM PST -- Roy Richter -- who serves as the president of the Captains Endowment Association, a union that reps Emanuel Gonzalez -- tells TMZ ... the allegation that Gonzalez told fellow officers to shoot 50 Cent on sight last year is completely false. Richter tells us Gonzalez never said that, and that he completely denies any suggestion he did. In fact, Richter says it was 50 who put Gonzalez's safety at risk by publishing a threatening Instagram post.

10:00 AM PST -- 50 Cent has responded to the Daily News article on Instagram saying, "I take this threat very seriously," and he is consulting with his legal counsel all the while posting a photo of Emanuel Gonzalez.

An NYPD officer is under investigation for allegedly telling his fellow cops to shoot 50 Cent on sight ... TMZ has confirmed.

Police sources tell TMZ, Commanding Officer Emanuel Gonzalez made the comment last June during roll call at the 72nd Precinct. What apparently triggered his comment ... 50 was scheduled to attend an NYPD boxing match in the Bronx. Gonzalez said, "Shoot him on sight."

Gonzalez has had beef with 50 ... according to the NY Daily News, which broke the story, a month before Gonzalez made his comment he filed an aggravated harassment complaint claiming 50 threatened him on Instagram.

50 had accused Gonzalez of "shaking down" the owner of one of 50's go-to clubs ... this according to the Daily News. 50 wrote on his Instagram, "Get the strap" -- slang for gun. Gonzalez says 50's followers subsequently threatened him with violence.

We're told Gonzalez has said it was just a joke, but the matter was reported to higher-ups in the Department and Internal Affairs is now investigating.

Gonzalez is a long-timer in the Department -- 30 years -- and he's still on duty.

50's rep tells TMZ," Mr. Jackson takes this threat very seriously and is consulting with his legal counsel regarding his options going forward. He is concerned that he was not previously advised of this threat by the NYPD and even more concerned that Gonzalez continues to carry a badge and a gun."

8:15 PM PT -- Jussie's lawyer just responded with this ... "As a victim of a hate crime who has cooperated with the police investigation, Jussie Smollett is angered and devastated by recent reports that the perpetrators are individuals he is familiar with. He has now been further victimized by claims attributed to these alleged perpetrators that Jussie played a role in his own attack. Nothing is further from the truth and anyone claiming otherwise is lying."

6:15 PM PT -- Chicago PD's Chief Communications Officer confirms the case has taken a turn based on details provided by the brothers, saying ... "The information received from the individuals questioned by police earlier in the Empire case has in fact shifted the trajectory of the investigation."

He adds that police have reached out to Jussie's attorney to request a follow-up interview.

Jussie Smollett has turned from a presumed victim to suspect in the criminal investigation into the alleged racist, homophobic attack, and sources say there is mounting evidence the 2 brothers who were arrested and subsequently released were acting at Jussie's behest and reportedly paid.

Our sources say the brothers -- both of whom worked on the "Empire" set -- "completely cooperated" with Chicago cops during their interrogation over the last few days.

One law enforcement source tells TMZ at least one of the brothers turned over his phone and there is a call between him and Jussie in the vicinity of the "attack," but before it happened.

CNN is reporting the brothers purchased what looks like the rope Jussie had around his neck at a Chicago Ace Hardware store. CNN is also citing law enforcement sources saying Jussie paid the brothers to orchestrate the phony assault.

Various sources in the Chicago PD have told TMZ almost from the beginning there was wide sentiment Jussie's version of events were false, despite the party line that he was the victim of a crime.

As we told you ... the Nigerian brothers never fit the profile of Jussie's alleged attackers, even when they were arrested for battery. Not only are they not white -- which contradicts Smollett's claims from the beginning -- but "Empire" cast and crew sources tell us they're very close to Jussie ... and they're pro-LGBTQ and anti-Trump too.

Chicago PD released Abel and Ola late Friday night due to "new evidence" gathered from their interrogation ... and said they're no longer suspects.

The brothers' lawyer, Gloria Schmidt, says her clients were released based on the key info they gave the cops ... and they have a story to tell "when the time is right."

7:30 PM PT -- Cops are releasing the Osundairo brothers and they won't be charged.

Chicago PD says, "Due to new evidence as a result of today's interrogations, the individuals questioned by police in the 'Empire' case have now been released without charging."

Spokesman Anthony Guglielmi added that detectives have "additional investigative work to complete."

Police have now arrested 2 men in the Jussie Smollett investigation -- 2 men with ties to "Empire" -- and TMZ has learned they were booked for battery.

The men are brothers from Nigeria named Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo, and Chicago cops are now calling them "potential suspects" ... as opposed to persons of interest. We know it was their home cops raided Wednesday and seized a long list of potential evidence ... including several bottles of bleach.

As we reported ... cops picked up Ola and Abel, their nicknames, on Wednesday night at O'Hare Airport.

A Chicago law enforcement source tells us the next step may be a lineup in which Jussie will be asked to identify the culprits. This raises a potential problem because, as we first reported, Jussie initially said his attackers were white and yelled "MAGA country."

The Osundairos, from Nigeria, just don't fit that profile.

As you know, Jussie has stated the men in the dark, grainy image released last month are definitely his attackers. Police are not confirming the Osundairo brothers are the men in that photo.

Ola played a prison inmate on season 2 of "Empire." It's unclear exactly how well they know Jussie, but we know Jussie follows their joint Instagram account. Abel also says he's worked on "Empire."

Both brothers describe themselves online as actors and models.

Ex-"Deadliest Catch" star Jake Harris is sitting behind bars -- and has been for more than 3 weeks -- after he was arrested for felony DUI and drug possession ... TMZ has learned.

The incident went down back on January 23 in Skagit County, Washington where cops say the 33-year-old wouldn't identify himself to park rangers, who tried pulling him over. Harris took off with his RV, forcing state troopers to chase him down and force him to stop ... according to docs obtained by TMZ.

Cops say the trooper noticed signs of drug use once they pulled over Harris -- pinpoint pupils, bloodshot eyes and pale face. They also say he could not stand still ... shaking the entire time and talking fast. Meanwhile, a K-9 alerted cops to drugs in the RV.

Cops say they found a half ounce of heroin and other paraphernalia associated with the selling of drugs. Cops say they also found a shotgun Harris claims he bought from someone for $150 and a "ball" of heroin. Turns out it was stolen.

He was arrested and charged with 4 felonies -- DUI, possession of a controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle or premises for drug trafficking and possession of a stolen firearm. They also hit him driving on a suspended license.

Harris was skipper of the Cornelia Marie before leaving "Deadliest Catch" in 2012, and has struggled with drugs.

His bail's been set at $200k.

Lolo Jones is unloading on Ryan Lochte -- fellow Team USA Olympian and 'Big Brother' housemate -- blasting him as an Olympic disgrace ... for no real apparent reason.

Lolo just wrapped up her stint on "Celebrity Big Brother" -- where she and Lochte seemed to get along for the most part. Lolo finished in 3rd place. Lochte was 10th.

But, when a couple of people on Twitter criticized her being a "sore loser" while praising Lochte, Jones fired back by ripping the swimmer and his arrest scandal in Brazil during the 2016 Games.

Here's how the exchange went.

Fan #1: "Who would’ve thought that Ryan Lochte would finish #CBB looking like the most mature and gracious Olympian on the show? I used to like Lolo as an athlete, but now I can’t stand #locoLolo"

Fan #2: "Maybe the difference is Ryan actually wins medals at the olympics while LoLo loses at the games. She needs anger management and to stop being a sore loser."

Lolo: "I also don’t get escorted out of the Olympic games either or lie about a whole country."

Boom.

Question is ... why? After Lochte was eliminated early in the show, she griped to other houseguests that Olympians should stick together. So, why turn on Lochte now?

Dina Lohan's alleged catfish boyfriend is going to prove he's the real deal, because he's planning to FaceTime Dina as soon as she gets out of the 'Big Brother' house ... TMZ has learned.

Dina's love interest, 53-year-old Jesse Nadler, tells TMZ ... he's going to surprise Dina with a FaceTime call Wednesday night, as soon as she's released from the "Celebrity Big Brother" house.

You'll recall, Dina got dragged by members of the 'CBB' house last week for having an exclusively online relationship for years, and she insisted he was the real deal.

Jesse confirms he's known Dina for 5 years, and they originally met on Facebook ... he says they had mutual friends because they're both from Long Island.

We're told Jesse was asked to fly out to the 'CBB' house, but he couldn't make it because his mother is battling cancer ... so he's going to use his new iPhone for his first ever foray into FaceTime.

Lindsay also got involved in the trolling, commenting about the episode and saying, "So proud of you mommy! But no more weird #catfish please."

Jesse says he's twice spoken to Lindsay over the phone, so he was pretty upset when he learned about her catfish comments ... and says Lindsay has him all wrong, telling us he would never take advantage of a woman and considers being labeled a "catfish" the worst insult imaginable.

Jesse also tells us he's full-steam ahead in his plans to pursue a relationship with Dina.

11:20 AM PT -- As for the redacted information, the rep says, "Any redacted information was intended to protect the privacy of personal contacts or high-profile individuals not relevant to the attack.

10:15 AM PT -- A rep for Jussie tells us, "Jussie is the victim here, which has been stated by the Superintendent of Police. Jussie has voluntarily provided his phone records from within an hour of the attack and given multiple statements to police. Chicago PD has repeatedly informed us that they find Jussie's account of what happened that night consistent and credible."

The rep continues, "Superintendent Johnson has been clear from day one that Jussie is a victim. We are continuing to work closely with the Chicago PD and remain confident that they will find Jussie's attackers and bring them to justice."

Jussie Smollett's submitted critical phone records to Chicago police, but those records have been rejected because they're not the real deal.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... what Jussie turned in 2 weeks after his alleged attack was a heavily redacted PDF file of his phone bill. Our sources say a PDF is subject to manipulation, meaning numbers can be added or deleted, although police are quick to point out there's no evidence they were in fact manipulated. The problem ... the only solid, irrefutable evidence is either the actual phone bill or a download of Jussie's phone.

As we reported, Jussie says he was on the phone with his manager at the time of the attack and the manager says he heard the racial and homophobic epithets. Chicago PD wants the phone records to authenticate a call was made. They asked Jussie for the records 2 weeks ago and received the PDF Monday.

Police say there are cameras everywhere in the area of Jussie's building, but there is still a 60-second gap in the video where you don't see the "Empire" star. So far there's no video of the attack.

Our sources say police have also retrieved security video from nearby stores to see if anybody bought rope around the time of the incident. Police are reviewing the video.

Police say Jussie remains cooperative and they are treating him as the victim of a hate crime.

As you know, Jussie says his attackers tied a rope around his neck ... police say there's video of Jussie with a rope around his neck in the lobby. They are not saying if the rope is around his neck outside the building because they say that would interfere with the investigation.

8:05 AM PT -- Tulsa PD tells TMZ ... no arrests were made and no injuries were reported from the chaos. However, investigators are reviewing videos online and provided by witnesses, as well as the BOK Center's surveillance cameras, to try to identify people who vandalized the arena. If police can positively ID the vandals ... they will be charged.

Travis Scott's concert in Oklahoma did not go well -- it was called off before it even started, and angry fans stuck around to voice their displeasure ... and to vandalize.

The rapper was set to perform a sold-out show for his Astroworld Tour at the BOK Center in Tulsa Monday night, but at the last minute the venue announced it would be postponed until March 26 due to "technical production issues."

Instead of heading home peacefully, a horde of Travis fans waited and grew more irritated outside the arena ... before one guy threw a water bottle, shattering a glass door.

More fans rushed at an entrance that was briefly opened by security and shouted, "Let us in!" ... but didn't get their wish. Cops dispersed pepper balls into the crowd after they began banging on the doors and moving metal barriers, and eventually ... everyone left unharmed.

For his part, Scott apologized to his fans shortly after the postponement announcement, explaining he didn't want to give them an incomplete show.

Trav's next gig is Wednesday night in Houston. He could use the hometown love.

Future bailed on a performance at Clive Davis' pre-Grammys party at the last minute -- maybe not coincidentally, considering Ciara and Russell Wilson were front and center at the event.

Eyewitnesses at Clive's Beverly Hilton bash Saturday night -- which was a who's who of Hollywood event ahead of Sunday's award show -- confirm Future was booked to perform, but hightailed it when his team realized his ex-fiancee and her new hubby were in the front row.

Our sources -- who were present during the exchange -- say someone in Future's camp accused the event organizers of being "messy" by having Ciara and Russ there, and said their guy wouldn't perform. We're told Future was briefed about it outside, and then dipped.

HollywoodLife first reported Future's departure. Now, there's another side to this story -- sources close to Future tell us he didn't bail because of Ciara or RW.

Our Future sources say the show was behind schedule by nearly an hour, and he and his team were instructed to shorten his performance significantly, which, we're told, Future wasn't down with. We're told he had no idea Ciara or Russ was there.

2:20 PM PT -- BET is making it clear the tweet targeting Nicki was unauthorized. The network says, “BET loves Nicki Minaj. We have supported her from the very beginning of her career and will continue to do so moving forward. Nicki has paved the way for so many performers and has solidified her place as one of the most powerful figures in the music industry."

The statement continues ... "Unfortunately the respect we have for Nicki was violated by this post that should never have been written. The post does not reflect how we feel about Nicki. And further does not reflect our company values. We deeply apologize for the hurt, disappointment and confusion that this post has caused. We are committed to doing everything we can to address the situation."

BET also says, "We are also conducting an internal audit to assure these types of posts are not published again. We have apologized to Nicki and her team. The post has been removed and we have taken additional appropriate action. We understand Nicki’s position and look forward to continuing our dialogue with her. Finally, we apologize to all of her fans. This should have never happened.

BET's social media team thought it was a good idea to make fun of Nicki Minaj on Twitter when Cardi B won at the Grammys... and now Nicki's getting a little payback against the network.

The "QUEEN" rapper announced Monday that she and her label, Young Money, would not be part of the BET Experience later this summer -- which is a concert series she and Cardi were booked to co-headline just days before the BET Awards in June.

Sources connected to Nicki tell us she did, in fact, cancel the gig in direct response to BET's crass joke -- and she made that quite clear with her follow-up tweets.

People were putting BET on blast, saying they owed Nicki an apology since the comment was a low blow. Nicki seemed to agree, saying ... "Meanwhile, BET is being dragged by their lacefront," adding a laughing emoji for good measure.

It's unclear who, if anyone, at the network green lit the controversial tweet, but Nicki clearly doesn't care. If she and Young Money stick to the boycott ... it's a big loss, because it means Lil Wayne's also pulling out of the BET Experience concert.

You'll recall, Nicki and Cardi have had a salty past, getting into it at a NYFW party last September -- but both women said they were squashing the beef. It sounds like Nicki's just pissed about the jab at her, not so much about the celebration of Cardi.

Originally Published -- 12:12 PM PST