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Popeyes says they're going to run out of chicken sandwiches in stores across the country this week ... even though they thought they had enough to keep selling them through September.

The chicken joint shared the gut-wrenching news Tuesday afternoon ... telling us they tried to forecast demand through the end of next month, but people's hunger proved too much.

It's pretty crazy ... Popeyes just started selling the sandos earlier this month, igniting an all-out chicken war with Chick-Fil-A, and they promise they're busting their ass to make sure the item is back in stores ASAP.

Lines at Popeyes have been crazy ... and some people even put the sandwiches on Ebay ... and in the craze, Popeye's apparently managed to run out of fried chicken, pickles, sauce and bread.

Richard Pryor put a $1 million bounty on Paul Mooney's head after learning his good friend and fellow comedian had sex with Pryor Jr. ... at least according to Pryor's ex-bodyguard, but Mooney's calling BS.

The bombshell accusation came from Rashon Kahn in an interview posted Monday by Comedy Hype. According to Kahn ...  Paul had sex with Richard Pryor Jr. when Jr. was in his 20s, and when Richard Sr. found out, he wanted Mooney dead.

Kahn claims Richard Sr. offered him $1 mil to kill Mooney or to find someone else to do it.

Paul Mooney's publicist, Cassandra Williams, tells TMZ ... "there is no validity to Rashon Kahn's statement as it relates to Mr. Paul Mooney."

In the clip ... Kahn claims Richard and Paul's "relationship became fragile because Paul Mooney had f****d Richard’s son by that time. He violated … Paul took advantage of the situation."

Kahn says he thought Richard was just high when he first mentioned the bounty, so he double-checked with him the following week, and claims Richard made it clear he was serious.

It's certainly relevant to mention Kahn is currently promoting an upcoming tell-all book.

Larry King is moving on ... once again -- he's divorcing his 7th wife, Shawn Southwick King.

Larry filed divorce docs Tuesday in L.A. Superior Court ... pulling the plug on his 22-year marriage to Shawn. The couple does not have any minor children -- their 2 sons, Cannon and Chance ... are 19 and 20 years old, respectively.

They've been down this road at least once before. In 2010, the former CNN host filed for divorce, and it was actually a race to the courthouse -- Shawn tried to file first, but Larry's legal team was faster on the draw. Didn't matter in the end ... he and Shawn eventually reconciled.

They dealt with more marital turmoil in 2016, when they publicly addressed cheating rumors.

The breakup comes on the heels of Larry's medical crisis in April, where he suffered what doctors described to Shawn as a heart attack.

This will be 85-year-old Larry's 8th divorce ... assuming he goes through with it this time. He married one of his wives, Alene Akins, twice ... that was way back in the 1960s.

Lord, he was born a ramblin' man ...

Jeffrey Epstein, the man accused of horrific sex crimes against underage women, has killed himself behind bars.

Prison guards found him dead Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. This appears to have been his second attempt at taking his life. He was found unresponsive in his cell last month, and it appeared to be a suicide attempt.

A gurney was wheeled out of the facility at 7:30 AM Saturday and taken to a nearby hospital following an apparent 911 call reporting cardiac arrest ... this according to the NY Post.

There was a big development in the scandal Friday when legal docs became public, naming other prominent, private and public, individuals, including a senator and former cabinet member who were allegedly involved in Epstein's sexual exploits. Those people have denied involvement.

Epstein was awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking. Some of his alleged victims were as young as 14. The alleged abuse occurred between 2002 and 2005. The site of the alleged abuse was Epstein's swanky Upper East Side townhouse, as well as his Palm Beach waterfront mansion.

His charges held a possible sentence of 45 years behind bars.

Epstein, a Wall Street investor, had rich and powerful friends, including Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew, Kevin Spacey and many others.

Epstein took what became a hugely controversial plea deal back in 2008 in Florida. He pled guilty to prostitution-related felonies involving a 14-year-old girl and received an 18-month sentence and served 13 months. As you know, former labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month over the plea. He was U.S. Attorney of the Southern District of Florida at the time and accepted the plea deal.

Epstein was taken into custody July 6 and denied bail.

Epstein was 66.

Imagine if Draymond Green, Boogie Cousins, John Wall and other NBA stars rolled up on your pickup game and asked to play ...

That's EXACTLY what happened in the Bahamas on Wednesday -- when a group of young ballers got one helluva surprise ... and the whole thing was captured on video.

Cousins was the first guy to walk over ... and despite the fact he was in flip-flops, he grabbed the ball and challenged some of the men to a 1-on-1.

Draymond -- sporting a fanny pack -- followed suit ... along with fellow NBAers Wall and Eric Bledsoe.

Wall is currently nursing a ruptured Achilles tendon he injured back in January -- we should mention that we never see him actually competing in the footage from the Bahamas.

We're told the guys stuck around for about 30 to 45 minutes and couldn't have been nicer to everyone.

Unclear why the group is in the Bahamas -- but word in Nassau is someone is getting married.

These guys have all been friends for years -- with Boogie, Bledsoe and Wall playing college ball together at Kentucky before making it to the NBA.

Nipsey Hussle's clothing store in South L.A. has been getting a bad rap in the press at the hands of the L.A. City Attorney's Office ... so claims the late rapper's business partner.

L.A. businessman David Gross -- who's a co-owner of the strip mall in the Crenshaw District, where Nipsey's Marathon Clothing store is located -- is alleging the City Attorney's Office was running a smear campaign against the property in an ongoing, months-long effort to get them the hell out.

Gross says he received the letter in February of this year -- which he claims the City Attorney's staff leaked to the New York Times -- alleging the strip mall is a hot spot for gang activity and crime, and that the city can force him out if he doesn't nip it in the bud.

Nipsey's biz partner says the City Attorney's Office has wanted Nip and his comrades out of the area since day one -- and has stopped at nothing to accomplish that ... even after the MC's death.

As we reported ... the LAPD and L.A. City Attorney's Office was investigating gang activity in the area around Nipsey's store, which has been a long-standing problem.

In fact, the LAPD was set to meet Hussle a day after he was gunned down, to discuss ways to curb gang violence in his hood.

Gross writes, "The Los Angeles City Attorney’s office was trying to end us. Literally. They wanted to expel The Marathon Store from Slauson Plaza." He adds, "No doubt, if Nipsey was alive they’d still be stalking it, after doggedly pursuing him, his brother, his team and his businesses for damn near a decade. To no avail."

He follows by saying that once the City Attorney's Office realized he was partners with Nipsey and co. ... cops were sicced on him, and the resulting bad press has torpedoed other business deals of his. Gross says another bad article about Marathon Clothing is forthcoming, and he wanted to get ahead of it.

As for what's happening now -- sources connected to Nipsey's camp tell TMZ that city officials have continued to visit the store as recently as 2 weeks ago to resolve this issue -- namely, that the Marathon Store plaza has continued to attract crime and gangs. Gross tells TMZ the City wanted him to post "No Loitering" signs in the strip mall, but he felt that would be a license for cops to harass patrons.

So much for taking their relationship to the next level -- The Weeknd and Bella Hadid have called it quits again ... and it sounds like a case of history repeating.

Sources close to the on-and-off couple tell TMZ ... Abel has been hyper-focused on his new album and hasn't been putting the time into their relationship. So, it's probably no coincidence he just tweeted this ... which seems to back that up.

As we've reported ... this isn't a first for Bella and The Weeknd. They've broken up and gotten back together a few times since they were first linked at Coachella in 2015.

They reconciled again about a year ago, and it seemed they were getting more serious than ever in October ... when he got a fancy condo in NYC and asked her to move in with him.

Still, distance has always been an issue for the 2 with their respective careers, and there have been reports it's been extra rocky for them lately ... and they actually haven't been together for months.

The G.O.A.T. is on a boat -- Michael Jordan is competing in a massive fishing tournament this week ... and he's doing it in style, on his "Catch 23" yacht!!!

Our solid fishing sources (yeah, we've got those) tell TMZ Sports ... His Airness took his talents to Ocean City, Maryland for the White Marlin Open where he's facing off against some of the best anglers in the WORLD!!!

FYI -- this event is huge and there's more than $6 MILLION in prize money at stake. The competitors are fishing for everything from white marlin to blue marlin along with tuna, wahoo, dolphin (usually mahi-mahi) and shark.

The 56-year-old NBA legend hasn't had much luck so far -- the official stats show his boat has yet to reel in anything.

As for the Catch 23 yacht -- it's 80-feet long and decked out in MJs famous elephant print from his Air Jordan 3 sneakers.

There's still time though -- the tourney goes through Friday ... and if we know anything about this guy, it's that he always comes through in the clutch.

Rich the Kid made sure the viral one-legged Lollapalooza guy didn't have to hop any fences to party his face off at the festival ... by hooking him up with a four-day artist pass!!!

The one-legged dude who went viral after getting busted by cops trying to sneak into Lollapalooza Friday during a massive stampede is Mekailo Woodfork. He tells us Rich gave him the star treatment over the weekend in Chicago after learning of his plight.

Mekailo, an 18-year-old from the Chicago suburbs, tells us he went to the festival with every intention of sneaking in with his buddies. The cops infamously cut his first attempt short, but he says police let him go and he made another attempt to jump a fence -- which he somehow did -- only to have security waiting on the other side.

Enter Rich the Kid ... we're told the rapper saw the viral footage of Mekailo getting busted by a cop, so his manager reached out to the teen over Instagram and hooked him up with backstage access!

Hey ... is that Cam Newton in the canned food aisle?! YEP!!!

Turns out, the Carolina Panthers QB doesn't just wear his bizarre outfits to training camp, he also rocks the look at Walmart!!!

Newton was spotted at the store in Charlotte recently -- where the person who shot the pics told us Cam was cruising the aisles for about an hour before checking out.

Shoppers initially weren't sure if the man in the overalls, scarf and funky hat was actually Cam -- but, yeah ... that's definitely him. Who else would it be?!

Cam prides himself on his fashion ... nice to see the entire world is his runway, including supermarkets.

Damian Marley is joining the heated protests over new construction atop Hawaii's tallest mountain ... and he's doing it with some Bob Marley classics.

Damian and thousands of protesters continued putting on the pressure to halt the construction of a 30-meter telescope on Mauna Kea. Damian, who has been visiting Hawaii for nearly three decades, visited the base of the mountain over the weekend to put on a show.

We're told Damian spoke to the masses and reminded them the work they're doing is immensely important. He also told them he can relate ... due to a similar situation that went down in Jamaica when some Rastafarians were pushed out of their sacred land.

As we reported ... Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson joined the group last week. Native Hawaiian groups are worried the construction will harm a site they consider sacred.

We're told Damian, who had recently performed shows in Maui and Oahu ... decided to get over to the Big Island to hang with protesters for several hours. He performed some of his own songs along with some of his father's legendary tracks, including "Get Up, Stand Up" -- a worldwide anthem for human rights. He also performed "Crazy Baldheads" and "Positive Vibration."

NASCAR legend Tony Stewart straight-up socked a heckler in the jaw at a racetrack Friday night ... and the entire incident was caught on camera.

48-year-old Stewart -- a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champ -- was driving in a sprint car race in Jackson, Minnesota when he claims his engine blew out on him after just one lap.

A ton of fans flocked to the track to see the race star drive that night -- the Jackson Motorplex even advertised it as "Tony Stewart Night" -- so Tony stuck around afterward to sign some autographs.

That's when a heckler came up to Stewart -- and according to one eye witness, Brandon Woehl -- began cussing out Smoke for "quitting" only one lap into the race.

"F*ck you, Tony," the heckler allegedly said ... "You piece of sh*t. You come here and basically race for one lap and quit, you piece of sh*t."

That's when Woehl says Tony responded, firing back, "I blew my engine, you f*cking asshole. Do you want to pay for it?"

The two traded a few more barbs ... with Stewart deciding to unleash a single-barrel salute to the heckler with his left hand.

In the video, you can hear the heckler's response, because he screams back at Stewart, "Hey, Tony, I got two of them" while flipping him off with BOTH hands.

Stewart immediately lost his cool and went after the guy ... and in the video, you can hear Tony's left fist collide with the heckler's face!!!

Woehl claims Tony said after the punch, "F*ck, I broke my hand."

Woehl also says members of Tony's camp took him away from scene almost immediately after the incident ... while the heckler was ushered away by event security.

Cops tell TMZ Sports they were NOT called to the scene ... and, instead, they say the matter was handled internally by race track officials. They say no formal complaints against the driver have been filed.

We've reached out to Tony's camp multiple times, but so far, no official comment.

Stewart -- who retired from NASCAR following the 2016 season -- now spends a ton of time racing in small events throughout the country. He's also the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing.

Tony is set to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.

WWE legend Jerry Lawler thinks officials in Tennessee and a local sheriff are responsible for his son's 2018 death ... and now he's "seeking justice" in a new $3 MILLION lawsuit, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

Brian Christopher Lawler -- AKA Grandmaster Sexay -- died by hanging himself in his jail cell in July 29, 2018 following an arrest for DUI and evading police. He was only 46.

But, Jerry claims his death could have easily been prevented -- if officials would have followed proper protocol when dealing with a person they KNEW had a history of suicide attempts.

Lawler's attorney, Jeffrey Rosenblum, tells TMZ Sports ... Brian -- who suffered from depression -- told officers during his 2018 arrest that he had attempted suicide in 2013 and 2015.

But, when Christopher was put in a jail cell for the 2018 arrest, officials at the Hardeman County Sheriff's Dept. made no effort to protect him from himself, Rosenblum says.

Rosenblum says Christopher was attacked by another inmate during his confinement -- and suffered a head injury, left eye gash and a possible concussion. But, Rosenblum says officials refused to get him medical help.

Instead, Lawler was allegedly placed in solitary confinement with his shoes and shoe laces -- and the cell had two large bolts sticking out of a high point on one of the cell walls.

Lawler ultimately used his laces and the bolts to hang himself, Rosenblum says.

Before his death, Rosenblum alleges that Lawler repeatedly cried out for help and screamed that he needed to go to the hospital ... but never received the medical attention he requested.

Rosenblum says the family has filed a lawsuit in the hopes of holding officials accountable -- and any money they are awarded will go toward supporting Brian's son.

He also wants an apology from the Sheriff's Dept. and a court order "requiring Hardeman County to correct their unconstitutional deficiencies so that no other family has to go through what this family has had to endure over the past year."

As for the $3 mil, Rosenblum says that number is for compensatory damages "with an additional award of punitive damages to be determined by the jury for the benefit of Brian’s minor son."

Bill Cosby has settled a defamation lawsuit filed by Janice Dickinson ... and he's NOT happy about it.

Dickinson claimed Cosby's lawyer slandered her when he said her claims of sexual assault by the comedian were false. She also claimed the lawyer made his remarks at Cosby's behest.

Cosby fought the lawsuit, but now his insurance company, AIG, agreed to settle the lawsuit over Cosby's strong objections.

Cosby continues to maintain the lawsuit was without merit and he never authorized the statement made by his lawyer ... this according to his spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt.

We're told this is the third case in recent months AIG settled a case over Cosby's objections, and Cosby's side believes it's illustrative of the insurer's bad faith and is "robbing Mr. Cosby of the opportunity to clear his name in a court of law."

Cosby's legal team says he's confident if the case went to trial, a jury would have found the statements made by Cosby's former attorney -- which were allegedly never spoken by Cosby himself -- were not defamatory ... as Dickinson claims.

Dickinson's lawyer, Lisa Bloom, has called it a "major, final, legal victory."

Bloom will be holding a news conference with Dickinson Thursday at 9 AM PT ... and TMZ will live stream.

If you blinked, you might've missed the fact Justin Bieber's got himself a new set of diamond whites in the form of a grill ... and it costs a fortune.

The Biebs showed off his new bling Tuesday on Instagram, but only barely. You gotta look close, but he's got the grill laid out over the lower half of his teeth -- he left his upper deck untouched, but that bottom row sure is shiny when you see it up and close.

JB was a bit modest in showing it off, but we got you covered!!!

The grill was commissioned by an L.A.-area jeweler who goes by Gold Teeth God -- with a name like that, he's gotta be pretty good, right?!? He is, 'cause Justin gave him a buzz.

We're told JB asked for the grill two weeks ago, and just got it delivered this week. It's called an "Invisible Set Princess Cut Diamond Grill" ... which means the teeth aren't individually outlined and appear flush. It ain't cheap -- it runs about $50,000.

It comes fully loaded too -- we're told the grill was designed to cover 8 teeth with white gold and white Vs1 diamonds at a clip of 7.65 carats total.

This is at least Bieber's second grill -- you'll recall ... he got an all-pink one made for him a couple years back that ran a clean $15k (top and bottom too at the time).

Channing Tatum is now legally protected from a woman who broke into his home and squatted there for more than a week.

The woman made herself comfortable in Tatum's crib for 10 days back in June ... and on Tuesday a judge ordered her to stay 100 yards away from Channing, his estranged wife, Jenna Dewan, and their child, Everly. The intruder can't make contact with them either. Channing's current girlfriend, Jessie J, is NOT one of the protected parties.

As we reported ... one of Channing's personal assistants discovered the woman making herself comfortable at Channing's home while he was out of town. His assistant performed a citizen's arrest until cops were able to arrive and take her away.

Authorities say the woman had some personal belongings in the crib. Channing acknowledged the woman had paid him a visit before, claiming she knew him.

Attorney Blair Berk was in court on Channing's behalf, as Tatum is currently in London. Berk provided an email that the woman sent, in which she claimed that she had a relationship with Channing, and that she believed he communicated with her via music.